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Part 11 of Author Makes the First One for All User Regret Living AUs
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Things to fuel my escapism.
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Published:
2022-09-15
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2022-11-30
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Birdcage

Summary:

For the first five years of his life, demon prince Izuku is doted upon by his father, All for One. Then his Uncle Yoichi gets dragged back home in chains, and Izuku realizes that he's only a replacement.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for other works inspired by this one.)

Chapter 1

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Izuku crouched down and waited for the double-doors to open. At five years old, the little demon prince was small enough to completely hide behind a porcelain vase. Only the tips of his black wings pointed out.

The doors to the throne room opened as a guest approached—a man in a fancy blue kimono, no doubt presenting a petition to High Lord All for One. Izuku saw his chance. He darted forward. Air rushed through his hair as he took flight.

The guards cried out as he soared over their heads, but no one dared grab him. They knew that if they laid a finger on the High Lord’s son, it would mean their lives.

In his rough and clumsy flight, Izuku tumbled over the heads of several demons in elaborate kimonos. He nearly bumped into the hair of a woman wearing a tall bun topped with a jeweled comb. She dropped to her face on the floor to avoid touching him.

Waving his arms, Izuku careened toward the golden throne at the end of the red silk carpet. “Daddy!”

High Lord All for One, known to his family as Hisashi, looked up. He wore a sokutai, a traditional embroidered robe with heavy triangular sleeves. The outer coat on top of the white pants made his giant size even more imposing. Only the high lord could wear that particular shade of dark yellow. Ram horns curled over his curly white hair. Each gem on his golden crown gleamed with magic. The tips of his white bat wings perked up at the sight of his son. “My little bitten!” he cried, the term for a baby bat.

Izuku landed in his father’s outstretched arms. “Daddy, I can fly!” he cried. Izuku had taken flight for the first time earlier in the morning, under his mother’s patient teaching. Naturally, he’d run to show his beloved father right away.

Hisashi kissed the top of his son’s head. “What a wonderful first flight. I’m so proud of you, bitten. This deserves a special gift. What would you like?”

Izuku giggled. “I don’t know.” His father always gave Izuku anything he wanted the instant a hint of desire left his mouth. The young demon prince’s bedroom overflowed with rare and valuable treasures from around the world. Izuku could think of nothing he didn’t already have.

Hisashi smiled. “Then I’ll have to surprise you.” He looked up, and his face hardened. “What are all of you still doing here? Leave us. I’m celebrating my son’s first flight.”

The demon guest in the blue robe cleared his throat. “High Lord, I traveled a long way to meet with you—”

“Then I’m sure your business can wait until tomorrow.” Hisashi spoke in a soft, deadly voice.

Every demon in the room fled.

Hisashi turned his adoring eyes on his son seated in his lap. “What a precocious child you are! You’re flying even younger than Y—but he was sickly, of course. I’m so proud of you.”

“I love you, Daddy.” Izuku beamed.

“I love you more than all the magic in the world, my little bitten.” Hisashi cuddled his son close.

This was high praise indeed, because everyone knew High Lord All for One had the power to steal magical gifts and an endless appetite for them. Izuku chirped in pleasure, nestled in his father’s warm arms.

The moment was interrupted by a knock. Hisashi’s head snapped up, his eyes blazing.

A guard called timidly, “Please, begging your mercy, High Lord, but you long ago commanded us to bring anyone with word of your brother before you at once, no matter what business we had to interrupt.”

Hisashi’s teeth ground as loudly as thunder. The arms around Izuku tightened.

The poor guard stuttered, “Please, I really do think you want to see this. The bounty hunters have…they have him. Y-yoi…” The guard could not bring himself to finish speaking the name which had been forbidden in the palace.

Hisashi glanced down and stroked his son’s head. He whispered, “This will only take a minute, bitten. I’ll take care of these fraudsters. Then I’ll find the perfect gift for you.”

Izuku’s deceased uncle Yoichi was a tender and dangerous topic. Hisashi often praised Izuku and gave him gifts whenever he acted at all similar to Yoichi. But when Izuku made the mistake of mentioning his uncle first, it would put his father in a bad mood for days. Inko had taken her son aside and given him an abridged version of the story. Long ago, before Izuku had been born, Dad and Uncle Yoichi had fought. Uncle Yoichi had tried to run away from home, and he’d fallen into a pit of lava. Because there had been no body, for a long time, Dad had clung to hope that his precious little brother might still be alive. He’d offered a massive bounty, enough for a demon to live like royalty for an immortal lifespan. This had lured in hundreds of con artists. Dad had been so furious that he made them all disappear. Mom had said that Dad still felt very sad about Uncle Yoichi’s death and Izuku should not bring up the subject.

“Come in,” Hisashi growled, although with red light crackling from his eyes he became less Hisashi and more All for One. A clawed hand tightened on the armrest.

Izuku felt sorry for the bounty hunters who were about to make his father very angry. Though Izuku loved his father, he had seen other people suffer from All for One’s vicious temper. The angry glares always turned to smiles whenever Izuku was around, so he tried to deflect his father’s wrath whenever he could.

The huge brass doors creaked open. Half a dozen burly demons in leather armor entered, dragging a prisoner behind them. The man’s feathery white wings had been bound with leather straps and a muzzle covered his mouth. He hissed like an angry animal. Though he was taller than his captors, his thinness made him look frail. Golden sparks of magic danced off the chains around his arms, showing that he was desperately trying to use magic despite the suppression of his enchanted bindings.

The prisoner looked up. His wild, long white hair shifted off his face, revealing emerald eyes with white pupils—the exact same shade of green as Izuku’s own eyes. Izuku gasped, leaning forward to take a closer look. Even with dirt on his face and bruises on his arms, this man was the prettiest person Izuku had ever seen—except for his mother, of course.

Hisashi stood up. Izuku fell to the floor on his bottom. “Daddy!” Izuku cried, shocked at how unceremoniously he’d been pushed off the throne.

As if in a trance, Hisashi walked forward. “Daddy, it hurts!” Izuku shouted. His backside stung a little. Mostly Izuku felt shocked at being ignored by his father. Hisashi had always immediately run to kiss and heal his scrapes and bruises. But this time, Hisashi didn’t even turn around.

The bounty hunters parted before Hisashi, bowing to the floor in silence. The sheer power radiating off the High Lord had rendered everyone in the room unable to move—except for the prisoner bitterly struggling to the end. Growls continued to spill from his gag as he thrashed.

Hisashi bent down in front of the prisoner. The other demon tensed, lowering his head to avoid meeting the High Lord’s eyes. Hisashi grabbed a fistful of white hair and yanked the man’s head up.

The prisoner spat at his face.

“You’re good,” Hisashi said hoarsely. The spittle trickled down his chin, but he didn’t even wipe it off in his total focus. “Very good. I’ve never seen a fake as good as you.” He stroked the dirty cheek reverently. The prisoner shuddered. “But true blood connection can’t be imitated. As soon as I touch you with my magic, I’ll know.”

The prisoner went mad, spitting and fighting against his chains. Still gripping the white hair, Hisashi’s hand began to glow. Sitting on the floor, Izuku watched raptly. No one in the room, from the guards to the bounty hunters, dared make a sound.

The air crackled, then sang with power. Even on the other end of the throne room, Izuku could feel the resonance between the magic inside his father and the prisoner. This was irrefutable proof. The prisoner could only be Izuku’s Uncle Yoichi, returned from the grave.

Hisashi threw back his head and screamed with joy. He lunged forward, crushing the prisoner to his chest. His claws dug into the other’s wings, leaving scratches on the chains. Without looking, Hisashi said, “All of you will be greatly rewarded for bringing him, even more than I promised. You guards as well, for knowing to bring him here at once. Now get out of this room.”

The guards and bounty hunters fell all over each other in their haste to leave. The metal door clanked shut behind them.

Hisashi rocked his little brother in his arms like an oversized baby. Tears poured down his cheeks. Hisashi wept silently except for the occasional gasp for air. Izuku had never before seen his father cry, and the sight made his chest prickle with uneasiness. Yoichi had gone limp, sullen rage filling his eyes.

“You’re alive,” Hisashi whispered. “You’re alive, you’re alive, you’re alive!” His voice rose with each word. “I knew you faked it! I knew it! You hated me enough to hurt me like that? You wanted to leave me so badly? I’ll never let you.” His voice choked with sobs. “I’m…so happy…that you’re alive.” He removed the muzzle.

Immediately, Yoichi bit Hisashi’s ear.

Through his tears, Hisashi chuckled. “Just like old times.” He yanked his brother away by his hair. The injury healed immediately, from one of the demon lord’s many powers. Hisashi kept stroking Yoichi’s hair as Yoichi tried to move away from him. “Where have you been, my dear and foolish treasure?”

Yoichi clamped his mouth shut and glared.

“Keep your secrets.” Hisashi laughed darkly. “I’ll still hunt down every last person who kept you from me.”

There was something dark in this room, something that made goosebumps rise all down Izuku’s wings. “Ow!” he cried again, trying to snap his father out of it. Surely it would be unthinkable for his father to ignore his cries of pain for a third time.

Yoichi looked up. “I’d heard that you reproduced, big brother. I can’t believe that you found anyone who wanted you. So this is the boy? He looks just like you as a child. He’s hurt, shouldn’t you help him?”

“Oh, so you’ll acknowledge other people but not me?” Hisashi’s voice filled with a simmering anger. His dark gaze fell on his son. Izuku flinched. He had seen that look of jealousy on his father’s face before, whenever Izuku paid attention to someone else. But this was the first time that Izuku had been the target of the hostility. It made him shudder and slide backwards on his bottom.

Yoichi’s voice rose. “I see your pettiness hasn’t changed one bit!”

Arms tightening around his brother, Hisashi growled at Izuku, “I ordered everyone in this room to leave. What are you still doing here?”

“But…you pushed me off your lap…and it hurts.” Izuku’s lower lip wobbled. Tears overflowed from his eyes.

“Izuku, leave.” Hisashi snarled.

Izuku stumbled to his feet and fled the throne room, too shocked and scared to even remember how to fly.

His father never called him “my little bitten” again.


Izuku rushed down the hallway, carrying his stuffed rabbit, his favorite drinking cup, and a dozen drawings. His father loved gifts—both receiving them and showering Izuku with them. If Izuku gave his most cherished possessions to his father, then surely Daddy would stop being strange.

Ahead, Izuku heard his father’s voice, too distantly to make out but in a questioning tone. Izuku picked up his pace. An unfamiliar demon replied, “We’ve interrogated the bounty hunters about your brother’s location but they don’t know where he has been hiding—”

Izuku rounded the corner so fast that he ran into someone’s legs. “Oopsie!” he cried, lunging to catch his stuffed rabbit before it fell.

The strange demon leapt backward, crying, “Your Highness, I’m so sorry!” He cast a terrified glance at Hisashi.

But Hisashi did not look upset at the man who had bumped into Izuku. Instead, he stared down at his son with a look of annoyance, as if he’d found a possession out of place.

Izuku held up his greatest treasures. “Daddy, these are for you! I drew a new drawing of us, too.” He shifted his arms to show a picture of his mother and father holding hands with Izuku in the middle.

Coldly, Hisashi said, “I’m busy right now. I don’t need children’s toys. Run along.”

The demon looked between the High Lord and his son, a calculating look forming on his face. Izuku did not understand that look, but it made him shiver.

Izuku whispered, “Are you angry at me, Daddy?” Surely that must be it. Izuku must have done something wrong without realizing, like that time he’d asked his father where his uncle had gone. If only his father would tell him what he’d done, then Izuku could apologize and everything would go back to normal.

“Yes, I’m angry at you,” Hisashi said. “Because you’re still standing in my way.”

Izuku’s world shattered. Tears and sobs shook his small body. He could not move. His legs remained frozen as his father walked around him and left without a backward glance.


For the last hour, Izuku had been sobbing into his pillow. He had finally run out of tears. Only a few sad hiccups remained.

When Izuku heard the sound of the footsteps, he sat up and rubbed his face, trying to hide the tear tracks. It could only be his mother. Izuku and Inko lived in a luxurious set of rooms taking up the entire basement of the palace. Hisashi had an adjoining bedroom. Only the three family members were permitted in the lower floor. Heavy wards would kill anyone else who tried to enter. The rooms were cleaned by magic. Inko had told Izuku that his father was extremely paranoid and didn’t feel safe in a space occupied by anyone except family. Even Inko herself wasn’t permitted to stay in Hisashi’s bedroom while he slept. Paranoia had also led Hisashi to set up his bedroom in the basement, which he’d reinforced to survive any magical explosion or natural disaster.

“Izuku?” Inko called, her voice drifting down the long corridor. Her sandals clacked on the floor. “Can I come in?”

“Yes, Mommy,” Izuku said, proud of how he kept his voice steady.

But as soon as Inko saw his face, she knew. “Oh, baby,” she whispered, rushing across the bedroom and flinging her arms around him.

The kindness and the warmth of her hug made Izuku break down again. He sobbed into his mother’s chest as she rocked him back and forth.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner,” Inko whispered. “I just came from a meeting with your father—the High Lord—your father. He says we have to move out of our rooms. I’m afraid we only have a few hours to pack. I’m so sorry.” In a lower voice he probably hadn’t been meant to hear, she muttered, “If I’d known Yoichi was alive, I never would have married Hisashi. Hell, if only he could run off again.”

Izuku stiffened. “Is Daddy throwing you away?” Many demon lords and ladies casually discarded consorts every couple decades. But his mother had been the adored jewel of the court, seemingly safe from all machinations. “Is it because of me?”

“Of course not. You’ve done nothing wrong.” Inko clung to Izuku tighter. “It’s because your uncle has been…returned home. The High Lord does not feel like Yoichi will be safe if anyone else has access to the royal quarters. It’s ridiculous, of course! I clearly explained that we were no threat and besides he could ward Yoichi’s room so we couldn’t enter, but he said…well.”

Hisashi had always said that he only felt safe in spaces where no one except his family could enter. It went without saying that if he no longer wanted Inko and Izuku in his safe space, then they were no longer family.

Izuku whispered, “Did Daddy stop loving me?”

“I…I…” Inko’s inability to speak was its own answer. “I’m sure your father still…in his own way…maybe he’ll…”

Izuku couldn’t understand how it was possible for his father, the person who had given him nothing but love for the first five years of his life, to simply stop loving him one day. “Will you stop loving me someday too, Mommy?”

“No! Never!” Inko clung to her son and wept.


The High Lord’s palace was guarded by shriekers, undead creatures that only obeyed the royal family. Hisashi had not yet revoked Inko’s ability to command them, so they let her pass. Spreading her black wings wide, she flew up the side of the palace.

In a mad state of fury, Inko pounded on the window of the High Lord’s office. “Hisashi! Hisashi! Get your pointy-tailed butt over here!”

Hisashi opened the window. Taking in Inko hovering outside, his face twisted with annoyance. “I told you that I was too busy to discuss your housing any further. My decision is final.”

Inko screamed, “Izuku has been crying his eyes out because he believes that you don’t love him any longer! I couldn’t tell him otherwise because you certainly haven’t been acting like you do lately!” Her voice choked. She swallowed before she started crying. It did not look like her husband was in any mood to be moved by tears. “Please, reassure Izuku. Just give him a single word. I’ve been comforting him all day, and he’s still inconsolable.”

“Good for you for doing your duty as his mother,” Hisashi said. He’d always praised her for being a good mother, but now there was a mocking edge to his tone. “What, did you come here to ask for a new necklace as a reward? As if you don’t have enough jewelry already.”

Inko swallowed back her tears again. In the past, Hisashi had often bestowed expensive presents on her whenever she made Izuku happy. It had been sweet but unnecessary. How dare he throw that in her face as mockery now? Between clenched teeth, she said, “I want you do to your duty as a father. You hurt your son.”

“I’m far too busy to deal with a child’s temper-tantrum.” Hisashi’s wings snapped wide. His fangs flashed. Inko involuntarily fluttered backward. In a voice crackling with magic, Hisashi growled, “Traitors and enemies kept my little brother from me for decades. I don’t know who they are or if they will come after him again. The palace may be infested with spies. Don’t you dare bother me with insignificant matters until I’ve hunted down and killed every last one of them.” His eyes blazed red, magic enveloping his pupils. “Anyone who interferes with my search for the traitors will be treated as an accomplice.”

Inko’s wings shook, barely keeping her aloft. She knew her husband’s reputation, but she’d never seen him so close to the edge of madness. His obsession with his little brother had always brought out the worst in him.

Her marriage with Hisashi had been a political match. After the death of her entire family, she’d needed a protector and he’d desired their hereditary lands. Also, he’d wanted a family. She’d had an inkling that he’d wanted a replacement for his little brother. During their first meeting, he’d told her that he hoped that his white bat wings and her feathery black wings would combine to produce a child with white feathery wings…just like Yoichi. When Izuku had been born with black bat wings, Inko had worried. Fortunately her son had come out with his uncle’s eyes, and Hisashi had doted upon him immediately.

The more Hisashi adored Izuku, the more wealth and power he showered on his son’s mother. Inko had believed her gamble had paid off. She’d grown to care about her husband, and he’d been affectionate toward her, too. Even with the evidence staring her in the face, she struggled to believe that he’d completely throw her and Izuku away, just because he had his brother back in his possession. Did he not have room in his tiny, black heart for more than one person?

Inko swallowed. If she’d lost her husband’s affection and protection, then she was in a very precarious position. She had little power without him. Worse, her son would become the target of the High Lord’s exceptionally cruel court. She modulated her voice to be gentle and appealing. “Hisashi, please. I understand why you wanted us to move out of our rooms, that’s fine.” It most certainly was not fine, but there was nothing she could do about it. “But it will look to the court like you’ve abandoned us. People will start bullying Izuku just to see what they can get away with. Please, make some sort of gesture to show that we’re still under your protection. If you would even bestow a small gift on Izuku or appear with him in public, that would be enough.”

Hisashi regarded her with the cold eyes of a stranger. “Don’t you think it’s about time for Izuku to grow up and stop being so weak? He’s a prince. He needs to learn to take care of his own enemies.”

Inko’s wings wilted. As she started to fall, she flapped rapidly to remain in place. “Izuku is only five years old! You sheltered him all his life!” It wasn’t fair. Even though most demon nobility raised their children to be tough, Hisashi had always coddled Izuku. He had seemed to enjoy his son’s weakness and dependency. But now he had the nerve to act as if this was someone else’s problem? “Izuku is very smart. He can definitely become a great asset to your court, if you give him more time to grow up.”

Hisashi’s lips curled back in a sneer. “At Izuku’s age, I’d already started making allies to take the throne. I was only a little older than him when I won my first duel against an adult. How can that child possibly be useful to me?”

Too late, Inko realized that Hisashi did not truly want a strong son. That would be a threat to his power. As an immortal, he did not need an heir. He’d spoiled and doted on Izuku as a replacement for his little brother, but now he had his real brother back. He no longer had any use for Izuku at all. In a soft, defeated voice, she said, “We’ll leave the court and return to my ancestral lands. Please grant us permission, my lord.” They would have to live off a much smaller stipend, but Izuku had never been a greedy child. He gave away most of his toys to his friends. It would be better than letting Izuku be bullied and beaten by demons who wanted to prove themselves stronger than the abandoned prince.

“And then you’d become targets for my enemies or symbols to people who want to replace me. I think not, Inko. When we married, you promised to stay at the palace.”

Inko hissed, “You promised me many things you no longer plan to deliver!” This bastard no longer wanted her or her son, but he was still too possessive to let them leave. Unfortunately, that was just like Hisashi.

“I have no time for this conversation. I must bring my little brother his meal. Yoichi has been refusing to eat. Do not bother me again.” Hisashi slammed the window shut in Inko’s face.


Clutching a golden crown tucked under his coat, Izuku crouched behind a bush, waiting for the walkway to the palace to clear. Instead of his usual noble kimono, today he’d changed into a grey yukata that didn’t stand out. He wore slippers for moving silently.

His new rooms were small and cramped, and their belongings had been damaged by the careless movers. Most of Inko’s jewelry had been stolen. Even more importantly, several of her paintings had been destroyed. Inko had taken up painting as a hobby since shortly after Izuku’s birth. She’d worked for nearly a year on a life-sized detailed portrait of their family, but when they’d unwrapped it, water had completely destroyed the canvas. Inko had nearly wept, but then put on a brave face and said she could make a new painting with just the two of them. Then Inko had discovered that all her paints were missing, and she’d finally broken down crying.

Izuku had a plan: he would sneak out of the palace and sell his crown, then buy his mother new paints. In fact, Izuku had five crowns his father had gifted him on each birthday. He’d picked a crown with a large diamond in the middle. Surely it would be worth enough money to give his mother a wagon full of paints and make her smile again.

However, no matter how long Izuku waited, the people coming in and out of the palace were endless. Izuku pouted.

The sun had nearly set. Finally, the walkway was deserted. Izuku stood up.

“What are you doing out here?” someone asked from behind him.

Izuku whirled around, then sighed in relief. It was Tsubasa, Lord Garaki’s grandson and a good friend. “Hi, Tsubasa! I’m sneaking out of the palace. I’m going to sell my crown to buy paints for Mom.” He held it up. “Can you help me? Maybe I could pretend to be you, or you could sneak me out in your cart, or we could create a distraction together. The main gate has demonic guards as well as shriekers, but I have a couple plans.”

Tsubasa’s expression had been grumpy, but as Izuku rambled, a mean smile formed on his face. “Give me that.” He snatched the crown. Tossing it in his hand, he chuckled. “I bet it’s heavy because it’s expensive.”

Izuku shifted, his wings twitching. “Please, be careful. If you dent my crown, I might not be able to sell it for as much money.”

“Don’t you mean my crown?” Tsubasa’s smirk widened. He put the crown on his head. “I think it suits me more than you.”

Izuku chuckled nervously. “I can’t give it to you. I need to sell it.” Something felt wrong, but he pushed his doubts aside. Izuku had often given Tsubasa his toys before, so he could see where there had been a misunderstanding. Sometimes Tsubasa got a little pushy about wanting Izuku’s belongings, but he always backed off whenever Izuku told him to. Izuku never got upset because he knew he had more toys than his friend, and he wanted to share. Surely this time would be no different.

