RIDER TIME

by WozWuzHere

Rating: teen
Tags: Comedy, Starlight Glimmer, Romance, Adventure, Kamen Rider, Violence, Crossover, Human, Anthro, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 116177

The last survivor of a world of Kamen Riders lands in Equestria, and vows to protect it from evil.

-UNDERGOING EXTENSIVE REWRITES!-

Update: As of March 4, 2021, all the original chapters have been taken down.

The stories of the Kamen Riders have become legendary all over the world, and even the universe. At one point, a whole world populated by descendants of Riders was formed, but has been destroyed by evil forces. The Rider Powers have been sealed into watches, and scattered to a far away world.

When Tom Decade, the last survivor of the Rider World and a descendant of Kamen Rider Decade, lands in Equestria, he is soon thrust into an adventure to retrieve all the RideWatches and keep his new home safe. But things aren't always as they seem, as multiple forces conspire to lead the young Rider to a ghastly fate...

Published 2018-09-26 05:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-08-05 01:39:24 UTC

Prologue: Start The Clock, part 2

"Tom...is that you?" Twilight asked. The transformed human nodded.
"I am Kamen Rider Zi-O!" Tom declared, striking a pose. "I promise you, in the name of the Kamen Riders...I'll save your friend!"

Twilight was having trouble processing what had just happened. One of her best friends had turned into a monster, and now the human who came from a completely different world transformed into an armored warrior right in front of her.
Even among the strange things Ponyville was often exposed to- the Everfree, the villains that she and the girls had to face on a semi-regular basis, and even some of the town's own denizens, this was still surreal to her. It was almost like one of Spike's comic books had come to life before her eyes...again.
But she snapped out of her trance when she saw the bizarre monster that had once been Rainbow Dash lunge at her!

"Oh no you don't!" Tom, or rather, Zi-O, moved in front of Twilight and grabbed the horrible beast by its arms. Twilight tried to gather some magic to hopefully aid Zi-O in his attempt to restrain the monster, but all she was able to muster was a splitting headache.
"Ugh!" She grunted. She stumbled back a bit, but found herself being supported by Applejack.
"Easy there, sugarcube." Applejack suggested.

"Tom...is he...?" Twilight asked weakly.
"Yeah, he's still fightin'. If ah give him credit for anything, it's jumpin' in the way to keep that varmint from maulin' ya." She replied. "But that's it so far!" She blurted, in an attempt to correct herself.
Meanwhile, Zi-O shoved the strange monster back into a bunch of barrels.
"You two need to stand back!" Zi-O commanded to the pair watching his fight.
"What? No buckin' way am ah just gonna abandon mah friend!" Applejack complained.

Zi-O just groaned. "Lady, I know you don't trust me and all, but right now, you two are sitting ducks! And I will tell you this right now- Kamen Riders are lots of things, but oathbreakers we aren't! I told you I'll save your friend, and I WILL! Now get going!" He replied with frustration and concern.
Applejack could feel the sincerity in his voice. She still wasn't sure about him, but right now, she had no choice.

"Y'all better bring Rainbow back! Ya hear me!?" Applejack yelled as she retreated, carrying a dizzy Twilight over her shoulders.

Zi-O's sights were locked onto his opponent. It seemed to be thrashing about wildly, almost as if in a drunken fury. It ran at Zi-O, flailing its arms wildly, but he easily sidestepped the attack, sending the monster careening into a nearby container, full of cabbages that temporarily buried the beast.

The monster managed to reemerge after its produce-covered pratfall, and charged again at Zi-O! Once again, Zi-O moved to dodge until the beast leapt over him and tackled him from behind!

"Ooof!" Zi-O grunted, as it was now his turn to be thrown into a storage container. He stumbled a bit as he got to his feet, a pair of pears stuck to his helmet's antennae. The monster continued to hop around like a hyperactive child on a trampoline, smashing into many of the houses nearby.

Zi-O removed the fruit from his helmet and chased after the monster, which was currently approaching the tall central building. It leapt onto the awnings, and started surveying the area, noticing some of the ponies in hiding. It held its hands out, and a pair of small bottle-like objects appeared. The monster pointed the bottles at the cowering creatues, as they were transformed into particles and absorbed by the monster's bottles!
"Swimming...Archery...BEST MATCH!" It proclaimed in its distorted voice, eating the bottles. It then leapt into the fountain!
As Zi-O ran over to the fountain himself, there seemed to be no trace of the beast...until he heard someone call out.

"Mr. Human! Behind you!"

Zi-O turned to see that the monster had somehow moved itself from the fountain to the nearby creek, and was about to fire a volley of energy arrows! The arrows began flying at high speed towards the Rider! Zi-O managed to barely dodge them, rolling out of the way as the arrows hit the fountain, demolishing it in the process.
"Urgh...I can't keep this up, otherwise the entire town will be leveled...come on, Tom, think!" Zi-O thought to himself. Then he got an idea. "Hope this works...I haven't tried this in the field yet." He took a deep breath, and held his hand out in front of him. A small clock-shaped portal appeared around his hand, and a sword fell out of the portal, Zi-O gripping its hilt.

"EDGE OF TIME!" The sword announced. Unplussed, the monster fired another volley of energy arrows, Zi-O slashing at some of the arrows to deflect them. To his bewilderment, an energy wave came off the sword when he slashed it, cancelling out the arrows and colliding with the monster, flinging it from the creek onto one of the small bridges that spanned it. The monster roared with anger, and jumped to the very top of the tall building.

Zi-O ran up to the same building and jumped up on the awning, attempting to scale the building himself. But the monster started firing more arrows, leaving no chance of reprisal!
"Right...what else..." Zi-O remembered that his weapon had another mode, and folded the blade backwards. The sword he was carrying now resembled a makeshift gun.
"GUN!" The weapon announced, as Zi-O took aim and began firing his own projectiles.
Many of the fired rounds on both ends met each other in mid-air, exploding upon impact, a few of Zi-O's bullets managed to strike the monster in its legs, causing it to tumble off the building. The monster landed on the pavement, and it lay there, vulnerable.

"It's now or never!" Zi-O dismissed his sword back into the clock portal, and clicked the button on his RideWatch.
"FINISH TIME!" The belt announced, as Tom crouched down, readying himself for a big leap.
The monster got to its feet, and upon noticing what Tom was doing, tried to retreat, but it found itself blocked by neon pink projections, all saying the same thing...KICK.
"ZI-O!" The belt announced as the Rider leapt into the air, and extended his leg as he fell towards the beast.

"TIME BREAK!" The belt continued as the KICK projections all gathered to him, and nestled themselves on the sole of his shoe. The kick impacted the monster with incredible force, resulting in a large explosion! The monster was incredibly damaged, red and blue bolts of energy arcing across it...it stumbled a bit, but the monster seemed to return to the blackened energy, which compacted itself into a watch shape. As for Rainbow Dash herself, she was back to normal, having fallen over from the trauma. The watch that contained all the evil power landed in front of her, still covered in a black miasma.

"I did it..." Zi-O muttered to himself. "I did it! I beat my first monster!" He cheered. But his priorities immediately reset to the fallen pegasus. He lifted her arm slightly and felt her pulse. "...she's still alive, and still breathing." At that time, Zi-O's RideWatch began to glow brightly.

"Huh?" He said, removing the RideWatch from his belt, and discarding his armored form. A beam of white energy shot from Zi-O's RideWatch, blasting the other watch and removing the evil from it, until all that remained was a similar red/blue watch.
"Another RideWatch..." Tom wandered over and picked it up. "Something's familiar about it...and of course, I can't remember any of the stuff from history class." Tom just shrugged and pocketed the new watch. He lifted Rainbow Dash in his arms, and carried her back to where the castle was.

Unbeknownst to anyone else there, the fight was being observed by another armored figure...this being's body was more serpentine in appearance compared to Tom's, but it was also wearing indigo-colored armor, very clearly patterned after a cobra. In one of its hands, it held a cane shaped like a cobra, which was pointed at the fight scene.

"Well, that's the first one. Didn't have much hope for her, I'll be honest." The mystery figure said to himself. "But, the boss wants what the boss wants. I better go tell him...really don't want to piss HIM off." The figure noted, as it opened a strange black portal and retreated into it.

Applejack paced back and forth in the castle's meeting room, Twilight sitting on a nearby chair, holding a large ice pack to her head. Spike had been making them some tea, which he served.

"Don't worry, Applejack- I think Tom can do this." Spike said, attempting to reassure the frantic farmpony. Applejack just grunted in reply.
"I'm sure...oof...Tom will be back soon." Twilight groaned out. And, as if on cue, the human walked in, carrying an unconscious Rainbow Dash.
"One rescued friend, hold the monster." Tom announced with a slight humor to his words. And, just like that, Applejack knocked Tom over to get to her friend.

"Rainbow! Rainbow Dash! Speak ta me!" Applejack shook her friend violently. Rainbow Dash grunted and opened her eyes.
"Ugh...I feel like I just crashed five times over..." She whined as she realized her surroundings. "What...happened?" She asked, but felt the bone-crushing embrace of Applejack.
"See, Applejack? He did it." Twilight reminded her. Applejack was still hugging Rainbow tightly, and Rainbow was still confused.

"Can someone please explain to me what the hay is going on here!?" The annoyed pegasus shouted out. Applejack released her grip somewhat.
"Well, somethin' happened, but Tom there got you out of it." Applejack explained, missing more than a few details.
"Tom?" Rainbow questioned, as Applejack pointed at the human, splayed out on the floor in a daze.
"I'll clear this game with...a giant melon!" Tom groaned out, in a complete daze.

"Alright, hero boy, up and at 'em." Applejack got Tom to his feet. Tom just shook his head. But he also turned to Applejack and grinned. "Well, I kept my promise."
Applejack just nodded. "That ya did...and I guess yer not bad after all. But ya are pretty darn weird." Tom just shrugged.
"I'll take it."

A short while later, a crowd of ponies was gathered around the entrance to Twilight's castle. Many of them were gossiping among themselves about the monster, as well as the mysterious armored hero that had defeated it.
"I heard that he blew up the monster with a kick!"
"What makes you think it's a he?"
"Because not a lot of stallions can pull off pink like that."
"Actually, it was more a magenta color."

Twilight marched outside, and addressed the growing audience.

"May I have everyone's attention? As you are all aware, Ponyville was attacked by a mysterious monster today!" She started.
"We knew that part! It ruined most of the square! And my cabbages!" One of the gathered ponies shouted. Twilight just rolled her eyes and continued.
"But, it was defeated by a hero, and a new friend. May I present to you, Tom Decade, otherwise known as Kamen Rider Zi-O!" At that, Tom walked out sheepishly, and nervously waved to the audience.

"U-uh, hi...everyone." He stammered out. The ponies had many reactions, from surprise, to disbelief, and one of them, the same mint-colored unicorn from earlier, was beaming with excitement. Said excited pony ran through the crowd and got into Tom's face.
"...can I help you?" Tom asked. The pony just stared at him.

"Huuuuman..." She droned. Tom took that as his cue to turn around and run from the crazy mare.
"Come back, Mr. Human! I have to touch you!" The mint unicorn gave chase. Another pony, this one cream colored with a two-toned dark blue and pink mane, chased after her.
"Ugggggh! LYRRRRRAAAAA!" The other pony yelled in frustration.

Twilight, and the rest of the crowd, just stared in confusion.
"I have a feeling things are gonna get even weirder from here."

A short while later, as the town was getting back to normal, and repairs were being made, an alabaster unicorn mare with an indigo mane and simple, yet elegant clothing made her way back to her home- a building shaped like a carousel. She was carrying more than a few shopping bags.

"Ah, home sweet home. Canterlot may be lovely, but Ponyville is my home." She said, unlocking her door. As she walked in, she set her bags down. She then began levitating the contents of her shopping out of the bags, neatly arranging them on racks and in drawers, but then she felt something that her magic seemed unable to grasp.

"Hm?" She walked over to the offending bag, and noticed that there was a strange green and yellow watch sitting at the bottom...

Author's Note

And thus, the first monster has been bested, and a new watch has found its way into Tom's possession! But this is only the beginning.

I hope you're enjoying the rewrite so far! Please comment!

Chapter 1: To Fix, To Give, To Build

Tom, Twilight and Spike were all walking down the dirt path to Sweet Apple Acres. The container that brought Tom to them had caused some considerable damage to the farmland, and Tom decided he was obligated to help them clean up. Though Twilight insisted that he wasn't at fault, he was adamant on helping.

Spike, meanwhile, was tagging along out of curiosity about the human who, according to Twilight, turned into an armored superhero and saved Rainbow Dash from a monster she had been possessed by.
"So, you're saying that this Kuuga guy was able to kick down so hard he could have split the planet in half?" Spike asked.
"Something like that...though the actual strength levels have been contested all over the place." Tom added. "I don't think anyone ever agreed on how strong Riders actually are."

Spike was still awed at the tales of strength and heroism that Tom was telling. There were some parts that still confused him though.
"Still don't get how being an alien makes you bad at making coffee..." He mumbled. But Twilight was lost in her own thoughts. Spike looked back at her.
"Yoo-hoo! Twilight?" He asked, but still nothing. Finally, he inhaled deeply and yelled out.

"BOOK SALE!" The announcement managed to rouse the alicorn from her reverie.
"Buh!?" She uttered. She then shook her head a few times. "I zoned out again, didn't I?" The dragon just nodded.
"Something on your mind, Twilight?" Tom asked.

"Several things, actually." Twilight replied. "Mainly the monster Rainbow Dash turned into and that weird watch...it looks nearly identical to the one you used, save for the coloring." Tom's face lit up at that.

"Good! Something I can finally help with." He cheered. "That watch, like mine, is a RideWatch- basically a device containing the total history of a Kamen Rider."
Twlight stopped. "It contains a Kamen Rider's history...wait, that thing was a Kamen Rider!?" She yelped, but Tom shook his head.
"No way! That thing was NOT a Rider! Though, I will admit it did look a bit like one of them, just more...monster-y."
Twilight was confused. "So...like a false Rider?" She asked.

"...I don't know!" Tom replied loudly. "I'm sorry, I don't know much more than that..." He sighed, looking down.
"Hey, hey...don't beat yourself up over this, it's not your fault." Spike said, coming over to comfort the stressed hero.
"Spike's right, Tom." Twilight chimed in. "We'll figure this out together."

Tom smiled back at them. "Thanks." They kept walking to their destination.

"Phew...that metal doohickey made a right mess of the land here, but soon it'll be good as new." Applejack said to herself. "Maybe ah'll plant some new trees, too."

She looked at the grounds she and her brother had worked to restore. "Why did he have to land here?" Shaking her head, she continued her work, shoveling large mounds of soil from the edges of the crater.
"Applejack?" Twilight's voice rang out. She went over to see her friend...and of course, Tom was with her. Her normal smile at her friend's presence turned into an untrusting frown.

"Alright, y'all." Applejack started, as she got right up in Tom's face. "Ah appreciate what you did and all yesterday, but keep yer monster fightin' away from this farm, ya hear!?" She yelled. Tom wasn't sure how to reply.

"Applejack! That's no way to treat a friend!" Twilight complained.
"No friend of mine, Twi." She grumbled, Twilight's indignation growing.

"Give it a rest, AJ." A tomboyish voice chimed in from one of the trees. Sure enough, Rainbow Dash was perched on one of the branches. She jumped in the air and spread her wings in the most showy manner possible, then faster than any of them realized, she had swooped down in front of Tom. She glanced Tom over a couple times.
"...yeah, I don't think he's any sort of threat to you." Rainbow noted. Tom smiled a bit at that.
"Well, thanks-" Tom started but Rainbow cut him off.

"I mean, LOOK at him. He's so stringy." This made Tom less happy.
"...stringy?" Tom thought to himself. "I mean...I'm not exactly the most muscular guy but...STRINGY!?"
"But Rainbow Dash, he saved you from that monster that...ate you, I guess." Spike chimed in. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, truthfully he didn't really know WHAT the monster did.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh. Sure." In truth, she didn't remember much of what happened after she had pressed the button on that weird watch she got. Alas, her ego wouldn't permit her to admit that.

"...so, how do I prove to you I'm the one that fought the monster?" Tom said, surprising everyone. Rainbow just smirked.
"Alright, tough guy...if you really want me to believe you, then show me how tough you are!" Rainbow announced. "You and me! Right here, right now!"

Tom, in his growing irritation, was about to summon his driver, but stopped himself. "No, a Kamen Rider doesn't use his powers like this...he doesn't use his powers like this..." Tom began repeating to himself, while Twilight and Applejack both glared daggers at Rainbow.

"I...I need to go." Tom briskly walked away, exiting the farm.
"Tom, wait!" Twilight called after him. "Spike, go after him!" Spike nodded as he pursued the Rider. She then turned her angry gaze to Rainbow Dash.

"Are you happy now?" Twilight asked. "He saved your life, and all you do is insult and provoke him." Rainbow was about to reply, but Twilight cut her off. "No! Don't say anything right now. I'm going to help him." She turned around and stomped off.

"...I think ya went too far, Rainbow." Applejack stated. Rainbow turned to Applejack in disbelief.
"Excuse me!? You still think he's some sort of evil alien!" Rainbow retorted.
The farmer inhaled deeply before replying. "Whatever ah think of him ain't what's important right now. He still saved your hide." Applejack's gaze met Rainbow's. "Y'all owe him an apology."

"...I'll think about it." She said, flying away towards the town. Applejack just shook her head and went back to digging, not noticing that Granny Smith was giving her a perplexed glare.

As always, the market in Ponyville was full of shoppers, bargain hunters, and general commerce-minded ponies, looking to get things they needed-and more than a few things they didn't.

One of these ponies was Rarity, the town's number one fashionista (and she never let a single pony forget it), who had only yesterday returned from Canterlot and was shopping for some groceries, and maybe some fabrics...and whatever else caught her eye at the time.

For some reason though, she had been having migraines, accompanied by her hearing what sounded like someone shaking a bag of bits.

"...now, let me see. I need carrots." She made her way over to the stall operated by one Carrot Top, and selected a few carrots for use in making food later. As she counted the bits she was to pay, the bizarre headache came back...
"Are you alright there?" The carrot seller asked.

"Oh...oh I'm fine, darling. Just a bit of a headache, nothing to be concerned about." Rarity replied. She walked away with the carrots, still massaging her head.

"Huh...poor thing must be suffering allergies or something." The carrot seller turned and noticed that some of her carrots were missing...and in their place was a small pile of silver coins.

"Hello, what's this?" She took one of the coins and looked it over. "These look...valuable..."

"You sure you're okay?" Spike asked. He had followed Tom as he left the farm, and they were walking back to town.
"...yeah, I'm fine. I just really needed to get out of there." Tom replied. "I just REALLY didn't like what Rainbow there was saying."

"She can be kind of blunt, but she means well. I mean, she's not the Element of Loyalty for nothing." Spike replied.
"Element of Loyalty?" Tom asked.

"...you should ask Twi about that later." Spike explained. "Actually, while we're around town, maybe we should introduce you to Rarity!" Tom was curious.
"Is this Rarity another one of your friends?" Tom asked.

"She's one of Twi and I's best friends, and she makes the best clothes in town! And she's so generous and wonderful and beautiful and..." Spike was about to go on a gushing rant but stopped himself.
"Hoo boy, I've seen this before...kid's got a crush. Well, hopefully she'll be more welcoming than Applejack or Rainbow Dash." Tom thought.

Of course, when the duo got to the town...

"Get your filthy mitts off MY coins, you hag!" One of the shopkeepers barked to a mare trying to swipe a large amount of silver coins.
"Don't see your name on them!" She barked back, kicking him in the stomach and running away, cackling maniacally.

"Uh...this isn't normal, is it?" Tom asked. Spike shook his head.
"Nope, even at their craziest, Ponyville's never devolved into anarchy THIS fast before." Spike replied. "And it looks like that's not even it!" The dragon pointed to more of the stalls being smashed and raided, all the ponies having gone crazy for those coins.

"Those coins...are those Cell Medals!?" Tom yelped.
"What are Cell Medals?" Spike asked.
"They're bad, Spike. Cell Medals are BAD." As he said that, some of the larger collections of medals started forming into strange mummy-esque creatures.

"And now we have Yummies." Tom groaned as he produced his Driver.

"RIDER TIME!" The driver rang out as Tom ran into the fray, transforming into Zi-O. Meanwhile, Spike managed to duck out of the way of the chaos, but spotted Rarity. She seemed to be acting rather bizarre, as if she were in a drunken trance...and she also seemed to be dressed like she was in a drunken trance too, something extremely out of character for her. The rather haphazard outfit she was wearing was a loud rainbow tie-dye shirt with a shawl over it, and very wide cargo shorts.

"Rarity!" Spike called out. Slowly, the mare turned around, her eyes looking extremely tired, as if she had experienced years of horrors in the span of an hour.
"S-spike...you're here...thank goodness..." She stammered. As she got up, more Cell Medals fell off her body.
"...Rarity?" Spike was unnerved. This was not the wonderful, stylish mare he knew...

"Spike, please...run away!" She yelped, before falling to the ground, cascades of Cell Medals pouring out of her. The medals began to coalesce around her...until they formed a shell, and took a new shape.

"RARITY!!!" Spike screamed.

Zi-O was currently embroiled in a battle against several Waste Yummies, spawned from the Cell Medals that had been piling up. There were a large amount of them, and he was in a tough spot due to their numbers. Furthermore, there were still townsfolk trapped in the stalls and nearby buildings, so he couldn't use anything too explosive.

Thankfully, he had an idea. He quickly stepped up to a Waste Yummy, and grabbed its arm with both of his hands.

