#lost crowns au

[acis-arts]

¿Como se conocieron y posteriormente enamoraron tu Yellow Cat y tu Leshy de Swap au y en el normal?

I used a Translator and I'm assuming you're asking about how Leshy and Theon met in both my Swap and Main AU

For my Swap AU, I'm still not 100% sure. I'm also gonna mention some stuff that I previously mentioned: Leshy was a follower of the Bishop of Chaos and helped hunting down the Cats. One day he gets split up from the other cultists, causing him to get lost in the Darkwoods. While being lost, he meets Theon who is lost as well. They're hiding their face under a robe, so Leshy doesn't realize they're a Cat.

Trying to navigate your way through the Bishops Biomes is hard and dangerous without a Blessed Map, so it takes a lot of time to get back without one. They start bonding while trying to survive and find their way back to civilization. As soon as Leshy finds out they're a Cat, he gets conflicting feelings, because his whole life he was taught to do just as the Bishops say, but he doesn't want to kill Theon after they got along so well and he pretty much wouldn't have survived without them.

For my main AU it's very similar to the Kitchen Nightmare Animation and I also tied it together with an old comic I made where Leshy meets one of his Ex-Disciples:

Theon saw Leshy getting mocked by one of his still alive Ex-Disciples. They aren't sure what happened previously, but they try to reassure and cheer him up with a Camellia.

At that time, they didn't know that Leshy was the God of Chaos, afterall they were born years after his defeat. Theon hangs out with him for a while, wanting him to feel welcome as well as enjoying his crazy side. Since there's still followers who remember the Bishops (either because they have been resurrected or they wear skull necklaces) Theon does eventually find out who he is. It makes them become awkward around Leshy and they start avoiding him. Not sure how to continue it from here, but in the "Future of the new Faith" arc, they start hanging out again :>

[sunshines-child]

pjo au where shortly after the war nico dies and turns into a rather obscure deity. later, young demigods start showing up alone at camp borders. when asked who brought them, they always talk about a pretty person with wings on their head and back, covering a face that wore a black crown. time passes, and a young, tiny child of Hekate, maybe 4, appears. when asked, the child says how there was this boy with wings over his face that brought her, and that the boy tells the child that his name is nico before kissing her head and leaving. shit hits the roof.

[itsnotmourn]

the princess and her vessels

[wickedcriminal]

yo!

First of all, I love your art and the half-brothers AU is Absolutely Phenomenal

Second of all, I understand if you're still kind of on break from it so take this question at your own pace. Or don't answer it at all. You don't owe me anything.

And thirdly, I'm curious how book 2 might play out in the half-brothers au. Book Alvin is pretty fixated on Grimbeard the Ghastly's heir ("an heir for a hand", and all that). Would he be able to identify Younger Hiccup as Grimbeard's heir, or would he just kind of figure since there are two Hiccups who are both descendants of Grimbeard (and who both have a dragon named "Toothless") he should kill them both just to be safe? (and in that case, how would he end up with a vendetta against Younger Hiccup specifically?)

at any rate, thank you for reading and I hope you have an awesome day!

Thank you so much for your kind words!! I was having a hard time for a while, but I'm feeling much better recently <3 This is an excellent ask!!

Stoick being the connecting figure between Elder and Younger, that does indeed make them both candidates to be Grimbeard's heir! (Same goes for Snotlout and Adelaide, who are also part Chucklehead's line through Baggybum the Beerbelly!)

As Stoick's firstborn and the official heir to Berk, Alvin has his eyes set on Elder in the beginning as The Guy he needs to Eliminate, and since Snotlout is the one who will become heir to Berk if Elder dies, Minicup is barely even on the table. The idea that it's actually Minicup who is his proper rival isn't even considered until they end up in the underwater cavern together and Baby Tooth is the one who sniffs out Grimbeard's real treasure.

The events of How to be a Pirate carry out as usual, with Snotlout finding the chest, though neither brother gets the chance to declare themselves heir when Alvin asks. Minicup and Little Fish end up in Grimbeard's cavern with Alvin, where Alvin comes to the conclusion that this Hiccup is the one who's going to prove a problem to him.