Tsubasa kicked Izuku in the stomach.

As he fell, Izuku cried out in both surprise and pain. This wasn’t possible. His friends couldn’t just stop liking him for no reason…not like what had happened with his father. Shock kept him lying on his back staring up with watery eyes.

Standing over Izuku, Tsubasa crossed his arms and spread his red wings wide. “Listen up, weakling. I only pretended to be friends with you because my parents made me. Who would want to play with a pathetic demon who has no magic? Do you know how revolting it was to suck up to you? Now that your father threw you away, you’re nothing. You’re not strong enough to beat me, so from now on, I’ll take whatever I want from you. That’s the law of the demon world.”

“I need a gift for Mom!” Izuku got to his feet. “Give it back!” He lunged, grabbing the crown. Surprise let him snatch it.

Izuku leapt into the air, but Tsubasa had the gift of speedy flight. Tsubasa grabbed Izuku by the back of his collar and dragged him to the ground.

“Give me the crown!” Tsubasa howled, his face turned red and ugly. Izuku curled up in a ball, refusing to let go of the crown. Not even when Tsubasa kicked and punched him. A blow to Izuku’s head sent the world spinning and doubling.

The guards ran over and hauled the two boys away.


Izuku was mostly unconscious when the guards dragged him into the throne room. He only saw flashes of color and heard brief moments of sound. His head lolled, sending pain through his neck.

Each word from the too-close guard sent pain spiking through Izuku’s head “…he was trying to sneak out of the palace, High Lord…”

High Lord. Daddy. Izuku’s head shot up. He made out the blurry figure of his father on the throne. In a dazed voice, he cried, “Daddy, it hurts!” while holding out his bleeding arm.

Coldly, Hisashi said, “I sentence him to spend the night in the dungeon as punishment.”

As the guards dragged him away, Izuku remembered. His father didn’t love him any longer.

A guard stole the crown that Izuku had tried so hard to protect.


Inko came to pick Izuku up first thing the next morning. She’d worn an elaborate red and gold kimono with flowing sleeves to remind the guards of her status. But Izuku could tell from the sloppiness of the belt that she’d had trouble putting it on without her maids to help. She wept as she carried him back to their rooms. Izuku overheard his mother trading her earrings to a doctor with a healing gift. Izuku had never needed a doctor before. His father had always erased even the smallest scratch from his body right away. Over the last day, he had felt pain unlike anything in his short life.

The healing completely vanished his injuries, but his mother told him to rest inside the room for a couple days. Izuku didn’t argue. He felt unready to face the new, bleak world. A few days turned into a week. Izuku supposed that he had to leave his bedroom at some point, and his mother’s concerned glances confirmed this. But he was scared. Even more than the beating, he feared going outside to face the cold eyes of all the people who had once adored him and now had turned on him.

As Izuku rested in bed, his shock and pain started to mix with anger. It wasn’t fair. Daddy had been mean to Izuku just because his uncle had returned home. Izuku hadn’t done anything wrong! The more Izuku thought about it, the more he wondered why his uncle had been dragged back in chains. His mother had said that Daddy and Uncle Yoichi had a fight. That seemed like a very bad fight. If Daddy was that angry, why hadn’t he thrown away Uncle Yoichi? Even though he threw away Izuku who did nothing wrong?

Izuku decided to see his uncle. Maybe Yoichi could tell him why Izuku had been abandoned and what he could do to get his father back. Late at night, Izuku threw on a green cotton kimono over his sleeping clothes. Then he snuck out of his room and followed the familiar route back to the basement where he used to live.

Only shriekers guarded the stairwell. Hisashi trusted no one living to obey his commands nearly as well as his undead minions. A dozen demon corpses with exposed brains formed a solid wall, but they slid aside to let Izuku pass. He was still a member of the royal family.

The steel basement door glowed with a mixture of red, green, and yellow sigils, forming dancing and shifting patterns. Izuku placed his hands on top of the light.

In the past, the wards had always vanished to let Izuku in. But now they remained steadily pulsing and impenetrable. Hisashi must have changed them.

Rage and frustration filled Izuku, pounding out a brutal beat into his sleepy head. He refused to turn back.

Frowning, Izuku remembered how his father’s bedroom had always been protected by special wards. Only Hisashi could turn them off, because he was the only person who had the gift to steal magic. His brow furrowing with concentration, Izuku pictured how his father would reach out a hand to touch the glowing lines. The shimmering magic pulsed under his fingers. Closing his eyes, Izuku tugged.

He felt a strange tingling through his body. It was a comforting feeling, satiating him and vanishing his tiredness. When Izuku opened his eyes, the wards were gone.

Izuku hadn’t expected that to work. It must not be as hard as his father claimed.

Izuku pushed open the door. As soon as it closed behind him, the glowing wards reappeared. Good—Izuku hadn’t been sure how to put them back.

The glowing stones lining the wall lighted automatically as Izuku climbed down the stairs. Stopping at the bottom, Izuku looked between a door on his left and a door on his right. He did not want to go into his father’s bedroom. Daddy had always been a grump when woken, even before he turned mean. Since Izuku and his mother had been thrown out of their rooms to make space for Yoichi, that was probably where he could find his uncle. Izuku touched the door to the right. Once again, he tugged at the wards to make them vanish.

When Izuku opened the door, for a moment he thought he’d picked the wrong one. This place looked nothing like his old quarters. All the walls between the rooms were gone, replaced by a giant garden. The light from the cracked door fell across a field of brilliant flowers. They alternated colors, from brilliant yellow tulips to purple lilacs to baby blue eyes. Bushes with small white flowers added a spattering of green. Wisteria grew up the walls and hung from the ceiling. But the beautiful garden had no scent. In the dim light, it took Izuku a moment to realize all the plants were artificial, shaped from clay or cloth.

A winding path led to the cage in the middle of the room. The person-sized birdcage was made of pure gold. A round bed filled the entire bottom, just long enough for the prisoner inside to lie down. Izuku recognized his uncle from their fateful first meeting in the throne room. In sleep, Yoichi looked even more beautiful and even more frail. The dim light falling on his thin wrists made his skin glow like moonlight. His small ears and nose were delicate as a doll’s. A golden collar fastened around his neck. His white hair splayed around his head and horns, looking soft as a cloud. He’d wrapped his feathery white wings around his body like a cocoon. A handful of petals had fallen across his sleeping form, making him resemble a flower fairy.

Izuku’s heart twisted. Had he always been a second best replacement for this bewitchingly perfect angel? It felt like a magical spell had been cast over this beautiful scene, and he wondered if disturbing the sleeper would bring down a curse on his head. Izuku steeled his will and took a step forward.

As soon as Izuku set foot in the artificial garden, a glowing ball of light overhead activated. The ceiling shifted to the color blue as the fake sunlight filled the room. The artificial plants looked more unnatural in the brightness.

Yoichi sat up with low, long growl. Pushing his hair off his face, he hissed, “It is too early in the hells-cursed morning! Big brother, if you woke me up because you had another fucking nightmare—interrupting the few precious hours I get without your loathsome company—then I swear, I will rip out your spleen. I could replace it with the brain you apparently have no use for except to weigh down your inflated head. Those precious horns of yours are going straight up your ass. By the time I remove most of your spine you’ll be the only demon in the world who can self-fellatio—”

Were flower fairies usually this violent? Apparently it had been a mistake for Izuku to rouse his uncle from his clearly much-needed beauty slumber. He wasn’t sure what was a spleen, but he preferred it inside his body. His knees shaking too badly to make a run for it, Izuku dropped to his knees and hid behind a rosebush.

“Hisashi?” Yoichi looked around. His eyes widened as they fell on the bush.

Realizing his wing was sticking out, Izuku quickly folded them behind his back.

“A child?” Yoichi mumbled. “How did you get in here?” His eyes widened. “Nephew?”

Notes:

This was written for Mimic’s “Love What You Hate” event on Silver’s Vault, challenging authors to write tropes that they hate. I don’t like drama arising from stupid miscommunications which could be solved if two characters just talked it out…so bring on the drama for this fic!

Also, I’ve always disliked it when a hero and a villain are related but both of them are indifferent to each other. This is 100% a matter of personal preference, but it just seems so pointless. If there’s no conflicted emotions or difficulty fighting each other, what narrative purpose did the big secret relation reveal serve? Why not just make them strangers? As people who read my fics can probably tell, I like stories with twisted bonds and deeply entangled love and hate. I was a little disappointed with the lack of emotional connection between Dabi and Shouto in canon, inspiring me to launch my series where Dabi is sort of a better brother.

Normally I would never in a million years write a fic where All for One dislikes Izuku. However, Gentrychild’s fic “Lost Souls” made me go “oh, yes, I love it!” As it turns out, it’s possible to have all the drama and angst even in an AU where Izuku and All for One hate each other’s guts! Thus for the contest I decided to write something set in that AU, where Izuku is the demon prince abandoned by his father. Here’s a standalone prequel about how Izuku ended up discarded. Thank you to Gentrychild for brainstorming and letting me use the AU! FYI, this is an alternate universe of “Lost Souls,” so it will have a different ending.

This fic will update twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays in order to finish by the end of September, in time for the contest deadline.

Chapter 2

Notes:

I commissioned the amazing Artistic Hermit to draw Yoichi in his birdcage. Yoichi looks beautiful and Izuku is so adorable and tiny next to him. The clothing looks amazing. I love it! Here is the tumblr link: https://artistichermit.tumblr.com/post/695648148535869440/birdcage-chapter-1-katydid

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

As soon as Yoichi identified him, the child turned and fled for the door. “Stop!” Yoichi cried. “Please!” Sincere desperation filled his voice.

It had been about a week since Yoichi’s capture, by his best guess—his older brother kept feeding him at odd intervals and disrupting his sleep to disguise how much time had passed. Even so, Yoichi had already grown frantic to hear the sound of any voice besides his asshole brother. This was not the first time Yoichi had been locked down here, though admittedly the birdcage was new and creepy. This place brought back many painful memories for him of isolation and the slow breakdown of his self/sanity. At the moment, Hisashi was still overly clingy and loathe to leave Yoichi’s side for anything but unavoidable business. But soon, Yoichi knew his older brother would start letting him sit in solitary confinement for long periods in order to make him crave another’s voice and touch. Just like last time. This might be Yoichi’s last chance to talk to another person for a long time. “Please,” he whispered, shrinking into himself.

His nephew stopped, one foot in the air, his wings flapping slightly as he wobbled.

Yoichi’s second thought was even more shameful: This boy is my only chance to escape from my living death. Yoichi would have no other contact with another demon anytime soon, not until his brother believed he’d broken. Maybe not ever. His brother refused to allow anyone else down here, using shriekers to feed Yoichi whenever he couldn’t personally. No matter what, Yoichi had to win his nephew over.

“I’m sorry for startling you.” Yoichi smiled in a soft, gentle way. Back in the days when Yoichi had still been on his older brother’s side, he’d mastered the art of charming people and appearing harmless in order to gather intel. “I’ve always been grumpy when I first wake up. I’m not a proper demon until it’s been at least an hour. I reject the concept of morning, civilized people only get up after noon.” This won him a small giggle. “What’s your name?”

Yoichi already knew the answer to his question. The announcement of the birth of High Lord Hisashi’s son had been spread across the demonic realm. But he thought it would help him build a rapport to ask.

His nephew looked up shyly from under his eyelashes. “I’m Izuku.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Yoichi stifled a yawn behind his hand. His eyes still hurt from being doused by bright light in the middle of the night. He adjusted his sleep-tousled robe. Big brother had not given Yoichi any sleeping clothing, since his doll had to look perfect at all times. Yoichi wore a heavy silk kimono with brown hakama pants. His haori jacket was a shade of orange only allowed to relatives of the High Lord. A traitor shouldn’t have been permitted to wear it. Did Hisashi think a fancy coat compensated for imprisonment? Was this further proof big brother didn’t see Yoichi as a person capable of committing treason as opposed to an object to be stolen? Or did Hisashi just like how the color matched the gold collar? So far the potential scandal had been irrelevant because no one else ever saw Yoichi…until this small child had appeared. “My name is Yoichi, and I’m your uncle.”

“I know. I came here to see you.”

Yoichi’s wings perked up. This was a good sign. His nephew was already interested in him.

Izuku continued, “I wanted to know why my father stopped loving me when you came back.”

Yoichi’s hopes plummeted back down to the ground. He’d barely even spoken to the kid and already he was hated. No matter what, he had to salvage this situation. He’d charmed many enemies before, long enough to knife them in the back. He gasped theatrically, letting his eyes fill with sympathy. “That’s terrible! What happened?”

“This stupid garden used to be my bedroom.” Izuku’s gaze filled with pain. “My mom and I got thrown out as soon as you came home. Now Dad won’t look at me or hug me. As soon as my father stopped treating me as important, so did everyone else. My best friend hit me. Dad didn’t even care.” Izuku burst into tears.

“Oh, no. I’m so sorry.” Yoichi had always been a sympathetic crier, and with his emotions so on-edge, the tears came easily. He freely let them fall. Hopefully Izuku would believe the tears were all for his sake. “Come over here.” Yoichi held out his arms through the bars.

Izuku took a tentative step forward, then half-ran, half-flew into the embrace.

The child’s story had not surprised Yoichi, not after what he’d seen in the throne room. But he’d still found room for a bit more disappointment for his older brother in his heart. Even if Hisashi hadn’t been capable of being a good father, he could have at least been a decent one and protected his child from physical abuse. Through the bars, Yoichi stroked Izuku’s back. “I’m sorry. You don’t deserve any of that.”

“Mom said that Dad stopped loving me because you’re here.” Izuku sniffled. “She thinks that everything would be all better if you were gone.”

Yoichi winced. Great, someone nearby and powerful had a strong incentive to kill him. It wouldn’t be the first time—all of his brother’s previous five lovers had tried to murder Yoichi. In doing so, each one had ensured they didn’t leave the relationship alive. Hisashi used to pick people obsessively in love with him because he enjoyed the worship, then act surprised at the inevitable violence directed at his poor, innocent sibling. Each of the last five lovers had resented Yoichi for being the only person who Hisashi truly loved—if obsession could be called love.

The last one had even accused Yoichi of an incestuous affair with his own brother. It wasn’t true, but Yoichi could hardly blame her for thinking it when Hisashi had been creeping into his little brother’s bed whenever he had a nightmare while refusing to let her ever stay the night. Yoichi suspected that his older brother simply didn’t do romantic love. Hisashi only loved family because he saw his little brother as a part of himself. That would explain why Hisashi always acted so shocked when Yoichi had his own opinions, as if his liver had joined an opposing political faction and tried to vacate his midsection. Yoichi wished he could have transferred his brother’s toxic love over to his would-be murderers and see how they liked it.

The last murder attempt had come the closest to killing Yoichi, because he’d been already imprisoned at that point. It wasn’t easy to run while chained down. Yoichi remembered the pain of the knife in his guts every time he traced the scar on his stomach, and he remembered his brother’s smothering afterward as equally bad. Now that Yoichi had been locked in an even smaller cage, he had limited ability to fight back if Inko decided to regain her husband’s favor and her position by assassinating him. Fortunately Izuku looked too young to have realized how many of his problems would be solved if his uncle dropped dead. The boy seemed naïve, judging by how easily he’d come close enough for Yoichi to take him hostage. Hisashi had probably spoiled his replacement up until very recently. Still, Yoichi resolved to remain on his guard against this child. Hisashi had killed for the first time when not much older than Izuku. At age five, Yoichi had served as bait to help his brother lure enemies into traps. Murder ran in the family.

As Izuku’s sobs faded to sniffles, Yoichi kept rubbing his back. “I hate to see you suffering like this, my dear nephew. If only I’d never been found.” Yoichi nearly explained why it wasn’t his fault, he’d never wanted to go near his big brother for the rest of his life—but then he remembered that it generally made people more sympathetic when you claimed full responsibility for something that wasn’t your fault. “I feel so guilty. This all happened because of me. I want to help you.”

“You do?” Izuku looked up with wide, hopeful eyes.

“Of course. We’re family.” Yoichi took Izuku’s hand. “As you can see, I’m trapped here.” He gestured with his free hand at the golden cage. “I want to leave.”

“Will Daddy love me again when you’re gone?” Izuku asked.

Yoichi didn’t know. Hisashi would probably turn his affection back to the replacement if Yoichi died, but Yoichi wasn’t sure if his mere absence would have the same effect. But that wasn’t what Izuku wanted to hear. Yoichi lied, “Yes, I’m sure if it.”

“Why?” Izuku asked.

Yoichi’s eyebrow twitched before he resumed his gentle expression. “Why what?”

“Why can’t Daddy love both of us?”

Yoichi wanted to tell his nephew exactly how lucky he was to have a chance to rid himself of All for One’s cursed love. But he didn’t, because that wasn’t in his own best interest and Izuku probably wouldn’t believe it anyway. Instead, Yoichi said, “Your father gets obsessed with anything he wants. He decided to become demon king, so he rearranged society until he came out on top. He wanted to steal more gifts, so he started a war. He wanted me to stay by his side, so he stuck me in a birdcage. Even though I’m not a bird!” Yoichi smiled in an artfully rueful way, inviting the child to see the twisted humor in the situation. Though there was nothing funny about this to Yoichi himself. “Once I’m out of sight, he’ll no longer be so fixated on me that he can’t see anything else. Then he’ll remember you again.” Actually, Yoichi fully expected his brother to chase him down to the ends of hell unless he could convincingly fake his own death again, and that trick wasn’t likely to work twice.

Izuku gnawed on his lower lip. “Why did you fight with Daddy and leave?”

Yoichi resisted the urge to slam his face into the golden bars. Did all children ask so many questions? Especially at such an early hour of the morning when his head hurt? In his dim memories of his childhood, big brother had complained about Yoichi always asking “why” so perhaps Izuku came by the trait honestly. Yoichi looked at his hands and squeezed another tear from his eye, taking the time to think about how to explain his relationship with Hisashi to a child without using profanity. “I had to run away because my older brother locked me up in a cage.”

“But he wouldn’t have locked you up if you hadn’t tried to run away,” Izuku pointed out.

Yoichi couldn’t help a snort. “You might be surprised. He wouldn’t have gone as far as the birdcage, but he refused to let me leave the palace unless he accompanied me. He claimed it was too dangerous.”

“I can’t leave the palace without an adult, either.”

“You’re a child. Just think of how you’d feel if you still had to follow the same rules after you grew up.” Yoichi couldn’t tell if this argument was getting through. Could a child understand? “Also, we had political differences.”

“Why did you have political differences?”

Ugh, that “why” again. “Your father thought that everything in the world belonged to him.” Including me. “I disagreed.”

Izuku frowned, seeming to consider this carefully. “Dad always takes stuff from the demons who come to the throne room. They aren’t always happy about it. I remember a few times when I saw something I wanted and Daddy took it, but then Mom made me give it back later. She said it’s not nice to take other people’s things. I didn’t like it when Tsubasa took my crown. Dad shouldn’t take what belongs to other people.” Izuku stood up straighter. “We should teach him that it’s wrong.”

“Great idea! After I leave, then your father will come to understand that he can’t own everything.” Hell would freeze over first, but Yoichi needed to get this conversation back to the important topic—his escape. “Izuku, can you be a brave boy and help me? Please?” Yoichi summoned up the full power of his pleading eyes. He collapsed to the cushions so he could meet the boy’s eyes. There was an art to how Yoichi pouted as he added, “I need you.”

Izuku’s eyes filled with resolve. “I’ll try.” He touched the bars of the cage. “I can feel magic in these too, but different from the door.”

“The cage has an alarm directly tied to my brother’s magic,” Yoichi warned. “He’ll know as soon as these doors open. We have to save that part for last. How did you get in here at all?” It should have been impossible for anyone except Hisashi to enter the basement.

“I did what Daddy did. I touched the magic, then took it.”

Flame in the flax! His nephew had big brother’s gift. That could be a political game-changer. That power had turned Hisashi from a nobody to a nightmare. It would make Izuku sought out by powerful demons who would want to use him or kill him. Yoichi wondered how big brother would react to a child with his own gift—would Izuku be treated like a threat? Better if Hisashi never found out.

Yoichi reached through the cage to pat Izuku’s hand. “That was very clever! You should make sure no one knows that you can do that.”

Izuku nodded. “My father can’t find out that I can come down here until after you’re gone.”

“Don’t let anyone find out after I escape, either.” Yoichi did not know his nephew particularly well, but he cared enough to deliver a warning. “The gift you have, it’s…it’s like having a valuable treasure but not being strong enough to protect it.”

“Like when Tsubasa took my crown,” Izuku muttered. He nodded. “I won’t tell.”

“Good.” Yoichi squeezed his nephew’s hand. “First off, I need you to contact my husbands. They’ll—”

“I have more uncles?” Izuku shrieked. “How many?”

The boy’s enthusiasm made Yoichi smile sincerely, for the first time that night. “Yes. Just two. Next time you return, I’ll tell you all about them.” It couldn’t hurt to have an extra incentive. Yoichi very much feared being left here all alone.

“Got it.” Izuku jiggled with excitement. “Escape plan first.”

Yoichi said, “I had a magical treasure that I used to contact my husbands when I was locked up in the palace before, back when we were boyfriends. I’m certain my brother still keeps it, since he preserved all my belongings when he believed I was dead. It’s a hollow book with a cover made of gold and emeralds. When you put a letter inside, it will vanish and reappear inside the book owned by my husbands.” Yoichi had been forced to leave the priceless enchanted book behind because he couldn’t exactly pack a bag when he was faking his death. He didn’t think Hisashi had ever realized what the fake book could do.

Izuku gasped and put his hands to his cheeks. “I know that book! My daddy gave it to me for a birthday present. He gave me a lot of your old belongings.”

Yoichi nearly leapt to his feet, stopping just before he slammed his head into the roof of the cage. “That’s amazing! We can easily—”

“But it was stolen by our mean movers. They took away everything with jewels.”

