The City of Canterlot was up in arms, as news about the Kamen Riders was being spread all around the city.

The footage had already been uploaded to the internet, allowing anyone on Earth to see it. The footage first showed the Riders fighting against Shifter, managing to overpower him and do something with a strange looking device. But that footage then showed the Riders getting blasted away, the three of them suddenly losing their suits and revealing who they were.

At CHS, everyone was shocked to see Thorax was one of the Riders. Others also recognised Fleur, being shocked that she was another one. Fleur was more well recognised at Crystal Prep, along with the man engaged to their Principal. To say they were all shocked would be an understatement.

But what really shocked everyone, was what happened next. When Shifter seemed to betray the Mimics and save a girl from CHS. Then he had saved some other girls from a blast and this had revealed who was under the suit.

If the people of CHS were shocked about Thorax, they were even more shocked to see Flash Sentry of all people was the first Kamen Rider. The one that had joined the Mimic's side and now seemed to have turned against them, given how he had transformed into a new form and completely wiped one of the Mimics out.

After the battle, the four Riders had all been taken into custody. Everyone was curious about the Riders, wanting to know exactly what they were. Hopefully, some answers would soon be revealed.

Within the Canterlot City Police Precinct, Flash, Shining, Thorax and Fleur were all sitting in a room with their hands cuffed.

Shining looked stoic, whilst the teens all looked worried. "So," Flash turned to Shining, "what can we expect from the interrogation? My only knowledge of this stuff comes from TV."

"They're not gonna shine a light in our eyes, are they?" Fleur asked, with Shining rolling his eyes.

"No. They're not. They'll probably just ask us a bunch of questions about what exactly we are." As he said that, the door opened and the police chief stepped inside.

Hard Case sat on the other side of the table, Shining's eyes moving up to the two way mirror. No doubt, there were multiple officers watching from the other side. "Alright," the police captain glared at them. "I want to know what's going on. Armor, how could you not tell us any of this? Why keep it a secret?"

Shining sighed. "When Flash and I first started as Kamen Riders, we had no idea how we were able to do any of the stuff we did. From our point of view, we just woke up one day and had the ability to transform into superheroes. We were freaked out and didn't want to tell anyone, in case they used us as some kind of lab rats."

"I see," Hard Case frowned. "And what about now? How much do you know about any of this?"

Shining frowned, unsure how he should explain. However, before anyone could say anything, a bright flash of light filled the room behind the Riders.

Hard Case leapt up and reached for his gun, only for someone to step out of the portal behind the Riders. Corvyn. "Hello there. I apologise for the sudden appearance, but I thought it was time I met with you and helped explain everything that's been going on."

The doors to the interview room flew open and several officers rushed in. All of them pointing their guns at Corvyn.

Corvyn didn't react and simply removed his hood, revealing what he looked like. "What are you?" Hard Case asked, obviously curious about everything happening.

"My name is Corvyn and I am the one who made these four Kamen Riders." That got their attention. "I am also the last living member of my world. The Mimics destroyed it and I am all that's left. That's why I came here. I managed to uncover how the Mimics travel universes and followed them here."

"I see," Hard stated. "So why did you make these four Riders? Armor, I kind of get. But the other three are high school students. How could you give such amazing power, to three kids who should be focusing on things other than risking their lives?"

"I didn't have a choice," Corvyn replied. "Not just anyone can become a Kamen Rider." He glanced at the four, clearly asking if they wanted him to not explain the rest. But the four gave him all a look and they nodded, the lot knowing that keeping this secret any longer would only hurt them in the long run. "You see. These four aren't humans. They're Mimics."

That statement washed over all the officers and as they listened, their eyes went wide before they turned back to the Riders.

"What?" Hard cried. "Mimics?" He looked at the Mimic detector on his wrist. "But these-"

"Do work. But I created them to ignore any Mimic with a Driver. Which is why they don't detect these four. But yes, they are Mimics. But it's not what you think."

"How could it not be what we think?" He turned to Shining, "where's the real Shining Armor? What have you done with him?"

"I am Shining Armor," the man replied. "I might be in a Mimic body, but it's my mind in control." Hard clearly didn't understand, as Corvyn sighed.

And so, as Corvyn was given another chair to explain everything to the police captain. How each of them became a Kamen Rider, upon gaining control of the Mimic that had tried to steal their bodies. Of how Flash and Shining went a long time without knowing what they truly were. How Thorax later joined the team and Flash's issues with the Maleficore. And then, how Fleur befriended a Mimic and turned it to their side.

