My Hero Academia Oneshots

Did you ever wonder who you are?

Do you ever wonder,as you stare into the stars,where you began and how you got this far from home?

The Emperor finally made it to the little town,gripping the reins tighter when he saw how many of his subjects had been killed by the band of marauders. Dismounting,he passed the reins to one of the knights,beginning to roam around the destroyed town on foot; he had already slaughtered the marauders,so he need not worry about being attacked. 

A cry was what caught the man’s attention. In one of the destroyed buildings,the Emperor found a toddler that had been spared,the girl standing up in her crib and crying. Knowing he could not just leave her there,he picked her up and carried her out of the destroyed nursery. Bouncing the child awkwardly in one arm,he called out for one of his knights. 

“Yes,Your Ma-..” The knight fell silent,staring at the squirming child in shock. “You found a child?”

“How long ago had they been killed?” Toshinori asked,staring down at the child in his arms. “It was roughly three days,correct?”

“Indeed,Your Majesty..” The knight replied,clenching his fists at the realization that such a small child had been left defenseless for so long. “What will we do with the child?”

“She’s coming with us back to the palace. Fetch some water and any food she may be able to eat,” Toshinori ordered,looking at the knight when he didn’t hear him moving. “Now.”

“Yes,Your Majesty!” The knight replied,rushing off to do as told. 

After the knight returned with the bread they had purchased in the last town,Toshinori set the child down and peeled off a chunk,holding it out to her. “Are children this small able to speak?” He asked the knight as the child devoured the bread greedily. 

“It depends on the child,Your Majesty. She looks around the same age as my daughter,so she should be able to speak a few words,” The knight informed him,watching the child curiously. “She will need a bath and new clothing.”

Toshinori nodded and turned back to the child,holding the flask of water out to her. “Drink,child,and then tell me your name.”

The toddler snatched the flask from the man,downing the water so quickly that she choked on it. She pulled back,coughing and wiping at her face in frustration,before beginning to drink it once again. Once it was empty,she let out a burp,looking around when she heard the knights around her laughing at the noise. Looking back at the Emperor,she stared up at him silently,completely forgetting his orders. 

“Tell me your name,child,” Toshinori repeated,taking the flask from her and sighing. 

“No!” The child snapped,staring up at him calmly. 

“Do not tell me ‘no’,you brat. Tell me your name or I won’t give you any more bread,” Toshinori threatened,narrowing his eyes at her. 

While the girl didn’t want to tell him her name,she did want more bread. Deciding it was a good enough trade,she held her hand out. “(First Name). Bread.”

Toshinori chuckled,placing another chunk of bread in the girl’s hand. “You will be coming with us,then,(First Name). You need not worry about anything from now on.” 

The journey back to the palace was arduous for the Emperor. Having to deal with an extremely needy two-year-old slowed them down significantly,but they made it back after only three months. After announcing the toddler as the one he had chosen as his heir,much to the chagrin of the nobles,he assigned a maid named Amane to raise her with care,and three years passed by quickly. 

“Papa,papa,look! I found a pretty flower!” (First Name) called out as she ran towards the blond man,gripping the flower she had picked tightly. 

“(First Name),remember not to run. You must watch your step so you won’t risk falling,” Toshinori warned the child,looking down at her. “And why would you pick such a pretty flower?” 

“I wanted you to have it!” (First Name) grinned,holding the flower out to him. “You like it,right?”

“If you judge only on appearance,you will become shallow,darling. You must not judge purely by what something looks like,” Toshinori told her,ruffling her hair. “Some of the prettiest flowers are poisonous,you know?”

“Is this one?” (First Name) asked,looking down at the flower. 

“If it were,I wouldn’t have had it planted in your garden,” Toshinori chuckled,holding his hand out to her. “Come now,child,we should walk together for a while.”

“Okay,papa!” (First Name) replied,grabbing his hand and grinning up at him. 

“Your Majesty,are you sure you wish to walk with Her Royal Highness? She’s still young,so she will slow you down significantly. Shouldn’t I carry her?” The Emperor’s guard,Mirai,asked the man curiously. 

“She will never slow this country down,Mirai. Keep in mind that she is the future of this empire,” Toshinori reminded the man,turning his attention to him momentarily. “Do not think lowly of her.”

Mirai flinched slightly at the Emperor’s cold tone. “Forgive me,sir,I just thoug-”

“I do not care for what you thought,Mirai. She is my child,and the future sun of this empire. Do not question such a beautiful force as the sun,” Toshinori snapped,looking down when he felt (First Name) squeeze his hand. “What’s the matter?”

“Papa,you hafta be nice! If papa’s mean,no flower!” (First Name) huffed,looking away from him and puffing out her cheeks. 

Toshinori bit back a laugh,though a chuckle managed to escape him. “Who told you that people who are mean don’t get flowers?”

“I did! You’re mean,so you don’t get a flower!” (First Name) turned to Mirai,tugging on the man’s shirt. “Bend down!”

“Yes,Your Royal Highness..” Mirai lowered himself immediately,his eyes widening when the child tucked the flower behind his ear. 

“Mr.Mirai’s good,so he gets a flower!” (First Name) told Toshinori,grinning. “Papa doesn’t get one!”

Toshinori stared at his guard for a moment,laughing at how the man seemed completely flabbergasted by the child’s actions. “I believe you’ve broken Mirai,(First Name).”

(First Name) looked at the guard,frowning when she saw how panicked he looked. “You don’t like it?”

Mirai finally came back to his senses,shaking his head quickly. “It’s not like that,Your Royal Highness! I absolutely love it! I’ll cherish it forever!” 

“Promise?” (First Name) asked,looking up at him innocently. 

“I swear on my family’s name,” Mirai told her,rising to his feet. “I’ll ask the royal magician to freeze it so it lasts forever.” 

“Forever and ever?” (First Name) tilted her head to the side,her eyes sparkling when the guard nodded. “I wanna see!” 

“You wish to see it happen?” Toshinori asked,chuckling when he saw how excited she looked. “Mirai,take (First Name) to meet Enji and Rei while I have an audience with the Duke.” 

“Does that mean I have your permission to carry Her Royal Highness?” Mirai questioned hopefully,wanting to pinch the child’s cheeks. 

Toshinori stared at Mirai,knowing what the man was playing at; everyone who met (First Name) always poked at her chubby cheeks,but he hated it. Turning his attention to his adopted daughter,he smiled brightly. “Remember not to let people carry you or touch your cheeks,okay?”

“I promise!” (First Name) replied happily,grinning up at him. “I'm big,so I’ll walk!” 

“Have fun,then,” Toshinori told her,walking off with a chuckle. 

Looking up at Mirai,(First Name) grinned. “Go!” 

“Yes,Your Royal Highness..” Mirai began leading the way to the magic tower,keeping his pace slow so the little princess could keep up. 

Following close behind the man,(First Name) soon stopped when she saw a burst of flames that reached the sky. Grabbing onto the back of Mirai’s white pants,she gripped onto him,anxious about the sight of fire. “What’s that?”

“That is probably Enji and his eldest son training their fire,Your Royal Highness. They are sorcerers who specialize in the flame element,so they must train carefully to prevent accidents,” Mirai informed her,thinking her fear was adorable. “The woman I train with,Kaoruko,is a woman who specializes in the water element,and His Majesty specializes in a strength-enhancing element that is quite rare.”

“What’s mine?” (First Name) asked,looking up at him curiously. 

“I’m unsure,Your Royal Highness,but we may be able to find out when you’re older. Some people have magic,and others don’t,but it’s nothing you need to worry about. No matter what,I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Mirai led her over to Enji and Touya,his eyes widening when he saw the red-haired man strike the small boy. 

“You moron! You must control the heat,not allow it to consume everything!” Enji shouted,oblivious to the arrival of the princess and guard. 

“I.. I’m sorry,father..” Touya held his cheek,staring up at him from the ground.

(First Name) rushed forward without thinking,standing in front of Touya and glaring up at Enji. “Bully! Big bully!” 

Enji was going to scream at the child,but upon realizing who she was,he dropped to his knees. “Forgive me for not noticing your arrival,Your Royal Highness.. Had I known you were coming,Touya and I would have prepared ourselves..”

“Mirai,I don’t like him! Get rid of him!” (First Name) demanded the guard,huffing when the man didn’t move to her orders. “Now!” 

“Your Royal Highness,I can lead Enji away,but I can not just dispose of him..” Mirai informed her,shock written on his face. 

“Fine!” (First Name) huffed,before turning to look at the boy sprawled on the ground. Holding her hand out,she smiled at him. “I’ll help you up.” 

Touya stared at her extended hand,slowly nodding and grabbing it. “Thank you..” He told her as he was pulled to his feet,his bruise no longer hurting as badly as it had been. 

“I’ll speak with papa about him,and he’ll go away,” (First Name) assured Touya as Enji was led away by Mirai,letting go of his hand. “Someone like that shouldn’t have children..”

“What do you mean? Father can’t be disposed of so easily..” Touya muttered,sighing and rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Papa gets rid of people like him all the time.” (First Name) grinned,before looking over at the magic tower when she saw a flash of white hair in one of the windows out of her peripherals. Spotting Rei and Shoto,who had been watching from the windows,her eyes lit up. “She’s pretty!”

“You think my mother is pretty?” Touya asked,laughing slightly when the little princess nodded. Holding his hand out,he smiled at her. “Come on,I’ll take you to meet her.”

“Papa says not to follow strangers,” (First Name) pointed out,looking at his hand before realizing the solution to this new predicament. “So what’s your name?”

“I’m Touya Todoroki,Your Royal Highness,” Touya bowed his head with a chuckle,thinking the little princess was adorable. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

(First Name) grabbed his hand and grinned. Now that she knew his name,he was no longer a stranger,so she could follow him. “Lead the way!”

That night,little (First Name) shoved the door of her father’s study open without even knocking,walking in eagerly. “Papa,we gotta talk.” 

Toshinori looked up from his paperwork,chuckling when he saw how serious she looked. “You’re here to talk about Enji Todoroki,aren’t you?”

“How’d you know?” (First Name) asked,flopping down on the couch and looking at him curiously. 

“Mirai informed me of what happened today,so I assumed you came to discuss what you want his punishment to be,” Toshinori told her,leaning his head into his palm. “So tell me,what is it you wish for me to do?”

“I..” (First Name) hesitated,looking down at the frozen leaf Rei had made for her earlier as she debated her answer. Realizing she was stupid for even hesitating over such a simple request,she raised her head and looked at her father. “I want Lady Rei to be in charge,and for Enji to lose all rights to his family. I don’t want him to have a chance to hurt them,but killing him would hurt Fuyumi,so he should just lose access for now..”

“Is that truly what you think is best?” Toshinori asked,knowing she had probably spent most of the day thinking of how to solve this problem. While he wanted to punish Enji harshly for raising his hand against innocent children,he wanted (First Name) to be able to work this out alone; a future Empress needed experience in ruling,after all. “Remember to take in the entire situation. The public will be watching closely,and a man can easily claim rights to his children under the guise of needing an heir.”

(First Name) gnawed her lip as she tried to think of what to say,eventually just deciding to say what she thought. “As the one and only Princess of the Ukiyo Kingdom,I can make laws,right?”

“If you propose a decent enough law,I might consider it. What are you thinking?” Toshinori bit back a smirk.

“Outlaw abusive parents from having access to their children until the child is old enough to choose what they want,” (First Name) told him,looking over at him. “And if someone is abusive,they lose their title and their child may choose where to live,even if it’s not family.”

“Are you sure such a rule would be wise?” Toshinori asked,unable to hold the smirk back anymore; (First Name) being able to answer his questions and come up with such an idea was certainly something he was proud of. “And are you sure the nobles would be happy with that?”

“It’s smarter than letting people hit kids with no punishment. Losing their title would be harsh enough to teach them their faults.” (First Name) stared at her father,her (Eye Color) eyes full of confidence. “Any nobles with a problem with it can talk to me.”

Toshinori burst into laughter,clutching his stomach as the noise escaped him. “You believe in it so much that you’re willing to defend it from the nobles directly?” 

“It’s not funny!” (First Name) snapped,her cheeks heating up from frustration. “I believe in it!”