In the stories that come after, Elder is more of an afterthought, and Alvin will only think to get rid of him if he starts asserting his place in the Arm's Race for the Crown. (Same goes for the Jorgensens!)

Elder doesn't even want to be heir of Berk, let alone Grimbeard! Younger doesn't exactly have a choice in the matter since Fate Itself is the one dumping Lost Things into his hands 😔 As long as Elder doesn't start gunning to be king, Alvin will leave him alone.

For the time being.

(Spoilers for the last book below vv)

Poor Fishlegs

[salmontooth]

Sargon was a weapon. And like a weapon, he had been forged by searing flames and unbearable heat; his hardships made him a more formidable warrior. This also meant, like a weapon, he knew he was only useful if he could fight and defend. Weapons that broke were smelted back into molten metal, or were placed on display and forgot about in some nobleman’s house, gathering dust as it had gathered kills during its prime.

            Sargon was a broken weapon.

A new AU that I’ve been torturing @kaihoney and @gryffintheparrotcat with. It’s called “More than a weapon” AU! Read more for context:

Spoilers underneath!

GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF INJURY

“Sargon would be lying if he’d said he knew what attack Vahram had thrown at him caused it, but whatever had happened, it left his arm a mangled mess, barely even recognizable as human.

Ghassan had stressed how Artaban and Neith did everything they could, but the Wak Wak tree wasn’t healing it completely. Apparently, there is only so much the Wak Wak tree could heal. By the time they had realized the tree wasn’t healing that particular injury, necrosis had begun to take hold, and it left them with no choice but to amputate the arm. Despite not being able to heal the initial injury, that damn tree was able to heal the worst of the amputation itself. However, like the stab wound through his shoulder, it didn’t heal fully and Sargon could feel the uncomfortable pull of stitches when he moved his arm back down.”

A little snippet from the fic I’m writing for this AU! I’m hoping I caught the primal horror and awful realization on Sargon’s face. I was speaking with the other squirrels and had agreed that Sargon primarily uses his right hand (fighting doesn’t count since he dual wields).

I have more planned for this AU. It’s full of hurt/comfort, whump, etc. My poor boy is really in for it

[escape-the-real]

The Lost Crown: A Tale of Rebellious Royalty. (MHA Fantasy Au x reader)

Drabble, Characters are 18+

Synopsis: Y/n meets two new acquaintances while on the run. Can they trust them?

Word count: 1,766

Includes/mentioned: Shigaraki, Magne, Bakugo, Hana, Kirishima.

Key: (T:) - Translation, (e/c) - eye colour, (s/c) - skin colour, (h/c) - hair colour.

Warning: Angst, and mentions of deceased loved ones.

⚔︎- Chapter Two: The Dark Forest-⚔︎

Y/n stopped running to catch their breath but also turned to look back towards the palace that had been their home for so many years. It was all they knew, but that simple knowledge sent fear coursing through them again. Quickly Y/n turned and ran deeper into the forest.

The village road was a well-traveled route that they were afraid to go on. They endured the brambles, thistles, and thorns that grew quickly in the underbrush instead. The thistles thrashed Y/n's ankles and the thorns tore the makeshift cloak they were wearing. Their heart pounding so loudly that they stopped when they could hear nothing else. However, at that point, Y/n was driven forward by a greater fear of being captured than a fear of the unknown.

They found that the more they moved, the forest around them lay in listening quiet. The noise of Y/n's scrambling canceled out any noise of a follower behind them. So they ran without stopping. When at last Y/n couldn't go any further, they sat down with their back against a huge tree and rested their head on their knees.

"I'm too tired to be afraid," Y/n muttered out to the open air before closing their eyes.

When Y/n's eyes reopened, the gray light of dawn lit the clearing around them. Where the clearing merged into the forest, tangled fronds and broken branches marked the way they had come. Y/n stared in dismay. Prince Shigaraki's trackers would not even be needed to find them. They would be the morning's entertainment for his visitors.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it." The voice was gentle, hardly disturbing the quiet of the peaceful clearing.

Their heart leaped into their throat. At first glance around the cleaning, they saw nothing. They were ready to believe that they had finally gone mad.

