Chapter 1: The House of Dragons
It happened suddenly, almost too suddenly to realize they were in a lot of trouble. Tokoyami was down and out in an instant, something having restrained Dark Shadow. Todoroki was barely able to stay conscious, but he couldn't move and his power wouldn't manifest. Amajiki had been leading them to the building where their "client" was, seeing as Fatgum got called away on another mission and at the moment, Kirishima was on a joint mission with Tetsutetsu and another Pro.
"What the…?" Amajiki tried to move, but he was unable.
"What's going on…?" Todoroki asked, feeling his consciousness fading. The villains appeared from the darkness, having been waiting for an opportunity. Only now did they notice that they were cut up or bruised, somehow the damage having been done in that split second they were unaware of. How they didn't notice none of the boys knew, but this was really bad. All 3 were down on the ground, unable to move or fight back. But as the villains were about to attack, the atmosphere changed.
"You're irritating me…" a sudden blast of flame came up from underneath the villain closest to the boys, causing him to screech in immense pain. The flame burned bright white and yellow, almost like it was the sun. The woman who stepped out from behind the flames after they'd gone down was wearing a black face mask and a turtleneck. Her black leggings and ankle high boots blended in well with the shadow she emerged from. Over her turtleneck was a long sleeved jacket. "Picking on kids…" she waved her hand, a sudden burst of the same flame slammed into the remaining enemies. "More than that, I had to come out here with this stupid cough…" she turned her head into her elbow and coughed a couple of times. "I get so irritable when I'm sick… you picked a terrible day to attack these young heroes…" she whispered, pulling down her mask, a steam rising out from her mouth as she did so. Another burst of light came out from next to the girl, a small white and yellow round doll that resembled a dragon with minty green eyes appeared, its mouth spewing the same steam as the girl it floated next to. "Go have fun, Solus… Its been a while since we've gotten to burn out so many irritating ones, isn't it?" she asked, pulling the mask back up. The dragon gave a small roar, steam picking up into a billowing cloud as its eyes began to glow. The woman smiled as the little dragon went to attack once more as the enemies began trying to get back on their feet. She wandered across the battlefield to kneel next to the three young heroes that had gotten caught in the ambush. "Ahh, you're all beat up…" she ran her hand over the places they were injured, seeming to flinch as she did so. But the large damages seemed to heal up a little bit. "That was dangerous…" she said, patting the boy's head.
"… Senpai…?"
"Hehe, been a while since anyone's called me that, you know." She ruffled his hair. "Tama… I was worried about you. I'm sure you're going to make Ayumi-nee worry about you too, like this."
"… I'm sorry, Senpai…" he muttered, seeming to doze off. She let him fall asleep, turning to the other two on the ground. She sighed, a couple of smaller round dolls appearing at her side.
"Get them out of here." She whispered. The little ones began their task, the crowd of villains exploding behind them in bursts of white-hot flames. "Solus… its almost time." She stated simply, turning to glance over her shoulder as the little dragon floated his way back to her. "Oh, you're done early?" she asked, smiling behind her mask. "Then let's go… there's work to do." She stated. "Echo… contact the Principal of UA… I have something to discuss with him."
Todoroki opened his eyes to see that he was in an infirmary, glancing around to see who else was there. Tokoyami was laying unconscious in a nearby bed, wrapped up but no worse for ware. As for himself, Todoroki glanced down at his arm, seeing the minor cuts covered by bandages, but he too seemed not to be severely injured. But what transpired was kind of fuzzy. He was with Tokoyami and… Amajiki… he remembered turning to hit an enemy but suddenly he was unable to move. His legs failed him. His arms wouldn't move. Gravity? No, it was something else. "…overwhelming pressure." He remembered passing out, then hearing a voice as he tried to open his eyes. He caught a glimpse of blue hair, the voice saying it was okay. Saying that they were strong but still learning.
"It's okay… you're smart. I'm sure you'll figure it out quickly." She had said before he passed out again. He managed to sit up, glancing around again before hearing someone talking in the next room.
"Senpai, are you really okay?" Amajiki?
