Chapter Text
Ochako was screaming, sobbing out pleas, but they only went unheard. “Tsu-Chan!” She shook the girl in her arms. Her clothes were covered in warm blood. “Tsu-Chan please! Please! Please you can’t do this to me!” She begged.
Her face was covered in tears, she could barely see at this point, her vision blurred. She was crying so much she could barely catch her breath. “Tsu-Chan..” She held the girl’s body close to her and buried her face in her neck.
“Please. I need you. I need you here with me.” She hiccuped, and continued to cry in the other girl’s neck.
Three days prior..
The sun was blazing hot out, and for a frog-like person like Tsu, temperatures like this weren't good for her. "It's hot, ribbit." Tsu croaked, her already hunched posture becoming more slouched.
Her and Ochako were going to the gates of the city to meet up with the rest of the knights, The Prince wanted everyone there, they were going on a new mission. Something caught the green-haired girl's attention. It was a bakery that had recently opened up.
One of the featured pastries was a strawberry jelly cake. "Ocha-Chan look. Strawberry jelly cake, you don't see much jelly deserts around." She’d like to try it.
Ochako sighed in agreement, the heat making her sweat like crazy. Ochako looked at the bakery Tsu pointed out, and her eyes lit up. “Ahhh! We should go get some!” She suggested.
“Oh wait, we don’t have enough time.” She pouted. She gave Tsu a longing look, now badly craving the cake. “We could get some when we come back from our mission!”
Tsu gave one last look at the cake. Hopefully they'll be back soon. "We should. We could invite everybody." She placed her finger against her lip, it'll be fun.
Ochako and Tsu made their way towards the gates where everyone stood, waiting for them. Momo, Midoriya, Bakugou, Iida and Prince Todoroki were all gathered together. "Uraraka and Tsu are here! This now makes everyone." Momo said, clasping her hands together.
"Yes, but why are we here, ribbit? I was told it was a mission, but never got any details." Tsu looked at Prince Todoroki. Ochako waved at Iida and Midoriya, and she gave a quick smile to Bakugou.
“My father discovered a rare jewel that is worth millions. He wanted me to retrieve it to make our family name look good.” The Prince spoke. “That sounds fun!” Ochako said, and she heard a quiet agreement from Tsu.
“Where exactly is this jewel located?” Iida asked.
"It's pretty far from here which is why we'll be traveling with horses. The jewel is all the way in Clearbrook which takes a week by walking but about three days with horses." Midoriya pointed out with a map. Bakugou grunted, "Which is why he should get a move on already." The blonde huffed, swinging his legs over a brown horse.
"I too agree with Bakugou for once. We should start heading out.” Iida said, climbing onto a gray and white spotted horse.
Tsu patted her satchel and made sure she had everything needed. She looked at the horses and realized that something was off. "We're a horse short, ribbit."
“Uraraka why don’t you and Tsu share?” Yaomomo asked. Ochako swore she felt her heart beat a bit faster. “Sure! If it’s okay with Tsu-Chan of course.” She looked over at Tsu, who nodded in agreement.
Ochako hopped up on the horse, and Tsu followed, sitting in front of her. “Um, would you mind if I held onto you so I wouldn’t fall off?” Ochako timidly asked. “It’s okay with me.” Tsu replied.
Ochako hesitantly placed her hands on her hips, and found a comfortable position to sit in for the duration of their trip.
The ride was silent as the horses walked through the forest, the only sound being the snapping of sticks and the crunching of leaves. Tsu would've liked to space off but all she could think about was the fact Ochako's hands were on her hips.
It had been an odd experience once Tsu found out she had feelings for Ochako. At first she thought she was dying but her little sister (her sister out of everyone) had told her she had a crush and assured that she was not dying.
Tsu had never thought she was the one to be in love. Her entire life was dedicated to being a knight and to support her family while sharing her medical knowledge to the world. Yet, Ochako came bouncing into her life with a beautiful smile and such a kind heart Tsu didn't mind one bit.
"Ocha-Chan, are you comfortable, ribbit?"
“Hm? Oh! Haha! Yeah! I’m really comfortable! I’m okay!” Ochako flustered out.
Ochako wasn’t comfortable, well, she was, but she was also freaking out at the same time. She could feel her heart racing, butterflies were swirling in her stomach. She’s stressing over little things, are her hands sweating? Can Tsu feel them?
Thoughts are running through her head, but the bumpy trail caught her attention pulled her out of her thoughts. She squealed, almost falling off the horse. She quickly wrapped her arms around Tsu’s waist, her chest touching her back.
Her face squished against the back of Tsu’s lower neck. It took a couple of seconds for Ochako to process what had just happened.