“Shit.” Yoichi winced. “Don’t repeat that word.” Why did he have no luck? Was it bad karma because he was manipulating an innocent child?

Izuku said, “I can try to find it. It had to be one of the movers who stole it, I just don’t think they’ll want to give it back.”

“Stealing is an option. Have you ever stolen before?” Yoichi sighed at his nephew’s blank expression. “Perhaps I can teach you. We’ll start by figuring out who has the book.”

Izuku said, “Mommy was very angry. She’s been trying to get our stuff back. Maybe she knows.”

“You could ask her…but don’t tell her about me.”

“Why not?”

Yoichi had nothing but contempt for the woman who had married his brother for power and offered up her own child as a twisted replacement doll. But he could hardly admit that to Izuku, especially not the part where he suspected the boy’s mother of wanting to kill him. “Because we don’t want her to know about our escape plan, so she can’t be blamed if we fail.” He wondered if it had been a mistake to remind Izuku that his request could be dangerous.

But Izuku only nodded. “You’re right. Better if only I get in trouble.” The boy might be spoiled, but he was no coward.

Yoichi said, “After you deliver the letter, then we’ll arrange a time for my husbands to come rescue me. Namely, sometime when Hisashi isn’t at the palace. We’ll need you to take down the wards around the basement at just the right moment, but too early so no one finds out. My husbands will take me away and no one will know that you had anything to do with it.”

If it went to plan, Izuku shouldn’t be connected to the escape. No one else knew about his gift. Yoichi didn’t want to risk a child, but he was desperate. He couldn’t spend the rest of eternity trapped in this small cage. Death would be a kindness in comparison. Yoichi told himself that Izuku would be much less at risk than anyone else in the palace. Hisashi would kill anyone who helped Yoichi, but he wouldn’t kill family. The demon king was far too possessive. Izuku was only a five-year-old child and wouldn’t be punished too harshly no matter what.

Closing his eyes, Izuku mumbled under his breath. Yoichi leaned closer, but couldn’t hear. Finally he asked, “Izuku?”

“Oh!” Izuku jumped. “I was thinking about how to get the book.”

Yoichi liked that kind of initiative. “Then we have a deal.” He held out his hand.

Izuku shook. The boy hadn’t noticed that the deal really only benefitted Yoichi. Ever since he’d been Izuku’s age, Yoichi had specialized in tricking people into one-sided deals. Maybe this would be a valuable lesson for Izuku about trusting strangers.

“You should leave now,” Yoichi said with reluctance. “You can’t risk being caught here when my brother returns.” Even though he hated being left alone again.

Izuku nodded. “I’ll come back as soon as I can sneak out again. You can tell me about my other uncles.”

“Please do.” Yoichi’s plea came out a little too desperate. He smiled to cover it up. “I greatly enjoyed talking to you.” This won him a small, shy smile in return.

As Izuku turned and left, Yoichi was filled with fear that the boy would never come back. Izuku might change his mind. Or he might get caught. This might be the last time that Yoichi ever heard another voice besides his older brother’s poison.

The little bit of hope that Yoichi currently had felt painful. It had been easier when he’d given up on seeing his home and his husbands again. Now he had a chance at escape, he also knew fear. He couldn’t screw this up. He couldn’t endure eternity caged by his demented brother.


Yoichi’s cell door flashed colors like a rainbow, then the wards vanished. With a grinding sound, the metal door opened. The artificial sun turned on. The instant Hisashi stepped through the door, Yoichi tensed. He was terrified that his older brother might have some magical means of telling that someone else had been in this room. It didn’t seem likely. Why would Hisashi bother when he’d cast powerful magic to ensure no one else could enter? To cover up the expression on his face, Yoichi rolled over and pretended to be asleep.

Hisashi’s footsteps made their way over. He didn’t seem to have noticed Izuku’s visit. If he had, he’d be throwing a fit.

Reaching through the cage, Hisashi yanked off Yoichi’s blanket. “Rise and shine, little brother!”

Hisashi was one of those dreadful people who were cheerful in the morning, which was reason number nine hundred and ninety nine why he deserved to die. Groaning, Yoichi rolled over and pulled his pillow over his head. Due to limited space, his feet bumped against the bars.

“I brought breakfast.” Hisashi waved the tray near Yoichi’s face. The scent of miso soup and salmon drifted over. “You’ll feel like a proper demon once you have some food in you. Are you going to eat this or will you make me force you again?”

Yoichi hesitated. He no longer had any desire to hunger strike. That had come from a place of despair, spite, and sincere desire to die. Now that he had an escape plan, it would be wiser to keep up his strength. He’d already lost enough weight because the bounty hunters had stopped taking off his muzzle to feed him because he kept biting. But would it look suspicious if he gave in too easily? Even so, Yoichi hated the force-feeding so much that he could not bear to speak the words that would condemn himself to it again.

Since he took too long to reply, the decision was made for him. Hisashi opened the cage door and grabbed Yoichi’s hair, magic jolting through his touch.

A tingling ran through Yoichi’s body. Then his arms and legs went slack. Against his own will, he sat up. Hisashi offered him a hand to help him out of the cage. Yoichi would have rather bit off his own wrist than accepted, but his hand moved on its own.

This ability allowed Hisashi to control Yoichi’s body. Yoichi absolutely hated it. He already felt like his brother’s doll. To be moved around against his will was the shit frosting on top of the shit cupcake.

A fake bush grew upward, unfolding its branches and sprouting a glass table on top. A tulip swelled up and distorted into a purple chair. Yoichi’s legs walked over and sat down. Hisashi placed the tray in front of him. It was a traditional breakfast: grilled salmon, rice, miso soup, and sweet omelets. It smelled delicious. But when Yoichi’s mouth chewed each bit of food against his will, he could barely taste his food. The spell had trouble with delicate motions, so his food didn’t get chewed enough. He choked down overly large bites. His throat burned, but he could not control his hand to reach for the water glass. If Yoichi had been able to talk, he might have broken down and begged the spell to be removed so he could eat on his own. Little tears of pain formed in his eyes.

Using a silk handkerchief, Hisashi wiped away Yoichi’s tears. Then, after Yoichi finished eating, Hisashi wiped his mouth. “I wouldn’t need to do this if you’d only eat like a good child.”

Control of Yoichi’s body returned to him. He immediately leapt up, batted away the hand, and tried to jump away. But Yoichi’s legs went out from under him. As he started to fall, he flapped his wings. But their movements were slow and weak, too.

Hisashi caught Yoichi before he hit the ground. “Oh my, how clumsy.”

“What did you do to me?” Yoichi demanded. “Are you still controlling my body?” He desperately hoped his brother hadn’t developed a lesser, longer-lasting version of the control spell. If this was a spell, then it hurt. Tingles of pain ran down his legs and wings.

“You fell on your own, my dear little brother. It looks like your legs and wings cramped up because you’ve been sitting around all day.” A glowing white light flashed from Hisashi’s hands. “There, now it won’t hurt any longer.”

The pain stopped, but Yoichi couldn’t move any better. To his disgust, he was stuck in his older brother’s embrace. He should have realized sooner that being trapped in a cage all week would harm his wings, but… “Why didn’t I feel the cramps in the cage?” His voice was raspy from the damage breakfast had done. If he’d felt the cramps, he could have moved his body more to work them out.

“Because I spelled your cage so that you wouldn’t feel any pain inside. You can’t be injured or die. It’s an extremely safe space. Even if your head was chopped off, you’d survive in stasis long enough for me to reattach it.”

Yoichi had already noticed that he didn’t get hungry or thirsty inside the cage—only outside it. Even though he’d always had a weak body, he never coughed or had his usual chest pains. He also didn’t need to go to the bathroom. “If you could do that, then you could have prevented my wings from getting cramps!”

Hisashi smiled maniacally. “Why would I do that when you’d only use them to fly away from me? This is your punishment for letting me believe you were dead for decades. I’ll make sure your wings stay in good shape even when you can’t fly. They’re beautiful, after all. Such a rare treasure.” Hisashi petted Yoichi’s hair. “You should be grateful that I haven’t clipped your wings. Rather than harm a feather on your body, I found a more benevolent way to keep you on the ground. I’ll never let anything hurt you—even yourself.”

Yoichi froze in terror at the prospect of never being able to fly again. A fresh horror came over him as he took his brother’s second meaning. Yoichi would never be able to self-harm while in the cage. Unable to die, he would be trapped for eternity. While he was still in shock, Hisashi maneuvered them both to the soft ground made of cloth grass. Sitting Yoichi between his legs, Hisashi started grooming his wings, pulling out loose feathers.

By reflex, Yoichi lashed out with magic. The golden collar around his neck crackled and ached. It had sealed his magic away. Yoichi tried to physically shove his brother instead. With a flick of Hisashi’s fingers, glowing white bonds sprang forth and wrapped around Yoichi’s arms and legs. Humming, Hisashi resumed grooming. He ignored the steady stream of curses flowing from Yoichi’s lips.

Big brother had always loved Yoichi’s wings. From the way Hisashi got upset at any trace of damage, one would think that they were his wings. Sometimes Yoichi got the chilling sense that Hisashi would like to hang his wings on the wall with the trophies of defeated enemies. If it would have worked, Yoichi would have severed his own wings for a chance to escape. Alas, his brother was possessive of the rest of him, too.

Poor, unfortunate Izuku actually wanted this demented love. The boy was too young to see anything wrong with sitting in his father’s lap or being fed. It was only natural for a child to crave his parent’s affection. The appeal would have worn off when he’d hit his teens. Yoichi muttered, “I’m surprised you didn’t smother even a five-year-old.”

Yoichi didn’t realize he’d spoken out loud, until Hisashi replied: “I used to pretend Izuku was you. Sometimes I could convince myself, even though he didn’t have the right wings.” Hisashi stroked a feather lovingly. “It soothed my pain. But it was never quite the same as having you in my arms. Now I can’t stand the sight of him, thinking I wasted so much time on him when I could have been looking for you. You have no need to be jealous.”

“Jealous? Have you completely lost what little remains of your mind?” Yoichi gagged. “You created a child for the purpose of replacing me! That’s fucked up!”

“I wouldn’t have needed to if you hadn’t run away.”

“I wouldn’t have left if you weren’t fucked up in the head!”

“Such language.” Hisashi pinched Yoichi’s cheek. “Do I need to gag you until I’m done, hmm?”

Yoichi took a deep breath. Izuku had offered to help at Yoichi’s lowest moment, so Yoichi wanted to do something in return. He would need to speak carefully, so as not to reveal the nighttime visit. “Look, I think the kid is better off without you or your twisted love.” Also, it would be a problem if Hisashi started acting like he loved his child again and Izuku no longer had a motive to help Yoichi. “But I saw how you treated your son in the throne room. If you’ve been rejecting him like that in public, then you’re putting him in a precarious position. After the court sees that he no longer has your protection, they’ll take everything that belongs to him and bully him for fun. Maybe you never loved your son, but you still have a responsibility toward the child you created. At least instruct the guards to stop anyone from hurting him.”

“Why do you care?” Hisashi’s voice turned dark. His arms fastened painfully tight around Yoichi. “You met the boy once! He’s nothing to you!”

“He’s my nephew. He’s a child, only five years old.”

“You threw me away even though I was your only family member.” Hisashi’s grip left bruises on Yoichi’s hips. “Why would you care about a stranger who shares even less blood with you than me?”

“Let go, I can’t breathe.” Yoichi gasped and shoved until the grip loosened. “Only you would be jealous of your own son. Forget it. I only said something because I got awe-struck at what a shitty father you are.” Yoichi could tell that it would do Izuku harm rather than good to keep pressing the topic. He should have known that he had no influence left with his brother to use.

“I warned you about your language.” Hisashi frowned. With a flick of his magic, Yoichi could no longer talk. Yoichi seethed in silence. Even after he felt sensation return to his tongue as the spell wore off, there was no point in communicating with crazy.

When the interminable grooming finished, Yoichi hoped his brother would leave him alone. Instead, Hisashi picked Yoichi up and flung him over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“Hey! I can walk!” Yoichi cried, wriggling. Not with his legs still bound, admittedly. His wings flapped but he did not have the correct angle to take flight. An extra band of light fastened over them.

“Aw, but you’re too delicate and fragile after a few days in a cage to even stand up, remember?” Hisashi opened the door.

Yoichi’s heart beat with excitement. He briefly imagined that he might get to see the real sun for the first time in a week. Instead, Hisashi carried Yoichi into his adjacent quarters.

In Hisashi’s private office, Hisashi sat down on a broad armchair and positioned Yoichi like a doll in his lap. Then Hisashi took out a paper and started reading.

Could this be Yoichi’s new fate, to be a lap dog while his brother worked? Had he provoked this treatment by making the mistake of rousing his brother’s jealousy?

Squirming, Yoichi snarled, “I would hate to take up the High Lord’s valuable time. You can leave me back in my cage. Even the endless solitude is better than you.”

“After so long apart, I want to spend time with my dear little brother.” Hisashi tucked Yoichi’s head under his chin and used it to hold him in place. “Alas, I have such pressing business that I can’t possibly delay it even a day.”

“Stealing more people’s gifts?” Yoichi asked.

Hisashi’s voice dropped to a growl. “Looking for the people who faked your death and stole you away.”

Yoichi’s heart skipped a beat. He went still. He did not dare show the smallest reaction for fear of betraying even the tiniest clue about his lovers.

Yoichi had met Kaiji and Sanzou the first time he’d run away. Fleeing his brother’s hunters in the woods, he’d run into two men camping: one with a scar across his face and one with pineapple hair. Or at least they’d claimed to be camping—he later learned they were spies for an enemy nation. They could have turned him over and received a hefty reward as well as access to Hisashi’s court. Instead, the two of them had hidden Yoichi and smuggled him out of the country.

Kaiji was the lord of a small, mountainous domain. His city-state belonged to a larger federation of lords and ladies who had banded together for mutual defense against High Lord Hisashi. Since his lands bordered with All for One, he constantly saw battle. Kaiji had no reason to help the brother of his worst enemy, but he’d still offered Yoichi shelter. Back then, Yoichi had been determined to do everything in his power to halt his brother’s expanding empire. Yoichi had gone to the capital of the federation and volunteered to help the war effort. He had not revealed that Kaiji and Sanzou had helped him escape for fear of bringing down retaliation from his brother, which would later prove to be a wise decision.

When Yoichi had joined the federation army, he’d met Kaiji and Sanzou again. Kaiji liked to say he’d fallen in love the first time that he’d seen Yoichi rip out the heart of a leviathan demon. They’d made an unstoppable team on the battlefield. Kaiji and Sanzou had already been married, so it had taken Yoichi a while to realize that his two devastatingly attractive friends were courting him. In Yoichi’s defense, Kaiji’s idea of a courting present was a severed head. If not for Sanzou, they might have never gotten past the pining stage. Sanzou had taken control of the situation by kissing Kaiji and then asking of Yoichi wanted one, too.

In retrospect, it had been a good thing that Kaiji was such a disaster at romance, because it meant that Hisashi’s spies never found out. Most people in the army had thought that Kaiji hated the brother of his worst enemy because he kept throwing severed heads at Yoichi’s tent.

Hisashi had gone into a mad frenzy at the sight of his little brother fighting for the other side. He’d offered a tempting concession of territory and a peace treaty in exchange for Yoichi’s return. Then he’d taken prisoners as hostages. A sizeable faction of the federation nobility had wanted to hand Yoichi ever. He’d been prepared to flee. Before the decision had been made, Yoichi had been sent to battle in a frontlines position. He had a strong suspicion that a deal had been cut behind the scenes, because most of his troop had abandoned him and his brother had recaptured him.

Yoichi’s previous life with his brother had been difficult. A Hisashi enraged from his little brother’s abandonment had turned into a monster, locking Yoichi up in a lightless metal room. Yoichi had faked compliance just to get a bedroom for a prison. When he played along, his older brother would let him have books to read.

Using their spies, Kaiji and Sanzou had snuck in an enchanted hollow book. The magic let them materialize letters inside. They’d set up a plan to fake Yoichi’s death and free him from his possessive brother for once and for all. Aided by several servants who wanted a new home and freedom from All for One, Yoichi had escaped. They’d arranged a chase up a mountain, and used complicated illusion magic to make it look like Yoichi had fallen into an active volcano.

With the help of an extremely powerful transformation potion, Yoichi had become Kazuki, the petite and pink-haired new husband of Lord Kaiji and Lord Sanzou. His rare white wings had turned red and scaly. He’d sacrificed his beautiful face for a round cute one. No one except the three of them knew. After his last betrayal, Yoichi had realized that too many people in the federation would hand him over to his brother. Only in presumed death could he be free. Hisashi had been suspicious at first about the lack of body, but as years turned into decades, Hisashi had seemed to give up. Even if he never removed his bounty on Yoichi’s capture.

Yoichi never took off his disguise, except in the privacy of the royal bedroom. He might have continued with this masquerade forever, if he hadn’t gotten a bad potion. The seller (soon to be dead when Yoichi got his claws into him) had poorly prepared the mandrake. Yoichi had been away on a diplomatic visit to a neighboring domain when he’d started to transform back in the middle of a ballroom. He’d fled into the forest before anyone had noticed. Wracked with sickness from the tainted potion, he’d vomited until he passed out. Unfortunately, his unconscious body had been found by a group of bounty hunters. Even more unfortunately, they’d recognized the face of the legendary highest bounty. As a small mercy, because he’d been in a foreign land, no one had connected him with Kaiji and Sanzou. Though on the other hand, if he’d been home when he’d de-transformed then he never would have been captured.

If Yoichi could escape again, then he still had a chance to return to his old identity. Hisashi did not yet know his fake name. If Kaiji and Sanzou could keep their faces hidden during the rescue, then they would be home free.

Even if he’d had no hope of escape, Yoichi would never let his brother find out about his husbands. Hisashi would bestow a fate worse than death on anyone who’d helped Yoichi stay free. He would send assassins and armies.

“Would you like to see my list of suspects?” Hisashi waved a paper under Yoichi’s face.

Yoichi desperately wanted to know if Hisashi suspected his husbands, but he didn’t dare look. Even if he kept his face blank, his brother would be watching for any flinch or quickening of breath. Yoichi squeezed his eyes shut.

Hisashi said, “If I can’t find the culprits, I’ll kill everyone. You’d save countless lives by loosening that sharp tongue of yours a little. I’ll show mercy if you tell me voluntarily.”

What an insultingly transparent lie. Yoichi didn’t grace it with a reply.

Hisashi started reading the names on the list out loud. It was a very long list. Since he seemed to be naming every single enemy lord, Kaiji’s name would definitely be on there. Hisashi’s hand fastened on his little brother’s wrist, checking for the slightest change in pulse. Yoichi felt a tingle of magic in the air. If Hisashi was using a gift to monitor his emotions, then that cut off any chance to fake a reaction and cast false suspicion on one of Hisashi’s minions.

Grinding his teeth, Yoichi tried very hard not to listen. He tried to go away in his head. He imagined that the arms around him belonged to Sanzou, the taller of his two husbands. Sanzou had spiky hair that he liked to wear in a ponytail and dye different colors. He considered himself the practical one of the trio and usually looked stoic, but Yoichi loved charming smiles out of him. Instead of his brother monitoring his pulse, Yoichi tried to imagine that Kaiji was holding his hand. Kaiji had spikey hair, a long scar across his nose, and a serious case of resting bitch face. Underneath his gruff exterior, he was one of the kindest demons that Yoichi knew. Yoichi loved to tease Kaiji until his face cracked and he blushed.

Yoichi imagined that he was safe at home and taking a nap while Kaiji and Sanzou spoke in the background. It would be perfectly normal to hear their voices. If he heard their names, it would be nothing worth reacting to. He was peaceful and happy. Yoichi drifted away into his illusion. When he heard a very familiar lord’s name, he did not twitch from his state of semi-slumber.

After finishing his list, Hisashi sighed. “None of them? Should I suspect even my closest allies now?”

A very small sigh escaped Yoichi’s lips, a mixture of relief and triumph.

Hisashi chuckled. His grip tightened on Yoichi’s wrist. “Ah-ha! I felt that, little brother. So your ally was someone on that list.”

Yoichi could have screamed his throat raw. He tried not to react. Big brother might not yet be certain. Despite all Yoichi’s best attempts, he could no longer return to his still, calm state. He was panicking, and he felt certain his brother knew it.

Hisashi forced Yoichi to stay in his lap as he finished all his paperwork. Yoichi tried his hardest not to break down crying. It felt impossible to breathe, like there was a leviathan resting its tail on his chest.

When Hisashi finally finished, he carried Yoichi back over to the birdcage. After he locked the door, he vanished the bonds on Yoichi’s limbs. With one last pat on his brother’s feathery wings, Hisashi said, “I’ll return for your next meal. I need to instruct my agents. Thanks to you, I know where to start looking.” With a sickly sweet smile, he added, “When I find out who helped you, I’ll make you eat their hearts.”

When his brother finally left, Yoichi broke down sobbing. He hated himself for that tiny sigh at the end. He’d come so close, and he’d failed his lovers. That threat had not been a joke or bluff.

His pain and sorrow turned into rage. In a mad frenzy, Yoichi beat at the bars of his golden cage. “Let me out of here! Let me out!” Yoichi had to warn Kaiji and Sanzou. He wanted to go home. Desperately, he craved to be wrapped in his lovers’ wings. He could not endure the horror of living in this tiny cage forever. Death would be preferrable, but he knew his brother would never allow him to die. He couldn’t live like this. He’d do anything to get out. He tried to retreat back into his illusion of home, as he often did when locked up alone, but he no longer had the necessary control. Wild emotions swirled inside of him. He kept beating against the cage until he collapsed from exhaustion.

Curled up in a ball, Yoichi whispered, “Please…I want to go home…”

Notes:

As in my other fics, Kaiji = the Second One for All User and Sanzou = the Third One for All User. This is an AU of “Lost Souls” so the backstory for Yoichi’s capture will be different for reasons later important to the plot. Originally I had Yoichi hiding out in Second’s castle for years. But it seemed very pitiful for Yoichi to escape his brother only to be locked up at home all day. He could have gotten a deal about equally good just by cooperating with Hisashi. So instead, Yoichi used a transformation potion to get a fake identity and live a new life.

