Chapter XIII: Two Faces

Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Wanted to warn you I change up Toga's power a little here. Also in a future chapter I kill off one of the elders, but I would like to know who you all would like to see die, let me know. Please enjoy :)

All Might approached the door of the small house, his face concealed by a large, black cloak. He slowly knocked on the door. Izuku's mother opened the door, holding a small lamp.

"A-All Might," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes, "I apologize for my appearance. I thought you were Izuku."

"Is he not home?" All Might asked, pulling back his hood.

"N-No, he didn't come home last night."

All Might look around, his eyes settling on the forest behind the house, "Would you like to stay with me tonight?"

Her eyes widened slightly, "I-Is something wrong?"

"Something doesn't feel right, and I know he would prefer you to be safe."

She nodded, "Let me grab a few things."

He nodded and stood to watch at the door, revealing a large staff from under his cloak. A shadowy figure disappeared deep into the forest.

X

Shigaraki itched at his neck obsessively, his jagged nails digging into the skin and causing small rivers of blood to run down.

"Shigaraki, calm down," The large man in the black veil demanded, his fist coming down on the arm of the large wooden throne in which he sat.

"B-but master!" Shigaraki yelled, his voice shrill, "Why would you send those two for such an important mission?! How do you know we can trust them?!"

The larger man chuckled softly, "They were the best equip for the job."

"How?!" Shigaraki's eyes widened as he fell to his knees, the air around him pressing down on him.

"Enough!" The larger man roared as he stood, "If you calm down I will tell you."

Shigaraki skittered back to where his back was against the door, "Y-yes master."

The larger man sat down again and rested his head on his left hand, "The girl is trained in magic that allows her to take the face of any person she sees, and she can also disguise one other person. If things go according to plan, then our enemies will take care of themselves."

A single glittering eye has shown through the veil on the man's face. It looked towards the door as a man with a black and white mask over his face entered.

"What is it," the larger man ordered.

"Master, well you see-" the man began to say in a high pitched voice, "we could not find the wizard you requested us to find." A deeper voice continued from the man.

"And why not?" He demanded, clenching his fist.

"W-Well, he isn't in Ignis," The higher pitched voice said

"We searched throughout the entire kingdom." The deeper voice stated.

The larger man relaxed and lightly tapped on his chin, "Well, this is certainly going to make things interesting."

X

Shoto awoke to a sudden knock at his balcony door. He looked out to see a shadowy figure standing outside the door. Initially, he thought it was his brother, Natsuo playing a trick on him. He rolled his eyes and got out of bed, crossing the large room and opening the door. Izuku quickly ran into his arms.

"M-Midoriya? What are you doing here?" He asked, wrapping his arms around the small wizard as his cheeks heated up.

"S-Shoto, p-please you have to help me! H-He's coming for me!" Izuku sobbed. His tight gripped tighter around the small wizard.

"Who? Who is coming?" He looked up to see the Dragon King standing in the doorway of the balcony, sparks flying on his hand.

"Let go of him; he belongs to me," Bakugo growled, stepping forward.

"P-Please Shoto, he wishes to hurt me!" Izuku sobbed.

Shoto quickly pulled Izuku behind him, his eyes darting to his sword near his bed. Bakugo saw his gaze shift and shot forward, landing a massive blast directly on the prince's chest. Shoto was shot back, his back colliding with the bedpost, a sizeable red burn marking his chest.

"SHOTO!" Izuku called as he struggled against the Dragon King's grip. Shoto shot out a blast of flames from his left hand, scorching Bakugo's cheek. Bakugo turned and growled at him as he dragged Izuku out to the balcony and hoisted him to his shoulder before jumping off.

"Let go of him!" Shoto yelled and shot out to the edge of the balcony. In the night he could see nothing but darkness and forest. A dragon's roar sounded far in the distance.

"Shit," Shoto cursed and ran back into the room, yanking the large wooden doors open, "Guards, find Ida and alert the royal guard that I need to see them! Immediately!"

The guards bowed, "Yes sir," they said in unison and ran off.

'You will pay for this, Katsuki!' He thought as he grit his teeth.

X

Izuku stood by the kitchen counter organizing his bag. He had sent a message back to Ignis that morning letting his mother, and All Might know where he was and that he was safe. Bakugo had insisted he change back into his old clothes, as he couldn't stand seeing him in the colors of Ignis.

Bakugo walked up behind him, his arms snaking around his waist as he placed light kisses on Izuku's shoulder and neck. Izuku giggled softly.

"Are you going to work with Recovery Girl today?" Bakugo asked, burying his nose in Izuku's messy green locks.