To say the police captain was shocked would be an understatement.

Within the Mimic Base, Sombra is busy working on a computer whilst the other Mimics look worried.

"Master," Maya speaks up, "Is now really the time to be working on...whatever it is you're doing?" Sombra turned to glare at her. "I just mean...with Sheave's betrayal. He might bring the other Riders here. And who knows who else."

"She's right," Greye stated. "We need to change bases again. Head somewhere that Sheave doesn't know about. And you need to get all the equipment hidden at your host's company. No doubt everyone knows who you really are now."

"Relax," Sombra told them. "We're not going anywhere. What we need to focus on right now, is replenishing the energy that High stole from us. We need to get as much of it as we can before the Riders come and attack."

"So what's the plan?" Frill asked, as Sombra kept working on the computer.

"I'll leave the details of that to you. But I won't accept any more failures. Get me that energy. I don't care what you have to do, just get it." They nodded and all left. All except Gule, who was sitting around in his human form.

Sombra noticed this and realised Gule was likely still feeling betrayed after his brother chose to betray them.

"Gule!" the Hybrid Mimic shot to his feet, pulled out of his thoughts by Sombra. "I have a mission for you." Gule looked confused by this, but nodded. "It may sound strange, but I need you to retrieve something for me." Gule looked confused, but nodded as Sombra explained what he wanted. And he was right. Gule did this it was strange.

Back at the police precinct, Hard Case stared the five down as he listened to what they had to say.

Currently, Flash was telling him everything that happened during his time under the Mimic's control. "Sombra? CEO of Dark Industries. You expect me to believe that he is a Mimic?" Shining and the others were just as shocked by this revelation.

"It's true. Sombra is a Mimic. He's not just a Mimic. He's the oldest Mimic in existence. The one leading them. The one who made all the other Mimics do all this. He's the mastermind."

"Why should I believe you?" Hard stated. "You admitted to being a Mimic. And for a good while now, you've been working with the Mimics. If I don't trust the other three, I certainly don't trust you. Not after everything you've done."

Flash sighed. "I know I have a lot to make up for, but I'm telling the truth."

"So you just happened to lose control of your body, then took the body back just before you got arrested. A likely story."

"I didn't take the body back," Flash told him. "Sheave gave me control back. Because once the Maleficore's power was undone, he realised he didn't want to wipe humans out. He turned against the Mimics before giving me back control."

"Is that so?" Hard asked. "If that's the case, what's stopping him from taking control of you again?" Flash said nothing, since he didn't have an answer.

"It's true." Within Flash's mind, Sheave was standing behind him. "I could probably take control of you again if I wanted to. But I'm not going to."

"I want to believe that," Flash told him. "But it's...hard to accept that."

Hard stared at him, clearly wanting an answer. "Exactly. You four are all incredibly powerful. So powerful that if you chose to turn against us, we probably wouldn't be able to stop you."

"Yeah," Thorax sighed, "I can see why that would be scary."

Hard nodded. "From what we know. You Riders can't transform without those screen things, am I right?" They nodded. "Well those things are currently locked up, meaning you four are no stronger than an average human. And you'll stay that way until we decide what to do with you."

The four sighed, wishing there was another option.

In that moment, another cop arrived with a knock. "Sir. We just got word from Canterlot Medical." That got everyone's attention, "one of the Mimic Cocoons just broke apart."

"Is that so," Hard Case got up. "Which one?"

"The one containing Tempest Shadow."

"That was High's host," Shining realised. "I guess her battle with Shifter did more damage than we thought."

"No," Flash replied in a strange tone of voice. "Sombra wasn't happy about her stealing the energy he had us collecting. And with all her failures before then, he had had it with her. No doubt he finished her off after Flash and I took her down."

"Flash and I?" Shining asked, as the others frowned. "Sheave?"

"That's right," Sheave nodded. "Flash is allowing me control so that I can explain a few things to everyone." He turned to Corvyn, "you want to know how the Mimics came to be? I can tell you everything." Corvyn frowned, clearly not liking having Sheave in control of Flash's body.

"You're the Mimic?" Hard Case asked, with Sheave nodding. "I thought you said Sentry had control of the body now."

"I do," Flash's vocal tone replied as they realised they had swapped again. "Sheave and I have come to an understanding. We both have control of the body, but only one of us gets a go in the drivers seat at a time. We'll switch depending on who's needed in control."

