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Chapter Text

  Izuku hums softly as he walks home, approaching his house. He pauses when he comes to his gate, eyes catching something. He switches his vision to look at his wards- they're broken. His eyes flick up to his front door, the seal is broken too. Someone has been in his house. He scans his house, and doesn't find anything out of the ordinary. So he carefully enters his house, tail wrapped around his waist. If there's someone inside, well. There's no reason to give them something so easy to grab. He shrinks his horns, hiding them beneath his curls. His footsteps and movements are silent, he hardens some water, creating a few blades. ‘duck’ He drops to the floor in a crouch, the knife that had been aimed at his head thunks into his wall. ‘left’ He rolls left, dodging the grab that had been made. He knew the knife was a distraction. He growls as he fights, taking down assailant after assailant. Listening to the whispers from his instincts. He notices how two intruders stand back, watching and listening but his attention is stolen by the endless flow of attackers before he can really register it. Then his brain kicks in, Fast Thinking engaged. Everything seems to move slower, though he knows it’s just his brain moving fast. Wait. How are there so many assailants, of the exact same body shape, height, and weight. Like- copies. He swipes his claws through one- ectoplasm. This isn't a random attack. He's been found. Where is the source? There. He throws a blade at the real Ectoplasm. The clones dissolve and he leaps out the window, into the ocean below. He dives, movements faster now that he is in the water. He hears cursing and then two splashes. Fuck. They're either cocky or stupid, to follow a water spirit into its domain is suicide.

  He feels the hum of scuba equipment and growls. Of course they came prepared. The water isn't healing his injuries fast enough. He can't dematerialize. His options are extremely limited, especially as he feels himself tiring. He reaches for his powers, but they pull away like the tide. ‘RIGHT’ He dashes right, avoiding the sudden dive one of his tails made. “Left” He moves left and crashes into a warm chest. Fuck- had they copied the way his instincts sound?!? He growls, lashing out as large arms wrap around him. He manages to slice through the tubing on his captor's oxygen tank. They drop him and their partner tries to grab him, but he slashes a knife through the water, cutting a gash in the offending hand. The water turns red, and he tries to dive again, only for a hand to close around his ankle. No. They tow him towards the surface. No. No. No! He kicks out, hitting his captor square in their chest. He pays no mind to how his leg snaps, bone breaking from the force. They release him and he grabs his power and uses it to shove away from them, diving fast and hard. He just needs to get to his temple. The fuckers are still following him. Fine. If they want to die, their blood can feed the tile of his temple. He feels something hit him- his vision turns black as electricity courses his body.

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  He wrestles his eyes open, forcing himself to wake. There, in front of him is the very creature he has been running from for centuries. The mammal grins at him, Izuku’s heart on a cord around his neck. No. That means Izuku is tied here, trapped by his missing heart. How- then he sees them. Shouta and Hizashi. The two humans he had allowed himself to befriend. High on Hizashi's cheek is a sluggishly bleeding gash, and on Shouta's hand- Izuku closes his eyes. Hurt, betrayal, grief. The first time he had trusted humans in over a century and they brought him to his hunter. Nedzu laughs, cruel and manic. “That's right. Your new friends brought you right to me. Now you're stuck here. You'll never go home.” “What! You said-” Shouta starts. “Yes. I did. And you believed me. Brought me the creature I've been hunting for centuries. And betrayed your little crush in the same move. It's too bad, he'll never love you now. He doesn't even have a heart to love you with anymore.” The mammal cackles as he strides away.