Her face exploded in a bright red, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to latch onto you so closely…” Ochako said, pulling away from Tsu’s body, but keeping a somewhat tight grip on her waist so she wouldn’t fall off.
"The ride is going to be a bit bumpy so hold on!" Iida called from the front. It would have been nice to have known that a few seconds ago as Ochako almost fell off the horse.
"It's okay, Ocha-Chan." Tsu said, praying that Ochako didn’t notice her flushed face. Even if she did, Tsu could just blame it on the weather.
——
It's the second night of the trip which means by the time the sun rises, they should finally arrive at Clearbrook.
It was Tsu and Ochako’s turn to keep watch for the night as the others slept. Tsu hugged her knees as she sat on a tree log, poking at the campfire with a stick.
She turned her head to face Ochako and silently watched as the light from the campfire made her brown eyes softly glow. The light also added more sharpness to her features.
“Ocha-Chan." She whispered, catching the attention of the brown-haired girl. "Where would you be right now if you didn't become a knight, ribbit?"
Ochako thought about it for a bit. “I would probably work for my parents, try to come up with new potions and spells to experiment with.” She whispered back. Ochako took notice of the small blush on Tsu’s face, trailing up to the tips of her ears.
‘Cute.’ She thought.
“If we’re being unrealistic though, I would’ve loved to travel the world. Find new ingredients for potential potions and spells. Help those who need it in whatever town I end up in. Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to travel the world. So I figured being a knight would be the next best thing, you know? I get to explore new places on missions, and collect ingredients as we travel. Plus, I would’ve never gotten the chance to meet you.”
Tsu swallowed which sounded more like a croak. "I..." She starts, Tsu was never the type to think about what she says. Usually says the first thing that comes to mind with no filter.
When it comes to Ochako though, she can't help but to think before she says anything, if not, she’d be fumbling with her words all the time.
"I think we would've met even if we didn't become knights, ribbit. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a doctor, to get the Chance to help the sick free of charge. I believe we would've met somewhere in our journeys, ribbit." Tsu gave Ochako a small smile.
Wouldn’t that be considered being soulmates?
Ochako gave Tsu a warm smile, looking up to meet her eyes. “Now that I think about it, you're right.” It was a small change,but she noticed Tsu’s ears turn even redder, was it too cold? “Here, let me get some wood for the fire.” Ochako said, knowing Tsu was sensitive to extreme temperatures.
She stood up from where she was sitting and walked over to the small wood pile they put together before the sun set. She grabbed an armful of wood and walked back to where Tsu was sitting. She dropped the wood into the fire and watched as the flames grew.
“Um, do you want to huddle together to keep warm? In case you fall sick?” She sat back down, but a bit closer to Tsu than before.
“It wouldn’t be good if you got sick on a mission. Iida would lecture us on not keeping warm enough, and those lectures can last hours .” Ochako joked.
Tsu was perfectly fine temperature wise, but she wasn't going to waste a chance to be closer to Ochako. "I'm fine now, since you're here with me." She scooted over to Ochako, their legs touching.
Tsu slightly smiled, resting her head on Ochako's shoulder. All she needed was Ochako, and she’d be just fine.
——
"We'll rest up here for an hour before splitting up and finding the jewel. Iida and Yaoyorozu you're with me, Midoriya and Bakugou are together and finally, Tsu and Uraraka are together. Rest up, eat, do whatever you need to do because we'll be up all night looking for that jewel." Prince Todoroki said, earning a nod of approval from everyone in the room.
They had arrived at Clearbrook in the middle of daylight. They had stopped by an inn to rest, all of them sharing different rooms while The Prince was in a room by himself. The girls shared one room while the boys shared another.
——
It's almost night time, and Tsu is close to giving up. They've looked high and low. Not a single sign of the jewel. "Maybe the jewel isn't here, ribbit."
“I’m sure it has to be somewhere, The King wouldn’t have sent us out if he didn’t know.” Yaomomo said. “She’s right, maybe we just missed a few places.” Ochako agreed.
Tsu was about to say something when she was cut off by the sound of an explosion being set off. Ochako turned her head to see the busiest part of town in flames and smoke.
“What happened?” Yaomomo exclaimed. “Never mind that, we have to get to The Prince !” Ochako said, getting ready to sprint off.
“Oh I don’t think so~” Someone said, blocking off Ochako’s path. Their voice was scratchy and high pitched. They were dressed in all black with a hood covering their face, she caught a glimpse of their red eyes.
Tsu grabbed Ochako's arm and pulled her back, keeping a distance from the hooded person. "As the Kingdom’s Royal Knights we ask you to move out the way, if you don't we won't hesitate to cut you down." Tsu said, her voice somehow overpowering through the explosions and screams.