In their peripherals, they saw a long red, and scaly tail. This tail belonged to a… man? He sat resting on a branch above Y/n on the tree they had fallen asleep against. He had bright red hair that spiked towards the heavens, scarlet eyes, sharp pointed teeth that formed a smile, folded wings, and horns that protruded from his red hair. He wore no cloak, just a small grey vest that did nothing to hide his rather muscular build that was littered with scales, a baggy pair of dark grey pants, and a dull orange scarf hung loosely around his neck.

Y/n shuffled forward in alarm when he jumped down from his perch above them. He made a non-threatening gesture by raising his hands in surrender. He walked slowly towards the way that Y/n had come. They watched him, ready to run. He retraced Y/n's steps and with heavy swipes of his tail, he crushed the brambles and undergrowth. Y/n watched in curiosity and astonishment. When at last the man was finished, a wide portion of the underbrush had been flattened. The tacks that they had left had been well hidden. The man made his way back towards them. He stretched his arms above his head yawning, sharp pointed teeth fully on display.

"W-why did you help me?" Questioned Y/n, not used to kindness, especially kindness from a stranger. The man tilted his head at them, pondering their question.

"There's nothing the way you came but Shigaraki's palace," the man replied gently. "Anyone who flees from that wretched place will find that I give my assistance freely."

Y/n's e/c eyes widen in surprise. Slowly they felt their body begin to relax. "You do not call him Prince," they said wearily studying the man.

"Nope," the man said confidently. "I only have one who I shall call Prince, and it's not Shigaraki, brother to our dead Queen.

"Who do you serve then?" Y/n asked.

"I serve the barbarian Prince and his family. I am his mate and sworn protector, it's what my dragon-shifting ancestors have done for centuries before the great war. When we lost so many…" His voice trailed off. He looked back at Y/n, and his eyes lost their fire, becoming gentle.

He shakes his head as if to clear his thoughts before looking back at them with his head tilted and a wide smile. "Come on," he said. "We shouldn't linger around here. It's unwise and dangerous."

Y/n hesitated for a moment. They looked around as if finding the best route of escape.

"Come," the man said gently yet firmly at the same time. "No harm will come to you when you're with me." His eyes pleading her to allow him to help.

When Y/n took the first step towards him, it surprised even them. But once their decision was made, they couldn't turn back. Y/n intended to take another step toward the man but stopped due to her feet being cut up and having extremely sore muscles. The man gave them a once-over before swiftly walking over and picking them up, bridal style. They let out a squeak before clutching their cloak tighter and pulling their hood down to cast a shadow over their eyes, but the man didn't look down at them. Instead, he gave a light rumble that they felt vibrate in his chest. He walked into the sea of overgrown ferns. Y/n could see the path before the ferns hid it again.

Y/n had become used to the swaying motion of being carried when they came across an open meadow. Little huts were clustered along its edges, their little chimneys sending light grey smoke into the sky. Between the huts, Y/n could see animal corrals. People went about their work, stopping now and then to entertain their children.

"Is it a village?" Y/n whispered in awe.

The man gave her a funny look. "Have you never been to the village?"

They shook their head. Their attention was fixed on the huts, and they didn't see the look the man gave them.

They moved through the village. Few individuals turned to look at them with curiosity. Y/n was drawn to one in particular; he had his back to them, but his ash blonde hair was spiky, and he moved with an unusual grace. When he turned, his ruby-red eyes followed the two. Y/n was too tired to remember just how he sparked this recognition and too sore to really care.

The shapeshifter carried them away from the village to a small camp and the man that Y/n saw before was there waiting.

This man had spikey blonde hair, piercing blood-coloured eyes, different tribal jewelry, and tribal tattoos. He had no shirt on his muscular chest, a red cloak adorned with white fur at the collar sat on his shoulders, and baggy black pants hung up by a belt sat dangerously on his narrow waist.

"Tch, the hell is this?" The ash blonde spoke harshly.

"A guest and be nice." The shapeshifter said with a sigh.

"Eijiro." The ash blonde said warningly.

"Eijiro?" Y/n muttered this name out.

The redhead holding them looked down at them in his arms with a smile.

"Yup, that's my name. Eijiro Kirishima! Guess we didn't really introduce ourselves before, did we?" He said with a light chuckle.

The blonde let out a loud sigh. "Whatever, we will talk later about this. I saw a herd of wild boar this morning and intend to get some fucking meat for dinner."