  Izuku curls in on himself, sobbing. A gentle tap on the glass of his new prison has him lifting his head. There, pressed to the glass, are Shouta and Hizashi. “I'm so sorry Izuku. I- we didn't know. We should've, with how hard you were fighting. We thought-” Izuku strikes out, grief, hurt, betrayal, pain, rage. “You sold me into slavery! What did he promise you? Huh?” “....A raise.” Hizashi says softly. Izuku laughs bitterly “A raise. Great. Hope it was worth it. Do you even know what you've done? By giving him my heart, you've made him immortal. And you've doomed me to this prison for the rest of eternity. God. I can't believe I fell in love with you two. Go away. I can't even look at you.” “Izuku-” “GO!” He screams, fins flaring out in rage. They scramble away from the tank. “We're going to fix this.” Shouta says seriously. Izuku laughs, hollow and bitter. “You can't. He has my heart. You get your raise. Everyone got what they wanted. Except me. Enjoy the pennies he gives you.” Izuku removes the crown on his head and drops it in the sand on the bottom of the tank. He drifts to the cave in the back of the tank and curls up, exhausted. He looks at himself, numb. His normally vibrant hues are dull, washed out. He doesn't have long. Maybe a week, tops. He closes his eyes. “I'm sorry mama. I tried. You warned me about love, how it's nothing but a trap. But I'm the last one. I was lonely. I forgot your lessons. You were right, mama. Love is a trap. And I fell for it. I'm sorry.” Izuku cries himself to sleep, imagining his mother's arms holding him.

Chapter Text

 They sneak out, making sure they aren't being followed. They make the trek up to the top of a nearby tall hill. Shouta takes the lead, kneeling in the cold grass. Head bowed and eyes closed, he speaks. “Great wind spirits. We messed up. We trusted the wrong creature and caused our beloved, the last sea spirit to be captured. His heart now lies in the hands of the chimera. He is trapped in a tank, we fear for his life. Please, can you guide us? How do we fix this?” Shouta feels air rush around him but he doesn't open his eyes. Then, he feels a cool hand on his cheek. “Open your eyes.” A light, playful voice says, so he does. He comes face to face with a living cloud. The being smiles warmly at him, bright blue eyes fixed on his face. “So. You sold the last sea spirit, the King of the seas, to the chimera.” Shouta nods, tears stinging his eyes. “We didn’t know. The chimera lied to us. He had never had us do anything illegal, or morally wrong before. We trusted him, we know now that we shouldn’t have.” “What did he tell you?” “He told us that he and Izuku had a fight a couple decades back. He told us Izuku just wouldn't let it go, and he would fight us because he didn't want to see or speak to the chimera. He told us he just wanted to talk, he wanted his friend back. He was so convincing, he even shed tears. He promised us a raise if we could reunite him with his friend. We were planning on using the raise to buy courting gifts for Izuku. He barely pays us enough to take care of ourselves. When he took Izuku's heart, he said it would just make him stay, force Izuku to listen to him. Please, we didn't know. We didn't even suspect. Can you help us fix this? Please, we need guidance.” The being laughs, “I can. But why should I? How am I to know you speak the truth?” “How can we prove it to you? We will do whatever you need us to.” The being extends a hand and clouds swirl in it, becoming a knife. “Stab yourself in your abdomen.” The being commands. Shouta takes the knife and stabs himself without hesitation, despite his husband's panicked protests. However, the knife dissipates, exploding into clouds before it enters his skin. 

  The being solidifies, turning into a human man, sitting on a cloud, hair made of flowing blue clouds. On his head rests a crown of feathers. “My name is Oboro. I am the prince of wind spirits, creator of all clouds. I will help you to free Izuku.” Hizashi starts, head whipping up. “We didn't say his name.” Oboro smiles “Do you truly think spirits don't communicate? Our domains overlap, of course we would know each other. Wait here. I'll be right back.” Oboro dissolves, and Hizashi turns to Shouta. “What the fuck Shouta?!? You were just going to stab yourself?!? Have you lost your mind?!” He growls, hands scrambling to check Shouta's stomach. “I'm fine Zash. I knew there was a high possibility that Oboro would stop me or manipulate the knife before it could hurt me. But, even if he didn't, it would've been worth it. We don't have any information, Zash. We have nothing, we know nothing. If spilling my blood was what it took to have anything, then that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. We're going to have to make a lot of sacrifices to fix what we did. I'd prefer to do this with you, but if I have to do it alone, I will.” Hizashi sighs and presses his forehead to Shouta's. “Just- just think things through, okay? I can't lose you too.” “I promise, I won't take unnecessary risks. Nor will I do anything impulsively.” Shouta swears, then pulls away. Oboro reappears with a twirl, laughing. He's accompanied by three tiny… snowmen? No, they're floating like Oboro is, so cloudmen? They all look the same with the exception of their hats. Each one has a different hat. One has a cone shaped party hat, complete with streamers coming out the top. The second has a stereotypical(and historically inaccurate) viking helmet. The third, the smallest, is wearing a circlet of leaves- laurels? Huh. Interesting.