I could see Hisashi dating a bunch of yanderes because he thinks that’s what love is and he likes being worshipped, then being all Surprised Pikachu Face when his lovers keep trying to murder him and/or his little brother. The only reason Hisashi finally married Inko, someone mentally stable, was because he thought she would be a good mother. Unfortunately, because of his negative past experiences, Yoichi made some inaccurate snap judgements about Inko.

Hisashi already knew that Yoichi’s rescuers must be someone on his list. Yoichi didn’t really give anything away. Hisashi deliberately messed with Yoichi’s head out of spite because his plan failed.

To everyone last chapter who hoped that Yoichi would save Izuku, instead I present more Izuku suffering. Yoichi’s situation with Izuku resembles the jailed pirates trying to lure closer the dog with the key in his mouth in Pirates of the Caribbean. When Yoichi decided to use a child to help him escape, it definitely wasn’t his finest moment. In his defense, he’ll be imprisoned and tortured for an immortal lifespan if he doesn’t get out. Desperation is dangerous. Hero Yoichi still wouldn’t do it, but Demon Yoichi is more morally grey.

Chapter 3

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Izuku’s heart burst with joy at his Very Important Mission. Yesterday, Izuku had been a discarded prince with a father who no longer loved him and friends-turned-bullies who’d always secretly resented him. Today, Izuku was a hero on a noble mission to save his gentle uncle from wrongful imprisonment. Just a small change in perspective made him feel like he could get out of bed and face the world.

That morning, Izuku had asked his mother if they might get back their stolen belongings, in particular his favorite book with an emerald cover. He did not tell her about his secret mission. He had promised his uncle.

With a small smile, Inko had revealed that she’d cast a curse on their belongings to find their way back to their rightful owners. Inko specialized in magic that pulled items to her. It was considered a minor gift, but she’d honed it until she could cause pain and misfortune to anyone who stole from her. Izuku had asked to help. Inko told him that he could deliver some letters to their larcenous movers, suggesting that the accidents and nightmares would stop the faster they returned the stolen goods.

Now Izuku flew down the corridor holding a letter close to his chest. He’d already delivered all but one.

A rock bounced off Izuku’s wing. He was inexperienced with flying. His wing bent, and before he could right himself, he flew into the wall. In a huddled heap on the floor, Izuku whispered, “Ow.” He’d hit his nose on the wall. His scraped knees also throbbed.

“Oops, my hand slipped,” Tsubasa called mockingly. The boy with red wings landed next to Izuku. He kicked Izuku’s leg. “I slipped again.”

As soon as the two boys made contact, a jolt ran through Izuku’s nervous system straight up his spine. He knew instinctively that he could steal Tsubasa’s gift if only he removed the tiny barrier of cloth stopping their skin from touching. It was only a minor power, but Izuku craved it like water on a hot day. He could nearly taste the sparkly magic on his tongue. As if in a trance, Izuku’s hand reached forward.

Then Izuku stopped himself. No one could yet know that he had the ability to break into his uncle’s prison. That would ruin his top secret mission.

Izuku leapt to his feet, grabbed his letter, and ran down the hallway. His wing stung, but as soon as he had enough momentum, he took flight again.

Tsubasa called after him, “Yeah, you should run!”

The bully had no idea that Izuku was running from his own urges to steal that lovely, shining gift.


Yoichi had been unable to fall asleep that night, desperately hoping that Izuku would return. Staring into the darkness, his head throbbed from exhaustion. At the first noise from the door, Yoichi whirled to look.

The artificial sun turned on as Izuku stepped into the room. “Sorry for waking you up, Uncle Yoichi.”

Yoichi sighed from relief. “I wasn’t asleep. Thank you for coming. Just…thank you.” Embarrassing tears stung the corners of his eyes.

Running over, Izuku reached through the bars and held Yoichi’s hand. “Are you hurt?”

“Not physically,” Yoichi muttered. He rubbed his eyes. “I’m just very glad to see you.”

“Really really?” Izuku looked surprised and a little overwhelmed to have received such a warm welcome.

“Hey, what about you?” Yoichi peered through the bars, noticing the bruise on his nephew’s nose. “What happened to your face?”

Izuku looked away. “I fell down.”

Yoichi growled low in the back of his throat. “Someone pushed you.”

Izuku’s wings drooped. “Huh, Mom didn’t believe me either.”

“If it weren’t for this cursed collar, I could heal you.” Yoichi tugged at the gold welded tight to his neck. He’d never been as gifted with magic as his older brother, but he at least knew spells to ease pain. Once, when they’d been younger and innocent, Hisashi had put a bit of his own power into Yoichi. He’d used this to absorb the wards and bust out of his prison the first time, but this time big brother hadn’t underestimated him so much and had sealed his magic away. “Did those bastard—bad people hurt you anywhere else?” From his own rough childhood, Yoichi knew how clothing could hide bruises.

“I’m just a little scraped up. I told Mom not to worry. She shouldn’t lose her jewelry for another doctor visit. She hasn’t much left.” Izuku shuffled his feet. In a softer voice, he said, “I made her cry.”

Yoichi could also empathize very well with that guilt. When he’d been small and weak, his big brother had taken injuries to protect him. “Let me cast a spell on you.” Yoichi laid a hand on the top of Izuku’s head. “You’re a brave hero, so you no longer feel pain.” Okay, it sounded a bit lame but hopefully it would have the desired psychological effect.

Izuku gasped. “I feel better now!”

Yoichi patted the soft curls again. “I’m very happy that you’re helping me, Izuku. I feel much better now that you’re here. You’ve saved me. You’re not weak or useless.”

Izuku puffed out his chest. “That’s right! I could have stolen Tsubasa’s gift, but I didn’t because I have a secret mission.”

“That was a wise choice. It would be dangerous if your father knew what you can do.” Yoichi’s eyes narrowed. “So the brat is named Tsubasa?” He added the name to his shit list. “Even if you can’t steal his gift, you can still get revenge on him in other ways.”

Izuku said, “I was going to mail him a box of spiders.”

“Excellent idea.” Yoichi nodded. “Let’s go bigger. Have you ever heard of throat spiders?”

“No?”

“They live in people’s throats and render them unable to talk.” Yoichi grinned wickedly. “I used to have an enchantment to turn regular spiders into throat spiders. You said that you have a lot of my old belongings. Do you have a black box with a red spider on the front?”

Izuku nodded. “Yeah! The movers didn’t steal that because it’s not shiny.”

“Put your spiders in the box for an hour, and they’ll turn into throat spiders. Make sure you don’t touch them after the transformation. They infect people by skin contact.”

Izuku puffed up his cheeks indignantly, which only made him look cuter. “Of course I won’t!”

“Be careful not to touch Tsubasa after he’s infected too—they’re highly contagious. Your bully will probably be quarantined after his infection, so he won’t be able to go near you anytime soon. After he gets well, he might come after you for revenge. I’d suggest an anonymous gift.”

Izuku stomped his foot. “Then I’ll send him more spiders until he leaves me alone.”

Yoichi laughed. “You’ve got spirit!” He respected that. This kid was a lot braver than he first seemed. Yoichi could see the family resemblance now. “You got your stubbornness from me. I used to get beat up as a kid because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. I have scars, but no regrets.”

“Oooo.” Izuku’s eyes widened. “Did people think you were too weak to be a prince too?”

“I wasn’t a prince. My brother and I were poor orphans, until he took over his first domain. I’m guessing that Hisashi doesn’t let people talk about that these days. He has too much pride.” Yoichi shook his head. Personally, he thought it far more impressive that his brother had worked his way up from the bottom than if he’d been born royal. But big brother didn’t want anyone to know that he’d once eaten scraps from the trash can. “You’re not too weak to be a prince. If people say that, it’s only because they don’t know about your gift. You have a rare and amazing power.”

Izuku looked down. “I’m not very strong or brave.”

“You’re the bravest kid I know.” Not that Yoichi knew many kids, but that was besides the point. “You snuck down here to see me. That was brave. You promised to help save me. That was even braver.”

This won a quick smile from Izuku. “I asked Mom about getting our stuff back.” Quickly, Izuku explained about his mother’s abilities and her plan to curse the objects until they returned.

With a sigh, Yoichi leaned back against the bars of his cage. It was good news, but he didn’t want to wait for the movers to return the stolen belongings on their own. He was desperate to contact his husbands right away, before they did something rash. Kaiji would be at the gates of All for One’s palace already, if Sanzou hadn’t restrained him.

“Oh. You wanted me to get the book faster.” Izuku looked up from under his eyelashes. “Uh, I could try to steal it?”

“No, that’s too risky.” Yoichi hated to wait. Every single second in his brother’s loathsome presence was an agony. But a five-year-old wouldn’t make a very skilled thief. If anyone realized something was special about the book, then Yoichi’s one and only chance at escape would be ruined. It would be smarter to wait. No matter how agonizing it felt. The tips of his wings trembled.

“Mom’s magic is strong. It shouldn’t take long,” Izuku said, speaking with odd gentleness coming from a child toward an adult. “What should I write when I find the book?”

“Tell them that you’re my nephew and you’re helping me.” Secretly, Yoichi knew that if Izuku admitted to being All for One’s son, this would clue in Kaiji and Sanzou that they needed to keep their identities secret in their replies. “Tell them that you can bring down the wards on my cell, and you’ll do it the first time that All for One is away from the palace. Please ask them to come close but not try to rescue me before then. And please, send the letter as soon as you find the book. You don’t need to talk to me first. They need to know about the plan as soon as possible.” Otherwise they might do something stupid. Yoichi had regular nightmares about his husbands dying for him.

Izuku nodded. “I’ll remember what you told me, I promise.” He jiggled, his wings dancing. “I won’t let you down! I’ll save you and turn everything back to normal.”

Yoichi really hoped so. He’d do anything to escape his fate worse than death. He wanted to believe that things would turn out better for this kid with him gone. He felt a pang of guilt at the thought of Izuku being disappointed if Hisashi didn’t turn back to him as a substitute. But on second thought, it would be better if his monstrously possessive brother continued to stay away. Izuku might want Hisashi’s love now, but in the long run he would be happier not ending up like Yoichi.

“You look sad.” Izuku pouted. “You don’t believe I can do it.”

“No, no, that’s not why. I was just remembering some sad stuff.” Yoichi yawned. “You should probably go back to bed,” he said reluctantly. “You’re a growing boy. You need your rest.” He smiled, trying to paint a bright face over his pain. He did not think he’d be able to sleep tonight, alone in his cage.

“I’ll come visit you every night,” Izuku said, proving his perceptiveness once again.

Yoichi ought to tell Izuku not to come again until he found the book. Each visit was a risk. Instead, he said, “Thank you.”


The next time Izuku snuck out at night and opened the basement door, he saw light at the bottom of the stairway. The artificial sun in Uncle Yoichi’s room was turned on. Only one other person could visit that room. Izuku had a brief, mad desire to run downstairs and see his father. Daddy hadn’t gone near him in so long that it had left a gaping open wound in his chest. But even at age five, Izuku was not that stupid. He closed the door and quietly left.

The next night, Izuku came as soon as his mother had fallen asleep. He felt guilty about not visiting last night and failing to keep his promise. Pushing open the door, Izuku called, “Are you awake, Uncle Yoichi?” He did not step inside. He didn’t want to jolt his uncle awake with sudden bright light like last time.

“I’m awake,” Yoichi called, sitting up. His wings rustled in the darkness.

The sun turned on as Izuku walked down the pathway to the cage. Uncle Yoichi had grown ethereally pale. His eyes had sunk into his skull. The bagginess of his robe made him look smaller. Even in just two days, he’d shrunk into himself. When people in stories died of grief, Izuku had always thought that sounded very implausible. But his uncle looked like someone who might actually vanish like a cry of pain lost in the wind.

Hunching his shoulders, Yoichi whispered, “It’s not safe here. My brother visited me last night, and he might again. I should never have asked you to come. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Izuku cracked a small smile. “Daddy left the palace. Here, you should eat something. I was worried about if you were eating with Daddy gone.” Izuku held out a loaf of bread and a water bottle that he’d tucked under his arm.

Yoichi gripped the bars of his cage. “Hisashi is gone? Why? Where?”

“I’ll tell you while you eat,” Izuku insisted, holding out the bread.

With a rueful grimace, Yoichi took the offered food. “The shriekers came by to feed me, but I…didn’t have any appetite. I thought my brother was punishing me with solitude, but you say he’s no longer at the palace?” Yoichi took a huge bite of bread.

Izuku asked, “Do you remember the throat spiders?”

Wiping away the crumbs on his mouth, Yoichi grinned. “Yes! Did they work?”

“Tsubasa couldn’t say anything except tarantula hissing.” Izuku giggled. “Tsubasa infected his grandfather, and Lord Garaki infected half the nobles at court…including my father.”

Yoichi whooped and clapped. “Spectacular! You are the best, most brilliant nephew ever! No wonder Hisashi left without saying goodbye to me. He wouldn’t want me to see him unable to talk. He knows I’d mock him relentlessly.”

Izuku said, “Daddy officially left court on a hunting trip for two weeks. But everyone guesses that he got infected. Mom was laughing about it over dinner tonight.”

Yoichi nodded. “The throat spiders feed off magic. If Hisashi wants to get rid of them, then he can’t use magic for two weeks. That’s why he has to avoid his own court. They’re incurable, no matter how many gifts my brother has. In fact, if he uses his magic then it will reset his two week timeline. Ha! That will teach him! Talk about going hunting for a sparrow and catching a hawk. Uh, no one suspects you, right?”

“Nope! I was going to tell Tsubasa what I did to teach him not to mess with me, but after Daddy got sick I thought better about taking respons—responshi—”

“Responsibility. I’m glad you thought fast on your feet. You did good, kid.” Yoichi bit his lip. “With my brother gone, this seems like the perfect chance to escape…have you heard anything about my enchanted book?”

Izuku said, “Mommy tracked down most of our belongings. The movers took them to a broker named Giran asking him to remove her curse. She says he won’t be able to get rid of it, and then they’ll be forced to give back our stuff. Do you want me sneak into Giran’s shop and look for your book?”

Yoichi sighed. “I’m tempted, but it’s too risky. My brother should be safely gone for two weeks. That’s time enough for you to get my book back the safe way.” Yoichi took a long sip from the water bottle. “Waiting is such a bi—uh, a bad time.” Yoichi glanced at Izuku, who was listening to him eagerly. He coughed. “Anyway. Thank you for letting me know. And thanks for coming to see me. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

Izuku pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket. “I brought a game for us to play.”

Yoichi’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Your uncle plays a mean game of Devil’s Hand, just so you know. In fact, it doesn’t seem entirely fair for me to play against you. Have you ever heard of the cooperative version of Devil’s Hand?”

“I’ve never played it at all,” Izuku admitted.

“In the cooperative version, we win or lose together. Come over here, and I’ll show you.”

Izuku crouched down and pressed against the bars of the cage, listening.

The first couple games, Izuku wasn’t very good. He noticed that when they lost, his uncle always said interesting words but kept cutting himself off before finishing them. Izuku assumed these must be grownup words. It seemed very unfair that grownups had a special set of cool-sounding words that they kept all to themselves. Izuku was determined to uncover all the secret words. He listened carefully whenever his uncle swore, trying to piece together the muffled bits. So far, Izuku had learned the words “fuck,” “shit,” and “bastard.”

Just as they had almost completed the Devil’s Hand, Izuku lied, “I’m out of cards. It looks like we lose.”

“Motherfu—” Yoichi cut himself off. “Ha-ha, don’t worry your adorable little head about it. Want to play again?”

“Oops, I had one more card left.” Izuku put it down. “Full hand!” He grinned, pleased both at winning the cooperative game and at the cool new word he’d successfully tricked his uncle into teaching him. Based on having already learned the word “fuck” the correct ending must be “motherfucker.” Motherfucker! What a neat word! Izuku loved how it rolled off the tongue.

Yoichi snorted. “You did that on-purpose, didn’t you?”

“Who, me?” Izuku widened his eyes in a way that used to trick his tutors (back before they all quit.)

Uncle Yoichi didn’t look fooled. He swept up the cards. “Trickery is a good trait for a card-player to have. Next time I’ll teach you the competitive version. When I’m done with you, you’ll be winning the allowance off all the other kids. You should head back to bed now.”

Izuku pouted. “One more game?”

“Don’t use those innocent eyes on me. A growing boy needs his sleep.”

“No one else will play with me anymore,” Izuku mumbled. His friends had all vanished and even his mom was too busy.

Yoichi’s gaze softened. “Aw. Don’t let those assh—uh, meanies get you down. I’ll play with you again tomorrow night, I promise.”

Izuku perked up, his good humor restored at the discovery of a new secret word. What did “assh” end in? What words started with h?

As Izuku skipped up the stairs and back to bed, he continued to ponder. Asshoop? That didn’t sound right. Asshot? Asshabit? Asshope? Assham? Assheart? That sounded like it might mean someone with a mean heart. That could be right. Hmm, what about assharpy? Everyone said that harpies were the meanest beasts in the forest. That must be it. Assharpy, now there was the coolest new word yet!


Izuku kept visiting his uncle every single night. Yoichi taught him how to play half a dozen different card games and how to cheat. Also, Yoichi had the coolest stories about his other two uncles and their adventures. They lived high up in the mountains where Uncle Yoichi said flying was the best. It made Izuku long to leave the palace, too. In the daytime, everyone treated him coldly. His mother was perpetually sad and tired. Nighttime become the best time for Izuku.

It made Izuku sad to think that Uncle Yoichi would leave. But he didn’t want his uncle to be trapped and unhappy either. It was for the best. Then everything would go back to normal. His usual bedroom would replace this creepy garden and terrifying birdcage. His father would love him again. Right?


As Yoichi shuffled the deck of cards, Izuku said, “Tell me another story.”

“Of course,” Yoichi said. “How about a story about me and your father when we were children?” Yoichi made a point of telling Izuku embarrassing stories about Hisashi. Not only did Hisashi deserve it, hopefully Izuku would come to see that he didn’t need the love of such a colossal numbskull. “Did I ever tell you about the first time your father stole a gift?”

“No!” Izuku sat up straighter on his knees. His eyes gleamed. “Is it a heroic story? Did he fight a terrible enemy?”

“Nah, it was a total accident. Big brother was mocking a girl who had developed a gift causing her to shed slime all over. The girl slapped my brother—who totally deserved it—and he accidentally stole her gift. Then he hid in his bed for a week and cried because he thought he’d exude slime forever.” Yoichi couldn’t help adding. “See? He’s not as great as he pretends to be. He doesn’t deserve a cute son like you.”

Izuku looked away and changed the subject. “Will you tell me more about my other uncles?” He loved hearing stories about Kaiji and Sanzou and asked for more nearly every night.

“Of course.” Yoichi thought about what he could say that wouldn’t give away Kaiji and Sanzou’s identities. Nothing about their physical appearances or status. “Your second uncle is known for being a deadly warrior—but he’s also a total meathead. When he wanted to court me, he kept giving me different weapons. I thought he was insulting me by implying that I didn’t maintain my weapons well enough. It didn’t help that he kept scowling at me. It took me a while to realize that his face just looks like that.”

Izuku giggled.

Yoichi continued, “Your third uncle is good at everything: he can forge weapons, fight, cook, sew, and come up with the most brilliant plans. If not for him, we’d all have died countless times. And he doesn’t hesitate to remind us! He likes to grumble that he must have had bad karma in a past life to have been saddled with two morons in this one, but we know he loves us way too much to ever leave.”

Izuku’s face fell. “Not even if he met someone better than you two?”

Yoichi winced, realizing that he’d tread on sensitive ground. He leaned down to meet Izuku’s eyes. “You’re talking about your father, aren’t you?”

Izuku shrugged, twirling a lock of hair.

“I’m not better than you, kid. I promise. I was just here first.”

“He couldn’t love both of us?” Izuku asked.

Yoichi hesitated, seeking the right words. “Hisashi has always been self-centered, ever since we were kids. He has to have everything. He wants everyone else’s gifts. He wants power. I don’t think he can truly love anyone. Not in the sense of putting someone else first.”

“But Daddy used to be so kind to me,” Izuku whispered.

Yoichi said, “Even when Hisashi loves, it’s all about himself. Look at me.” He waved across the fake garden. “My brother pretends to love me, but he locked me up down here where I can’t fly or see the sun.”

“I’d hate that.”

“Hisashi did this to me so that he could always see me whenever he wanted to. Everything is all about himself. When he showered you with gifts, he was also doing it for himself, trying to live out our past childhood again through you. He dropped you as soon as you stopped being useful to him. It was selfish.”

“Daddy never loved me?” Izuku asked, tears starting to fall.

Yoichi reached through the bars to brush the tears away. “Hisashi loved you as much as he was capable of. But his love is worth shit—uh, I mean, it’s not worth much. This isn’t a fault in you, Izuku. It’s a fault in Hisashi. You didn’t fail him. He failed you as a parent.” Yoichi wasn’t sure if he was getting through at all. This might be too complicated for a child to understand. “Look, I’m sure your mom—” Yoichi started to say that Izuku’s mother still loved him, but Yoichi had no idea if Inko loved her child or only wanted to use him as a political tool. He’d never met the woman, but he knew all about his brother’s horrific ability to pick them. He didn’t want to offer false hope. “You’re a brave and wonderful boy who is worthy of love.”

“Do you love me?” Izuku asked through teary eyes.

Damn, what a question to ask when they’d only just met. Yoichi felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff being buffeted by wind too strong to fly in. He was very fond of Izuku. But it had only been a week. That was rather soon to love someone. He instinctively knew that if he gave the wrong answer—the honest answer—it would destroy this kid. Izuku couldn’t take another rejection after being abandoned by his father. And Yoichi just couldn’t bring himself to do it. “You’re my nephew. I love you.” Yoichi had lied many times in the past to save himself, but he didn’t like lying about love. Perhaps he could act as if his lie was the truth. They were family, and this child desperately needed someone to step up for his sake.