"I'm fin-" suddenly a long fit of coughing ensued, followed by a groan. "I really don't like this at all…" she muttered, the same voice as before. "I'm fine but it hurts and I'm all stuffy… getting sick is the worst…"
"Senpai, please get some rest if you're sick…"
"But I can't rest until I hear back from Nezu-san…" she grumbled, even in her voice you could hear the pout. After a couple more coughs, she sighed. "Plus I just put the tea on, I can't leave it like that and sleep…"
"Oi oi, I can get the tea…" he sighed at her, a door opening. "Come on, you want to check on them, don't you?"
"Hehe, Tama knows me so well." The two sets of footsteps came to the door and the door slid open, Todoroki's eyes going wide. That blue hair, black mask… he knew that person. "Ah, Shoto, you're awake." She said, walking over. He'd seen her on their mission log, the woman they were headed to see and keep an eye on for their remedial lesson. But more than that, she had made one prior appearance at UA, but not publically. Todoroki had seen her talking to Aizawa and Principal Nezu.
"You… know who I am…?"
"Ahh, that…" she smiled behind her mask. "I can explain later." She said, seeming a little uneasy. "For now, let's have some tea."
"… Tea?" he turned to see a kettle steaming, a couple of small round dolls with horns and wings milling around the cups.
"And let's not forget the snacks, Senpai."
"Yes yes, Tama." She replied, sitting down on a chair and sighing, coughing behind her mask. "Ayumi-nee and the others will be home soon." She added. "I still don't know why they insisted on guarding me, I can handle myself…"
"Ahaha, even if you say that, Senpai…" Amajiki seemed to know her well, maybe she was an alumni of the academy?
"It's cause you'd never sleep!" A voice came from the other side of the door, the sliding doors slamming open. "Rizu-nee! Go back to sleep!" The blackette with golden-orange eyes who stood at the door seemed to be very used to the situation, but also very easily flustered. She seemed a little rough around the edges, mildly athletic at a glance.
"We're home…" the shorter white haired girl who peeked into the room said with a smile. Her eyes were soft and sleepy, a light aqua color. "Ah, Tama-chi's here too… Good thing I bought plenty of snacks~"
"Minako-senpai! Emiko-senpai!"
"Tama! Make Rizu-nee go to sleep!" The blackette exclaimed. "You know she needs her rest when she's sick!"
"Now now, Minako…" the white haired girl pat the blackette's head, smiling before stuffing a cookie in her mouth. "Don't yell at Tama, he knows Rizu-nee won't listen to him."
"I-I wasn't trying to yell!" This was one heck of an environment to be in… Todoroki was still trying to grasp the situation.
"Welcome back you two. Isn't Ayumi-nee here?"
"She said she was bringing home more real food… Sent us back early…" The white haired girl pouted. "I wanted more snacks, though, I know you like snacks when you're sick Rizu-nee…"
"Yes yes, I'm sure you did…" she smiled. "Thank you, Emiko." She said, the girl's face lighting up at the thanks.
"I got you plenty of good things like lemon pudding though! And I even got those airy chocolates you like!" she stated, unpacking the abnormally stuffed bag of snacks on the girl's side table, the boys both surprised at how much there was.
"Ahaha, so much~ I can always count on you, Emiko~" she gave the girl a pat on the head. "And Mina, you know you can't be so angry at me… how can I sleep worrying about these three little heroes? One who's still asleep, the other two still recovering from whatever that villain's power was…"
"You didn't catch that one, then?"
"No, Solus only got the ones who were poised to attack… there was at least one in the shadows, stringing them along." Todoroki's eyes went wide. There had been one more? "I don't really know why it didn't affect me, maybe because I was wearing my mask and Solus was burning off whatever was around me… but whoever it was knew to go after them in an isolated area… it was planned ahead." Amajiki looked somewhat solemn about that. "They were looking to cause trouble… if I had come any later…" she gripped her hand into a fist.
"Rizu-nee~ Are you moping again~? I can feel it you know~" The voice came down the hall, Amajiki seeming to shiver.
"Ahh, that was fast…"
"I'm home~" A girl with dark purple hair and bright blue eyes walked up to the door, carrying bags of groceries on her arms. "Ahh, one's awake! And Tama, are you feeling better?" she asked, Tamaki's face coloring bright red when she suddenly walked right up next to him to check his temperature. "Hmm, a little warm…?"