"Could you possibly drive them through the clearing near the twisted tree and a little bit through the plain?" Kirishima asked the blonde while setting Y/n on a freshly made bed roll.

"Why?" The blonde snapped.

Kirishima went closer to the other man before whispering something that made his jaw clench. Y/n could only catch something about The Yami no dōmei (T: Dark Alliance), which made them shudder.

The blonde quirked an eyebrow before saying, "Heh! Shigaraki's group might change one hunt for another". He didn't care how loud he was or if Y/n heard him.

Kirishima kisses the man on the lips with a quick "Be safe Katsuki."

The blonde smirks after the kiss and looks towards Y/n, who looks away embarrassed for being caught staring at their private moment. The blonde laughed heartily, then grabbed a sword and headed to the area where he had last seen the herd of boars earlier.

Y/n watched Katuski walk away before they realized how tired they were and how comfy this bed roll that Ejiro had placed them down upon. They didn't even notice when Ejiro got a bucket of water and sat beside them.

"Mind laying back for me? Just want to clean your scratches, don't want them getting infected, do we?" He says, gently pushing their shoulder to get them to lay back.

Ejiro pulled out a shimmering green vile from his trouser pocket and dumped its contents into the bucket of water. They made no protest as he slid their cloak off from their shoulders. When a cloth dipped in the bucket was gently applied to the scratches created by the thistles, Y/n closed their eyes.

The rhythmic movement abruptly halted. The feeling of comfort vanished in an instant. When Y/n opened their eyes, they noticed that Ejiro's scarlet eyes were sweeping over the birthmark on their shoulder. Almost in a protective manner, their hand shot up to cover it. Ejiro turned away, sensing the uneasiness.

He got up and started tending to things around the small campsite. Y/n waited tensely for him to mention anything about the birthmark. But he said nothing. For some strange reason, the silence from him bothered them even more. It robbed them of their peace and made them slightly angry.

"Here, I made some tea to help you relax enough to sleep. Made with Valerian, you know, the plant." Ejiro said, placing a small cup beside them.

Y/n knew of the plant Valerian. It was in one of the books they had read many times while locked in their room. Valerian is well known for having mildly hypnotic qualities that make it act on the nervous system like a sedative.

"O-oh, thank you," Y/n said, sitting up a little. With his back to them, they pretended to sip the tea before dumping it on the grass next to the bedroll. Then, instead of taking that much-needed rest, Y/n spent the next few hours feigning sleep.

Many thoughts and images ran through their mind. Y/n thought of the palace, Shigaraki raging at Mange for losing them, the boars, and the two new acquaintances they had met. With all those thoughts swirling through their head, they fell into a troubled sleep.

Thanks for reading, hope it was enjoyable!! Make sure to stick around for ⚔︎- Chapter Three: Flames at Noon-⚔︎

[viaviv124]

Birthday Gift for @salmontooth and his AU!

[pama-saga]

any MCSM fans remember the like. black and white comic in an anime style of M!Jesse (probably the first M!Jesse) looking at the graves of his friend???

it's such a hazy memory. did anyone else come across that comic?? I think that artist made more of that stuff??? idk?

[gryffintheparrotcat]

Me and the other squirrels (@kaihoney & @salmontooth ) have been creating dozens of AUs in the best PoP discord server if I do say so myself and decided to make a collab piece out of 3 lucky AU!Sargons:

Figured I shouldn't just post an AU!Sargon design unexplained so here is a quick look ar Firebender!Sargons design, who knows maybe I'll even post more about this AU at some point, gotta get FateSwap done first tho (follow kai if you want to see fateswap! I may have meddled in it but kai will be the one posting it)

And ofc links to their posts so you can get infos on fateswap and mtaw: https://www.tumblr.com/salmontooth/750389185612005376/the-gang-is-all-here-a-collab-with-kaihoney-and?source=share https://www.tumblr.com/kaihoney/750390055475003392/the-trans-meetup-i-mean-sargon-meetup-d-same?source=share

[acis-arts]

Hello everyoneee, I got super busy recently, but I was still able to do some art and writing in the meantime! Here's all my Cult Leader Designs as well as mentions of the AUs I have!!

