Chapter Text
Katsuki Bakugo (Fantasy Au) X OC Elise
Katsuki always felt something was wrong with him. Being prince of the Dragon Lands without the ability to shift into a dragon—his birthright—was a wound he carried like a hidden scar. Yes, he was a formidable warrior with his explosion magic, stronger than most. But strength wasn’t the same as belonging. He wanted what Kirishima and every other dragonshifter took for granted.
One night, he ventured into the Eclipse Forest, the enchanted home of the fae near the Dragon Lands. He sought the Eclipse Tree, rumored to grant wishes…
“Tch. Another lost soul stumbling through my forest?”
A soft glow pulsed between the ancient trees, and Elise stepped forward—tall, regal, wreathed in shimmering frostlight. Her white hair spilled like moonlit snow, her eyes sharp as winter stars.
Katsuki narrowed his eyes, sparks crackling at his fingertips. “The hell are you supposed to be? Some kind of ice spirit? Don’t tell me the rumors were true and this place really is guarded by some frostbitten fae—”
Elise lifted a single hand, a spiral of radiant energy swirling above her palm. “Careful with that temper, Dragonborn,” she said coolly. “This forest eats arrogance for breakfast.”
He smirked—wild, defiant. “Good. Let it try.”
She raised her palm and fired a blast of ice and celestial energy at him. If he wanted a wish, he’d earn it through the test.
She unleashed a barrage of attacks.
Katsuki snarled as the ice struck his shoulder, frost crackling across his armor. He rolled through the impact, explosions flaring at his feet to propel him sideways just in time to dodge a spiraling energy lance that froze the air where he’d stood.
“Tch, bitch, you ain’t seen arrogance yet!” Sparks burst from his palms as he launched forward, not retreating but charging—each step detonating beneath him like distant war drums.
She sent a crescent of freezing light and needle-like shards of solid starlight. He countered with rapid-fire explosions, vaporizing ice midair, but one shard grazed his cheek—cold biting deep enough to ice his vision for a heartbeat.
He wiped the frost-blood mix from his face. “You wanna test me? Fine! But don’t think I’m some whining pup begging for favors! If that tree grants wishes—” His voice dropped, fierce and raw. “Then I’ll earn it by kicking your perfect ass all the way to dawn!”
He charged again—close enough for Elise to see the stubborn fire in his eyes.
She smirked. Her attacks hadn’t deterred him. He pushed through her frostlight with sheer force of will, reckless and relentless. Admirable—if not utterly audacious. As he closed in, she narrowed her eyes, a mix of approval and pity in her gaze.
“Your courage isn’t lost on me, Dragonborn,” she said, her frost-white hair gleaming beneath the stars. “But be warned: the test of the Eclipse Tree demands more than reckless rage alone.”
Katsuki skidded to a halt, explosions hissing at his wrists. “Test?! What kinda test?” he snapped. “All I said was ‘I want a dragon form and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it!’”
The tree behind her watched in silence.
Elise lowered her hand. “You only want your dragon form? No other wish?” she asked, genuinely confused.
Katsuki gritted his teeth, sparks dancing across his knuckles. “What kind of question is that? Of course I want that! It’s not about power—I don’t need more strength!” His voice cracked, just once. “It’s about not being a damn joke in my own kingdom! Everyone else soars—Kirishima, my ancestors, the damn guards—and I’m stuck on the ground like some… some broken hatchling!”
He glared at her, red eyes blazing under starlit frost. “So yeah. That’s my wish. No treasure. No throne. Just… wings of my own.”
A beat.
“…Happy now, ice queen?”
She considered him a moment, then stepped closer, hands raised in surrender. “It’s odd you don’t have your dragon form yet. May I examine you?”
Katsuki hesitated. Letting a stranger near him felt like a trap. But this might be his only chance. He sighed, lowering his guard.
“Fine. Go ahead.”
Elise closed the distance between them. Standing a foot away, she met his eyes, then let her hair and hands glow softly as celestial magic awakened.
She swept her hands across his head and chest, hovering just above his skin as she scanned him.
“Huh?” she murmured.
Katsuki stiffened at the strange sensation—cold and warmth weaving together like a spell sliding under his skin. A shiver betrayed him.
“What ‘huh’? What is it?” he growled, curiosity and anxiety leaking through.