Toshinori’s laughter slowly died down,the Emperor chuckling as he shook his head. “I will write it down properly,but it will be a long process with many repercussions. I was planning on writing a similar law soon,but I haven’t had the time. Since you wish for it,I will have it done soon.”

“Really,papa?” (First Name) asked,glad he was listening to her. 

Seeing how excited his adopted daughter looked over her victory,Toshinori couldn’t help but smile. “You have my word,(First Name).”

Tucking the child into bed that night,Amane was surprised to notice the child had a scratch on her hand. “Your Royal Highness,how did you get injured?”

(First Name) looked at her in confusion,before realizing she was talking about the scratch she had gotten while picking a rose earlier. “From a rose.”

“You must be careful,okay? You’re a precious soul,” Amane told her,grabbing some cream to put on the scratch. “A scratch could become a scar,and scars are permanent.”

“So? Are scars bad?” (First Name) questioned,tilting her head to the side. 

“They’re not bad,but they’re nothing to smile upon. You should avoid them.” Amane began to rub the cream into the child’s skin carefully. 

“How come?” (First Name) asked,frowning. “Papa has them,and so does Mirai.. Does that make them bad?”

“That’s not what I mean..” Amane sighed,trying to think of how to explain it to the child. “Your Royal Highness,women who have scars are looked down on,but men with scars are praised.”

“But why?” (First Name) stared up at her,her eyebrows knit together in confusion. 

“Because women should treat their bodies preciously and preserve them for their future husbands,not treat them carelessly,” Amane explained,beginning to get frustrated with the child’s questions. 

“Then why don’t men do the same?” 

“Because men go into war.”

“Why can’t women go into war?”

“Because women are weak.”

“Am I weak?”

“Of course not,Your Royal Highness..”

“Well Ms.Rei’s strong,and so is Fuyumi,and so am I,so how are women weak?”

“Only women like you are strong,Your Royal Highness.”

“Well the maids are able to carry heavy buckets of water,so they’re strong too,right?”

“They are nothing compared to you,Your Royal Highness.”

“Why do they have to be compared?”

“That’s enough questions for the night. Go to sleep.”

“I’m not tired,” (First Name) told Amane,gripping the edge of the blanket when she saw how annoyed the woman looked. “I just wanna know what’s so special about me..” 

“You are the future Empress,Your Royal Highness. To be Empress means you are above everyone else,and that you must hold yourself to a higher degree of accountability at all times. An Empress must be beautiful,well-mannered,and the most perfectly behaved of all,don’t you think?” Amane looked down at her,sighing. “You will understand when you’re older.”

“I don’t want to understand something like that..” (First Name) muttered,rolling over and pulling her stuffed bear close. “Goodnight,Amane..”

“You’ll change your mind when you meet the right man,Your Royal Highness,” Amane told her,standing and walking over to the door. “Goodnight.” She blew out the candle and disappeared into the dark hallways,shutting the door behind herself calmly. 

Sitting in bed that night,little (First Name) looked out the window,seeing the stars dotting the night sky. Hugging her bear tighter,she curled up,wishing she could be as ‘normal’ as Amane expected her to be; she knew she could never be what Amane wished her to be. 

Have you ever walked along the shore?

Have you ever seen the water dancing back and forth?

Six-year-old (First Name) kept her back straight,her head held high as she slowly walked across the room with two books balanced on her head. Pausing at the table near the corner,she turned,the books sliding off and hitting the ground. “How did I do?”

“You did well so far,Your Royal Highness,but you must restart from the beginning tomorrow since you failed to turn with the books on your head,” Her tutor,Kuni,informed her with a polite smile. “You may take the rest of the day off,but we begin again tomorrow.” 

“Thank you for your time,Lady Kuni. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow,” (First Name) told her,picking the books up and handing them over to her before walking out of the room. Reminding herself that she must keep her head high and her back straight,she strolled through the hallways,watching as maids and guards curtsied and bowed upon seeing her. 

Making it outside,(First Name) was greeted by the bright sunlight,the child having to blink a few times as her vision adjusted. Looking out at the colorful garden,she wished to pluck the flowers and laugh as carelessly as she had only months prior,but she knew better than to do that now; a future Empress must never behave in such a childish way. 

Walking towards the hedge maze,(First Name) reminded herself that she mustn’t squirm under the watchful gazes of the men guarding the side entrance to the palace,waiting until she disappeared into the first section of the maze to relax her posture. Letting out a sigh,she finally loosened the ribbon on her hair,glad she had finally escaped from the watchful gazes of the adults that plagued her with the rules they had imposed. Beginning to make her way through the maze,the girl walked calmly,in a much better mood now that she had been freed. 

Upon making it to the middle of the hedge maze,where her gazebo was supposed to be uninhabited,(First Name) was greeted by the sight of a blond boy beating a green-haired boy with a wooden training sword. Casting aside the rules she had been trying to live by for the last few months,she ran forward,shoving the blond as hard as she could. “Hey,don’t be a jerk! If you’re trying to train with someone,you have to do it properly!”

Katsuki landed on the ground  rather roughly,the blond glaring up at the girl ferociously. “And who do you think you are,hah?! That damned Deku keeps chasing me around,so I gave him a good beating!”

“I am the future Empress of the Ukiyo Kingdom,(First Name) Yagi! Any more questions?!” (First Name) snarled,glaring back at him coldly. Satisfied with the look of fear the boy had,she turned and extended her hand to the green-haired boy. “Give me your hand and rise to your feet so I can take you to Lady Rei.. And blondie,you’re coming as well since your nose is bleeding.”

“I.. I’m not going anywhere with you!” Katsuki gripped his wooden sword tighter,trying to sound as tough as possible in the girl’s presence. 

“It’s an order. The pin on your jacket shows that you’re a knight-in-training,so you are obligated to obey me,” (First Name) snapped,looking down at the green-haired boy once again. “I ordered you to take my hand,did I not?”

“For.. Forgive me,Your Royal Highness! I didn’t mean to disobey!” Izuku squeaked out,rising to his feet with her help. “Ka.. Kacchan and I were just training..” 

“The last time I checked,my father doesn’t allow future knights to beat each-other senselessly,so what you two were doing is not training. Now,’Kacchan’,follow us,” (First Name) ordered,still gripping Izuku’s hand. 

Letting out a growl,Katsuki stood up,pissed off that he was helpless to struggle against this girl’s orders. “Fine.”

(First Name) led the way out of the maze calmly,releasing Izuku’s hand immediately after stepping back into the watchful view of the guards. Walking with nearly perfect posture,she led the boys to the magic tower,her eyes locked ahead calmly. 

“Your Royal Highness,may I ask where you’re heading?” A guard asked,stepping in front of the girl. “You’re walking in the direction of the magic tower,but His Majesty temporarily banned you from going there.”

(First Name) stopped,wanting desperately to retreat under the man’s cold gaze. Stubbornly keeping her own gaze cold,she looked at him calmly. “Sir Keaton,correct? I will give you one warning and one warning only,but to block my path when I am seeking out my own magician is a crime,so step out of the way before I raise my voice.”

“Your Royal Highness,I am not trying to block your path,but His Majesty will be upset if you break his orders,” Keaton told her,squirming under the child’s gaze. “And please don’t look at me like that.”

“What seems to be the problem here?” Toshinori,who had been on his way back from visiting Rei,asked upon seeing the commotion. 

“Papa,I am allowed to see Shoto and the others now,right?” (First Name) asked,looking at the man. “His face has healed now,hasn’t it?”

Toshinori looked at his daughter,before turning his gaze to the bloody-nosed blond and the bruising boy with green hair. Returning his gaze to his daughter,he decided to allow her to see the boy. “Lady Rei wasn’t charged due to your interference,but you understand how difficult it will be for her to regain complete stability,don’t you?”

“Lady Rei has never once been shattered beyond what Enji did to her. I intend to take both Shoto and Touya as my sorcerers,and Lady Rei’s rank will not be affected by the accident,” (First Name) replied,clenching her fists and staring him in the eyes. “I will not allow people to badmouth the Etsumi family,and I will force the public to face what Enji Todoroki did to them and admit it was his fault. That is my decision,father.”

Toshinori smirked,letting out a chuckle. “Then you may continue,(First Name),but I want you to be careful; not everyone will easily be swayed by words.”

“My actions are all that matters,father. Lady Rei is their mother and the appointed Mistress of the Magic Tower,not a crazed beggar or an insane mother,so I will not allow anyone to look down on the family she desperately fought to protect.” Marching forward,the Princess raised her head even higher,a newfound resolve filling her and giving her the courage to continue walking. A month ago,she had been banned from going to the magic tower after Shoto had gotten a pan of boiling water poured on his face by Enji while visiting one day and Rei had tried to cool it,so today would be the first time she would see him with his new scar. 

Trailing behind her,Izuku and Katsuki couldn’t even cast a glance at the Emperor,though they were both amazed with the power he exuded. Looking at the back of the Princess leading them,both of them realized she gave off a similar power in her own way. Though the Princess being adopted was common knowledge through the entire kingdom,nobody who saw her now would dare raise objections to her right to the throne; this girl was a future Empress in every aspect. 

After making it to the door of the magic tower,(First Name) pushed it open,peering inside curiously. Seeing Fuyumi,she grinned,dropping the act immediately. “Fuyu!” She shouted as she pounced on the girl,letting out a giggle. 

Fuyumi jumped slightly,turning to look at the girl and laughing. “It’s been a while,Your Royal Highness. How have you been?”

“I’m fine! Can I go see Lady Rei?” (First Name) asked,her eyes sparkling. 

“Did you need me,Your Royal Highness?” Rei asked from the spiral stairs,carefully carrying Shoto down. Though it was rather hard for her to carry him now that he was six years old,she didn’t want to put him down. 

“Can you maybe cool their wounds? Lady Chiyo would get upset if I asked her to help with such minor injuries,” (First Name) replied,smiling at her. Though she spotted Shoto’s new scar,she didn’t stare at it,opting to stare at the ice figurine the boy was holding in his right hand instead. “Woah,Shoto,did you make that?”

Looking at (First Name),Shoto was full of anxiety,relaxing slightly when he realized she wasn’t going to talk about his scar. “I did.. Do you want it?”

“I appreciate the thought,but would you be willing to freeze a flower for me instead?” (First Name) asked,smiling brightly. “I wanna be able to preserve the spring flowers forever!”

Shoto nodded slightly,wriggling out of his mother’s arms. Walking over to (First Name),he was careful not to look at the two boys she had brought with her so they wouldn’t be disgusted by his face. Though his bangs covered the left side of his face,he still saw how curious they seemed,and he hated it. “Let’s go choose good ones..”

(First Name) nodded,though she reached forward and tucked his hair back so his scar was showing. “You’re still pretty,Sho,so don’t hide your face. If it makes you uncomfortable for people to see it,though,I won’t look,okay?”

Shoto hesitated for a moment,before shaking his head; if the future Empress didn’t see a problem with his ‘ugly’ scar,he wouldn’t hide it. “It’s fine for people to look and stare.. It doesn’t matter,right?”

“They can stare as much as they want since you and your family are the strongest!” (First Name) grinned,grabbing his left hand. “Let’s go pick pretty flowers,yeah?”

“Yeah..” Shoto squeezed her hand,following her out of the tower as his anxieties began to melt away. So long as he had (First Name) on his side,he would be invincible. “I’ll freeze as many as you want..” 

“And I’ll burn them to ashes,” Touya called out from the tree branch he was lazing on. 

“Then they’ll be pretty ashes!” (First Name) called back,sticking her tongue out at him childishly. 

Looking down at (First Name),Touya couldn’t help but laugh,glad that the little Princess had finally returned to the safety of the magic tower; so long as (First Name) was here,she would never have to worry about acting like ‘proper royalty’. “It’s good to have you back!”

After spending half an hour looking for the prettiest wildflower that grew beside the magic tower,(First Name) was surprised to see Katsuki and Izuku standing by the door. “Why are you two just standing there?”

“I.. Thank you for getting her to cool my bruises down..” Izuku muttered,his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. 

“And I guess you’re not that bad..” Katsuki sighed,looking off to the side. “She helped the swelling of my nose go down,so I guess I owe you one..”