Hard Case clearly didn't like this. "That Mimic has tried to destroy our world and hurt people. And you're just letting him control you? And that's if this whole sharing a body thing is even real. Anyone can change their voice to sound like someone else."

"It's real," Corvyn told him. "And these Riders are your only hope at stopping the Mimics. Whilst some weapons have proven capable of doing damage against them and destroying the Mimicreeps, only the Riders have the ability to do serious damage against them. It takes to destroy a Mimic."

Hard Case just stared at them before getting up and turning to the other cop. "Keep an eye on them. I need to talk to the hospital about Ms. Shadow's condition." He nodded and took his seat, Hard Case closing the door shut behind him.

Corvyn then turned to Flash. "He is right, though. Are you sure letting Sheave have control of your body is a smart idea? What if he decides to keep it for himself?"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to," Sheave stated. "The moment I freed Flash, I made it practically impossible to imprison him again. If I try to keep control and Flash does the same, our body will simply lock up."

"It's true," Katar stated as she took control. "Fleur and I tested that out before. We can both control the body whenever we want. But if we're not trying to do the exact same thing, we just freeze unable to do anything."

"I see," Corvyn nodded whilst Shining turned to Sheave.

"Why did you choose to turn against the Mimics?"

"Honestly. I'm not really sure. Maybe it's Flash's influence, or maybe I'm just evolving like Katar. Who knows. All I'm sure about is that whenever I think about destroying this world now. Hurting the people that live here, like Scootaloo or Flash's friends and mother, I feel like I'm gonna throw up."

"Well I guess that's as good a reason as any," Corvyn stated. "Now, while we wait for the police chief to return, tell me everything you know about the Mimics." Sheave nodded and started explaining.

Down below, in the precinct's entrance, the Riders' families were all trying to see them.

Misty Vail, Scootaloo, Pharynx, Cadance, Shining's parents and a couple who were Fleur's parents all tried to see them. "You can't just leave them locked up like this," Misty stated. "Flash is a minor, so you can't question him like this without me present!" Fleur's parents nodded, stating the same thing

"Except the ones we're holding aren't your children," the police officer stated. "I'm sorry about your son and daughter, but they were taken and replaced by Mimics. They-"

"I know what they are," Misty interrupted. "I've already been told everything." She glanced back at the Rainbooms, who were all standing behind the group. As soon as the Riders were arrested, the girls had come clean to their families about everything.

Misty and Scootaloo had been shocked by the discovery of Flash's Mimic-fication. But after Twilight explained everything, they accepted that he was still Flash. And that meant Misty wanted to see him.

"If you don't let me see him soon, I'll have this precinct so tied up in litigation, your grandchildren are gonna need lawyers!" The others nodded, but the police officer said nothing.

"I already told you. They are being questioned to determine whether or not they can be trusted. They're Mimics and we can't just let them wander around freely."

"This is ridiculous," Pharynx cried. "My brother and the rest of the Riders have been putting their butts on the line for this city. We'd all be dead if it wasn't for them. Isn't that enough proof that you can trust them?"

"Not to the chief," the officer stated. "Now if you want to stick around and wait for a determination, that's your right. But we can't allow you anywhere near them." They all glared at him, but the officer was clearly not going to budge on this issue.

Upstairs, Hard Case was having a video chat with the doctor that had been monitoring Tempest and the other people in the cocoons.

"All her vital signs are positive," the doctor stated. "As far as we can tell, she's in perfect health with no side effects from prolonged entrapment within the cocoon. She's a little disorientated, but that's natural and should clear up in a day or two."

"What can she tell us about her experience inside the cocoon? Does she remembering anything that might help us finish the Mimics off?"

"She has a few flashes of memory, but nothing concrete. She may remember more in time, but for now it's just a jumble to her."

"I see," Hard Case nodded as he asked a few more questions. But he didn't get any real answers and eventually, he hung up and let everything he had learned flow through his head. He thought about the Riders and whether he could truly trust them. Had Shifter not been on the Mimic's side before, he would have probably trusted them without question.

But even if Sheave and Katar had agreed to help them, that didn't help him with the other two.

"What if the Mimics Shining and Thorax have manage to take control?" He thought about that and wasn't sure how he felt about any of it. This was more than he should be allowed to decide. "Maybe I should try and contact someone further up the chain. Give the decision to someone else." He sighed. "No. If a politician gets involved, we'll never get a decision made. I need to decide soon before the Mimics decide to attack again. Do I trust the Riders, or let my forces try and stop them?"

