Prince Natsuo Todoroki guided the two to the palace right away, although word of their arrival probably reached the gates sooner then they did. Eri didn't like the attention they were getting and honestly Izuku didn't either. Now that he knew his father send knights after him, he knew they were bound to find out about him being here. If they even knew he was headed for Dragonia, how could they ever miss this?

He just hoped emperor Endeavor would show his heart and compassion. Well, that was the same as hoping for a miracle, really. The runaway prince just had to make sure to get in and out as quickly as possible so he'd be able to dodge the people tailing him.
"If I may ask, prince Izuku, what brings you to Reine Rei?" Natsuo asked as they walked the streets.

"I came to talk to your father about something important" Izuku sighed, hoping he didn't ask any further. Natsuo got the hint and directed the subject to something else.
"I see. So who is this girl you are travelling with? She seems rather young to be making such a journey"
"Ah, uhm, I met her a little south-west of here, actually. She was lost in the woods, I'm just watching over her"

That answer made the older male smile and laugh a little.
"Still as good hearted as I remember! You really didn't change a bit, have you prince Midoriya?"
The two boys laughed a bit at that and Izuku just shrugged.
"I guess if you word it that way... Oh, and also, I heard prince Shoto might be courting the Dragon King? I'm sure those are just rumours but still-"

"No, unfortunately they're not" Natsuo sighed, making Izuku's eyes widen. What?! But Kacchan told him-! Ugh! Did the blonde really lie to him about it? Was it to protect his feelings? Knowing the green head didn't really like the halfa..?
"Father is very serious about it too. Actually, that's where Shoto is headed right now. He's on his way to the Dragon Kingdom to finalise their engagement. I'm sure the wedding will follow soon"

"Oh... Well, I'm happy for them" Izuku spoke softly, trying his best not to look beaten. Kacchan...loved someone else... No way anyone could talk him into an arranged marriage! He was doing this of his own volition! Ugh! Why... Why didn't he just tell him?!
"Izu..? A-are you sad?" Eri asked quietly, tugging at his tunic.
"Oh? Uhm, no, no, everything is fine" the prince lied with a smile.

"And remember, when we enter the palace you behave, alright? Don't speak unless spoken to"
"Okay" she muttered, looking back ahead. Only a few minutes later they entered the royal grounds, where Natsuo ordered some other knights to take over from him and guide the two guests to the emperor. That's how they ended up in the throne room in front of an empty throne, waiting.

Eri was marveling at everything around her, letting her fantasy run wild at the enormous paintings of epic battles and previous rulers. Above the throne was a tapestry of the emperor himself, sitting on a horse, high above everyone else. Izuku remembered Katsuki had something similar, with him riding a dragon into battle. It was fitting for the two power houses to show off their strength and impress anyone who might come to see them.

"If you are a prince, does that make me a princess?" Eri asked, hopping around the giant hall, stopping to look at Izuku, who was sitting still in front of the throne. There were guards that made sure Eri wouldn't touch anything important or go anywhere other than this specific room, so the green head wasn't worried.

"No" he simply answered, getting sick and tired of waiting ages for this man to finally show his face. In all other kingdoms he was welcomed almost instantly, yet here he was already waiting over an hour!
"Why not?" Eri pouted, running back to the runaway prince.
"Are you my family?" Izuku countered.
"Family?" Eri repeated, blinking her eyes.

"Are we blood related?" Izuku added, quirking a brow.
"No" she muttered, toying with her hair while looking down.
"There you have your answer" the emerald eyed male smiled, hugging the small girl.
"Do people need the same blood to be family?" Eri wondered out loud. Yes was Izuku's instinctive answer. That's what his father had been hammering inside his mind his entire life.

Blood runs thicker than water.

Only in family you can trust.

But was family really bound by blood alone? Izuku didn't think so anymore. He considered his closest friends part of his family too...
"It depends on the person" he answered Eri honestly.
"Sometimes we call people we are very close to family, even if they're not connected by blood"
"So we could be family, right?" she asked, staring at Izuku with those big red eyes.

They reminded him of Kacchan and Kirishima. Of the Dragon Kingdom as a whole. Of the dragon stone he still wore around his neck. Yes, a truly beautiful deep red... Almost as mesmerizing as those of Katsuki.

"Prince Izuku Midoriya"

A sudden voice cut through the silence, making the both of them look up in front of them. There he stood, in all his pride and glory, emperor Endeavor himself.
"Please excuse me for my tardiness, I was in a very important meeting"
"Oh, that's not a problem at all, emperor Endeavor" Izuku smiled, standing up to greet him properly.
"It is a great honour to be welcomed here in Reine Rei"

"Likewise" he stated, eying the girl with a tad bit confusion.
"Ah, uh, this is Lady Eri. I am guarding her on her way to the Elven Kingdom" Izuku quickly made up.
"So what brings you here? It is quite the detour for getting to the Land of the Future" Endeavor said, frowning a bit.
"We know, but this matter is urgent" the broccoli sighed, hoping the emperor would understand.
"You see, it regards my father, he-"

"He what, princy~?"

