Chapter 4 : Goal


Rizusa was sitting on the couch, trying to wait patiently for the boys to return home with Minako. "Rizu-nee, you should sleep." Ayumi said, Emiko having passed out already. "It's almost midnight… they'll be home soon, won't they?" she asked, placing a cup of tea on the table next to her housemate.

"… I know…" she muttered, Ayumi smiling at Rizusa's lack of words.

"Ahh, always the mother bear, aren't you?" she chuckled. "Alright, don't forget your last dose of meds before Minako gets mad." She added, heading to her room. Rizusa just continued to sit there… by 1am she couldn't stand it anymore, getting up to go look for them. But as she was about to open the door, she heard someone on the step, the door lock clicking open. She backed up from the door silently, staring as they all walked back in, unharmed.

"Welcome back…"

"Ah, Miss Ryugazaki… You should be resting, you know…" Minako sighed.

"Sorry, there was this really big water spout coming from the ground so we had to go around when the crews said they were fine taking care of it themselves." Kirishima grinned. "Were you worried, Sis?"

"… S-sis…" Rizusa hid her face again, the boys all seeming mildly amused. She was much more personable without that mask on.

"Miss Ryugazaki, is there a reason you're still up?" Minako asked, seeming a little worried. Sure, Rizusa worried about others but it seemed to be something else weighing heavily on her mind, not just their late arrival home.

"I'll go to sleep in a minute… I have something to tell you first."

"Alright." The boys all went off to their room, Minako staying with Rizusa to chat.


"What do you think they're discussing?" Kirishima asked.

"What does it matter? Its probably about Rizusa-san's health isn't it? Maybe her ailments have lessened, since she wasn't wearing her mask." Todoroki pointed out.

"That may be true… or perhaps she wants to know if Minako-san saw something else she keeps an eye out for? I'm sure they've been on patrol together so she must know better than we do all the spots Rizusa-san looks out for." Tokoyami added.

"It doesn't matter. Everyone get to sleep. Rizusa-san is going to give you all a training session tomorrow for your quirks against her own." Amajiki stated, wrapping himself up for bed. "You'll need all your strength for a fight against her."

"Ooh, we get to see her quirk?!" Kirishima exclaimed.

"I don't know whether or not she'll be using Dragon Doll to its full extent." Amajiki replied. "But if she does, then more so you should be resting so you can be ready." He added.

"G'night then!"

"Goodnight."

"Good night…"


The following morning, Shoto and the others woke up, smelling breakfast being made. They all got up, got dressed, and headed into the main room to see Ayumi, Minako, and Emiko all at the table. But where was Rizusa? "Ah, good you're all awake. Rizu-nee is just about done making breakfast."

"Senpai is…?" Amajiki's eyes seemed to light up.

"Hehe, yep. Rizu-nee insisted on it." Ayumi added, seeming a little muted compared to normal.

"Is she healthy enough for that?" Shoto asked, seeming to wonder if the sickly woman was really alright to be making food.

"Ehehe, she's using a Dragon Doll to control whatever sickness she has. It'll make her tired but she was well enough to remove the mask yesterday, she's not contagious or anything." Emiko smiled. Curious, the boys peeked into the kitchen, eyes widening to see 5 or 6 small round dolls flying around. One sat on Rizusa's shoulder, that must've been the one regulating her sickness. It was the same one that had helped her save the boys that first night, Solus. The 2 that were on the counter seemed to be fire and water based. The fire one on command would blow a puff of flame that caught the bottom of the pan, creating a sizzling sound. The water one seemed to be poised to regulate that temperature in case it got too high. The others were all fetching ingredients for her. The doll on her shoulder nudged her cheek, causing her to turn and see the boys. "Ah, good morning." She smiled, all the boys' eyes going wide. She was wearing an apron, hidden from the back by her long hair that was left down. Her black leggings and sweater completed her look flawlessly. "I hope you all don't mind… I thought a heartier breakfast would be good before we get to training."

"What are you making, sis? It smells good!" Kirisihima exclaimed.

"Do you need any help?" Shoto asked her.

"Rizusa-san, how much are you making?" Tokoyami asked, noting all the dishes already on the opposite counter that were cooling down. Not only that, there were no other dishes aside from the pan she was using and the chopsticks and spatula that sat on the side.

"S-senpai…" Amajiki seemed to look stunned and really happy all at once.

"Hmm, if you boys want you can get started. The omelet rolls are the last of the food so go ahead and start taking." She added. She plated the roll and got started on another, the boys lining up and starting to take their food. Ayumi and Minako came in next, Emiko trailing behind a moment later. They all took their food, realizing that Rizusa had left the kitchen.

"Where'd she go?" Kirishima asked.

"Ah, probably took her soup and went to eat in her room." Ayumi smiled. "She doesn't eat much for breakfast, usually just some soup and rice or something like that." She nodded. "Plus, she's contemplating her training with you four. Its entirely her responsibility while you're here to keep your lessons running and all that."

"Even though she's sick…?" Shoto questioned.