(First Name) stared at both of them for a moment,before bursting into laughter. “You don’t have to thank me for doing what’s right,you know? It’s part of being a hero!”

“A hero? Is that what you fancy yourself?” Touya asked her with a smirk,burning yet another flower to ashes. “If you’re a hero,then I’m a villain,right?” 

“You’re not a villain,Touya! Don’t be dumb!” (First Name) huffed,puffing out her cheeks. “And I’m not a hero,either,actually.. We’re just people,right?” She grinned at him,proud of the answer she had come up with. “Your magic is wonderful,and so is Shoto’s magic,and the way Kacchan swings his sword is awesome,and Deku is really nice,but we’re all just people!”

“Well you’re not exactly a person,you know? You’re a future Empress,right?” Touya teased,chuckling. 

“Papa and I are still people,and so are the maids,and so are the townspeople and the footmen and even the people in the other kingdoms. We’re all just people,” (First Name) told him,not willing to let her beliefs waver. “I’ll always just be ‘(First Name)’,even when I’m an Empress.”

“Then why not give us permission to call you that?” Touya joked,laughing. 

“Then do it. I don’t mind,” (First Name) ordered,grinning. “I give all of you permission!”

“Seriously?!” Izuku asked,unable to hide his excitement over the opportunity to call the future Empress by her first name. “Are you sure we can?!”

“Anyone here can call me (First Name)!” (First Name) told him,grinning. 

“Then..” Shoto looked down at his feet,deciding to try and be the first to say it. “(First Name)..?”

“See? Nothing bad happened! A name is just a name,and a word is just a word!” (First Name) grinned at all of them. 

“(First Name),(First Name),(First Name)!” Touya shouted,laughing as he finally said the girl’s name; calling her ‘Your Royal Highness’ had become quite tiresome,after all. “(First Name),(First Name),(First Name)!”

“Lady (First Name),” Katsuki stated,grimacing at how the word tasted in his mouth; to call a royal by their first name was practically a sin,after all,but the giant grin on the girl’s face encouraged him to continue speaking. “It’s a wonderful name.”

“I.. Um..” Izuku’s face was bright red,the green-haired boy panicking. “La.. Lady (First Name)!” 

(First Name) laughed,glad they had actually said her name. “It feels so great to hear my name! The only one who ever says it is papa!” 

“Then we’ll all say it from now on. If you like to hear it,and it’s just a word,we can say it,” Touya promised,grinning at her. “We’re at your disposal,Future Empress (First Name).”

“What’s that dumb thing those one dudes say all the time?” Katsuki asked,tapping his chin for a moment as he struggled to recall it. “Ah,I remember now! Praise be unto the future Empress!” He said,half-sarcastic. 

“I’ll be looking forward to it,then!” (First Name) told him,grinning cheekily. 

Did you look inside to see if there was more to life?

Well there's a dream,taking wing; there's a voice that wants to sing

A year passed in what felt like a flash,and news came quickly of an unknown disease spreading throughout the kingdom. Desperate to try and find a solution,the princess spent most of her time in the library. 

“Ms.Meguro,bring me all of the books on herbs that you have,” (First Name) ordered the woman as she read through one of the books she had already found. “Every disease will have some sort of cure..”

“Your Royal Highness,why not focus on reading fairytales or something? Surely you understand that reading about a bunch of plants won’t help,right?” Meguro asked,hoping the child would just back off of trying to learn about the destructive disease. 

“If you refuse to bring me the books I want,I’ll fetch the magicians and they will do what I ordered,” (First Name) told her,raising her head and looking at the woman. “I’ll also allow Touya to have his fun burning the books.”

Meguro’s heart sank,the woman hurrying off to abide by the girl’s words; to lose the books she loved so dearly to that boy would be a disgrace. After digging around,she returned with a large stack of books,setting them beside the Princess. “Forgive my insolence.”

“I wouldn’t have allowed him to burn the books anyways.” (First Name) continued reading,trying to figure out what combination of herbs would best work to relieve the symptoms of the disease. Even if she couldn’t find a full-proof cure,she could at least find a way to help the people affected by it.
After spending the majority of her day in the library,the Princess finally emerged. Instead of heading towards her room for a nap,or even heading to the dining room for dinner,the child rushed off to the Palace of Princesses her father had banned her from visiting. 

“Your Royal Highness,may I ask where you’re going?” Touya asked,holding his arm out to stop the girl when she was halfway to her destination. Since he had become her official sorcerer,he spent most of his time keeping an eye on her to prevent her from doing anything stupid. 

“The Palace of Princesses. Father took a Princess named Mina Ashido last year,and she hails from a kingdom that specializes in herbs. I want to ask her some questions,” (First Name) told him,ducking underneath his arm and continuing her walk. “Don’t tell anyone where I’m going,either,Touya.”

“You’re asking me to break your father’s royal order?” Touya smirked,not planning on telling anyone anyways. 

“You swore loyalty to me,Touya,not to my father.” (First Name) looked at him,her (Eye Color) eyes holding the ferocity of a lion. “I am not going to stand by when people are in pain.”

Touya’s smirk only grew over her response,the boy holding his hands up in surrender. “Shoto and I will cause a big enough distraction to draw the guards away,then. We are loyal to the kingdom you wish to build,after all.”

“Remember not to hurt anyone,” (First Name) told him,turning and rushing off as the boy headed to the right. 

A giant wave of blue flames and the sudden appearance of an ice ramp certainly drew the guards away from the Palace of Princesses,and (First Name) made sure not to miss her chance to enter. Sneaking in through the front door and disappearing down a hallway,she walked quickly until she saw a bright pink door,knocking on it quickly. 

Mina flung the door open excitedly,expecting her maid to be standing there with chocolate; the sudden sight of Princess (First Name) gracing her presence caused the fairy girl noticeable discomfort immediately. “Ah,Your Royal Highness,right?”

“May I come in? This is an emergency,” (First Name) asked,amazed by how beautiful Mina was. While she had heard rumors of how the people from the Norika Kingdom looked different from ‘normal’ people,she had never actually met one before. 

“Of course,of course..” Mina stepped back,holding the door open for the girl. Once (First Name) walked in,she shut the door,turning to look at her. “What did you need?”

“You’re from the Norika Kingdom,right? According to one of the books I read,the royal family there can change the properties of tea leaves to create something similar to a healing potion.. Is that true?” (First Name) looked at her,praying that the book was correct; according to the novel,the Norika Kingdom had faced a similar disease nearly fifty years ago,and the only cure had been the royal family’s ‘acid tea’. 

“It’s true,but why?” Mina asked,tilting her head to the side slightly. “Doesn’t the royal family here have a lady that can heal wounds? What would you need a healing potion for?”

“Fifty years ago,there was a disease that spread throughout the Norika Kingdom. Unable to come up with many ideas of what to do,the king at the time allowed a drop of his acid to drip into his glass of tea and then drank it,which allowed him to heal. Could you do something similar?” (First Name) tried to maintain an air of confidence around her,but she was anxious; if Mina couldn’t help her,she didn’t know what to do.

“I.. Well,I suppose so,but His Majesty doesn’t allow us anywhere near the primary palace..” Mina told her,sighing. She,along with many other Princesses of vassal kingdoms,had been sent to the Ukiyo Kingdom to learn about their differing cultures,but the Emperor had isolated them to ensure their safety. “To leave here would be disobeying a royal decree..”

(First Name) hesitated for a moment,knowing her next words needed to be carefully chosen. “If I can get my father to grant you all the freedom to come and go from the primary palace as you please,will you help me save lives?”

“Of course. I just hate being locked away here. It’s like a prison,” The pink-haired Princess responded. 

“I will trust your words,then..” (First Name) smiled,though her attention was drawn towards the window when she saw another wave of blue flames in the sky. Realizing that was her signal to leave,she grinned. “I’ll have to take my leave now,Princess Mina,but I will be looking forward to seeing you soon.” With that,the future Empress disappeared. 

After sneaking out of a side entrance while Natsuo,Shoto,and Touya distracted the guards,(First Name) escaped to the safety of the magic tower,where an unfamiliar sight of a boy with blond hair and red wings caught her attention. “Who are you?”

Keigo jumped when he was suddenly spoken to,the boy recoiling slightly until he realized he wasn’t in danger. Wrapping his red wings around himself,he looked at her,realizing who she was immediately simply by her eyes. “Yo.. Your Royal Highness,I am Haw.. Hawks..”

“Hawks?” (First Name) questioned,raising an eyebrow. “Is that your real name?”

“My.. real name..?” Keigo hesitated,looking down nervously. “Will.. Will you punish me if I say it?”

“Of course I won’t.” (First Name) smiled brightly at him. 

“I.. My name is.. It’s Keigo,Your Royal Highness.. I was ordered.. Ordered to come and live here from now on..” Keigo stared at his feathers anxiously. 

“So you’re a member of the magic tower now,huh? Well,welcome to the team,Keigo. You may call me (First Name),” (First Name) told him,holding her hand out to shake his. “You are free to do as you please here,and I can assure you that nobody will ever chastise you for saying your name with pride.”

Keigo looked at her outstretched hands with wide eyes,beginning to relax slowly. Still nervous,he reached his hand out and shook hers,his wings folded nervously. “It.. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“The pleasure is all mine,Keigo. Please feel free to be yourself.” (First Name) released his hand and smiled upon seeing Touya and Shoto returning with Natsuo close behind. “How did things go on your end?”

“No injuries,though we did get lectured by the guards for ‘recklessly practicing magic in front of royalty’ today,” Touya told her,smirking. 

“It was fun to do,but why’d we have to do it?” Shoto asked,tilting his head to the side slightly. 

“I hate using so much of my mana,(First Name). You know that,” Natuso sighed,rubbing the back of his neck. 

“I’m sorry,I’m sorry. I just needed you three to distract the guards so I could talk to Princess Mina. She’s agreed to assist me in making a cure,but I have to convince my father to release her and the others in exchange,” (First Name) explained,knowing it would be difficult. “If it actually works,and we can save the people suffering,I will order my father to release them instead of giving me a mid-year present.”

“But won’t that mean you won’t be allowed to ask for another big favor until next year?” Shoto asked,his eyes widening slightly when the Princess nodded. “But what if you need something desperately?”

“Like what? A new garden?” (First Name) asked,shaking her head. “Saving people is most important.”

 “But to abandon your chance to create a new law without repercussions just to save people will be detrimental to your future,won’t it?” Natsuo questioned. 

(First Name) debated this for a moment,before shrugging. “Think of the good I can do for the kingdom this way. I will be releasing the women locked in the Palace of Princesses,saving the lives of those affected by the disease,and even allowing the bond between the Ukiyo Kingdom and the Norika Kingdom to deepen. Isn’t that better than creating a new law?”

“We will be on your side no matter what you choose,(First Name). So long as you continue to dedicate yourself to creating a better future,we will dedicate ourselves to you,” Touya told her,bowing with a smirk. 

“Just as we promised,we’re on your side always,” Shoto added,copying his brother by lowering himself into a bow. 

“Although I plan on aiding Lady Chiyo in looking after the welfare of the royal family,I will assist you in any way I can,(First Name).” Natsuo bowed as well,a small smile on his face. 

“I will continue to rely on you guys,then. Thank you,” (First Name) responded,smiling at them. “Now raise your heads and remember to hold them high. Here,there is no difference between us.”

“Have fun discussing things with your father,then,” Touya told her,patting her head. “I’ll be looking forward to seeing the show you can create this time,(First Name).”

(First Name) looked up at Touya,grinning. “I’ll be sure to win this time as well,then,Touya. Just wait and see,” She told him,before turning and heading towards the main palace. “Oh,and Keigo,you don’t need to lower your head for anyone from now on,so stand tall.” 

Looking at the Princess’s back,Keigo bit his trembling lip. While he was terrified that this girl could be deceiving him,he could tell the other magicians trusted her completely,so he knew it was his own paranoia preventing him from readily accepting her kindness. “Thank you,then,(First Name).” Forcing her name out of his mouth for the first time was difficult,but he felt overwhelming relief upon not immediately getting yelled at for saying the name of someone so high-ranking,so he couldn’t help but smile slightly. 