Izuku beamed and hugged Yoichi, his tiny body pressing close to the bars. “I love you too, Uncle Yoichi!” Children loved so easily.

After Izuku had left, Yoichi remembered that Izuku’s entire motive for helping him had been to get his father’s love back. It had been foolish of Yoichi to try and convince his nephew to stop chasing after Hisashi’s love. He hadn’t acted in his own best interests there. But when Yoichi remembered the small smile that had returned to Izuku’s face in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.


Izuku’s eyes felt heavy and his head ached as he rushed down the palace hallway. Today, Inko had finally refused to let Izuku play sick any longer and insisted that he attend school. Since Izuku was staying out at night with Yoichi, he felt exhausted every day. But he refused to give up his nightly visits. They were the only time he got to interact with someone besides his mother who treated him with kindness, and his uncle clearly craved the visits too. Also, Izuku had learned two new words: bitch and dick. He would soon collect a complete set of grownup words!

In the days before, a gaping gap in reality that he could barely think about without it hurting, Izuku used to have private tutors. Now he attended classes with a large group of other children around the castle. The other kids pointed and whispered at him. His teacher had accused Izuku of being too full of himself for correcting a mistake in a math problem. At the end of class, a girl had stolen Izuku’s backpack. He had a feeling he was going to need to catch more spiders.

“I’m home,” Izuku called as he pushed open the apartment door.

Inko was looking at a bill with her forehead wrinkled. As soon as Izuku entered, she put it away and smiled. “How was your first day at your new school?”

“It was great! I like attending classes with other kids. I made a couple friends already.” Izuku couldn’t let his mother worry any more than she already did, so he lied.

“How wonderful, sweetie. What are their names?”

“Uh…”

Inko’s eyes narrowed. “Where is your backpack?”

Izuku needed a distraction. “Look, Mom!” He pulled out a paper and held it up. “My teacher wants me to join the Young Demon Army! He says I’d be a great candid-something. Isn’t that where Big Brother Tomura went? I could see him again!”

Back when Tomura had lived in the palace, Izuku had protected the older boy from bullies a few times. Back then, Izuku had been the powerful crown prince and Tomura had been the son of a traitor. Despite their age gap, they’d been friends. They still kept in touch through letters. Now Izuku hoped that Tomura might be willing to protect him in return if they met again. At the least it would be great if Tomura didn’t decide to hate him like everyone else. Plus there had been a mention of money for enlisting, and Izuku knew his mother needed that even though she kept trying to hide it.

Inko’s lower lip shook. Her eyes widened with horror. Bursting into tears, she flung her arms around Izuku. Through her sobs, he caught fragments of “No” and “Never” and “I’ll kill them all first!”

Despite Izuku’s best efforts, he’d made his mother cry again.


Yoichi could tell something was bothering his nephew. Izuku seemed distracted as he shuffled the cards. He yawned, dropping several from the deck.

“What’s wrong, kid?” Yoichi asked.

Izuku rubbed his eyes. “I’m a bit tired. Mom sent me to school today. But don’t worry! I can still visit because she changed her mind and she’s not sending me back there. She said she would teach me herself. I’ll get to sleep in for at least a few more days while she makes lesson plans.”

Yoichi frowned. “Did something happen at school?”

“I don’t know,” Izuku admitted. “My teacher wanted me to join the Young Demon Army. Mom flipped out.”

Yoichi grabbed the bars of his cage. “Like absolute hell! Uh, don’t repeat that last word.” His fingers shook with rage. He wanted to kill Izuku’s teacher. He was shocked at his own visceral reaction. This type of pure rage rarely overtook him off the battlefield.

Sadly, Izuku said, “Mom said that too, except for the hell part. Why? What’s so bad about it? Big Brother Tomura is there.”

Yoichi took deep breaths, controlling his anger before it frightened his nephew. “It’s too dangerous. I didn’t even think they took children as young as you. Big brother is even bigger scum than I realized.”

“I’m not strong enough?” Izuku asked. His lower lip stuck out.

“You’re a kid. You shouldn’t be fighting, period. The Young Demon Army, they’re…they’re trained as spies and infiltrators. They’re drawn from orphans and the families of people who offended Hisashi. In other words, they’re expendable. They get sent out on missions and they…don’t always come back.” Yoichi sighed. “You could die.”

“Thank you for telling me,” Izuku said. “Mom wouldn’t explain.” He chewed on his lip. “I’m worried about Big Brother Tomura. He made it sound cool when he joined, but I don’t want him to die.”

“I’m worried about your friend, too.” Yoichi hadn’t told Izuku that the Young Demon Army got brainwashed and trained to kill. “Do you know why they took him? Big brother uses it as a punishment for families who have defied him.”

“Tomura doesn’t have a family. He used to be Tenko Shimura, but no one is allowed to say the name Shimura anymore.”

“TENKO SHIM—” Yoichi clamped a hand over his mouth to stop his scream. Even if big brother was temporarily gone from the palace, he shouldn’t get in the habit of being so careless. His heart raced a mile a minute, a mixture of rage and grief and a little bit of hope all tangled up under his chest.

Izuku tilted his head. “You know Tomura?”

“I knew his grandmother.” Yoichi swallowed. “She, uh, was a good friend of mine.” His voice cracked. “She helped me stay free from my brother the first time.” Nana Shimura had been a high-ranked Demon Lady in the federation. The very first time Yoichi had run away, he’d traded information about his brother for shelter. But he’d always known that Nana had helped him out of compassion. From a strictly utilitarian perspective, it would have been more profitable to take Yoichi hostage.

Hisashi had always despised Nana, but he’d gone after her even harder because she’d stolen his precious little brother. During the same battle where he’d recaptured Yoichi, Hisashi had killed Nana. Yoichi had watched it happen before his eyes. He had nightmares about it. Nana had been like family to him.

After Nana’s death, the Shimuras had declined drastically in power. Hisashi had lured Nana’s very foolish son Kotaro to defect and join All for One’s side. Then the entire Shimura family had been executed on charges of treason. This had happened shortly after Yoichi’s fake death. Yoichi had always strongly suspected that Hisashi had faked the accusations to have an excuse to wipe out the Shimura lineage. Hisashi had been gone into an insane state after his little brother’s death, determined to kill everyone with even the smallest hint of blame. Yoichi had been devastated with guilt. No matter how Kaiji and Sanzou tried to comfort him or tell him that Kotaro had made his own mistakes, Yoichi still knew that Nana’s family had died because of him.

Why had Tenko been spared? If Yoichi had to guess, he would say that his brother had decided to turn Nana’s grandson into his minion as the ultimate middle finger to her legacy. This could not stand. Yoichi owned Nana. He would save her grandson.

In a shaking voice, Yoichi spoke rapidly. “Izuku, please tell your other uncles about Tomura in your future letter too. I believe that he’s in a great deal of danger. They’ll find him and save him.”

“They will?” Izuku asked hopefully.

Yoichi nodded frantically. “They were friends with Nana, just like me. We’ll protect and look after Tomura like family. He’ll live together with us at our castle in the mountains where big brother can’t find him. I promise.”

“That’s good. Since what you said, I’m scared for Big Brother Tomura.” Izuku twirled a lock of hair. “I’ll be able to send your letter very soon. Mom struck a deal with Giran to return our stuff for a pittance. What’s a pittance?”

“It’s a very small amount of money.”

“Giran couldn’t sell any of our stuff because he couldn’t get her curse off. Mommy is too strong! We’re getting it back tomorrow.”

“Thank hell.” Yoichi sagged down in his cage. With this news about Tenko, he was even more frantic to escape. Even though intellectually he knew that a few days wouldn’t make a difference when Tenko had been missing for years, he wanted to leap into the skies and find the boy at once.

Izuku bit his lip harder, drawing a tiny drop of blood. “Daddy shouldn’t have hurt Tomura.”

“No, he shouldn’t have. He’s a bad man. He treats everyone like that, not just you. Really, you’re better off without him.” Yoichi hoped he hadn’t pressed too far with that last sentence. He’d been trying for the last week to subtly lead Izuku to the notion that he didn’t need his father, so the kid wouldn’t be too devastated if Hisashi didn’t turn back to him after Yoichi escaped.

Izuku nodded. Slowly, he said, “Daddy used to be nice to me, but he’s not nice to other people. That made it easy for him to stop being nice to me when I wasn’t useful to him any longer.”

Yoichi wanted to leap up and down and applaud. He only restrained himself because he would hit his head on the top of the cage. (He’d done that before. The birdcage barely had enough height to let him stand up, and the cramps in his legs proved it.) Izuku had figured that out much faster than Yoichi himself. Back in childhood, pointing out his big brother’s flaws just made Yoichi defensive. Yoichi had to give his nephew credit for his brains. “That’s right. It’s not your fault. It’s because your dad has a hole inside him that nothing and no one could ever fill.”

Izuku said, “If you leave, maybe Daddy will love me again. But I don’t want to stay here, with a dad who turned his back on me when I needed him the most and friends who secretly hate me. I want to go to the pretty mountain castle and live with you and Mom and Big Brother Tomura.” Izuku gazed up with wide, pleading eyes. “Can I run away with you?”

Yoichi’s brain sputtered to a halt. His plan had worked a little too well. Now he had no idea what to say. Izuku was gazing up at him with such trusting hope. If he took too long to reply, then the trust in those eyes would change to disappointment and maybe even anger. A panicked thought flashed across Yoichi’s mind: If I tell Izuku no, then what if he abandons me? What if I’m trapped here alone in the darkness with no escape and no one but my brother forever?

From there, Yoichi’s lips moved on their own: “Of course you can come live with us! We’d be delighted to have you.”

Izuku smiled and bounced from foot to foot. “Yay! I can’t wait to tell Mommy!”

Yoichi paled. “You can’t tell your mother about our plan, remember? Not until after you contact my husbands. It’s not safe for her.”

“Got it! I’ll send your letter soon, and then my other uncles will arrive and we’ll tell Mommy about our new home.”

Yoichi nodded, largely because he hadn’t yet figured out how to reply.

After Izuku left, Yoichi collapsed to the floor of his cage. What had he done? Why had he said that? Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Yoichi had no objections to taking Izuku back home. In fact, Yoichi very much liked the idea of having a nephew around to dote on. It nearly made him smile, imagining introducing Izuku to Kaiji and Sanzou and taking his nephew flying to his favorite spots. But there were two major problems with that peaceful daydream. Number one: Inko. Yoichi still didn’t trust her not to kill him or turn over his escape plan to his big brother. Frankly he didn’t even know if Inko wanted to leave the High Lord’s castle. But Yoichi couldn’t possibly take Izuku without his mother. Unlike big brother, Yoichi wasn’t a kidnapper. He wouldn’t take a child away from a mother without proof of abuse.

Problem number two: it was dangerous for Izuku. Yoichi had planned to leave without anyone realizing Izuku had been involved in his escape. Ideally, Izuku’s role would be small enough that he stood a very low risk of getting caught. But if Izuku escaped with Yoichi, that was a whole different story. He would become a known accomplice. If they got caught, Hisashi’s wrath would be terrible. Tomura/Tenko’s fate stood out keenly in Yoichi’s mind, as a reminder that Hisashi did not even spare children. Yoichi knew that Izuku wasn’t happy at the palace, but he’d be in an even worse position if he tried to escape and got caught.

Yoichi had been a fool to make a promise to a small child that he couldn’t keep. Children believed what adults told them with unconditional faith. He’d agreed too quickly in his desperate panic not to lose his only hope. He could have said he would try, but he shouldn’t have promised. Izuku would be destroyed by yet another betrayal.

Perhaps this was still salvageable. The next time Izuku returned, Yoichi would explain they needed to get Inko’s permission first before making any moving plans. Inko would also have a better idea of much danger she and her son were currently in, and whether it was worth the risk to escape. They could talk it out between the adults. Now Yoichi just needed to figure out how to communicate with Inko, but in a way that didn’t completely screw himself over if she betrayed him.

He sat up late at night, trying and failing to come up with a good plan.

It really would be a lot smarter for Yoichi to escape first, then contact Inko later. He wouldn’t risk a betrayal. Izuku and Inko wouldn’t be implicated in his escape. If Inko didn’t want to leave, then Yoichi could offer her money and other subtle means of support so that she and her son could live a better life. If she did want to move then he could arrange for her transportation out of the castle, but ideally at a later date so no one connected their departure to his own. Izuku and Inko were under much lighter security than him and it would be easier for them to sneak off without the number one most wanted prisoner in tow. That way Hisashi wouldn’t have reason to seek revenge on them.

But if Yoichi broke his promise, would Izuku understand?

Notes:

Kotaro got his family killed out of sheer stupidity in this fic, and I firmly believe he did the same in canon. Why did Kotaro use the last name Shimura when Nana tried so hard to hide him? Personally, I believe Nana changed her son’s last name, but Kotaro changed it back because he refused to believe his mother had been telling the truth about being hunted by a powerful villain. This made it easier for All for One to find him.

Chapter 4

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Peering out his bedroom door, Izuku rose a little bit off the ground. He stilled his eagerly flapping wings and landed. But his hands still wouldn’t stop folding and unfolding. He scrutinized the large cart overflowing with stolen possessions. Most of the valuables had been packed away in boxes surrounded by tissue, but his tricycle peeked out the top. The handle had a pom-pom made of gold thread. That must be why it had been taken.

Inko spoke in a low voice, then gave Giran a gold bar. The pawn broker turned and left, not without one last look that Izuku didn’t like.

A gemstone peeking out of a box sparkled green—just like the emeralds on Uncle Yoichi’s fake book. Izuku stood on his tiptoes, but couldn’t quite see. With a push of his wings, he rose off the ground. Sure enough, it was a familiar golden book with emeralds forming Yoichi’s name on the cover. Izuku had finally found the treasure that would let his family escape to a happy life! Already, Izuku could picture the cool mountains with clear lakes and beautiful forest. He imagined his mother, Uncle Yoichi, and Tomura enjoying a picnic together next to the water. His two uncles he hadn’t yet met were distant shadows in his mind.

Entranced by this vision, Izuku reached for the book. The movement jostled the boxes.

Inko whirled around, “Izuku, stop, I haven’t checked for—”

Her words came a minute too late. Izuku had already placed his hand down on the emerald.

The explosion sent Izuku flying into the wall. The cart tumbled down on top of Inko.

Izuku screamed until his throat gave out as he tried to pull boxes off his mother.


The sound of sobbing woke Yoichi up even before the lights went on. He jolted up and pressed his forehead to the bars of his cage. Not for the first time, he longed to step past the golden barrier. “Izuku? What’s wrong?”

As Izuku stepped into the light, Yoichi gasped. A giant bruise spread down Izuku’s face. The sight of his nephew in such a condition made Yoichi growl. Unconsciously, he reached for magic he couldn’t use.

Izuku sniffled. “Uncle Yoichi…I failed you…I’m sorry.”

Yoichi’s heart nearly stopped. “Hisashi knows?” No, if that was the case, then Izuku wouldn’t be down here. He’d be locked up in a cell. Yoichi felt fear at the image of his nephew imprisoned, mingled with a hefty dose of guilt.

Izuku hiccupped. “Mom…got hurt because of me…”

Yoichi stretched a hand through the bars, but couldn’t reach. “Come over here, kid.” When Izuku stepped closer, he pulled his nephew into a hug. “Tell me everything.”

In a raspy voice, Izuku said, “The mean movers gave our stuff back, but someone slapped an explosion curse on top. I saw your book, I grabbed it, and…because of me…”

“No, no, don’t blame yourself.” Yoichi swallowed. He wanted to ask how bad the damage had been, but he couldn’t bring himself to skip straight to such a callous question. It seemed unlikely anyone would dare kill Inko. She was still the High Lord’s consort, no matter how far she had fallen out of favor. More likely it would have been a minor explosion.

Izuku whispered, “The cart fell on Mom and she broke her leg. She broke it in two places!”

Ah, so the cart had done most of the damage. It would have been largely bad luck, a prank turned more deadly than intended. Yoichi wondered if Giran or the original thieves had been responsible. Just because it had been partly an accident didn’t mean he wouldn’t take revenge at the first chance he could get.

“Because of me…” Izuku hiccupped again.

“No, because of whoever did this. Surely they’ll be punished.” Yoichi didn’t feel quite so confident. The High Lord dispensed justice, and Hisashi ignored what didn’t suit him to notice. Would Hisashi take this attack on his consort as an insult to himself or would he decide to sweep it under the rug to conceal his failure to protect Inko?

Izuku heaved his shoulders and visibly got ahold of himself. “The guards took your book as evidence for when my father gets back. I’m sorry, Uncle Yoichi. I hurt you, too.”

Yoichi’s entire world came crashing down.

It must have shown on his face. Izuku swallowed. “I-I’ll get the book back after the trial.”

What if Hisashi noticed the magic on the book? If there was a trial, it would be very likely to come out. Yoichi grabbed Izuku by the shoulders. “Look at me. You can’t express any interest in that book. Act like you don’t care about it. You had no idea there was anything special about that book, do you understand me?”

Izuku nodded. “The trial won’t happen until Dad returns…will that be too late? You wanted them to rescue you while he was gone. Maybe I can get a message to your husbands another way.”

“You can’t. It’s too dangerous. If you got caught, you have no idea what big brother would do to you.” Yoichi felt lightheaded. Izuku had never been supposed to be in danger. The plan had been for Izuku to send a single message through magical means that no one would ever trace back to him. Then Kaiji and Sanzou would take care of the rest. The kid would never be involved.

But Yoichi had been lying to himself. There had always been a risk of Izuku being caught with the book or caught sneaking down here. He’d been on morally slippery ground the moment he decided to use a five year old. Inko’s injury had been a direct result of their plan. All of Izuku’s ill treatment proved that he was no longer under Hisashi’s protection. If Yoichi had previously believed that Izuku would be safe from reprisals as All for One’s son, then Yoichi had been lying to himself yet again. The task had been dangerous since day one, and he’d damn well known it. Only one thing had changed: at some point, danger to Izuku had become unacceptable.

“I could steal the box.” Izuku’s eyes narrowed with determination. “Maybe I can use the same ability I used to break the wards around your room.”

“No! If you do that, then Hisashi will know that someone can break his wards. Given that you’re involved in the court case, you’ll be a prime suspect. He might even realize that you have the same gift as him.”

“But if I leave with you, Uncle Yoichi, then it won’t matter.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Yoichi repeated. Sending a five year old on a heist? There were a million ways it could go wrong.

“We should ask my mom,” Izuku said. “She might know a way to get the book. Do you think they would let her look at the evidence since she’s the person who got hurt? Maybe she could slip the letter in.”

Or perhaps Inko might turn in her own son for a chance to earn favor from her husband. Yoichi swallowed. He could tell that Izuku loved and completely trusted his mother. But up until recently, Izuku had loved and trusted All for One. Yoichi simply couldn’t risk it. If it had only been himself at stake, then he would have gambled at any odds for his freedom. But even if Yoichi rotted in this cage for the rest of his miserable eternity, he couldn’t let Izuku become the target of All for One’s wrath like the Shimura family.

Oh. Yoichi loved Izuku. He blinked, shocked at the revelation. At some point, his lie had become true.

Tears stung Yoichi’s eyes. He tried to hold them back, to not let Izuku see. Though he forced a smile on his face, he didn’t think it looked right. “Izuku, we’re going to have to abandon the escape plan. It’s too dangerous.”

Izuku’s mouth set mulishly. “No! I want to save you and Big Brother Tomura. I want to go live in the mountain castle.”

“Promise me that you’ll stop this and stay safe.”

“I don’t want to be safe! I want to help!”

“You won’t save anyone. You’ll get yourself thrown into a dark prison, just like me. Worse than me.”

“I’ll tell Mommy, then she’ll make a good plan.”

No, no, no! Telling Inko could lead to the worst case scenario! Yoichi didn’t trust Inko any further than he could throw her, and after his muscle deterioration in captivity, that wasn’t very far. If she was as obsessed with Hisashi as all the past lovers, then she’d even sell out her own son in a heartbeat. But how could he convince a child not to trust his mother?

Yoichi had to stop Izuku no matter what. A mixture of terror and sorrow made his wings shake. He couldn’t live with the guilt if his nephew took the fall for him. But Yoichi recognized the determination on Izuku’s face, which reminded him both of himself and his brother. Their family was stubborn. Izuku wouldn’t give up just because someone told him it was dangerous. Yoichi would have to give him a better reason. Fear made his voice come out guttural as if angry. “You were never going to come live at my castle. I lied to you so that you would help me.”

Izuku took a step backward. “Why are you saying that?”

“If you tell your mother about me, then she’ll think that you’re stupid and easily tricked.”

Izuku’s shoulders shook as tears flowed again. “That’s not true!”

Yoichi jabbed where he knew there was a weak spot. “She’ll worry about you, the silly son who walked straight into a trap. I lied to you and manipulated you so that you’d help me escape. Now I’m giving up on you because you’re useless to me.”

Izuku whispered, “You said that you loved me.” Tears flowed down his cheeks.

Yoichi forced out a laugh. Perhaps the harshness of the sound would make it more genuine. “I don’t love you. It was all a lie. I don’t need you any longer. Get out of here and never come back.”

Izuku cried too hard to speak.

“GO!” Yoichi screamed at him.

Izuku turned and ran.

The darkness returned to Yoichi’s cell. He huddled in his cage with his wings wrapped around him. Finally his own tears escaped. The room was silent except for his sobs.

Yoichi had done the right thing. That was probably why it hurt so much. Doing the right thing was harder than taking the easy way.

Except the so-called right thing had also hurt Izuku. Yoichi felt a lot less virtuous about that part. He could not shake the lingering image of Izuku’s devastated eyes.

Yoichi had thrown away his only chance at escape, and he didn’t even know if he’d been right. No, he had to be right. Izuku’s safety was more important than emotional pain.

If only Yoichi had never spoken to Izuku in the first place.


Izuku wept into his pillow for hours, muffling the sound so his mother wouldn’t hear. He couldn’t possibly worry her when she was injured. He didn’t want her to think he was stupid like his uncle said.