 Oboro smiles brightly at Shouta. “Here. This should tell you everything you need to know about sea spirits. This tiny bag is full of pixie dust. It was a pain to get one to agree to give me some, so don't waste it. I doubt I'll be able to get you another one.” Hizashi takes the book and two of the cloud creatures tie the bag onto a length of leather cord, and then tie the cord around Shouta's neck. Oboro pulls out a smaller book, which he hands to Shouta. “This will tell you all about pixie dust and what it can and can't do. Now, as for some advice. The chimera will not let go of the heart easily. He will fight to the death for it, as it is his only chance for immortality. The good news is that he will be doing everything in his power to keep it safe and whole. The bad news is that his security will be ramped up by a lot. He is reaching the end of his natural life and he knows it. He has always searched for immortality, but now he is desperate. You have a crafty, borderline genius foe. There is no length he will not go to in order to ensure his own survival. Good luck.” Oboro disappears, they wait a minute. He doesn't come back so they start back down the hill. “An extra bag of pixie dust. I suggest you keep this one a secret. A final piece of advice for you, Shouta. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. You never really know who you can trust, so keep your eyes open.” Oboro murmurs into his ear, slipping a small bag, slightly bigger than the one around his neck into his pocket. Shouta's heart aches, but… Maybe having a secret plan wouldn't hurt. Just in case.

   They sneak back into the dorms, carefully hiding the books from any cameras. Once they are back in their dorm, door locked and curtains drawn, Shouta sets the books down on the bed and slips into the bathroom. He moves the bag in his pocket, hiding it in the very back of the cabinet, under the extra toilet paper. Then, he grabs some pain medication and closes the cabinet like he normally would. Hizashi sticks his head in the bathroom “You grabbing Advil?” “Yeah.” “Grab two for me, please.” “Okay. I- did you hear that?” Shouta pokes his head out of the bathroom to find his husband equally confused, looking around for the source of the high pitched whispers and giggles. Shouta pauses, wait. He recognizes those voices. He sighs "Come out.” Two out of three of the little cloud men come out. Shouta rolls his eyes “You too.” The third peeks out, shy. He crouches by its hiding spot and smiles softly. “Come on. We won't hurt you. I can hold you if you would like?” It peeks back out and Shouta slowly extends his hand, palm up. The littlest cloud person bobs out and settles in Shouta's hand. 

  Shouta's smile warms “Hi. Aren't you supposed to be with Him? What are you doing here? It's dangerous.” It just blinks at him, peering over his shoulder, looking for its friends. “I'm going to stand up, okay?” It nods and Shouta slowly stands and turns. He has to bite his tongue to hold back his laughter. The one with the party hat is sitting on top of Hizashi's head and the other, the one with the viking helmet, is using a strand of Hizashi's hair as a swing. Hizashi gives him a flat look. “Shouta.” Shouta snorts, “Shouta-” He laughs, the littlest cloud person pokes at his cheek, giggling softly. He wipes the tears from his eyes, feeling a bit lighter. Hizashi is desperately trying to keep the glare in his face. The cloud person using his hair as a swing hangs upside down and blows a raspberry at him. Hizashi coughs, and presses his lips together. He looks away from the cloud person, only to find the other one making faces at him. He breaks, laughing. Shouta feels a little bit of the ice that had set in after Izuku's incarceration, warm at his husband, his first love's smile. Shouta walks over and presses his forehead to Hizashi's. “We're going to do this. We'll succeed.” Hizashi says, still smiling though, like Shouta's smile, there's sadness in it too. “Yeah. We'll make it. We have to.” They stay there, holding each other. The cloud people chatter nonsensically from their places on their heads. 