The hooded figure shifts on their feet. "Cut me down? Don't make me laugh." They shot towards the three of them with the speed of a bullet, their hand outstretched. Tsu pushed Ochako out the way as she just barely side-stepped out of the way.
Her tongue shot out of her mouth and wrapped around the hooded figure’s waist before slamming him into the side of a nearby house.
“Yaomomo! Run! Go find The Prince!” Ochako yelled, before going to assist Tsu with the mysterious person. Yaomomo ran off in the opposite direction as fast as she could, now leaving Tsu and Ochako with the stranger. She watched as he held his side and groaned in pain.
Ochako reached behind her to grab her sword, Tsu did the same. “Who are you? Was it you who set off that explosion?” Ochako demanded. The person just laughed.
“Who am I?” They questioned back. “I’m gonna rule this country! I’ll replace the King and take his position.” He declared, standing back up. “I need people to fear me! To know my name! They need to refer to me as their superior, their King!” The man cackled as he walked closer. Ochako and Tsu backed away from the man, now fully pulling out their swords.
The fight was fast paced from the start. The man lunged at them with his hands outstretched, so Tsu assumed that his magic had something to do with his hands. Tsu managed to jump out the way as the man attacked where she once stood.
She raised her leg up in mid-air as she performed an axe kick on the back of his head, making him eat dirt. Tsu jumped back to create some distance, the man laughed to himself as he picked himself up.
A thick trail of blood dripping from his nose to the cracked ground. "That's a nice kick you got there Knight Doctor."
While Tsu is busy throwing kicks at the man, Ochako was getting ready to cast a spell on the man. She looked at him and directed her spiritual energy towards him. She watched as his outstretched arm fell over, causing him to fall as well.
She ran towards him, preparing to attack with her sword. She noticed the man was always running to attack with his hand, so she did what she believed was most effective. Ochako yelled out as she swung her sword, landing a clean hit on the man’s wrist, chopping it off.
She laughed, “A weight spell, I made your entire arm about as heavy as a boulder so you wouldn’t be able to use it.” She explained to the man, who was now hissing in pain.
Tsu hopped over to Ochako and pointed her sword at the man's neck. "As the Kingdom Royal Knights, we're giving you an option to surrender right now or to be slain, ribbit." The man cackles.
"I chose neither." His other hand shot out and grabbed Tsu's blade. It turned to dust right before her eyes. With a blast of mana, they were knocked off their feet.
Ochako looked at the man in disbelief, what happened to her spell? It should’ve slowed down his movements. “I can see that confused look on your face so I’ll take pity on you and explain.”
The man said, keeping his distance. “Tsu-Chan, stay behind me.” Ochako said. “You think I would’ve done all this if I wasn’t prepared? I’m immune to your silly little spells. I am untouchable!” The man yelled. Ochako glared at the man, gripping her sword tightly.
She subtly directed a spell towards Tsu to help her, a spell of speed and agility so she could dodge the man’s attacks easier.
The fight is once again fast paced. Even with the man losing his wrist he seems to be fighting perfectly fine. In fact, he's fighting faster than before.
Tsu is trying to keep his hand away while she delivers kick after kick. She lands a hit on his face, and then another on the other side.
She jumps back to put some distance between them. There was a subtle shift in the air, and the man sped past her with newfound speed. Everything seemed to slow down for Tsu as she turned around.
He was aiming straight for Ochako.
She didn't even need to think about moving her legs as her tongue shot out, wrapping around Ochako and throwing her out of the way, now standing where Ochako was.
“Guh-“ Tsu coughed up blood, the man's hand went straight through her stomach before he pulled it back.
It all happened so fast Ochako could barely process it. “Well, while you’re busy with her bleeding out, I’m gonna be on my way now.” The man said, bringing Ochako back to reality, and he began to run.
Ochako scowled at the running man, “Oh no you don’t!” Ochako yelled out, and got ready to cast one of her biggest spells yet.
This spell was still underdeveloped, so she prayed that it would work. The air around them started to solidify, shaping into spears. Ochako sent them flying at full speed towards the man, impaling his arms and legs in the process.
They brought him into the air, and Ochako watched as the controlled spears set for the ground, dragging the man with them. She heard the loud crash of the man’s body coming in contact with the floor.
Ochako felt as if she was going to pass out, her body wasn’t adapted to the spell as of yet. It drained almost all of her spiritual energy, leaving her weak and exhausted.
She turned to look at Tsu, and Ochako almost threw up at the sight. Tsu’s stomach had a huge hole in it, and the rest of her torso was slowly fading away. Blood was everywhere, red filled Ochako’s sight.