"TAKE THIS!" He hurled the monster over his shoulder into a large group of its brethren. He kept repeating this strategy, using the monsters as thrown projectiles, but not necessarily to defeat them outright...
"Almost got 'em right where I need 'em..." Zi-O thought as he focused on the fight at hand. And then, all the Waste Yummies were gathered in an open space near the end of the destroyed market.
"It's now or never!" He pressed the button on his RideWatch and turned his Driver, activating his finisher. The multiple projected "KICK" words kept the monsters corraled as Zi-O's Rider Kick pierced through them, destroying them all in an explosion and causing broken Cell Medals to scatter around before dissolving into dust.
"Not sparing any of THAT change." Zi-O quipped...poorly.
"HEEEELP!" The voice of Spike echoed out.
"Oh crap, Spike!" Zi-O ran after the source of the voice. Spike was running away from an armored monster. This beast had a red colored helm whose face seemed to resemble the face of a bird, with a circular breastplate and a pair of spiked pauldrons held on by spiked belts. Its arms strongly resembled the claws of a tiger, and its legs were covered in scaly insect-like designs, mostly resembling a grasshopper. On its waist was a strange tilted buckle with 3 gems embedded in it. The front of its breastplate depicted a red hawk, a yellow tiger, and a green grasshopper, as well as a pattern of three circles.
"Wait, this Rider I remember. It's mimicking OOO!" Zi-O realized. He dove in front of the monster and punched it with full force, sending it flying back a fair way.
"You okay, Spike?" Zi-O asked the dragon. The frightened Spike just nodded. "I'm sure of it. Those Cell Medals came from that thing!" He summoned his Edge of Time, preparing to battle the false Rider.
"Wait! That's Rarity in there! That monster took over her body!" Spike shouted. "Please, you've got to help her!"

Zi-O nodded. "I'll save her, I promise." The Rider turned to the monster. He brandished his blade and ran at the monster, trying to score a quick hit. But, as he was running, the monster's legs started to light up and it jumped an incredible height, landing on the awnings of one of the less damaged stalls.
"High jump...that's the trademark ability of the Batta Medal." Zi-O observed, but got an idea when he noticed the loose awning the monster perched itself on. He changed his sword over to its gun configuration, and then aimed a shot at the awning, causing the monster to lose its balance.
When it fell, several more Cell Medals spilled from it, which the greed-crazed ponies rushed to grab.
"Hey! What are you-get to safety!" Zi-O announced, but his plea fell on deaf ears. He tried to usher the crazed ponies away, but they all resisted, one of them even attempting to bite him.
"Gah! It's no good, they've all been driven crazy for Cell Medals!" Zi-O realized, as the monster ran at him and slashed him across the chest with its claw.

"Argh!" Zi-O hissed in pain, staggering back. The monster lunged forward, Zi-O only barely avoiding its attack by a sidestep. The ponies still pursued the monster, trying to scoop up any medals that fell from it.

"This is really bad...I can't fight this thing if the townsfolk keep getting in my way..." Zi-O thought. "I can't let it end here...what do I do?"
But as he said that, a sparkly purple light washed over the area, and the crazed ponies all seemed to fall into a relaxed state.

"Was that...magic?" Zi-O asked, but was then caught off guard by a blue streak slamming itself into the monster, knocking it away from the dazed ponies.
"Hey!" A raspy voice called out. Zi-O recognized the voice. It was Rainbow Dash. She had kicked the monster in its chest, causing more medals to spill as it fell over. But the formerly greed-stricken ponies did nothing. "Don't worry about them, Twilight's over there keeping them under a calming spell." She pointed behind Zi-O and he saw Twilight, focusing intensely as the purple aura spread. "She can't keep it up forever though, so we need to finish this fast!"

The monster regained its footing, and swiped a few times at its assailant. Dash just flew out of its range, taunting it. Meanwhile, Zi-O saw his chance and threw a few punches at it, not giving the monster any room to fight back.
The monster then roared and spawned three more Waste Yummies. The mummy-esque creatures surrounded Zi-O, and tried to grab him. Zi-O turned his gun back into its blade formation, and started striking fiercely against the Yummies, causing them to explode into broken bits of Cell Medal.

As Zi-O was occupied, the monster tried to use its high jumps to escape, but found that every time it tried, Rainbow Dash would smack it back down. Twilight, meanwhile, was still maintaining the pacifying spell, but had more Waste Yummies approaching her.
"Damn it! What do I do now?!" Zi-O growled, but then something came to mind. The other RideWatch he had retrieved.
Zi-O produced the RideWatch, and turned its bezel. The image on the watch was completed by this- it was Kamen Rider Build.

"...can I use Build's powers with this?" Zi-O asked. "I don't have time to hesitate!" He inserted the watch into the other side of his Driver, and span it.
"ARMOR TIME!" The belt announced as the Waste Yummies were blasted back by an animated armor. Said armor resembled Zi-O's existing one to some degree, but it had noticeable addons, namely large bottle-shaped shoulder pads, a drill-like weapon on its right arm, and a different set of characters on its visor. The armor then burst apart and attached itself to Zi-O.
"BEST MATCH! BUIIILLD!~" The driver sang out.

"Build's power...I've got the solution!" He cheered. He took the drill weapon and ran at all the Waste Yummies about to converge on Twilight, skewering them until they all exploded.
"Twilight, are you okay!? Zi-O yelled with concern.
"I-I'm fine...but I can't keep this spell active for much longer...hurry!" She grunted.

Zi-O nodded and turned his attention to the monster that was still locked in combat with Rainbow Dash. He dashed over and whacked it with the drill.
"Mind if I cut in?" He snarkily asked.
"Huh...you really ARE strong." She remarked. "I-" Zi-O stopped her before she said anything else.
"It can wait until after." He said, and pressed both RideWatches.

"FINISH TIME! BUILD!" The belt yelled, as a projection of two curving lines appeared above them. The lines moved to flank the monster on both sides before clamping themselves together around it.
"Ready, Rainbow? This is how you do a Rider Kick!" Zi-O announced, jumping high in the air. Rainbow Dash moved in sync, flying up and following the Rider's lead.

"VORTEX TIME BREAK!" The belt rang out as both Zi-O's and Rainbow's kicks struck the monster, causing it to destabilize and release Rarity from it before exploding and turning back into a watch.
"Ah! Rarity!" As the fighting ceased, Spike ran out from hiding to catch the fashion-minded mare. She was unconscious, but still breathing.

"That was...ooof." Zi-O grunted, undoing his transformation. Tom was displaying various bruises, and holding his arm over his chest. He fell to his knees, panting for breath.

"You...you really DID save me." Rainbow noted.
"Yeah...don't mention it." Tom wheezed.
"...well, you better keep going!" Rainbow yelled, as she flew off.

"...you're welcome." Tom groaned before he fell over and lost consciousness himself.

A couple hours had passed, with Tom and Rarity both being brought back to Twilight's castle. Rainbow Dash was helping out the townsfolk with rebuilding, while Twilight was tending to her friends.
"Uh...ugh..." Tom groaned in pain as he started to come around.

"You're okay!" Twilight cheered as she grabbed the Rider in a tight hug.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She repeated as she squeezed Tom tightly.
"Twi...can't...breathe..." he squeaked out. Twilight released him at that, a blush appearing on her face.
"I'm just really glad you're okay." She nervously replied.

Tom looked around. "What about that other lady? Rarity, I think." Twilight nodded.
"She's still unconscious, but she's going to be just fine. I think out of the two of you, you're the one who took more damage." Twilight noted.

Tom looked himself over. His torso had been bandaged. And he could feel bandages on his face.
"Welcome to the usual life of a Kamen Rider. It's a pretty rough time." He snarked.

"Uh...oooh...what happened?" The two of them heard a feminine voice.
"Rarity's awake!" Twilight cheered.

"Uh...? Wait, what is this...what am I wearing!?" The voice resumed, starting to panic. "Mirror, mirror...here we go..." But a few seconds after that was said, a new sound echoed through the castle.

In this case, an incredibly loud scream.

Around the same time, a train rolled into Ponyville station. Its passengers began disembarking, including one pink pony who was bundled in a big coat and wearing a medical mask over her face. She was clutching her bag in one hand, but seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere.
"Ohhhh....I need to fix this..." She wheezed, as she made her way to the bakery she lived in...

The Sugar Cube Corner bakery was quite a hotspot in Ponyville, as it not only housed a family of skilled confectioners, but was also home to the premier party pony, Pinkie Pie. She had been out of town for a couple days to visit her family, but she had returned today.

The bell rang as the door was opened. One of the owners, a blue furred mare, approached the counter. She was in a blue dress with a white apron over it.

"Oh, Pinkie dear, you're back! How was your..." She started.
"GoodtoseeyoutooMrs.CakebutIhavesomethingreallyurgenttotakecareofcan'ttalkbye!" She spat out as she ran up the stairs.

"Goodness...I've never seen Pinkie act like that before...I hope she's alright." Mrs. Cake wondered, unaware of the terrible fate that had befallen Pinkie while she was away.

Author's Note

And so, with the second RideWatch reclaimed, the story has advanced. Something is wrong with Pinkie Pie, however. What sort of problem is plaguing the poor pink pony?

Chapter 3: Forced Along the Path of Heaven

The air was still and stagnant. Winds blew, carrying naught but the ashes of the destroyed land.
Tom walked forward in this desolate wasteland, only seeing ruined buildings and the skeletal corpses of humans and other creatures alike.
Tom had found himself in an utterly ruined world. But, why?

He heard yelling from another direction. As he turned, he saw legions of Riders, and ponies, and many other creatures rushing at him!
Tom tried to transform, but before he could, a wave of blackened energy shot from behind him, causing all those charging warriors to disintegrate into dust.

"Do you understand, boy?" A deep, evil sounding voice resonated from behind him. "The power that lies within the watch?" He turned to face the source of the voice.

It was a gigantic humanoid figure, its features wreathed in black and hard to ascertain, but two things were certain; its glowing, golden aura that generated an incomprehensible amount of power...and the glowing, red characters that stood where its eyes were. The same characters that Zi-O had on his mask.

Tom was utterly paralyzed, as the figure walked towards him. "You are the bearer of this power. If you were to make it your own...nothing could hurt you. Nothing could stop you. Nothing could stand before you! The very fabric of reality would be at your fingertips, and you would be able to rule everything utterly!" The evil figure proclaimed.
"I...I don't want that!" Tom stammered. "That's- that's not what my powers are for!"

The evil figure scoffed. "Yes, the Kamen Riders and their ideals. But, you could easily create a world that conforms to your ideals instead."
Tom still adamantly refused, shaking his head rapidly. "No, no, NO!"
"But, if you still insist on denying your fate..." The figure reached out with a gigantic hand. Tom couldn't move, or speak. The evil being's hand drew closer...

"BEGONE, YOU FOUL SPECTER!" A loud female voice came from behind them, and shot a beam of silvery energy at the evil shadow, obliterating both it and the desolation. Tom found himself standing in a void of stars.
"Such a horrendous nightmare..." The voice commented. As Tom turned, he saw a dark blue mare, bearing both wings and horn, much like Twilight. Her hair seemed to shimmer and wave, looking like an aurora. She was in a black dress with silver regalia adorning it, and a silver crown atop her head.

"We assume you are the human that has recently taken up residence in Ponyville?" The mare asked. Tom just nodded, still awestruck.
"We are most surprised that a human has appeared here, let alone one with abilities such as yours." The mysterious mare continued. "But the whims of this world elude even us."

"Um...I'm sorry if this seems out of line, but...who are you, exactly?" Tom asked.
Luna realized her mistake. "Oh, of course, please forgive our rudeness..." She cleared her throat.
"WE ARE PRINCESS LUNA, RULER OF THE NIGHT AND GUARDIAN OF DREAMS!" She yelled with an incredible volume that could probably peel wallpaper. Tom was blown back by the burst of sound, tumbling for a bit before landing flat on his face.
"This is going to be a trend, isn't it?" Tom thought to himself as he stood back up.

"...our apologies, young one. We are trying to break this habit." Princess Luna explained.
"Don't worry about it...not the worst thing I've been through." Tom replied, still a bit dizzy. Luna looked at him, concerned.
"Tis odd that you would feel anything from that...this is a dream, after all." Luna noted.

"A...dream? You mean I'm asleep?" Tom asked.
"We sensed the nightmare that was plaguing you, and we deigned it necessary to intervene." She replied. "But, twas fortuitous timing, for we have been wanting to meet you after the reports about you to our sister came to our attention."
"Reports?" Tom inquired. "Someone's been reporting to you about me?"

"Thoust ARE an extraterrestrial visitor, after all." Luna explained.
Tom just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Fair enough."
"However, thou hast done well in protecting our subjects from those bizarre monsters, and for that, you have our gratitude." Luna gave a small bow.

"It's no problem at all, it's a Kamen Rider's duty, after all." Tom explained. Luna raised an eyebrow.
"A...common Rider?"
"KA-MEN Rider." Tom emphasized, the words appearing behind him. "We are heroes who fight for the safety and happiness of all!" He proudly exclaimed as fireworks went off behind him. Luna was bemused, but then she started laughing.
"A lineage of heroes, sounds like a grand tale from a whimsical fantasy!" She laughed.
Tom laughed too. "Twilight Sparkle said the same thing, but we're 100% real, I assure you."

After they both got the laughs out of their systems, Luna smiled at Tom.
"We can tell you are a kind soul, young one. We will meet in person soon." Luna explained. "But right now, it seems you are waking up. We bid you farewell for now..."

Tom groaned as he roused himself from slumber. His body ached all over.
"Ugh...I feel like I got hit by the DenLiner..." He tried to stand up, but felt incredible heaviness and pain. He inhaled sharply as his body seemed to resist his intentions.
"Well, good morning." Tom turned to see Twilight standing in the doorway. She was standing there with her arms crossed and a disapproving look on her face.
"Ugh...the kinds of knocks I get in the line of duty..." Tom groaned.

"Seriously, Tom, why didn't you say something!?" Twilight yelled. "Look at you - you can barely even get out of bed!"
"It's...no big deal...Kamen Riders have been through worse." Tom replied.
"But that doesn't mean YOU have to!" Twilight replied sharply. She then took a few deep breaths to regain her composure.
"Twilight..." Tom couldn't find a response to that. He hadn't had anyone fret over his health for a very long time.

"...I'm sorry for snapping at you." Twilight sobbed, as tears formed. "I'm...scared. My friends keep getting hurt lately, either turning into monsters or fighting against monsters- even after the things me, Spike and the girls have been through...it's too much!"

Just then, Twilight felt Tom embrace her.
"It's okay, Twilight. I know you're scared- so am I, but we'll make sure everyone's okay. I swear it as a Kamen Rider." Tom reassured her. "And...oof, yeah, maintaining that position's not a good idea right now." Tom released the hug, but then fell backwards. "On a related note, I don't think I'll be able to walk anywhere today."

"Oh... Spiiike! Do we still have that wheelchair!?" Twilight called to her assistant. In a few moments, the young dragon came in pushing a wheelchair that looked like it had only recently been unearthed from storage.

"Your royal carriage, sir." Twilight joked, putting on a false sounding accent that sounded like an exaggerated version of Rarity's.
Spike helped Tom over to the chair. "Easy there, buddy." The young dragon replied, as he grasped the chair. "Alright, let's go."

"Go...where?" Tom asked.
"You need to see some sort of medical help, so we're taking you to someone who can help!" Twilight explained.
"...but would pony doctors be able to help me? I'm a human, after all..." Tom pondered.

"No, no, it's my friend Fluttershy- she knows how to take care of all sorts of different species." Twilight replied, as she led Spike and Tom out the door.
"...wait, are you taking me to a vet!?"

Fluttershy had just started her rounds with her animal friends for the day. She was reeling though, as she had a nightmare.
"...no, no, Discord wouldn't do that kind of thing anymore...it was just a bad dream." She reminded herself as she went to feed the chickens she kept.

At the same time, Angel, Fluttershy's spoiled pet rabbit, was teasing the chickens and attempting to rile them up.
"Angel! Behave yourself!" Fluttershy scolded. But the bunny didn't buckle, and started kicking the coop. The chickens began to panic!

"I...said...KNOCK IT OFF!" Fluttershy yelled, her voice affected in a strange way. Almost as if on demand, a series of small beetles appeared behind her and latched onto the chickens. The chickens all turned to the bratty bunny, a look of anger in their eyes.
Angel just gulped and hopped away as fast as his little bunny legs would allow, but somehow, the chickens managed to surround him faster than he even realized! As he was surrounded, panicking at the the pecking-based punishment that he had incurred, he also noticed Fluttershy standing above them all, utilizing her "Stare".

What most ponies didn't realize about this ability of Fluttershy's is that it wasn't just the gaze that stopped things in their tracks, it also projected a sort of subliminal messaging that induced the sort of reaction one might have if they visibly disappointed their mother. However, this stare's potency was amplified by an unusually high amount, causing Angel and the chickens to fall over and start crying profusely.
"Oh...oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" Fluttershy went to scoop up Angel for a hug but he just backed away. Fluttershy felt heartbroken.

"I'm so sorry, Angel...everyone." She sobbed a bit as she went back inside, corralling all her animals with her. She didn't notice that the strange beetles that had latched onto the chickens were now making their way towards Ponyville, rapidly multiplying in number...

Spike was currently pushing a wheelchair-bound Tom through the center of Ponyville, Twilight leading them. Usually, Tom's presence would be met with some apprehension or scorn from some, but after seeing him bandaged and injured after he had saved their lives, they felt concern and shame.

All except for one particular mare, that is...a certain Spoiled Rich. She was known around town as an influential figure, albeit one who only became so by exploiting her husband's fortune, but recent events with her daughter at the local schoolhouse had caused public opinion of her to sour. As such, she gained a new reputation as an entitled, selfish shrew. Willing to take her frustration out on anything and everything she didn't like, she haughtily marched towards the group.

"Well, Twilight Sparkle...I see you're taking your monkey to the vet. Going to get it fixed?" She taunted.
"Excuse me?" Twilight asked, anger rising in her voice.

"No, I don't think there really IS any excuse for you." Spoiled retorted arrogantly. Twilight's eyes grew angrier.
"I mean, really. As if it wasn't bad enough you have that scaly little urchin running around for you, now there's a filthy monkey living in that castle of yours!" Spoiled taunted. "What dirty animal is next?"
"I've heard enough out of you, lady." Tom tried to stand up, but Spoiled shoved him back into the chair.

"Don't you dare talk to me you damned ape!" The arrogant mare snapped, but then a pair of mares came from behind them. One of them was Lyra, who helped Tom sit down properly, and the other was a cream-colored mare he recognized from his "introduction" about a week or so ago.
"Watch it, Rich!" The cream mare commanded. "This human is under the protection of the princesses, and you will NOT
attack him under any circumstances!"

Spoiled's face contorted into a scowl. "I should have known the monkey would make friends with a pair of sexual deviants too." At that, something in Bon Bon snapped.
"WHAT. DID. YOU. JUST. SAY!?" She growled. But then, another mare came and patted her on the back.
"Easy there, Ms. Drops. The Ponyville PD'll take it from here." It was Officer Rights, as she produced a pair of handcuffs.

"Spoiled Rich, you are under arrest for harassment, defamation and assault on a diplomatic figure." She turned Spoiled around and cuffed her. "You have the right to an attorney..." She trailed on, forcibly marching the now furious mare forward as her insults devolved into an incoherent stream of hateful noise.
"Yeesh, even in this world there's no escape from an uber-Karen." Tom muttered.
"...an uber-what?" Spike asked.
"Er...never mind, it's a human thing." He quickly backpedaled.

Bon Bon was still seething with rage, until Lyra walked over and hugged her. "It's okay. The nasty bigot lady is gone now." She said soothingly, patting Bon Bon on the back. Bon Bon started to work her way back down from her rage to a state of lucidity.
Tom just looked on, dumbfounded.

"Note to self; do not piss off...I think they said her name was Bon Bon." He thought to himself. Then, Bon Bon walked towards Tom.

"Um...Tom, right? Listen, I'm really sorry." Bon Bon apologized. Tom looked confused. What was she apologizing for?
"...oh, right, I should introduce myself properly..." Bon Bon realized. "My name is Sweetie Drops, but everyone calls me Bon Bon. This troublemaker over here," she said pointing her thumb at Lyra, "Is my marefriend, Lyra. She's been obsessed with the idea of humans since she was a filly, so she's...really overexcited about you."
Tom just shrugged. "Don't worry about it, Ms. Bon Bon. If I'm being totally honest, the last tackle dive she did actually saved me." He explained with a gentle smile.

"Please just call me Bon Bon, anything else makes me feel old." She joked. "But I'm also the crown's representative for Ponyville law enforcement."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I thought you ran a candy store." She asked.
"I can do both!" She huffed. Tom was confused though.

"Humans...existed here?" He asked. At the mention, Lyra suddenly interrupted them.

"Oh yes, there have been many, MANY legends about humans appearing multiple times throughout Equus's history! All sorts of tales from "The Savior of Dream Valley", or "The Hero of Tambelon", or even "The Stag Knight of Smiles"! Many of our country's own culture and innovations were even aided by humans!" Lyra rambled. "...though no one really knows for sure."

"So...humans have been here before. But were they native to this world?" Tom pondered to himself. But his reverie was cut short by a shout of "HI TOMMY!" from behind him.
"GAH!" Tom jolted, the resulting action making him fall out of the wheelchair and straight onto his face.

Tom lifted his face back out of the dirt, spitting a bit and shaking his head to clear away some of the dirt. He looked up to see a familiar pink pony with an incredibly puffy mane staring at him with a big grin on her face.
"Umm....Pinkie Pie, right?" Tom asked. Pinkie just gasped.
"You remembered! Aw, that's so sweet!" She cheered, picking Tom up and grasping him in a bear hug. Tom wheezed and squirmed.

"Pinkie, let go of him! He's injured!" Twilight cried out. Pinkie noticed the myriad of bandages Tom had on and instantly released him.
"Ohmygosh I'm sorry!" She squeaked, her hair starting to lose some of its curliness.
"Don't worry Pinkie...oof...I'm glad you're okay after all that..." Tom wheezed as he slowly got back into the wheelchair.

"Those are some big bumps and bruises, huh?" Pinkie commented. "Well, I'm going to make them all up to you! I Pinkie Promise that I will throw you the biggest, bestest most epic Pinkie Party ever EVER!"
"...huh?" Tom looked confused. Twilight knelt next to him.
"Pinkie likes to throw parties for everyone." She whispered. Tom just nodded in understanding.

"Pinkie, you're gonna throw him a party? Let us help!" Lyra requested, pulling Bon Bon closer to her. Bon Bon's expression changed to one of alarm.
"Sure! The more the merrier!" Pinkie replied, as the three of them left to plan the party.
"See you later, Tom!" Lyra announced as she dragged her poor marefriend reluctantly along with her. Twilight and Spike just stared, Spike scratching his head.

"Even after all this time I'll STILL never understand her." Twilight commented. Spike was about to reply but suddenly felt a biting sensation on his arm.
"Yeow!" Spike yelped. "Ugh, stupid bug bit me." He sighed and grabbed the handles on the wheelchair, pushing it. To Spike, he was pushing it at a leisurely speed.