Izuku force up, turning around in an instant. There he saw two Midoriya knights. One of which he recognized as sir Monoma, a self-centered asshole, really. The other was lady Kendo, one of the first female knights of their kingdom. The blonde male was smirking while the woman looked dead serious.

A small scream pulled him out of thought. Endeavor had grabbed Eri by force and the girl was trying desperately to escape. No... No, no, no..! This couldn't be happening right now! It just couldn't!
"Looks like we finally caught you, traitor" Monoma grinned, pulling out his sword. Izuku instinctively reached for his as well, glaring at the knight in front of him while glancing at Endeavor as well.

"Let Eri go, she is innocent"
"Tch, just like you, right?" the emperor scoffed.
"I've heard all about your little plan to overthrow your father... What? Can't wait until he dies so you can take the crown?"
"You don't understand" Izuku hissed, now facing the leader of the empire.

"You don't understand how much my people are suffering! Every day, every minute All For One rules, people die! He enslaves our people! Hunts them down for sport! H-he... He tortures them until he's tired and laughs at their pain and misery! It can't go on like that! I won't stand for it!"

As if on instinct, the runaway prince turned around to block an attack from the rear.
"Never turn your back to your opponent boyo" the blonde knight grinned, taking a few steps back. Izuku got a better hold of his weapon, panting a little. It's been a while since his sparring sessions with Iida, yet those weren't to the death. This fight definitely was. Either he goes, or Izuku goes, no space for compromise.

"You don't want to do this Monoma..." the prince warned, getting ready to attack.
"Oh no, I definitely want to" the blonde grinned, charging at him. It didn't take Izuku long to disarm him, pushing him to the ground and holding his own blade at his neck. Only a few swift, nicely timed moves, really.
"Do not underestimate me, boyo" the green head hissed, pushing himself off the body to counter an attack from Kendo.

She was a much better opponent. Strategic, well planned out. Not going in without a thought like her partner just did. Even though, Izuku could handle her with little to no struggle at all. He was trained by All Might for crying out loud! Did All For One really think these two were enough to stop him?
"Surrender or the girl dies" Endeavor hissed, holding a blade at Eri's neck.

The girl squeaked and whined in fear, tears rolling down her face, her eyes looking panicked, trying to find something that told her things would be okay. Izuku clenched his weapon, glaring at the emperor of the Land of Fire and Ice. What he would do next couldn't be reversed... This meant inevitable war. He activated the sword's magical ability, summoning One For All.

And then, in a fraction of a second, a move so quick it couldn't be seen by the naked eye, he struck down emperor Endeavor. A swift stab in his chest, a piercing and most definitely deadly attack. Izuku breathed heavily as he stared at his bloody sword. Damnit! Eri was crying her eyes out and alarm bells sounded through the halls.

Izuku quickly shook his head, trying to get out of his daze as he grabbed Eri's hand and pulled her along as they fled. Midoriya was able to disable any resistance they met on their way before reaching the stables and stealing a horse. Eri was still crying, holding onto Izuku like her life depended on it.

"Don't let them escape!"

"Murderer!"

"They're enemies of the state! They struck down the king!"

Everyone parted like the Red Sea as Izuku rode through town on his stolen horse, being chased by countless knights. Fuck!
"Hold on tight Eri..." Izuku muttered, grabbing his sword and pointing backwards, using the magical energy to fire blasts at his enemies. Not like he loved the empire anyway...

When they finally left the borders of the city, escaping a closing gate just in time, even more knights followed them. Izuku knew they were trying to surround him to get the advantage but he wouldn't let that happen. He went straight for the woods, maneuvering his horse past the trees with the highest focus. He was lucky his father had been a perfectionist, otherwise he'd given up on horse riding when he was a kid.

Honestly he was never any good at it, but he had to improve to please All For One, like in many parts of his life. He looked back to see there were still a lot of men chasing him, only to be swallowed by a sea of blue flames. What the hell?! He halted his horse almost immediately, staring at the warm wall in front of him.

"You're welcome"

Izuku looked aside, seeing a slender, tall young man with a smirk. His hair was dark, but red at the roots. His eyes a clear cristal blue. The prince felt like he should know him...
"Well? You're just gonna keep standing there and give them the time to find a way around it or are you gonna leave me in charge so I can get the two of you to safety?"

The green head was hesitant at first, but let Dabi take the wheel when he heard the distant voices of his chasers.
"Who are you? Why are you helping us?" Izuku asked as they rode away towards the cave.
"We runaways should stick together, right?" Dabi grinned, looking back at the prince of Midoriya. Izuku's eyes widened, making the previous heir to the empire laugh.
"The name is Dabi, but you might know me as prince Todoroki Toya of the Todoroki Empire"

Well shit...

