Long Time Coming

Epilogue

It happened to be a beautiful day.

That wasn't why he was outside and ditching his final history lesson. That was a happy bonus. He trod past the old metal frame that still poked through the dirt, fresh scratch marks where the children had attempted to dig it out made him grin.

"Oi, Bakugou-"

His heart rose to his ears as he turned, avoiding his clansmen and dashing into the forest, the book shoved under his shirt jostling awkwardly against his chest, the cover poking into his abdomen. Past the lake, past the thicket, past the gnarled tree, past the nymph cove. Finally to his spot - his spot since he was a child. It was crude, he admitted, tossing his book up onto the wooden platform, climbing up the thick branches easily. He sighed, settling back in the shade, grabbing the artifact.

It didn't look like much, but nicking it from the guards had been a bitch and a half even if he was the son of the Barbarian King- He bit his lip, shaking his head gently as the book fell open, weathered pages whispered of their secrets as his fingers rubbed them between their pads.

No. He reprimanded. I am the Barbarian King now... Well, almost... He blinked furiously.

Kings didn't cry and Dad had been gone for a while now. He had no right to still mourn. It was weak and they were on tenacious grounds, war imminent if he couldn't do something to stop it. He couldn't afford to be weak. Not anymore. Not ever again. Bakugou looked out, palm against the pages as though he could absorb their knowledge and wisdom through his skin.

The scenery was poetic; it was why he had chosen it as a young child, always troubled with so much anger this was one of the few places where the calm had leached into him, touched his soul and soothed away the burning rage. The sun glow dappled through the canopy of trees, the grass was thick and green at his feet, the pond in the distance giggled and hummed as fish and birds danced on its uneven surface. Animals frolicked through his domain as though they had not a care in the world, and maybe they didn't. But he did.

Today was the day - the day of his tattoo. The day he struck out to chase down the legend of the artifact that would bring the world back to balance.

He flipped the page, booted foot resting against his knee, back pressed against the tree trunk. His fingers skimmed over the raised symbols of the old world item, one of the few tokens of power his tribe held. Rage bubbled within as his red eyes rose towards the North; to the wizards and mages and knights. A people controlled by The Corrupt. They held the most power - odd metallic aids, flying contraptions, weapons that defied sight and speed. It was unnatural.

They had lost touch with the Earth, with her elements. He looked at his palm, then back to the crude castle tucked away under the rise of the hill, spiraling below in cavernous luxury. He couldn't summon the fire his father had wielded. He wondered - not for the first time - if this meant he, too, was an outcast of the Earth.

"Katsuki!"

Glaring he jut out his chin, "Whaddya want, hag?"

Her mouth fell open as her eyes landed on the book, arms folding across her red top, the white fur of her cape making her glare seem even more intimidating. "Is that one of the-?"

He fought the smirk best he could, but her face turned as red as her eyes and he couldn't help himself.

"Give it." She growled, hand outstretched, talismans of protection clattering from her neck and wrists. "You know that these absorbed the magic of the ancients!" Begrudgingly Bakugou let her take the book. Her fingers gently caressed the spell protected cover. "Should we lose even one we could lose-"