She dropped her hands, the glow fading. Stepping back, she spoke steadily.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve been cursed—or chained. Your dragon is there, but something is blocking him.”
Katsuki froze.
His breath hitched before he snapped, “Bullshit! Cursed? Chained? By what? I’ve been tested by elders, scryed by seers, bathed in dragonfire rituals since I was a kid!” His fists ignited again. “If something’s blocking me—where?! Show me and I’ll blow it to pieces!”
But beneath the fury, Elise saw something quieter.
“…You’re not lying, are you?” he muttered, voice low. “I can hear it sometimes. Like… a heartbeat behind my ribs that isn’t mine.”
She tilted her head. “This curse isn’t physical—not a mark or spell on your skin. It’s internal. He may not be ready to surface yet.”
Her gaze softened. “You hearing a second heartbeat? That’s him—struggling against the bind.”
Katsuki stared, jaw clenched so hard it trembled.
“Internal?” he spit. “So I’m the one holding him back? Afraid? Weak?” He barked a hollow laugh.
Then fell quiet.
“…Tch. Maybe.” Barely a whisper. He looked toward the Eclipse Tree, its bark shimmering like captured moon-smoke. “Every time I reach for him… something claws back. Like I’m not allowed.” His fists curled—not in anger now, but helplessness. “So what? You telling me the problem is me?”
He looked at her again—defiant, but fragile beneath.
“…Then unblock me properly—or get out of my way.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. Only you and your dragon can undo it.”
A thought struck her. “But I’ve heard of this before.”
Katsuki bristled, sparks flickering with irritation. “So you can sense it, but can’t fix it? How the—” He stopped. “Wait. Heard it where?”
She paced, hand on her chin. “A text I read. Hundreds of years old. The Book of Eclipse.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “The ‘Book of Eclipse’?” He crossed his arms. “What’s so damn important about that ancient thing that’ll fix me?”
But he listened—something in her tone demanded it.
She turned to him. “The Book of Eclipse records everything that has ever happened in this world. It created the Eclipse Tree. If this happened before, the book holds the answers you need.” She paused. “The only problem is reaching it.”
His skepticism wavered. “A book that made the Eclipse Tree?” He blinked once. “This tree?”
Now she had his full attention.
“Alright then, ice queen—where is it? And don’t say ‘in the tree’ or I’m gonna explode.”
She chuckled. “Elise.” She extended her hand. “And no, it’s not in the tree. It’s in Volaria.”
He glared at her hand, then grunted. “Volaria? Across the Shattered Sea? That place is crawling with banshee storms and cursed tides.”
He didn’t take her hand—yet.
“…Elise,” he repeated, testing her name like defiance. “Fine. If the book has answers… I’m going.”
He finally reached out—calloused fingers gripping hers before he yanked away like the contact burned. “But don’t think I trust you! We get in, grab the book, and get out. No detours!”
A smirk tugged at his lips.
“…And if we die? I’m blaming you.”
Her smirk matched his. “I can live with that. But the journey to Volaria isn’t a stroll. There will be storms, creatures, and monsters in the sea. So tell me—are you as good as you talk, dragon boy? Or are you all bark and no bite?”
“Tch. Really asking that?” Katsuki’s grin turned feral, sparks dancing. “I’ll blow every monster in the damn sea to ash!”
He stepped forward, voice low with challenge. “Worried I won’t keep up? You’re the one who better try, frost queen.”
He jerked his head toward the forest’s edge—the path to the coast taking shape.
“Let’s move before I change my damn mind.”
“Now?” Elise repeats, rooted where she stands, not moving to follow.
Katsuki whirls on her, temper flaring hotter than his palms. “Now? What, you wanna schedule it for tea time, snowflake?” Sparks spit from his fingers—but then he stops. She’s just standing there. Watching him. And something uneasy twists in his gut.
“…What?” he growls, suddenly less sure of himself. “You got an issue with the plan? Or you gonna stand there looking pretty while the damn sea eats our chances?”
Elise meets his glare calmly, frostlight still faint on her skin. “We are unprepared, and I have things to ready before I leave. I am the guardian of the Eclipse Tree—I cannot abandon my post on a whim.”
She steps past him, toward the glowing trunk. “Besides, we’ll need a dragon shifter—and a healer—if you want a fighting chance.”