"Yes, she has some patients she needs an extra pair of hands. She requested me to come right away." Izuku said a bright smile spread across his face as he settled against Bakugo's chest.
Bakugo turned Izuku and lifted him onto the counter, "Well, she is going to have to wait until I am through with you."

Izuku giggled, his hands lightly caressing Bakugo's cheeks as his hands tangled into his hair, "You are always so needy in the morning."
"I am the King, and I will not be denied." A large cocky grin spread across Bakugo's face as he rested his hands on either side of Izuku's hips, "And I always make sure you love every second of it."

"Very true, Kac-chan" Bakugo let out a soft laugh before capturing his lips in a kiss. The kiss was soft, enveloping each other's mouths as they settled into the realization that life would be perfect if things could stay just like this.

Kirishima pulled back the deerskin flap, causing them both to look towards the door, "I apologize for interrupting, however; Bakugo you have to come right away!"

"What is it?" Bakugo asked, walking towards the door as Izuku slowly got down from the counter.

"Prince Todoroki is at the border. He requests an audience with you right away. He has the entire Royal Guard with him and says if you don't come at once he will begin attacking the mountain."

"Has he gone mad?!"

"He said that you stole from the kingdom of Ignis."

"Damn Icy Hot!" Bakugo growled, his fist tightening. Izuku reached out and gripped his arm.

"Kacchan, wait!" Izuku said, pulling him back slightly.

"What?!" Bakugo growled, turning and looking at him.

"Why would he think you stole something? Doesn't this seem like there has had to be more to the story here?" Izuku's gaze met his own, "We shouldn't rush into this throwing punches."

Bakugo growled as he looked away, "I know that, but I hate feeling like I am being used."

Izuku nodded, "I'll come with you, maybe I can help sort this out in some way."

Bakugo nodded and looked towards Kirishima, "Tell Recovery Girl he's with me."

Kirishima nodded and took off towards Recovery Girl's hut. Bakugo grabbed Izuku's hand and led him to Scatha, pulling Izuku up and taking off.

X

Scatha landed with a giant thud in front of Prince Todoroki and his men, who quickly dismounted from his horse, the knights behind him poised to attack. Bakugo quickly dismounted from Scatha, her lips rolling back to a growl as she spotted the knights.

"Finally you show your face you coward, and you felt the need to bring your spoils with you." The prince yelled, a sword of ice forming from his right hand.

"What the hell are you even talking about half-and-half?! Call your men off!" Bakugo yelled, sparks flying from his hand. Izuku raced to get off the dragon and get in between the two of them.

"I will only say this once, let Midoriya go, and we will leave. If you refuse, we will have no choice but to attack." The prince said, his eyes locked with Bakugo's, his hand gripping the hilt of the sword tighter.

"Let him go? What the hell are you talking about, he came here willingly." Bakugo glared as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Is crying and screaming for help what you consider willingly?!" The prince took a step back, poised to fight as Bakugo brought his sparking hand back.

"Stop!" Izuku yelled as he got in between them, pushing them away from one another, "Please, let's discuss this without violence."

Prince Todoroki stepped back, the grip on his sword relaxing slightly. Bakugo relaxed and stood up straighter, his fists clenched tight.

"Do not worry Midoriya; I am here to take you away from this maniac." Prince Todoroki said, not letting his eyes leave Bakugo's.

Izuku's eyebrows furrowed as his gaze connected with the prince's, "T-take me away? S-Shoto I came here of my own accord." He said

The prince looked down at him, his eyebrows raising in concern and shock, "What spell has he got on you? He attacked me and kidnapped you from my palace last night."

"What sort of fantasies are you having?" Bakugo growled, "He's been here with me for two days."

"I saw it with my own eyes, you sick coward!" Prince Todoroki eyes locked with Bakugo's once more.

Izuku turned towards the prince, "He's telling the truth Shoto. The wise woman of the village requested my return two days ago. Katsuki came and collected me, but I chose to come here, he in no way forced me."

The prince's gaze shifted between Izuku and Bakugo, his gaze turning from anger to confusion, the scar that would have been left from his attack the previous night was nowhere to be seen on Bakugo's face, "Midoryia, I am inclined to trust you much more than him, but how would you explain what I saw?"

Izuku's eyes met Bakugo's before he turned back to the prince, "A couple of months ago, this village was attacked by demons. I was recruited to aid with the damage under All Might's direction." He fiddled slightly with his fingers, considering his words carefully, "They were being controlled by wizards wielding dark magic. I do not know what their goal may be, but if they were attempting to destroy relations between Ignis and the Dragon Kingdom; staging something like this may be the perfect opportunity."

Prince Todoroki relaxed, though he held his sword close. He waved his hand, and the knights rested their positions.