"Yes, even then." They all went back to the table to sit and eat. "Rizusa-nee may not look it, but as soon as she graduated she got inundated with requests for being the sidekick of various heroes all over." Ayumi began to explain, Minako coming in with a tea pot and pouring some tea for them all. "I mean she was getting plenty in her first and second year too but when she was on the market it was insane… The sheer number of paper letters was enough to turn into charcoal to cook over, so she said."

"That's a lot of paper…"

"So did she choose any of them to work with…?" Tokoyami asked.

"No." Emiko smiled. "She rejected them all."

"All!?" Kirishima exclaimed.

"Yep, every last one." Minako jumped in. "When we asked her why, she just shrugged it off. "None of them are seeing the drawbacks, only what they want to see… that's what she told us."

"So what did she do?"

"She registered as a remedial lesson teacher with the UA and sequestered herself here in this house… this is where she said she would start changing the face of the Four Dragon's Conglomerate." Ayumi looked up from her food. "Because Rizusa-nee doesn't want to inherit the Ryugazaki name until she's properly made it her own."

"So… she's technically not a hero…?"

"She's registered and all, don't get me wrong." Ayumi smiled. "But Rizu-nee doesn't think she's a hero… She'll jump to someone's aid in a heartbeat, and she'll fight off any villain that comes knocking… but she's not convinced herself that she's a hero."

"How can she be certified though, if she herself doesn't think she is one?" Shoto questioned.
And she didn't graduate from the hero course, either…"

"Mama saw the requirements as tests, is all." All of them nodded, pausing and jumping away from the sudden voice, a small purple dragon with light blue eyes sitting on the couch and eating some of the untouched foods.

"Who are you?!" the boys all asked.

"Ah, Noire. Did you come out to get some breakfast?" Ayumi asked, offering the little one a piece of omelet on her chopsticks. Noire jumped, grabbing the omelet and landing on the table, wings flapping. "Noire was Rizu-nee's first dragon doll. He's the only one who can come out on his own and talk to others without Rizusa granting permission."

"He… can come out on his own?"

"It's a little like Dark Shadow, he has a personality of sorts on his own." Minako added, the little dragon finishing his food. "But he's less of a comrade in arms in that sense and more of a child. And a proud one at that."

"Mama always stresses out so I'm here ta explain some stuff for her." Noire puffed himself up a little. "That way there's less to teach."

"Huh…?"

"Noire, is that okay? Won't Rizu-nee get mad?" Ayumi asked.

"Nah, she'll be fine! Mama doesn't mind when I explain things for her!" he added, seeming very proud. Ayumi smiled, nodding and sitting back in her chair. "Mama knows she's not really a hero yet. She won't count herself as such till she has surpassed her teacher's goal for her!"

"A goal…?" Shoto asked, the little one nodding his head.

"Mama's Teacher's Goal for her… Is to conquer the Dragon Doll's Ten Pillars of Awakening!"

"Oh?"

"What are those?"

"They sound pretty cool…"

"There are 10 pillars, all of them are Dragon Dolls that come in certain times of trial to the user! If you can convince the dragon to work with you, you "conquer it"!" Noire exclaimed, jumping up a little. "On top of that, Mama's got a whole bunch of others helpin' out, too!"

"The Dragon Doll Quirk is a hereditary quirk that only some members of the Ryugazaki inherit. The last person to inherit it properly was her Grandfather." Ayumi added. "Right now Rizu-nee has about 100 Dolls in her arsenal, and has also properly conquered 7 Dragon Pillars, and the 8th is being worked on."

"7 pillars at the age of 18, an unheard-of feat! She only has 3 to go, that's Mama for you!" Noire nodded his head, spewing some steam proudly puffing out his chest. "These pillars are grand trials like some sort of big boss! Mama will conquer them all!"

"Haha, Noire-chan really loves Rizu-nee and believes in her all the way." Emiko chuckled. As Noire went on explaining, Shoto began to think. 10 pillars… she already had 7, wondering what they could do he wanted to see if he could fight them. More than that, he wanted to see which of them she would use when put against someone like himself.

"Oh… I see…" he stated, the others turning to him. "She hasn't conquered all 10, and until she does she won't see herself as worthy of being called a hero."

"Hehe, that's one part at least." Ayumi nodded. "But that's all we have time for… I think she's ready to start your training." Noire jumped up, climbing up on Ayumi's head. The door opened down the hall and he jumped up, flapping his wings. In walked Rizusa, wearing all black again, but her outfit was accented with small things that changed the look from her normal appearance she used for wandering the streets. "All geared up in support items and everything, huh Rizu-nee?"

"Mama you look cool!" Noire exclaimed, jumping over to her and flapping his wings, landing on her shoulder. "Can I fight too, Mama? Can I can I?"

"… That depends. Did you do like I asked?" she asked.

"Yes, Mama!"

"Mm, I'll consider it then." She pet the dragon doll's head, smiling. "If you boys are ready." She looked up, smiling. "Shall we get to training?"


((A short one for now, hopefully I get motivated to write those training fight scenes really soon.

-Winter Cheshire))