Chapter Text

   Shouta pulls away, booping a cloud person gently. “Now, why are you here? Just to cheer us up?” The beings shake their heads. Party hat reaches into itself and pulls out a scroll, tied with ribbon and sealed with wax. There's an insignia pressed into the wax, Shouta’s eyes go wide, recognizing it. He scrambles for the book he was just reading, flipping through the pages- yep. That's the Fae Queen's official, personal crest. Meaning this scroll came from her. Not from some scribe. Shouta shows the book to Hizashi, who reads it, eyes widening. Shouta carefully takes the scroll and, using his knife, frees the wax without messing up the stamp. Just in case. He unties the shimmering, magic laced ribbon and carefully opens the scroll. There's eleven words, written in a flowing script. “Come find me in the forest. The ribbon will guide you.” Shouta reads out loud. Hizashi looks over his shoulder, reading it. They yelp as the scroll catches fire, quickly burning up, not even leaving ash. Shouta looks at the glowing ribbon, finding it wax-less. Shouta sighs and uses it to tie off Hizashi's braid. The cloud people giggle, wave, and then disappear. “...Alright then. Guess we have errands to run tomorrow.” Hizashi says softly, putting the books away. He's not worried about anyone hearing or seeing them, they scan for bugs every night. Hizashi casts a glamor spell on the books, then pulls out a new bracelet, the one they were going to give Izuku, and casts a glamor on it, one that matches the other one exactly. He slips the bracelet into a fake book and places it next to the other two books. With any luck, Nedzu will find the bracelet and think that the spell just leaked onto the other books. He thinks Hizashi is bad at magic after all. And Hizashi hasn't bothered to correct him, always getting a bad feeling when he would try to. Now he knows why. He walks out to the balcony looking at Izuku’s prison, crying when he sees him. He’s paler and his colors are duller than yesterday. He’s still, almost deathly so. However, he can hear… Something. Shouta joins him and sucks in a breath. Hizashi casts a subtle spell, allowing them to hear it. Izuku's voice, soft, tired, and oh so sad. 

 “Always believed in true love~ Watching the fairytale movies when I was young. All of the stars will align, it was forever the moment that they locked eyes.

Glass-slippers, horse-drawn carriage, magic nights that end in marriage.

  Took a bite of the poisoned apple, now I see it's a foolish battle. Maybe I'm naïve~ To believe that I could have a happy ending.”

   Hizashi presses a hand to his mouth as Izuku's voice fills with pain, raw, agonizing pain.

  “Love's only real in dreams! But it might be easier to keep pretending. Fantasy shattered with time. Endless searching, but hopeful that I will find, a perfect soulmate for life. As years go by, I'm still questioning, Where is mine? Damsel in distress, waiting for my hero to come save me. 

   Took a bite of the poisoned apple, now I see it's a foolish battle. Maybe I'm naïve~ To believe that I could have a happy ending. But it might be easier to keep pretending. Wish upon a shooting star, hoping that you'll come make my life better, better. Worried that you're way to far, and I might be waiting here forever, ever. 

   Maybe I'm naïve~ To believe that I could have a happy ending!” Izuku sobs, his voice getting quieter, emptier “Love’s only real in dreams.” His hand reaches up at the sky, tracing the stars with soft sobs. His hand falls, but the soft crying doesn't stop. Shouta pulls Hizashi back into the room, shutting the door and drawing the curtain. He holds his husband close as they cry, hearts screaming. They cry themselves to sleep, cursing and kicking themselves once again. They have to fix this. And they will. The next day, after work, they sneak away. They follow the glittering ribbon through the forest, deep and deeper. The deeper they get, the more dangerous the forest feels. It grows silent, dark, and twisted. They're being watched. The eyes aren't friendly, but they aren't hostile either. Finally, the ribbon stops in front of a large tree. They stop, Hizashi fingers his hidden brassknuckles, specifically enchanted to put magical races down and keep them there. Just in case. The air shimmers, then everything goes dark.