Just like Daddy, Uncle Yoichi had stopped loving Izuku as abruptly as a switch being flicked off. Izuku wondered if his mother might one day stop loving him too. He’d been so confident that would never happen, but maybe it could happen with anyone.

Rage suddenly overwhelmed Izuku’s pain. It wasn’t fair. He punched his pillow, then his wall, then the unpacked box next to him.

The box tipped over, spilling out Izuku’s previously stolen belongings. A single emerald gleamed from the front of a book with a golden cover.

Izuku’s breath caught. He flipped open the book. It was hollow inside. This was Uncle Yoichi’s enchanted device for transmitting letters.

Then what had Izuku grabbed to cause the explosion? A different book? Come to think of it, Izuku hadn’t gotten a close look at the item. It might have been a jewelry box.

Uncle Yoichi had stopped loving Izuku because Izuku was no longer useful to him. But if Izuku could send the letter, then he’d be useful again. His uncle’s love might come back.

Izuku sat down in front of his desk and wrote exactly what he remembered. He stuck the letter in an envelope, not bothering to seal it. He placed the letter into the box.

The letter vanished.


The reply to the letter arrived by the time Izuku woke up the next morning, asking him to bring down the wards around Yoichi’s cell today.

When Izuku left his bedroom, his mother was setting food on the dining room table. She wobbled, supporting the dish with one hand with her crutch tucked under her other arm.

Izuku cried, “You should rest, Mommy.”

“I will, sweetie. I was just making your breakfast.” Inko set down the plate of eggs. Sweat dripped down her forehead. Izuku missed the days when they’d had staff to help them. All of his mother’s friends had vanished just like his own. Daddy ought to be here, helping Mommy. But Izuku had given up on his dad. If only Izuku was bigger and stronger, then he could make his own breakfast and carry his mom so she didn’t have to hop on her broken leg.

While Izuku ate, Inko collapsed onto the sofa. By the time he’d finished, she’d fallen asleep. Izuku tucked a blanket over her, then tiptoed out. At least Inko couldn’t ask any questions about his overstuffed backpack. Izuku had packed all his favorite toys. After he brought down the wards, he would go see Yoichi and ask again to come live at his castle. They would go pick up Mommy and it would be a fun surprise for her. Izuku still firmly believed that after he proved his usefulness, his uncle would love him again.

Standing before the door, Izuku pressed his hands to the wards and once again lowered them. He left the door slightly cracked.

When he turned around, a shrieker stared at him. This undead had purple scaly wings and an overly large mouth slitted down one side. It squeaked, then turned and took flight.

“Stop!” Izuku ordered. But this time, the shrieker didn’t obey. Reporting escape attempts must be a higher priority than obeying the prince’s orders. Izuku leapt into the air and latched onto the shrieker’s leg.

As the undead soared, it tried to shake him off. Rocked up and down, Izuku felt dizzy. He bumped into the wall as they tore down the hallway. Izuku had to stop the shrieker, but he didn’t know how. He was barely clinging on.

Power pulsed under Izuku’s fingers. The shrieker had not just one gift, but several of them. Instinctively, Izuku reached out and grabbed.

With a pitiful cry, the shrieker exploded into a pile of dust, all magic gone. Izuku fell. His oversized backpack cushioned his landing. But the raging torrent of magic inside of him overwhelmed his senses. His eyes rolled backward, and he passed out.


After staying up all night in a state of anxiety, Yoichi had finally collapsed into sleep in the morning. He woke up when something heavy landed on top of his cage.

The birdcage fell over sideways. Yoichi went rolling. A chunk of plaster hit the ground next to the cage. More dust rained down on him. Shielding his face with his hands, Yoichi screamed, “Motherfucker—”

Jumping down from a hole in the ceiling, Kaiji landed on the ground next to the cage. “Miss me, love?” His eyes sparkled and a patch of dirt stood out on his cheek across his scar.

Yoichi couldn’t speak. He couldn’t believe his own eyes. He’d completely given up hope, and now this. A tear trickled down his cheek.

Sanzou leapt down too and ripped open the cage door. A piercing alarm sounded.

Yoichi jumped up. His legs wobbled—as soon as he was outside the cage, the enchantment easing his pain vanished. Suddenly his muscles burned and cramped. Yoichi fell on top of Kaiji and Sanzou, one arm around each of their necks. He was laughing and sobbing at the same time. He peppered both of their faces with kisses, sloppy and poorly angled. It didn’t matter where he touched them, just as long as he could feel contact with them again.

“Stop it, you’ll make me cry too,” Kaiji said gruffly. “We have to get out of here.” The alarm continued to howl, making it difficult to hear his voice.

Yoichi shouted, “Wait! We have to get Izuku.”

“All for One’s son?” Sanzou frowned.

“My nephew! The one who got you two in here! I promised him that he could come with us.” The alarm had faded away, but Yoichi’s ears were still ringing. He knew they had to get out fast. His brother would have been magically alerted as soon as the cage broke. Shriekers would be on their way. But Yoichi had promised Izuku.

“You weren’t lying about that?” Kaiji asked.

Yoichi winced. “I was lying at the time but not now! We have to get Izuku’s mother, too. He wouldn’t leave without her.”

Sanzou asked, “Do you trust All for One’s consort?”

“No, not the slightest bit. I’ve never met the woman but Izuku implied that she wanted to kill me. Maybe we should knock her out and kidnap her? She broke her leg, she won’t be able to fight back. Oh, but that would upset Izuku. I’m not even sure if he still wants to live with me, after what I said to him.” Yoichi bit his lip. “We could ask them if they want to escape with us?”

Kaiji stared. “You want us to fight our way through the castle to reach someone who might immediately betray us? If she sees our faces or recognizes our voices, then she can expose us to All for One and your safe refuge will be gone. Even if she doesn’t, then we have to try and get a child and an injured women out with your brother on our tail? And you aren’t even sure if they want to go with you?”

When Kaiji put it like that, it sounded like a bad idea. So instead of arguing, Yoichi widened his eyes and gazed up pleadingly.

Kaiji flinched. “Don’t use the eyes on me! It won’t work this time! You can’t convince me to go along with all of your hairbrained schemes that way!”

Yoichi pushed back his hair and pouted up from under his eyelashes.

Kaiji’s scowl started to crack. “Sanzou, help me, I’m about to do something stupid again.”

Alas, Sanzou had always been more difficult for Yoichi to bend to his will. But Yoichi turned the pout on him anyway. Sanzou closed his eyes. Curses! Foiled!

Sanzou exhaled. “I have a better idea. Let’s escape on our own now, then use our letter box to contact your nephew and sister-in-law later. We can require certain magical oaths and safeguards before we agree to shelter them, so our secret will be safe.”

Yoichi didn’t like leaving without Izuku. It left a sick twisting deep in his gut. But Sanzou’s plan made sense. It wasn’t only Yoichi’s life at stake—he couldn’t risk Kaiji and Sanzou. Also, if the escape failed, then Inko and Izuku would be heavily punished if they were caught with him. Since All for One had discarded his consort and son, the security wouldn’t be as heavy on them alone. It would be both easier and safer to sneak out Izuku and Inko later. There was no possible reason to object to Sanzou’s plan, except that it made Yoichi feel bad.

Taking a deep breath, Yoichi said, “You’re right, as usual. What would we do without you?”

Sanzou snorted. “Both you idiots would be dead in a week. Come on.” Flicking his fingers, Sanzou sprinkled a white dust over himself. He vanished, invisible. Handing the dust sack to Kaiji, Sanzou asked Yoichi, “Do you want some too?”

Yoichi shook his head. “I’ll play decoy.”

Now invisible, Kaiji reached out and snapped the collar around Yoichi’s neck. With a pinch of magic, his claws went straight through the metal. Yoichi felt power come rushing back to him, his legs pulsing with renewed energy. He couldn’t heal as fast as his older brother, but at least he felt like he could walk again if not fly. An invisible presence on his other side, Sanzou handed Yoichi a rapier. The hilt formed the shape of a golden flower with an emerald in the center. “We brought your sword,” Sanzou said, a smile in his voice.

As Yoichi strapped his sword to his waist, the wailing of shriekers came from above. The invisibility couldn’t trick the shriekers’ sense of smell or their ability to detect magic. It was solely to hide Kaiji and Sanzou’s faces so that Yoichi’s fake identity as their consort Kazuki remained safe.

When the first shriekers dropped down from ceiling, Yoichi stood apparently alone. He gasped and clutched his side as if weak and barely able to stand. He heard a rustling as Kaiji and Sanzou moved into position.

Pretending to fall, Yoichi extended a hand and cried, “Help me!”

A shrieker leapt forward to catch Yoichi. In a swift movement, Yoichi drew his sword and beheaded the creature.

The other shriekers reached for Yoichi, claws sheathed since they’d been ordered to avoid damaging him. Kaiji and Sanzou attacked them from behind. Yoichi pivoted and dodged, deliberately shifting his body so the shriekers would be impaled on his lovers’ swords. He’d fought with his husbands so many times that he knew their movements perfectly even without seeing them. His cramped legs strained and his wings weren’t strong enough to fly, but Yoichi had been sickly as a child. He knew how to fight without using much body strength.

Yoichi stepped backward and swayed. His sword dropped, faking an opening. When a shrieker lunged, Yoichi sidestepped and stabbed it in the gut. He leaned backward to avoid the spray of black, old blood.

Kaiji had once said that Yoichi fought like a dancer, drawing his enemies into his movements and leading them straight to the tip of his sword. Yoichi’s enemies had called him the Bloodstained Flower of the Battlefield. Yoichi had disliked the epithet until he’d realized it made people underestimate him. They didn’t expect it when he fought dirty, either.

Yoichi kicked the corpse on the ground into another shrieker’s face, then used the distraction to step behind and stab his enemy in the back.

Sanzou beheaded the last shrieker, and then the garden was silent except for the trickle of blood dripping down the artificial flowers.

Kaiji stared at Yoichi, eyes taking in the blood coating Yoichi’s sword and the hair falling loose around his face. “I want you.”

Sanzou elbowed his lord in the side. “What our husband is trying to say is that your skill and beauty remains as unparalleled as ever. However, we should get moving before the next batch arrives, or worse, your older brother.”

Kaiji’s nose wrinkled. “Ugh, why did you have to bring up the in-law? Way to throw a bucket of ice water over my ardor.”

“That was the general idea,” Sanzou said, picking up Yoichi and carrying him up through the hole in the ceiling, away from the cursed garden and its birdcage.


Izuku stumbled back into his quarters, bruised and his face dripping with snot. Sitting on the sofa with her broken leg propped up, Inko looked up with alarm. “Sweetie? What happened? Did you get bullied again?” She made an aborted movement to rise, wincing as she jostled her leg.

Sobbing, Izuku threw himself at the sofa and hugged his mother around the waist. “He lied! He didn’t come for me!”

“Who?” Inko asked, stroking her son’s hair.

“Uncle Yoichi!” Izuku had promised not to tell his mother, but his uncle had broken his promise first. Now Izuku didn’t care anymore. He cried harder, clutching at his mother. “I-I tried my hardest to be useful…” Now Izuku saw clearly what should have been obvious from the beginning: after helping his uncle escape, his use had been up. No wonder Uncle Yoichi had thrown him away, just like Daddy. Neither of them had any need for him any longer.

Inko paled. “Izuku, do you have something to do with the shrieker army that left the castle for some reason?”

“I brought down the wards.” Izuku poured out the whole story to his mother.

When he’d finished, Inko moaned as if she had been stabbed in the gut. She whispered, “Oh, wings and tail protect me…”

“I did something wrong,” Izuku said sadly. He could tell from the look on her face.

Inko tried to smile, but she was clearly on the verge of tears. It made her face twist like a death mask. “Izuku, you’re a very kind boy, but if anyone found out that you helped Yoichi escape, then you would be taken away. You might never see me again. I need you to promise me: never, ever tell anyone.” Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly. She breathed hoarsely.

“I promise,” Izuku whispered. “Am I in trouble?”

Inko’s scary face faltered. “You should be. You’ve been sneaking out late at night and lying to me.”

Izuku sniffled. He pouted and widened his eyes.

Inko exhaled. “I know you’ve been through a lot lately. No dessert for a week.”

Izuku, knowing he’d gotten off lightly, nodded. He felt exhausted and bone-deep sad. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Inko said.

“For what?” Izuku asked, half-terrified that she would say that she was also going to throw him away because he’d become too much of a burden on her.

Inko looked like she regretted speaking. “Because I can’t fix all of this.”

Izuku took her meaning entirely too well. They were going to continue to be bullied and looked down on by everyone. They were trapped in this palace full of enemies. Nothing was going to get better.


Yoichi hummed as he held up two child-sized yukatas. The first robe was blue with white swirly stripes. The second was green with a fireworks pattern on the back. “I couldn’t decide which one Izuku would like, so I brought both of them.”

Kaiji rolled his eyes. “I swear, you’ve been going overboard decorating the kid’s room. It’s overflowing with toys. You don’t even know if he’s coming to live with us or not.”

Yoichi winced. That was the catch to his current happiness. If Inko refused to come, then Yoichi would never see his nephew again. “It seems likely! I’ve read all the reports from our spies. Inko seems like a devoted mother. Fortunately, she’s not crazily obsessed with Hisashi as I feared. It’s hard to believe it, but my brother might have learned something from the last five times his lovers tried to kill me or both of us.”

“All for One, learning from a mistake? What kind of shitty miracle is that?” Kaiji leaned back against the futon. They were in the palace living room, decorated in traditional fashion with sliding doors, a tatami mat, and inked hanging paintings. Yoichi had taken on his pink-haired Kazuki form. Since Hisashi didn’t know who had rescued him, his secret identity was safe for now.

Twisting his hands, Yoichi bit his lip. “I hope I groveled enough in my letter. What if Inko doesn’t forgive me? What if she decides that she can’t trust me or my offer of sanctuary?”

Kaiji said, “You groveled like you’ve never groveled before in your entire overly proud life. If you’d begged any harder, she might have thought you were being sarcastic.”

Yoichi jolted as if struck by lightning. In his flustered state, he dropped the yukatas. “Oh, no, do you think she might?”

Kaiji sighed. “I was joking.”

Sanzou slid the door open and took off his shoes. “One of my agents has word on Tenko’s location. I’ve called Toshinori for help grabbing him.”

“Oh, good, I’ve been preparing Tenko’s room, too.” Yoichi bent over to pick up the clothing and carefully fold it. He couldn’t let Izuku’s future belongings get damaged. “It’s going to be quite an adjustment, having two children here.”

Kaiji cleaned his ear with one finger. “I’m enjoying the peace and quiet while it lasts. I bet All for One’s kid will be a ball of trouble, especially since they have the same gift.”

“Nonsense!” Yoichi glared. “Izuku is a sweet, adorable, and innocent child. My brother’s genetic material must be completely recessive. Otherwise, there’s no way he could have produced such an extremely kind-hearted boy. Oh, did I tell you how smart he is too? He’s only five years old and he was already a decent opponent at cards.”

“You’ve told us. You can’t stop bragging about your nephew.” Kaiji tried to scowl, but it ended up more like a fond smile.

“You’re going to love him as soon as you meet him,” Yoichi insisted. If Kaiji got to meet Izuku. If only Inko would agree to the plan. Yoichi’s hands went to his hair, twirling.

Sanzou patted Yoichi on the back. “You can relax. I still have agents placed highly in All for One’s court. I have no less than three plans to get them out.”

Yoichi had never been able to hide his emotions from Sanzou. He flashed a grateful smile. “Thank you.” He swallowed. “I don’t think I will be able to completely feel better until Izuku is here. I made him a promise. I can’t forget the look on his face the last time I saw him. Sometimes I still wish I’d gone back for him.” In fact, Yoichi had been having nightmares about it.

Sanzou put an arm around Yoichi’s shoulder. “We’re doing everything in our power to rescue your nephew.”

Kaiji hugged Yoichi from the other side. “How could I possibly pass up on a chance to steal both All for One’s brother and son? I have to complete my set.”

Yoichi laughed and hugged them both back. “I love you two,” he murmured. He stood like that, soaking in their warmth. Sanzou smelled like sweat and a touch of mint from his shampoo. No matter how recently he’d showered, Kaiji always had a slightly metallic scent from his constant training.

In their familiar presence, Yoichi let himself relax. And he desperately hoped for Inko’s reply to come faster.


After her son had fallen asleep on the sofa, Inko hobbled to his room and found the enchanted book. She used one of her crutches to flip it onto the bed, then sat down. When she ran her hands over the emerald, she felt no trace of magic. Whoever had crafted this was good. Inko regretted the necessity to destroy such a rare and useful artifact, but she had no choice. This was evidence that her son had committed high treason. In All for One’s court, no crime could be more unforgivable than stealing away his brother. Anyone but his son would be tortured to death. Even Izuku would likely be thrown in a lightless dungeon for years.

Inko flipped open the book. As she’d been told, it was hollow inside—except for a single envelope.

Inko’s melancholy thoughts turned to pure, unadulterated rage. Yoichi hadn’t been content to use Izuku to escape. The bastard still wanted to manipulate Izuku into spying for him again. Inko could understand why Yoichi had been desperate enough to turn to even a five-year-old in order to escape an eternity of torture at his brother’s hands. She could never forgive him for hurting her child, but she could understand it. Now? There was no excuse. Yoichi was already safe and free, but he still had endangered her son with yet another contact. Did that absolute monster want to use Izuku until he died? The younger brother rivaled even the older one in heartlessness.

Anger exploded into magical power. Green flames sprang from Inko’s hands, incinerating the box and the letter inside. When she was finished, not even ashes remained.


Izuku had gotten his backpack stolen by another kid again. He hadn’t told his mother. He couldn’t bear to worry her even more. Instead, he wandered the grassy grounds just outside the palace. He still felt funny in the stomach, the powers he’d stolen from the shrieker swirling inside of him.

The grounds were thick with more shriekers. Hisashi had returned in a mad fury, even though he was still voiceless from the throat spiders. He’d been giving orders using glowing letters coming from his hands. The entire court was in a quiet state, everyone afraid to set one foot wrong and become the targets of the High Lord’s temper. Hisashi had created a dozen new shriekers already.

The shriekers paid Izuku no mind. They were looking for evidence left during the escape. But the shriekers called to Izuku with their glittering magic. When one walked past, Izuku nearly touched it. He stopped himself by grabbing his own wrist. His gift must remain secret. He mustn’t cause his mother more trouble. If he did, then the very last person left in his life might finally decide that he was useless and stop loving him, too.

In response to Izuku’s anxiety, a bit of dark light crackled down his skin. His claws extended, turning silver and sharply pointed. This must be one of the gifts he’d stolen from the dead shrieker.

Panting, Izuku stared at his hand. He saw power. He needed to become stronger. A tear fell from his eye. Then Izuku’s face hardened with determination. He would obtain more gifts, until he was more powerful than anyone, even his father. No matter what, Izuku would become useful enough so that he would never be abandoned again.

Notes:

If this ending frustrates you, then now you know why I dislike the “poor communication kills” trope. Muhahahaha!

I really do hate that trope, and I depressed myself writing this ending. So I decided to write a good ending, too. Next chapter, tune in for the alternate happy ending!

Also, I don’t like the trope of lying to someone supposedly for their own good. In particular, I’m thinking of the variant where Character A pretends to be heartless and cruel to drive Character B away, but later on it turns out they had reasons so it all gets brushed under the rug with no acknowledgment of the hurt caused. In this fic, I wanted to show how Yoichi’s lie caused trauma to Izuku regardless of his good intentions. It’s bitterly ironic that Yoichi’s biggest mistake in this fic happened when he was trying to sacrifice himself for Izuku’s sake. Even if Yoichi met Izuku later and tried to apologize, years of pain can’t be taken back. That was a defining moment for Izuku. In the last scene, we see the determination that will lead to Izuku becoming a badass like in the “Lost Souls” AU.

To use video game lingo, I think of this chapter as the “normal ending” to this fic, since a proper bad ending would have involved Yoichi being re-captured and Izuku getting caught helping him. It could have been a lot worse. I don’t plan to write the bad ending because frankly the normal ending traumatized Izuku enough. The good ending will end this fic on a high note.

Edited to add: Atrium drew amazing fanart for this chapter as a prize for the Love What You Hate contest. Yoichi is so pretty and little Izuku is so cute. This just about breaks my heart. You can like the picture on tumblr at https://atriumdraws.tumblr.com/post/701323852328943616/its-doneee-here-we-have-some-bird-cage-fanart.

Chapter 5: ALTERNATE ENDING

Notes:

This new ending diverges from the point in Chapter Three when Tsubasa tripped Izuku, and Izuku almost stole his gift.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

In an alternate timeline:

Izuku’s heart burst with joy at his Very Important Mission as he flew down the hallway.

A rock bounced off Izuku’s wing, and he flew into the wall and landed on the floor. “Ow.”

“Oops, my hand slipped,” Tsubasa landed next to Izuku and kicked his leg. “I slipped again.”

Izuku’s rage spun out of control. He grabbed Tsubasa’s ankle, fingers seeking skin. Latching onto something shiny, he yanked.

Tsubasa staggered backward. “What did you do? I feel funny.” The boy’s voice had turned high-pitched and afraid.

“I…I…” Izuku didn’t know. Strange energy surged through his body.

“Give back what you took!” Tsubasa’s fear turned to anger. He lunged.

Izuku’s wings moved by reflex. He shot straight upward, out of reach. This was new. He’d never been able to take off from a sitting position before.

With a howl, Tsubasa rose up in the air too. But he couldn’t catch up. Even though Tsubasa’s gift had always been swift and skilled flight, Izuku flew even faster.

Izuku had stolen Tsubasa’s gift.

“Stop the thief!” Tsubasa screamed.

Izuku ran straight into a shrieker. Of course shriekers didn’t obey Tsubasa, but in Izuku’s panicked state, it seemed to him like the creature was trying to grab him. Izuku ripped the gifts from the shrieker. It dissolved away.

A gasp came from further down the hallway. A group of half a dozen adult demons had seen.

In a wild panic, Izuku fled.


