#I CAST SPELL OF ELDERLIES YOUR IZUOCHA

[jellojolteon]

Now that you've made it to the autumn of

Your years and you feel your best yet

-The Bottom of It, Fruit Bats

Izuocha week 2024 Day 6: Cycle/Miracle

[airquietworks]

Hearts vs. Heroics or: How Uravity Surpassed the World’s Greatest Hero (IzuOcha) (Part 4)

Previous parts: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3 Chapter 4: Trials before Battle To Ochako, the world seemed to suddenly pop into a greater focus. The crowd’s cheer banged hard against her eardrums as she struggled to process the full weight of Present Mic’s announcement. The mere thought of fighting Deku made her breathe faster. Her head started to throb painfully as the noise of the arena disrupted the buzzing inside her mind.

“Well…I guess…” Deku tried to speak from his position next to her to fill the icy silence building between them. Unfortunately, Present Mic’s explosive voice cut him off.

“KATSUKI BAKUGO VS. TSUYU ASUI!”  Ochako and Deku both flinched, goosebumps running down their skin as Present Mic continued to announce combatants.

“Let’s go somewhere quieter. We can talk there,” Deku suggested. Ochako nodded enthusiastically in agreement, suddenly desperate to get away from the battlefield. The place that could soon spell the end of all her immediate hopes.

The two walked forward at a brisk pace as they trudged through the hallways around the edge of the arena. Ochako hardly noticed the distance they travelled, her mind filled with a haze of anxiety over what was to come. Ochako clutched at her stomach all the while, trying desperately to stop herself from puking again on the way. Despite the sudden elephant of a topic standing between them, the pair kept quiet as they focused on getting Ochako over to the infirmary. They came to a silent agreement it was better to focus on that then the impending battle between them.

Ochako could not help but gasp when she walked into the familiar white room of the infirmary. It was cluttered and crowded, with beds lined up as far as she could see on either side of the room. There were about twelve in all, almost all of them occupied with students. Some were dozing peacefully, bandaged up snuggly as mummies, various limbs held in slings and casts. But others looked to be in a considerable amount of pain, both physical and emotional, as they groaned in their beds, dotted with bruises and cuts. 

“Hey guys,” Ojiro said from one of the beds closest to the door on the right. His head and tail were heavily bandaged, but he regarded them with a friendly smile all the same.  “Guess you had it pretty rough too?”

“Yeah…” Ochako replied mournfully, frowning at the rather grim sight before her. She did not recall this many combatants getting so injured in previous years. She supposed everyone was competing that much harder for what would be their last Summer Sports Festival. A free-for-all probably did not help keep injuries down, either.

“Another one?” Recovery Girl cocked her eyes up toward them from her position treating Sero near the back of the room, who was dozing with his arm in a sling. “I swear to all that is righteous, I am going to chew that damned rodent out for this one. A free-for-all! You have got to be kidding me!”

She sent a glare at both of them, who turned their eyes away from the elderly school physician. “Not you two again. How many times do I have to tell you to be more careful?”

“It’s just me this time,” Ochako stepped forward to take responsibility. She kept her eyes glued to the ground, knowing it would be best not to try to challenge the elderly nurse. “I got a bad blow to the face. And I need something to settle my stomach.”

With an agility that shocked Ochako, Recovery Girl ambled over to her and leapt up to kiss her cheek. She then pulled a small pill out of one of her pockets and shoved it into Ochako’s hands, before pointing forcefully at one of the beds in the back corner of the room.

“I saw the stunt you pulled. Take this and rest there. Next time, try to think of a strategy that does not require you to send your stomach into fits. Plus Ultra should not mean ruin your body. Although I suppose yours was a better option than getting blasted in all the chaos.”

With her fifteen-second treatment finished, Recovery Girl resumed her work bandaging up Sero’s arms, grumbling all the while. Ochako and Deku stood there in a moment of stunned silence, a little astonished at how fast the old woman could work when need demanded.

Longing for the comfort the bed had to offer, Ochako quickly walked forward and jumped into the soft surface. It felt heavenly after spending so long floating without anything solid beneath her. Her limbs went limp and started to feel like jelly, but the sting around her face dulled as Recovery Girl’s quirk took effect.  