"So they could be attempting to use Ignis as a pawn?" The prince spoke after a few moments, "But what could they be after?"

Izuku shrugged, "Power over the kingdoms would be my best guess."

Prince Todoroki sighed, the sword of ice denigrating in his hand, "I must alert my father to this development."

"Yeah, just what we need another warlock in the mix." Bakugo' eyes rolled as he crossed his arms, earning a glare from Izuku.

Prince Todoroki glared at him as well, "I will alert him to the events last night and see if he has any old enemies that could be doing this, nothing more. I know my father can be unreasonable when it comes to the Dragon Kingdom, but we do not know what we are facing."

Bakugo held his glare but nodded. He would not admit that the prince was right, but would not fight the idea of working together for now.

Izuku stepped closer to the prince, "Once I am back in Ignis, let me know what you find. I will also speak with All Might to see if he knows anything."

The prince nodded and pulled Izuku into a hug, "Please be careful, I do not trust King Katsuki, and I do not want to see you hurt." The prince's whisper caressed his ear

A soft smile formed across Izuku's face, "You do not know him as I do." He stepped back towards Bakugo. Bakugo wrapped an arm around his shoulders and his waist and pulled him against his chest as Prince Todoroki mounted his horse.

"Mount your horses' men! We are taking our leave now." He called to the knights. They put away their weapons and mounted their horses. He took one last look at Izuku and Bakugo, noticing the closeness of their position. Bakugo leaned down and lightly kissed Izuku's cheek before turning his glare back to the prince, mouthing the word "Mine."

The prince's icy glare shot back at him, 'We will see.' He thought before riding off. His men close behind.

Once they could no longer hear the stampede of the horses' hooves, Izuku leaned against Bakugo, gazing up at the king's face.

"You're jealous." He said, a smile pulling at his lips.

Bakugo let out a harsh laugh, "Jealous? Why would I be jealous of that idiot?"

Izuku raised an eyebrow, resting his hand on Bakugo's as he felt the King's grip tighten on him.

Bakugo looked away, "I do not like how he looks at you like you are going to snap back into reality and run into his arms and go frolic with him in a meadow."

Izuku giggled softly, slowly turning in his arms, placing a hand on his cheek and turning his head to face him, "Well, I-I prefer this reality. So if you do have a spell on me, you can lift it."

A cocky grin spread across Bakugo's face, "Like I would need a spell to capture your heart," He brushed Izuku's bangs from his face, "Though you must be quite powerful to have completed the feat of capturing mine."

Izuku blushed, looking down. Bakugo lifted his chin, placing a soft kiss on his lips before locking eyes with him, "Though I may know what the demons are after."

X

They climbed through the dense forest of the mountain, the sun slowly sinking in the sky. Bakugo held up a flaming torch, providing light to the darkened forest. Izuku squinted as he climbed, Bakugo climbing ahead of him.

"Mind telling me where we are going?" Izuku said, nearly tripping over a root.

Bakugo remained silent, looking up into the trees and placing his hand on the bark and taking a sharp left. Izuku raced forward and grasped the tree for support as he caught his breath.

"Kacchan, wait!" He rushed forward and bumped into Bakugo's back

"We're here."

Izuku looked up to see a large cave, long vines hanging down in front of the mouth. The cave was so thick that the inside was pitch black. Izuku looked over at Bakugo.

"What is in there?" He asked

"Follow me and see," Bakugo said, taking his hand and leading him deep into the cave. The torch was only providing light a few feet in front of them. As they walked on, Izuku began to notice a slight twinkle on the walls surrounding them, almost like reflecting glass.

"This should be far enough," Bakugo said, before plunging the torch in a puddle of water at their feet.

A slight squeak escaped Izuku's lips as the world around him turned dark. He leaned against Bakugo, whose arm wrapped around his shoulders. As his eyes adjusted, color began to grow along the walls. Purples, blues, and white glittered around. The bright night sky contained in the walls reflecting in the large crystals around them. Izuku took a moment to catch his breath.

"W-What is this place?" He asked the colors seemed to pulse around him like the cave was alive.

"My people call it the Draco Corde, or Dragon Heart," Bakugo said, walking over to a large rock near the wall and leaning against it, "The crystals it produces are called the dragon's blood. My people believe that these crystals connect us to all the energy of nature and maintain balance. Through that connection, we can form bonds with our dragons," He looked up, his eyes gliding along the crystals of the ceiling, "Every king of my tribe consumes a serum made from one of these crystals, thus giving us our magical abilities. When you drink the serum, your body either accepts the power, or you die."

