Chapter Text
“Izuku.”
Izuku lifted his head, finding himself sitting in the Viridian Dream. The constellation above him twinkled merrily, some stars shining brighter than others, with the brightest being in the center, representing him.
He smiled, pushing himself to his feet. The great horns on his head were heavy, but the weight felt comforting.
His father appeared before him in a whisper of Viridian smoke, his eyes shimmering with pride and affection. He smiled softly, clawed hands turning up as the rest of the Viridian ancestors appeared in whirls of Viridian green. Some, like Daigoro and Ibara, were clearer than others, but he could still feel the warmth from the ones he couldn’t see.
Izuku looked around before turning back to his father, who held out his hands. “Look and revel in who you are, my son. Such a befitting title, for you truly are the world’s Seed of Hope.”
The last Viridian smiled, tears falling down his cheeks as he stepped forward into his father’s arms. Others surrounded him, wrapping him in the entire pool of his clan’s magic like the most wonderful embrace.
Quietly, Izuku whispered, “I finally feel like I belong.”
XX
Izuku awoke to find himself in his bed, rays of afternoon sunlight warmly spilling over his form. As much as fatigue wanted to reclaim him, something was off about his surroundings, and it bothered him enough to resist the pull of unconsciousness.
Tired eyes skimmed the room, and it was when he noticed the arm draped over his chest that he realized what was bothering him: he was on the wrong side of the bed.
He chuckled wearily, realizing whomever had brought him and Ochako to their room wouldn’t know their habits.
He had no idea how long it had been since the battle, but he at least felt reassured that they had made it back safely, and that Ochako was beside him.
However, when he tried to turn his head to her, he found it was heavier than he expected and didn’t move in the way he wanted. He blinked in confusion, before vaguely remembering his body changing during battle. Who knows what he looked like now, but it was hardly anything important at the moment.
With that thought, he shapeshifted his horns away and carefully turned onto his side to look at his beloved.
She didn’t stir in the slightest, mouth parted and arm still draped over him, and Izuku had no doubt that, despite her exhaustion, she still sought him out in her sleep. Her chest rose and fell softly under her nightgown, and he exhaled shakily as memories of her covered in blood and nearly dying surged back up in his mind.
With a quiet sob, he leaned in and pressed his head against hers, cupping her rosy, scaled cheek with his hand. Hot tears burned his eyes, sliding down in a slow zigzag between the scales on his face as he felt the warmth of her skin under his fingertips.
She was alive. She was alive, whole, and safe.
It was a good thing. It was the best thing, yet he couldn’t stop crying. He’d almost lost her, and he knew if that had happened he wouldn’t have had it in him to go on. Now that she was safe, now that he was safe, those emotions came tumbling out, faster and heavier than he could ever hope to control.
His tears kept falling, continuing until sleep claimed him once more.
XX
Elsewhere, in another dream, Shoto stood staring up into the starry sky, admiring the two branching constellations that ran in different directions. One held stars that resemble hot coals from a fire, and another glittered brightly like each was its own full moon.
Below the Vermillion constellation, the floor of his dream was like the base of a volcanic mountain, with geysers and steaming fissures. Red lava ran like veins of scalding blood across the obsidian ground, and a hot breeze blew against his scales.
And below the Silver constellation, low, rolling clouds churned over a landscape constantly changing through the seasons. Lightning flashed and wind howled across pale grass. Snow flurries melted into rain, before turning back into ice as the leaves fell from trees, only to blossom once again.
He understood by now that only he had a dream that looked like this, being the offspring of two separate clans.
And he understood that what he represented was not an unnatural joining of magic. He was a bridge, and that bridge, like Izuku, gave hope.
His existence mattered.
“It does, dear brother.”
Shoto turned, looking out to his left. Only one ancestor was standing before him, but his presence meant everything. Gone were the blue scales, white hair, and lifeless skin. He now looked as Shouto remembered him: with crimson horns and red hair, with eyes that glowed much like the constellation above him.
He smiled, giving Shoto a full show of his teeth, eyes crinkling at the corners, and Shoto smiled in return. “Toya!”
Toya nodded, stepping up to the divide between dreams. “Father weeps, but for the first time in years, his tears are happy. I have just finished speaking with him. He is so proud of you, Shoto, as am I.”
Shoto lowered his eyes, unused to the compliment. “Thank you. It… it was hard. Did… it hurt?”
“What you did freed me from pain,” Toya said softly, resting his hands on Shoto’s shoulders. “Every day was tormenting. You ended that. I shall be eternally grateful.”
“We will stop the lich,” Shoto said softly, but confidently. “We will ensure he does not do this to anyone else.”