 (First Name) just waved one last time before disappearing into her hedge maze. Making her way through the familiar path,she walked to her gazebo,knowing her father was there for his tea break. “Papa,I gotta ask you something,” She told him upon seeing him. 

“What’s up,(First Name)?” Toshinori asked as he sipped his tea calmly,already knowing exactly what the girl had spent her day doing. “How come you skipped dinner?”

“I went to the Palace of Princesses,and I met Princess Mina,” (First Name) informed him,sitting across from him and looking straight into his face. “Papa,in exchange for my mid-year present of making a new law,I want you to allow the people confined to the Palace of Princesses to come and go between palaces freely.”

Toshinori gripped his teacup tighter,though his expression didn’t change. “(First Name),are you sure that is what you wish?”

“They are here to learn about different cultures,not be imprisoned under the guise of protection. I wish for them to be free,and for you to allow me and Princess Mina Ashido to save the people of this kingdom.” (First Name) stared at her father,her gaze unwavering. 

Toshinori knew exactly what she was after,and he was glad she was this ambitious. For her to not squirm even under his gaze meant she had the courage needed to become Empress one day,and he would continue to nurture and support her. “Very well. I will make a royal decree tomorrow allowing them their freedom.”

“Thank you,papa. I promise not to disappoint you.” (First Name) smiled,glad he was so willing to listen to her. 

“No matter what you do,you will never disappoint me. You are my daughter,even if not by blood,” Toshinori replied,taking another sip from his teacup. “You have greeted Hawks now,correct?”

“His name is Keigo,not Hawks. Tell the nobles that as well,and tell them he is under my protection,” (First Name) informed him,rising to her feet once again. “The sorcerers in the magic tower are mine,and as the ‘playthings’ of the future Empress,nobody can mess with them,correct?”

“Your heart is still much too kind,(First Name),but your mind makes up for it. So long as you place those you wish to protect among the sorcerers in the magic tower,nobody may touch them,” Toshinori confirmed,chuckling. “So those supposed ‘playthings’ are practically royalty thanks to your endorsement.”

“As they should be.” (First Name) turned her back,glad none of her friends could be looked down upon. “I will do whatever it takes to protect them.”

Two weeks passed before the official decree was publicized,Mina and the others finally visiting the main palace for the first time immediately. 

“Your Royal Highness,I still can’t believe you pulled it off!” Mina told (First Name),grinning brightly. 

“I didn’t even know we would be allowed out of that place..” Ibara confessed,tucking her green vines behind her ear. 

“It feels good to finally be free,” Momo admitted,looking around the grand palace in amazement. 

“It felt nice to swim in the lake..” Tsuyu blushed,letting out a little ribbit afterwards. 

“I’m glad I could grant you all the freedom that you should have had anyways,” (First Name) told them,smiling brightly. “Princess Mina,are you willing to assist me now? The maids have gathered as many boxes of tea leaves as they could,and they will be shipped out after we prepare them properly.”

“Of course!” Mina looked at her happily. “Just lead the way!”

“Thank you,” (First Name) told her,leading her to the large boxes of tea leaves that had already been loaded onto the carts despite not being fully sealed. “I trust that you will be able to do it.”

Mina nodded,coating her hand in the ‘acid’ only the royalty in Norika Kingdom could create. The liquid dripped onto all of the tea leaves in one box,before she moved onto another box. After doing it to three carts,she looked at (First Name). “Where are the other carts?”

“One box full will be enough for two small areas,and by the royal mathematician’s calculations,three carts will be enough for today. Tomorrow,we will ship out more,” (First Name) explained,smiling brightly as the boxes were sealed. Turning her attention to the man in charge of the first cart,she kept her smile. “I will be relying on you to safely transport those goods to the correct places,Tensei.”

“Of course,Your Royal Highness. You can trust me to get them there quickly,” Tensei assured her,grinning. “I’ll be leaving my troublesome little brother behind so Lady Kuni can continue to tutor him,so please make sure he continues to learn properly.”

“Of course I will,” (First Name) told him,turning her attention to the man in charge of the second cart. “Chizome,be careful out there,okay?”

“I’ll be fine,Your Royal Highness. Continue to watch over His Majesty.” Chizome continued sealing his own boxes,not paying much attention to the Princess since he knew she would be fine. 

“I will,” (First Name) promised,before looking at Sajin. “Sajin,keep it safe.”

“Yes,Your Royal Highness.” Sajin finished sealing his boxes,looking at her. “Stay safe.”

“I’ll be waiting for you all to return,” (First Name) told them,smiling brightly. 

“Yes,Your Royal Highness,” The trio said in unison,grabbing the reins for their horses before disappearing out of the palace gates. 

(First Name) watched as they all disappeared out of the palace gates,curious about the world beyond the gates. Seeing a boy struggling to get away from one of the guards,she rushed forward,annoyed that they were bullying a child. “Hey,let him go!”

“Your Royal Highness..?” The guard holding up Tenko asked,dropping the boy and looking at her. “This brat is claiming he was invited to become a member of the magic tower,but he didn’t have any proof,so I was teaching him not to lie.”

(First Name) looked at the bruised boy,seeing how angry he looked. “What’s your name?”

“Tenko! I’m Tenko Shimura!” The boy told her quickly,rubbing at his itchy eyes. “My grandma was Nana Shimura!”

“Nana Shimura has no relatives,you brat!” The guard shouted,going to kick him again.

(First Name) grabbed the boy’s arm,jerking him out of the way of the kick quickly. “I have not given you permission to beat anyone,stranger to this palace or not!” She shouted at the guard,glaring at him harshly. “Do not raise your hand against a mere child,you coward!”

The guard gulped when he saw how upset she seemed,lowering his leg and then lowering his whole body into a bow. “Forgive me,Your Royal Highness..”

(First Name) scoffed,turning her attention to Tenko. “You said your name is Tenko,right?”

“Ah,yes! I’m her grandson!” Tenko told her,pulling his arm away from her. “I’d shake your hand,but I’d destroy you if I did because I have really strong mana,so I’ll refrain from doing so!”

(First Name) stared at him for a moment,taking in the sight of the dark bruises once again. She could easily tell he had been abused,which pissed her off,so she decided to invite him into the magic tower after all. “Tenko Shimura,are you willing to stand by my side as a sorcerer?”

Tenko looked at her in shock,amazed that she actually believed him. “Yes,yes,definitely! Absolutely!” 

“Then from today onwards,you are a member of the magic tower. You need not ever lower your head or have fear of being beaten again,” (First Name) promised him,glad to have another person on her side. “You’re now under the protection of the future Empress of the Ukiyo Kingdom.”

And even in the deepest,darkest night,the torch is raised to the sky

There are hands that hold it high; you were born to keep it burning bright

Eight-year-old (First Name) was glad to hear that the tea made with Mina’s ‘acid’ actually worked to kill off the disease,though the girl was amazed when she suddenly received many letters from people wishing for entrance to the magic tower. 

Dear Princess (First Name),

This is Himiko Toga! Hello! I have heard of how wonderful you are,and I was wondering if you’d be willing to help me out as well? My family wishes for me to leave home and marry an old Duke from the neighboring Miyakisaki Kingdom when I turn sixteen,but I don’t want to for obvious reasons. Since I have no other options but to reach out for help,would you be willing to help? 

With love,Himiko!

(First Name) laughed as she finished reading the short letter,wondering whether or not she should actually take the girl in. Deciding to go through the other hundred or so letters before choosing,she set the letter off to the right side of her little desk,picking up another letter. 

This is Jin Bubaigawara. I am writing this because I need someone who will actually accept me for who I am. I have a powerful form of magic. Please consider taking me in. I want friends. 

(First Name) set the letter on the right side of her desk immediately. Though it wasn’t even formatted properly,and the handwriting was rather atrocious,she sympathized with his desire for friends. After reading through a few more letters,she came across another that piqued her interests. 

Dear Princess,

I am Atsuhiro Sako. I am nearly eighteen years old,the heir to a circus,and a man with extremely powerful mana. If you would be kind enough to take me in,that would be delightful since I wish to choose my own path in life. If you would be willing to take in an outlandish individual such as myself,I would appreciate it. 

Thanks,

Atsuhiro

(First Name) set the letter to the right side of her desk,shaking her head with a slight laugh at how confident the man seemed. If someone wanted to choose their own path,and she could help them with that,she would definitely take them in. Fifteen letters later,she came across another interesting letter. 

Hello! 

My name is Magne,and I’m sending this letter in hope that you would be willing to help me! I come from a family that values men over women,and I am a woman,so I need help. Though this may seem confusing to you,Princess,I am a woman despite having a male body. I have never once enjoyed being considered a male,but the people around me are continuously treating me like a man,so I need help to escape this. Please,if you’re willing to take me in,send someone for me. 

Love,

Magne

(First Name) stared down at the letter,a little confused by what the woman meant. If the woman was a woman,she was a woman,so it made no sense to her. Setting the letter to the right side of her desk,she decided she had chosen the people she wanted. “Amane,tell father that Atsuhiro Sako,Jin Bubaigawara,Kenji Hikiishi,and Himiko Toga are to become members of the magic tower,effective immediately.” 

“Yes,Your Royal Highness..” Amane hurried off to do as told,not wanting to upset the child. 

It took a month before the group of four arrived. The palace gate opened,and a mismatched group of four strolled in. 

“Your Royal Highness,are those really the people you chose to enter the magic tower?” Amane asked her nervously. 

“Welcome to the palace,” (First Name) greeted them,ignoring the maid entirely. “I am Princess (First Name) Yagi,but you all may simply call me (First Name). Please tell me the names you wish to go by,as well as the pronouns you wish to go by.”

Magne stared at her in shock,her eyes filling with tears immediately when she realized the girl had tried to research how to make her feel more comfortable. “My name is Magne,and I’m a girl,so please just call me she and her.”

“I’m Himiko Toga,and I’m a girl that goes by the same pronouns as big sis Magne!” Himiko informed (First Name) happily. 

“I’m Atsuhiro,but you can just call me Mr.Compress. I go by he/him pronouns,” Atsuhiro told her with a slight smile. 

“I’m Jin,but you can just call me Twice.. I go by he/him pronouns as well,” Jin told her,amazed by how kind this child seemed. 

“From today onwards,all of you are under my protection. Nobody shall refer to you wrongly,call you a freak,force you into a wrong relationship,or abandon you,” (First Name) spoke,smiling brightly. “Shall we meet the others now?”

“The other sorcerers? Will they be nice as well?” Jin asked curiously. 

“Dabi may be cold sometimes,but he is kind.. Magne,thanks for explaining pronouns and names so well in your second letter! Thanks to that,I was able to ask the others about it,and Dabi chose to become Dabi,and he’s been much happier since then!” (First Name) grinned. “Oh,and Shoto is a kind person that takes things too literally,but he’ll be careful to abide by pronouns and names as well! Tomura is kind,but he can’t touch people unless he drinks his anti-magic potion in the morning,so be careful not to try and grab his hand randomly because it makes him uncomfortable. Kacchan is rough,but Deku’s kindness kinda eases him up,so you don’t have to worry about him either! And Keigo is super nice,so don’t worry about him either!”

“There’s that many?” Himiko asked,her eyes sparkling. 

“With the addition of you four,we’re up to ten members now.. Well,I supposed that Mina is a member as well,so we’re actually up to eleven,” (First Name) told her,grinning. “I’m looking forward to introducing all of you to them.”

Despite their quirky personalities,the sorcerers of the magic tower accepted the newbies with open arms,and they all spent the rest of the day laughing and talking as they goofed off. 

You were made to fly,you were meant to shine

Child of light

War broke out when (First Name) was only nine. Thanks to an uprising begun by All For One,an old tyrant king that had been replaced with a kind woman,(First Name) was forced to watch as the people she cared about prepared to leave for war. 

“You’ll be fine,(First Name). I’m only taking the older kids with me,so you’ll have plenty of people here to protect you,” Toshinori assured the girl,sighing when he saw how scared she looked. “You’ve got to be brave right now,okay?”

“I don’t want you to go,though..” (First Name) muttered,looking down at her feet. “And you’re taking Dabi and Keigo and Twice and Mr.Compress and even Magne with you.. I don’t want any of them to get hurt..” 