Some of these will probably change over time, if I feel like it. I just wanna info dump on my AUs and I also think it's good to post how they currently look instead of waiting for too long.

Down below is the info dump on my AUs:

(Before you start reading: "Kali" is the name of my Lamb)

Lost Crowns AU (/Forgotten Lands of the Old Faith):

This AU was called "Forgotten Lands of the Old Faith" at first, but I refer to it as "Lost Crowns AU" mostly because that name fits too and is shorter.

This is my main AU! In it, the entire story of the game is pretty much unchanged, this AU focuses more on what happens after the events in the game. I haven't finished the game yet and I'm assuming after getting all Bishops, the game is pretty much done. (update because I wrote these notes some days ago: I got Shamura in my cult today so I finished the main story at last)

"A few days after freeing all the Bishops, Kali wakes up and something is missing. The Red Crown is gone, all Crowns are gone. They run to find Narinder and the Bishops, but none of them are behind it. Together, all 6 of them try to confront the Mystic Seller next, but upon arriving at the gate they were always situated in, they find nothing."

The Mystic Seller left the Lands of the Old Faith for good and took everything supernatural with them. I haven't thought about a solid reason for that yet, because my main idea behind this is that Kali and the others are now forced to live without all their supernatural powers. They can't perform Rituals, they can't resurrect, they can't summon weapons and none of the Follower necklaces work anymore. The only thing that was left is the immortality of Kali, Narinder and the Bishops. They won't age but the risk of dying permanently is there.

I have no idea if I want to keep this idea or if I want to scrap this, but I also thought about Kali finding a gateway into the lands of the Gods and together with Narinder, they try to find the Mystic Seller to get answers. The reason Narinder comes along is because he's more familiar with that place and Kali would need someone like that. The second reason obviously being that I want to pair them up and have them develop their relationship over this adventure (with a proposal at the end of it perhaps). Third reason: it's fun to have the Bishops take care of the Cult without Kali and Narinder around.

I have so much more stuff for this AU, but this is already so much text. Let's hope I get to post more in the future!

Swap AU:

This is pretty self explanatory and the majority of what I posted on here so far. As a short summary: Narinder is now the Last Cat remaining, becoming the Vessel of Kali as The One Who Waits

No Mercy AU:

This is based on the second save file I have in COTL, on which I'm trying to do an "evil route". In this AU, Kali isn't kind and optimistic, instead becoming a callous, cruel cult leader after receiving the Red Crown. Up until that moment, they were at the bottom of the food chain and upon receiving the power of a God, they were finally the one in control for the first time in their life. They decided to never let go of the Crown and their Powers.

Orange Crown AU:

This AU is pretty much just my close circle and me inserted into Cult of the Lamb. So far my partner and me are inserted as NariLamb and my brother is the Mystic Seller because he looks like them. This one is probably uninteresting to most of you, as you don't know any of us. I won't be posting that much about this and keep it private mostly, but maybe some of you are still interested in the art, so let's see.

As always, Thank you so much for reading up until this point!! I hope you all had a good week!

[void-dreaming]

HE IS FINALLY COLORED

Maan ZT Magolor is probably a deviation from the norm here, he was just a lil guy who got gaslit into a dangerous relationship with the Master Crown, and didn't believe he could survive without it (lived in constant fear of the Mechanization from HWC, fled from it before giving birth to Marzipan)

So his thought process was "Right, if I become overlord, I can get rid of this threat and protect and shape the galaxy into a place where me and my daughter can live peacefully!"

Maybe had he had a support system back then, things wouldn't have gotten this bad.

When he met Kirby and Co. he got so nervous and antsy, he truly believed he was gonna make the galaxy a better place.

All the Crown wanted (purely Zero Termina, idk if it had motivations in canon) was revenge against the Tech faction, and Magolor was the unfortunate one to find it.

[krissneedsleep]

More under cut!

Grian and Crown -before evo fell

mumbo - lost au.

Ex (EriexelaVoid) - lost au

Ariana Griande - Royal au?

mayor scar!

Grian! - Lost au

Tango- ???