“Here,” Deku said while holding out a plastic water bottle, grabbed from a pile of them located near the infirmary door. Ochako gratefully grabbed onto the refreshment, urgently twisting off the cap and gulping it down. She only stopped to throw the medicinal pill into her mouth before continuing to chug. She paused to take a deep breath of relief as the coolness of the water flowed through her.

Ochako closed her eyes and tried to think, putting off looking at Deku’s face for the moment. The misfortune of their matchup was still sinking in, but the full weight of it was starting to bear down on her.

She was going to fight Deku. The strongest person in their class.

The person she revelled in fighting in the gym — but who she knew she could never beat when quirks were involved.

The person who made her heart do somersaults, which had been aggravatingly difficult to control of late and could certainly hamper her in combat.

Her idol. Her hero. He now stood in the way of her dreams.

Ochako groaned as she let herself sink deeper into the soft bed. She wondered how much longer it would take her to achieve her dream of providing for her parents if she lost here in the first round. She’d certainly get less lucrative job offers out of high school. How long would it take to make up the difference in starting salary? Two years? Three? It was just more time her parents would have to spend working, struggling to get by and risking some awful injury.

In her mind’s eye, she could see a building crumbling with her hopes. Everything was dashed by the luck of the draw.

“Uraraka?”

Ochako blinked, her eyes opening just before the daydream finished in her mind. There was Deku, still hovering over her, gaze boring into her. His face was creased with worry. She realized he was probably anxious about this too. This was not how either of them would have wanted this to go.

“Guess there was always a chance of this, huh?” Ochako asked as sunnily as she could. It came out shakier than she hoped, exhausted and nervous as she was. “Really bad luck.”

“Uraraka…” Deku tried to reply to her, but the words did not come. His tone was feeble, making Ochako feel all the worse, and she quickly resolved to try to make him feel a little bit better about the whole thing. It would be good if one of them could, anyway.

“Hey, don’t worry Deku,” Ochako smiled at him while giving him a thumbs up. She did not have the energy to raise her right hand particularly high, but she hoped he still appreciated it. “It’s going to be fine for you. To be honest, I don’t think I have much of a chance. But I’ll try to make it a good fight. And I’m sure—”

“You’re wrong.”

Ochako stopped herself awkwardly, blinking as Deku’s face transformed from lined uncertainty to a familiar look of grim determination. His mouth made a hard line, his eyes piercing through her. She saw a familiar spark of fire within his irises.

“I know I’m going to have to give it my all to have a chance against you,” Deku stated, his tone steady as a rock, leaving no room for argument. “You shouldn’t —”

“Ochako?”

Deku suddenly stood straight as a ramrod, his hair standing a little on end as the familiar voice sounded from behind him. Ochako peered over his shoulder to confirm their mutual suspicion. Her eyes widened at the sight of her parents stepping trepidatiously through the door. Her father led the way, his mother just behind him, both scanning around the infirmary looking for her.

“Daddy! Mommy!” At that moment, all of her anxieties and nerves washed away under the sheer joy that filled her at the sight of her parents.

“Ochako!”

“Honey!”

Her parents called out in unison, rushing over to meet her. Ochako sat up on the bed but was unable to leave it before their arms wrapped around her, hugging her tightly to them.

She could not conceal the tears that started to well up in her eyes as the loving embrace enveloped her, filling her with a warmth that dispelled her depressing thoughts. It had been months since she’d last seen them, and their reunions were always emotional. She relished in the feeling of her parents’ arms. The feeling of just being with them again. She was home.

“You were amazing out there,” her daddy complimented, ruffling her head a bit as they disentangled from each other. “I can’t believe those moves you pulled! How are you holding up after all that?”

“I’m doing alright,” Ochako replied with sincere enthusiasm. The medicine and Recovery Girl’s quirk were actually taking pretty quick effect in settling her stomach, even if her limbs felt rather weary.

“Oh, hello there, Midoriya, dear,” her mother was the first to acknowledge the boy, who remained still as a statue at the display in front of him. It was not the first time Deku had met her parents, but in their few brief encounters, Deku was rather awkward around them.

“Hi Mr. and Mrs Uraraka!” Deku exclaimed with a little too much volume in his voice. Recovery Girl shushed him from Sero’s bed and sent a glare his way. Deku covered his mouth and shivered in response, respecting the authority of the nurse. “It’s...it’s nice to see you!” Deku continued, much quieter this time.