Izuku soared through the door to his family quarters. He was still afraid Tsubasa might be chasing him, so he slammed it shut and locked it. His whole body shook from anxiety. He’d promised Uncle Yoichi to keep his gift secret, and he’d failed. What would happen now? Tsubasa would definitely tell everyone. The other boy had been angry and wanted his gift back. Would Izuku be punished for the theft? Worse, would his father realize that this meant Izuku could sneak past his wards?

“You’re back earlier than I expected,” Inko called.

In his surprise, Izuku shot up to the ceiling again.

Inko stepped into the living room. “Sweetie, you’re flying so much better now. I’m impressed—wait, what happened to your face?”

Izuku put up his hand to cover the bruise. “I fell.” He landed on the ground.

From Inko’s narrowed eyes, she did not believe him. “I’ll get bandages.” She ran to the bathroom, then returned with a first aid kit. She gasped. “Your bruise is gone!”

Izuku’s face no longer hurt. This healing must be one of the gifts he’d stolen from the shrieker. Izuku fluttered backward. “Uh…I guess I didn’t fall that hard?”

Inko put her hands on her hips. “You stole a gift. At least two gifts, one having to do with flight and one with healing.”

“Um…”

“Sweetie, your mother has been studying magic since before you were born. I’ve seen your father steal countless gifts, and he always has that same punch-drunk look afterward. You can’t fool me.” Inko’s face collapsed into exhaustion. “Under any other circumstances I’d be happy for you, but I don’t know how your father will react. Given how…difficult he’s been recently. Did anyone see you?”

Miserably, Izuku admitted, “A bunch of people saw.”

Inko blew out a breath. “Well, maybe Hisashi will favor you more if he sees your strength.” She did not sound like she believed this. She muttered, “Or maybe he’ll exile you so that you can’t threaten his power. Even if we get sent somewhere unpleasant, it would still be safer than this castle.”

Izuku cried, “Let’s go live with Uncle Yoichi in his castle in the mountains!” He’d been thinking about it for a while, but he hadn’t asked his uncle yet. Now he felt sure of this plan. They would all be a happy family together.

Inko’s head snapped up. She demanded, “How would you know where Yoichi lived before his capture?”

“Oopsie,” Izuku said in a small voice.

“Izuuuuuuuuuuuuuuku,” Inko growled in the back of her throat.

Even though Izuku tried his hardest to be brave, he quickly ended up spilling everything to his mother.

A certain glint in her eye, Inko demanded, “Your uncle Yoichi told you to keep all of this a secret from me?”

“I’m sorry, Mommy,” Izuku said meekly.

“It’s not you that I’m angry at.” Inko’s chest heavy. A tiny spark of magic danced down her shoulder like static shock. Oh, dear. Izuku’s uncle was in serious danger.

The door hummed, then a golden envelope on wings flitted through the letter box. Izuku tensed, sitting up straighter. Only Very Important letters were delivered on enchanted wings. In the days before, Izuku would have eagerly anticipated a letter from his father, but now it only filled him with dread.

From the pursing of her lips, Inko didn’t seem happy either. She ripped open the letter.

Izuku peered over his mother’s shoulder. The big words swam, but he understood “trial” and “theft of gift.” He gasped. “Mommy, am I in trouble?”

Inko hissed. “It looks like your father already knows about your new power. I’d hoped we could keep it secret a little longer. The fact that he decided to turn this into a trial…is a very bad sign.” She stood up. “I’m going to protect you. I promise.”

Hopefully, Izuku asked, “Are we leaving the castle?” His fingers tensed with anticipation. He did not mention the mountains again because his mom was still angry at his uncle. But he silently prayed for it.

“I think that would be a good idea. But we can’t just leave with nowhere to go. Unless we can find someone to protect us, the High Lord would drag us straight back. He already made that clear to me.” Inko straightened her shoulders. “If Hisashi is in the throne room issuing decrees, then he’s not in his quarters. It’s time for me to have a chat with your uncle.”

Izuku issued an additional prayer for his uncle’s continued breathing.


Inko stood with her hands on her hips before Yoichi’s birdcage. Yoichi cowered away from her, his back pressed to the back of the bars. Izuku peeked out from behind his mother, holding onto her kimono with one hand. Mom was scary when she got like this. Izuku shot his uncle an encouraging thumbs-up but didn’t dare help.

Yoichi asked, “Are you going to kill me?”

Inko scowled. “Only for using my child, not for my husband’s worthless affections.”

“Oh, good. Because I was going to tell you that Hisashi wouldn’t love you even if you killed me.”

“I’ve heard about Hisashi’s last five exes. I assure you, our marriage was political.”

“That explains a lot.” Yoichi nodded. “My brother would never have the good taste to fall in love with such a beautiful, clever, and magically gifted woman. To say nothing of merciful.”

Inko raised her eyebrow. “Flattery won’t make me forget that you put my child in danger.”

“It’s not his fault, Mommy!” Izuku said from behind her. “I came down here to see him on my own, the first time. I offered to help Uncle Yoichi because I thought it would make Daddy love us again.”

“She’s right. I shouldn’t have let you.” Yoichi hung his head. “Now that your gift has been uncovered, you’re in great danger.”

“Why is it bad if I steal gifts?” Izuku pouted. “Daddy does it all the time!”

Yoichi sighed. “You stole from a shrieker. Big brother sees them as belonging to him.”

Inko muttered, “All for One never had a problem with hypocrisy.”

“My older brother doesn’t tolerate rivals. Even worse, if Hisashi thinks to check his wards, then he’ll see someone has tampered with them. Then he’ll found out that you’ve been visiting me. That would be…very bad.” Yoichi and Inko exchanged glances.

“Oh.” Izuku’s wings sagged. “I messed everything up.”

Yoichi’s face fell. “No, no. Please don’t blame yourself. It was self-defense.”

Sadly, Izuku said, “You aren’t going to like me anymore because I’m not useful.”

Yoichi reached through the bars, but couldn’t stretch far enough to touch Izuku. “Look at me.” Izuku raised his head, his eyes teary. Yoichi said, “You don’t need to be useful to be valuable. I like you no matter what. I promise.”

“Okay,” Izuku whispered in a voice choked by tears. A weight lifted off his chest.

Yoichi’s face hardened with resolve. “I’ll find a way to get you out of the palace. I promise you sanctuary with me and my husbands.”

Inko said, “That sounds like incentive for me to let you live.” She patted her son on the head. “Izuku, can you go wait for me in the hallway while the grown-ups talk?”

“Okay, Mommy!” Izuku flitted off. The first meeting between his mother and his uncle had gone unexpectedly well.


Once the door closed, Inko sat down in front of the cage. Both seated, they were at close to eye level. “I want us out of the castle before this farce of a trial.”

Yoichi nodded. “It’s the only way to keep Izuku safe. Frankly, even without the risk of finding out about the visits to me, I don’t think my brother would react well to a child with his own power. He might try to take Izuku’s gift for himself.”

“What if he can’t steal another version of his own gift?” Inko asked.

Yoichi winced. “Then he’ll make sure Izuku never becomes strong or well-regarded enough to be a threat. I hope he’s too possessive to kill his own child. But I’m not absolutely certain of it. We have to get Izuku out within the day. That means we need Hisashi gone first.” It was a shame throat spiders wouldn’t be fast-acting enough, because Yoichi knew where to obtain some of those.

Inko closed her eyes and sighed. “I agree. I don’t dare try to escape when Hisashi is in the castle. We need to make him leave. But I fear with his current obsession with you, no business would be important enough to lure him away.”

“Then we use that obsession,” Yoichi said. “Do you know spells to create illness? It will have to be something powerful enough to break through the healing wards around my cage. Not a natural illness, but a curse. Cast Wing Rot on me.”

“I know that one, but I swore to never use it. Wing Rot is agonizing. For every hour that you’re under it, you won’t be able to fly for a month. It will kill you within the week. I’ve seen the pain put adult demons into comas.”

Yoichi met her gaze with cold determination. “Wing Rot can’t be healed by most magic. It takes a special herb located in the mountains. That’s where I used to live with my husbands. They’ll be able to cure me.” In this desperate situation with Izuku’s life at stake, he did not withhold any information about his past. “Hisashi won’t risk me dying, and he won’t trust anyone else with such an important task. It’s a rare herb, and he may need to search several shops in town before he finds it. That will keep him out of the castle long enough.”

Inko said, “I’ll break into Giran’s shop and steal your book. Then I can contact your husbands. If we’re fleeing the country, it doesn’t matter if everyone knows it was me.”

Yoichi said, “Cast the curse now. We need to make sure Hisashi is too busy to care about Izuku’s trial.”

Inko hesitated. She steeled her face. She nodded.

Yoichi said, “Give me time to bite down on something. I promise that I won’t scream until you’re safely away.” Removing his sash, Yoichi balled it up and stuck it in his mouth.

In a subdued voice, Inko said, “I know what you’re sacrificing. This will cancel your debt for using Izuku.”

Yoichi nodded his acknowledgement.

Blackness swelled up from Inko’s hands and wrapped around Yoichi like a cloak. A muffled sound came as he bit down on the cloth. Sweat dripped down his forehead. When the darkness retreated, it revealed red spots on the tips of his wings. The spots rapidly spread up his feathers. Yoichi thrashed on the ground, his eyes already sightless.

Inko turned and ran up the stairs so he did not have to restrain his screams for too long.


Sitting in a wagon, Izuku squirmed in his mother’s arms. Their belongings were piled high around them. They’d left the castle just minutes after his father’s official departure. In the panicked frenzy, no one had been paying attention to them. Not for the first time, Izuku asked, “Where is Uncle Yoichi? We can’t leave without him.”

Inko said, “We certainly can’t. Your father would send the shriekers after us, and we wouldn’t last long without anyone’s protection.”

Izuku scowled. “That’s not what I meant! He was very sad locked up in the cage. You shouldn’t be too mad at him.”

Looking down, Inko stroked her son’s hair. “I’m not angry any longer. I promised him our debt was cleared in exchange for his help.”

“How did he help from inside a cage?”

“He let me make him sick so we could lure your father out of the castle.”

“Uncle Yoichi pretended to be sick?”

Inko looked away. “It wouldn’t have worked if he’d pretended.”

Before Izuku could ask what that meant, two men landed alongside the wagon. One had short spikey hair and a scar across his face. The taller man had his hair pulled back in a high ponytail. He had a splatter of blood across his face, but not his own. Both looked very grim. They carried a bundle wrapped in a blanket.

Izuku clamored off his mother’s lap. “You must be my other uncles! But where is Uncle Yoichi?”

The bundle moaned. A bit of white hair flopped out. The scar-faced man sat down in the wagon, settling the bundle across his lap. “We fed him the cure as soon as we found him, but he hasn’t woken up.”

“I’ll get another potion,” the ponytailed man said. His voice sounded choked. He scrambled in his pack and pulled out a glowing bluish bottle. As he placed the bottle to someone’s lips, the blanket fell off to reveal that person.

“Oh, no,” Izuku whispered. Uncle Yoichi lay wrapped in the blanket. His face was so pale that he looked dead. His white hair was completely soaked from his sweat. Horrifically, his beautiful white wings had black, sticky gunk covering the feathers.

“I’ll start the wagon,” Inko said, scrambling to the front. She flicked her fingers, and white wispy outlines of winged horses appeared. They leapt into the air, lifting the wagon up into the sky.

Izuku scrambled over the bags toward his uncle. “I’ll help.”

Wearily, the scar-faced man said, “There’s nothing you can do.”

Izuku placed a hand on his uncle’s cold cheek and transferred the healing ability.

It did not magically make the illness go away as Izuku had hoped. But Yoichi’s chest heaved, and he sucked in a huge gust of air. The color started to return to his face.

“Oh,” the scar-faced man said, looking at Izuku with newfound esteem. “Thank you.”

“Seriously, thank you!” The ponytailed man patted Izuku on the head. “I’m Sanzou, and this is Kaiji.”

“You’re my new uncles?” Izuku asked hopefully.

Sanzou beamed at him. “Yes, we are.”


High Lord Hisashi returned to a castle with a hole in the side and his entire family gone.

The castle shortly obtained several more holes as the High Lord expressed his wrath. Every demon fled and hid. Only shriekers roamed the ruins, looking for clues and a trail.

Hisashi collapsed to his hands and knees in front of the broken bird cage, panting. His mind could still not fully wrap itself around the horror. This could not be happening. He could not lose his little brother mere days after finding him again. Yoichi could not have slipped off like a ghost fading away at the first morning light the very moment that Hisashi took his eyes off him.

Horror transformed into rage. How dare Yoichi do this to him? Hisashi had gone too easy on his little brother. He had allowed Yoichi to have a bed, food, and nice clothing. He’d kept Yoichi’s humiliation private rather than parading him before the court in chains. He hadn’t shoved his little brother’s pretty face into the bloodshed his foolish escape had caused. No more of that. After Hisashi re-acquired his little brother, Yoichi would not be allowed a single moment of privacy for the rest of his long existence. If Yoichi couldn’t be left alone for a moment, then they’d never be apart.

Then cold reason broke through his fantasies. How had Yoichi broken through the wards that could only be removed by All for One’s magic? It could only be the child who had just recently developed the same power: Izuku. In his distress over losing his little brother, Hisashi had barely paid attention to the discarded doll who had also gone missing. He never should have created that child, to become a potential threat and to steal his little brother away.

What if that was why Yoichi had taken Izuku with him? Why else would he have bothered to bring a useless child? With a twinge of jealousy, Hisashi remembered how Yoichi had inquired after Izuku’s well-being during his imprisonment. Back when they’d been children, Yoichi had cared about Hisashi like that. Did Yoichi plan to replace his big brother with someone else with a similar physical appearance and magic? Izuku must be like a weaker and more malleable version of Hisashi. No doubt Yoichi preferred a cute and innocent version.

If Hisashi had felt rage before, then it was nothing compared to the maelstrom of fury that consumed him now. The soundwaves of his howl ripped a hole through the ceiling. As dust rained down on him, it brought an ice-cold clarity. He knew what he must do.

Hisashi gathered his shriekers and equipped them with the most powerful spells to track and see through magic. He placed a bounty on his brother of double the previous amount, alive only. Inko was preferred alive so she could talk, but dead would also be accepted. Izuku was to be killed on sight.


His legs dangling over the futon, Izuku examined the drawings in front of him very carefully, because one of them would become his new face. Like his uncle, he would need to take a transformation potion in order to reemerge with his new identity as Mikumo.

Pointing at a drawing of a dark-haired boy with longer hair, Izuku said, “I want to be that one.” He thought that child looked edgier and cooler.

“Excellent choice,” Yoichi said, standing behind the sofa and peering over his nephew’s shoulder.

Izuku looked up with a grin. “I wanna be taller! Even though you got shorter.” He was still getting used to seeing his uncle in his Kazuki disguise, with pink hair and a round face. Frankly, Izuku didn’t care what his uncle looked like as long as he was walking around again. Yoichi had been bedridden for a very anxious week. Now the color had returned to his face and he could stand up. He still had a brace on his wings. The healers had forbidden him to try flying for the next four months. The only very small silver lining was that Yoichi’s illness made a great cover story for why “Kazuki” hadn’t been seen in court lately.

Sitting by her son’s side, Inko examined the drawing. “I think we’ll have to change the design a little to remove your freckles.”

“But the freckles are adorable!” Yoichi moaned.

“Naturally, I agree, but they’re too distinctive,” Inko said.

Yoichi sighed. “Please, let’s at least save the curls. The curls are cuteness and life!”

Sanzou and Kaiji entered together. “Hey new sister,” Sanzou said, cheekily winking. Inko was passing herself off as Sanzou’s biological sister, to muddy the connection to Yoichi.

Yoichi mumbled, “Stop rubbing it in my face that you stole my nephew.”

Sanzou laughed. “He’s still your nephew either way.”

“I’m your favorite, right, Izuku?” Yoichi asked, hugging Izuku from behind.

Kaiji said, “We have excellent news. Toshinori found Tenko and retrieved him. The boy got calmer when Toshinori promised to take him to Izuku. I don’t think the Young Demon Army had time to completely finish brainwashing him, but in case I’ve acquired potions to purge any mind control from his system. They’ll arrive here today or tomorrow.”

Inko smiled. “I look forward to meeting my new husband. We’ll need some time to get our stories straight before we appear in front of your court.”

Toshinori and Inko were to pretend to be married. Since All for One was looking for a single mother with a son, they’d decided to disguise themselves as a family unit with a father, a mother, and two sons—Tenko and Izuku. Toshinori Yagi had been like a son to Nana Shimura, and when he’d found out that her grandson still lived, he’d insisted on adopting the boy. Since Toshinori was a powerful and influential demon, it was plausible that he might have a hidden family. Especially after how his mentor’s family had been murdered by All for One. They would pretend to accidentally reveal Toshinori’s secret family in order to hide a far more deadly secret.

Izuku wondered what his new father would be like. Just about anyone would be an improvement over All for One.

“Am I your favorite?” Yoichi pestered, playing with Izuku’s hair.

“My mom is my favorite,” Izuku said.

Yoichi staggered backward, clutching his heart in mock-agony. “A blade to the heart! Curse your betrayal!”

Inko put her arm around Izuku. “He knows that if he’d answered differently, I would have been forced to kill you in order to preserve my title.”

Izuku nodded. “My mom could fucking murder you, assharpy.”

The entire room went dead silent.

With a ghastly grin, Inko asked, “Who taught my son those words?”

Weakly, Yoichi said, “I could have sworn I cut myself off before I taught him more than half a curse word.”

“Then I’ll only kill you half dead.” Inko leapt to her feet and chased Yoichi out of the living room. Their footsteps faded away.

Sanzou asked, “Should we save him?”

“Nah, he deserves it.” Kaiji tossed Izuku a lollipop. “I brought you a treat from town. Take this as a bribe not to repeat all the other curse words he probably said around you.”

“Yay! Candy!” Izuku stuck the lollipop into his mouth as screams rang out in the distance.

Then Izuku’s head jerked up as he detected a far more delicious scent drifting through the cracked door. He ran over and peeked out. A tall blond man climbed up the path, wearing a plaid traveler’s cloak and a straw hat. The magic power blazing off him dazzled Izuku’s eyes more than the sun. The man held the hand of a white-haired boy. When the boy looked up, Izuku caught red eyes and Tomura’s very familiar face.

“Big brother!” Izuku shouted, pushing the door open and flying out.


OMAKE TIME!

Omake: Incorrect Quotes, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Kaiji: I don’t trust All for One’s son, he’s sus.

Izuku: (Heals Yoichi.)

Kaiji: I have only known Izuku for five seconds, but if anything happened to him then I would kill everyone in this room and then myself.

#

Omake: The Good Ending for Shouto Todoroki

Toshinori: How should we reveal that I have a secret family, but make it look like an accident?

Shouto: (Shoving his way into the story) Me! I’ll tell everyone! Breaking news: All Might has a lovechild!

#

Omake: Competitiveness

Izuku: I’ve replaced my deadbeat dad with a new one.

Hisashi: Yawn, what a transparent and pointless attempt to make me jealous. I don’t care about you.

Izuku: It’s your archnemesis Toshinori Yagi.

Hisashi: HOLD UP—

#

Omake: Meet the New Wife

Toshinori: Oh, no! I must rescue Yoichi from this assassin!

Yoichi: (Being strangled by Inko) It’s okay, I deserve this.

Inko: I’m sorry for showing you something unsightly. It’s a pleasure to meet you, new fake husband—Yoichi, don’t you dare try to run.

Toshinori: (Internally) Oh no, she’s hot.

#

Omake: Meet the New Son

Toshinori: I read five books on parenting during the journey over to prepare myself for fatherhood.

Izuku: (Drooling at the power coming from One for All) My new dad looks delicious.

Toshinori: I don’t know enough about children to tell if I should be alarmed by this.

Notes:

The change resulting in the good ending was largely a matter of luck. Izuku’s gift being discovered early could have turned into a bad ending, especially if Hisashi realized that this meant Izuku could sneak into Yoichi’s prison. At the bare minimum, as soon as Hisashi finds out that his son shares his gift, he’ll change the wards so Izuku can’t remove them. That ruins the escape plan.

Ironically, the danger to Izuku forced Yoichi and Inko to work together, cutting through all the tragic misunderstandings last chapter. The previous ending really came down to miscommunication. Yoichi didn’t trust Inko, and in all fairness he had reason not to given his brother’s last five exes all tried to kill him. But he would have gotten a better ending if he’d involved her in the plan. Inko didn’t read Yoichi’s letter because she had no faith in him after he used and abandoned her five-year-old son. Her rage was completely justified but she shouldn’t have passed up on free information. Neither of them trusted each other at the start of this chapter either, but they had no choice except to ally in order to save Izuku.

Since I was so hard on Izuku in the previous chapter, I bestowed happiness on him and everyone he cares about the good ending. He’s even getting a big brother Tomura and a free bonus Dadmight. Speaking of which, Toshinori and Inko’s fake marriage seems like the perfect setup for my adored fake dating turned real trope. Let’s add in some tropes I love to go with the ones I hate!

Edited to add: lunadezafiro also sketched an adorable picture of Inko threatening Yoichi with a knife inspired by this chapter. Check it out at https://lunadezafiro.tumblr.com/post/696865375577571328/me-anime-a-hacer-un-dibujo-de-las-ultimas-esenas.

Chapter 6: Epilogue

Notes:

Surprise update! You’re getting an extra chapter to this story as a prize for Gentrychild from my One for All October contest. This chapter is an epilogue to the good ending last chapter. It takes place years after Izuku, Inko, and Yoichi all successfully escaped All for One. In other great news, Atrium drew beautiful fanart for chapter four that I added to the chapter later. If you haven’t seen it yet, here is the tumblr link: https://atriumdraws.tumblr.com/post/701323852328943616/its-doneee-here-we-have-some-bird-cage-fanart.