Out in the main office, the detectives and sargents worked to get all their work done. But all anyone was talking about were the Riders currently locked up. Some said they should trust them, others said they should lock them up and throw away the key. Nobody knew what they should do.

But then, something happened that halted their discussion and put them on alert.

A portal suddenly flew open and before the cops could stop them, a bunch of Mimicreeps leapt out and started attacking them. The cops screamed, as they did what they could to fight them off. But against the Mimicreeps, they didn't stand a chance and the precinct was soon littered with the monsters.

Moments later, Gule stepped out of the portal with a device in hand. One that began to lead him through the precinct whilst the Mimicreeps kept the cops busy.

Meanwhile, down on the first floor, the Rainbooms and Riders' families heard the cries and screams. The Rainbooms quickly leapt into action and ran up the stairs, the cops that had been doing the desk work running after them. When they reached the second floor, they saw the Mimicreeps and quickly jumped into action.

Rarity put up a bunch of shields, whilst Twilight grabbed as many as she could in her magic and lifted them into the air.

Applejack grabbed a baton that a cop had dropped and started slamming it into any of the Mimicreeps it could find. But the Mimicreeps were in a great number and the girls quickly found themselves getting overrun.

In the interview rooms, Corvyn and the Riders heard the commotion outside and the cops got up.

"Stay here!" He ran out, only for them to hear a scream as he was suddenly attacked by a Mimicreep. The creature pushed it to the ground and the Riders couldn't bear to watch what happened next, Sheave seeing this and taking command.

"I've seen enough." He got up and before the others could ask what he was doing, his hands suddenly melted and the cuffs slipped off his wrists. This freed Flash up to run over and grabbed the Mimicreep.

He pulled it away from the cop and it smashed into the wall, Fleur rushing forward and slammed a foot right in its chest to make it go splat. At the same time, Thorax checked on the cop. But all he could do was shake his head to the others. "Where'd these things come from?" Flash asked, as Shining frowned.

He had a choice to make. Stay there and let the Mimics cause havoc, or go against their arrest and try and help.

"Come on!" He melted his hands and freed himself, the other two following behind as they started attacking any Mimicreep they came across. But without their Mimicores, it was a lot harder.

Over in the evidence room, Gule arrived and started looking around.

He had taken down several cops along the way, as he started searching for what he had come for. And soon enough, the device in his hand beeped as he pointed it at a nearby drawer. "There you are." He grabbed the drawer and ripped it open, allowing him to look inside and see the Riders' Mimicores inside.

He smirked, as he grabbed them all before heading back the way he had come. Along the way, he watched as the Mimicreeps continued to cause mayhem in the precinct.

But some Mimicreeps were being destroyed and as he stepped out into the main room, he looked around and spotted the Rainbooms trying to protect as many people as possible.

Twilight was the first one to notice him and realised he was carrying something, the girl seeing the Mimicores and gasping. "NO!" She ran forward, as Gule used a lone free arm to unleash a bolt of lightning in her direction. But she was able to dodge it and keep running. "Timber, STOP!"

Gule growled, as he leapt over to the still open portal. "Your little boyfriend is gone. He can't take control of this body anymore, because he no longer exists."

"I don't believe that!" Twilight cried, but she secretly feared he was telling the truth. "What are you doing with those Cores?" Gule smirked under his helmet and moved towards the portal. "Give them back!" She reached out and managed to grab as many as she could with her magic, pulling them out of Gule's grasp before he could stop her.

The Rider grunted, as he watched seven of the Mimicores fly away from him. And when he tried to reach out and grab them, Applejack happened to throw a Mimicreep in his direction.

He gasped and leapt back, as the Mimicores landed in Twilight's hand.

The girl looked through them and was quite surprised by the ones she managed to retrieve from her foe. She had saved not only Thorax and Fleur's cores, but Flash and Shining's first cores along with the Hyper Strike, Malefic and Maleficleanse cores. Definitely the ones the Riders would want saved above all others.

Gule glared at her, only to then see the Riders themselves punching their way into the bullpen.

Seeing no other option, the Mimic Rider leapt through the portal and it closed. As such, the remaining Mimicreeps were soon dealt with. But not without serious injury. When the last one was splatted onto the ground, everyone took a deep breath and Hard Case looked around.

Multiple police officers were covered in blood and holding injuries. Several crooks that had been in the middle of being processed also got injured, but none of them had died. And as he turned towards the Riders, he glared at them.

