Chapter 40!

Exploring new territory but I quite liked this idea. I'll get more in depth but for starters Ryuko (Ryukyu) is 16 and a 2nd year here.

Enjoy, more notes at the end!

In the City

*Ryuko POV*

Why Ryuko's family had decided to move from Okinawa to Hiroshima was beyond her.

Not only was she thrust into city life but she had been forced to transfer schools just barely into her 2nd year of high school. She was pretty nervous about the whole thing so she wasn't particularly settling quickly and if anything she was more self conscious than before. Between her quirk, her dialect, and being a transfer student from far off, Ryuko stood out in exactly the ways she didn't want to. It made her uncomfortable and she was always worried about messing up nowadays. It wasn't all bad however, she wasn't being treated poorly by any means, and Ryuko got along with her new classmates but it was going to take her some getting used to.

The dragon girl was currently walking home with a group of her new classmates, the students chatting about anything and everything, yet she quickly noticed a commotion that was being broken up by a local hero. It looked to be by a few students from different schools, judging by their uniforms, and Ryuko heard collectives sighs and grumbles from her own classmates.

"God, they're at it again? This area sucks," someone whined and Ryuko looked about in confusion at the hums of agreement.

She hadn't really seen any issues since moving here and the hero school she was going to now was a lot bigger and better than the one she had been attending back home. Of course Ryuko hadn't been here particularly long so she figured that she was just out of the loop but it still didn't explain what the problem was. A few of the students continued complaining vaguely but eventually caught on to Ryuko's questioning look.

"Sure our school is one of the better ones in Hiroshima but it's kinda close to two pretty bad ones," one of them clarified, a frown spreading on their face as they folded their arms, "No clue how they even stay as hero schools especially since each of the top hero candidates from them are huge delinquents."

The information had been surprising news to Ryuko, especially since she'd never heard even a peep about this before, and she couldn't imagine how some top hero students could possibly be delinquents given the nature of the profession they were working towards.

"Total understatement," someone else chimed in. "I heard Usako and Emerald Ship were going at it again just this morning!" they exclaimed and Ryuko again found herself lost.

"Usako and Emerald Ship?" the blonde questioned aloud, thoroughly uninformed, and her classmates nodded.

"I don't actually know their names but go west and it's Usako's turf while east is Emerald Ship's," they explained seriously in a somewhat hushed tone. "They're crazy and are always trying to take each other down," they added on, obviously trying to steer her clear. "I heard a lot of people got hurt last time they fought."

"They're that bad?" Ryuko winced, now more worried than ever, and her classmates all confirmed it.

"There's been talk about expulsion before for both of them and sometimes the police have even gotten involved," another student relayed, "but Usako and Emerald Ship only ever cool down just enough before they go at things again."

"But aren't they supposed to be hero students?" Ryuko had to question though everyone just shook their heads.

"That's what makes them so crazy," another person interjected. "Going into heroics just to act like some thug..." they lamented and Ryuko gulped at the thought of the two.

She really didn't want to run into them.

-break-

The dragon girl eventually parted ways with the others and she, cautiously, continued on her way home.

Ryuko was hoping for an uneventful walk back but someone landed just a ways off from her, causing her to jump in surprise. The person was a white haired girl, maybe a year older than her, with two long rabbit ears and dark skin. She clearly went to a different school and her quirk was obvious but she had both a cool and cute look due to her sharp features and well shaped muscles yet short height. The older girl looked her way and flashed a wide grin while Ryuko got lost in her almost jewel-like red eyes.

"Guess I spooked ya! My bad," she laughed heartily but Ryuko could only shyly nod at her words.

"Nah, it's fine," she managed to reply, "I jus' wasn't expecting it."

"Not from around here huh?" the rabbit girl said suddenly but Ryuko could tell it was just a statement and not making fun of her. "I'm Usagiyama Rumi," she introduced abruptly, "make sure ya remember it when I'm the best hero out there."

"Tatsuma Ryuko. You're in the hero course too?" Ryuko introduced and then asked, having perked at the mention, and Usagiyama laughed.

"You too eh?" She shot back before taking a more thoughtful pose. "Guess I got more competition now than just that knockoff," she mused which piqued the dragon girl's curiosity.