To everyone else, however...
"Spike! Slow down!" Twilight called after him, but he was rocketing forward at an incredible speed. Tom held onto the chair for dear life.

"G-FOOOOORRRRCCCCEEEE IIIIIN MYYYYY FAAAAAACE!"

Meanwhile, back at Fluttershy's cottage, the animals were unusually anxious. Not only were mysterious bugs flying around, but their caretaker was acting incredibly unusual.
As she was feeding all her animals, she was more forceful and insistent that they ate what she provided.

"Angel, you WILL eat what I've made." The pegasus scolded with an uncharacteristic harshness. Angel looked at Fluttershy with a bit of trepidation.
"NOW." She repeated, the rabbit relenting and eating as fast as he could to not incur her wrath.
She scanned around the room to see all her animals obediently eating.

"Good. I provided you with the greatest food- food I made- so I expect you to eat it." She dictated. She then hovered up the stairs, to her room, and stood in front of a full body mirror.
"Hm...I feel like I should wear something a bit different today." She started going through her clothes...

"No, no...these won't show everyone enough of my charm! I need something more...striking." Fluttershy muttered to herself, and then found a cheongsam dress she had received as a gift some time ago.
"This is perfect!" She cheered, as she began to get changed.

Spike had stopped in front of Fluttershy's house, still carting the human in a wheelchair. He had gone slowly and steadily...he thought. But Tom's expression told a different story.
"Hey, are you alright?" The dragon asked.
"Well....I'm not afraid of rollercoasters anymore..." Tom stammered.

Spike scratched his head. What just happened? But then, the door to the cottage opened, and out stepped
Fluttershy...wearing a very, VERY form-fitting dress. It looked like something he had seen in a kung-fu movie!
"Oh, hey Fluttershy! I-" Spike started, but Fluttershy held up a finger to him.

"Shh." She silenced the dragon. "Grandmama once said this- I am the pegasus who flutters along the path of heaven." She stated.
"That sounds like what Kamen Rider Kabuto said all the time in his story..." Tom's eyes suddenly widened at that point, and he called Spike over.

"Spike, I've heard those words before- I think she's under the influence of another watch! go get Twilight, quick!" He whispered. Without missing a beat, Spike nodded. "I'm going to go gather the others, Fluttershy- I'll be back soon." The dragon scurried back to town.

Tom sighed. "Alright, then-" But was cut off by the pegasus hovering over him.
"Well, aren't you a cute one? But you've taken some nasty spills, poor baby. Well, momma will make you all better..." She said, a seductive tone in her voice. She grabbed the human out of the chair and dragged him into the cottage.

"I NEED AN ADULT!" Tom cried out.
"I am an adult~" Fluttershy sang back.

Meanwhile, Pinkie and her two semi-willing assistants, Lyra and Bon Bon, were busy setting up colorful decorations and a bevy of baked goods for the party Pinkie planned for Tom.
But as she was humming and pulling fresh cupcakes from the oven, she felt a strange, yet familiar sensation.

"Pinkie senses...tingling!" She felt the strange sense surging through her. It brought a message of danger. As if from nowhere, she understood what the message was.
"Lyra, Bon Bon...I'll be back in a little while- something's come up!" She said, running out the door.

"Pinkie, wait!" Lyra called after her, but the pink pony was already too far away.
"Ugh, and everyone thinks I'M the crazy one..." She lamented, but Bon Bon didn't respond.
"Bonny...?" Lyra asked.

"Lyra, we need to move. Now." Bon Bon stated with an incredibly serious tone. Lyra had seen this before, her marefriend got incredibly serious when there was a dangerous situation happening.
"You think...?" The mint unicorn asked.
"We need to investigate. Come on!" Bon Bon commanded, as the two of them ran in pursuit of Pinkie.

Tom was currently seated on a small sofa in Fluttershy's house. It looked a bit...different than he was expecting. All the animals that lived here seemed to be moving in uncanny lockstep, constructing what appeared to be small altars.

"Are these animals running a CULT!?" He thought to himself. One of the animals, a very terrified looking white rabbit, hopped over with a flask of some sort of pink liquid on a pillow. Fluttershy took the flask, and the rabbit bowed as it hopped away.

"This here is a Farasian super-potent healing potion. Once you drink it, all of your injuries and fatigue should clear up." Fluttershy explained. "But, I think you should ask for it nicely, like a good boy."

"...what is she talking about?" Tom thought. Fluttershy then walked over and straddled him.
"Come on, say 'please, mistress, give this blessing onto your poor servant.'" She commanded.
Tom blanched. "Oh dear fruit Jesus please no!"
"Ara ara~...looks like we might have a misbehaving boy here. I might have to spank you." The pegasus continued but there was a knock at the door.
"Ugh, at all the times...don't go away, little boy~" Fluttershy sang as she flew to the door.

A few moments after she flew away, Pinkie Pie dropped from the ceiling, in full ninja garb.
"Pin-" Tom started, but Pinkie covered his mouth.
"Shhh! I'm here to get you out of here." Pinkie whispered. "Is that the healing potion?" She gestured towards the pink flask. Tom just nodded.

"Alright, open wide." Pinkie said, Tom looking kind of confused as she opened the bottle and jammed it into Tom's mouth, making the contents go down his throat. After all of it had been consumed, Tom got back up, coughing and sputtering.
"Blech! Gross...but it looks like it worked!" Tom noted. He no longer felt any aches or pains, and he could move freely. "Alright, now we need to deal with-"

"Ohhh!" Fluttershy growled, she was staring right at the two. "I can't keep my eyes off any of you for one second! If it isn't Lyra and Bon Bon trying to waste my time, it's Pinkie trying to steal my patients!" She lunged at the two, but they ducked in different directions and started running.

"No...no...you're going to WORSHIP MEEEEE!" She raged.

Tom and Pinkie met up with Lyra and Bon Bon back in Ponyville, nearby the clock tower.
"You're okay!" Lyra cheered as she was about to tackle him again, but Bon Bon held her back.

"He's only just been healed, you want to put him back in the wheelchair again?" Bon Bon snarked. Lyra just pouted.
"Can we talk about this later!?" Tom shouted. "We've got a pissed off possessed pegasus on our tails!"
"Wait, you DO have a tail?" Pinkie asked but Tom didn't reply, instead grabbing her wrist and dragging her behind him.
Just then, a large swarm of beetles started gathering in the air. In the center of it...was Fluttershy!

"I WILL BE LOVED AND WORSHIPPED BY ALL!" She pronounced, her voice becoming incredibly distorted. The beetles then started to converge on her, and she started spasming in pain as the insects melded into an armor...
"Kabuto...no, a monster that ripped off Kabuto's powers." Tom noted, summoning his Driver and inserting his watch into the appropriate slot. "Henshin!"

"RIDER TIME!" And with that, Zi-O was back in action. The beetle-esque monster landed on the ground, then before anyone could react, rushed up to Pinkie at an unfathomable speed and prepared to strike. She winced, but felt no pain, for Zi-O managed to block the beast's attack! The monster reeled and snarled, as it seemed to retreat into the nearby clock tower.

"It ran away?" Lyra asked. Bon Bon shook her head.
"I have a bad feeling about this." She explained. Just after, a large swarm of the odd beetles started spewing from the clock tower! They began latching onto moving things, and causing them to either speed up or slow down drastically! Sped up pegasi began crashing into buildings, and ending up in front of the spells of slowed unicorns!

"Oh no, Ponyville!" Lyra panicked.
"Pinkie, Lyra, Bon Bon...go sort things out in town. I'll take that monster on." Zi-O commanded.
"But what about you?" Lyra asked with concern.

"...defeating evil monsters and protecting others is a Kamen Rider's duty. And I intend to follow through!" He proclaimed, as he ran into the clock tower, brandishing his blade.
"Tommy, wait!" Pinkie ran after him. Lyra was about to go too, but Bon Bon stopped her.

"Bonny, those two are in danger!" She complained.
"But there's a lot of other ponies in danger too right now. I think...we should trust in our human friend to do what needs to be done." Bon Bon spoke. "And, we need to do what we can."

Zi-O continued ascending the tower stairs, striking down any of the bizarre insects that got in his way. Swarms of them kept diving at him, but he'd alternate between his gun and sword to take out as many of them as he could. After climbing to the near top of the tower, he found the monster, oddly just sitting there.
Zi-O couldn't find any words to say at that point. He just stood in front of the beast, keeping his weapon tightly clutched.

"...pAth OF HeAvEn..." The monster growled.
"...what?" Zi-O asked.

"...gOoDbYE..." The monster replied, as it held up its hand and gathered a large swarm of the beetles to itself. It stood up and let out a roar, as the beetles began to swarm all over the tower! The floor underneath Zi-O and the monster began to shake, and then it gave way! Many of the gears and machinery also started falling, but for some reason, they stopped in midair.

"The beetles...they're like miniature Zecters." Zi-O realized, but before he could react, the monster was right in front of him and punched him in the gut!
"OOOGH!" The rider grunted and staggered, but managed to regain his footing and readied his sword.

"Ha!" Zi-O shouted as he swung his sword overhead, but the monster just moved behind him and kicked him down to a lower bit of frozen debris. He landed harshly on his back.
"Urgh! That's Kabuto's speed, alright..." Zi-O commented. The monster leapt down onto the same platform as the rider, but without even meaning to, Zi-O moved his arm up, which accidentally made the monster trip over it and go careening into one of the tower walls!

"So THAT's what happens when you trip on something in Clock Up." Zi-O noted. "Wait...tripped. That might be the answer!"
He cheered, as he reached for the watch holster on his arm...but he didn't see the watch he needed.
"...of course I forgot the KivaWatch back at Twilight's place." He sighed.
Pinkie had been hiding behind a pillar on the ground floor, watching all of this take place.

"KivaWatch? If Tommy needs it to beat that thing and save Fluttershy, then I know what I have to do!" She bolted out the tower door towards town, hoping she would make it in time...

In Ponyville, many of the residents were panicking, trying to take cover or shoo away the swarms of beetles that were currently either destroying buildings or latching onto ponies and causing them to either speed up or slow down uncontrollably.

Several unicorns had attempted to erect barriers around themselves and their loved ones, and pegasi were attempting to use weather clouds to fend off the insects.

And, of course, there was the local overpowered alicorn princess using her magic to fry the bugs. However, even overpowered alicorns have their limits, and Twilight was running on fumes.

"Ugh...gonna be feeling...magic exercion headache after this..." She whined, as she was not only maintaining a sizeable magic barrier, but also firing magic beams at the rampaging beetles.
She eventually stopped, and fell to her knees, panting. The barrier started to destabilize.
"Twilight!" Spike cried out, running to her side.
"Spike....can't...magic..." She groaned. Spike turned to the swarms and glared.

"You...stupid bugs! Don't hurt my friends!" He yelled, as he inhaled, then blew out a sizeable emerald flame. It didn't reach far, but the nearest swarms were incinerated.
"Dragonfire...?" The exhausted alicorn wheezed. Just then, Lyra and Bon Bon came running over, Lyra producing a small drink bottle from a pouch and opening it.

"Twilight, drink this- it's a special energy potion for unicorns. It should help." Twilight nodded, as she downed the elixir. A few moments later, her fatigue was mostly gone.
"WOW! Where did you get this?" She asked, and Lyra was about to tell her, but Bon Bon cut her off.
"Sorry, that's classified information." She responded. "The report is going to be a pain to write this time, thanks SOOOO much, Lyra."

But Twilight immediately turned her attention to her dragon assistant. "Spike, how long do you think you can hold a single flame?" She asked.
"Uh...I'm not sure, but I think I can hold it for at least 30 seconds or so..." He asked, slightly worried. Twilight then levitated Spike onto her back.
"H-hey! What gives?" The startled dragon complained.

"Alright, Spike- I'm going to need you to blow as much fire as you possibly can when I give you the signal, okay?" Twilight explained.
"...ohh, I get it!" Spike replied, and took a deep breath as Twilight surrounded him with her magic.
"NOW!" Spike shot out an immense stream of flames that seemed to seek out and incinerate all the insects, and only the insects. Then, the two fell over, panting intensely.

"Twilight...what was that?" Spike wheezed.
"I mixed...my magic with your flame to...home in on those things...that was rough." She replied exhaustedly.
But all of that was cut off by Pinkie Pie running past them, into the castle, then a few moments later running out again clutching a familiar watch.

"TWILIGHTHELPTOMMYNEEDSTHISWATCHTOSAVEFLUTTERSHYBUT-" She started before her mouth was covered by an annoyed Bon Bon.
"Let's talk at a speed that normal ponies can understand?" She suggested.
Pinkie stepped back, took a deep breath, and tried again. "Tommy says he needs one of the watches to save Fluttershy. He left it here."

Twilight thought for a minute, and remembered. "The KivaWatch...I think that's what he called it."
"Then I'll go get it!" Pinkie ran into the castle.
"Pinkie, wait! You don't know where it-" She started, but then Pinkie ran right back out clutching it.
"-is." Twilight finished.

"Okay, now I gotta get this to him!" Pinkie stated, and was about to run off.
"Hold it! Even if you run, that's still all the way across town!" Lyra chimed in. Pinkie stopped and started trying to think of a solution.
"Wait a minute, that's it!" She proclaimed as she ran back into the castle and came out clutching one of the many rolls of special parchment Twilight used to send dragonfire letters.

"We can use this! If we wrap the watch in this and have Spike burn it, maybe it'll send the watch too!"
Twilight sighed. "Fine...let's try it."
Pinkie was confused. "Wow, and I thought you'd be a bit more stubborn about it."
"Too exhausted. Don't care." She zapped the parchment, and then Pinkie wrapped the watch up in it.

"Spike, do your thing!" Pinkie commanded as she threw the watch up, Spike blasting it with his flame before falling over.
"I really hope that worked..." The pink pony wondered, as she, Bon Bon and Lyra lifted the exhausted dragon and alicorn and took them inside the castle.

"Tommy...you can do it."

Meanwhile, the beetle beast was busy trying its best to break Zi-O in half, with Zi-O barely being able to block its blows!
"Can't...take...much...more!" Zi-O grunted as he kept trying to block the beast's punches and kicks with his sword, but eventually the monster knocked him down with a roundhouse kick.
"Is this it? Am I gonna die here...?" Zi-O thought. But, as he started to stand back up, something fell on his head.

"Huh?" It was the KivaWatch!
"How did...?" Zi-O wondered, but shook his head and reached for the watch. However, the platform that both Zi-O and the monster were on started to crumble, and the watch, Rider and monster all started to fall.

"Come on...reach it!" He grunted as he reached out for the watch in freefall. He managed to grasp it, but the two entities reached the floor with a loud crash!
"Urrrrgh..." The monster growled, as it assumed its opponent was dead.

"ARMOR TIME!" The voice of the SpaceTime Driver echoed. "CHOMP! KIIVAAA!~" The belt sang as the debris around Zi-O exploded!

Standing there was Zi-O, but his shoulder pads now resembled two halves of a bat-esque creature, his chest had a red and black pattern on it, his helmet had protrusions around its eyes resembling bat wings, as well as yellow characters. His right leg also had mysterious chains around it.

The monster snarled and began to wind itself up to charge, but Zi-O waved his hand and a series of bat-like energy projections flew out everywhere, gathering close to the ground! The monster charged, but the bats caused it to trip, and damaged its legs immensely! Zi-O turned again and threw some more bats, a few of them latching onto the front of the monster's face.

"Can't see, and can't run...your speed doesn't mean a thing now!" He proclaimed as he pressed the buttons on his belt.

"FINISH TIME! KIVA!"

The area grew dark, as a miniature moon appeared above the two of them. The chains around Zi-O's leg broke to reveal a strange pair of bat wings attached. Zi-O dashed forward and kicked with this leg, knocking the monster into the moon projection, where it exploded, leaving a mark resembling a bat as the watch and the corrupted pegasus came back down to earth. Fluttershy was passed out. The watch was still sparking with red and silver energy bolts.

Zi-O detached his main watch from his driver and pointed it at the KabutoWatch. A beam of light shot out of it and all the strange energy sparking from it ceased.

"I did it." He said to himself. He then walked over to the fainted pegasus, and picked her up in a bridal carry. He also picked up the KabutoWatch and stored it in one of the free watch slots on his left arm.

"I'll take you to safety." He said to the unconscious Fluttershy. She briefly opened her eyes to see that she was being carried by someone. While she couldn't make out the details, she did note that this being looked like a knight in silver armor...

"But sis, why can't ah go see the girls!?" Apple Bloom complained. Ever since the incident with Pinkie turning into a monster, she insisted that Apple Bloom not leave her sight for even a moment.
"It ain't safe right now. Y'all need to stay here." She explained. But Apple Bloom wasn't having any of it.

"Gosh darn it, sis! Ever since that fella in that big tin can fell, y'all have been actin' more ornery than an angry timberwolf!" She spoke back.
"...no." Applejack muttered, clenching her fists.
"Huh?" The younger apple questioned, but Applejack turned to her with a terrifying stare.

"Y'ALL DON'T BRING THAT FREAK UP!" She yelled. "GET LOST!"
Apple Bloom ran away crying, as the older Apple sister sighed. And then she felt the whack of a wooden cane on her head.
"Ouch!" Applejack yelped. She looked up to see a very displeased Granny Smith.

"What in the sam hill's wrong with you, girl!?" The eldest Apple yelled.
"G-granny..." She whimpered. If there was anyone on the planet that could instill fear into Applejack, it was her grandmother.

"Bloom's right, yer actin' like a plumb fool! That young'un never hurt no one! Heck, if ah hear correctly, he's been helpin' folks by stoppin' them monsters! And yet y'all have the gall to treat him like pig slop!" Granny Smith scolded sharply.
"I..." AJ couldn't think of anything to say at that point. The elder Apple just sighed.

"Ah know y'all want to do right by yer ma and pa, ah really do...but don't you forget there's three more Apples tryin' to do right by them too." Granny sighed. "You think about this, me and Mac'll go round up Apple Bloom so you can tell her yer sorry." She walked off, using her cane to support herself.
"...ah don't rightfully know what ah should do anymore, Granny..." AJ murmured to herself, tipping her hat down.

Apple Bloom was in an isolated part of the orchard, crying her eyes out.
"Ah...ah was only wantin' to see mah friends...why is sis actin' so mean?" She sobbed. As she looked down, she saw an unfamiliar vine.
"Huh?" Her tears dried up a bit as her sadness gave way to the unusual plant. "Never seen a vine like this'un." She looked along the vine and saw many other odd plants growing. And at the far end of them looked like a giant open zipper, with another forest inside it...

Author's Note

This took a lot of effort to write, this time.

Applejack's paranoia is starting to affect her family negatively. And now Apple Bloom has found some suspicious plants coming from a weird zipper portal.

Tom may have managed to save Fluttershy, but there are still many more RideWatches out there.

Look forward to the next chapter!

Chapter 4: The Seeds of Strife

Chapter 4: The Seeds of Strife

A trio of fillies and one griffoness were in a secluded area of Sweet Apple Acres, observing a strange zipper-shaped portal. These three were known as the "Cutie Mark Crusaders", consisting of Apple Bloom, Rarity's younger sister Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, a pegasus and fervent fangirl of Rainbow Dash. Joining them was their friend Gabby, who wanted to find her own cutie mark despite the physical impossibility.

"Wow, it really IS a giant zipper!" Gabby exclaimed "This is incredible!"
"Yeah...incredible...seriously, Apple Bloom- what even IS this thing?" Scootaloo asked, while poking at the side of the zipper.
"Ah don't rightfully know." Apple Bloom explained. "It was just here when ah found it."

"Don't you think we should probably get an adult or something?" Sweetie Belle questioned. She did have a point- this was an incredibly unusual and potentially dangerous situation.
"Aw, come on! Don't tell me you're going chicken on us?" Scootaloo teased.
"I'd rather be a chicken than a dodo!" Sweetie retorted.

Unfortunately, their argument was about to be resolved for them.
"GABBY GRIFFON, AWAY!" The naive creature pronounced as she lunged headfirst into the strange portal, knocking into the other three and dragging them with her.

The three fillies lay in a daze for a few moments, until they stood back up. As they looked around, they saw the forest they were in was much different than the Everfree Forest.

"What in tarnation...?" Apple Bloom wondered aloud. The forest around her was indescribable. It definitely looked like a forest, but not only was there vegetation she'd never seen before all around them, something about it felt...unnatural. She had a strong feeling that being here was just wrong. She shuddered as she walked along with her friends.

"Uh...ah think ah wanna turn back now." Apple Bloom confided. But Scootaloo wasn't having any of it.
"Come on, don't you start going chicken too!" The sporty pegasus complained. "It's probably just some weird part of the Everfree. And we're gonna explore it! CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS WEIRD...FLOATY...ZIPPER THINGY EXPLORERS!"
"I don't know, Scoot...even for the Everfree this place gives me the creeps." Sweetie Belle commented. "Wait, where's Gabby?"

As soon as she asked, a wail of terror echoed out, and out dashed Gabby, in utter terror.
"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!" She shrieked, bolting past the three fillies. They looked at Gabby in confusion, then turned around to see a trio of bizarre, hunchbacked bipedal monsters staring them down.
"...Cutie Mark Crusaders, RETREAT!" Apple Bloom yelped as the three fillies ran as fast as their legs could carry them. The monsters roared out and gave chase.

At the Castle of Friendship, Twilight and her friends were taking care of the incapacitated Fluttershy, as well as Tom, who managed to incur new injuries from his fight with the monster that Fluttershy had been turned into. Fluttershy was still unconscious, and Tom was seated at the table, while Twilight swabbed some of the open cuts on his face with a cotton ball.

Tom hissed in pain. "Gah, that stings..." Twilight sighed.
"At least these wounds are manageable." She noted. "But at least you're not more injured, and you and Fluttershy are going to be fine."
Rainbow Dash came flying in. "And here I am to awesome things up!" She boasted. "I heard that Fluttershy was monstered like I was, is she okay!?"
"She's fine, Rainbow. Still knocked out, but otherwise fine." Twilight explained. Rainbow's eyes then locked onto Tom.
"And it sounds like you saved her." The sporty pegasus added. "I guess I should thank you...I could have done it better though."