"What just happened? Why did they come here of all places?"

"I don't know," Shining frowned. "Maybe to try and take us down whilst we couldn't transform?"

"No," Twilight stepped over to them and they saw the Mimicores in her possession. "Gule was after these." Everyone stared at the cores and the Riders realised several were missing. "He got away with the others. I'm sorry I couldn't get them all back."

"Why would he take our Mimicores?" Thorax asked, Corvyn sighing as he turned to him.

"Without them, you wouldn't be able to transform. They probably expect the police to choose to work with us. So they used this chance to de-power you."

"Good thing it failed," Fleur reached for her Mimicore but Hard Case snatched it away.

"You're not getting these back yet," he told her. "I'm still not sure you four can be trusted. And thanks to you, my men are injured or worse."

"This wasn't our fault," Flash told him. "We didn't make the Mimics attack."

"They came for your things," Hard Case pointed at the Mimicores as Corvyn spoke up.

"Well technically. If you hadn't taken them away, the Mimics wouldn't have come to try and take them from you. So really-" Hard Case glared at him. "I'm shutting up now."

"We're sorry," Shining told him. "But the fact of the matter is, you need us. Not just us Riders. But Corvyn. He knows more about Mimics than anyone. If it hadn't been for him, we'd probably already be extinct by now. You might not like it, but you need to trust us."

Hard Case glared at him, clearly wanting to argue.

But before he could, the Riders suddenly sensed something. Something that made them all turn in the same direction. "What is it?" Corvyn asked, as the Riders frowned. "You sensing something?"

"Yeah," Thorax nodded. "Mimics. They're attacking." As he said that, Hard Case's phone went off in his office.

He held up a finger before moving towards the office, the others staying where they were as he answered the call. Though they couldn't hear what was being said, they could tell from his expression that it wasn't good. And soon, he hung up and stepped back out.

"Mimics are attacking downtown. A lot of people are scared."

"So what are you gonna do about it?" Shining asked, at Hard Case stepped forward and stared at the Mimicores that the other officers had taken from Twilight. They could tell he was weighing the odds about how things could play out. Either he kept the Riders locked up and hoped the real police could stop these Mimics, or he put his trust in beings he knew almost nothing about.

Eventually, he let out a sigh before grabbing the Blitz Core and holding it out to Shining. "I'm warning you. Try anything and I won't make this mistake again."

Shining nodded as he and the other Riders took them. "I understand. You won't regret this." With that, he and the other Riders headed for the doorway.

"Go with them," Hard Case told all the uninjured cops. The officers nodded and followed, as the Riders headed downstairs. As they did, the other cops saw them and looked ready to try and stop their escape. But the other cops told them to stand down.

"Flash!" Misty cried, stopping her son before he could leave. "What are you doing?"

Flash smiled at her. "What I've been doing for months. Protecting our world and the people in it." Misty looked worried. "I know your scared. But I'm not alone in this." He turned to the Riders, who were waiting at the doorway for him. Flash's expression then changed, as Sheave took over.

"I'll do my best to keep him out of trouble. I promise you." Flash regained control and he followed the other Riders out onto the street. A lot of people spotted them, as they prepared to head off into battle.

At the same time, Hard Case and Corvyn watched from a nearby window.

"I'm taking a big risk, trusting those four. I better not end up regretting this."

Corvyn nodded. "I can understand your fears. Honestly, I wasn't sure I could trust them at the start either." Hard turned to him. "Even if they were in control, I wasn't sure if their Mimics could still influence them or not. But as I watched them, I saw them do things even I never thought was possible for the Riders. They've pushed themselves far further than I assumed they would get. All because they want to protect their world."

"Maybe. But what happens if we manage to stop the Mimics? What happens to those four then?"

"I don't know." Corvyn watched as the Riders got on their bikes. "But I have faith they will find a way to make everyone happy. You just have to believe in them and their many possibilities." Hard stared at them, as they raced off. Maybe he could believe, just this once.

The citizens of Canterlot were screaming at the top of their lungs, as they tried to escape the Mimicreeps being led by Greye.

As the peacock Mimic strolled through the city street, he looked around before summoning his fans and swinging them through the air. Doing so unleashed the energy blades, which flew around and destroyed part of a building. This sent debris flying everywhere, people attempting to avoid it but getting hit anyway and receiving serious injury.