“Likewise,” Ochako’s father replied, smiling kindly at him. “You put on quite the spectacle there too.”

“Thank — thank you, sir!” Deku stuttered under the praise, quivering a little. Ochako regarded him with an eyebrow quirked up. Deku never answered her as to why he got so nervous around her parents, always as formal and polite as possible around them. She had a similar reaction when she first met his mother Inko, but she was not so uptight around the gentle woman during subsequent encounters

“I’ll...I’ll let you spend some time with your family. I’ll...we’ll...talk before the next match, okay?” Deku stammered awkwardly. He walked out of the room with overly large steps before she could react, giving her a sorrowful look before waving his hand and waltzing out the door.

“...He’s a strange boy. Nice enough, though,” her mother muttered, shaking her head at Deku.

“Yeah, he’s...he’s not usually that awkward,” Ochako explained, instinctively trying to defend him.

“Well anyways...how are you really feeling after all of that?” Her father asked, pointedly refocusing the conversation onto her. His smile fell a little bit as he looked at the remnants of the burns on her face.

“I’m fine, daddy, honest.” She sighed, a little exasperated by the concern. She loved her father dearly, but his probing at her barriers got exhausting. She could trust him with almost anything, but there were some things she wanted to keep to herself, even from him.

“It’s because you’re fighting your friend in the next round, right?” He cut to the heart of the matter with a surgeon’s precision. Ochako felt a shadow fall over her sunny expression, her joy crumbling as quickly as it had arisen when her parents arrived.

“Yeah. It’s...it’s going to be a tough fight.” She reluctantly admitted what was bothering her, knowing it would do no good to deny it with her father having already caught on. She stared up at the two of them, their faces as forlorn as she felt. So much for a happy family reunion.

“Honey,” her mother spoke up, stepping forward a little bit and forcing her mouth into a smile. “No matter what happens, we’ll always be proud of you. I’m sure you can do it.”

Ochako took a deep breath and closed her eyes at that, trying to control the tearful mist threatening to overtake them.

The sincerity of her mother was heartwarming, but Ochako could not think of the right words to explain reality. That no amount of encouragement was ever going to close the gap between Deku and her.

He was like a shooting star, blazing across the night sky with a brilliance beyond human imagination. She was the hapless stargazer, appreciating him from afar.

She wanted to catch up to him. But she knew, deep down, that would never actually happen. He was bound to be the world’s greatest hero. She...well, she would just be a regular pro. Hopefully, one that could make enough money to provide a comfortable life for her family.

At the end of the day, she could live with the gap between them. She had made herself content with that reality. But right now….

“I don’t think I can. Win, I mean,” Ochako admitted to them. Her voice quivered as she uttered that, something deep inside her hating herself for making the statement. “But I’ll do the best I can. I want to show you...I want to show everyone what I can do.”

She didn’t look up before she felt familiar hands grasp both of hers. The hands were hardened by decades of manual labour, firm, with an incredible strength contained within them. But they were also gentle, lifting her hands up as gently as a cloud, brushing over them with a touch as light as a feather.

Her father’s hands reminded her of Deku’s. Or perhaps it was Deku’s touch that reminded her of her father. She was not sure how she should feel about that.

“Ochako, you’ve already shown us...shown everyone what you can do. The people you’ve helped, the lives you’ve saved...nothing will ever take that away,” her father assured her, voice filled to the brim with pride and warmth. She felt a few more tears stream down her cheeks as she opened her eyes to see her father crouched to be face-to-face with her.

“I know you’re going to be able to achieve your dreams, no matter what happens today. And remember, there’s no rush,” he assured her, repeating the familiar mantra. He was always telling her to slow down; that she did not have to be in such a hurry to become a hero. Today was no different.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying desperately to maintain her facade. To be like the strong and inspiring hero she was chasing. An unwavering pillar of strength.

But it was hard to manage that after she felt his warm arms encircle her again. She could not hope to stop the tears that continued to flow in response.

“I don’t want to lose here…” she murmured into her father’s chest. “I just want to be a good hero. I want to help you sooner.”

“You’re already an incredible hero, Ochako. And we’ll be fine.”

“I want to win. For you guys.”