Tom twitched slightly but whatever was about to happen was interrupted by the return of the stinging sensation of rubbing alcohol.
"Rainbow, I think the LAST thing we need is to turn this situation into a contest." Twilight added.
"Yeah! I mean, Tommy's been running himself ragged fighting those Nemak Redirs!" Pinkie Pie suddenly chimed in as she appeared randomly, catching all of them off guard.
"Pinkie Pie!? Where..." Tom was about to ask before Twilight just put her finger up to his mouth to silence him.
"No, no, we don't ask those questions here." She explained. Truly, Pinkie Pie was a total enigma. A benevolent and friendly enigma, but an enigma nonetheless. "Also, 'Nemak Redirs'?"
"Well, we have to call them SOMETHING, don't we? I tried "Unriders", "Anti Riders", even "Commandoids". " Pinkie Pie ranted. "None of them really fit."

"Honestly, the only thing I want to call them is abominations." Tom replied. "Those...things are a twisted mockery of everything Kamen Riders are meant to stand for!" He slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
"I can completely understand your indignation, darling." Rarity said as she walked into the room. "Those...Kamen Riders, that you talk about; they're important to you and your culture."
"But they're not Kamen Riders!" Tom cried out. "A real, heroic Kamen Rider would never do any of those horrible things! The only thing those things and the Riders have in common are their plagarized powers!" He hung his head low. "They're exactly like if the Kamen Riders became monsters themselves." It was then that a realization struck Rarity.
"They're... they're like other versions of those heroes. Horribly twisted things from a nightmare sure, but they're another type of Rider," Rarity pauses as it comes to her. "Another Riders."

"Another Riders...it fits, I guess." Tom replied. "So, by that logic..."
The Rider stood up and rooted through his pockets, producing the four watches he had retrieved from the previous Another Riders he had fought, and placing them on the table in front of him.
"Another Build," he gestured to Dash, "Another OOO," then to Rarity, "Another Kiva", then to Pinkie, "and most recently, Another Kabuto."
Spike walked out of the room Fluttershy was sleeping in, carrying a first aid kit. "I finished patching her up, Twi." He replied. The dragon child then noticed the somber mood.
"Um...did I miss something?"

"Ugh, this place is HUGE!" Scootaloo groaned.
"Hey, you're the one who wanted to explore, Scoot." Sweetie Belle reminded her companion.
"Uh, girls...where's Gabby gotten off to?" Apple Bloom looked around. Their griffon companion was nowhere to be seen. But she then noticed Gabby staring at a strange purpleish fruit.

"Gabby!" Apple Bloom yelled out, seemingly shaking her out of a trance.
"Buh?" The griffon girl shook her head quickly. "Oh, hey girls! I found this weird fruit and it looks...really tasty." She reached out for it but Apple Bloom smacked her claw away.
"No! Don't you know you never, ever, EVER eat random stuff from trees and bushes!?" She barked. "Mah big bro taught me that, he says you get real sick if you do!"
"But...it looks so tasty..." Gabby whined, until the sound of a sword being unsheathed was heard.

"Did...did you hear something?" Scootaloo nervously asked. As if to answer her question, the tree that held the fruit Gabby was staring at fell over, just narrowly missing the girls. Standing behind the remaining stump was a large, bipedal figure wearing rusted armor, a strange helmet with an orange-ish visor, and a large, rusted sword.
"Grrr...." It growled.
"Uh...sorry for intrudin', we'll just go now." Apple Bloom said nervously, backing away. The beast sniffed the air.
"A...pple..." It droned. It then started coming towards the fillies menacingly.

"RUN FOR IT!" Scootaloo yelled as the girls ran from the mysterious monster, said monster giving pursuit.
The four of them ran, ducking and darting around trees in an attempt to stall the monster. Eventually, it seemed like they were in the clear. They were all gasping for breath.
"I think...I think we lost it." Sweetie Belle panted.
The others nodded, but then froze and stared at Sweetie Belle in horror. The young unicorn just looked at them, confused.

"What? What's with the looks?" She asked, but then heard a snarling behind her. "There's another monster right behind me, isn't there?" Sweetie whimpered. The terrified filly turned around slowly.
The monster she witnessed was similar in build to the first one they encountered, but it also seemed to resemble a twisted version of a knight. It had a large, yellow spearhead attached to its right arm, and its helmet had a pair of yellow horns that blackened near the end.

"...grrr...I...find...her..." The new monster growled. It started to approach Apple Bloom menacingly. But at that point, the previous monster came back and swung its sword at the other.
"Br...Bri...B-B-BARON!" The first monster roared.
"GAIIIIM!" The second one returned the roar as they began clashing against each other.
"Let's get out of here!" Sweetie cried out as the four of them took advantage of the clash to escape once again.

"Another Riders...?" Spike asked. "I mean, it kind of fits, but..."
"Well, I'm certain I could come up with something better with more time." Rarity replied.
"No no, it's fine! Perfect even!" The dragon quickly backpedaled, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash snickering a bit.

"Ooooh...." A low groan came from the nearby room where Fluttershy was sleeping.
"Sounds like she's coming to!" Pinkie cheered.
"Easy, Pinkie...she's had a rough time, so let's not cause her any more stress." Twilight reminded her.
"Okie dokie lokie!" The pink one replied, Twilight rolling her eyes.

The girls, Spike and Tom all went in to see to their friend.
"Oooof...owww..." The yellow pegasus groaned. "What happened to me?" She looked around to see that she was in Twilight's castle, surrounded by her friends...and a human, for some reason. Then she looked at herself to find that she was not only bandaged in several places, but was in a very provocative cheongsam...
"EEEEP!" Fluttershy squeaked as she hid under a blanket.
"...ah, I think I know the problem." Twilight stated. "Spike, I think we should find Fluttershy a change of clothes."

A few minutes later, Fluttershy was dressed in her normal outfit, a long beige skirt that covered her shins and a green turtleneck sweater. She took a seat at the table next to Twilight.
"Are you feeling okay, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked. Fluttershy just nodded meekly.
"...do you remember anything?" The purple alicorn continued.

"I...I remember I was having tea with Discord...or I thought I was...but it wasn't him!" Fluttershy explained, tears growing in her eyes when she recalled the event.
"What do you mean, 'wasn't him' exactly?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well, when he-he used that watch on me, he started having a weird purple shell forming around him..." She elaborated. "That, and Discord was supposed to be away from Equestria for a while."

"Discord's gone?" Pinkie asked. "Where'd he go?"
"He said he was meeting with a friend of his...but after all that, I woke up here..." Fluttershy finished. "Oh wait, there was one other thing...I remember that before I woke up here, I was being carried by a knight." Rarity grinned at hearing this.
"Oh? And what did this 'knight' look like?" The fashion-minded pony continued, her tone growing more mischevious.
"Well, I don't remember too many of the details...but he had such strong arms...and he was warm..." She explained, blushing and sighing longfully.

Tom's face also turned red, and moments later fell out of his chair.
"...was it something I said?" Fluttershy asked.
"Well, Fluttershy...allow us to fill you in on the details." Rarity replied.

Meanwhile at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was running around the entire farm in panic.
"Apple Bloom!? Apple Bloom, where are ya!?" She yelled out. "Come on, this ain't funny no more!"

She ran through all the trees, darting and weaving to find her sister. But she eventually came across some hoofprints, and a set of pawprints. "The girls went this-a-way. Ah know it." She followed the prints, but at one point the prints disappeared. Applejack scratched her head, but the found the answer when she bumped her face into a large zipper tag.

"What in-" She looked up and saw the zipper attached to what appeared to be a portal to another forest.
"Oh...oh no...no no no!" She was about to dive into the portal herself, but was stopped by an arm grabbing her. The arm belonged to a very large, muscular red stallion wearing a plaid flannel shirt and denim overalls. This was Applejack and Apple Bloom's older brother, Big Macintosh.

"Rrrrgh! You lemme go right this instant, Mac!" AJ complained.
"Nope." The elder Apple replied. He was not one for long conversations. But he did manage to sling his sister over his shoulder and carry her back to their farm, despite her resistance.

Fluttershy just stared at the human, a blush adorning her face. He was the knight that saved her! And she was overwhelmed with feelings.
Tom, too, was overwhelmed...with embarrassment. Even now, he was still very unaccustomed to praise. Neither side was speaking, until...

"ARGH! Say something, one of you!" Dash yelled out in frustration. Everyone snapped to attention.
"Well...Tom, um...that is your name, right?" Fluttershy meekly asked.
"Yeah...and you're Fluttershy..." Tom responded in an equally meek manner.
"Um...and you're a human?" Fluttershy asked. "I mean, you don't have to answer me if you don't want..."
"No, that's fine. To answer your question, I'm a human." Tom explained. "I'm also a Kamen Rider!" He continued, his tone becoming more confident and cheerful.

"...a...Camel Rider?" Fluttershy asked. Tom's eye twitched, but he took a deep breath.
"KAMEN Rider...it's a legacy of heroes that exceeds space and time." Tom started. "No matter what, we, as Kamen Riders will fight for the people they believe in, and the happiness of the world!" He continued, standing on the chair and putting his arms to his sides in a triumphant-looking stance.
"It seems like every time Tom talks about Kamen Riders, he becomes more confident. " Twilight thought to herself.
Fluttershy was in awe. It wasn't just a knight that saved her-but a genuine hero, like something ripped right out of a comic book-no, a manga!

"...I did it again." Tom mumbled as he sat back down, mortified.
"No, Tom, that's a good thing. It means your culture is important to you." Fluttershy replied. "And...I would like to learn more...about Kamen Riders...and you." She continued, her voice growing increasingly high pitched and faint.
But before the awkwardness could resume, Big Mac came rushing into the room.

"Ah need yer help, girls...and, uh..." Big Mac started but realized that he didn't actually know the human's name.
"Tom." Tom replied.
"Right, Tom..." He started. "Aw, ain't time for this! Apple Bloom and her friends wandered into some Celestia-forsaken zipper and now mah sis is going crazy preparin' to go in herself!"
"Wait...zipper?" Twilight asked, but Tom's eyes were wide.
"This zipper was in midair and led to a forest!?" Tom asked.
"Eeyup." Big Mac replied.
"Twilight, we have to go NOW!" Tom commanded, already bolting out the door.
"Wait, what's going on?" Twilight asked.
"Explain later, bad thing happened!" He yelled back. The girls, Spike and Big Mac all ran in pursuit.

Meanwhile, the Cutie Mark Crusaders (and Gabby) were still trying to evade the pair of mysterious monsters out for their heads. They had found themselves in a secluded cave, keeping an eye out for any other monsters.
"No sign of 'em." Gabby noted. "I think we gave them the slip!" She cheered, but the CMCs shushed her.
"Keep your voice down!" Sweetie Belle whispered. "You want them to find us?"
"...I don't hear them anymore." Scootaloo spoke. "I think it's safe."

The group peeked out of the cave, and noticed a rabbit was sniffing at one of the weird fruits that Gabby was about to eat earlier. Gabby stared daggers at the fruit...she only got a small whiff but the scent alone was...incredibly powerful. Intoxicating to an immense degree. She only imagined how utterly delicious it must be...

The rabbit bopped the fruit with its legs to open it up, and consumed the flesh. As it patted its belly, it suddenly started yowling in pain as its body quickly mutated into a rabbit-sized version of the bizarre shelled monsters that the four of them encounted earlier. The CMCs could only gape in horror at the sight, while Gabby was alarmed as she almost shared the poor bunny's fate. Her mind raced with thoughts of fear, paranoia and betrayal. The fruit smelled so sweet and looked so tantalizing...but behind that allure was a horrifying fate.

Apple Bloom looked especially horrified. What she saw was utter anathema to everything she'd ever known. She was always taught that the Earth gave its blessings to ponies in the form of fruits, but this fruit turned an innocent little bunny rabbit into a monster!
The monster that had formed started consuming more of the sinister snack, growing in size! It then turned in the direction of the CMC...and charged them!

"Eeeeek!" Sweetie Belle screeched, but the monster stopped...and then split in half. Behind it was another bipedal being, but this one looked a lot like Zi-O, except with red armor and a yellow visor. He was holding an axe-like weapon.
"...kids? Here?" The strange Rider asked. But his thoughts were interrupted by a large group of those same monsters, surrounding the lot of them. The mysterious Rider prepped his axe.

"Come on, then! I'll show you what real pain feels like!" He proclaimed angrily as he charged at the monsters, weaving between them as he delivered a series of savage swings. The CMC looked on in a mix of awe and horror as the red Rider brutally cleaved through each monster.

"Hey, you kids!" He yelled. "You need to get out of here, right now!"
Apple Bloom wasn't moving. She was utterly paralyzed with fear.
"Apple Bloom, snap out of it!" Scootaloo shouted, shaking her friend. She just fell to her knees, a look of pure despair on her face.

The mysterious red Rider just scoffed, walked over to her, and lifted her over his shoulder. This seemed to snap the little Apple out of her fugue.
"H-hey! What do ya think yer doin'!?" She complained.
"I'll say it again; you need to get out of here, NOW. So if you aren't going to start walking yourself, I'm going to do the walking for you." He replied. "Show me to where you came in."
The others just nodded and started walking, the red Rider still holding a now pouting Apple Bloom over his shoulder.

The girls, Spike and Tom were all in front of the strange zipper.
"So, you know what this thing is?" Twilight asked.
"It's a 'Crack' that leads to the Helheim Forest." Tom explained. "And if the kids actually DID travel there, they're in incredible danger!"
"Then what are we waiting for!? Let's go in and get them out before something bad actually does happen!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Nah, ah'm goin' in." A voice came from behind them. It was Applejack...but she was wearing what appeared to be makeshift armor, that gave off the impression of some sort of barnyard warrior princess. Her hat was now equipped with a pair of goggles, and she had green war paint smeared under her eyes. Rainbow Dash's wings suddenly shot out.
"Gah! Stupid sexy Applejack!" She thought to herself as she tried to loosen her wings.

"Applejack...what is all this?" Rarity asked. "I mean, it shows off your physique well, but..."
"The girls're in that Celestia-forsaken zipper, ah'm gonna go corral them!" She growled. "I WILL PROTECT MAH FAMILY!" She shoved past all of them and ran headfirst into the Crack, letting out a war cry.
"Wait!" Tom cried as he gave chase, pulling out his driver mid-run. The rest of the girls started going in.
"Spike, we need you to stay here and make sure nothing else gets in here, understand?" Twilight commanded. Spike gave a salute as they vanished into the ominous portal.

Tom was already transformed when the girls were done entering the sinister forest. Rainbow Dash just shuddered.
"Ugh...something about this place gives me the creeps." She stated.
"I must concur..." Rarity added. She noticed that Fluttershy was rather unnerved as well.
"What's wrong, darling? I thought that you'd be elated to see new animals and plants." She asked.

Fluttershy just shook her head. "I love nature, that's true...but this place just feels wrong."
"Then let's find those three and get out of here so we don't have to stay longer than needed!" Twilight suggested.
"Hey, where's Applejack?" Pinkie asked. Sure enough, their farmer friend seemed to have separated from them.

Zi-O looked around. "We need to find her, fast- no matter how strong she thinks she is, she wouldn't be able to handle Helheim on her own!" He beckoned the others to him. "Stay close to me."
The girls all nodded, and began their search.

Meanwhile, Applejack was running full tilt through the forest, trying to find any signs of Apple Bloom or her friends.
A gang of monsters were gathered, trying to intercept the rampaging farmpony.
"GIT OUTTA MAH WAY!" She yelled as she barged right through them, knocking most of them on their backs. Her thoughts were laser focused on finding her sister, and nothing was going to stop her.

She eventually slowed down a bit when she heard children's voices.
"...ah can walk now, ya know." It was Apple Bloom's voice.
"Not taking any chances." An unfamiliar male voice replied. It sounded like an adult's...
"So, you're a Kamen Rider too?" Sweetie Belle's voice was next. But as she heard that title, she rushed out there.
"APPLE BLOOOOOM!" She roared. She saw that Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and their griffon friend were walking beside a red armored figure, who was carrying Apple Bloom over his shoulder.

"You put mah sister down right now ya varmint!" She commanded.
"Sis? What're ya..." Apple Bloom started, but was cut off.
"Don't say another word! Ah'm gettin' you outta here, and back to where it's safe!" The elder Apple sister proclaimed, an edge to her voice.

The red Rider was observing the newcomer, and noted that she was overcome by rage.
"Talking isn't gonna do much good, huh?" He sighed, as he put Apple Bloom down next to her friends. "Apple Bloom, right?" He asked the little pony he had placed on the ground.
"Yes sir." She replied instantly.
"Listen, your...I want to say sister?" The red rider asked. Apple Bloom just nodded.
"Your sister and I are going to fight. But I swear I won't do anything that can't be fixed." He said, as he turned back to the raging farmer.
"Wait, please!" Apple Bloom pleaded. But her pleas fell on deaf ears, as Applejack charged at the Rider!

Applejack's charge was heavily telegraphed, so the red warrior was easily able to sidestep her and send her careening into a nearby tree. After briefly recollecting herself, she tried charging again, and the Rider dodged, but this time, delivered a roundhouse kick to the back of her head! She fell to the ground with a thud.
"I can keep this up all day, lady." The red Rider snarked. Applejack changed tactics, and threw a series of punches at the Rider. He ducked most of them, and grabbed his opponent's arm in the last, turning her around and putting her in a hold.

"Are you gonna behave yourself or-" The red Rider started but felt an elbow in his gut. While his suit protected him, he still felt an impact and released the enraged farmer.
"Stop..." Apple Bloom whimpered. Applejack then did a roundhouse kick, which the Rider narrowly ducked under and used the opportunity to trip her.
"Please..." Apple Bloom asked louder, but to no avail, as the two were locked in a struggle. Both of them grunted as they tried to overpower the other.
"Ah said STOOOOOP!" Apple Bloom yelled at the top of her lungs, as the pair of them stopped to look at the upset child.
"Sis...this fella saved us. He fought monsters." Apple Bloom explained, in between sobs. "This isn't the sister ah know. Y'all have lost yer mind!"

"Bloom, ah'm tryin to-" Applejack started.
"Protect me!? Is that what y'all are thinkin' yer doin'?" The younger Apple snapped back. "Ah came here because ah was tryin' to get away from you actin' all ornery! Because I was SCARED of y'all! Ma and Pa would be real ashamed if they saw all this!" The little Apple fell to her knees, sobbing as her friends all gathered around her to support her.
Apple Bloom's words gave Applejack pause. "...ah...ah just wanted ta..." She mumbled before falling to her knees in shock.
The red Rider just looked around.

"Alright, you two can have your existential crises later...we've got company!" He said, pulling out his axe as one of the monsters pursuing Apple Bloom, the one who appeared to be a viking, appeared before them.
"So, this time it's Baron...how fitting." The red warrior commented. "Get ready for pain!"

"Hello? Applejack!? Apple Bloom? Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo!?" Twilight called out.
Rarity was trudging through the forest, quietly whining to herself, while Rainbow Dash was flying over the trees to see if she could see anything. Pinkie was taking in the sights, but Fluttershy was clutching Zi-O.
"This place...it's terrifying." Fluttershy whimpered.
"Once we find the kids, you won't have to come in here again." Zi-O replied.

Pinkie sniffed the air. "I smell something...over there!" She ran over to a tree that had strange purple fruit on it. Pinkie plucked one...
"NO!" Zi-O ran over to her and slapped it out of her hand, then picked it up and tossed it as hard as he could away from them.
"Safe..." He panted. Pinkie huffed in frustration.
"What was that for!? You threw away my yummy fruit!" She complained.
"These fruits are dangerous! If you did eat one, you'd be forcibly and PERMANENTLY mutated into a monster!" Zi-O explained angrily. "No matter what, you must never, ever, EVER eat a Helheim fruit!"

The others just stared at the fruits in fear...what sort of twisted place was this!? Even the Everfree was never this bad.
"Grrrr..." A growling sensation came from behind the fruit tree. Just then, the tree was suddenly split in two!
"Whoa!" The group backed off, Zi-O readying his sword after. When they got a look at the attacker...
"A monsterous samurai in Helheim...so this is a Gaim-based monster. I guess we call you Another Gaim."
"Grrr...A...pp...rrrgh!" The monster growled as it lunged at Pinkie, Zi-O barely getting in the way with his sword.
"Pinkie, move!" Zi-O commanded, the pink pony complying as she, Rarity and Fluttershy backed away while Twilight and Rainbow Dash took aerial positions above the monster.

Another Gaim recklessly swung its sword at Zi-O, but the Rider was able to dodge the strikes, meanwhile Twilight was casting a shield spell for her friends and Rainbow Dash was picking up speed, she was about to try to dive-bomb the beast!
However, when she tried, Another Gaim simply tilted its head and a series of vines shot up from the ground, ensnaring the two airborne ponies and pulling them to the ground.
"Aaagh!" Twilight screamed out as she was yanked out of the air. Rainbow Dash struggled against the vines, but it was no good.
"Twilight! Rainbow!" Zi-O cried out, as Another Gaim took another swing at the Rider while he was distracted. Thankfully, he was able to barely roll out of the way.

"Not good...I think this situation calls for a speed boost." Zi-O quipped as he pulled out his latest RideWatch acquisition. He turned the bezel and pressed the button.
"KABUTO!" The watch sounded as the Rider inserted it into his belt and span the belt around.
"ARMOR TIME!" With that announcement, a red and silver armor with prominent horn-shaped shoulderpads and a tri-horned helmet appeared, and broke apart as its individual components latched onto Zi-O.
"CHANGE BEETLE! KAAABUUUTOOO~!" The belt continued.
"Alright, Clock Up!" The Rider pressed the button on the KabutoWatch.
"CLOCK UP TIME!" The belt announced, as Zi-O seemed to disappear out of view.
"Huh!?" The ponies all cried, but then Another Gaim went flying into one of the trees as Zi-O remanifested...also having collided into the tree.

"Ugh...it's really hard to control." He grunted, as he rose back to his feet. "Kabuto made it look easy." Zi-O looked down at the now unconscious monster.
The vines binding Twilight and Rainbow Dash seemed to back off, and they got back up and dusted themselves off.
"Alright, now we need to go find Applejack and the kids!" Twilight proclaimed. But, at the mention of Applejack's name, Another Gaim seemed to reawaken and jumped up.
"A...app....AAAAAPPPPLLLLEEEEEEJAAAAAACK!" It roared, running deeper into the forest.
"After it!" Zi-O ordered as they all ran in pursuit of the mysterious monster.