The Mimicreeps were just as much a threat, the lot of them attacking the people who couldn't escape. Many people were starting to wish the Riders would come, but knew that wasn't going to happen. Or was it?

Suddenly, engines filled the air and Greye turned to see a quartet of bikes racing towards him. They sped through the crowd, knocking away any Mimicreep that was too close to somebody. And when they finally came to a stop, the riders stared him down before disembarking.

Flash Sentry, Shining Armor, Thorax and Fleur De Lis all moved towards the fight, Greye and his Mimicreeps preparing for battle. At the same time, the people they had just saved watched and couldn't believe they were there.

At the same time, sirens filled the air before police cruisers raced onto the scene.

The cops quickly got out and began helping people get to safety, allowing the Riders free reign as the four stood together and summoned their Drivers. Seeing this, Greye let out an annoyed growl. "Gule failed to get your Mimicores."

"No," Flash stated. "He got some of them." They took theirs out, "but not all of them. And now you've got a choice. Leave, or deal with us." Greye just glared at them and prepared to attack. "Fine then. You guys ready!?"

"READY!" The other three yelled before activating their Mimicores.

"STRIKE!/BLITZ!/SLASH!/FLUTTER!"

Greye watched, as the four slotted their Mimicores into their Drivers and the Mimic launched his energy blades towards them. But the four weren't scared and all struck a pose, as the blades exploded around them. "HENSHIN!" Everyone watched as for the first time, they saw the Kamen Riders transform from normal looking people into the heroes they had come to rely on.

"MIMIC!!!LIGHTNING BUG/HERCULES BEETLE/MANTIS/BUTTERFLY!" The cocoons soon began to form, as the explosions surrounded them. But then the cocoons shattered, blowing the smoke away before forming the armor upon their bodies. For the first time ever, the four heroic Kamen Riders stood side by side and ready for battle.

"Illuminate the light, striking through the darkness!"

"Power that shatters everything, contained in a mighty horn!"

"Bladed arms that slice through anything, cutting down the evils of the world!"

"A graceful wing beat, creates a hurricane of power!"

Greye glared at them before pointing at the four, "destroy them!" The Mimicreeps charged, but the Riders raced into action as well. Changeling and Hudie summoned their weapons and were the first to jump into action, Hudie taking to the air and whipping at the creatures whilst Changelings slashed at them whilst leaping around.

Shifter was the next one to start fighting, punching and kicking his way through them whilst feeling different from how he used to be. "I feel lighter. Stronger!" A Mimicreep leapt towards him and the lights on his body exploded, the illumination practically vaporising the beast. "Brighter!"

Sheave chuckled. "It's because we're not fighting against one another anymore."

"Yeah," Flash nodded. "We must be as powerful as Hudie right now."

"Not exactly. We still have a long way to go before we're on their level. We're probably still weaker than them in this form. But we'll probably be even in Hyper Striker and stronger in Maleficleanse. Probably."

Flash smirked, as Shifter grabbed a Mimicreep and threw it into the air. As he did, Morphic summoned his Blitz Blaster and shot it out of the sky. As he did, the Rider wondered why it was only Greye here. "Gule's probably doing whatever he needed our Mimicores for. With High gone, that just leaves Maya and Frill. Where are they?"

He punched a Mimicreep and blew it up, then shot a few more without even looking. All the while, thinking about where the other Mimics were. And he quickly realised there could only be one place they were.

"Stealing energy!" He cried, catching the other's attention.

"What?" Changeling asked, dodging a Mimicreep claw before cutting them down.

"Frill and Maya. They've gotta be stealing energy. If High stole the energy they gathered before, they must need to replenish what they lost." The others realised he was right, along with realising this was all a distraction. Even so, it wasn't like they could leave.

"Then let's end this fight!" Shifter cried before unleashing a powerful wave of bright light, which blasted the Mimicreeps away and allowed him to charge forward towards Greye. As he did, he took out another Mimicore and activated it.

"HYPER STRIKE!"

"SHAPE SHIFT!" Shifter leapt into the air and replaced his Mimicores, as Greye braced himself for the oncoming attack.

"MIMIC! LIGHTNING BUG!" In a flash, the Rider transformed into his upgraded form and slammed a punch right into Greye as the change completed. "Ultimate light, strikes to eradicate the shadows!"

Shifter quickly threw multiple punches Greye's way, the peacock using his fans to defend himself as best he could. But the power Shifter now had, thanks to Sheave being on his side, gave him a great advantage over him. And once he used his Shift Striker, in its Strike Form, Greye really couldn't do anything against him.