Toya hummed, tilting his head. “A lich did this, then? I did not know.”
Shoto blinked, eyes going wide. “You… do not remember?”
“I remember many things while trapped in my dead body, but I do not know who did this to me. What a clever magic.”
Shoto huffed a plume of smoke, eyes narrowing. “Clever indeed.”
XX
Ochako did not want to wake up. The bed was warm and comfortable. It smelled heavily of Izuku’s magic, mixed with traces of her own. However, her stomach was empty, as was the place beside her, and both of these were a problem.
She opened her eyes, pouting at nothing in particular as the room came into focus. It was daytime, with dappled sunlight filtering in through the trees outside the row of windows. Bees buzzed and birds chirped. Viridian magic permeated the air, in an array of sweet scents of ripe berries, summer flowers, and fresh growth.
Through the billowing curtains, she saw Izuku’s silhouette and she exhaled deeply, tension leaving her that she didn’t realize had started to build. However, instead of getting up immediately, she took her time to study him.
As the winds calmed and curtains settled, her betrothed came into view. His green and gold scales glittered brilliantly under the sunlight, and his sprawling horns of golden Gingko leaves cast his face in partial shade. Two small birds rested on one side of his horns chirping at each other, and a small gust of wind sent a few Gingko leaves fluttering down onto the floor.
They were immediately replaced by new leaves of green and yellow, slowly maturing into gold once more.
His eyes were closed, his expression so serene. The silver earrings reflected light as they swayed in the breeze, and coupled with the way he now had little scales dotting his cheeks, he was utterly breathtaking.
Small movements drew her eyes down, past her scale hanging around his neck, and her brows lifted at the little Viridian dragon kin sitting on his shoulders and knees. Although she had never seen them before, she knew what they were, with their tiny little mossy manes and green scales, and the way their wings almost looked like leaves.
They shifted and scurried about on him, one with a leaf in its mouth and another stalking a grasshopper that landed on the window sill.
With a yawn, Ochako sat up, the silk sheets pooling at her waist. The movement caused several tiny, silver petals to flutter down in front of her face and, curiously, she reached up, feeling the crown of flowers woven around her horns.
It was so like Izuku to adorn her with flowers while she slept.
Her feet touched the marble floors, warm from the sun, and the silk of her nightgown fell to drag against her legs as she made her way over to her lover. Her limbs felt weak, but she pushed past that, moving silently across the floor.
Just as she reached the window sill, Izuku opened one eye, likely smelling her scent. The second eye quickly followed as a smile bloomed across his face, delight taking over at seeing her awake. “Ochako!”
Despite the softness of his voice, his exclamation made a small bundle of fur tucked against his leg spook and jump down into the gardens outside. Ochako blinked at the rabbit, her brow furrowing as she slid onto the window sill across from Izuku. “How did that get here?”
“Tenya,” Izuku said with amusement, his eyes twinkling. “He captured some for Shoto.”
“I… see,” Ochako replied, watching the animal run off to frolic with another. “...With you present, we will soon have many.”
Izuku shrugged, a helpless smile on his lips as he held out his hands, palms up in invitation. Without hesitation, she placed her hands in his, feeling the warmth of his skin against hers.
“How long did I sleep?” she asked, not bothering to hide the yawn that followed her question.
She got a giggle in response, and the sound made her squeeze his fingers almost involuntarily. She wanted to hear it every day forever.
“It’s been about two days,” he admitted quietly, grinning as another bird flew in and landed on his horns. “I… would have been worried, except you’re still very cuddly even when exhausted.”
She found herself grinning back, looking out into the gardens. “I told you. The bed is better with you in it. Even asleep, my body knows this.”
She paused thoughtfully, watching the wind rustle the leaves of the apple trees outside the window. “I did not think you would wake before me.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him nod. “Me neither, honestly. But you were– I mean…”
He trailed off quietly, and she looked to him to see him frowning at their hands, his brow creased. After a long moment, he whispered, “You almost died, Ochako. I barely got to you fast enough. And… I guess that even with all of my healing, I think your body needed to recover from that.”
“You dwell on what could have been,” she pointed out gently.
He stiffened, lifting his eyes up to her, not trying to hide the tears forming in them. “Yes. I do. Because I never want something like that to repeat itself again. It shouldn’t have been that close. We–”
“I know,” Ochako interrupted quietly, lowering her gaze. “I made a mistake. A terrible mistake–” She stopped, considering why those words were so familiar. It took her a moment to remember she said the exact same thing to him after rescuing him from the cultists. It seemed so long ago…
She sighed, looking back up at him with all the humility she had. “I was wrong. I doubted you, and I let my desire to keep you safe shroud my judgment. Had you not returned, the Tempest would be amongst her ancestors now.”
