When the threesome entered Green Village, Dark Shadow shrank down to the size of a large Condor and perched on Fumikage's shoulder. It drew some strange looks, but most people thought it was just a pet. Green Village had no mages or magic. Deku had been travelling around mages for so many weeks, he'd almost forgotten what it was like to breathe air that didn't have some magical aura in it.
But he was nervous about going to his house again. It didn't help that a bunch of people stopped and called to him. "Young Deku!"
"You're finally home!"
"We thought you were dead!"
"You useless piece of sheep dung! Do you know how worried your mother has been?!" The last from a crotchety old lady.
Deku winced. "Maybe I should have written first."
"Well, you do deserve what you get," Ochaco said, "but it'll be fine, you'll see. She'll be happy to see you."
"I too had parents once," Fumikage said.
"Are they dead?" Ochaco asked sadly.
"No, but I cannot go back to them like this. It would bring shame on my family. I am dead to them. I hope they think that," Fumikage said darkly.
They didn't know what to say.
But a throatier voice caught their attention.
"Well, if it isn't Deku the Quester, and who are you? I'm sure you can't be Ochaco."
They turned.
"Tsuyu!" Ochaco cried, rushing forward to give the short, round-faced girl a hug.
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"Oh, my goodness! How many years has it been?"
"Too many to remember," Tsuyu replied dryly, "I see you and Deku did find each other... but your party seems a little smaller than I remember. I don't recognize your amalgamated man."
"You can... see him?" Deku asked. Ochaco had put a cloaking spell on his head when they first entered the village.
"I've known Ochaco too long to be fooled by her magic as easily as that," Tsuyu said.
"You see, Deku," Ochaco said sheepishly, "It's a strange rule of magic, that it very often doesn't work well on people who've known you for a long time in your own country. Part of magic is believing in its power... and they don't see you as a threat... but I'm sure no one else will notice."
"I apologize deeply if I alarmed you, Madame," Fumikage said, regretfully.
"I'm not so green I don't know a cursed person when I see one," Tsuyu said very calmly, "I don't suppose you'd be with them if you were any threat, so I wasn't alarmed. Nice bird."
