Beginning of a New Spring (MHA/PJO crossover)

Chapter 16

Summer break was almost over, and Ophelia had once again felt everything pass by as if time around her sped up while she stood still. She had seen Nico only never to find a trace of what could have transpired and met Eri– only to have herself be used as a weakness against her. She gained something to have it ripped from her fingertips before fully grasping it. In retrospect, she clung to what she had, not wanting to lose what she had. She wanted more game nights or dinner with Shouta and Hizashi together. She wanted the small moments she spent with Bakugou– taking walks with nowhere in mind or training.

It was what brought on the spur-of-the-moment hike Ophelia wanted to take before school started up. Bakugou didn't object when asked, knowing how much she pushed herself after Eri stopped visiting the park they frequented. The life that thrived in Ophelia's eyes had begun to dim each day, tearing him apart because he didn't know what to do.

They had met up at the train station mid-morning to head to the destination Bakugou had in mind. Ophelia had only half-assed her hiking plan but didn't have a place in mind; Bakugou had taken care of that for her.

The scenery Bakugou had taken her to was one she didn't even think Japan had. The path wasn't man-made but made from the number of times people had taken it, designated by signs. The trees thrived and swayed, greeting the duo as they walked by– even if Bakugou couldn't hear them.

The sound of rushing water could be heard after an hour of walking, enticing Ophelia further. The sound became louder before they came into a small clearing. A fifty-foot waterfall crashed down into the water below. Ophelia noticed it made for a great swimming hole if they were allowed to. The hill cliff wasn't as smooth as she thought it would be and an idea popped into her head—something she hadn't done in months and felt the need to do.

"I'll race you to the top," Ophelia challenged, pointing to the top of the waterfall.

Bakugou glanced at her with a dubious look on his face before it turned into a smirk, accepting her challenge. They walked to the edge of the cliff, silently agreeing on quirks– or powers, in Ophelia's case, could be used before they began.

The slight breeze that blew through and the crashing of the water was different from the scorching heat and dodging lava she was used to, but she enjoyed the thrill that climbing had. It felt exhilarating, to say the least, as Ophelia protruded vines from the cliff's edge to give herself a holding to climb up onto when no ledge was found. Her hand grasped a smaller foot holding than what she would have preferred, but she didn't think she needed to grow a vine before she could grab the ledge. The holding crumpled underneath her fingers before reaching the next ridge; she felt her chin and cheek scrape the edge as a scream escaped her lips before she was free falling.

At that moment, she wasn't falling from the cliff anymore. She was cascading down a vast tunnel, the small light disappearing at the top where she once stood, engulfing her in the endless darkness. The sounds of explosions met her ears before hands wrapped around her waist, heat placed upon her back before her body jerked roughly as it landed on hard ground. Ophelia's body went numb as Nico's screams echoed in her mind. She knew it wasn't real, it was a memory, and she wasn't there, but it didn't stop the terror from coursing through her or wanting to reach out for Nico's hand.

"Ophelia!" Bakugou screamed, panic lacing his voice.

Any words Ophelia had on responding were lodged in her throat– instead, a hollow chuckle escaped her lips. She didn't expect to gain the fear of free falling, especially when it wasn't even the scariest thing, but you can never pick and choose your fears. That would be too easy. She felt weak, pathetic. She could feel the tears flow down her cheeks, and she continued to chuckle at her misfortune. What a way for her to find out she feared free falling.