He started crying, tears spilling down his freckled cheeks. She felt her own tears form and mimic his, catching on her scales. “I am so very sorry, Izuku.”
He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut, his hands clutching hers in a vice. “It’s–” He stopped, sucking in a breath, then tried again. “I forgive you. Just… please. Moving forward, listen to me. Trust me.”
She nodded, then realized he couldn’t see because he had his eyes closed. “I–I promise, Izuku, that I will not ever dismiss you like that again. I swear on my title.”
“Thank you,” he whispered, opening his eyes to look at her, showing the fear he was trying to let go.
She met his gaze readily, then to her surprise he shifted, sending the birds flying from his horns and the dragon-kin scurrying off of his body. He waited just long enough to make sure they wouldn’t be harmed before he pulled her forward by her hands. She had just enough time to make a surprised noise before his mouth was on hers, claiming her in a needy kiss.
He squeezed her hands before letting go of them to hold her face, cupping it lovingly. She could feel the way he poured everything else he wanted to say into that kiss, and it left her feeling dizzy and lightheaded when he pulled away.
His hands stayed on her face, thumbs gently brushing over her scales, and she sighed, leaning into his touch. He smiled at her, the heavy atmosphere between them shifting. “I love you, Ochako.”
She met his smile with one of her own, tender and adoring. “I love you, my Seed of Hope.”
He blinked, then laughed softly, averting his eyes as he let go of her face. “I… still can’t believe everyone heard that.”
She giggled, scooting close to him and brushing his bangs from his face so she could kiss his forehead. “Did it embarrass you?”
“At the time I was a little preoccupied,” Izuku admitted, nuzzling her cheek. “But afterward, when I realized? …Yeah.”
She pulled back, looking at him curiously. “And now? How do you feel?”
She could tell he understood the extent of her question as she looked up at his horns then back to his face. He shrugged a little, a half smile on his lips. “I feel… content.”
Her brows lifted, but she waited for him to continue.
“I…” Izuku sighed, looking up towards the ceiling, where the floral canopy hung over them. “This was the first time I looked in the mirror and felt… right. I didn’t feel like a human pretending to be a half-dragon. I didn’t feel like an imposter, or even a child unsure of what to do. I felt like me. I felt like I’m who I’m supposed to be. And…”
He paused, as if considering his words. “Who I am is not very dragon-like, and in many ways, not very… human-like either, but… who I am is what makes me the Seed of Hope.”
He looked up at her, something serene in his expression again. “And… that feels good.”
Ochako smiled, the winds stirring around them with her happiness. “You wear confidence so well, Izuku,” she said reverently. “You fill me with pride. It is suitable for the Elder of the Viridian clan.”
He stiffened, and Ochako chuckled as pink dusted across his nose and cheeks. “You are embarrassed but not surprised. I assume that means you have been told.”
“Y-yeah,” he stuttered, the confidence cracking. “Ryuko told me that, uh, since I have a title, it means I’m a fully-realized dragon now, and um, since my clan is just me and Eri, it means I am the Elder… b-but I mean, I just got my title, and–and my horns, so I feel like that might be a bit rushed– ”
Ochako smiled, cupping his cheek and effectively cutting off his rambling. “It is nothing to fret over, Izuku. It is hardly a formality, for you earned it out in that battlefield. You are clever in ways we admire. We have not yet won the war, but we won a major battle, and it is thanks to you, my betrothed who rightfully won my heart in battle. Twice now.”
He flushed, smiling at her prettily, and she smiled back, tracing the scales of his cheek with her thumb. “I wish to find food. Will you join me?”
“I could eat,” he admitted, before coyly adding, “I saw mom picking apples this morning, anyway. You know what that means.”
Ochako’s entire face lit up. Without a word, she rushed off to change robes, leaving behind Izuku laughing fondly.
XX
The dining hall was rich with the scent of apples and cinnamon. Izuku rested his chin on his hand, lazily watching Eri play outside the hall in the grass, chasing butterflies fluttering overhead. More green was overtaking her hair, and she had a little leaf sticking out of each horn.
Beside him, Ochako took a bite of her third slice of pie, humming contently with each mouthful. She had crumbs on her Silver robes and apple glaze on her nose, but Izuku knew to wait till she was done before trying to get her to clean up.
Movement drew his attention, and he watched Melissa walk in, eyes skimming the area before landing on him. She beamed, then picked up the skirts of her robes and hurried over. “Hey, Izuku, Ochako! How do you feel?”