“We’ll be cheering you on. But you don’t need to put the whole world on your shoulders, Ochako. You don’t have to prove anything to us. We’ll be happy just seeing you following your own dreams.”

Ochako felt another hand touching her shoulder. Her mother, silently echoing the loving sentiment of her father.

Ochako sighed, letting her father’s heartbeat lull her into some semblance of peace. She felt too drained to keep arguing with him any further. 

Her parents were every bit as good as putting on a brave face as she was. But she knew how much they struggled to get by. She knew the risks they took every year to keep their business afloat. She knew she was not willing to let them keep working themselves to death for any longer than necessary.

She was the Uravity, the gravity hero. She should be able to take the world atop her shoulders.

“Thanks, daddy, mommy. I’m...I’m okay now.”

She pushed herself out of her father’s arms. She summoned the best smile she could for them, wanting to reassure them about her. It was probably sullied by the tear tracks left on her cheeks, but she hoped it was convincing enough.

“Are you sure, honey? You can talk to us about anything.” Her mother pierced right through the hastily assembled wall Ochako was trying to erect around herself. Still, she was not willing to let herself fall into despair in front of them again. She shook her head, looking up at her mother and trying harder to make her happiness more convincing.

“Yeah. It’s not going to do me much good to keep crying about it. All I can do is go out there and try my best, right?”

With the pop of a firework, Mina Ashido suddenly burst into the room from the hallway, dark eyes scanning rapidly around the infirmary. She locked onto Ochako, eyes widening in alarm at the sight of her parents. With steps far more demure than anything Ochako had ever seen from her, Mina walked past the other infirmary beds, straight towards them. She still wore her usual exuberant smile, but it did not quite reach her eyes.

“Hey there, Mr and Mrs Uraraka! Nice to see you again. Ochako, Midnight wanted me to come and get you. You’ve got 30 minutes until the next round starts and they want to make sure you and Midoriya are both ready.”

Ochako took a deep breath and nodded her head deeply. She regarded her parents again before hugging each of them in turn tightly.

“We’ll be cheering you on. Do your best out there!” her mother said. She ghosted her lips over her daughter’s forehead. Ochako’s skin tingled from the contact.

“We’ll find you after the match. Best of luck out there,” her daddy added encouragingly, ruffling her hair one last time. “No matter what happens, I know it’ll work out in the end.”

Ochako nodded in reply, unable to summon any more words. She was pretty sure she’d cry if she tried. Her heartbeat ran fast as she stepped away from her parents with urgency, following Mina out of the room.

Ochako’s heart swelled with love for her parents. She stopped her steps just before exiting the door, turning to give them one last, beaming smile and a shaky thumbs up. They both smiled and waved in return, standing together, the picture of happiness.

The gravity hero spun around and cleared the threshold, turning down the hallway. With her parents behind her, Ochako’s smile faltered. She hung her head low, looking down at her fragile-looking hands.

She loved her parents. But they did not get it the hero business, not really. There was always a degree of separation between her relationship with her heroic self, and her relationship with her parents. They did not completely understand why she had to push herself so hard. They did not understand why she wanted to win so much — why she needed to do well here. There was no way they could understand how much it hurt her knowing she was almost certainly going to lose. 

They knew Ochako. They did not really understand Uravity. They did not know what it meant for a hero to go Plus Ultra.

She walked forward behind Mina towards the waiting area of the arena. She kept her head hanging low, ready to resign herself to her losing fate against Deku.

“That was a pretty impressive performance, Ochako. Even by your standards.”

Ochako stopped and blinked rapidly, limbs freezing in place. She looked up to see Mina had turned to face her, hands on her hips. There was a slight smile on her lips, but it looked puny compared to the exuberant grins the pink girl usually gave.

“Wha…?”

“It’s not hard to see how much this fight is bothering you,” Mina explained, interrupting Ochako before she could get a word out. “So I’m going to give you the advice you need to hear.”

Mina’s voice went down an octave with those words, taking on a seriousness Ochako had never heard from her. The strangeness of it sent a small chill down Ochako’s spine, as she struggled to figure out what kind of game Mina was playing at.

“Go out there, do your best, and try to have fun!”

It was like watching a jack-in-the-box, as Mina jumped a little into the air, face brightening with an open-mouthed grin and her hands pointing haphazardly upward into the air. Ochako blinked, too stunned to respond quickly.