Ochako wanted to scream and cry, but she had to heal Tsu first. “Tsu-Chan! Don’t worry I’ll help you!” Ochako fell to her knees by Tsu, ignoring the pain she felt when she hit the ground.
She was fighting tears at this point. Knights were never allowed to cry, for they were supposed to be strong no matter what.
Tsu doesn't regret her decision as blood seeped out of her. She focused all of her magic on her wound but it was disappearing faster than she could heal herself. All she's doing is buying a few more minutes of life.
Weakly Tsu shook her head. "I-I'm done...for, ribbit." Her voice barely above a whisper. "I only...have a ... a few minutes." She could see Ochako's brown eyes well up with tears.
Ochako couldn’t hold back her sobs any longer. “Tsu-Chan! You’re not gonna die here don’t say that! I’m gonna heal you!” Ochako sobbed, trying to put her spirit energy towards Tsu but failing, she used it all to take down that man.
She had nothing left to give, Tsu was going to die.
She screamed and cried, trying her best to heal Tsu, no matter how small the effect. “C’mon Tsu-Chan! Breathe for me, try to breathe!” Ochako pleaded.
She was now covered in blood, her clothes were stained and her arms were too. She noticed Tsu’s lower half slowly disappearing, and she cursed.
“There- there has to be something we can do! If I run fast enough we can find a medic!” Ochako cried, reaching out to hold Tsu’s hands. “Tsu-Chan… please…” She begged.
Tsu always thought that when death would come for her she would accept it. Yes, she might regret not saying goodbye to her family, but it's the price of being a knight. You never know when your life will end on the battlefield.
"No. Stay with me, ribbit." She said. She could barely feel her lower half and that terrified her. "I'm glad I met you.... I'm glad I met everyone…
I'm glad that I fell in love with you."
The words left her lips before she could think about but there's no time to regret them. "You came into my life like a sunny day, your smile lit up whatever room you were in." Tsu coughed, a thick trail of blood left the corner of her lips and trailed down her chin.
“I don’t want to die…” She croaked, tears streaming down the side of her face.
“You- you love me?” Ochako whispered, and she sobbed harder. She pulled Tsu’s body closer to her, hugging her as best as she should.
“I love you too, Tsu-Chan.”
Ochako tried to pull herself together to comfort Tsu, “You’re not going to die. I won’t let you.” She sternly said. “We have so many things we have to do. For starters we have to go to that cafe, remember? That strawberry jelly cake? We’re gonna go together, just us. Then we can invite everyone else another time.” Ochako spoke, voice shaking and fragile.
“It could be our first date.” Ochako said, more tears began to flow down her face.
“Stay with me, okay? I’ll heal you.” She tried to gather what little energy she had left, and she gave it to Tsu.
Ochako watched as her spirit energy went to waste, Tsu’s torso was almost fully gone.
There was nothing she could do.
Ochako was now screaming, sobbing out pleas, but they only went unheard. “Tsu-Chan!” She shook the girl in her arms. Her clothes were covered in warm blood. “Tsu-Chan please! Please! Please you can’t do this to me!” She begged.
Her face was covered in tears, she could barely see at this point, her vision blurred. She was crying so much she could barely catch her breath. “Tsu-Chan..” She held the girl’s body close to her and buried her face in her neck.
“Please. I need you. I need you here with me.” She hiccuped, and continued to cry in the other girl’s neck.
“Tsu-Chan, I love you. I love you so much. Ever since I met you I knew you were special. Hell, I think you’re my soulmate. We go along so well, if I’m lacking something you’re there to fill in the gap. If you need anything I’m right by your side to provide.” She sobbed.
Tsu nodded her head to Ochako's every word. It all sounded fantastic, she just wished she could experience it for herself.
"L-let's meet in another life Ocha-chan, ribbit. I'll wait for you and- tell...my family...I love them..." Tsu said, as she turned to dust. Her satchel was the only thing left behind as the wind picked up her ashes.
“Tsu-Chan!“ She screamed. “I’ll find you! I swear I’ll find my way back to you. I’ll find you… I swear..” Ochako sobbed.
She sobbed until she couldn’t anymore. Ochako watched through tears as Tsu’s ashes flew away, she sniffled and wiped her eyes, but tears continued to fall.
She looked down and saw blood everywhere, the blood sticking to her clothes left a putrid smell. The blood was no longer warm, it wasn’t fresh anymore. For some reason, that made Ochako cry even more.
“I’ll find you again. No matter what, we will meet again, Tsu-Chan.”
She regrets not being able to save Tsu, she regrets a lot. But there was one thing she regrets the most..
“I never got the chance to kiss you, Tsu-Chan.”