“Do you really think I’d let them get hurt? I’m leaving Mirai behind so he can look over you,so you don’t have to be afraid,okay?” Toshinori ruffled her hair,checking once again to make sure his horse was properly saddled. “It’s going to be a while before I’m home,but I’m giving you full permission to take in any new sorcerer you deem worthy enough during my absence. I’ve already notified Mirai and told him that you have the final say in what goes on around the palace for now,so just do your best,okay?”

“But papa,I don’t want you to go at all..” (First Name) told him,anxiety bubbling up in her even more. “What if something super bad happens to you?”

“I’ll be fine,(First Name). I’m not going to just disappear,so just do your best until I’m home,” Toshinori ordered her,ruffling her hair and grinning. “You’ll do perfectly fine,okay?”

(First Name) looked up at him,nodding slightly. Knowing he wouldn’t stay no matter how much she wanted him to,she grabbed the handkerchief Amane had stitched a bear onto,tying it onto the handle of his sword. “Come home soon,then..”

Toshinori chuckled and nodded. “I will,” He told her,getting onto his horse and turning his attention to the awaiting knights and sorcerers who were on standby. “Let’s go.”

“Yes,Your Majesty!” The fleet barked out at once. Among them,Magne and Jin were talking to Touya energetically,Atsuhiro watching over them with a smile. Keigo was sitting atop his mare,his red wings folded behind him calmly as he looked at the palace walls; he hadn’t been out in what felt like years,but he wanted to stay now that the opportunity to leave was before him.

(First Name) watched as the horses took off,waiting until the group of sorcerers neared her. “Stay safe you guys!” 

“We’ll be home soon,Your Royal Highness!” Magne called out to her with a bright smile. 

“I’ll bring you a pretty flower back,so just wait for me!” Touya shouted as he rode by her. 

“I’ll keep them safe,I promise!” Jin told (First Name),grinning beneath his mask. 

“We’ll have tea when I return!” Atsuhiro promised (First Name),gripping his reins with a grin. 

“(First Name).” Keigo pulled his reins slightly,stopping in front of her. Holding his hand out,a red feather was placed neatly between two of his fingers. “Take it. When we’re almost home,I’ll signal you. Just wait for us,okay?”

(First Name) looked at the red feather,feeling better at the idea of knowing when they’d return. Taking the feather,she looked up at Keigo. “I’ll wait as long as it takes,then..”

“Good. I’ll be sure to protect them,I promise.” With that,Keigo snapped his reins,his horse charging forward to catch up with the others. 

Watching the gates swing shut,(First Name) felt her heart drop,knowing most of the knights in the fleet wouldn’t return. Looking down at the feather in her hand,she tried to steel her nerves,though tears still sprung to her eyes. Wiping them quickly,she let out a sniffle,trying not to be such a crybaby. 

The month following the Emperor’s leave,(First Name) found herself completely overwhelmed. Her daily breakfasts with her father had become lonely days at an empty table. Focusing on her classes was almost impossible,and stamping the documents Mirai told her to stamp with the royal seal was even too much for her. The time she had previously spent running around at the magic tower felt like distant memories since she hardly had a moment of rest. Dealing with the arguments that broke out between the maids,working to Mirai’s standards,and learning proper etiquette resulted in the girl becoming bed-ridden. 

“(First Name),what the hell have you been doing since His Majesty left?” Natsuo asked the girl as he checked her temperature once again. Recoiling at how hot her skin felt,he sighed,covering the skin of his hand in a thin layer of ice and placing it on her forehead. Looking to Mirai,his gaze darkened. “Sir,with all due respect,why are you being an absolute moron and forcing her to overexert herself to the point that she develops a fever?”

“She’s not been well for the last few days,but she’s been insisting that her health was fine..” Mirai told him,sighing and sitting in (First Name)’s desk chair. “How long will it take her to recover?”

“At least a week. For now,just seal the documents for her. Whether that stamp is supposed to only be held by royalty or not,she isn’t well enough to do it,so you’ll have to stand in for now,” Natsuo snapped,looking at (First Name) when he heard her let out a whimper. “Fetch Shoto and Fuyumi,and then ask Princess Mina to grab any herbs that help bring fevers down.”

“As you wish..” Mirai stood once again,heading out to do as told. 

Ten minute passed,and Shoto and Fuyumi arrived at the same time,both of them hurrying towards the bed. “How is she doing?” Shoto asked. 

“She’s not doing well,which is why I asked for you two to be brought here. I need you to make the air in the room colder,Fuyumi,and I need you to place your right hand on her forehead,” Natsuo told them,not moving his hand quite yet. “I need to be able to work with Princess Mina to create a proper medicine to bring her fever down,which can’t be done one-handed.”

“It’s hot..” (First Name) whimpered,hardly awake. Her head was pounding,and her vision was blurred to the point she couldn’t even make out her surroundings. “Papa..”

“Shh,(First Name),you’re okay..” Shoto soothed,placing his hand on the girl’s forehead. 

“I’ll do what I can..” Fuyumi released her mana,which only allowed her to make her surroundings either warmer or colder. Staying close to the Princess’s bed,she looked down at her,her heart aching when she saw how much pain the girl was. “We’re right here,(First Name)..”

(First Name) leaned into Shoto’s touch,still having trouble breathing but finally finding enough relief to fall asleep once again. 

“Princess Mina,she needs to get well as soon as possible. She can’t afford to wait a week,” Mirai told the girl in the hallway. 

“Healing takes time,Mirai..” Mina objected,frowning slightly. 

Natsuo looked down at the Princess,anger filling him when he heard Mirai talking to Mina in the hallway. Stomping towards the door,he flung it open,glaring harshly at Mirai. “Princess (First Name) is in a lot of pain right now,and the fact that you’re only focused on work shows you’re no better than scum. I won’t allow her to work until her body has fully healed.”

“You can’t do that!” Mirai snapped at him. 

“Just watch me,you bastard!” Natsuo snapped,his glare darkening as he stared the older male down. “The Princess is under our protection. As members of the magic tower,we won’t let you walk all over her health.”

“If you have a problem with all of us protecting (First Name),you can just disappear,Mirai. His Majesty would be enraged if he saw what you’ve done to his daughter,” Mina hissed,walking into the room and setting her pack down. “Come on,Natsuo. I picked as many herbs as I could think of that would help.”

Natsuo turned his back on Mirai,shutting the door as he walked back into the Princess’s room. Sitting on the edge of the bed,he began to go through the herbs,trying to decide which ones to use to help her. 

When (First Name) finally recovered nearly two weeks later,she was relieved to find Mirai had decided to stand in as Emperor so she wouldn’t overwork herself again,the girl thanking him before retreating to the magic tower. “Himiko! Himiko,who’s the guy you keep bugging Shoto about?”

“Oh,Mustard? He’s this dude who’s about a year younger than us,and he’s got this really cool form of magic,so I wanted to introduce him to you!” Himiko replied,grinning brightly. “I’m glad to see you’re healthy again!”

“Is he a good person?” (First Name) asked,tilting her head to the side slightly. 

“I believe so!” Himiko told her happily. 

“Then tell him he’s a new sorcerer for us,then. I’d prefer to have an even number of people,you know?” (First Name) replied,trusting Himiko’s judgement. 

“Will do!” Himiko chirped happily.
“Oi,(First Name),are we allowed to elect people to join as well?” Katsuki asked,looking over at her. 

“Of course. Who are you thinking?” (First Name) grinned at him. 

“Eijiro Kirsihima and Denki Kaminari. They both have strong magic,” Katsuki told her,remembering the idiots he had met by the palace gates the other day. 

“They can join as well,then.” (First Name) looked at Izuku,grinning. “Do you have anyone you want to elect?”

“Tenya Iida and Ochaco Uraraka,” Izuku replied without hesitating. “They’re both good people.” 

“Then tell them to come as well. Since papa gave me permission to bring in as many people as I want while he’s gone,I’ll take advantage.” (First Name) smirked,wanting to be sure she had strong comrades. 

And so,while her father was out fighting,(First Name) added another five comrades to her roster. 

You will never ever stand alone,you were never called to bear the burdens on your own

And where there is fear,love will take control and lead you on

Ten-year-old (First Name) was talking to Ochaco energetically when the red feather on her neck finally moved for the first time in a year. Within moments,she was running towards the front gate,shouting at the guards to open it since her father was finally returning. 

“Welcome home,papa!” (First Name) greeted him enthusiastically as the blond rode through the gates only minutes later. 

“It’s good to be back,” Toshinori responded,getting off of his horse carefully. His side ached horribly,but he didn’t allow the pain to show on his face. “Did you have fun while I was gone?”

“Yep! Did you have fun?” (First Name) grinned up at him happily. 

“Of course,but I need to go speak with the council now,so go talk to your friends,okay?” Toshinori ruffled her hair,walking away once the girl nodded. 

Looking around,(First Name) spotted Keigo and Touya quickly,running over to them excitedly. “Keigo,Dabi,how did it go?! Did you guys have fun?!”

“Have fun..?” Touya looked down at her,sighing as he got off of his horse. “(First Name),are you an idiot? Your father was injured,and you’re asking if I had fun?”

“Papa was injured?” (First Name) asked,her eyes widening slightly. “What do you mean?”

“We barely won the fight. His Majesty would have died had Lady Chiyo not been there to heal him.” Touya led his horse towards the stables,not looking back at her. 

(First Name)’s eyes widened,the girl looking to Keigo for confirmation. Seeing the blond nod,she turned and ran back to the palace quickly,rushing towards her father’s office to see if it really was true. If they had almost lost the war,and if her father truly had been injured,then another war would certainly break out soon. Making it to her father’s office,she froze outside of the door when she heard talking inside. 

“Your Majesty,please,you can’t continue standing against All For One when you’re injured like this!” Mirai told the man,clutching his shoulders. “If you fight him again,you’ll die!”

“And what should I do,then? Allow him to take control of this kingdom?” Toshinori asked,pushing his hands away. “Mirai,I have a job as Emperor.”

“You can take someone in!” Mirai shouted,not caring about how harsh his tone was. “If you take in the son of a noble,he can become Emperor and fight All For One for you! You can’t continue this fight!” 

Toshinori’s hand moved on its own,flying across Mirai’s face with an echoing slap. Breathing heavily,he glared down at him. “Don’t bring something like that up ever again! (First Name) is to become Empress,not some random child!”

“She’s not even your daughter!” Mirai yelled,holding his cheek. While he had become accustomed to the girl,he didn’t want the Emperor he had grown up with to just die for a child that wasn’t even his. “You’ll get yourself killed if you continue this! If you just take in someone else and crown them as Emperor,you can live! You could even sell her to All For One so he can marry her to his son!”

“Everyone in this kingdom is my family,including (First Name)! She has spent her whole life studying to become a perfect Empress,not to become some future tyrant’s wife!” Toshinori roared,his anger only growing. 

Clenching her fists,(First Name) held her hand up to knock on the door,hesitating to actually do so. Pulling her hand back,she backed away from the door,turning and running away as fast as she could. If her father continued as Emperor,he would be killed,but she was too young to become Empress now. If he died,it would be her fault. 

Stumbling outside,the girl tripped and skinned her knees,flinching back when a guard offered a hand to help her up. Forcing herself to her feet,she ran towards the magic tower,making her way through the bushes and trees quickly. Feeling the sting of the sticks that managed to cut her legs and arms,she continued to run,stumbling and coming to a stop when she saw Touya. Unable to hold her tears back any longer,she wiped at her eyes,desperately trying to stop herself from breaking down. “Da.. Dabi..” 

Touya turned to look towards the noise,his eyes widening when he saw (First Name) crying. Though he was still angry about everything that had gone down during the battle,he had never meant to make her cry. “(First Name)..? What’s wrong..?” 

“Pa.. Papa..” (First Name) whimpered,wiping at her eyes. “Papa’s gonna die because of me,isn’t he..? He.. He’s gonna die because I’m not.. I’m not..” 

“No,no,that’s..” Touya went to step forward,his eyes widening when Magne scooped the girl up instead. Unable to think of what to say,he just backed away,feeling completely useless. 