"Ayumi-nee… he's warm because you're pushing your boobs in his face…" Emiko said, shrugging her shoulders. "He can't breathe…"
"Ahh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" she blushed, both pulling back.
"Alright alright, enough playing around… Ayumi-nee and Emiko please go put away the groceries and snacks… Minako stop worrying about me sleeping and go get the antibiotics so these young heroes don't catch what I have…"
"Yes, Rizu-nee!" the three girls seemed to listen to the bluenette as though she were their team leader or something, she held a lot of influence despite her weakened state. Todoroki watched the other three rush out of the room, Amajiki being pulled along by the girl named Ayumi, his face still red. Things calmed down enough for Todoroki to get a grasp on things. The 4 girls lived in the same house, but it seemed like because the bluenette girl was home alone most of the time for one reason or another they'd been called in to keep an eye on her? Or something to that effect, but she had a point… why did a girl like this, who saved them all from a near disastrous situation need protecting? Moreover the three girls who lived with her seemed not at all stunned or shocked at the boys suddenly having needed to stay in the house in a medical facility that they seemed to have well prepared for a situation like this… what kind of group were they?
"… So." The bluenette's words shook the boy from his thoughts, Todoroki turning to look at the bluenette. "I guess I should explain… how I know you… Todoroki, Shoto…"
"… That would help… but first I'd like an explanation of who you and those other three are, please…" he stated, making her eyes widen a little behind her glasses. But she chuckled, coughing a little afterwards.
"Alright." She nodded, looking back up at him. "Let's see… have you ever heard of the Four Dragon's Conglomerate?" she asked, Todoroki nodding.
"They are four families that have worked closely with one another for many years, since the rise of quirks." He replied. "Their main pillar family is the Ryugazaki, the leaders… then they have the healing and medicinal practitioners, the Tsubakawa… the support specialists, the Kujou… and then the Aihara, the ones who are fighting support and, in a way, controllers of the Ryugazaki incase their extreme power ever raises above their limit of control…"
"Very good." She smiled. "Those four families right now are represented most efficiently by the four girls that live in this house. Emiko is the Kujou's oldest daughter, but her older brother's quirk wasn't really on a level that would be sufficient to be useful in battle so he stepped down to let his sister take his place in the conglomerate's current ranks… Minako, despite her rough edges, is the Tsubakawa's best young medical practitioner. I asked her personally to step up above her four older sisters and become my pillar of medicine and healing. She knows well how to deal with many situations, and she doesn't flinch at injuries that would make most unable to stomach food for a day."
"Ah, that explains why she came in so strongly about you sleeping…" Todoroki replied, nodding his head.
"Yes, she's always had an issue with the way I handle my own health…"
"Anyone would if you're not well most of the time, though…" he added, making her chuckle.
"Anyway, to continue." She said, seeming a little uncomfortable with talk about her health the main subject. "Ayumi is the Aihara's only daughter. Her older brother is a businessman, so she has a very strong air about her and her family naturally. But she as a person is hard to go against, let alone with her quirk… so she makes for a wonderful means of restraint, should I ever lose control…"
"Lose… Ah, so you're the Ryugazaki of this generation?"
"… Yes. Rizusa Ryugazaki. Sadly, I was not the best for the job, but I was the only one born to this generation... no siblings to speak of… so I was told I had to be the one to take the Ryugazaki's post… I didn't mind, but… There would have been so many better people in the other families for this… this rigid way of life is no way for families to treat their children… Rigorous training that would break most people… used on young children barely adjusting to their quirks…" The words brought back memories to Todoroki of his own father and training that brought him to the brink. He felt kinship to this girl, knowing her training must have been harsh as well.
"… Well thank you… for explaining all that to me…"
"Not at all… you deserve to know that, its not like its private knowledge… however how I know you…" she sighed. "I don't know if you'd want to hear it."
"I would, please…" he bowed his head, Rizusa sighing before nodding slowly.
"It all begins… with Endeavor's annoying proposal for an arranged marriage."
((I know I have other stories but this series... THIS SERIES! ;; 7 ;;
You can blame a friend of mine for getting me into this, I can't help it... I wanted to... had to write something...
Please look forward to more... I have so many things to write now... it hurts...
-Winter Cheshire ))