Chapter Text

Izuku stood still in front of the mirror as Uncle Yoichi placed the kimono over his shoulders. The green silk garment had a hemp leaf pattern. Toshinori had given the kimono to Izuku on his sixteenth birthday. The real gift was the series of magical protections woven into the fabric: magic to maintain his disguise even if his potion wore off, to warn him of danger, to enhance his senses, and to allow him to heal exceptionally fast. The magic had a limited time use, so Izuku only wore the garment on special occasions.

Yoichi wrapped the kimono with the left side over the right, then tied on a thin belt to prevent it from opening. Next he fastened the obi, a thick green sash, and tied it into a flat knot on the back. The knot would have been difficult for Izuku to tie on his own, and the magic didn’t work properly if it came loose.

Looking over his shoulder in the mirror, Izuku said, “Thank you, Uncle Yoichi.” Underneath the kimono, he wore a darker green shirt and striped hakama pants. The face looking back at him had the black hair and big eyes of his Mikumo disguise. A slit in the back of the kimono let out his black bat wings, which were common enough that he did not need to disguise them.

“You look like a very handsome young man.” Yoichi ran a comb through Izuku’s hair, then formed it into a traditional bun with a silver headpiece. The unused locks flowed loosely around his face, shoulder-length. “I thought I’d have at least a few more years before potential suitors started beating down the castle doors, but this outfit will have them fainting at your feet. Let me know if anyone bothers you at the party.” Yoichi put his arms around Izuku and tucked his head on his nephew’s shoulder, winking at their reflections. “Or if you need tips on how to seduce one you want.”

“Uncle!” Izuku protested, flushing and flailing.

Yoichi nodded sagely. “Yes, that cute blush of yours would certainly do the trick.”

A potion that morning had transformed Yoichi into his pink-haired Kazuki disguise. His very rare white wings had turned red and scaly. He wore a pale lavender kimono with a pattern of pink flowers. Only someone who looked closely would see the tiny venomous snakes peeking out from the blossoms. They had the ability to come to life and attack on Yoichi’s command.

Izuku grumbled, “Gang Orca is throwing a baby shower, not a ball. There probably won’t be many other teenage demons there, if any at all. We’re not planning on staying long enough for you to write an epic romance novel starring me. We just need to deliver our congratulations and gifts.”

Yoichi put a hand to his cheek. “So you’re saying that I’ll only need to pack a couple dozen poisoned needles to throw at anyone who stares at you too long?”

Izuku groaned.

“Or would you rather stab them yourself?” Yoichi asked.

Izuku knew that his uncle was only teasing him to distract him from his nervousness. Although Izuku had attended formal events before, this was the first time that he would be representing his adopted father, Toshinori Yagi. And it had happened entirely by accident.

Toshinori and Inko were away on a trip to celebrate the anniversary of the day they’d made their fake marriage real. Tomura was attending a leviathan racing event, his latest sports craze. Lord Kugo Sakamata, titled Gang Orca, had invited the house Yagi to the baby shower for his first child. Gang Orca was one of Toshinori’s major allies. It would have been extremely rude not send a member of the family to deliver the gift.

But for Izuku to attend as his father’s representative was different from normally attending a party. Older demons would test him and try to trick him into making promises on his father’s behalf. How Izuku behaved would reflect directly on Toshinori’s reputation.

Just thinking about it had Izuku working himself up into a sweat. Gently, Yoichi squeezed his nephew’s shoulders and said, “I’ll be with you the whole time.” Yoichi would be delivering a gift on behalf of Lord Kaiji, his husband and lord of this mountainous domain.

Izuku nodded, his throat too dry to speak. After Izuku’s blood father had discarded him, Toshinori had stepped in to fill the void. Toshinori had unfailing been kind and loving toward Izuku, yet for years Izuku had struggled with a fear that his adopted father might abandon him if he made a mistake or disgraced himself. Toshinori had been so happy that he’d cried the first time Izuku had called him Dad. It had made Izuku ashamed of waiting so long because of his insecurities. After years of unconditional love, Izuku knew his fears had no basis in reality. Even so, Izuku did not want to embarrass his beloved dad at the party. He must uphold the good reputation of the father of his heart.

“Hey, look at me.” Yoichi spun Izuku around to face him. He tilted up his nephew’s chin. “I see a talented, brilliant young demon with a natural gift for magic. Every lord there will be jealous of your father for having such a great son.”

When Yoichi said it, Izuku could sort of believe it. He swallowed down his nervousness and smiled. “Thanks, Uncle Yoichi.”

A lock of hair slipped out of Yoichi’s bun. He scowled at his reflection. “That had better not be a split end I see! Not right before the party.” Yoichi ran out of the room, shouting, “Sanzou! I need help with my hair.”

Kaiji stuck his head into the room. “What sent Yoichi running out of here like his tail feathers are on fire?”

“Hair crisis,” Izuku said.

Shuddering, Kaiji stepped into the room and shut the door. “Then I’m hiding in here with you until Sanzou has that sorted out.” Kaiji had donned bamboo armor with a sword strapped to his waist. He would be heading out soon on an expedition looking for a dangerous beast that had been killing livestock in his territory, hence why he and Sanzou couldn’t attend the party. Kaiji said, “I wish I could go with you—”

Izuku snorted. “No, you don’t.” Kaiji hated parties and diplomacy. Izuku had a strong suspicion his uncle had deliberately found an excuse to avoid this one.

“No, I don’t,” Kaiji admitted. “I’ll be happy to miss out on all the sniping and backstabbing and even those pretty hors d’oeuvres that are never substantial enough to fill up a demon’s stomach. But you’ll have to tell me all about your debut afterward.”

“Yeah,” Izuku mumbled, looking down.

Kaiji clapped him on the shoulder. “Kid, you’ve got this. Between everyone in the family training you, you’re strong enough to wipe the floor with every last demon at that party.”

Izuku snorted. “That would start a war, Uncle Kaiji. I’m not supposed to fight anyone, I’m supposed to subtly outmaneuver them in a game of wits.” His wings sagged.

“You worry too much,” Kaiji said. “Remember how you outfoxed Yoichi in last night’s board game and cornered his king? Yoichi is the craftiest player I know. If you can outwit him, then you can handle any demon.”

That brought a small smile to Izuku’s lips. He ducked his head. “I’ll do my best.”

Yoichi opened the door. “Dear, how does my hair look?”

“Perfect,” Kaiji said.

“That’s what you always say.”

“Because it always looks perfect.”

Sanzou stepped around his two husbands while they were talking. He handed Izuku a gift wrapped in red tissue paper. “This is an enchanted music box from our treasury. I’m certain Gang Orca will like it.”

“Oh, thank you. There’s no time for me to return to Dad’s domain, and I don’t know how to pick out a proper baby shower present anyway, and I can’t risk this going wrong…” Izuku gulped down his mumbling. “I’m sure everything will go perfectly,” he said, trying to convince himself.

Sanzou smiled gently. “You realize it’s okay if you screw up? Not that I’m expecting something to go wrong, but it wouldn’t be a big deal. Kaiji will blame someone else for making you screw up and Yoichi will insist that whatever you did was perfect, then they’ll both team up to hunt down the scapegoat who dared harm their precious nephew. I give my solemn word that we’ll annihilate anyone who crosses you before your dad and mom get back from vacation so they never need to find out. The other demons at that party should be way more afraid of the consequences if they mess up your big debut than you.”

“Actually, that does make me feel better. Thanks.” Izuku smiled. Even in the worst case scenario, his family would still have his back. It was such a contrast from how he’d lived in All for One’s court during the hard days after he’d lost his father’s protection.

Yoichi waved Izuku over. “The portal is ready. It’s time to go.” Yoichi had a yellow bag tucked under his arm.

They walked into the transportation room, a small space with red walls and a glowing pentagram on the floor. Yoichi kissed each of his husbands goodbye, then stepped across the glowing line and vanished.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku followed his uncle.

Izuku emerged through the portal into an underwater palace. The hallway had a green carpet with a blue seashell pattern. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls let in a view of the coral reef outside, with colorful fish darting around waving fronds. Each glass panel was divided by a white marble pillar with algae growing up the side. Glowing balls of light rested in pink seashell perches on the pillars.

The end of the hallway led to a large round room. Lichen glowed off the light blue walls. Demons in traditional clothing crowded around the white-clothed tables. The tables had no chairs, encouraging mingling, but each had a platter of fish on a stick. The long table in the back held a variety of drinks.

Gang Orca sat on a green jade throne with the back shaped like an octopus. Two tridents had been carved into the armrests. Gang Orca was a sea demon, so he had no wings, but rather the head of a killer whale. He wore a white suit and a red tie, the traditional formal wear for the underwater domains. His wife, sitting on the throne next to him, was a cecaelia with green octopus tentacles instead of legs. Little tentacles poked out of her hair. She barely showed her pregnancy—just a bump on her shimmering green dress.

The newest arrivals had lined up on the carpet before the throne to present their gifts. Izuku breathed a small sigh of relief, because the room was full of either sea demons of minor rank or people he recognized as allies to his family. It was unlikely that anyone here would start trouble with him. Uncle Kaiji was right—Izuku worried too much.

As they got into line, Yoichi whispered a commentary into Izuku’s ear. “See Selkie over by the wine table? I’m glad he could make it, he’s been dealing with some incursions of sea monsters into his territory. Sirius and Mick accompanied him today—ooo I love Sirus’ dress! Rumor has it that she might be thinking about striking out and building her own domain, but she’s staying until Selkie’s sea monster problem is sorted out. Ugh, who let Odd-Eye in here wearing a trench coat? He isn’t even missing an eye—he wears an eyepatch because he thinks it makes him look edgy. But he’s far from the biggest embarrassment present. I’m shocked that Death Arms had the nerve to show his face after he got his ass kicked by a harpy.”

They reached the front of the line. Both Yoichi and Izuku were of high enough rank that they did not bow. Izuku held out his gift. “My parents and older brother send their compliments and congratulations on the birth of your first child.”

“Little Mikumo!” Gang Orca laughed and leapt up from the throne to hug him. “My, you’ve grown up so fast. I hope my future child is as well-spoken as you. You can tell your father that I’ll be counting on him for parenting advice.”

Gang Orca handed the gift to his wife, who opened it. She smiled. “What a lovely music box! How thoughtful.” She placed the gift onto the pearl table next to her, where it vanished, moved to a holding box. It went politely unspoken at these events that all gifts got screened for any curses before used.

Yoichi presented his gift and kissed the lady’s hand. “I love your hairpiece.”

She laughed and touched the pearl headband. “Always such a flatterer, Kazuki.” She pulled off the tissue paper. “Oh, you sent so many anti-scent charms. They must have cost a fortune, you shouldn’t have.”

Yoichi said, “My husbands also sent me with promises to babysit. We love being the fun uncles! We’ll load the kid down with sugar and then send them back to you.”

Gang Orca chuckled. “Yes, Toshinori did warn me about you three doing that.”

From the doorway, a dark voice said, “I hope you don’t mind me stopping by without an invitation. I was in this area tracking a leviathan.”

The chattering room went dead silent. High Lord All for One stood with his hands in his pockets, wearing a black coat. His casual clothing suggested that he had, indeed, been in the area, and demonic laws of hospitality did say that any high-ranking demon was allowed to stop by a castle for a meal. However, from Hisashi’s smirk, there was little doubt that he’d shown up knowing that he wasn’t welcome and reveling in causing trouble.

Izuku felt electrified. His teeth chattered. He remembered that mocking smile when his biological father had cast him out to the cruelties of his court. His disguise suddenly felt fragile and easily seen-through. What if the potion wore off abruptly, as had once happened to his uncle Yoichi? Although his family had tried to hide the full details from him when he’d been a child, Izuku knew that his father had ordered his death. All for One was capable of carrying out the sentence here and now. A mad pulse throbbed through Izuku’s body, shouting Run run run!

“You may be welcome,” Gang Orca said coldly, sitting back down on his throne with a stern look. It would have been very rude to say anything else. And All for One was the sort of demon who would remember such insults for centuries and take just as long to plot his revenge.

Hisashi said, “I didn’t come prepared, but I can’t possibly fail to offer up a gift.” He stepped forward. The demons in line scattered before him, suddenly finding the food tables fascinating.

A strangled sound came from Yoichi. Izuku looked over. His uncle was shaking slightly. Sweat stuck a pink lock of hair to his forehead. His eyes were glazed over. Yoichi was having a panic attack.

Funnily, Yoichi’s panic erased Izuku’s own fears from his mind. In that moment, Izuku’s need to protect his uncle surpassed all other emotions.

Izuku turned to Gang Orca. “Please pardon me, but my uncle is feeling unwell.” He stuck an arm around Yoichi’s shoulder. “I don’t think I can support his weight if he collapses…” Izuku made his eyes wide and pitiful.

“I’ll take him to a guest bedroom to lie down.” Gang Orca leapt up and lifted Yoichi into his arms. Especially in his shorter disguised form, Yoichi looked like a child cradled in Gang Orca’s massive grip. “I’ll be back in a moment, love,” Gang Orca said to his wife before shooting away.

Izuku knew he could trust Gang Orca with his uncle. Even if their families hadn’t been friends, Gang Orca was the type of person who would leap up to help a sick guest without hesitation.

Now Izuku needed to distract All for One. It would be better if his father never wondered why this particular guest might pass out at the sight of him. Better if Hisashi never got a close look at Yoichi. If Izuku thought about what he was doing, he would panic. So he just did it. Stepping directly in front of All for One, Izuku bowed his head at the precisely appropriate degree. “Welcome to the party. I’m Mikumo Yagi.”


Hisashi looked down at the little dark-haired boy with mild amusement. Yagi’s whelp, eh? His parentage made this boy the closest person in this room to Hisashi’s rank, so it would be considered good manners for the boy to introduce himself. However, everyone in this room would have forgiven a child for cowering away like the rest of them. It was typical of Yagi’s son to have more bravado than sense. The boy probably felt like he needed to be a buffer for the common riff-raff now that Gang Orca had left to help some idiot who had fainted. (People fainted in Hisashi’s presence all the time, it was nothing noteworthy. Natural selection would have let the weakling fall and hopefully smash his head open on the tiled floor.)

Since it would be amusing to watch Yagi’s son faint, Hisashi unleashed a small amount of his aura.

To his surprise, Mikumo remained unaffected. The boy didn’t even show any outward signs of shaking in terror. Hisashi increased his aura, enough that demons around the room flinched away. Mikumo’s smile remained on his face. He stepped aside and gestured the high lord toward the clear path to the throne.

A little annoyed at not being able to intimidate a mere child, Hisashi stepped forward and held out his hand. A crystal formed on his palm. “Magical power for you,” he said, tossing it carelessly at the lady.

Her face only a little pale, she added the crystal to the table. “How generous.” The power was indeed rare and valuable, forcing her to go through the motions of gratitude. “You’re welcome here. Please let me know if there’s anything you need.” Unspoken, she was asking him if there was anything he needed into order to aid his journey away from here.

Hisashi had not intended to stay here long. He’d wanted to see if they’d insult him so he’d have an excuse to retaliate. If they’d turned him away, then he had countless interesting curses to bestow on their unborn child. But since he’d been forced to give a real gift, he might as well get his fill of the food table. As he moved, the crowd parted for him like minnows before a shark.

There was not much to appreciate about this waterlogged place, but the food was delicious. An anxious crowd watched as he ate. Hisashi finished off three sticks of roasted halibut and two sticks of grilled octopus in rapid succession, then used a gift for perfect aim to toss them into the trash can. By total coincidence, the trash can was sitting at the feet of an unimportant demon who went by the title of Death Arms.

“Iieeee! All for One is attacking!” Death Arms shrieked. His arms glowed as he picked up the nearest table and hurled it at Hisashi.

What idiocy. Hisashi remained standing perfectly still, planning to let the table hit him so he’d have an excuse to take offense. Then this party would turn more entertaining. If Gang Orca refused to let Hisashi kill Death Arms, then Hisashi would have a lovely justification to expand his territory under the sea.

Mikumo shot forward in a flash, grabbing the table before it could touch Hisashi. Magic hummed in the air as Mikumo righted the table and each food item floated back into place with no damage.

Coldly enunciating each word, Mikumo addressed Death Arms. “I suggest you leave before you force our hosts into the indignity of throwing you out.”

Red-faced, Death Arms protested, “He threw something at me!”

“He threw a stick in the trashcan.” Mikumo raised an eyebrow. “I’m impressed at your valor in believing that you could fight High Lord All for One. Word of how you almost defeated a harpy has spread across the land.”

A chuckle ran through the crowd. Death Arms slunk off.

Mikumo turned to Hisashi and inclined his head. “Since you could have easily handled that fool, you owe me no debt.” The subtle implication was that he knew All for One had been looking to start a fight.

“Gracefully done,” Hisashi said, acknowledging both the prevention of a conflict and the double-meaning in the boy’s words. “What gift do you have?” It seemed like something that involved both strength and speed, a powerful ability.

Mikumo grinned. “Your knowledge of magic is legendary, my lord. Why don’t you guess?”

Gang Orca stepped forward and clapped Mikumo on the shoulder. “Well-done. Your uncle has been asking for you, please follow me.”

Hisashi gazed after them as they left the room. He couldn’t help being impressed at such poise, confidence, and magical control in a teenage boy. Hisashi’s mind flew to his own treacherous and long-missing son, Izuku. Unfortunately, Izuku had been a weak thing, spoiled and prone to crying. Hisashi felt a twinge of envy that Toshinori Yagi had such a fine son. Although Hisashi had never particularly wanted a strong heir, he hated when someone else had what he didn’t, especially the blond oaf. Ugh, if only Hisashi had gotten Mikumo as a son and Yagi had gotten stuck with crybaby Izuku.


As Izuku walked down the hallway, his breath came out in gasps. He’d been forced to use multiple gifts at once—and then told All for One himself to guess what ability he had! This entire evening had come so close to disaster, including what nearly could have turned into a war thanks to Death Arms’ idiocy. Izuku would never again believe anyone who told him that he worried too much. He hadn’t even come close to imagining the party could go this badly wrong!

Mistaking the reason for Izuku’s pallor, Gang Orca said, “Your uncle is recovering. He feels quite embarrassed about making you worry. He’d like to head home to see a doctor.”

Yeah, Izuku would bet that his uncle wanted to go home. Izuku shared the same sentiment. “I’m sorry for keeping you from your party.”

“Don’t let it concern you, it’s my duty as host to look after everyone,” Gang Orca said. He pushed open the door. “You and Kazuki can use the portal to head back home. I’d better go keep an eye on All for One.” He turned and left.

Yoichi lay in a big poster bed, propped up among pillows. A glass of water sat on the end table. Upon seeing his nephew, he leapt up. “Iz—” Even though they were alone, Yoichi did not finish the name. Instead, he flung both his arms and his wings around Izuku and held tight.

“Let’s go home,” Izuku said, patting his uncle’s back.

Yoichi took him by the shoulders and looked into his eyes. “How are you? I’m so sorry! I can’t believe that I left you alone with him.”

Izuku half-shrugged. “I had it covered. I’m fine.” To his surprise, it was true. Seeing his father again had not roused any old feelings of attachment, only disgust and annoyance. The All for One in Izuku’s memories had loomed large as a monster. But the present day Hisashi had only been another demon—a powerful, difficult demon, but Izuku had met many powerful demons. His real father was stronger anyway.

“I feel so embarrassed. It’s not even the first time that I’ve run into him since…” Yoichi looked down.

True, but the other times had been at large public events where Yoichi had known in advance that All for One would be there and had always been able to stay well away. Izuku ventured a little honesty to make his uncle feel better. “If you hadn’t panicked first, then I might have. I don’t blame you. You had to deal with him much longer than me.” And under worse circumstances. The older Izuku had gotten, the more creepy his memories of the birdcage had become.

Yoichi patted his head. “You handled him wonderfully. Though I wish you hadn’t needed to face him at all. Everything went wrong today. I had a bad feeling from the moment my hair started frizzing.”

Izuku said, “It could have been worse. We could have sent my big brother with the gift.” Ever since Tomura had learned the full story of what had happened to his family, he’d been consumed with rage. He might not have been able to resist trying to decay All for One.

“Fair.” Yoichi chuckled. “Let’s leave before anything else goes wrong.”

As they walked down the hallway, Izuku quickly filled Yoichi in on exactly what had happened. Yoichi nearly doubled-over laughing at Death Arms’ embarrassment. It was good to see a smile back on his uncle’s face.

Yoichi must have already sent a message to his husbands, because they were waiting on the other side of the portal. Without a word, Kaiji and Sanzou swept Yoichi up into an arm-crushing hug.

“Stop, you’ll make me pass out again,” Yoichi said in a muffled voice.

Kaiji let go and turned to Izuku. “You did incredible, kid.” A broad smile spread across his scarred face.

Sanzou nodded. “After facing down All for One, you should never doubt yourself again.”

All three uncles pulled Izuku into a hug. He basked in the warmth of knowing he was with people who loved him and wanted him.


OMAKE TIME!

Omake: In Which All for One Continues to Try to Make Fantasy into Reality

Hisashi: Hey, I don’t suppose you’re going to insult me by excluding me from your party?

Gang Orca: Not a chance, I read Sleeping Beauty. Come in and try not to eat all the food.

Hisashi: Aww, I’d been practicing my Maleficent cosplay.

#

Omake: Cool on the Outside, Anxious on the Inside

Hisashi’s POV on the party: What a clever and skilled young demon! He’s completely calm under pressure.

Izuku’s POV on the party: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

#

Omake: If Hisashi had Talked to Yoichi

Yoichi: Pleased to meet you, total stranger. My name is Kazuki. I have very little in common with anyone you might remember from the past. I’ve never finished a novel in my life, I believe that the strong deserve to do whatever they want, and all younger siblings should obey and be grateful towards their older siblings.

Hisashi: Whoa, we have such similar views on sibling dynamics! You slightly remind me of my little brother even though you’re way more sensible. If I hadn't found out that Yoichi is still alive then I would have kidnapped you as a replacement.

Yoichi: (Through clenched teeth) I’d be honored to be kidnapped by such a strong demon lord.

Hisashi: Adorable. I just can’t resist. You can come live in my birdcage until I find my real brother. No need to thank me. Aw, he just passed out from happiness.

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