At the gates of the dragon castle

Bakugou was happy to be back home. Finally back in his own realm, his own land. A place where he was king and had unlimited power. Yet he frowned when seeing a familiar face approaching the gate. What the hell is that halfa doing here? Katsuki crossed his arms as he watched the prince descend from his horse.
"King Katsuki, I'm sorry to barge in unannounced like this-" he started, quickly walking closer.
"But I have some news regarding your, uhm, problem"

The blonde's eyes widened and he instantly grabbed Shoto's arm, pulling him inside.
"What the hell do you know? Tell me everything" the king demanded.
"I picked up dragon energy in Reine Rei from a small girl" the halfa stated.
"What?! Where is she?" Katsuki hissed, grabbing the mage's shoulders.
"I couldn't talk to her, she was with someone else... The prince of Midoriya, to be exact"

"I-Izuku..? What..?" Bakugou whispered in confusion. How did his broccoli end up with his missing dragon..?
"I suspect he'd had the egg stolen to use for his own needs" Shoto continued.
"Maybe king All For One is planning to harness the magic? Nobody knows what exactly goes on in the Dark Lands anyways"

No... No, that couldn't be it. Izuku would never betray him like that!
"Dragon King! The alpha needs to speak to you immediately!" a guard shouted, interrupting his thoughts.
"Kirishima? What? Why?" Bakugou groaned.
"He has news about the missing dragon egg" he stated, making the king's eyes widen. Meanwhile, Kiri was talking to Kaminari in the underground prison cell.

"Well, what you're gonna do about it, alpha?"

Eijirou frowned, sitting back a bit.
"I never said I was the alpha"
"You didn't have to" Denki answered, glancing aside before letting out a long sigh.
"You know, for a minute there I was scared you might've figured me out... Seems as though Mara didn't quite teach you enough, now did she?"
Eijirou's eyes widened in shock.

Mara...

The name of the previous alpha... How did an outsider know all this stuff?! There had to be a breach somewhere!
"What do you know about Mara?!" Kirishima hissed, grabbing Kaminari's shoulders and pushing him up against the wall with force, an angry scowl on his face. Nobody talked bad about his previous master, not when he was around.

"Oi! Shitty hair! Quit beating up that asshole and get the hell over here!"

The alpha glanced aside, seeing Katsuki and surprisingly Shoto as well. What was the halfa prince doing here? Ei thought he went back to his homeland already? Wait, did something happen? He let go of Denki with a growl, wanting to obtain more information as soon as possible.
"Come with me" Bakugou demanded without even questioning the current situation, dragging both men with him to his study.

Kirishima and Todoroki gave each other worried looks while tailing the Dragon King. Katsuki seemed stressed out and conflicted, something that was pretty rare for the hothead. Once there, the blonde let out a long sigh before facing his two comrades.
"Alright, a guard told me you have news about the egg? Let's hear it"
Of course! Kirishima should've known! How could he possibly forget to tell his friend the good news?!

"Right! Uhm, I don't really know how but I just suddenly got this connection with her. It's strange because normally I have to scent them before they are able to join the pack" the dragon explained, hoping they would understand. Dragons are a lot more complicated but he'll just give a surficial explanation for now.
"Last time I checked I felt her energy in Reine Rei, capital of the Todoroki Empire"

Todoroki's eyes widened at that statement.
"See! I know what I saw was real!" Shoto hissed, glaring at the king before looking at the alpha. Wait, what did he know..?
"I saw prince Izuku Midoriya with a small girl, radiating of primal magic, in Reine Rei just before I left. It has to be her"

Wait what?!

"Gods! That makes so much sense!" Kirishima gasped, looking back at Katsuki.
"You know I scented Izuku, right? Before he left here? Because dragon scent scares off preditors a-and you wanted him to reach the empire safely"
The king held up his hand, signing Kiri to stop speaking. The blonde was pacing at this point, seemingly unable to wrap his head around this new information.

"You're saying some of your scent accidentally came on the hatchling? And she's with Izuku in Reine Rei?" Bakugou asked, pretty much summing it all up.
"It doesn't make any sense! Why would she be with Izuku? I-if he found her somehow, he'd come straight back here... I know he would!"
"Maybe he's just not the person you see him to be" the halfa sighed, making the king yell in frustration before throwing some things around the room.

No... No! Deku would never betray him like that! He would never! R-right..?
"He probably just values his current mission above this. I mean, going on a quest to kill your dad does sound kinda serious" Kirishima added.
"He's after the head of his father?!" Shoto exclaimed in shock. Huh, the halfa always thought that if someone were to kill their father, it'd be him...

Maybe Izuku was treated poorly as well? Maybe he judged too soon? Or maybe he's an even bigger monster than his father and can't wait to ascend the throne? Everything is possible, really.
"No, he puts others first, that's just the kind of person he is" Bakugou muttered, still pacing back and forth.
"Could it be he simply doesn't know she's a dragon? That he thinks she's just a girl?"

"Would you pick up a random strange girl out of the woods or free her from whatever people she was with without asking a few questions?" Todoroki asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Besides, the primal, raw magic radiating off of her isn't just something only mages can sense. He must've felt something too"
The blonde king frowned, sighing as he fell down into a chair.

"So? What do we do now?" Kirishima asked.
"I know he's headed to the Animal Kingdom after he's done in the empire, so we'll cut him off there" Katsuki breathed.
"We need to make sure he isn't plotting anything behind our backs, even if I refuse to believe he's capable of doing so"
"As you wish, my king" the alpha smiled.