  Hizashi wakes with a groan, his head hurts. He pushes himself up from the pile of cushions he's in, Shouta wakes seconds later, immediately on guard. It takes Hizashi a minute to figure out why. Then he meets stormy rainbow eyes. They colors are swirling, constantly moving, it makes him nauseous so he tears his gaze away, instead scanning the rest of the woman. She's small, curvy, light green skin, long, silver hair, pointed ears, a large crown sits on her head. He spots the ring and realizes who he is looking at. The Fae Queen. And she does not look happy to see them. “....So. You're the two who caused the imprisonment of The Heart of The Sea. Are you aware of what you've done? If he dies, so does all the life in the oceans. No reversing it, just instant death. And that's just the start. If the oceans die, so will the rest of earth. Slowly, one by one, our domains will die. All because of two stupid men.” She growls coldly.

   Hizashi winces, yeah, they deserve that. “We didn't know. Please, we're doing everything in our power to fix it. The fight isn't over yet, there's still a chance.” He pleads, bowing deeply. “That there is, little witch. And I can help. I can give you physical boosts and grant immunity from the Chimera's magic.” “You can?” “For a price.” Of course. “Name it.” Shouts says. “One of my people is in the same situation as The Heart. You know him as Ectoplasm. I knew him as my brother, a plant spirit, taken from us in his infancy. Now, he is rotting, forced to stay alive even as his body rots around him. My price is that you set him free. Make no mistake, he is too far gone to save. You'll need to end him. His core, his Heart is embedded in the Chimera's desk. Destroy it. Set my brother free. Release him from the endless torment. Swear that you will do this, and I will assist you.” They exchange a look. “I, Hizashi Yamada, swear to set your brother free. I swear to destroy his core and end his suffering.” “I, Shouta Aizawa, swear to set your brother free. I swear to destroy his core and end his suffering.” They hiss in pain as magic lights the air, the promise spoken, deal struck, they have to follow through now. They've been magically bound.

  The Fae Queen smiles, her entire being softening. “Thank you. Now, step forward. Allow me to bestow my aid upon you.” They grit their teeth, dealing with the pain. Not a sound escapes them, knowing this is but a fraction of the pain their beloved is currently feeling. “Now, remember. Whatever you do, do NOT let the Heart break. If it does, you kill him and all of the life in the oceans.” They nod, muscles twinging, spasms of pain racing through their muscles. The Fae Queen takes pity on them and teleports them back to the dorms. Shouta immediately reaches for the advil, shaking some out for Hizashi as well. No time to rest, they have work to do.

Chapter Text

   Shouta wakes, two days of careful planning later and instantly knows something is wrong. His hand flies to his neck, only to find the smaller bag of pixie dust gone. No. He frantically pats the bed, but finds neither it nor his husband. His heart drops as he races for the bathroom, tearing the cabinet apart and thankfully finding the extra bag still in its place. He ties it around his neck and goes back out to the bedroom, looking for his husband, praying- nope. Those are magical locks on the doors and windows. He tears at the curtains and sees Hizashi standing at Nedzu's side, watching Nedzu taunt the now completely colorless and still Izuku with his heart. No. Shouta bangs on the window and gets an empty stare from Hizashi. No no no no! He snarls, powering up his own barely used magic and slamming into the wards. It takes several tries but finally, armed with all the gifts and help he'd been granted, as well as his regular weapons, he breaks through one of the wards on the window. The loud shattering as he crashes through the window draws Nedzu's attention.

  Shouta flips midair and grabs for the heart, missing by a fraction of a second. He lands hard, tumbling a few feet before righting himself into a tactical crouch. From here, he can see how Hizashi's usually beautiful, bright, colorful lime eyes are a dull, misty grey. Relief floods Shouta's veins. This wasn't a betrayal. Nedzu cackles as he grows, gaining more limbs, more heads, becoming the chimera he truly is. A monstrous abomination the size of a skyscraper. Shouta dodges the acid breath shot at him, pulling Hizashi out of the way and slapping him, hard. Hizashi gasps, color returning instantly. Self-loathing twists his handsome face as he sees the bag of pixie dust in one of Nedzu's sets of claws. “None of that. It's time. We take back the heart now.” Shouta says, passing some weapons to Hizashi. Hizashi nods, visibly steeling himself. Nedzu laughs, “Well well well. So you've finally grown into your teeth, have you? Come at me, then. Fight, little wolves. Let me show you how this world truly works.”