[sweetandglovelyart]

Now that I’ve finished the most recent comic page I think I should actually try and do some proper drawings of some of my OCs. Get ready to see Taranza’s mom Theraphoza, I’m working on drawing her first 🕷️

[aria0fgold]

I don't know what I'm doing with this fic's story anymore at this point, I'm just doing feck all but somehow it's also so fun to just... make it a lil wacky.

[salmontooth]

Sargon was a weapon. And like a weapon, he had been forged by searing flames and unbearable heat; his hardships made him a more formidable warrior. This also meant, like a weapon, he knew he was only useful if he could fight and defend. Weapons that broke were smelted back into molten metal, or were placed on display and forgot about in some nobleman’s house, gathering dust as it had gathered kills during its prime

Sargon was a broken weapon

Next: https://www.tumblr.com/salmontooth/753335832493064192/flashback-time-babyyyyy-next-previous

FIRST PAGE WOOOOOO!!! I am very excited to share this story with you all! There is no set update time with this comic so I ask for patience and understanding! I have a lot of it already drawn out/scripted in word form, it’s just a matter of me being able to sit down at my computer and digitally draw it.

THIS COMIC WILL CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING THEMES:

- graphic violence

- implied/referenced child abuse

- ableism

- homophobia

- depression and suicide ideation

- adult situations (nothing too graphic for tumblr)

- eating disorders

- Spoilers for Prince of Persia: the Lost Crown

I will update this list if the need arises

I hope you all enjoy!

Special thanks to @gryffintheparrotcat and @kaihoney squirrels together strong

[escape-the-real]

The Lost Crown: A Tale of Rebellious Royalty. (Fantasy Au x reader)

Drabble, Characters are 18+

Synopsis: Y/n has been held prisoner by their ruthless uncle. Will they be able to escape tonight?

Word count: 2,128

Includes/mentioned: Toga, Shigaraki, Dabi, Magne, Spinner, Hana, Bakugo.

Key: (T:) - Translation, (e/c) - eye colour, (s/c) - skin colour, (h/c) - have colour.

Warning: Angst and mentions of death.

⚔︎- Chapter One: The Prisoner's Escape-⚔︎

Y/n stood at the tower window, typical, I know. Far down below, the courtyard bustled with busy working people. Unlit lanterns clang gently against the thick stone wall in the swaying motion from the gentle breeze. That same breeze wafted the smell of a whole hog turning slowly on a spit above the fire. An ensemble of performers from the town spun brightly coloured ribbons over their heads. And Y/n knew that inside the castle, players, jugglers, singers, acrobats, and whores waited to do their duties.

The Yami no dōmei (T: Dark Alliance) Stewardess, Himiko Toga, bounced across the courtyard. She threatened a couple of worker boys who were doing more looking than working.

"Hurry up, you useless bloodbags. His Royal Highness will arrive shortly and see you doing absolutely nothing! What do you think he'll do then, huh?" she let out an insane laugh, watching them scramble at the mention of his mere title.

Y/n didn't so much as laugh. Too often they have seen Prince Shigaraki punish those who had mistakenly displeased him. They shake their head at the remembrance of the screams of the punished. Quickly, Y/n thought of safer memories of their mother telling them tales of the great dragons who protect the innocent. Fascinating creatures they were to Y/n, ever since they were a child.

"Today is the day and this time," Y/n thought fiercely, "this time Shigaraki will let me come down from this tower. He must!"

The Maya blue-coloured sky dimmed into a lavender. A shade of pink outlined the black, twisted trees of the forest. Y/n watched the colors of the sky dance together. Looking below once more, the lanterns were now lit. Almost as if they were scaring away the darkness from the courtyard. All was ready. A distant trumpet sounded. A line of ghost-like lights could be seen floating along the forest road.

"He's here! He's here!" shouted Toga.

At the sound of her voice, the drawbridge went down with a low creaking and moaning. The line of lights came closer and revealed torch-lit horseback riders. Some carried torches, while others carried flowing banners. There was a great clatter of hooves and blaring of trumpets as the riders crossed the drawbridge.

Only one man drew his head up slowly towards the tower as the riders thundered into the courtyard. Y/n stepped back so fast that they almost tripped over the rug. As the curtain fell back into place, a shiver racked down their spine before saying to themselves, "I see he has not forgotten me."