Meanwhile, the kids were trying to escort the borderline catatonic Applejack out of the forest, while the mysterious red Kamen Rider was aggressively attacking the monster every time it got too close to them.
"Come on Banana boy, your target's right here!" The Rider taunted. The monster tried to bum-rush him but was met with a knee in his stomach, followed by an elbow to the face. It staggered back, giving the group a window to continue retreating.
"You're sure the exit's this way?" The red Rider asked.
"I'm good at remembering this stuff!" Gabby boasted. The red warrior just sighed.
"Well, first thing is getting you out of here."

But their conversation was cut short by the other monster from earlier reappearing and lunging at the kids! Each of them braced for the worst, only for Zi-O to shoulder-tackle Another Gaim away from them.
"...the Cutie Mark Crusaders, I presume?" Zi-O asked. They just nodded. Zi-O then turned his attention to both of the monsters.
"Another Gaim AND Another Baron?" He noted. "Well this is turning out just freaking wonderful." He summoned his sword and was readying to fight, but noticed the red Rider going on the offensive against Another Baron.
"Hey! I'll deal with the moldy banana- you get the rotten orange!" The red Kamen Rider ordered.
"Who...?" Zi-O wondered, but stopped. "Now's not the time for this." He took a swing at Another Gaim, locking swords with it.

"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity called out. Sure enough, the fashion-forward unicorn grasped her sister in a tight hug.
"Oh thank goodness you aren't hurt!" She said, tears of joy and relief streaming down her face.
"R...Rarity...can't...breathe..." The unicorn filly wheezed.
"Looks like the girls are okay." Rainbow said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Hey, Rider guys! Take down those freaks and let's get outta here!"
The red Rider growled a bit at that, but swung a hit before pressing a button on his belt.

"FINISH TIME! GEIZ!" The other Rider's belt announced.
"Geiz?" Zi-O questioned, but immediately his attention went back to Another Gaim. The Rider pushed the monster's swing back, and removed his main watch from his belt, inserting it into the slot on his sword.
"FINISH TIME! ZI-O" Zi-O's sword began to spark with energy.
"GEIZ! TIME BURST!" The red Rider's belt announced as he leapt up into the air, and a series of neon yellow projections bridging the space between him and Another Baron appeared. He descended upon the beast and delivered a powerful kick!
"ZI-O! CRUNCH TIME SLASH!" Zi-O's sword announced as it extended into a large energy blade with similar pink characters formed as energy surrounding it. He swung the sword down on Another Gaim!

Both monsters growled and howled in pain, as their bodies began to spark and break down.
"A...Applejack... Apple...Bloom..." Another Gaim groaned, its voice sounding more feminine than before.
"...our...children..." Another Baron wheezed in a deeper, masculine voice affected with a slight Southern accent. But before anymore was said, both monsters exploded, only leaving their watches behind.

"...huh?" Zi-O looked around. "Where's the hosts?"
Twilight and the others looked around, but nothing. "Don't the Another Riders usually have someone they've possessed?" The bookish princess asked. Zi-O nodded in reply.
"This is weird." He noted as he walked over to claim the watches...but the red Rider kicked him away.

"OWWW!" Zi-O groaned. "What was that for!?" But the red Rider ignored him, and picked up both watches, examining them. He then looked at the GaimWatch, and threw it to Zi-O.
"I don't need this one." He bluntly stated, as he started walking away with the BaronWatch.
"Hey! You can't just-" Twilight started, but was cut off by an energy blast whizzing past her ear...which struck a monster behind her.
"Take those kids and get out of here." He commanded, and while the others were reluctant to admit it, he was right- they needed to leave.
"...fine." Zi-O sighed, as he walked back over to his friends.

"Oh yeah, one more thing." The red Rider continued.
"I'm Kamen Rider Geiz." The Rider introduced himself.
"Kamen Rider...Geiz?" Zi-O asked.
"You better watch your back. And...be careful of who you trust." Geiz finished, walking away from the others.
"...Geiz, huh?" Pinkie noted. "A rival Rider appears-just like those Neighponese comics Fluttershy likes so much!"
"L-let's save this conversation for when we're somewhere safe...I mean, if you don't mind..." The timid pegasus requested, as Rainbow Dash picked up Applejack and carried her on her back as they made their way out of the forest.

Geiz continued his trek through Helheim, stopping only after he was sure he had gained enough distance from Zi-O.
"...I'm not much closer to the truth than I was." He lamented. "Even if there is another Rider still out there...it doesn't really change much. I'm still more or less on my own."

As he continued, he saw something unusual. It was another of those pony-esque creatures...but this one looked less like a cute cartoon pony and more like some sort of twisted bug-horse monster. He stealthily got closer to it...
"...such a shame, that you two weren't able to do anything." It spoke, the voice clearly belonging to a female. She seemed to be talking to a pair of exhumed corpses.

"At the very least, I was able to find a weakness in their little group." The sinister creature laughed. "I guess I really should be thankful for that little 'backdoor' that was left for us. Otherwise..." She trailed off as she was engulfed in a green flame before reappearing as an elderly looking pony.
"...I wouldn't be able to have so much fun with this..." She cackled, as a Helheim crack appeared beside her, and she stepped through it.

"...she knows something." Geiz muttered to himself. "It looks like the answers I've been looking for are in that other world after all."

It had become nighttime by the time the group had made its way back to Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash had brought Applejack to her bedroom, while the rest were scolding the wayward children.

"...just what compelled you to go into such an obviously dangerous place!?" Twilight yelled. "You could have been seriously hurt or even dead if it weren't for us and Tom!" Tom just nodded, staying quiet but still glaring with disappointment at the kids.
"...ah was tryin' to get away from Applejack." Apple Bloom finally spoke. "Ah only found that darn zipper when I was runnin'!"

"It was still an unbelievably foolish decision." Rarity interjected. "And you four are in very deep trouble for causing so much worry!" The fillies (and griffon) winced.
Tom shook his head. "I can only support what your sister's saying. Helheim is an incredibly dangerous place, and you're absolutely lucky that we found you before you either got killed by or were turned into an Inves." Everyone was about to ask what he meant.
"Inves are the name of those monsters." He explained, as everyone nodded. "Still, one thing's bothering me."

"You mean that Geiz guy?" Rainbow Dash asked, having just returned downstairs. "What was his problem, anyway?"
"...make that two things." Tom noted. "No, I'm talking about the Another Riders."
"What about them?" Twilight asked.
"Why did they know Applejack and Apple Bloom's names?" Tom wondered. "And for that matter, who were their hosts?"
"...it doesn't look like we're gonna get any answers right now." Twilight lamented. "It's really late, we should get back home."
The group said their goodbyes to each other and parted ways.

"...ah'm a plum fool to think ah could fill yer shoes, Pa....you and Ma were way better than ah ever could have been at raisin' a young'un." Applejack sobbed to herself. It was very rare that she lost her composure this deeply, but the events of the day had left a toll on her.

"...those Kamen Riders were somethin'. Even Twahlight and the girls and me weren't that strong." She lamented. "...ah want to be stronger. Ah want to protect mah family."

Applejack heard a knock at her door. She got up and answered the door. It was Granny Smith.
"G-granny..." Applejack sobbed, but her grandmother just gave her a kind smile and pulled her in for a hug. The younger farmer gladly returned the gesture...only for something to have been stabbed into her shoulder!
"W-wha!?" She recoiled, as she saw a RideWatch slowly entering her body! Then "Granny Smith" morphed back into a very familiar enemy...

"Y...yer that Changeling Queen!" She growled. The queen just scoffed and disappeared into another zipper.
"A...agh!!" Applejack grunted. "Ah...ah guess this is mah punishment. For all mah sins..." She fell to the floor.
"Granny, Big Mac, Ma, Pa, Apple Bloom...ah'm sorry." She whimpered out as she lost consciousness...

Chapter 5: The Rainbow Over A

Chapter 5
"The Rainbow Over A"

The entirety of Ponyville's population was gathered in the town hall. Many of its citizens were becoming paranoid about the recent rash of monsters, especially how they seemed to manifest by hijacking others' bodies. It seemed like anyone could be hiding a monster.

"Everyone, may I have your attention?" Mayor Mare, the very blatant mayor of Ponyville, tried to call the chattering audience to attention. "Everyone? Hello?"

But her cries fell on deaf ears. It was then that Pinkie Pie went up on stage and took out a very large party popper, and popped it. The resounding loud noise caused all chatter to cease.

"Thank you, Miss Pie." Mayor Mare said. "Now then, this meeting today is to discuss the strange monsters that have been reportedly possessing other ponies around town."

She turned to the curtains behind her.

"Let me welcome both Princess Twilight Sparkle and Thomas Decade to the stage."

She announced, as the alicorn and human marched to the podium. The crowd began chattering again, but Pinkie prepped another party popper, the sight of which quelled the chatter.

"Thanks, Pinkie." Twilight said to Pinkie, the pink pony giving a salute.

"Now, everypony, this meeting is to discuss the recent incidents involving the 'Another Riders', the monsters that have been causing incidents lately." Twilight started. The crowd began murmuring. She then used her magic to create a large projection.

"So far, there have been six confirmed monsters." She continued, projecting images of each of the Another Riders so far, with their names listed beneath.

"These five were, in order of appearance: Another Build, Another OOO, Another Kiva, Another Kabuto, Another Gaim, and Another Baron." Twilight explained. "Now, I would like to invite Tom Decade, who bravely stepped in to stop these monsters, to explain more."

Tom walked up to the podium, with Twilight stepping away. He was incredibly nervous.

"U-um...hello, everyone...er..." Tom stammered, but took a deep breath, then continued. "As Twilight said, these five monsters we have dubbed 'Another Riders'. They are twisted monsters that seem to be twisted mockeries of the legendary Kamen Riders from my world."

His fists tightened as he explained. He then produced some of the RideWatches he collected so far.

"These are RideWatches, which the girls and myself retrieved from the Another Riders. From what we've learned, these are being abused somehow to turn unsuspecting innocents into the Another Riders."

The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves again.

"So far, five RideWatches are in my possession. With them, I can use the powers of the Legendary Riders to combat the Another Riders and protect all of you. I can promise you this; no matter what, I will do everything in my power to protect you all!" He proclaimed loudly. The crowd murmured more, and then started clapping.

"...and WHY, exactly, should we trust what some alien monkey says?" A snooty voice rang out over the crowd. Tom recognized the voice. It was Spoiled Rich, the mare who had assaulted him the other day.

"Ponies of Ponyville, we cannot be certain that he has our best interests at heart!" She started.
"For starters, as was just stated, he can use the very same RideWatches and powers of the monsters! How do we know he's not behind this- using these monsters to make himself stronger!?"

The crowd started to talk.

"Now just a minute!" Twilight interrupted. "Tom here has fought bravely and put himself through incredible harm to save the victims of these monsters! How could you accuse him of such a horrible thing!?"

Spoiled rolled her eyes.

"That's what I expected, as you may very well be in cahoots with him!" She accused, but at that, the ponies all went silent.

"Your 'friends' were all made into these monsters. That seems too convenient to just dismiss as coincidence." She continued, but didn't notice the glares she was getting from several audience members. "Ponies, we must take a stand! I vote we exile both Twilight Sparkle and the monkey from Ponyville permanently!"

The silence was palpable. Then, someone spoke up.

"Mrs. Rich, with all due respect...shut the buck up." The speaker stood, it was Lyra Heartstrings. She looked utterly unamused.

"H-how dare you-" The arrogant mare began again, but Lyra shot her a death glare that stopped her in her tracks.

"I think it's very well known by now that you tried to assault Tom a few days ago. Not to mention, PRINCESS Twilight Sparkle is Equestrian royalty, and is Princess Celestia's personal student. Do you really, honestly think that she would take this lying down?" Lyra continued, tranquil fury evident in her voice.

"Y-you disgusting deviant!" Spoiled retorted. "I only-"

"She's right!" Bon Bon stood up to join Lyra. "I've seen how badly Tom was injured in his fights! He risked his LIFE for us!"

Mr. and Mrs. Cake also stood. "He rescued our dear Pinkie from a horrible monster, as well as prevented an uncountable number of victims!"

Big Macintosh also stood. "He rescued both mah sisters from a fate worse than death!"

Officer Rights then stood. "He's helped us solve all the monster-sorry, Another Rider- cases so far. He has the Ponyville guard's support.

More and more ponies stood in support of the Rider.

"Why are you protecting him? He's just as bad as that damned zebra who lives in the Everfree!" She tried to argue.

"And we were wrong about her too." A posh voice spoke. Its source was a mare with an ash gray coat and black mane, in a sophisticated looking suit. "We all made that error once."

"We're not gonna do it again." Another mare, a white-coated unicorn with a cobalt blue mane with large neon pink sunglasses, continued. "Zecora rocks! And so does Tom!"

"We all believe in Tom!" A gray pegasus with a yellow mane and a lazy eye joined them.

"Grrr...shut up...shut up!" Spoiled growled.

"Spoiled...you need to stop this." A stallion's voice this time. He stood up, he was an olive-coated stallion in a suit and tie, the tie having a dollar sign on it. "My apologies to everyone here, for my wife."

"Filthy...I..." Spoiled was about to say something, but Filthy just shot her a look.

"We will talk about this when we get home, 'dear'." He bluntly stated.

Spoiled's face contorted with visible rage. "FINE! YOU INGRATES!" She stomped off.

"YOU WILL ALL REGRET THIS!" She yelled as a parting remark.

The crowd just remained silent. Twilight then cleared her throat.

"Well...now that the distraction has passed, let's get back to the meeting."

While most of Ponyville's residents attended the meeting, a few notable names were missing from that list. Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were all missing from the meeting.

After their recent excursion into the alien Helheim Forest, Applejack had been borderline comatose. Her entire worldview was in question, and she became withdrawn to an unhealthy
degree.

Rainbow Dash decided to stay by her side, and be there for her, as befitting of the Element of Loyalty. But her own feelings and desires played more into this decision than she was willing to admit. She had asked Fluttershy to assist in taking care of their friend.

The kindly pegasus had finished making some soup for Applejack, and had left it on a table by her bed, before shutting the door. Rainbow Dash, who had been waiting in the hallway, approached her.

"So? How is she?" Dash asked. Fluttershy just shook her head, tears starting to form in her eyes. Rainbow just balled her fists.

"That stupid forest...I wish it never showed up." She growled in frustration. Fluttershy just put her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"We have to be strong for her, Rainbow..." Fluttershy said comfortingly. But her tears began to flow faster. "We...have to...but I'm having a tough time doing that."

"Fluttershy..." Dash murmured.

"T-that forest...it was so h-h-horrible! It was a twisted mockery of everything I love about nature! And we almost lost our friends to it!" She cried. "If...if Tom wasn't there, we would all be dead!"

"Yeah...that guy sure is something, alright." Dash replied. "I mean, ever since he got here, all he's basically done is fight monsters."

"He's been throwing himself in harm's way for our sakes..." The shy pegasus noted. "And he saved my life..." A blush grew on her face. Dash just grinned.

"Does somepony have a crush?" Rainbow joked. Fluttershy's face just turned beet red and she squeaked in embarrassment.

"W-well...I mean...um..." She stammered, but all she could really muster was another squeak.

"Nah, I'm just having fun." Rainbow reassured her friend. "But I don't blame you for liking him, dude's got the whole 'knight in shining armor' bit going on for him."

"Mmhmm..." Fluttershy just mumbled, still consumed by embarrassment.

"I think Twilight's interested in him as well though." When Rainbow said that, Fluttershy's demeanor changed from embarrassment to a slight panic. She grasped Rainbow by the shoulders.

"SHE IS!?" She yelped, shaking Rainbow Dash. "I WOULDN'T STAND A SNOWBALL'S CHANCE IN TARTARUS AGAINST HER!"

"Calm down, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash commanded, her voice shaking alongside her. Fluttershy ceased shaking as Rainbow shook her head a bit.

"You and I both know that Twilight would most likely be willing to share him, we've all been friends for a long time." She explained. "Heck, I figured at least some of us would end up in a herd with her and a stallion at some point."

"I..." Fluttershy was about to reply but stopped and thought. "No, you're right. Twilight wouldn't just hog a stallion to herself like that. But what about Tom himself?" She asked.

"What do you mean? You think he wouldn't go for us?" Rainbow asked, but Fluttershy shook her head.

"No, I mean what if his species' mating customs aren't like ours?" She wondered. Rainbow Dash shrugged.

"Eh, I doubt it'd be a problem, and even if it is, he's here now-he's gonna have to get used to it." Dash stated nonchalantly. "But talk to Twilight about this."

"Right, I will. Thank you, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy expressed her gratitude. "And when Applejack is better you can talk to her about your feelings too." She said, walking down the hall.

"Yeah, I can talk to...wait, what!?" She barked, but then just dropped it as she followed Fluttershy. Before leaving fully though, she saw something out of the corner of her eye, a shadow.

"Huh?" She looked again, but there was nothing. Rainbow just sighed.

"All this business with monsters is starting to get to me… gotta chill out."

At Twilight's castle, Spike was busy cleaning some of Twilight's bookshelves. He wanted a bit of time to himself to think.

"...all these monsters doing things to my friends." Spike said to himself, shaking his head. "I'm glad Tom's been able to fight them, but... I wish I could do something more than that."

He climbed down the ladder he was using, only to notice that a large amount of books were missing....

"What the...!?" Spike ran over to check the shelf, and noticed that several shelves were now missing books from them.

"Ok, Spike...deep breath. Twilight has these books catalogued, so right now I need to figure out what's missing."

The young dragon grabbed the library's index (which, in itself, was big enough to be a dictionary) and began running down the list.

"Let's see...whoever stole them must have stolen whole shelves." He noted. "So...wait a minute, these are all the Daring Do books!" He looked further. "And then there's 'History of the Wonderbolts', 'Weather Management for Dummies', 'Pegasi Illustrated Swimwear Edition'..." He listed.

"...weird, all those books sound like things Rainbow Dash would read." Spike thought. "Wait, books are MISSING!?" He started to panic. "Twilight's gonna lay hard boiled eggs when she finds out!"

"Hmm..." Tom was lost in thought, as he and Twilight were walking back to Twilight's castle.

"What's wrong, Tom?" Twilight asked with concern.

"It's what that Spoiled lady was saying...I'm trying my best, but am I doing something wrong?" He elaborated.

Twilight just shook her head. "Don't mind her. She's got a reputation as a rabble-rouser." She smiled and put her hand on Tom's shoulder. "And, while she may not support you, you got to see just how many ponies do. Plus, you've got me, and Spike, and the girls all backing you too!"

Tom smiled. "Thanks, Twilight...I needed that. I'm grateful that you're my friend."

Twilight blushed a bit, as they continued towards the castle. Then, Spike came running up to them.

"TWIIIILIGHT!!!" Spike yelled, panicking. He ran into the arms of his adoptive sister.

"Spike, what's wrong?" Twilight asked.

"I-I'm sorry! Somepony stole a bunch of books from the library! I didn't even see them do it! Please don't be mad!" He begged, the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes.

Twilight flinched a bit, but patted Spike on the head. "Calm down, Spike. Let's go take a look at the library and see what's happened. Maybe they just got misplaced."

Of course, when they all GOT to the library, Twilight's compulsions went into overdrive, and she started shouting some uncharacteristic language...

"-and then I'll have them bound by rope, and dragged to the center of town by their ears, and then I'll dump grape jelly and FIRE ANTS on them!" She angrily threatened.

"Twilight! TWILIGHT!" Tom shook her. "Deep breaths." He commanded.

Twilight still seethed, but composed herself. "Better...thanks, Tom."

"Thank Spike. He's the one who told me what to do." He said, gesturing towards Spike, who was ducking behind a pile of books, wearing an army helmet and an armored vest. "You can come out now, Spike."

The dragon removed his gear and came out. "Yeah, sorry about that....Twilight hasn't freaked out like this in a long time."

Tom looked concerned. "She's done this before?" Twilight just looked at the two, shaking her head at Spike rapidly to stop him.

"Oh yeah, she used to act like this a lot. Like this time where she-mmrph!" Spike was cut off by a zipper magically appearing over his mouth and closing.

"Yes, well I'm sure we all make mistakes!" Twilight laughed nervously. Spike glared and unzippered his mouth.

"Oh, come on, Twi, don't you think he deserves to know?" He whispered.

"...there's a bag of emeralds with your name on it if you keep quiet." She murmured back.

"Deal." Spike grinned.

Tom just looked confused, but decided to drop it. "ANYWAY, about the missing books."

"Right." Twilight started looking over all the shelves, rapidly noting everything that was out of place. She then noticed a small piece of tattered black cloth behind one of the bookcases.

"What's this?" She looked it over. "Feels...weird." She tried to scan it with a magic spell, but it didn't work, and Twilight felt a bit of irritation in her horn.

"Hey, Tom...any of the Kamen Riders you know have anything to do with cloth?" Twilight asked.

"Um...that's a long list. Why do you ask?" He queried, as Twilight showed him the black cloth.

"Huh...you think an Another Rider might have left it?" Tom asked.

"I can't find anything out from it with magic, and holding it makes my horn sting..."

"So it must be a clue!" Pinkie suddenly popped in, wearing a Sherlock Holmes-styled outfit and brandishing a magnifying glass.

Tom raised his finger up, about to ask, but Twilight gently pushed his arm back down, shaking her head in resignation.

Pinkie just walked around the room, investigating various things with the magnifying glass. As she walked around, she sounded out various "hmms" and "huhs". Eventually, she cried out
"Eureka!"

"What? Did you figure something out?" Tom asked.

"It's elementary, dear boy, you see...I have no idea what's going on!" Pinkie joked, as Twilight felt her palm meet her forehead.

"Pinkie, please! There's likely another monster on the loose, we need to find it before it hurts somepony!" Twilight pleaded.

"Right...I didn't think of that. Sorry Twi, sorry Tommy." Pinkie apologized, calming down.

"Well, if you want to help us, maybe you've seen this around?" Tom held out the piece of cloth. Pinkie took it and started looking it over from various angles. Then, for some reason, she sniffed it.

"...wait, I think I actually found something!" She cheered. "Twilight! Smell this!"

"WHAT!?" Twilight was bewildered by the suggestion, but remembered who she was talking to and sighed. "The things I do for friendship..." She lamented as she waved her hand over the cloth to pull the smell towards her.

"Smells like...spice? I think cinnamon or nutmeg." The alicorn noted.