  Shouta and Hizashi share a single look and instantly split up. Shouta vaguely registers Oboro slamming at the magical chains binding Izuku's tank lid. His eyes skate over Izuku's form, just long enough to see the breaths that are slow, shallow, and few, far too much time between them for comfort. They need to return his heart quickly. Nedzu aims to kill with every strike, every attack. Shkuta uses every tool in his arsenal, from quirk to magic and he hears his husband doing the same. Finally, as steel stops claws the size of his entire body, he sees Hizashi flip high in the air, snatching the heart from Nedzu's grasp. Shouta grins, keeping Nedzu's attention as Hizashi darts between his legs, sprinting for the tank the Oboro's opening. He hears a splash and Nedzu's enraged screech. Then the air turns emerald and ocean blue, time seems to slow, and there's the sound of heels clicking on the cobblestone. His heart swells with hope, smelling sea air. Shouta continues to fight, repelling spikes that are sharp as needles, taller than him, thicker than fence posts, and tipped with nasty smelling green stuff. “Need some help?” Comes the musical voice of their beloved, powerful and angry. A bolt of pure, unfiltered ocean magic comes over Shouta's shoulder, slamming into Nedzu with the force of a tsunami. A hand, tanned and scarred, lands on his shoulder, power like he's never felt coursing through his veins. Izuku's lovely, colorful face comes into his vision, glaring at Nedzu. “Zu” Shouta says, relief evident in his voice. “Not now. Perhaps later. But first, you must finish your task. I will aid you, but the final blow must be yours.” Shouta nods, ignoring the screaming of his gut, where a spike had grazed him. Izuku is beautiful, radiant, power oozing from his pores, surrounding him like an aura. He slams a trident against the cobblestone, and in s flash of light, there he stands. King of the seas. Powerful, dangerous, and pissed. Oboro joins the fight, flying around Nedzu's heads and confusing him, occasionally giving them air lifts when needed. Slowly, they back him up, pushing him against the edge of the sea. Izuku stalks forward, targeting the chimera's knees with a powerful strike. Nedzu falls, rapidly shrinking as Izuku twists the trident in the glowing wound, snarling about justice. Shouta takes the opportunity to douse his weapons in what's left of the pixie dust. As he walks closer, for the first time, he sees true fear in Nedzu's eyes. Nedzu cries, pleading for his life, offering him money, power, immortality, everything the chimera can think of. “Please! I'll give you anything you want!” Nedzu says frantically. “Anything?” Shouta asks, dropping his guard ever so slightly. “Shouta.” Izuku warns, clutching his heart and taking a step back, away from Shouta. Nedzu latches on to it, desperately sobbing, “Anything!” “Then die!” Shouta snarls, moving faster than he ever had, plunging the knives deep in the chimera's heart and brutally twisting the blades. Shouta watches the light leaves the eyes of the monster-

  “Bo! Are you telling the kids tall tales again?” Oboro freezes, a sheepish grin on his face as Hizashi leans against the doorframe. “....No?” “What happened next, Uncle Bo?” Amara asks, eyes bright. Her brother nods excitedly. “What happened next is two guppies went to bed and had the sweetest of dreams, not plagued by imaginary monsters.” Oboro winces as Izuku enters, tucking the children into bed. “Aw, but mooommm-” “No buts, Amara. Sleep. Tomorrow's your first day at UA prep, remember?” Izuku says, flicking off the light and closing the door. Amara tiptoes out of bed, pressing her ear to the door. “-sorry, Zu. I didn't think it'd do any harm.” Uncle Bo is saying. Mom sighs. “I know. But you know as well as I do that isn't how the story ended. I'm just worried that feeding them that story will make it harder to- AMARA! BED! NOW!” Amara squeaks, scurrying back into her bed. She falls asleep and dreams of a glittering court, and a crown adorned with shells calling her name.