The prince came to visit Y/n only once in a blue moon, so every one to two years. And even that was too many times for their liking. During Prince Shigaraki's last visit, Y/n had been denied permission to walk in the corridor outside their room. Remembering this made Y/n hold their chin up high and stubbornly. This visit, Y/n meant to challenge him. They prayed that their courage wouldn't leave them.

Y/n knew The Prince usually stayed for several weeks, entertaining his many guests with brawls, drinking, many acts, and feasting. Then he would return to his court of villains, and what little peace was back to the small palace. Y/n gritted their teeth as they knew that during those several weeks, maybe even tonight, he would seek them out.

Waiting, Y/n paced the floor of their bedroom tower. The fine fabric of silk wisped around their body at each turn. Nervously, they played with the lace that trimmed the silk garment. The hours passed. Laughter and music floated up from the courtyard, but Y/n would not go back to the window. They made themselves sit on an uncomfortable padded stool.

They were still there when the door opened. Magne, who was Y/n warden and maid, ducked inside the room. The man behind her was not as tall but lean with narrow shoulders. But it was his face that drew the focus. It was pale, scratch-littered, with sunken eyes that looked like two blood droplets, and a dark expression.

"Well? Stand up and greet your Prince!" Shigaraki snapped.

Y/n stood up and forced themself to hold their head high in defiance. They met his icy look without flinching, which most cannot do. But Y/n could tell that he was not pleased with what he saw.

"They grow more like their mother every day… How could Hana marry an American is beyond my understanding. Look at their h/c and s/c!"

He made a sound of disgust and moved away from them.

"If they didn't bear the birthmark that Hana did, no one would recognize them as one of us!" he said.

Magne let out a laugh, but she stopped when The Prince spun to glare at her. Y/n remained where they were, they didn't dare speak. They couldn't.

"Still, they have the upbringing and bearing befitting one of royal blood. If they went down amongst the commoners, they just might…" His voice trailed off while he scratched at his neck. "But we'll see that doesn't happen, won't we Magne?"

Yes, My Lord," Magne said.

Y/n looked at her maid with eyes that seemed to blaze e/c. Prince Shigaraki inhaled deeply. He turned away.

"Does they not speak? Toga cut out their tongue?" He asked Magne.

"Yes, they speak," she said sourly. "And it's sharp like a dagger too."

"ah, I see. So, they are stubborn then? Willful?"

"Yes again My Lord. For all the time we've had her, you'd think they were the royal highness." Magne said with a sneer.

Prince Shigaraki frowned. He looked back at Y/n. "They grow like a weed. Soon they will propose a threat to my throne. Something will need to be done… It will be decided before my visit here is done."

Magne threw a barbed glance at Y/n. They felt their dislike for their maid once more and knew that she wouldn't miss the long climb up the tower steps if they were gone.

After one last pensive look at Y/n, Prince Shigaraki stalked out as Magne followed suit by shutting the door. Y/n rushed across their room to the closed door and pressed their cheek against the wood. Their heart sank as they heard the loud click as the door was locked from the outside.

"Someday… sometimes," Y/n promised themselves fiercely, "they'll forget."

Then the hot anger Y/n felt left them, and they slid to the floor. What had Shigaraki meant? Y/n wondered. What would he do to them before he left? Y/n shuddered. All their efforts to escape had ended in embarrassingly quick captures by Shigarki's goons. Now, despite the risks, Y/n knew that they must try again.

Deep in thought, Y/n didn't hear the lock click again. The moving door caught them by surprise. Y/n rolled over quickly to keep from getting hit as it swung open. Magne came back in, muttering to herself. Y/n remained where they were, hidden by the opened door. Sudden hope made their heart skip a beat, and they held their breath.

"Oh dear heart, probably on the bed pouting again," Magne complained.

She saw the food tray across the room and went to go grab it.

"No more climbing those stairs, I'm done my leg day for the night. I will be downstairs enjoying my evening of ale!" She called into the bedroom.

When she didn't get an answer, she grunted. A few more steps lead Magne to the arch that led to Y/n's sleeping quarters. Muttering to herself once more, she peered inside.