Ochako nodded, mouth full of pie, and Izuku took the opportunity to answer for her, “We’re good. Still a bit tired, but that’s no surprise. How goes the research?”
“Slow,” Melissa admitted, sitting down across from them. “That device is strange. Dad’s taking extra precautions and doing every test he can think of before he tries to dismantle it, but it’s definitely attuned to Viridian magic. It focuses on you except when Eri is right in front of it, then it wobbles between her and your location.”
Izuku sighed. “Well, maybe you and your dad can still learn some of its secrets, because I swear that’s not how it was when I saw it the first time. The cultists didn’t know what I was until it pointed at me. They were just meandering through town.”
“Yeah, we’ll keep you updated,” Melissa promised. She paused thoughtfully, before pivoting the conversation. “Do you think the lich will send another army after you?”
Izuku blinked, refocusing his gaze on her. “...No, actually, I don’t.”
“Why’s that?” Melissa asked, watching as Ochako shoved the last bite of pie into her mouth.
“Because it would be a very poor battle tactic,” Izuku replied carefully, drumming his claws on the table. “I don’t know if he had any way to perceive the battle as it took place, but he’ll send someone to follow up. If he’s familiar at all with Viridian magic, then he’ll figure out what happened.”
“Then what do you think he’ll do?”
Izuku looked at Melissa for a moment, then to Ochako as she put down her plate, pie crumbs on her face. With an affectionate huff, he reached forward and wiped the crumbs from the corners of her mouth, muttering “you’re a mess” affectionately.
Ochako seemed not to mind, turning her face towards him and playfully nipping his fingers.
“I think,” Izuku said, as he finished doting on his betrothed, “that he’ll pay close attention to where I go. He’ll have people watching me any time I leave these islands. He won’t stop me from healing the land, because I don’t think the Great Wither was really his plan in the first place. It was just a side effect as he tried to kill off my clan.”
“And then what?”
“And then,” Izuku shrugged, “I don’t know. He wants me dead, and he’ll keep searching for a way to make that happen. But my focus hasn’t changed. I still need to end the Great Wither, and this gives me time to act on that. And we’ll just have to figure out how to win this war as we go.”
“No pressure, huh?” Melissa asked wryly, and Izuku chuckled.
They chatted a bit more about potential strategies and what-ifs until Eri came running in, holding something in front of her. Izuku turned his attention to her, smiling at seeing she had an apple in her hands, although his brow lifted at its pink skin. “What did you grow?”
She giggled, not answering him directly, but instead crawled into his lap, clumsily stepping on his toes. He chuckled, readjusting her on his leg, then peered down at her prize. “Did you make a new apple?”
She nodded happily, holding it up for him to sample. He obliged, taking a bite of the apple, and his brows shot up in surprise.
Ochako tilted her head, amused. “What is it?”
“It’s very sweet,” Izuku said around his mouthful of apple, swallowing. “I’ve never tasted an apple this sweet–” He stopped, leveling his adopted clan member with a suspicious look. “Did you do this on purpose?”
Eri giggled again, grabbing back her apple and biting into it happily, her expression one of utter bliss.
“She is clever,” Ochako said approvingly. “Already, she has learned to manipulate her magic to her advantage. You should also test these new apples in pie so we see how they fare. I am willing to compare and let you know how they taste.”
“You don’t say,” Izuku replied wryly.
“I do say. I just said it,” Ochako replied, nodding emphatically.
XX
Inko hummed softly to herself as she walked along the paths towards the gardens between the Viridian and Silver wings, a book tucked under her arm. The repurposed Viridian silk of her dress swished silently as she walked, smooth against her skin, and honestly, she never planned to go back to linen ever again.
It was late afternoon, and the beginning dinner tasks had already been delegated, allowing her some time to go seek out her son before she absconded off to read. Now that he was awake and about, the last bit of her worries were finally settling back down.
Truthfully, when Shoto landed on the platform and she saw Momo holding Izuku’s limp form, and Tenya holding an unconscious Ochako, she had feared the worst. The others waiting with her were unsure, too. However, Kyoka waved her hands from atop Shoto’s shoulders and shouted, “Do not fear! They only sleep!”
Despite that, she cried. As she cleaned the dirt and ash from Izuku’s skin, she cried. As she helped Toru removed Ochako’s blood-stained clothes, she cried. And as she kissed her sleeping son on the forehead once he was safely tucked in bed, she cried more.
He sought her out the moment he was awake, pulling her into his arms and crushing her in an embrace that stole the breath from her lungs. And when he whispered, “I kept my promise. This was a fight I knew I’d win.”
She cried again, but it was different this time.