Evidently, the non-response was not what Mina was looking for, as the pink girl shook her head and sighed.

“Look, the reason I tease you so much is because you’re serious way too often.” Serious Mina had returned, but she at least managed to keep an easygoing grin on her face this time.

“I”m not...always serious…” Ochako mumbled in reply, already on the defensive, clasping her hands and rubbing her thumbs together.

“The act you pull half the time doesn’t count,” Ashido replied quickly, sending a peering glance straight at Ochako. The gravity hero gulped in reply.

“Even Momo, nerdy as she is, finds chances to get silly when she rants about some book she likes. But you...you’re always so focused on hero work that I hardly see you smiling anymore. Really smiling, I mean. That goes for Midoriya too, for that matter. He’s rubbing off on you more than I can stand.”

Ochako stood there, slack-jawed, struggling to process this side of Mina, who continued to cut through her facade with a swagger that was hard to respond to.

“We all have our own reasons, but we all want to be heroes, Ochako,” Ashido explained before she gave Ochako another toothy smile. “But we have to keep our own happiness in mind too.”

“What...what do you mean by that?” Ochako asked slowly. Mina’s sudden rant froze her feet in place as she tried to process her friend’s words.

“You’re not going to be able to help people if you’re miserable all the time,” Mina answered without breaking her vocal stride, her hands as bouncy as her words were. “And the fact is, the happiest I ever see you and Midoriya is when you’re together. That’s why I think you need to give it a real shot with him.”

“I’m...I’m plenty happy,” Ochako pouted and crossed her arms in front of her, growing increasingly indignant at Mina’s speech. She was absolutely happy. Wasn’t she? She wanted to give a stronger rebuttal — prove Mina wrong somehow —  but she could not think of any. Her head was foggy and she felt unsure of how to navigate her feelings in the jumble of nerves she was in right now.

“There’s happy and then there’s happy,” Mina retorted, shaking her head again at Ochako’s stubbornness. “Look, I see how bummed out you’re getting about this fight, but I don’t see why you should be. You spar with Midoriya all the time, right?”

Ochako narrowed her eyes at the girl, not entirely sure what she was getting at.

“And how does fighting with him make you feel?” Mina leaned forward, hands clasped behind her, watching Ochako’s face with an intense stare.

At the prompting, Ochako reflected back at all the times she had trained with Deku. The exhilaration, the exhaustion, the joys of victory and the disappointment of defeat. But no matter the outcome, their sparring always ended up with them sharing a laugh together. There was not a single time she could remember where she did not walk away from sparring with a warm feeling in her chest.

“...Pretty good,” Ochako admitted, crossing her arms in front of her.

“So, just think of that feeling!” Mina advised as she raised her hands in the air. “You have fun sparring with him, right? Well, think of it as just another sparring session, but on a bigger stage. It does not have to be all serious. Just enjoy the thrill of competition!”

Ochako let the words sink in, stroking her chin lightly in thought. A part of her refused to let go of the harsh reality of the fight ahead. She wanted to win. She knew her early career prospects hinged on it. She had too much pride as a hero to not take the upcoming bout seriously.

But pained as much as it pained her to admit it...maybe Mina had a point. Her head felt muddied by all the warring thoughts and feeling she was dealing with.

Her parents, her career, her pride, her love for Deku, the prospect of fighting Deku, the strategy for the battle, the nerves of performance. She was not sure how to come to grips with it all. She struggled to focus on any one thing rattling around in her mind.

But sparring with Deku...training with Deku...it was almost as natural as breathing at this point. That much, she was more than capable of. If she just focused on that, maybe she could at least put up a decent fight for him. She might even be able to appreciate the thrill of battle, as Mina suggested.

Ochako knew such a feeling would never last. But it might last her long enough to get her through the fight, at least.

“...Thanks, Mina.” Ochako looked up and gave her friend a sincere smile. As much as Mina irritated her, she ultimately had the good of her friends at heart. “I’ll give it a try.”

“You’re welcome,” Mina replied, giving her a grin and a thumbs up. “I’m rooting for ‘ya out there.”

“Would Ochako Uraraka please report to the waiting area.” The voice of Midnight sounded through the speakers around the arena, reminding them both of how little time remained before the fight.