Magne held the little Princess close,rubbing her back. “Just cry it out,(First Name),and then tell us what happened,okay?” She asked gently. 

Trembling,(First Name) broke down into sobs,gripping onto Magne tightly. Burying her face in the woman’s neck,she sobbed,terrified of what was to come. 

After half an hour had passed of the girl crying until she calmed down,Magne looked down at her. “Are you okay to talk about it now?”

“I..” (First Name) hesitated,gripping onto Magne tightly still. “I wanna see everyone first..” 

“Then we can do that,” Magne promised,carrying her into the magic tower calmly. Seeing how everyone was just busy doing their own thing,she whistled to get their attention,unsurprised when all of them ran over to see what was wrong. “She said she wanted to see you guys. Something’s bugging her.”

“What happened,(First Name)?” Mina asked worriedly,looking up at her; she had never seen the girl like this before. 

(First Name) gripped onto Magne tighter. Knowing she could trust all of them,she forced the words out. “Papa.. Papa and Mirai were talking,and Mirai said that papa will die if he continues fighting All For One so he needs a replacement,but I’m not old enough.. I..” She wiped at her eyes,her voice shaky. “I don’t want papa to die,but I don’t know what to do..”

Silence fell among the group,before Atsuhiro hesitantly spoke up. “Why don’t we all just go kill All For One,then? I know it’s a stupid idea,but if we all go together,we can do it..”

“How..? It’s impossible,isn’t it..?” Himiko looked at Atsuhiro,wanting to find a way to help (First Name). 

“Although His Majesty sustained grave injuries,he injured All For One as well.. And,among his generals,their sorcerers are all weak against us,” Atsuhiro explained,not wanting to send them off to war. “He has five generals,and they have opposing magic to ours.. One of them has grass magic that allows them to grow and control plants,so Dabi could burn him to pieces. Another had water magic,so Denki could fry him. Katsuki,who has explosive magic,could completely destroy the man who makes shields,and Tomura can completely disintegrate the man that has regeneration magic. And Mina could melt away the general that can summon weapons if she uses her acid.”

“Are you seriously proposing we just leave and go into battle..? Two of the people in our group are royalty,not warriors..” Keigo objected,looking at him. 

“But,objectively speaking,that is the only realistic way for us to save His Majesty’s life. Currently,(First Name) is only ten,which leaves eight years until she is an adult. If it would take All For One roughly a year or so to recover,and another two years for him to gather the necessary funds to begin another war,(First Name) would still only be thirteen by the time war breaks out again. If His Majesty were to die in the second war,(First Name) wouldn’t be able to defend the kingdom,nor her right to inherit the crown,so she would be cast aside.. But,if the seventeen of us were to go and fight as a team,we would have a shot at winning,” Atsuhiro explained,sighing. “It’s all I can think of..” 

“We can’t just go to war on our own! He had thousands of soldiers!” Touya snapped at him angrily. “We’d be leading (First Name) and Mina to their deaths!”

“What if someone infiltrated his kingdom..?” Himiko asked,clenching her fists. “What if I acted as a maid in his castle and provided you all with information? If I act as a spy on the inside,you’ll have a better shot at winning,right?”

“Himiko,you can’t seriously think that’s a good idea,right?! You could get killed!” Izuku scolded her. 

“But Compress is right! If we sit down and do nothing,we’ll all be killed! And think of what All For One would do to (First Name) after killing His Majesty!” Himiko snapped,looking at him. “If (First Name) is killed,or she falls out of power completely,we’ll lose this place! All For One is a tyrant king who abuses his people,so what would stop him from abusing all of us?!”

Silence fell once again,until (First Name) finally spoke up. Knowing everything would be okay if she was with them,she found the bravery she needed. “If.. If we kill All For One and crown a new king,we can protect everyone,right..? If I can protect you guys by learning magic,I will..”

“(First Name),think about this seriously!” Touya shouted at her. 

“I am!” (First Name) snapped,her voice cracking. “If I learn magic and we kill All For One,all of us can stay together,and papa will be alive!”

“And you’re willing to risk your life just for us to stay together?!” Touya shouted,clenching his fists. “Think of what you’re saying!” 

“Of course! I love all of you guys!” (First Name) yelled back. “I’ve always trusted you guys,and I’ll continue to trust you guys no matter what!”

Touya growled,his hands catching on fire from his frustration. (First Name) wanting to risk her life pissed him off since he knew she belonged in the safety of the castle. “All of us can go besides you,then. If you trust us that much,you should trust us to win without you.”

“(First Name) needs to be there as well so she can appoint a new king,” Atsuhiro pointed out,sighing. “Let’s just try and think of this slowly,okay? It’s going to take more than one night to come up with a proper plan.”

‘Cause there’s a dream taking wing,there’s a voice that wants to sing

Eleven-year-old (First Name) sucked in a deep breath as she sensed the mana around her,trying to gather as much of her own mana as possible. Remembering how Atsuhiro had told her to do it,she tried to think of what she wanted to create,opening her eyes when she felt a weight in her hand suddenly. Looking at what was in her palm,she frowned when she saw she had created a flower with her magic. “Seriously? That’s it?”

“So you have a form of creation magic,huh?” Atsuhiro chuckled,shaking his head. “Try and create a rose.”

(First Name) did as told,her eyes widening when the flower she had originally created turned into a rose. “Why did it change..?”

“Then maybe you have a mix of transformation magic as well..?” Atsuhiro guessed,impressed. “Magic like that could come in handy,you know?” 

(First Name) let out a ‘tch’,throwing the rose out of the window. “Something like that can’t help during a fight!”

“Do you think my magic is perfect during a fight?” Atsuhiro asked,chuckling. “You have to think of a way to turn your weakness into a strength. Creating a flower and transforming it is nice,but it’s up to you to decide what to do with it.”

“Okay,okay.. That’s all for today,right?” (First Name) asked,looking at him hopefully. 

“Yes. Himiko sent a letter saying that All For One has completely recovered now,so we need to solidify the plan soon,” Atsuhiro replied. 

“I’ll try and come up with a proper plan,then.. For now,though,I’m going to my room,” (First Name) informed him,yawning. Since she had spent the last year or so training how to control mana,and had only recently begun actually using it,training was tiring for her. “I’ll see you later,Compress.”

“Don’t stay up too late tonight,” Atsuhiro warned her,knowing the girl had been working on her swordsmanship with Katsuki at night. 

(First Name) just rolled her eyes playfully before leaving the tower,heading back to the main palace and going straight to her room. Sitting down at her desk,she looked down at a blank sheet of paper,trying to think of what would be the best plan. 

Twice can create clones of us,so we can sneak out without being noticed. 

Compress can turn us into marbles,though I don’t know how that will help.

 (First Name) sighed,unsure of what else to write. Her eyes wandering to the things she kept on her desk,she smiled slightly when she saw the leaf that had been frozen years prior. “I can’t even stay upset when I see something I like,so how the hell am I going to get angry enough to kill someone..?” She asked herself,sighing. Deciding to try and think of what she could possibly do,she laid her head down on her desk,dozing off accidentally.

And even in the deepest,darkest night,a torch is raised to the sky 

And there are hands that hold it high; you were born to keep it burning bright

Rumors reached her ears quickly of how All For One was preparing his troops. Knowing she could not wait any longer,twelve-year-old (First Name) finally signalled to her sorcerers that tonight was the night to move. 

When darkness fell,the Princess waited until she knew everyone in the palace was asleep before changing into the commoner clothing Keigo had purchased for her. Grabbing her traveling pack,she slid the door to her balcony open and stepped outside,shutting it silently and looking up at Keigo,who was waiting on her railing. 

“Are you sure about this,(First Name)?” Keigo asked,holding his hand out since he already knew the answer. The determination in the Princess’s eyes told him everything,actually. 

“Of course I’m sure.. The others are already at the stables,right?” (First Name) grabbed his hand,unafraid when he lifted her into the air. 

“They are..” Keigo flew over to the stables,landing and setting the Princess down. “We should recite the plan once again,right?”

(First Name) looked at Atsuhiro,hardly able to see him in the darkness. “Mr.Compress,I’m relying on you.”

“Indeed..” Atsuhiro sighed,gripping his own pack tighter. “Twice will make doubles of everyone for now,and I will be turning all of you into marbles besides Keigo,who will fly over the wall and use a feather to carry me over the wall so the gate won’t have to be opened. From there,the two of us will buy two horses and ride to another town,where I’ll release all of you. There,we will be buying more horses and then setting out on our path towards All For One’s kingdom. Thanks to Twice’s magic,we shouldn’t have to worry about them discovering our disappearances.”

“Then I’ll get started..” Jin muttered,nervous about creating so many clones at once. Seeing how his friends trusted him gave him the courage to continue with the plan,the man creating a clone of (First Name) first. 

“You know what you’re here for,don’t you?” (First Name) asked the clone of herself,smiling when she nodded. “Keep papa safe,then,and don’t get caught.”

Jin continued to make clones of everyone in their group,though he didn’t make one of himself. Looking at the originals,he relaxed. “My part is finished.”

“All of you,do your best to buy us as much time as possible,okay?” (First Name) asked,looking around at the group in the dim lighting. Seeing them nod,she smiled. “Mr.Compress,Keigo,we’ll be relying on you..” She told the originals. 

“Rest assured.” Atsuhiro reached out,patting the girl’s head and turning her and her bag into a marble. Afterwards,he did the same to the others,turning to look at Keigo after tucking the marbles away safely.  “Ready,Keigo?”

“Of course,” Keigo replied,flying above the wall calmly. Sending a feather out to carry Atsuhiro over,he landed in the town with the man close behind. “Keep those marbles safe.”

“It’s my duty to do so,after all.” Atsuhiro smirked,walking off towards a stable calmly. 

Two days passed before (First Name) was released from her marble,the girl stretching out in the forest happily. Looking around,her eyes sparkled when reality hit her that she was really beyond the palace walls. “This is what the kingdom looks like?”

“Of course. I’m only allowing all of you out since we’re taking a short break,though. It will still take a few days to reach the next town,” Atsuhiro informed her with a chuckle.

“I’ll be looking forward to it,then..” (First Name) told him,looking at the flowers with a smile. “We’ll be on the road for a long time,won’t we?”

“Yes,but you’ll be able to experience the life you’ve always been so curious about this way. Though we’re going on a conquest,we’ll have plenty of time to have fun along the way,” Atsuhiro assured her with a smile. 

“We’ll burn that bastard to ash as a team,” Touya told (First Name),smirking. “And when we return,everyone will know you’re not to be looked down on.”

“I’ll definitely shock him to death!” Denki exclaimed,grinning cheekily. 

“It’s not manly for all of us to team up on one opponent! Our job is to pave a path for (First Name) to reach that bastard so she can land the finishing blow,right?” Eijiro grinned,sharpening his sword. 

“No matter what happens,we’ll do it together. We’ll always be a team,right?” Jin asked worriedly. 

“Of course,Twice! We’ll all fight together!” Himiko chirped,grinning. “We’ll win and send that bastard to hell!”

“It’s all his fault (First Name) had to endure a year as a stand-in Empress,so we’ll get our revenge properly..” Tomura muttered,looking down at his hands. “I’ll decay anything in our path.”

“We’ll be fine because we’re a family. I’m the best big sis,right?” Magne grinned at them. 

“Big sis Magne is the absolute coolest!” Himiko promised energetically. “How are you feeling,Mustard?”

“I’m..” Mustard hesitated for a moment,clenching and unclenching his fists. “I’m going to poison anyone that dares to stand in our way.”

(First Name) looked at Keigo,seeing the dark circles under his eyes and frowning. “Keigo,have you slept at all?”

“I’ll sleep tonight,I’ve just been paranoid.. Every time I fall asleep,I think of what could happen if someone stole Compress’s pack,so I’ve been anxious..” Keigo confessed,letting out a yawn. 

“Promise you’ll sleep tonight?” (First Name) asked,holding out her pinky. 

“I promise..” Keigo sighed,wrapping his own pinky around hers. “Compress,hurry up and turn them back into marbles before they draw attention.”

“Yeah,yeah..” Atsuhiro sighed,turning them all back into marbles and tucking them away once again. 