"So, we've got some missing manuscripts, a conspicuous cloth and a suspicious spicy smell..." Pinkie adequately alliterated.

But, as they pondered, Pinkie started to jiggle and jolt. "Pinkie Sense...someone's raided my party cave!" She grabbed Tom and Twilight and pulled them out the door at lightning speed, Spike just sighing and following.

Sugarcube Corner was surrounded by the investigating police.

"Looks like they beat us to it." Tom commented. "Hey! Is Officer Rights here!?" He called out. The police-ponies took notice of Tom as he waved.

"...yer the Rider?" One of them, a gruff-and-grizzled older stallion approached.

"Yes sir." Tom nodded.

"...so yer the fella who gave t'other monsters a proper beatin'." He replied. He then glanced Tom over a few times.

"Not exactly a paragon of fitness, are ya lad?" He chuckled a bit. Tom wasn't amused.

"You wouldn't be saying the same thing if I were suited up, jerk." Tom thought to himself, annoyed.

"Ah, I'm just joshin' ya, lad! Ya did good against those other creeps, let me tell ya. Especially since they don't play nice with magic." The officer replied, giving Tom a "pat" on the back. Tom almost fell over.

"Oof...well, anyway, I was looking for Officer Rights." Tom explained.

"Aye, we all heard ya." The cop nodded. "Oi! Mimi! Rider kid's here to see ya!"

"...Mimi?" The group all asked, confused. Officer Rights jogged over, glaring daggers at her coworker.

"Officer O' Copper!" She shouted authoritatively. "You are NOT to address me as 'Mimi' during working hours!"

"Ah, what's the harm in it?" O'Copper replied. "Yer too wound up for yer own good, lassie."

The group just stared stunned at the two bickering cops. Pinkie mumbled 'bow chicka wow wow' under her breath.

Officer Rights cleared her throat. "Sorry about that.I see you've met my partner here." She said, leering at the other cop.

"That we have..." Tom confirmed, rubbing his shoulder. "But enough about that, what's happened here?"

"That's the weird part. Aside from a file cabinet in the basement, nothing was touched." The female police officer pondered. Pinkie then dashed inside.

"Pinkie, wait!" Twilight cried out after her friend. "I am so, SO sorry about this!"

"I've lived in Ponyville long enough to know all about Pinkie Pie, Princess." Officer Rights snarked.

A few moments later, Pinkie returned with a panicked look on her face!

"THEY'RE GONE! THE MOST IMPORTANT FILES!" Pinkie yelped.

"The...most important?" Twilight asked.

"Well, yeah! The files on you guys!" Pinkie explained. "Of course you're the most important, you're my bestest best friends ever!"

Twilight looked happy, but Tom was confused.

"Uh...Pinkie has personality files on everypony in town for party purposes." Twilight explained to Tom, but this knowledge made Tom very unnerved.

"Is Pinkie some sort of stalker or something?" He thought to himself, but shook his head.

"ANYWAY, the point right now is that the culprit has personality files of you and your friends."

Tom changed the topic quickly.

"But if this is an Another Rider, why would it steal something like files? All the previous monsters seemed to be non-sapient." Twilight wondered. "Unless...they're getting smarter." She realized.

"Smarter? How so?" Tom asked.

"The one Rainbow Dash turned into, Another Build...it basically ran around destroying stuff, except for that bit where it hugged Applejack for some reason." Twilight contemplated. "Then Another OOO was generating those medal things, and Another Kiva laid a trap in the form of a party."

"...come to think of it, they have been getting more elaborate." Tom realized. "But why would it want files on you and your friends?"

"...you think it might be after us? I mean, we did destroy its friends." Pinkie pontificated.

"Missing books...missing files on us...what's the connection?" Twilight thought to herself. "The books that went missing consisted mainly of Daring Do and...Wonderbolts related books." She realized at that point, a crucial part of the mystery.

"Rainbow Dash has something to do with this." Twilight realized. Tom and Pinkie both looked confused.

"Are you saying Dashie's the monster AGAIN?" Pinkie asked. Twilight shook her head.

"No, I think after the last time she'd have learned not to trust strange watches." She explained.

"But the books that were stolen are all things related to Rainbow Dash's interests, and the files
contain information on us, Rainbow Dash included. It's not hard to guess that whoever the monster is might be after her."

"So...who is the Another Rider this time?" Tom asked. "Out of the seven of you, only you, Spike and Applejack haven't been transformed yet."

"And I don't think it's Spike. He didn't show any abnormalities, and I could still use magic on him." Twilight added.

"...I think we need to go have a talk with Applejack, you two." Twilight suggested. "Even if she's not the monster, at least we can rule it out after."

Apple Bloom marched towards the farmhouse, covered in dirt and panting. She was holding a mud-covered rake.

"Ugh...ah hate havin' to clean all the muck outta the pig pen." She groaned. She was taking on extra chores on Applejack's behalf, partly to help and partly as a punishment for going into the Everfree unsupervised.

"Puttin' the rake away..." She muttered as she walked over to the toolshed.

"...mmrh! Mmmmph!" A muffled sound came from inside the shed. Apple Bloom froze up. But she gathered herself, and, after gulping in fear, opened the door. Inside was Granny Smith, tied up to a chair and muffled by tape.

"Granny! What happened to ya!?" The young Apple ran over. The elder Apple's eyes looked at her, but then she started squirming more.

"MMMMMRPH!" Granny Smith yelped, muffled by the tape.

"Don't worry, Granny- ah'll get you loose!" Apple Bloom said, but then noticed another Granny Smith behind her, holding a mallet.

"What in tarnation...!?" She cried out as the imposter took a swing at her. Apple bloom yelped and rolled out of the way.

"MMMPH!" Granny Smith struggled to break free to save her granddaughter, but to no avail.

"I should have taken care of you too, you little brat." The imposter spat, dropping the accent from her speech. She raised the hammer again, but as she did, a shot struck her in the back!

"Gah!" The fake dropped the hammer, and clutched her back in pain. She turned to see the assailant, it was Zi-O, with his Edge of Time's gun form pointed right at her.

"Step away from the Apples, you imposter." He commanded. The imposter growled, but dropped her disguise.

"Wait...you're...!" Apple Bloom squeaked in horror. She was gazing at the Changeling Queen herself!

"Ugh...it doesn't matter. Soon this whole damned farm is going up in smoke!" She cackled, as she waved her arm. As she did, another zipper portal appeared. Zi-O was shocked.

"What!? How did you..." He started, but the Queen ignored him.

"As much as I'd like to stick around, I've got a schedule to keep, so ta-ta!" She taunted as the portal closed.

"Wait!" Zi-O dived at the portal, but it closed before he could reach it, resulting in him falling on his face.

"Huh. Landed forward instead of backward this time. Change of pace." Zi-O grumbled as he got to his feet. He went over to the captured senior and cut the ropes with his sword.

"This'll sting for a second." He said, gripping the tape with his fingers before yanking it off.

"YEEEEEOUCH!" Granny Smith yelled. "That's gonna leave a mark..."
Just then, Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rarity and Rainbow Dash all showed up behind them.

"We got here as fast as possible! What's going on?" Twilight asked.

"That rassin-frazzin' Changeling Queen, THAT's what's goin' on!" Granny Smith growled. "She got me while I was sleepin' and hogtied me!"

"Changeling Queen...?" Zi-O asked, but as he did, Rainbow Dash suddenly zipped towards the farmhouse.

"Hang on, Applejack-I'm coming to save you!"

Applejack was hunched over on the floor of her bedroom, in pain. She was struggling, as if she was trying to keep something inside her from escaping.

"Y-ya won't get out again! Ah won't let you treat me like a plow!" The farmer growled.

"But ah AM you. You have the power to keep yer entire family safe. So why not use it? Show anyone who even looks at your sister or any of your kin funny that they're YOUR family." A voice inside Applejack spoke.

"N-no! Yer just some crazy watch!" She strained. "Ah...ah can't...AAAAAAARGH!" She screamed as she lost control, and the power overwhelmed her. Black wisps covered her body as her form began to shift. The result was a bizarre humanoid wrapped in frayed black bandages, and spikes on its left arm, left shoulder and left leg. The right side of its body was mostly black cloth, as if it was only half-finished.

"Ah...AH WILL PROTECT THEM!" The monster growled. It jumped out the window and ran at the group near the shed.

"AAAARGH!" The monster screamed, as everyone ducked out of the way, with Zi-O holding it back.

"You're...Another W!" Zi-O realized. "But, only the Joker half..." The monster elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to stagger.

"MAH FAMILY! NOT YERS!" The monster shouted, in a distorted version of Applejack's voice.

"It...it really IS Applejack." Fluttershy winced. Just then, Another W dashed up to Fluttershy and grabbed her by the shirt.

"No..." It growled as it tossed her to the ground. It then turned to Twilight. Twilight attempted to put up a shield, but the monster tore through it.

"Not you either...need mah other half..." The monster growled. It looked around, and centered its gaze on Rainbow Dash.

"Yer the one..." Another W lunged towards Rainbow Dash, the athletic pony meeting it head on!

"I don't know what your deal is, but you better let Applejack go!" Rainbow Dash commanded as she grappled with the beast.

"Better...come join us in HERE!" The monster's right half suddenly started separating out into bandages which wrapped themselves around Rainbow Dash!

"H-hey! Lemme go!" She struggled, as the monster pulled her closer. As she got closer, the right portion of the monster's body started to reshape itself into a large mouth filled with jagged teeth!

"No way!" Dash continued to struggle. But just then, Zi-O shoulder-checked the Another Rider, knocking Rainbow Dash away!

"Applejack! I know you can hear me in there! Don't do this!" Zi-O pleaded.

"You....YOU...if it wasn't for you, ah wouldn't have let them down!" The monster growled back.

"Ah'll keep my family safe...from you! AH'LL BREAK YOU INTO BITS AND EAT THE PIECES!" Another W snapped as it started lashing out at the young Rider. Zi-O returned some of the punches, but the Another Rider tripped him using the spiked cuff on its left leg!

"GAH!" Zi-O grunted in pain. Just then, Rainbow Dash dived in and kicked the monster herself!

"Take this!" She shouted as she began assaulting the monster from the air, but for some reason, the monster seemed to stop fighting back. Zi-O suddenly realized what was about to happen.

"Rainbow Dash, don't! Get out of there!" He yelled. But his plea fell on deaf ears as the pegasus kept attacking, until suddenly, when she was doing another diving kick, the monster turned and reopened the bizarre mouth on its right, Dash ending up in there! The bandages closed around her as she reached out...and after that, the right half of the monster's body changed, the bandages turning a strange turquoise color, and becoming looser. The spiked armor on the beast's left half was mirrored by golden armor on the right.

"...oh crap, so that's what the Another Rider was trying to do!" Zi-O backed up.

"W-what just happened!?" Twilight panicked.

"...the monster was after Rainbow Dash the whole time, that's why it was trying to steal stuff related to her! So it could lure her out!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"And the original Kamen Rider W needed two people to fully function..." Zi-O remembered. "It wanted Rainbow Dash to be its second component!"

The completed Another W let out a roar, as wind gathered around it.

"Y'ALL AIN'T WELCOME HERE!" Another W yelled in a fusion of Applejack and Rainbow Dash's voices. "AH AM SWEET APPLE ACRES' GUARDIAN!" As she roared, the winds greatly intensified.

"Ugh! I can't see!" Twilight grunted, as she quickly erected a barrier around her and the others to protect them.

"What are we going to do!?" Fluttershy panicked. "That...thing has two of our friends!"
Zi-O, without much hesitation, rushed out from the barrier's protection, brandishing his blade. But it was of little use as the winds blew him backwards. He tumbled backwards, landing back under the barrier.

"Tom! Are you alright!?" Fluttershy cried out.

"I'm...I'm fine, but those winds are even more intense than I can handle right now." He explained.

"Surely...surely you have a watch that can handle it, right?" Rarity asked.

The Rider thought to himself. "The GaimWatch!" He realized. "I think I may be able to do something with that...but I don't have it! It's back at the castle..." He replied, smacking himself in the forehead.

"...Tom, girls, get down for a moment." Twilight said. "We're not out of options yet."

Back at the castle, Spike was sweeping, trying to take his mind off the recent events. But he started to feel a familiar burning. He belched up flame that turned into a scroll.

"Huh?" He thought as he opened the scroll.

"Spike, Sweet Apple Acres in trouble- bring GaimWatch! HURRY! Love, Twilight" The letter read.

"GaimWatch...that's the orange one...alright! Hang on guys, I'm coming!" He ran to the guest room Tom was staying in. He spotted the necessary watch on the bedside table, as well as the other ones Tom had collected so far.

"Jeez, we need to figure out a better way to store these things." Spike commented. "And now, to
Sweet Apple Acres!" He triumphantly announced as he ran out the door.

Back on the farm the Another Rider had split into several copies of itself, each glowing a faint gold like the light of Luna’s moon.

All of the copies went on the offensive, karate-chopping Tom and he staggered back his armor sparking slightly. The copies then merged back with the original Another W, who turned half-red.

Flames rushed towards Zi-O who rolled out of the way before the winds began to pick up and Tom’s eyes widened under his helmet.

“They're about to do a Memory Break! GET DOWN!” he said as he watched the Another Rider rise higher and higher.

The monster fell towards him in a diving kick, and Tom flew backwards bouncing along the ground several times and ripping up the earth.

Tom was rolling along the ground, the battle now in the surrounding fields. The Another Rider advanced, Zi-O grabbing a nearby scarecrow and smashing it across the monster’s face.

“Gonna have to split you apart…” Tom uttered to himself, knocking the monster back with a side kick. “I need to change tactics."

Pulling out a watch, he shoved it into the empty space in his driver. Stepping backwards, Tom oh-so-casually let a kick from the monster spin the driver.

“Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O! Armor Time! Best Match! Build!”

“I think…” Tom said, letting the drill on his arm spin up. “I’ve got the winning formula!”

With a war cry he hoped sounded super manly, he charged forwards with the drill ripping into the Another Rider threatening to split it apart.

Then he heard the twin sounds of zippers opening from behind and felt vines wrapping around his waist and arms and lashing him to a tree.

“I’m sorry but I can’t let you do that,” Chrysalis said, dressed in a plunging black dress that showed off a lot of her cleavage. Around her waist, an oh-so-familiar type of belt. “Not this time I’m afraid. You’ve interfered far too often.”

She waved her hand, and the vines pulled Tom back through the tree as the Another Rider advanced.

“Interfering’s what I do though,” Tom said, coughing a little as he picked himself up. “Part of the Kamen Rider job description. And don't think I won't hesitate to use force if you try to cause any more problems!"

“Oh, afraid of me shattering like a fragile vase?” Chrysalis asked. “Well I hate to disappoint but… Henshin!”

"An eternal grudge reborn! Come on! Ringo Arms! Desire forbidden fruits~!"

Armor wrapped around her, a shield appearing on her arm and from it she drew a sword. Tom blanched. He hadn’t expected to be facing two Riders today.

Time to change tactics again.

Leaping over vines summoned by the new Idunn, he swapped RideWatches and spun his driver yet again.

“Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O! Armor Time! Gabu! Kiva!”

Waving his hand, bats flew out of the trees and swarmed both villains even as day seemed to turn to night.

A gold sword, with a crossguard like bat wings seemingly adorned with a screaming face appeared in his hand. Racing through both of his opponents, Tom ran them through as the sword glowed red as blood.

Blades locked, Tom finding himself dueling with Chrysalis. “I don’t know where you got those powers, and I don’t really care. All I want are answers, why are you turning other ponies into monsters?”

“Awww, such a caring and concerned citizen,” Chrysalis said, trying to twist her sword to disarm Tom only to receive an elbow in the face for her troubles. “But I’m not interested in playing twenty questions."

Tom raised his sword high and just brought it down slashing her horizontally across the chest. His fellow Rider staggered back, and Chrysalis swore even as vines shot towards Tom like missiles.

They wrapped around his sword, pulling it out of his hand.

“Alright Sticky Fingers, good thing I’ve got two then,” Tom said, pulling out his proper sword and changing its form. “And good thing it can change into a gun! I’m going to beat you with the power of friendship, and this gun I found!”

He fired several times, only for Chrysalis to disappear into a crack she’d summoned.

“Huh, that was…”

“RINGO AU LAIT!”

And Tom found himself rolling along the ground via a Rider kick from the side.

“...way too easy,” he coughed out. Chrysalis strode towards him, picking up his sword and raising it above her head, ready to bring it down like a harpoon to the heart.

“Well, it’s been fun but… Well, I’m done playing.”

“HEY!” Spike shouted, spitting a blazing green fireball at her. “You get away from my friend! Tom, catch!”

Like a champion pitcher, he tossed the Gaim Ridewatch towards Tom, who shot up to catch it.

“Thanks!” Tom said, slotting it into his driver. “Now it’s my stage again! Henshin!”

“Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O! Armor Time! The flowered path, on stage! Gaim!”

A zipper opened up from above, a giant metal orange landing with a ‘plop’ sound atop Tom’s head.

“Aaaaah, ah! Orange juice in my eyes!” Tom shouted, as the armor formed around him.

As the armor latched onto Tom, it formed large orange pauldrons around his chest and shoulders, the chest bearing a strange mark that looked like half of an orange with the bottom half being replaced by some sort of portrait of a samurai-esque Rider. The armor continued to shape itself, becoming dark blue and yellow in areas where the orange armor didn't attach. A pair of sharp blades shaped like orange slices spawned from his legs, attaching themselves at the sides. Finally, his helmet had changed to a samurai-esque design, complete with a large crescent-moon shaped crest, and orange lettering replacing the standard neon magenta letters.

“Now, as I was saying…” Tom said, striking what he hoped/thought was a cool pose. Spoiler, it really wasn’t. “This is my stage again!”

Taking a similar stance to the original Rider, he dared Chrysalis to challenge him. Meanwhile, Another W had just flown into a rage at the sight of him, practically frothing at the mouth.

“ORANGES AIN'T APPLES! APPLES ARE THE BEST FRUIT! NO ORANGES ALLOWED!”

“You're losing it even more now, huh?" Tom said sadly.

Chrysalis chuckled. “New armor, but really it’s new packaging for the same old product. Loser. But let’s see if you can cut it.”

They dueled briefly, Tom summoning extra swords to get her off his back as extra blades appeared through cracks.

“Unlimited Daidaimaru Works!” Tom grinned, his armor folding back up into a ball as he headbutted Chrysalis with it before his armor reformed around him.

Summoning Gaim’s other sword, which was also a gun, Tom just let her have it and made Chrysalis stagger backwards from the shots.

“Heh, well, I suppose you’re getting stronger every day,” Chrysalis complimented. “But you’ve still got a long long way to go kid. You’re still just a small fish in a very big pond, and be careful.”

“Advice from you?” Tom asked. “I think I’ll ignore whatever you have to say.”

“I’m just giving you a friendly warning. It’s not uncommon for Riders to change completely in their careers. Remember the original Gaim? Would you want to leave all your friends behind in a form completely unrecognizable?” Chrysalis chuckled, opening up a crack behind her. “Who knows, maybe your friends will leave you behind in fear.”

Tom looked momentarily frightened at that, stuttering over his response a little. “I-It doesn't m-matter who's on m-my side! I'm still protecting the same people! Even if I completely change in the end!”

“Hmmph,” Chrysalis said, vanishing through the crack. “We’ll see. On your left by the way.”

And Tom found himself facing Another W again. However, someone else had been watching all of this time, tracking Chrysalis’s every movement. From behind a tree, a figure watched. Clad in silver armor, they frowned under their helmet before vanishing through a glowing blue portal.

Another W rampaged, stretching a golden arm trying to punch Tom through the barn only for the man to leap over the attack with surprising grace and speed considering the heavy armor he wore.

Briefly, in mid-air his armor folded back up and then unfolded to spin like a helicopter as he landed behind Another W.

With a slash, he sent the Another Rider staggering and for a moment he could see it separate before stitching itself back together again.

“Hmmm, guess I really can cut it,” Tom said, trying to fight a smirk.

“Tom, wait!” Twilight shouted as she and her friends ran up, each holding one of the Daidaimaru swords. “No way you’re doing this alone!”

“Yeah, silly! Those are our friends in there too!” Pinkie said. “And ooooh, wonder if I can use this as a fancy-smancy new cake-cutter?”

“Yeah, we’ll think about it,” Tom said, wondering if he should take that sword away from her. “Anyways, t-thanks girls.”

Another W just roared at them, running forwards into another Memory Break.

“Not this time!” Tom said, spinning his driver.

“FINISH TIME! GAIM!”

Human, pony and dragon alike slashed at the fused being. Inexplicably, Fluttershy was dressed in a gorgeous kimono as cherry blossoms fell all around her.

“Omae wa mou shindeiru,” she said. “I’ll end this in a single stroke, on my family’s honor.”

Slash after slash ripped through Another W, and finally it could sustain itself no longer, falling apart with Rainbow and Applejack sitting amongst the smoking remains. Nearby, a watch.

“Yoink,” Tom said, canceling his transformation, walking over to the watch and picking it up and pocketing it. “I swear, I’ll keep Ponyville from crying, Shoutaro-san and Philip-san.”

“What… what in tarnation? The hell?” Applejack asked before the memories came flooding back. “Aw hell, did I really? I did, didn’t I? Damn bug went ahead and jumped me!”

"Um, so...did you notice that when we were stuck in that monster, our thoughts were all mixed up?” Rainbow asked, rubbing her head.

"Yup." Applejack said, sounding suspiciously like her brother.

"And did you happen to notice one of them was of us holding hands in a field of flowers and...um, kissing?" Rainbow asked.

"Mmhmm." Applejack nodded.

"...well, it wasn't MINE!" Rainbow exclaimed. “Seriously, that wasn't my thought. Way too mushy, ewwwwww.”

Tom sweatdropped. “Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt. Can they be any more obvious?”

“Oh for golly goodness’s sake,” Pinkie shouted. “Just kiss!”

Both mares flushed.

“Good grief!” Twilight and Tom chorused, both rubbing their brows.

A bit later, everyone was working to clean up the mess that Another W made. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were ordered to sit and rest after their ordeal, but Applejack refused, and began to work despite the visible strain it was putting on her body.

“Applejack, stop! You’re still hurt from earlier!” Twilight complained, but the farmer just ignored her.

“Please, darling, you need to rest!” Rarity pleaded. Still nothing.