Izuku, her Seed of Hope. But he’d been that since the day he was born.
She found him in the gardens as expected, so she came to a stop, a tender smile on her face. The sight before her made her eyes water, and she wondered just how many times her boy could make her cry in two days.
The walnut tree was one he had grown during his first days of learning his magic, and it continued to rapidly grow in his presence, towering up over everything else and providing a lush canopy for a portion of the garden. Several dragons napped around the tree, most in sunlight, but a couple appreciating the dappled shade.
However, her focus was on the large swinging chair hanging from one of the branches. It was born from Viridian magic, with woven vines that flared out at the bottom into a large, almost hammock-like base. It swayed softly, and snuggled in its base were two half-dragons and a snoozing dragon whelp.
Izuku sat there, with Eri tucked into one side and Ochako pressed against the other. The little whelp was asleep, clutching onto Izuku’s robe, and Ochako had her legs thrown over Izuku’s thighs. Izuku’s eyes were almost closed, his nose brushing against Ochako’s, and she had a pleased smile on her face as she twirled a lock of his hair in her fingers.
It was a beautiful moment, and Inko pressed a hand to her heart. And to her utmost delight, she noticed Momo was not very far away, capturing the scene on canvas.
It didn’t take long for Izuku to notice her arrival, and he smiled, waving her over. Inko chuckled softly when she approached, eyes falling on Eri’s sleeping form. “I see you’re quite stuck.”
“If I have to be, can’t think of a better way,” Izuku admitted in a pleased whisper, grinning and unashamed as Ochako kissed his cheek.
Inko’s cheeks hurt from smiling, but she wasn’t about to stop. Nor was she going to let up on teasing her son, especially now that he was trapped. “Should I expect a dragon wedding soon? Or, oh, what is it called, a ‘joining ceremony’?”
Izuku blinked up at her, lips parting as he processed the question. A faint blush touched his cheeks, but then to her surprise, he grinned bashfully and looked at Ochako. “I dunno. Maybe in a couple of months, after Mina and Eijiro’s. What do you think, Ochako?”
Ochako had a moment of surprise, lips parted and brows high, before her face lit up. “Oh, yes, I would like that.”
Izuku gave a toothy smile, all fangs and rosy cheeks, and to Inko, he was just perfect.
“I cannot finish this painting if you do not hold still,” Momo interrupted, waving her brush. “Lady Inko, if you wish to be in it, you must choose a pose.”
“Ah,” Inko started, moving back, “let me get out of the way–”
“I’d rather you stay,” Izuku said earnestly, waving his hand as his magic responded. Roots sprung up from the ground next to them, forming a rather comfortable looking chair with a mossy cushion. “The moment’s only perfect if you’re in it, too.”
Inko felt her eyes water, and she quickly wiped the evidence away as she took a seat next to the gently swaying swing and opened her book. “There’s nothing I could want more.”
XX
Far away in the Decaying Mountains, Shigaraki, All for One, commanded his magic to wall off his territory from outsiders.
Toya and Nine were dead, and an entire army lost.
He had miscalculated. He understood the Viridian survivor to be a threat, but he did not truly grasp how much of a threat he was. The whelp had evolved quickly and unexpectedly. Was it because he was half human? Shigaraki didn’t know, but it did not bode well. He had killed the clan to prevent this very thing from happening, and yet it had still happened.
He was displeased.
As if hearing his thoughts, a raspy voice drifted up from the shadows. “I can make more… If that is your will, I shall create many.”
Shigaraki inclined his head, the undead glow of his eyes shifting as he turned to face the shadows. “And you shall. My followers will bring you bodies to be our puppets once more. But we will need more than that now. I must think about what to do. I cannot let this Viridian continue to undo our work, so for now we hide. But not forever.”
“Will you turn him?”
Shigaraki tilted his head, recognizing the hope in the withered voice. There was a pause, and then, “I would like a companion. A brother.”
The shadows shifted, and the speaker stepped into view, illuminated by the pale light coming in through the window. His long hair was unkempt, silvery with a pale green tint, and his sprawling horns of dead branches sat atop his head, blackened, with pieces of dried moss hanging from them.
Glowing blue eyes looked pitifully up at Shigaraki, and the undead dragon fidgeted with the grayish scales on his ashen arms, tinted with a hint of green from a time long ago.
Shigaraki shook his head, stepping forward and placing a clawed hand on the other dragon’s shoulder. “He is too big of a threat to approach in that way. He must die, so that he does not threaten my work. Your existence. I will find you another to be your companion, Tenko. It will be your reward for all of your hard work.”
The undead Viridian smiled, a twisted longing intermingling with the emptiness in his eyes.