"Knockoff?" she repeated and Usagiyama looked over to her.

"Just some nutcase I know that loves to copy my whole shtick," the rabbit girl grumbled but there was a hint of excitement in her eyes. "Anyway, I better hop along!" Usagiyama noted and Ryuko didn't have time to say goodbye before the white haired girl was already out of sight.

The encounter had been hectic but Ryuko had enjoyed it. Meeting a fellow hero student, and one as energetic as Usagiyama, helped pump her up a little and she hoped that they'd cross paths again. It also didn't hurt that the rabbit girl was so attractive so Ryuko doubly wished to meet in the near future. The dragon girl did still have to wonder about this other hero student that Usagiyama mentioned. She had called them competition so they must have been a hero student but maybe it was instead to do with the whole copying thing. Ryuko didn't have time to think more on it before she was startled again by yet another person who blew by at equally ridiculous speeds to how Usagiyama had left.

The person, another girl looking older than her and from a different school, skidded to a halt and Ryuko was speechless once more. This girl was decently taller than her and had long, dark green hair and brilliantly gem-like green eyes. She had even more defined musculature than Usagiyama and as she turned to face Ryuko directly the dragon girl noted her horse ears and tail of matching color. She was a serious beauty in Ryuko's opinion and the blonde flushed when the taller girl flashed a playful smile.

"Not hurt are you?" she checked and Ryuko managed to snap herself out of admiring the other girl.

"No," she shook her head bashfully, "just a little startled is all," she admitted and the greenette chuckled momentarily.

"Midoriya Izumi," the girl introduced, energetically bumping a fist to her chest as she straightened out, "can I make it up to ya?"

"Tatsuma Ryuko," the blonde offered back. "Could I think about it?" she was able to return and the words made Midoriya laugh warmly.

"Of course," she replied and a thought crossed Ryuko's mind.

"Were you in a hurry?" she asked, thinking of how fast the greenette had been going and not wanting to keep her if that was the case, but Midoriya shook her head negatively.

"Just training," she revealed with a shrug, "I gotta keep on top of things if I wanna be a hero.

"I'm also in the hero course," Ryuko lightly smiled, feeling lucky to have met not one but two other hero hopefuls, and Midoriya looked pumped up herself.

"You don't say?" the taller girl commented before a bit of a smirk touched her lips. "Do your best or I'll leave you behind," the greenette laughed, Ryuko not minding the small banter, but her expression eased to a less pleased one. "I can't let them get ahead of me after all," Midoriya frowned to herself though Ryuko still heard her clearly.

"A rival of yours?" she asked and Midoriya nodded.

"I guess you can say that," she agreed though there was a mix of a scowl yet a fondness on her face. "More like a pest I can't shake but sure," she snorted but her face suddenly lit up. "Sorry to run but I really gotta be off!" Midoriya abruptly told her and again Ryuko didn't even have a chance to say anything before the girl was gone from sight.

Not having anything else to do, Ryuko simply continued her short walk home all while grinning about the two beautiful older girls she had been lucky to meet. Speaking of lucky, she didn't run into those two delinquents she'd been told to look out for either.

Although, she couldn't help but feel like both her conversations had something in common.

-break-

*?*

"I thought you'd flaked out, Usako!"

"That's more your gig isn't it, Emerald Ship?!"

Not even a few seconds and the two had already kicked each other square in the face.

Notes and Stuff

I figured that a younger Ryuko would be different than how she is in canon so I'm gonna have her grow into that confidence. Particularly with some help from her two delinquent friends.

Rumi and Izumi are one year up from Ryuko so they're both 17 and 3rd years and I'm sure a number of people could tell but Izumi's quirk is Horse and she's based on Uma Musume's iteration of Gold Ship. Of course Rumi and Izumi are also rivals here and very comparable in both personality and how they fight. Usako the Fight Crasher is Rumi's nickname from back in the day according to Vigilantes and Emerald Ship is a clear reference to Gold Ship for Izumi.

When I said I was treading new grounds I didn't mean a love triangle but instead this is Ryuko x Rumi x Izumi. I've been interested in trio dynamics lately and have had a few ideas in regards to them as I also have one drafted for Itsuka x Momo x Izumi so I decided to give it a try.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and look forward to more updates from me!