After they had spent nearly a month on the road,(First Name) was amazed to witness her first town festival. Seeing the colorful flags,the stands of food and trinkets that lined the streets,and all of the happy people,she couldn’t help but smile as well. “What is all of this?” 

“It’s a festival to celebrate a successful harvest. The musicians are playing songs written to bring good luck for next year’s harvest,and the people are dancing to give thanks,” Jin explained,grinning when he saw how amazed (First Name) looked. “We can spare a few days here,so you should go have fun.”

“I..” (First Name) realized she really could go have fun; here,she was nothing more than another commoner. Getting off of her horse,she held her hand out for Mina,grinning at her. “Mina,you like to dance,right? Shall we do it together?”

Mina looked at (First Name)’s hand for a moment before nodding,jumping off her own horse. Grabbing the girl’s hand,she pulled her into the dance circle eagerly,dancing with her with a laugh. While she had never danced a ‘commoner’ dance before,her feet found the beat easily enough,and the moves came quickly after. Spinning around with (First Name) and dipping her,she laughed as they twirled,noticing how the others were watching from the sidelines. “Shall we drag them into this as well?” 

“I’d be delighted to torture them,” (First Name) agreed,separating from her. Grabbing Shoto’s hand while Mina grabbed Denki’s hand,she pulled him into the dance with a grin,laughing at how awkwardly he tried to dance. “You need to relax,Sho.”

“I am relaxed..” Shoto muttered,apologizing when he bumped into yet another person. Soon enough,he truly began to relax,slowly getting used to the steps. 

Once Shoto got used to it,(First Name) pulled Mustard into the dance happily,repeating the process until everyone but Atsuhiro was dancing in the circle. For what felt like the first time in her life,the Princess found herself completely able to cast aside all thoughts of responsibility as she danced with her friends. Though none of them were perfect at the dance,they all smiled and laughed as they spun around together. 

“This is what a child should be doing all the time..” Atsuhiro muttered to himself as he guarded all of the horses,watching proudly as his friends enjoyed themselves. Part of him wished they would never have to return to the strict rules of the palace,though he knew such a thing was impossible; (First Name) had a duty to become Empress one day,so days like these would one day become truly impossible for all of the people who had sworn loyalty to her. One day,the children dancing and laughing freely in front of him would have to return to their roles. For now,however,he decided to just enjoy their temporary freedom. 

Soon enough,(First Name) and the others finished dancing,the group making their way around the festival happily. Laughing and enjoying their time together,they shoved their faces full of food greedily and spoke of their goals for the future with giant grins. No matter their rank,nor their background,they had become a family. No matter how strange Himiko’s obsession with blood was,or how rude Katsuki could be,they were able to get along because they all loved each-other more than life itself. 

The following month,(First Name) experienced fall outside of the palace for the first time. Seeing the brightly-colored leaves ripped from the trees of the forest by the wind,she was absolutely stricken with a sudden desire to run,so she did. Snapping her reins,her horse charged through the forest eagerly,jumping over fallen trees and the occasional rock that tried to block their path. Feeling the wind stinging her cheeks and hearing her friends shout for her to come back,the girl threw her head back and laughed loudly,feeling absolutely free. She was no longer just a future Empress,nor was she a person people expected anything from; for the first time in her life,she was completely herself. She didn’t need to worry about seeming improper,nor did she have to worry about her posture. Here,in this vast forest while on a journey to kill All For One,the girl found herself. 

Another month passed,and (First Name) felt the cold beginning of winter. While she had loosened up and become a rather relaxed person for the first time,she found the coming of winter to be a daunting inevitability. Knowing there was nothing she could do to keep the chill from advancing,she knew they would all be safe and warm so long as they were together. Sitting beside the fire Shoto had created to warm them all up one night,she looked at her friends. “I know this may be late,but can I ask you all something kinda personal?”

“What’s wrong?” Touya asked,looking over at her curiously. 

“You alright,(First Name)?” Himiko tilted her head to the side,wondering what could possibly be bugging the girl. 

“Have you guys ever wondered why you’re alive?” (First Name) asked,looking down at the fire. “I know that probably sounds bad or whatever,but I don’t mean for it to be negative.. I just.. Sometimes,I wonder what my purpose is,you know?” 

Atsuhiro held his hand out to stop the others from speaking,knowing now was his time to speak up. “We all wonder about that,(First Name),but you probably wonder about it more than any of us. You’ve never forced any of us into telling our stories,but would you be willing to tell your own story?”

“What do you mean?” (First Name) asked him,raising an eyebrow. 

“You were adopted,right?” Atsuhiro smiled at her. “Do you remember your parents at all?” 

(First Name) hesitated,looking down at the flames once again. “I don’t,but sometimes I wish I could.. Many of the officials in the court raised hell back when my father brought me in and named me as his heir,and they weren’t exactly trying to hide their hostility when I used to come in during the meetings.. There was one dude who told me I could never run the kingdom since I’m still nothing more than a commoner..”

“Do you think something like that is true?” Magne asked her worriedly. 

“I don’t know..” (First Name) pulled her knees closer to her chest,continuing to stare at the fire. “Sometimes,I wonder if I want to run away so badly because I’m ‘just a commoner’,but I know that’s not why.. I just.. I know I have to be an Empress,but I don’t know why there even needs to be one..” 

“Do you remember the towns we’ve gone through so far?” Atsuhiro asked,smiling when she nodded. “That is exactly why we need you,(First Name). We need someone in power who is able to move people with her words,someone who is able to sympathize with people,and someone who is willing to accept people for who they are. If someone else were chosen to take over your father’s position,they would frown down upon people like us. If you take over the crown,you can change people’s opinions.” 

“But.. But why? Why do people feel the need to be cruel in the first place? Even now,I know what we’re going to do is wrong,and I hate it.. Nobody should have to fight just to be happy..” (First Name) hid her face in her knees,scared they would be annoyed with her for thinking this way. “I know it’s childish of me,but I just don’t understand why people can’t just be happy..”

“It’s because some old guy a long time ago decided he was better than other people. That’s all there is to it,(First Name). There’s no real difference between any of us,right? We’re all just trying to survive. If you don’t want to kill him,we can return to the castle. We don’t have to do any of this,” Mina assured her,rubbing her back gently. “No matter what you choose to do,we will follow you until the end.”

(First Name) raised her head slightly,looking at Mina. Seeing the passion in the girl’s eyes,she slowly looked around the rest of the group,taking in the sight of her friends; if she didn’t continue with her plan,if she didn’t one day become Empress,good people like them would continue being ostracized. She couldn’t allow it,but she also knew she couldn’t do any of this without them. “Are.. Are all of you passionate about allowing me to choose?”

“From day one,I’ve been on your side. You saved me and my family from that fire bastard,and you saved me from the monster I was becoming. No matter what you choose,(First Name),I am on your side,” Touya assured her,grinning. 

“Because you were brave enough to step in and save us from Enji,my mother hasn’t cried as much,and I am able to feel things that I had once become numb to,so I will follow you loyally until the end,” Shoto told her,smiling lightly. 

“Although I hate to admit it,you stopped me from becoming a monster,so I owe you one. I’m on your side,(First Name).” Katsuki looked at her,his red eyes full of confidence. 

“Since you offered Kacchan and I a place we could always go to when we were in trouble,I’ll be your loyal knight.” Izuku grinned at her cheekily. 

“You were the first person to allow me to say my name with pride.. For that,I owe you everything,” Keigo told her,smiling softly. “Thanks to you,I can spread my wings.”

“If you hadn’t come to save me,I would still be locked away in that palace. Now,because of you,I have learned a lot of new dances,” Mina bragged proudly,grinning at (First Name). 

“And because you were willing to take me in,someone who didn’t truly have a proper ‘name’ or even any official proof of my background,I was able to learn how to control my magic. Thanks to that,I can freely touch people without fear now.” Tomura smiled at her. “Without you,I would probably be dead.”

“And you took me in despite knowing my flaws and my love for blood. You saved me from being married to an old man!” Himiko chirped,smiling brightly. 

“You gave me a place where people called me by my name,and a place where people saw me for myself.. I am so grateful for that,” Magne confessed,looking at the girl with a smile. 

“You gave me a new form of freedom,(First Name). Nobody else could have done that.” Atsuhiro ruffled her hair and smiled. “Thanks,kid.” 

“And you saved me from being all alone! Without you,I would have gone crazy!” Jin told her,grinning. “You didn’t just give me friends,you gave me a family.”

“My parents didn’t really want a kid like me around,so without you,I’d probably be in a rough spot.. And as much as I hate to admit it,I love all of you idiots.” Mustard rubbed the back of his neck and gave them all a grin. 

“I thought I was gonna go crazy! Since I was just a commoner,I wasn’t allowed to join the knights until you took me in. I feel super manly now!” Eijiro grinned at (First Name),leaning against Katsuki slightly. “And I met Katsuki ‘cause of you!”

“My family treated me like a burden,so I didn’t really know much about happiness until you took me in,(First Name).. While Kiri and I have been friends for years,neither of us had ever had a place to belong until you gave us one,so we both owe you one,” Denki told her,smiling.

“While I didn’t approve of us abandoning the palace like this,I am willing to follow you because we had the same tutor and my brother respects you,(First Name).. Not only that,but I want to gain as much experience in traveling as possible,so thank you.” Tenya sighed,fixing his glasses. 

“And since you saved me,I’m able to stand on equal footing with the nobles that had bullied my family.. Thanks to you,my parents are able to live in a comfortable house,” Ochaco told her,smiling. “No matter what,I am on your side.” 

(First Name) looked at all of them,and for the first time in her life,the girl lowered her head. “Thank you guys for coming with me,and for trusting me so much. Thank you all for being yourselves,and for allowing me to be myself. Thank you all for saying my name,for treating me like I am just another person,and for being my family,” Raising her head,she smiled,knowing what she had to do. “When we reach the border,we will wait until May comes to launch our attack. Since winter lasts from November to late March in his kingdom,and since spring is only during April,once the summer heat rolls in during May,we will attack.”

“We promised you,right? No matter what,we’ll follow you. Not because you’re a Princess,and not because you’re strong,but because of that look in your eyes right there. That look that tells us all exactly what we need to hear,” Touya told her,smiling. “You,exactly as you are now,have become a truly beautiful flower,(First Name).”

You were made to fly,you were meant to shine

Child of light

“It’s time,(First Name),” Atsuhiro informed the girl the following summer as they looked towards the giant castle belonging to All For One. “Are you ready?”

“If you all are ready,then so am I.” Thirteen-year-old (First Name) turned to look at the others,smiling when she saw how prepared they all seemed. “All of you,list your roles.”

“I’m in charge of keeping people away with my fire,” Touya told her,smirking as the flames danced around his fingertips. 

“I’m in charge of keeping people away with my ice.” Shoto looked at his ice-coated hand calmly,before looking at (First Name). 

“I’m in charge of keeping Mina safe,though she doesn’t need it,” Katsuki growled out,his red eyes full of eagerness. 

“I’m in charge of helping Kacchan keep Mina safe.” Izuku grinned,eager to help his friends. 

“I’m in charge of retrieving Himiko,” Magne said,wanting to see the girl as quickly as possible. 

“I’m in charge of poisoning the army.” Mustard looked at (First Name) calmly. 

“I’m in charge of releasing the trees I’ve caught in case of an emergency,” Atsuhiro pointed out,tossing one of the blue marbles and catching it. In order to prevent casualties among their group,he had turned plenty of trees into marbles so he could lay them out as traps. 

“I’m in charge of helping guard (First Name)..” Jin muttered,anxious about having to use his magic in battle again. 

“I’m in charge of working with Ochaco and Tenya to keep the townspeople safe,” Eijiro pointed out. 

“I’m in charge of carrying the townspeople safe if the worst-case scenario comes true.” Tenya clenched his fists,hoping things would be fine. 

“I’m in charge of lifting anyone who escapes into the air and dropping them.” Ochaco looked at (First Name),smiling brightly. 

“I’m in charge of sending my feathers out against the army. Since they’re all going to remain loyal to their king until the end,they can’t live,” Keigo recited,his eyes shining with determination. “We’ll free the people they’re torturing.”

