The tune of the violin could be heard from the Palace of Endeavor if one listened from a particular point. The window in question seemed to always be covered with frost, so unlike the heartbreaking melody that resounded. Ivy had conquered the back of the once magnificent palace, burnt in one half, presumably as a result of the King's temper tantrums.
The grass and plants looked leached of life and vitality, as if a disease had struck the land.
"Deku, we literally won't get this kingdom as an ally, how many times do I have to beat this into your head????"
"....we could always try Kacchan—."
"This. This is what I absolutely hate about you," the straw haired boy's red eyes flashed as he turned to properly glare at the other boy in question, "What the heck is wrong with you???"
The person spoken to, sunk his head further in his cloak as a response, until only the tops of his green curls were visible.
A countenance one really wouldn't expect from the Prince Izuku Midoriya.
"Are you fucking going to answer or should I—," his threats were cut short as a boy with spiky red hair held up a hand.
"Bakugo, we are on an important mission here, you know—," he spoke, trying to resolve the debate between them.
"Remember crappy Deku, Kirishima is the only one responsible for your continued existence at this point," Bakugo growled.
Izuku nodded quickly, looking terrified.
A purple haired boy yawned beside him.
"How much longer? I want to sleep…."
"Well, Shinso-kun, you see—,uhm—," Izuku began, getting cut off by the violin.
All of them looked up in surprise.
The player sounded practiced, and it sounded extremely….hollow.
They were all struck by the raw emotion in it, which rooted them to the spot, making them nearly forget about their mission.
It went on, and all of a sudden they felt as if they were invading someone's privacy, and if they reached out a little more they would be able to feel the emotions which tormented the player.
"The musicians have really been getting better nowadays, huh?" Bakugo said, trying and failing to not pay attention to it.
Izuku Midoriya, who cried at the drop of a hat, found his eyes dry, the emotion was so profound and deep that it struck like a well aimed dart which just stayed there.
Shinso yawned again, rubbing at his eyes. He really should be sleeping more.
The rapid sound of footfalls was what finally snapped them out of their stupor.
"Retreat," Kirishima said before Bakugo who attempt anything foolhardy. Izuku was eternally grateful for his existence.
"Tch, don't tell me what to do, Crappy hair," Bakugo grumbled as they retreated.
Once out of sight of the guards, the Prince turned to his companions.
"Now what? We have successfully infiltrated this kingdom, but getting past the guards would be troublesome."
It was a wonder that he didn't stutter even once in these two sentences.
"What. You said that YOU had a plan, Deku," Bakugo snapped, hands curling up in a spell casting gesture. Sparks danced across his palms.
"Imeanyes—," Izuku said as he flinched, for Bakugo, the famed dragon tamer, certainly looked dangerous, "Wecouldgo—."
"Midoriya, my Prince, you are muttering yet again," Shinso pointed out with another yawn.
"Iamsorry—," Izuku began, starting to panic. Why had he even been chosen as the heir? He was so useless...worthless as Bakugo never forgot to remind him, and he couldn't even come out with a proper plan, he—
"Back to earth," Shinso snapped his fingers in front of Izuku, "Deep breaths, okay?"
Izuku blinked through the tears and nodded tightly.
Hiroshi Shinso was another mage he would forever be grateful for. Outcast by his country as a trickster due to the unique ability he possessed, Shinso had met Izuku when he was on the hunt for allies. They had broken out in a duel soon enough, for neither could trust the other party, which had ended with Izuku being forced to tell his intentions under the mind controlling magic.
Struck by something akin to sympathy or maybe a grim will to strike back at "Fate", Shinso had released the control and offered his aid to him.
Without his help he would have never gotten the aid of the Dragon Tamer Bakugo and his unlikely friend Kirishima Eijirou, a smith.
With him by his side, Izuku felt that he could do anything, considering his surprising lack of trust in his own abilities.
"Reports say that the true form of the King Enji Todoroki is a dragon. So if all plans fail and he does go on a rampage, Kacchan will be our backup, o-okay?"
He was met with serious faces, a heavily irritated one where Bakugo was concerned but he took that as a positive answer.
"And now for our actual plan," he began, starting to explain it.
At the end, Kirishima gave a wobbly smile,
"Never would have taken you for this type, Midoriya, but I suppose surprises are always to be expected."
Izuku gave a nervous laugh. He was already beginning to have a bad feeling about this entire thing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Who are you?" Was the first question Tenya asked, scared of the person in front of him, who, by all accounts seemed to have materialised out of thin air.
"Hmm. Good question. So, if I answer, then will you go back home like an obedient boy?" The person asked in a gruff voice.
"I—," Tenya choked on his own words and whispered the next part, "I have no home to return to."
The person's eyes widened under his hood.
Another vagabond?
"I….see," they said quietly, "And thus you were running around the place just like that? How long have you been without a home, shonen?"
"Today…," Tenya hiccuped but then his voice took on a determined tone, "Stain the Hero Killer is responsible for my brother's death and my current state. I will never forgive him for what he did to my brother! I will definitely avenge him!"
The person cocked their head.
"You are so sure that you will be able to take on a dangerous assassin who has claimed the lives of so many much more capable individuals?"
"I—, I don't know. But I HAVE TO TRY!"
With this, he broke into tears again.
The person had a sympathetic look on his face.
"I suggest that you go this way," they said, pointing to a path,"I am sure that you will find help there."
As if roused by a spell, Tenya rose and turned to that direction.
While walking down that road, he seemed to regain himself and he asked,
"Who are you?"
The person addressed to, looked slightly amused at that question.
The answer they gave made Tenya's eyes widen in recognition, just before the person in question disappeared.