The other Riders were quickly finishing off the Mimicreeps, as the cops helped the last of the civilians get to safety.

As they did, several had their phones out and watched the Riders protecting them. And they all heard Greye speak up to Shifter. "Why are you doing this? These people know you're not one of them anymore. They know you're all Mimics. So why help them, when they will never truly trust you? Even if they said they did, they will always have that doubt within them."

"I know that," Shifter stated as he knocked Greye back. "Of course they have doubts about us. Honestly, I still have my doubts about Sheave. It would be stupid to have absolute faith in him like that. But that doesn't mean I can't trust him. If I don't give him the chance to prove he can be trusted, what reason would he have to try and earn that trust."

The other Riders finished off the Mimicreeps and moved over to stand beside him. "And that's what the people of this city are doing for us. Even if they don't trust us, they're giving us the chance to earn it. That's all that matters."

Changeling nodded. "We never did this, because we wanted to be loved or adored. We did this because it's the right thing to do. Because we can do it and that gives us the responsibility to do it."

Fleur whipped her Grace Grazer at the ground. "So it doesn't matter if everyone hates us. It doesn't matter if we become their enemies. We'll keep fighting because this is the path we've chosen to walk."

Shifter nodded. "And I know that as long as we keep walking this path, even if it's only a few, we'll gain the trust of those we're fighting to protect. And those few people that trust and believe in us, are all we need to keep fighting." He pointed at Greye. "You'd better watch out, Mimics. Because the winds of victory have shifted."

"RAAAAAAAAAAH!" Greye swung his fans around and send the energy blades shooting towards them, but Changeling and Hudie used their weapons to counter these attacks and allow the other two to rush forward.

The pair both used their blasters to shoot at Greye and knock him off balance, sending him staggering and allowing the pair to deal a punch right to his chest. This double punch knocked Greye flying backwards, as Shifter took this time to take out his other two Mimicores and activated one of them.

"PURIFY!

The positive energy quickly flowed into Shifter and kept the Maleficore's negative energy at bay, cleansing it as he placed it into his Driver. "Shape Shift!" He then slotted the new Mimicore in, both of their screens flipping over the Driver to complete the preparations.

"MALEFICLEANSE!" Shifter's armor melted to reformed the cocoon, which quickly broke apart to reveal his newest form. And as the armor settled upon him, the Driver spoke up. "Unlimitedpower, cleansedofevil.Lightandshadow,unifiedtocreatetrueharmony!"

Shifter quickly slotted his Hyper Strike Core into his Shape Shifter, creating the buster sword that her charged towards Greye with.

As the Mimic picked itself up, Morphic blasted at him to keep the Mimic off balance and allow Shifter to get in close. "RAAAH!" Shifter slashed at Greye, knocking him back whilst spinning around to perform another slash.

As this was going on, Hudie and Changeling ran around him and Hudie quickly swung her ribbon around.

It wrapped around Greye as soon as the Shift Striker slashed at him, causing him to stagger back whilst Hudie pulled on the ribbon. This yanked Greye off his feet and caused him to hit the ground, as Changeling leapt up and pointed both his swords downwards.

The weapons were aimed right at the Mimic's chest, Greye's eyes widening as he barely managed to hold up his fans in time to protect himself. The blades stabbed into them and stopped them inches from his chest, Greye quickly swinging them apart and knocking Changeling back.

He then pulled his foot out of the ribbon and rolled back to his feet, only to hear one of the Drivers cry out.

"CLIMACTIC BLITZ!"

He spun around and saw Morphic fire a supercharged blast straight up, whilst Shifter changed his buster weapon to its cannon mode and pointed it at Greye. And as he did his best to block this attack, Morphic leapt straight up and did a spin before kicking the energy blast in Greye's direction.

The attack soared down and slammed into Greye, exploding and sending him flying backwards with a cry of pain.

He crashed into the side of a building and fell to the ground, an explosion following afterwards and consuming him. Everyone watched and hoped this would be the end of Greye. But as the smoke began to clear, Greye pushed himself up looking to be in a terrible state.

It was clear to the Mimic that on his own, he didn't stand a chance against all four Riders. He had to escape.

Staggering around, he opened a portal and glared at his opponents as he made his way through it. The Riders watched him leave, Shifter reaching up and activating the coms in his helmet. "Corvyn. Where are the other Mimics?"