“I’m in charge of decaying anything that gets in our way.” Tomura smirked,glad to have the chance to destroy the man that had killed his grandmother. 

“And I’m in charge of knocking people out with a nice electric shock!” Denki grinned,glad he could help his friends. 

“And I’m in charge of melting All For One away if (First Name) can’t get close enough to him.” Mina clenched her fists,determined to keep the girl safe. “I won’t hold back on him.”

“No matter what it takes,we’ll end this in one swoop,okay? None of the guards are allowed to escape,and none of the knights can live. Understood?” (First Name) asked,her eyes gleaming. “By tomorrow,we will free the people under that tyrant.”

“Then let’s go. The longer we wait,the more it feels like we’re marching to our deaths..” Denki muttered,anxiety creeping into him. 

(First Name) turned back towards the castle,taking in the sight of the guards at the front gate and the thousands of soldiers preparing to launch an attack on the Ukiyo Kingdom. Clenching her fists,she sucked in a deep breath and gathered all of her courage. “Then let’s march.”

“I’ll see you guys once the smoke clears,then,” Tenya told them,grabbing Ochaco and Eijiro so he could carry them to the nearby town quickly. “Stay safe.”

“We will. Now go,” (First Name) ordered,beginning to lead the march once Tenya rushed off with the other two. Casting a glance at her remaining friends,she smiled to see them close behind,turning her gaze towards the castle once again. 

There,in the middle of a field of beautiful wildflowers,a group of only thirteen people marched forward. Leading the march was a young girl,barely entering her teen years,that had befriended more than a dozen ‘freaks of nature’. Behind them,a boy with blue hair carried two of their comrades towards the town at an incredible speed. Inside the castle,a girl with blond hair eagerly awaited to hear the chaos outside,a bright smile appearing on her face when she saw the sight of her friends in the distance.

“Do you guys see something in the field,or are my eyes deceiving me?” One of the soldiers asked,looking over at his comrade.  

“Of course there’s nobody in the field,you mor-..” Another soldier replied,freezing upon catching sight of the small group approaching. “It’s probably just someone coming to beg His Majesty for permission to join the fight.”

“Dabi,are you ready?” (First Name) asked,seeing a few of the soldiers approaching them. While she wanted to spare the lives of the soldiers,she had heard from her father how All For One had brainwashed people into becoming completely loyal to him,so they couldn’t risk sparing anyone. 

“Did you think I wouldn’t be?” Touya smirked,sending a burst of blue flames towards the approaching soldiers. Watching as they turned to ash,and seeing the ripple of realization hitting the soldiers that they weren’t here peacefully,he smirked. “Shoto,focus on the ones on the left.”

“As you wish,” Shoto replied,sending a giant blast of ice towards the soldiers charging towards them,smirking when he heard someone blow the war horn. “It’s time for the others to move.”

“Magne,go find Himiko!” (First Name) shouted above the screams of the charging soldiers. A blast of air suddenly blew towards them,slicing the girl’s cheek slightly. She turned to see who had released the air magic,her eyes locking on the hideous man immediately. His grotesque burns that covered nearly half of his face,and the dark scar down his face that her father had given him,was all she needed to see to know who he was. “It seems like he knows who I am after all.. That makes things more fun.”

“So you’ve decided to come to avenge your father,you brat?” All For One laughed as he looked down at her,only able to see out of his left eye since his right eye had been destroyed by Toshinori. “Too bad I’ll be sending you back to him in pieces!” He shouted,launching another blast of air. 

Seeing where his attack was aimed,(First Name) moved forward without hesitation,a shield made of the petals from the wildflowers around them appearing to keep Touya safe. The petals had hardened into an almost metal-like wall,blocking the wind from hurting anyone. “I’ll take All For One on by myself,so you guys just protect each-other,okay?!”

Jin felt his blood run cold when he saw the blood dripping down (First Name)’s cheek,the man letting out a loud yell as anger flooded into him. “I have to.. I have to protect everyone!” He yelled,making a clone of himself for the first time in years. Suddenly,the group was no longer outnumbered; thousands of Jin clones appeared in the field,all of them charging towards the army approaching them. “No more blood! I won’t let anyone get hurt again!” He yelled,gripping his head tighter. 

Keigo grabbed Jin’s shoulder,shaking his head. Ignoring the chaos breaking out around them,he tried to comfort his friend. “Twice,stop gripping your head like that before you hurt yourself.”

Seeing that Jin was still panicking,(First Name) ripped part of her sleeve off,tying it on Jin’s wrist loosely while her shield of flowers protected them from All For One’s attacks. “Once this battle is over,I’ll find you,okay? I’ll always know the real you,Twice.”

Jin looked at (First Name),taking a few deep breaths before finally regaining control over himself. “Stay.. Stay safe,(First Name)..”

“I promise I will,” (First Name) told him,before turning her attention towards the cracking flower shield. “Keigo,you know what to do!”

“I got it!” Keigo sent a few of his feathers out,red blurs dispersing the rest of their group so All For One’s attacks would only be aimed at (First Name) for now. “I’ll see you after the smoke clears,(First Name)!” He shouted,taking off into the sky. 

(First Name) jumped back when the shield finally cracked,surrounding her feet with more petals. Remembering the hellish training she had endured so far,and the time she had spent on the road with the people she considered her family,she glided towards All For One,avoiding the arrows that were shot at her by the guards. “You said you would send me back in pieces,right?! Then do it,you bastard!” She yelled at the tyrant,her skin covered in sharp thorns now. 

“Kacchan,are you ready?” Izuku asked the blond as they were released from Keigo’s feathers,the boy gripping his sword tightly. 

“You’d better not fuck it up,you damned Deku!” Katsuki snarled,using his own magic to launch himself straight at a guard. Blowing the man’s face off,he moved to another target quickly,hellbent on keeping his friends safe. 

“Sorry about what I’m about to do to your face,dude!” Denki laughed at the water general as Keigo’s feather dropped him,landing near the man and releasing a strong burst of electricity. 

“Scum like you deserves to disappear!” Touya shouted as he burnt the grass general to ash. 

“I promised I would destroy anyone blocking our path,so sorry about this!” Tomura yelled as he disintegrated the man with regeneration magic. 

“Die,you bastard!” Katsuki roared as he blasted the man with shield magic to pieces. 

Mina danced between the arrows the weapons general tried to fire at her,surrounding herself with acid. Flinging the acid at the man’s face,she grinned when she heard him scream,catching one of the arrows and stabbing him in the neck with it. “Those dances really did help with my stamina!”

(First Name) continued to approach All For One,trusting her friends to do what it took to protect each-other. Launching the sharp thorns dotting her skin at him,she jerked her arm towards the sky,watching as he went flying with them. Releasing her magic keeping them suspended,she watched as he plummeted towards the ground,flying forward and stabbing him when he steadied himself. Gripping the sharp thorn in her hands,she shoved the blade deeper into his skin,ignoring the wind that cut at her skin. Knowing she wasn’t doing enough because he healed quickly,she flung him towards Tomura. “Tomura,get him!” 

Tomura turned right before the man was about to crash into him,touching his back and sending his disintegration magic across him. At the same time,he flung him towards Touya. “Dabi!”

Touya turned to see the man flying towards him,releasing an even stronger burst of his blue flames and then launching him towards Shoto. “Shoto!”

Shoto stabbed the man with his ice,turning and flinging him towards Katsuki. “Katsuki,don’t hold back!”

“Like hell I would!” Katsuki snarled,sending the man flying towards Keigo with a strong explosion. 

Keigo sliced all For One with one of his feathers,flinging him towards Izuku. “Deku,it’s your turn!”

Izuku gripped his sword as he saw All For One being flung towards him,readying his stance as the man was impaled on the blade. Nearly falling backwards from the impact,he managed to keep himself upright and launch the man off to the side. “Follow up on it!”

“We’ve been doing this as a family this whole time..” (First Name) gripped her thorn sword tightly,dropping herself towards All For One. “Here and now,we’re ending this!” She yelled,stabbing him straight through the heart with the sword. 

When the smoke finally cleared,and the dust finally settled,the landscape around the castle had been completely destroyed. People were crushed underneath trees,bright blue flames scorched the grass,and the wind carried the dust from disintegrated bodies away. Among the destruction,a young Princess stood with a crown gripped in her blood-stained hands. Instead of keeping the crown for herself,the child turned to look at her comrades. 

‘Cause there’s a dream taking wing,there’s a voice that wants to sing

News reached the Ukiyo Kingdom quickly of the defeat of the tyrant. 

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” Mirai shouted as he rushed into Toshinori’s office. “The destructive boy,Tomura,he’s become the king of Miyasaki Kingdom!”

“What are you talking about?” Toshinori asked,looking at him. “That’s impossible. He has been training with (First Name) and the others.”

“It’s the truth,Your Majesty!” Mirai slapped a picture down that a man had taken of the new king. Sitting on the throne that had once belonged to All For One,Tomura stared directly at the camera with a sharp glare,his comrades beside him. “Her Royal Highness is with them as well!”

Toshinori stared at the picture,the realization slowly sinking in that the daughter in his palace right now was just a clone. “That one called Twice can make clones,can’t he..?”

“The Princess’s stunted growth was because she isn’t the real Princess. The real Princess left,” Mirai told him. 

Toshinori just stared at the picture for a while in stunned silence,unsure of what to do and what to say. His fourteen-year-old daughter had gone and killed his greatest foe. “Where is she now..?”

“I don’t know.. According to rumors,some of the sorcerers have stayed in Miyasaki Kingdom to help the new king with his kingdom,so I’m unsure of who is with her.. Shall I send a search party for her?” Mirari informed him. 

Toshinori thought for a moment as he stared down at the picture,seeing how proud (First Name) seemed. For the first time in his life,he understood that she had chosen a path in life that made her genuinely happy. “No.. I believe she will return home soon enough.. For now,we will allow her to have her fun.”

“Yes,Your Majesty..”

And even in the deepest,darkest night,the torch is raised to the sky 

And there are hands that hold it high; you were born to keep it burning bright

Fifteen-year-old (First Name) stared at the palace gates in front of her,her desire for adventure finally satiated. Turning to look at her comrades,she smiled. “Are you guys sure you want to return with me?”

“You may want to look at the gate,(First Name)..” Mina warned her with a grin. 

Turning to look at the gate again,(First Name)’s eyes widened when she saw her father standing there. While she had missed him dearly while on her ‘vacation’,she had distanced herself from those emotions; seeing him now,she couldn’t help but run to him. Jumping off of her horse,she ran and hugged him as tightly as she could,burying her face. 

“Welcome home..” Toshinori told her,hugging her back. 

“It..” (First Name) gripped onto him tighter. “It’s good to be back,papa.”

You were made to fly,you were meant to shine 

Child of light

Sixteen-year-old (First Name) sat beside her wife as they sipped tea together in the gazebo,the red feather on her neck waving suddenly. Knowing that meant Keigo had finally returned,she stood,looking at  Mina. “Ready to greet our ‘guests’ from Miyasaki Kingdom?”

Mina rolled her eyes and stood up,shaking her head. “You’re such a dork,(First Name). They’ve just come home to visit,that’s all.”

(First Name) grinned and grabbed Mina’s hand,lacing their fingers as they began to walk to the gate. Stopping,the Empress smiled when she saw her friends,knowing the others were tucked away safely in the magic tower. “Welcome home,you guys.”

“It’s about damn time you invited us for a visit,Little Miss Empress,” Tomura teased the girl with a smirk. 

“I’ve been wanting to see Deku for forever!” Himiko whined childishly. 

“It’s good to be back. Home is where all of the family is,after all!” Jin grinned at her. 

“You look good with a smile on your face like that,(First Name),” Magne pointed out happily. 

“The books in Miyasaki are all very interesting!” Mustard bragged happily. 

“I hope you saved a cup of tea for me.” Atsuhiro smirked at her. 

(First Name) smiled and nodded as she looked at her friends. “Of course. As a family,we should all eat and drink together,after all.”

And so,the youngest Empress in history was once again surrounded by her family. A child that had once been left to die,a child that the Emperor had taken in on a whim,became a lady beloved by all.