“Shoot, I better go,” Ochako grumbled, breaking off into a brisk jog. Mina nodded and stood off to the side, letting Ochako run right past her.

“Make sure to ask for a kiss after the fight!” Mina called after her, cackling all the while. Ochako nearly tripped, her heart kicking up a notch and heat surging into her cheeks. But she kept going, with far too little time to turn around and give Mina a piece of her mind. Her pink friend had undoubtedly counted on that.

With only a few minutes to spare, Ochako rounded a corner to the waiting area. Her eyes were met with Deku and the back of Bakugo’s head, the pair standing close together, talking about something. She gasped but covered her mouth, taking a few steps back to peer around the corner of the hallway.

Why would Bakugo want to talk to Deku right now? Ochako wondered, knowing the two were still far from being friends — and probably never would be. Curiosity got the best of her and she decided to eavesdrop.

“...Don’t lose to her.” Bakugo ordered in a low, threatening done, hands deep in the pockets of his sports uniform. Ochako could not make out his face from where she was standing, but she could tell he was probably glaring straight as Deku.

“What?” Deku replied, raising his eyebrows, perplexed.

“I wouldn’t put it past you to throw the fight or do something stupid and get your ass kicked. She’s tough. But you better win, Deku. I didn’t go after you last round because I expect to destroy you in the finals.”

“I would never throw the fight. I’m giving it my all,” Deku assured him, looking forward with the familiar blaze of conviction in his eyes. Ochako looked on, biting her lip at the thought of having those eyes aimed squarely at her in the ring.

“I’m not going to lose, Kacchan.”

The words sent a cold chill straight to Ochako’s heart. She gripped the edge of the corner tightly as they sunk in. They were not surprising in the slightest; of course Deku would give it his all against her, just like she was planning too. And of course he would be confident. He would probably say the same no matter his opponent, just due to his sheer determination alone. His quirk certainly gave him the power to back up that sentiment, as well.

“You better not, or I’ll make you regret it, loser.” With the warning — tame by Bakugo’s standards — the explosive boy walked past Deku towards an exit to the stands.

Deku breathed out a sigh of relief. He frowned suddenly and started pacing rapidly in front of the waiting room.

The time to fight was approaching fast. She could not let Deku’s pronouncement get her down too much. With her own deep breath, Ochako painted an easygoing smile on her face and took the plunge, walking around the corner to greet her best friend – and her probable doom.

“Heya Deku,” Ochako greeted cheerily, summoning her usual bubbliness.

“Uraraka!” Deku jumped slightly as she came into view, a slow smile emerging across his own face. “I was worried we wouldn’t get to talk before the fight.”

“Wouldn’t want to miss that,” Ochako agreed. Every second with him made it harder and harder to keep her a smile on her face. “What was it you wanted to say earlier?”

“Uraraka...I...you…” Deku stopped and started his speech repeatedly, struggling to get the words out. He took a deep breath and started again. “Uraraka, you shouldn’t put yourself down.”

“Whaddya mean?” She asked, feigning ignorance. She did not like where this might be going. She did not want to be confronted any more about her jumbled emotions again, especially not by him of all people.

“You said earlier you didn’t think you had much of a chance against me.” Deku stared intently at her, but Ochako refused to meet his eyes, looking away and off into the corner.

She was tired. She was trying to focus on just getting through the fight ahead. She wanted out of this conversation.

“Did I? Well, I mean—”

“You’re strong, Uraraka. You shouldn’t doubt yourself. You have every bit as good a chance to win as I do.”

Her chest got tight as she felt her heart swelling. She scrunched her face and shook her head. The words were comforting, but she was wary. How did she know Deku was not just trying to make her feel better? There was no way—

“...And to tell you the truth, I’m terrified about it.”

She turned her head to look at his face again, jolted by the sudden confession. His eyes were suddenly downcast and his posture slumped.

“What do you mean by that?”

“...I know how hard it is going to be to fight you. I want to be confident but...I know if I’m not performing at my absolute best, I’m going to lose. And I can’t afford to lose here.”

The desperate edge radiating in his voice sounded sincere. As she looked at him, the indomitable hero she knew he was going to become had faded away. There was only Izuku, the nerdy, kind worrywart who she was proud to call a friend.