“LAND SAKES, GIRL!” Granny Smith yelled, as she swiftly bonked her stubborn granddaughter on the head with her cane.

“OW!” Applejack reeled. She looked at her friends and family, who looked equal parts concerned and frustrated.

“Now you listen and listen good, young lady!” The elder started lecturing. “Ah don’t rightly know about the monkey feller, but he, yer friends AND me are all worried sick about the way yer acting!” She sighed. “Yer not the only Apple, okay? Let’s work together as a family.”

Applejack was processing this. She thought she had learned this lesson long ago- about letting her stubbornness override her common sense. She just fell to her knees.

“And another thing- ah think you owe Mr. Commie Rider over there an apology for actin’ like a plum fool!” She commanded, pointing at Tom. Tom just tried to stay neutral, though his eye twitched at yet another mondegreen of his title.

Applejack walked over to Tom, rubbing her arm in a combination of shame and soreness.

“Um...ah just wanted to say...ah’m s-s-sorry.” She struggled to get the words out.

“...you were trying to protect your family, right?” Tom asked. “Don’t worry, Applejack- I’m not holding that against you.” He continued. “Just...maybe calm down and think for a bit before you do something.”

“...ah can do that.” She held out her hand to Tom for a handshake. “Friends?”

“Friends…” Tom grasped the farmer’s hand, but the sheer grip she had was crushing.

“...gonna feel that one in the morning.” He wheezed.

Chrysalis chuckled as she walked. She’d gotten everything she’d needed for today. Sure, Tom got his hands on a new RideWatch and another one of the Another Riders had been defeated, but everything was going according to plan.

Interesting. Any creature with any existing insecurities or flaws would work a lot better as Another Riders than just any random pony she picked out of a crowd. Yes, this would do nicely.

“I see someone’s happy,” another Rider said, walking up in blue armor that made him sorta resemble a cobra. “I don’t see why you should be though, given you got your ass handed to you, not to mention the happy couple got split up.”

“Trust me,” Chrysalis said, tossing another dark watch up in the air and catching it. “I’m playing the long game. Better that way. Always play three steps ahead. I have an eternal grudge, and I will not let that brat get in my way of revenge. He wants to play at being a hero? Fine, but I hope he’s ready…For his trials will be by fire. Dragon fire.”

Author's Note

Big thanks to The Bricklayer for helping me finish this chapter!

Chapter 6: Dragon in the Mirror

“Mhmmm, this is good. Compliments to the chef,” Tom said as he dug into some apple cinnamon Prench toast, some baked apples off to the side. “Like I don’t think I’ve met anyone who can do this much with apples.”

“Well, glad ya like it sonny,” Granny Smith said as she passed him by. “Go on, eat up, you need some meat on them there bones! You’re as skinny as a rake! No family member of mine is going to look like he might fall over in a stiff breeze!”

Tom nearly choked on his breakfast at that. “F-Family member?”

“Sure sonny!” Granny almost cackled. “You save my family twice now, so you’re welcome in this house any time you like! Honestly, I should probably invite that Gates fella over as well, considering he helped and all!”

“I wouldn't hold your breath...he's definitely one of those Tsundere types if I've ever seen one…” Tom mumbled under his breath. “Reminds me of that fire and ice guy from that one manga.”

“Tsu-what now? Is that like some new-fangled genetically engineered fruit some lab cooked up?” Granny Smith asked, blinking. “Ah, whatever, I don’t care if he’s from some other family, I owe him a proper Apple Family dinner! He saved my granddaughter from those nasty alien vines!”

Applejack for her part, hadn’t really said much during any of this. She’d just been eating her food quietly, trying not to meet Tom’s eyes. Every time she got close, she turned away out of shame.

“What do you think AJ, eh?” Granny asked. “You think we should invite that Gates character over as well?”

“Whatever you say Granny…” Applejack said to herself, not really paying much attention.

“Oh, I see how it is!” Granny cackled again. “You got your head in the clouds again, thinking about that little rainbow-maned sweetheart of yours! You two fused right? Fancy way of tyin’ the knot isn’t it?”

Tom stifled a laugh.

“So when ya gonna kiss her?” Granny went on. “It’s not a proper marriage before you kiss the bride! Don’t keep a mare waitin, it’s improper!”

Spike sniggered and Applejack spat out her drink coughing.

“She’s not my-” the mare tried to argue.

“Oh hush with it, quit lyin’ to yourself. I’ve seen the way you make eyes at each other, it was how I used to make eyes with my late husband, bless his soul,” Granny said. “It usually ended with us going for a tussle in the barn!”

“TMI, Granny!” Applejack said, nearly whining as she put her hands to her ears.

“She’s not wrong,” Tom put in. “I think everyone and their grandma can see it. Like you two are so head over heels for one another, and heck didn’t you make her your better half -literally- for a reason?”

“Yer darn tootin' I can see it!” Granny added.

“Pretty sure the original W duo were so gay for each other…” Tom muttered to himself. “At least, that’s what my gramps always said.”

“Oh, your grandfather? You’ve never told us a lot about your family.” Twilight finally spoke.

“Well, he’s more distantly related than that, but he was like a real father to me.” Tom explained. “Taught me everything about the Kamen Riders that school didn’t. Granted, he had a lot of personal experience as a Rider himself.”

“Oh?” here Twilight leaned in, her curiosity piqued.

“Kamen Rider Decade, the Destroyer of Worlds…” Tom said sadly to himself.

“I’m… I’m sorry but did you just say-”

“Your grandpa was… h-he destroyed worlds?” Spike stammered out.

“Oh it sounds worse than it actually is, think of it like this okay? He’s basically like a plumber for time and space, unclogging the dimensions right?” Tom said, with a wave of his hand. “Getting rid of the bad stuff.”

“I-I’m sorry, but I just can’t help but think of, well…” Twilight said. “I can’t but help but think of a fat and sweaty guy in a Kamen Rider suit hunched over a sink.”

Tom snorted at this. “Still would be better than what some people thought of him. But he’s really not a bad guy. Well, as long as you don’t try to make him eat sea cucumber.”

“Well, anyone need me to do the dishes?” Spike asked, grabbing some of the empty plates.

“Nah, I got this. This was mostly for my benefit, so it’s only fair that I clean up,” Tom said, grabbing them out of his hands and heading for the sink.

“Oh sure, the Rider does it. He’s a savior of ponykind and enemy to dirt everywhere,” Spike said to himself, going unheard. “I bet he vacuums and rescues kittens from trees too.”

“What was that, Spike?” Twilight asked.

“Uh, oh, nothing!” The dragon quickly backpedaled. “Tell you what- I’m gonna go ahead and start on cleaning up the library! Those books we got back need to go back on the shelves, after all!”

Tom frowned as he watched Spike leave, the front door opening with a creaking sound.

“Is it just me or… I don’t want to impose, but given everything going on I’m worried,” Tom said.

“No, go on, speak your mind,” Twilight nodded.

“It’s just, does something seem wrong with him or is it just me?” Tom asked.

“Well, he was attacked by that Another Rider yesterday, he’s probably still on edge.” Twilight rationalized.

“I sure hope that’s the case…” Tom pondered.

Honestly, he had his doubts.

Tom couldn’t imagine how it felt, suddenly no longer being the center of attention. While he doubted the young dragon was that self-centered, suddenly here along came someone new. Someone who could quite literally be described as a knight in shining armor.

The shiny new thing to grab everyone else’s attention and to be fawned over.

Including probably by a certain mare.

Tom wasn’t stupid, okay maybe not completely. But even he could see the longing little looks that Spike was sending Rarity.

The hopes contained within that maybe just maybe she’d notice him. Give him a chance.

Oh boy.

“Well, you really dug yourself a deep hole this time didn’t you buddy?” the Rider thought to himself as he washed the dishes.

He cast a look at Twilight, and sighed.

“I know this is really something she should speak to him about, but I should probably do something as well, before this gets too out of hand,” Tom continued to think to himself. “I’m the source of all of this, so I should at least attempt to fix it.”

Right?

Breaking into a sprint, he ran out the door.

In town, Spike sighed. He didn’t want to sound ungrateful, and he really wasn’t, but there were days when he wanted to be the hero.

To be more than just Twilight’s little kid brother. The town dragon. Maybe it was dumb, but he liked being unique, a talking point.

Something that Ponyville could boast about. Well, we have the world’s greatest crepes, what do you have?

Oh, just a friendly neighborhood dragon!

And now Ponyville had something even more impressive, an actual superhero. Not a fake one like Mare-Do-Well, which for the record he’d been against from the start but a real one.

Like a shining knight straight out of a fairy tale.

“And it isn’t me…” Spike thought to himself, the teenage drake rubbing his arm. “I know, it’s pretty childish of me isn’t it? To want to be a hero, when I know I’m appreciated but... it’s just I want to be something a bit ‘more’. I can’t even be a dragon right, where are my wings?”

A nasty little voice in the back of his head said maybe he wanted to be appreciated by one specific pony, before being pushed aside.

No, Rarity appreciated him enough right? She knew he was useful!

And yet… And yet! Every time she looked out the window, her eyes wandered towards Tom.

“Good grief, get over yourself. She’s a grown mare, she’s allowed to have a few crushes here and there, and it’s only natural!”

But, and there was that nasty little voice back again, what if it wasn’t just a crush?

No, he needed to get ahold of himself. He was starting to sound like an incel or something, like that jerk with the grape powers that Tom had mentioned in passing once.

Like he was entitled to Rarity’s hand. That she wasn’t allowed to choose for herself.

She was a grown mare, she was allowed to choose who she was allowed to date, and if that person happened to be Tom, well he’d support her.

Like any good friend.

Spike knew there had always been a chance that she saw him nothing more as her model and very special assistant. That he was just going to strike out.

He clenched his fist. That Tom would swoop in, like he always did, and-

No, he needed to get ahold of himself. He needed to be better.

He wasn’t like all of the other dragons, who’d just take what they wanted and not caring who got hurt in the process.

He had to be better, set an example for the rest of his species.

Then if that was the case, why did he feel so damn useless? He was a dragon damnit, and yet he couldn’t save anyone. He had the fire and the claws and none of that was helpful against any of these Another Riders.

Spike’s fist slammed into a wall, cracking it slightly. An angry snort let out two little puffs of green fire. “I… I just want to be able to help, to do something!”

He hadn’t even realized he’d said that aloud, till he got a response back.

“Then maybe you can, all of that fire and all of that power and you just don’t know how to use it properly,” said a voice, and Spike’s eyes widened as he looked up. “You’re a great dragon, Spike. You can be an ever better one.”

“Prince- sorry Firelord?” Spike gasped as Ember stepped out of the shadows. In the back of his mind, alarm bells were ringing. She hadn’t said she was coming to Ponyville, they kept in touch.

Chrysalis was running around, posing as his friends and family. But… Maybe he should hear her out. Maybe this was Ember.

Changelings could only turn into ponies. Dragons were a different challenge entirely.

Yeah, this had to be her. Maybe she wanted to surprise him.

“Yeah, that’s my title. Don’t start wearing it out, wimp,” Ember said. “Anyways, I heard you moaning and mumbling to yourself. I doubt it was the good kind of moaning though I gotta admit walking in on you might be kinda nice! See what kind of thing you’re packing!”

Spike blushed, yeah this sounded exactly like Ember. Crass, and direct to the point.

“Anyways, found this in my nest,” Ember said, holding out a very familiar type of watch. “Didn’t look like a gem, and then I remembered you mentioning these things showing up all over. Didn’t know if I should even have it around, given I know a few dragons who’d love to usurp me with this kind of power.”

“Yeah, that makes sense…” Spike said, studying the watch. It wasn’t black, and nor did it display a monstrous twisted face like he’d been expecting it to.

“So I figured, I’d better get this to someone who might use it far more wisely than any of the idiots I’m surrounded by. Someone who wouldn’t go mad with power y’know?” Ember shrugged.

“Ryuki huh?” Spike said, studying the watch. “Right, well, I should get this to Tom. He’d like this.”

“Tom? The Rider guy? That bean sprout?” Ember asked, sounding like she was close to laughing. “What about you? Who says he has to be the only Rider around huh?”

Well, that admittedly sounded pretty tempting but he didn’t even have a driver…

“That’s just it, Tom’s the one with the driver. I don’t have one,” Spike pointed out.

“Maybe you don’t need one,” Ember shrugged. “Maybe you can use it raw y’know?”

“Ember, that kind of thinking…” Spike stammered out. “I’m not sure if I like it, that kind of thing’s resulted in Another Riders so far!”

“And you can become another Rider to help Tom fight them!” Ember pressed. “Or be a coward, live in regret at what you could have done but didn’t. Your choice right?”

“Well…” Spike mulled it over. Here was a solution to all of his problems. Maybe he could be the hero now.

And he, before he could stop himself, pressed the button.

And the Ridewatch let out a growl as dark energy rushed up Spike’s arm.

“RYUKI!”

The Ridewatch twisted and morphed, becoming darker and the face becoming twisted and monstrous.

And ‘Ember’ burnt away in a flash of green fire, Spike stumbling away down the street as Chrysalis laughed somewhere behind him…

Meanwhile, Tom sighed as he slumped down next to Fluttershy.

“You think I should have a talk with Spike? I’m honestly kinda getting worried y’know?” Tom said, waving his hand. “Like I don’t want to be impose but something’s obviously nagging at him.”

“I’m sure he’s fine, at worst he’s feeling just a bit jealous,” Fluttershy said kindly, patting his shoulder. “Like, suddenly you’re here and you’re new and suddenly he’s no longer the center of attention. Spike’s always had insecurity issues.”

“I know and that’s what worries me,” Tom said. “With Chrysalis running around, posing as your friends and family, she could easily make him into some sort of Another Rider. Hmm, maybe Ex-Aid or Faiz? I’m overdue on them.”

“Spike’s smart though,” Fluttershy pointed out. “He’d probably be able to see Chrysalis for who she is.”

“If you say so, but that’s not really my main worry,” Tom admitted and at this Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “It’s that weird driver she was wearing in our last fight. Where’d she get it? It was mimicking Idunn’s powers, which is already a bad thing.”

“I didn’t see any of those Ridewatches in her belt, so she’s obviously not getting her powers from the same source as you,” Fluttershy noted in thought.

“Well, there goes that whole Cross of Fire thing,” Tom said. “I need to explain that to you sometime, I suppose. There’s so much about Riders you guys need to know.”

“Like Rider history lessons?”

“Eh, I suppose?” Tom shrugged. “But yeah, somewhere out there, someone is disturbing Rider powers right and left. Like where did Geiz get his Ridewatch? And where are all of these others coming from?”

“I’m sure you’ll find out, don’t worry,” Fluttershy said, putting a supportive arm around him in a half-hug.

“Yeah, it’s just the more I think about it, the more I don’t like it. Something weird’s going on and I hate not being in the know. Gaaaaaagh!” Tom said, before letting out a growl of frustration.

“Hey, you got this okay?” Fluttershy said firmly. “If anyone can figure out this mystery, it’s you okay?”

“Yeah, thanks…” Tom mumbled. “It’s just so many things are happening all at once and I’m starting to get overwhelmed, that’s all…”

“I know, and I’m scared too. Someone took the face of Discord, used it against me,” Fluttershy whispered, shaking slightly. “I’ve never been so scared in all of my life, than to see him with that face again and his eyes so full of evil…”

Now it was Tom’s turn to hug her.

“Next time I see that Bug-Bitch, I’ll make sure to kick her extra hard,” Tom said. “For you, okay?”

“Okay and…” Fluttershy stopped short.

“What, what is it?” Tom asked, urgently.

“Behind you, look,” the pegasus whispered nervously, and Tom turned to see a mirror rippling. Almost like, no it couldn’t have been.

The mirror, laying up against a tree, rippled some more and three monsters leaped out from it. One white as snow, and the other two crimson as blood.

“Wait, what? A sheerghost and two gelnewts?” Tom blinked, shocked before realizing he wasn’t alone. “Fluttershy, get to safety. I know you’re good with animals but these beasts… You just need to run to safety okay?”

“But-”

“Go!” Tom said, pulling out a Ridewatch and slotting it into his driver and then spinning it. “Henshin!”

“Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O!”

Pulling out the Edge of Time, the rider quickly got to work. Slashing through all three monsters, he stood his ground before whirling on his feet kicking up dust into the air.

One of the gelnewts cartwheeled to the side, pulling its massive shuriken off its back. Tossing it, the giant weapon rushed through the air ready to slice and dice into Tom.

He could barely hold it back with his blade, only for the other gelnewt to jump and strike him with its weapon.

“Alright, see now you’re just trying to test my patience aren’t you?” Tom said, changing the blade to gun mode and slotting in the OOO Ridewatch. “Three beasts, to deal with three beasts. Fair is fair right?”

“Finish Time: OOO! Mile-a-minute Shooting!”

The gelnewts went down easily enough, but the sheerghost only staggered before it molted and evolved into a blue dragonfly-like form.

“Oh come on…” Tom muttered to himself in despair and resignation at the day he was starting to have. “It’s not even been one day between attacks, no rest for the wicked eh?”

And then the monster grew and became even more dragonfly-like. The Hydragoon as it was called was zipping around over his head and moving far too fast for him to lock on to it.

“Oh well, if I can’t shoot it down,” Tom muttered to himself, realizing what he had in mind was plenty crazy. “Here goes nothing!”

Running up a tree trunk, he pushed himself off it and leaped up onto the beast’s back. Hanging on for dear life, he tried to steer it to the timberline of the Everfree, hoping it’d crash between the trees.

But the beast pulled up, and then Tom’s gun fell from his hand and landed in the dirt below.

“Oh yeah, this was a real big brain moment for you wasn’t it?” Tom said to himself. And then he heard the most wonderful voice in the world.

“YOU! Stop right there!” Fluttershy shouted, rushing out of her house and staring the monster down. It shouldn’t have worked, but amazingly it somehow did and the beast was frozen in place and plummeting back to the earth.

Tom leaped off, and grabbed his sword before readying a finisher. “The end of your time is nigh.”

“Finish Time: OOO! Last Second Slash!”

And that was the end of that. The only question was, where did they come from?

The Rich family manor was echoing with the sounds of angry beratement. Diamond Tiara, daughter of Filthy and Spoiled Rich and heiress to their fortune, had recently been on the receiving end of increasingly arbitrary and hurtful scolding from her mother, ever since she put her hoof down on her mother’s attitude in front of her classmates.

“...and how many times must I tell you to sit up straight!? Proper ladies do not slouch! How do you think you’re going to find a husband if your posture is so poor!” Spoiled ranted.

“...yes, Mother…” Diamond droned, trying to tune it out. Spoiled was having none of it and slammed her fist on the wall.

“You will listen and respond PROPERLY when I address you, Diamond Dazzle Dust Tiara!” The angry socialite commanded. The filly just whimpered and nodded.

“Please...somepony...get me away from this!” Diamond prayed to herself, as her mother continued her aggressive chastisement. Unbeknownst to either mother or child, there was something moving in the myriad of mirrors and polished surfaces adorning the room. As it moved, the increasingly terrified Diamond Tiara noticed something moving out of the corner of her eye.

“What? What is…” She thought before she felt a painful strike across her face from her mother.

“PAY ATTENTION!” Spoiled raged, her palm ready to strike again, but when she was about to, she felt a hand gripped around her wrist.

“WHAT!? WHO ARE YOU TO…” She started, but immediately stopped when she saw who was restraining her.

The being was a strange figure clad in red scaled armor, with a bizarre “visor” made of metal straps haphazardly wrapped around its face. Its left hand was shaped like the head of a dragon.

“ThOsE wHo HaRm ThEiR oWn ChIlDrEn ArE eViL.” The strange being spoke with a distorted voice. “I wIlL sHoW yOu ThE rEfLeCtIoN oF yOuR sInS.”

It dragged Spoiled close to one of the mirrors, but what she saw was not a reflection of her body, but a reflection showing her as a changeling.

“N...no! What is this!?” Spoiled panicked.

“YoU oNlY sHoW a PoSiTiVe ImAgE tO tHoSe YoU sEeK fAvOr FrOm...UnDeRnEaTh YoUr ArTiFiCiAl ApPeArAnCe, YoU aRe A mOnStEr…” the ‘changeling’ said, pointing at her.

Spoiled began wordlessly gasping, until her eyes rolled up and she fainted. The intruder simply released her arm, and she dropped to the floor.

Diamond just backed away, her gaze locked on the stranger in horror. She then turned and bolted.

“DAAAAAAAAAAADDDDYYYYYYYY!” She screamed, tears streaming down her face as she ran in fear.

Now you’d think that’d be the end of it right? Just a little thing for Diamond to tell her friends about over sleepovers, a lamp light horror story about her house probably being haunted.

No, no it wasn’t the end of it. There were more ponies who needed to be punished. Take the Flower Trio, sweet ponies but had a nasty tendency for starting the worst gossip and spreading some unfortunate rumors.

“...I heard that Mr. Cake is putting salt in some of his cakes instead of sugar!” Daisy started.

“Oh, get this! You know Rarity’s boutique? I heard that she’s been running low on silk and using burlap instead!” Lily added.

“Have you heard that Fluttershy has secretly been training her animals to become a private army?” Roseluck continued.

“DiD yOu KnOw ThAt SpReAdInG hArMfuL gOsSiP iS uNaCcEpTaBlE?” A distorted voice came from behind them. The trio slowly turned around to see the same scaly armored figure behind them. “It’s Not jUsT stIcKs aNd sTonEs!”

Roseluck heard her own voice, and the trio looked in a nearby puddle to see themselves dressed in black clothes, holding torches and proclaiming “BURN THE WITCHES!” The three stood there, trembling in fear.

“...hey girls, I heard a juicy bit of information! Running away from terrifying monsters will make sure you live longer!” Daisy said as they all ran away.

The monstrous figure stared at its clawed hand and flexed it.

“nO...nOt EnOuGh...ThErE’s StIlL eViL tO bE pUrGeD…” It balled its hand into a tight fist.

The beast crept around within the mirrors, overseeing any and all activity in the town. When it spotted something it deemed as “wrongdoing”, it sprang into action!

Whether it was greedy merchants overcharging for cherries…

“YoUr GrEeD wOuLd SiCkEn EvEn ThE wOrSt DrAgOnS!”

Or mailmares being careless and crashing into things...

“Do YoU eVeN cArE wHo GeTs HuRt!?”

Even children teasing each other would make the monster intervene!