"Don't bother," Corvyn stated. "They attacked another area as soon as you guys showed up on the scene. They've already made off with a bunch of energy. Probably not as much as they wanted, but they knew they were on a time crunch."

Shifter nodded, as he noticed movement behind them and looked around to see all the people they had saved staring at them.

Taking a deep breath, Shifter removed his Mimicores and transformed back to normal. The others followed suit and the four Riders stood in their civilian forms, letting everyone see them for who they truly were.

They waited, expecting to hear someone call them freaks or throw something at them. And whilst a lot of people were clearly not sure what to think, one of the cops started applauding them. It was a simple clap at first, but it quickly got louder and louder.

The others followed suit and soon, the whole police force was cheering for them. Then, the people joined in. It was clear that whilst a lot of people had reservations about them, the Riders' actions had given them the chance to prove they could be trusted. And the Riders would make sure that chance was not wasted.

At the Mimic Base, Greye moaned as Maya gave him the healing jelly.

The Spider Mimic seemed to be careful with how much she gave him, since they appeared to be running low on it. Meanwhile, Frill and Gule watched as Sombra was analysing the Mimicores Gule had been able to retrieve.

"I'm sorry I couldn't retrieve them all," Gule stated. "If only I had been able to take the ones for Hudie and Changeling. Then we'd be down to two Riders."

"It's fine," Sombra replied. "These will be enough for me to complete my plan. I just need to completely analyse them and acquire more energy." He turned to Frill, "excellent work on that front. We may have allowed the Riders to gain the people's trust back, but we're one step closer to our goal."

"What is our goal?" Maya asked, the others all curious about it as well."

"You'll see," Sombra stated. "Once it's complete, it'll give me everything I need to stop the Riders once and for all. And with them gone, nothing will get in our way." He worked on the computer for another few moments before leaving the room, the other Mimics wondering what he was talking about.

But as he made his way through the base, Sombra suddenly staggered around and fell against the wall. He panted, as his body seemed to be having some kind of issue. "Come on." His arm's skin and sleeve started rippling, the Mimic grabbing hold of it. "No. I won't...let you control...me." He panted, using all his focus to get himself under control. And after a lot of effort, the rippling stopped.

He panted, as he slid down the side of the wall.

"I'm running out of time. I need to finish it and fast. If I don't, I'll end up just like that Timber boy. I won't let that happen."

After returning to the police station, the cops had agreed to allow them all to be released.

Though they would still have some kind of official keeping an eye on each of them, the four had been permitted to return home and rest. Everyone knew they would need all the rest they could get, if they wanted to protect the city and its people.

Flash and Fleur headed home with their parents, whilst Thorax and Pharynx would have a police officer staying with them.

Meanwhile, Shining Armor had returned to his apartment with Cadance. The man sighed, as he looked around and let everything that had happened wash over him. "You good?" Cadance asked, Shining smiling with a nod.

"Yeah, I'm good. Honestly, I'm glad I don't have to keep that secret from anyone. It'll be a lot easier to make a counterattack against the Mimics, now that we can work openly with the police."

"And your parents," Cadance nodded. "I'm sure they're still a little freaked out, but they'll get over it." Shining nodded in agreement, as he let out a yawn. "You've had a long day. Maybe you should go get some rest."

"Yeah. Thanks." Shining headed into his room, the clothes he was wearing changing into those of his nightwear.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, his mind drifted off to sleep. He felt the stress of everything that had happened over the last few days begin to wash away, as he fell into a restful sleep. But as soon as he lost all consciousness, he suddenly found himself somewhere.

A white void, just like the one Flash and Fleur had told him about.

He looked around, as he realised where he was. And realised he wasn't the only one in there. So, he searched and searched. He didn't know how long, but he spent what felt like hours simply walking through the white void. And eventually, he spotted something in the distance.

Heading towards it, he found the figure he was approaching was kneeling on the floor. Amber was trapped around his body, keeping only his head and chest uncovered. And as he got close enough to make out details, he realised the figure was...himself.

He stopped in front of the figure, staring at it as the figure slowly raised his head and showed his own face.

"Hey there," the figure told him. "Wondered when you were gonna show up." Shining just stared at him. "I suppose introductions are in order. My name is More. More-Fay-Tic."

Author's Note

Our heroes have gained the trust of the people, but have lost some of their Mimicores. What do the Mimics have planned for them and will our heroes be able to get them back? Only time will tell. Let me know what you think of this episode.