He was just as freaked out about this fight as she was, she realized. The thought made the fog hanging in her mind disperse as a clear course of action took too form in front of her.

“And I hate that one of us is going to have to lose,” Deku mumbled, eyes glued to the floor. “I don’t want to be the person who knocks you out of this. I know how much this means to you. I—”

Ochako wrapped her arms around his body to cut him off. She pressed her head under him, squeezing him tightly. She breathed him in, relishing in the contact, even though he grew very still in her arms. But after a few moments, he loosened up, slowly wrapping his arms around her in turn.

It was a rare form of contact between them. They were usually too shy to initiate anything so bold as a hug. But time had made these moments of physical comfort come up on occasion. Ochako knew it was something they both needed.

Ochako disentangled herself from him, holding him at arm’s length. His eyes were shining down on her, his cheeks painted red. She beamed up at him in turn without the slightest bit of effort, a sense of relief making the gesture sincere.

“As long as we can...just think of this fight as another sparring session. Just me, versus you, giving it our all. Win or lose, no hard feelings. Trying our best to improve as heroes. Okay?”

It was the only way she could see through the storm of conflicting emotions raging within her. Her relationship with Deku was an anchor point. He consistently confounded her, but she knew she could always rely on him to keep her down to earth. And she’d always do the same for him.

With only a moment of hesitancy, Deku nodded in agreement. “...Alright then. Just like any other sparring session. Thanks, Uraraka.”

"Mina gives good advice sometimes," she muttered in admittance. The two shared a laugh at that, the moment of levity a wonderful break from the overbearing sense of tension.

"You two are absolutely ADORABLE!"

The two jumped to split apart, the exclamation hitting them like a cold bucket of water. They both turned, faces on fire, to see Midnight standing behind them, eyeing them with her hands clasped together and a knowing smile on her face.

"We were just talking!" Ochako stated with a little too much force to be convincing.

"Nothing unusual!" Deku added, turning his eyes towards the ceiling.

"There's no need to be ashamed of young love!" Midnight declared. She laughed haughtily as a tide of red made its way up both of the teenagers' faces as they sputtered denials to her.

"I'm just teasing," Midnight assured them, rolling her eyes. "But time's up. Are you both ready?"

Ochako took a deep breath and briefly considered the question. In many ways, she wasn't. She did not have any kind of plan — or expectation — of beating Deku. The consequences of what it would mean to lose here still lurked as a shadow in her mind. And her feelings for the boy were still a mess.

But as she turned to look into Deku's eyes — which he did in turn — she found the certainty she needed. The two of them had been through life-or-death situations together more than they could count. Ochako knew if she was by his side, she could take on this challenge too, strange as that idea sounded.

Ochako twisted her head and nodded to Midnight, seeing Deku do the same in unison out of the corner in her eye. Midnight gave them a toothy grin but did not comment otherwise, gesturing for them to follow her.

The seconds went by far too quickly for Ochako's liking as they stepped through the twisting halls of the arena's superstructure. In what felt like no time at all, Ochako parted ways with Deku to head to the opposite end of the arena. He gave her one last smile and wave before disappearing behind a corner — the last look she'd get before she faced him in the ring.

Before long, Ochako found herself face-to-face with the entranceway to the battlefield, enshrouded in glorious sunlight. She stretched as she awaited the cue, breathing deeply to get a proper rhythm going. Her stomach was completely settled now, which made her breathe a little easier. She was going to need that if she was going to make this a good fight.

"Good luck out there. I'm hoping you can pull this off," Midnight said, winking, before leaving Ochako to her own devices. Ochako only nodded, words hard to come by in these last moments before her fight.

This was it. No more time. No more fretting. Just her, Deku, and an uncomfortable amount of people watching them. Sparring, trying to one-up each other, doing their best. For the future they were both pursuing.

She might not have a chance. But she was not going down without a fight.

In the distance, she could see massive torches on her side of the arena ignite and shoot up into the sky. Her cue.

Ochako walked forward into the light and the roar of the crowd, ready to seize her destiny.

AN: Sorry this took so long! I should be able to get back to a weekly update schedule to finish off this fic. Thanks to Kingdom Lightzz on fanfiction.net for editing. Hope you all enjoyed it! ^_^ I’m excited to bring you the climax next week. Please, leave a like or a reblog.