For a quick moment, Y/n's body felt glued to the floor. Then suddenly they were up and out the wooden door. One good pull swung that heavy door shut. Y/n used both hands to turn the enchanted quirk-cancelling key. They stopped to listen. They could tell that Magne was pounding on the door. They also knew that no one could hear her. Even in the downtime of the palace, it was hard to hear beyond the thick wood. Tonight would be extremely impossible.

Y/n descended the winding staircase cautiously, even though they felt like rushing down with joy. From previous efforts to escape, they knew that the stairs branched out like roots of a tree in many directions. Y/n took one of the left corridors that led to the art gallery that overlooked the great hall. The noise below was deafening to their ears due to hearing little each day.

Y/n hid behind the folds of the monstrous tapestry. The guests and singer were downstairs but Y/n knew that the singers would soon return to the art gallery for their moments break. Quickly, their e/c eyes scanned the crowd.

Y/n saw no one they could trust. Their father was assassinated by Shigaraki's right-hand man and bounty hunter, Dabi before they were born. And their mother died soon after Y/n's birth. "Uncle" or Prince Shigaraki had kept them locked away and hidden in the palace as they grew older. The servants had been chosen for their loyalty to him. Any guest who happened to catch a quick glimpse of Y/n's face at the window thought that it was a gosht haunting the tower.

Toga had taken great delight in passing along that story. Y/n's mouth curled into a smirk of satisfaction as they thought of the punishment that his servants would get in the morning due to their escape. Their gaze left the guests and went to the servants.

"…Servants…" Y/n muttered to themselves. They watched the servants buzz around, tending to guests. Y/n brows creased in thought.

"They are wearing clothes used only for their work in the palace. Nothing can be taken home… They have to change somewhere, downstairs?" Y/n thought.

Ripping down a tapestry and flipping it around, Y/n made a makeshift cloak. It covered their face and only trailed slightly on the floor. They hurried down the steps and into the throng of people in the great hall, hoping that they would be mistaken for a commoner who provided the acrobatic acts. No one stopped them. Y/n walked quickly out of the great hall and down a lower corridor with the same success. Everyone was too busy working, drinking, and or playing to pay attention to them wandering around. Near the courtyard, they found what they were looking for. On one wall were multiple clothes of different sizes on pegs. Y/n searched around until they found a worn frock and rough shoes, they appeared to belong to someone on the kitchen staff.

Quickly stripping off the cloth they had on now, they pulled on the escape disguise. Y/n crept back down the hallway and stopped long enough to put their silk garments in a deep vase where they would not be found. Then, pulling the cloak back around their face, they slid out the door into the courtyard.

Y/n moved around the fringes of the bustling crowd, keeping to the shadows. Only once did they turn aside to avoid running into Toga and found themself looking directly into the eyes fire breather hired as an act. His ruby-red eyes stood out from the painted mask, they seemed to stare right into Y/n's heart. Y/n stared back, unable to move. Then the crowd shifted, pushing them along. Y/n wriggled and thrust their way back into the shadows. When they looked back, the fire-breather was gone as if he disappeared into thin air.

"Hurry," Y/n told themself over their pounding heart. Desperately they searched for a way out without being detected. That's when they saw a wagon off by itself, being loaded with empty ale barrels. Y/n waited until the men finished loading the wagon and prayed that it would pass the drawbridge unchallenged. The men waved the driver a merry farewell, that's when Y/n scrambled into the back and squeezed themself between the barrels.

Y/n pulled the tapestry completely over their face and became a shadow themself. Y/n lay perfectly still, hardly breathing for fear of getting caught. The wagon rattled and jostled across the courtyard slowly. When the challenge came, Y/n clamped their teeth together to keep them from chattering out loud. Then the granting voice of the gatekeeper, Spinner, came ringing out. Along with a few cheerful insults to the driver. The driver yelled back, roaring with laughter, and the wagon creaked onward through the gate.

The wheels rumbled over the boards and onto the dirt road, leading to the dark forest. As the twisted trees appeared, Y/n jumped into action and slipped out the back of the wagon, dropping to the ground. Triumph tingled through Y/n, pushing away all fear that once resided. Y/n started walking through the tree line and that walking turned into a run.

"I'm free. I-I'm finally free!" Y/n called to the night.

Thanks for reading, hope it was enjoyable!! Make sure to stick around for ⚔︎- Chapter Two: The Dark Forest-⚔︎