Katsuki bristles beside her, all frustration and unspent explosions. “Unprepared? You think I can’t handle—ugh, forget it.” He trails after her, grumbling the whole way. “So what? I’m just supposed to wait? Stand around for hours while you get your mystical crap sorted out?”
“Go back to your kingdom,” she answers without turning. “Bring a dragon shifter and a healer by this time tomorrow. I’ll have everything ready.”
She presses her palm to the bark. Ancient roots twist aside, revealing a dark opening. Elise looks back at him over her shoulder—icy hair catching the faint glow of the forest.
“See you tomorrow, dragon boy.”
A smirk.
Then she disappears into the tree.
“Hey! Wait a—dammit—” Katsuki’s shout is swallowed as the bark seals shut. He glares at the place she vanished, sparks flickering impotently.
“…Stubborn fae,” he mutters, then sighs hard and storms back toward the path home.
Tomorrow, he promises himself.
Tomorrow, he’ll prove her wrong—or right. He hasn’t decided which.
Katsuki returns to the Dragon Lands by dusk. Elise watches from afar through the tree’s crystal window as he stomps along the jagged cliffs, the sky behind him painted in molten oranges and reds. Her sight fades when Kirishima spots him.
The red-haired dragon shifter sits perched on a cliff, wings catching the fading light. He turns, eyes widening when he sees Katsuki’s frost-burned, beaten state.
“Bakugo!? Dude, what happened to you?”
Katsuki waves him off with a glare. “Nothing. Just some fae with an ego problem and an even bigger ice complex.” He grimaces as he brushes a frozen gash on his arm.
“But whatever—listen.” He fixes Kirishima with a sharp look. “I need to talk to you. Alone.”
Elise watches Kirishima hop down from the cliff, wings flaring wide before folding neatly behind him. His expression tightens when he sees the sheen of fae frost on Katsuki’s skin.
“Bullshit it’s nothing,” Kirishima says, stepping closer. “That’s high-tier fae ice. Stuff clings like a curse. And you’re telling me you just wanna ‘talk’?”
Katsuki scowls, arms crossing, clearly not wanting to admit he was outmatched. Elise almost smiles.
Kirishima claps him on the shoulder—hard. “Alright, alright. Spill. But if we’re fighting sparkly immortal forest people again, you’re buying dinner.”
“Shut up, idiot! I’m not dragging you anywhere.” Then Katsuki exhales, jaw tight. “We’re going to Volaria.”
Kirishima’s eyebrows shoot up. “…The city in the sky?”
“No. The bakery down the hill—YES THE CITY IN THE SKY!” Katsuki snaps, sparks crackling. “The real Volaria! Floating above the Shattered Sea, filled with death storms and cursed tides!”
He steps in closer, dropping his voice. “There’s a book—Book of Eclipse—that might explain why I can’t shift. You’re coming because I need someone who can actually fly. And Deku’s coming because—ugh—I need a healer.”
Kirishima stares at him for a moment… then grins bright enough to rival sunrise.
“Together again, huh?”
He punches Katsuki in the arm. “Hell yeah, man! Like old times! You gotta tell us everything.”
“Not happening,” Katsuki snaps—but the faint blush betrays him.
Kirishima snorts. “Bro. I can see it all over your face. You found something. Something real. And it gave you hope. That’s way more dangerous than fae magic.”
He slaps Katsuki’s back again, wings fluttering with laughter. “Which means I’m definitely coming. Somebody’s gotta stop you from exploding midair when the frost fae gives you that look again.”
He wiggles his eyebrows. “So… ‘fae,’ huh? She hot?”
Katsuki detonates.
“SHUT THE HELL UP!”
Kirishima is already laughing, dodging the small explosions erupting around them. “Relax! I’m just messing with you!”
“Relax my ass! She’s insufferable! Arrogant! Condescending!”
“Hot?” Kirishima chirps.
“SHE TRIED TO FREEZE MY DICK OFF, YOU SHITHEAD!”
Kirishima absolutely loses it—rolling in the dirt, wings flapping as he howls with laughter.
“Okay, okay! Not hot! Got it!”
Katsuki growls, cheeks blazing. “We leave at dawn. One more stupid question and I’ll blast your ass into next week.”
Kirishima gives a mock salute. “Yes, Prince Grumpy-Pants.”
An explosion sends him yelping skyward. Still laughing.
And for a moment—just one—Elise sees it:
Katsuki nearly smiles.