Izuku visibly flinched at the idea, and Bakugo continued, "The tattoos that I have are a direct result from the serum. They are ruins burned into my skin as my body accepted the power. I was the youngest King to drink the serum, and the elders didn't fully believe I would survive."

Izuku looked over at Bakugo, seeing the pain cross his face before it morphed back into a mask of irritation. He could only imagine how painful of a process that must have been.

"Have you heard the story of the two brothers?" Bakugo's gaze met his, attempting to change the subject.

Izuku nodded, "The two brothers both inherited powerful magic. One began to practice dark magic, and the other overwhelmed him, before manufacturing a spell to pass on magical abilities."

Bakugo sighed, "So you've only heard half the story?"

Izuku's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "W-What?"

"The story I know is a little different," Bakugo looked down, lightly kicking at the dirt at his feet, "Long ago, a couple of a powerful wizard and witch gave birth to two sons. The older brother began to develop strong magical powers, however; the younger brother came of age without showing signs of having magical abilities. Though, his brother found a way a way to give him part of his magic. Soon, the younger son learned to control his magic. He was able to become an apprentice to a powerful wizard. He traveled everywhere, and his parents were very proud of their 'late bloomer.' The older brother grew jealous and hateful, threatening to take back his power, but the younger brother had made it his own, thus proving it impossible. In his rage, the older brother sought out dark magic to kill his younger brother and take back what he believed to be his."

Bakugo shifted slightly on the rock, eyes meeting Izuku's, "What the older brother didn't know was that on one of his journeys with his master, he met the Dragon King. They became close comrades; some even speculate that they were lovers. When the older brother attempted to kill him, the Dragon King came to his aid and with their combined powers, were able to seal his magical abilities forever." Bakugo looked away, shoving his hands in his pockets, "The story ends with a warning. That the older brother may one day seek to return, his only chance of breaking the seal is to kill the Dragon King and consume the dragon's blood. However, if love remains true and unbreakable; then his defeat will be accomplished."

Izuku looked down at this scarred hand, trying to understand all that he was being told. Their lives were intertwined far more profound than he could have ever imagined, "S-So, w-when the assassins killed your father-" Izuku began

"My tribe thought it might be the older brother attempting to return by working with Ignis. That is why the elders ensure I was given the serum before I came of age."

"H-How old were you?"

"Ten."

Izuku crossed the cave and stood in front of him, Bakugo could no longer meet his eyes, desperately trying to maintain an air of annoyance at the whole ordeal.

"W-what is like? When you drank the serum?" Izuku asked, holding his hand out. Bakugo looked at his side and slowly took it on his own.

"My body felt like it was being burned from the inside out. I couldn't move for four days. On the third day, I was waiting for my body to disintegrate into ash. I couldn't imagine life without pain. It hurt to breathe, to even exist," Bakugo pulled Izuku into his arms, resting his arms around Izuku's waist. Izuku's arms snaked around Bakugo's neck, lightly massaging his scalp, "but after the fourth day, the pain was gone; the markings the only proof that those four days had happened. I learned later that the elders were preparing for my death; ensuring the proper rituals were in place. When I walked out of Recovery Girl's hut after that fourth day, they looked at me like I was a ghost."

Izuku laughed softly, a small smile playing on his lips, "You showed them," his smile quickly faded, "I-I just wonder why All Might never told me about all of this."

Bakugo lightly pressed his forehead to Izuku's, "When All Might came and helped us, my parents wanted to seal us away from the rest of the world. Their goal was to ensure the story never came true."

Izuku lightly caressed his cheek, "S-so if you hadn't been attacked, we would be nothing more than distant memories."

Bakugo nodded, his eyes falling on Izuku's lips. Izuku swallowed, his eyes darting back and forth between Bakugo's face and the crystal behind him. His heart ached at the thought. It had only been two months since he had found Bakugo again, his long lost childhood friend, and now, lover. Ever since then, his world had been turned upside down. The night that they arrived at the village in the rain, he had given Bakugo everything. His body, his mind, his soul. He could no longer imagine a life without the man in his arms. He hated that part of him was happy for the attack.

A soft kiss on his lips pulled him from his thoughts, "I am sorry if I overwhelmed you," Bakugo whispered, softly wiping a stray tear from his cheek.

He thought for a moment, realizing his hands were shaking. He had not registered that he had begun crying. His gaze met Bakugo's.

"I-It's just a lot to take in, I guess," he said, trying to pull back. Bakugo held him close, soft kisses placed on his cheeks and neck.

"It's alright," Bakugo whispered, "We should head back."

Izuku nodded. Their lips connecting once more before Bakugo pulled back, slowly leading Izuku out of the cave.

Let me know what you think :)