~Stolen Heart~ (Togaraka)

~Chapter Ten~

(HEADER IMAGE IS NOT MINE, CREDIT TO ORIGINAL OWNER)

Back at it again with another chapter. I'll be honest, for a while I didn't know how this story was gonna go but I think I have a good idea now. Anyway, enjoy

~A

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As I looked at him, I saw a flash of movement behind him. A girl, crawling towards a bush, bleeding and bruised from head to toe.

T.B.C

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Uraraka's POV

It took all my willpower not to check on the bleeding stranger before I was alone. Luckily, the blond suitor had places he needed to be and left quickly, but I still had to wait. Dinner seemed to crawl by, minutes seeming like hours. 

Finally, I was released and made my way down to the gardens,  dismissing all my guards, claiming to want some alone time. 

The gardens were dark and quiet, the only noise being the crickets harmonizing and the occasional croak of a frog. I was disappointed to find that there was no one in the bush, only a trail of blood to follow, in hopes that whoever I found was either a) not dead and b) not going to hurt me. 

The trail led to another large nearby bush, where the scent of blood hung in the air like a conscience. What I found was a gruesome sight that brought tears to my eyes. 

The girl I had met at Mina's, Toga, lie on her back, her eyes closed, her breathing staggered. Around her, sticky red hand prints coated the ground where she had crawled. Her hair was matted with blood, a gash the size of my middle finger oozed fresh blood. The rest of her body had similar smaller marks and where the wounds weren't, bruises took their place. It was honestly a miracle she was still alive. 

Kneeling by her, I wiped some blood off her face, "my gods, this really is a mess," I muttered to myself. 

I wouldn't be able to alert the guards, since my parents would overreact and assume the worst. But I couldn't just leave her there, even though she'd survived long enough for me to find her, I doubted she'd be alive much longer. 

Sighing, I stooped to pick her up, carrying her bridal style to a back door of the castle, a servants entrance. Using my foot to kick open the door, I stepped inside, only to freeze. The silhouette of a person sat on the steps of the stairs leading up to the main level. 

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" came a familiar voice.

Tsuyu stood, the glow of the moon casting creepy shadows on her face. She dressed in the servants uniform, her long green hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. 

I tried to hold back a smile, "I'm so glad it's you, now help me with this."

 (2 hours later)

Asui didn't ask questions as she helped me carry the unconscious girl up to my room. No guards stood at my door, most likely taking the dismissal as a sign that they were unneeded for the night. If I hadn't been grateful, I would've been seriously annoyed. 

We set her down on the floor, unsure where else to place her. 

"I have a feeling you're trying to hide this girl?" Tsuyu asked. 

I nodded and she sighed, "Then I suppose it's time I show you something."

She made her way over to the large bookshelf that covered one of my walls and reached for a book. Instead of the book sliding right out, the side of the book facing Tsuyu opened, revealing a keypad. Typing a code, the keypad disappeared back in the book and the sound of mechanics rang out. 

Suddenly, the whole bookshelf moved aside, revealing a small room. 

My mouth hung open, "How long has that been there?"

Tsuyu shrugged, "It's always been here. Centuries ago the royal family got paranoid and built a few of these rooms in case they needed to hide from an enemy. Only a select few knew, I was told by a servant years ago about it, though i'm not sure how they knew in the first place. I'm fairly certain your parents don't know about this place, which makes it perfect for a hiding place for your... friend. Anyway, there's another lever inside that opens the door in case you accidentally get locked in, so there's no need to worry."

Grinning, I surveyed the room. Dust covered every inch of the space, and cobwebs could be seen on the walls. The place was empty except for a small window, but perfect. 

"I was really hoping to get to bed early, but I guess it can't be helped," Tsuyu said, "Come, we have a lot of work to do." 

I cleaned while Tsuyu provided aid to the girl, stopping the bleeding with several cloths and properly bandaging the injuries. The girl would need stitches, Tsuyu reported, and several days to rest, but she'd be fine. 

It took an hour to clean all the dust and another 15 minutes to remove all the cobwebs. Finally, we brought in an old mattress, some blankets, and a few candles and the window opened enough to get some air circulating through. The girl was placed carefully on the makeshift bed and wrapped in blankets. 

"I'll come by early tomorrow morning to change her bandages, but she should be fine until then. I suggest you get some rest, when she wakes up, I'll need you to be completely present," Asui declared. 

Nodding, we both left the room, closing the bookshelf back as if nothing had ever happened. 

T.B.C

Hoping to write another chapter tomorrow to yall might get back-to-back chapters. :)

Anyway, 

Q: What's your favorite candy?

A: Skittles, dark chocolate bars, or sour patch kids. 

Make sure to leave your answers in the comments and i'll see yall in the next chapter :)

~A