“EvEn ThE cHiLdReN aRe GoInG dOwN tHe WrOnG pAtH…”

No one in the town was safe from this sinister surveillance!

Meanwhile, while all of this was happening, our concerned hero was rushing into town. He had a sneaking, ugly suspicion as to why those mirror monsters appeared in front of him.

He just hoped he was wrong...

“Spike! Where are you?” Tom called out. He was concerned for the young dragon, hoping he hadn’t gotten into any trouble.

As soon as he entered town, he knew something was immediately wrong. It was way too quiet. Now normally, the streets were packed with ponies and yet right now it was like a ghost town.

This wasn’t Ponyville, this was like Silent Hill or something. A chill ran down the back of his spine, eyes drifting towards any reflective surface he could see.

Creatures from another world moved about in a window, and Tom’s hand gripped the trigger of his gun. It’d take only a second to pull it out, shoot out the glass but what next?

Would other mirror monsters appear from another window, before he even had the chance to blink?

“Spike…” Tom said. “Oh, okay, yeah, this setup seems pretty familiar doesn’t it? I’ve played a few games with situations like this, Resident Evil, Alan Wake, you name it. Usually, it’s right about now that the monster appears.”

“So I’m a monster now, am I?” An annoyed young voice came from behind Tom. It was Spike.

“Ah, Spike, there you are. Listen, I was hoping to talk to you-” Tom started, but Spike held up his hand.

“Save it. I already have the answer I need.” Spike replied coldly. “You aren’t needed here anymore.”

Tom raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

Spike snorted angrily, smoke coming from his nostrils. “I know your game. You come in and start saving ponies left and right, and then all of a sudden you’re the talk of the town! And where does that leave me? Everyone will forget about me again...EVERYONE ALWAYS FORGETS ABOUT SPIKE!” He raged, as dark energy swarmed around him.

“Oh hell…” Tom said to himself, knowing that trying to reason with Spike by this point was probably futile but he had to try. “That’s just it, I’m just a guest in Celestia’s house. You live here, and besides hey you’re pretty memorable as it is. Friendly neighborhood dragon right?”

Spike’s eyebrow twitched. “Yeah...you are a guest...and you’ve OVERSTAYED YOUR WELCOME!!”

He pulled out his Anotherwatch and shoved it inside himself, the watch practically melting into his scales.

“RYUKI!”

He waved a hand as he transformed back into his ‘Rider’ form and two Hydragoons rushed out of two nearby windows, roaring.

“I didn’t want it to come to this… but if you’re hurting innocent people to try to escape your own sorrow, then I’ll stop you!” Tom proclaimed as he equipped his own Driver.

“HENSHIN!” Tom yelled as he placed his own watch in the belt and spun it.

“RIDER TIME!” The belt announced, as Tom rushed at Another Ryuki! “Kamen Rider: Zi-O!”

Another Ryuki just jumped backwards into a puddle.

“Freaking mirror powers…” He groaned as he scanned the area for any sign of the distorted dragon. But it was too late as Another Ryuki appeared behind him, flames erupting from his dragon's head.

“StRiKe VeNt!” A distorted voice announced as the beast launched a fireball from behind, hitting Zi-O!

“Gah!” He tried to keep himself upright. He then noticed that the backside of his suit was still on fire.

“Agh! Stop, drop, roll! Stop, drop, roll!” Zi-O feverishly rolled, chanting to himself. Picking himself up off the ground, he said: “Alright then, you want to play? Let’s play.”

Changing into Kiva Armor, he summoned the Dogga Hammer.

“I may not have the poisons of Purple Haze, but I don’t think I need them. I’m not going to ask how many years of bad luck I’m going to get for doing this, but,” here he took a swing with his hammer, shattering a window. “I’m pretty sure it’ll all even out.”

The Rider heard twin roars coming from above, and saw the Hydragoons flying towards him, and then heard another roar from behind.

“StRiKe VeNt!” A distorted voice announced and Tom leaped to the left as flames consumed one of the dragonfly-like monsters erupting into an explosion.

“StAy STilL!” Another Ryuki roared, leaping into another mirror and then jumping out of a puddle shoulder-checking Tom making the Rider roll along the ground.

The dragon head on his arm tried to bite into Tom’s armor with multiple jabs, only for Tom to kick the ‘Rider’ in the stomach making him stagger backwards. Flipping back onto his feet, the friendly neighborhood Kamen Rider summoned the Garulu Saber and then took a running jump off a nearby cart.

Letting out a war cry, the Rider cleaved the second Hydragoon right down the middle, the two halves igniting into explosions.

“And that’s the way the monster’s beaten.” He commented. As he was distracted though, the jaws of Another Ryuki’s dragon head arm latched onto his leg!

“AAAGH!” Zi-O shouted in pain, as he felt he was being dragged backwards! Another Ryuki was half-submerged in the mirror world, and was trying to drag Tom in there with him!

“Let...go! Let go!” Zi-O struggled, but it was of no use as the Rider and monster disappeared into the reflection.

From inside another window, another figure watched clutching his snake-tipped staff like a demented sorcerer.

“...well, it’s about time Little Miss Mothra’s plan paid off.” The purple-armored figure chuckled. “Time to see if the little snot has what it takes.”

Zi-O for his part was currently trying to carefully conceal himself from a mob of Mirror Monsters.

“Great… they get a whiff of fresh meat and go berserk. I’m not going to be dinner for a Mirror Monster!” He growled to himself.

He heard a chittering sound from above, and looked up only to see a massive spider creature ready to pounce. It was drooling at the sight of him.

“Okay I know some people are into spiders, but I’m pretty sure even the horniest person in the world would be turned off at the sight of you,” Tom said, leaping upwards to shoot the beast several times. “Now don’t get me wrong, you’re pretty, but I’m not into things who want to eat me alive.”

Pokemon this world wasn’t.

As he ran, Tom rambled a little just to try to keep from breaking down in a fit of terror.

“Honestly, this whole Mirror World feels like something from someone’s darker and edgier Pokemon fanfic. With the mons willing to eat you and all, if you don’t feed the often enough. Or is it Yu-Gi-Oh, with the cards and all?”

He finally found what he thought to be a safe haven, with no monsters in sight.

“Should be...safe here…” He panted. But he then felt something slithering around his leg!

“Honestly, this place is more like Digimon Tamers in the long run.” A new voice quipped as Tom found himself suspended upside down, hanging by his leg! Tom looked up, and swiftly regretted it, seeing the gleaming eyes of a sickeningly familiar cobra staring down at him.

“Soooooo, I’m going to take a wild guess and say Evolt?” Tom deadpanned, knowing very well who it was.

“Nah, never been one for coffee. I was always more for tea. Or chocolate milk. Though we’re still about to say ‘ciao!’ to you,” The evil-looking Rider taunted.

“Of course it’s Ouja… freaking Mirror World.” Tom sighed.

“In the flesh, so to speak! I’ll be taking autographs! Want one? Hey, just be glad it’s not Kaixa!” Ouja teased. “Seriously, even I think that guy’s a dick.”

Zi-O tried to grasp at the snake holding him up, but it just loudly hissed at him.

“When I get down from here, I’m going to make you into a wallet!” Zi-O threatened.

“Ooooooh, I’m sooooo scared!” Ouja teased. “But, I think someone else deserves to take a few whacks at you. Honestly, I’m not the one with a problem with you, that’s Battra-Bitch and, let’s see.... oh yeah, this guy.”

As if on cue, Another Ryuki appeared, brandishing a large, curved sword.

“This isn’t good! If I can’t get down, I’m going to be pinata’d to death!”

Another Ryuki slowly advanced towards Tom, clutching his sword tighter and tighter.

“Any last words, watch boy?” Ouja asked tauntingly.

“Spike...please, don’t do this!” Tom pleaded. “You’re not a monster!”

“I’m tHe OnLy OnE tHeY nEeD! NoT yOu!” Another Ryuki growled.

But, as it looked like Tom was about to be butchered, they heard some familiar voices.

“...where are they? Spike? Tom?” They heard Twilight’s voice calling out for them.

“...TwIlIghT…?” The distorted ‘Rider’ paused.

“Come on, dragon-breath! Finish him! It’s the only way!” Ouja egged Spike on.

“...I do hope that nothing bad has happened to them…” Now it was Rarity’s voice. “I couldn’t bear to live with myself if either of them got hurt!”

“Me neither, Rarity,” Twilight replied. “But I know Spike, he’ll be trying to help Tom, every step of the way! He’s the best little dragon brother I could ask for!”

“Yes, and I’m sure Tom would be looking out for him as well,” Rarity continued.

“...tWiLiGhT...rArItY…” Another Ryuki stopped moving.

“Oh come on! They don’t mean any of that garbage!” Ouja interrupted. “They’re just using you!”

“No...ThIs...iSn’T...what...I...WANTED!” Spike yelled out, as he hit Venosnaker with his sword, causing it to drop Tom. Tom fell on his face, but got back up swiftly, shaking his head. Another Ryuki then held his arms out to his sides.

“ToM...pLeAsE…” The monster droned.

“No! Think about what you’re giving up, you stupid dragon!” Ouja barked.

“I think he’s made his decision, Ouja,” Tom responded. “And so have I!”

He spun his belt around.

“FINISH TIME!” A series of neon pink Japanese words surrounded Another Ryuki, as he leapt into the air.

Ouja could only watch as the watch-esque Rider delivered a powerful finishing kick to Another Ryuki, separating the dragonling from the watch and spitting the two of them out of the Mirror World!

“Ugh,” Ouja groaned. “Another failed experiment. Still, I’m plenty pissed and there’s a Rider to kill.”

“T-Tom?” Spike asked. “Did I… Oh Celestia, I did didn’t I?”

“Oh barf. You apologize, you hug, we’ve seen it all before. Spare me the theatrics, you little brat,” Ouja reappeared before them, dragging his sword behind him and scraping it along the ground. Tom struggled to get to his feet.

“Figured… you wouldn’t just… leave…” Tom wheezed.

“Now, a continuation from before…” Ouja said, his sword ready to strike.

Vague memories flashed through Spike’s mind, he’d teamed up with this monster. And Tom was struggling to get to his feet.

Without even thinking, flames erupted from his mouth blasting Ouja backwards, and shattering a mirror. Sadly, the Rider hadn’t fallen through the reflection and was still in his world.

“You little brat!” Ouja growled. “I’m gonna skin you and sell your scales to a blacksmith!”

“No...you’re not!” Tom got back to his feet. “You’re going to bear the weight of your sins- ALL OF THEM!”

He produced the W Ridewatch, and activated it.

“W!” The watch announced as Tom inserted it into his belt and spun it.

“ARMOR TIME!” the belt announced.

“CYCLONE! JOKER! W!~!” It sang as a pair of small USB-like sticks latched onto his shoulders, and covered him in two different half-colors of armor! The right half was an emerald color with the “C” stick on its right shoulder, while the left half was a black/purple combo with the “J” stick.

“Honestly I don’t know who you are, so I don’t know how many sins you’re going to have to count up, but you made my friend cry. You made this town cry,” Tom said. “And that’s something I can’t forgive.”

“I have way too many to count up, kiddo!” Ouja sneered as swords met. The two dueled briefly before another leaped in to join them.

“Two against one is hardly fair,” said Geiz, clad in armor resembling Kamen Rider Knight, cape flowing behind him. “Good thing I hate a fair fight!”

“Eh?” Tom asked, in surprise.

“You look tired, can you even keep up with me?” Geiz asked.

“...I wouldn’t call myself a Kamen Rider if I wasn’t!” Tom replied. “Come on then!”

Geiz pressed the button on the KnightWatch in his belt a couple times.

“ADVENT TIME!” The watch announced as a giant bat appeared, Geiz leaping up on top of it. The bat swooped down at Ouja at incredible speed, knocking him to the ground.

“Bah! This vexes me. This fight’s getting way too batty for my liking!” Ouja grunted. “You can keep your stupid dragon friend!”

At this, he re-summoned his staff and put a card in.

“Clear Vent!” The staff announced as Ouja disappeared before their eyes.

“Tch! He ran away.” Geiz spat as the bat creature landed, disappearing after Geiz got off it.

“Uh...thanks for your h-” Tom started, but Geiz just walked past him and picked up the RyukiWatch. He looked it over.

“...nah, I don’t have use for this one,” He said, tossing it to Tom before turning and walking away.

“Hey! Wait, where are you going!?” Tom asked.

“I don’t need to be here right now,” Geiz bluntly said. “Nor do I really want to.”

He walked off, leaving Tom and Spike to ponder. Meanwhile, in a secluded area, Ouja confronted Chrysalis.

“So, it looks like your little experiment was a bust too!” The changeling queen taunted.

“Shut your mouth, Idunn!” Ouja growled back. “For your information, this ‘failed’ experiment provided me with some very interesting insight.”

“Hm… I guess as we were using Twilight’s friends as guinea pigs, that’s why the brat was able to catch on so quickly…” Idunn noted.

“So, pick someone Sparkle-butt might not notice, huh?” They pondered, with Idunn grinning at a realization...

“Game on.”

“I was an idiot, wasn’t I?” Spike said, slumping up against the crystal walls of Twilight’s castle. “Like you don’t even need to say it, do you?”

Neither Tom or Twilight could think of anything to say. Spike’s insecurities and fears led him to being turned into a monster. But, even then, neither of them could really say it was his fault.

So what could they say?

“It’s just… I wanted to be useful, like I wanted to be the hero for once,” Spike continued. “I wanted to be a hero. I didn’t… I just didn’t want to fade into the background.”

Tom sat down next to him. “You weren’t. All I said before, all of it was true. I’m just a guest here in Ponyville, you’re the one they really love.”

“Are you sure?” Spike asked. “I’ve seen you, when you’re out in town. Everyone waves at you and-”

“And they’re doing it because it’s Ponyville, everyone knows everyone and everyone’s friendly to everyone,” Tom said, a supportive arm around Spike’s shoulder. “They’re not just going to forget about you.”

“He’s right, Spike. You’re part of our town, and a part of our lives, no matter what,” Twilight reassured. “You’re my little brother.”

“...I am, aren’t I?” Spike’s voice gained a bit more energy. The Rider and pony just nodded.

“...thanks, you two.” Spike smiled.

A bit later, Spike was sleeping, the day’s events having taken a toll on him. Tom, too, would have been sleeping, but a thought was racing in his head that prevented such.

“I am a guest here… someday, I may very well have to leave. But...do I really want to?”

The thought simmered down, as Tom drifted off into the peace of sleep and Luna’s night…

SeE YoU NexT GaMe...

Author's Note

Special thanks to The Bricklayer for helping to get this chapter out!

Chapter 7-1: The Burden of No Continues

Ponyville Hospital had seen a record influx of patients these days. The Another Riders, horrible alien monsters that started appearing, were causing more and more ponies to develop all manner of physical, mental and emotional ailments.

Even the Element Bearers, who controlled the incredibly powerful Elements of Harmony that had saved them from overwhelming danger time and time again, were injured. Only because of the brave actions of Tom Decade, a Kamen Rider from another world, would these monsters be bested, and peace regained.

Today, however, Tom and the Element Bearers found themselves at the hospital, where they would yet again deal with an immense threat...

“...so, why did you want me to do this again?” Tom asked, having been requested to accompany Pinkie Pie to get a shot. Why they asked him was a mystery.

As was why they asked him to come while transformed.

“Pinkie Pie has severe trypanophobia,” The doctor who requested his help explained. “Emphasis on SEVERE.”

“And?” Tom asked.

“Last time we had to give Pinkie any sort of injection, it resulted in two whole royal guard regiments being called in to hold her down, and we needed to treat those guards for broken bones, burns, lacerations and type 2 diabetes afterwards,” The doctor continued, shuddering at the memory.

“They must be exaggerating. I mean, how bad could Pinkie be with needles?” Tom thought to himself, as the pony of the hour walked into the office, her hair wasn’t as poofy as usual and she looked nervous.

“Just think happy thoughts, Pinkie…” she muttered to herself. “Lots of happy thoughts with frosting…”

The doctor nodded and had Pinkie sit on the examination table.

“Code 14! Begin lockdown procedure!” He shouted, as he pulled a white helmet out of the bottom of a nearby cupboard and began stacking various chairs and loose furniture into a makeshift bunker.

“...Gaim on a bike, Pinkie- what did you do?” Tom asked. What sort of crazy situation did he end up stumbling into here? Well, he supposed it could be worse, it could be like he was having to deal with one of those anti-vaxxer idiots.

Outside, the rest of the Mane Five could hear the commotion, and the doctor shouting: “Hold her down hero!”

“...every year,” Applejack said to herself with a sigh. “She’s been like this for as long as I can remember.”

“Personally, I don’t see what’s up with being afraid of a little needle, it’ll just be a small ‘prick’ and you’re done,” Rarity said. “That’s all it is.”

“So you want to be the one to go in there and tell her?” Applejack said. “I assume you’re volunteering.”

“No darling, I’m many things but I’m not suicidal,” Rarity snorted. “Tom truly is a brave man for volunteering on our behalf.”

“We shall miss him!” Applejack said, holding her hat above her heart.

Spike kicked a can as he walked down the main street of Ponyville. His stint as Another Ryuki made him reconsider a lot of things about himself and his lot in life. When he brought it up to Twilight, however…

“Maybe what you need is some friends your own age,” The words echoing in Spike’s mind.

The echoing didn’t last long, however, as it was replaced by the feeling of pain. Spike, in his daze, had accidentally walked right into someone.

“OWW!” A young colt’s voice cried out. Spike was pulled from his internal musings, to see a teenage colt, maybe a year younger than him at worst, wearing a propeller beanie.

“Oh no! I’m sorry!” Spike apologized quickly. He offered his hand to help the colt back to his feet.

“Agh...thanks, wasn't really paying attention to where I was going,” The colt replied, accepting the help. “Hey, you’re the dragon that lives in the princess’s castle, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, name’s Spike,” said Spike, trying to figure out why this colt seemed so familiar, he’d probably seen him around town somewhere but he couldn’t place exactly where. It was like a dream, faintly nagging at the back of his mind.

“Cool!” My name’s Button Mash! I’m Ponyville’s number one gamer!” The colt introduced himself, bragging.

Spike resisted the urge to slap himself in the forehead. So THAT was where he’d seen the colt before, there was always this one teenager hanging out at the local arcade racking up the high scores.

Honestly, to this day Spike had been trying to figure out who “Spincycle99” was, just so he could knock him off the leaderboards a bit. Like a part of the dragon considered him his personal nemesis, and every so often he went down to the arcade just to see if he could attempt to beat one of those scores.

He never did, of course. It seemed his gaming skills were a fair bit lacking, but then again he didn’t have much time to practice really. Twilight always needed him for something or other, and honestly he was somewhat of a filthy casual.

Like he never understood the appeal of competitive sport, just give him his woodland and his townsfolk to raise in Furry Forest.

Spike was just glad he was never invited to game nights, given how he’d heard how a certain kart racer tended to break friendships like a rope frayed in two. To say nothing of the party spinoff, which had been banned and locked up in the Canterlot vault for being a danger to society.

Apparently.

And now he was sad again, given he didn’t have that many friendships to break.

Well that was depressing to think about, wasn’t it? Well, he had the CMC but the thing about teenage girls was, well half of the time they were thinking about makeup and boys not invited sleepovers.

Did he dare attempt to befriend his archrival? Did he have the COURAGE to take that step?

“Hey, you know, I don’t see you very often around the arcade anymore, you wanna hang out?” Button asked.

Well, it seemed Button was making that choice for him.

“I, yeah sure,” Spike said with a shrug that seemed to carry the ambivalence of a thousand disaffected teenagers. But even his ambivalence didn’t stop Button from grabbing him and dragging him to the arcade.

“GREAT! LET’S GO!” He said with an unusual, forced enthusiasm. Spike knew he should have noticed that something was wrong, he prided himself on being extra diligent in reading moods.

It came with the territory of being the personal assistant to a neurotic Princess. And speaking of personal assistants, the one who was certainly not having a fun time was, you guessed it, Tom.

The Rider eventually emerged from the examination room, his armor covered in pink frosting and coated in confetti.

“NEVER. DOING. THAT. AGAIN!” He grunted. Pinkie followed behind him, bopping her head from side to side happily as she sucked on a lollipop.

“Well, we should probably head back now...I think Tom needs a shower and the doctors need...time to recuperate,” Twilight suggested. The rest of the group just nodded.

“What even happened in there?” Rainbow Dash wondered, peering into the doctor’s office to see the poor stallion nearly fainted dead away on the floor.

“Some things are best left only to the imagination,” Tom said. “No matter what story I tell you, it’s actually going to be worse than however it ends up sounding. I have seen things that will forever haunt me!”

“You’re a brave stallion, Tom,” Rarity nodded sympathetically, while Applejack saluted him.

“Why do I feel like I was wrangled into this, like tricked and backstabbed and possibly maybe even bamboozled,” Tom uttered, gaining some weird looks. “...alright, fine, I try to spring a classic meme on you ponies…”

“Meme? Like the ancient concept of passing cultures and behaviors to future generations?” Twilight asked, confused.

“Er, yeah, something like that,” Tom said. “If you don’t mind me, I’ll be over here, in a corner, crying and possibly mulling over my life choices and wondering where exactly things went so horribly wrong.”

“Oh, don’t worry Tommy!” Pinkie cheerfully replied. “Everyone I know does that sooner or later!”

“You don’t say?” He thought to himself. Sighing, he just decided to roll with it. The sooner they left, the sooner he could attempt to wash the aftermath of today’s horrors off himself.

“That… doesn’t really help,“ Tom said. “Yes, this will be a day long remembered even if I try so hard to forget about it.”

Applejack just patted him on the back. “Chin up Tom, maybe you’ll soon settle back into the familiar. Who knows, maybe an Another Rider will attack or somethin’.”

“You don’t know how relieved I am to be thinking about that, weirdly,” Tom said, casting a ‘look’ at Pinkie. “At least those problems I can punch in the face without getting arrested for assault and battery.”

“Please don’t jinx us AJ,” Twilight whispered frantically, eyes darting right and left. “Haven’t you heard of the ancient god called Jinx?”

“...wait so that’s an actual god here?” Tom asked. “You know, come to think of it, that actually explains so much around here.”

Honestly, with his luck, that attack would come sooner and not later. Probably sooner than he would have thought…

“Yeah, high score!” Button cheered. Spike thought he’d be more upset about his score being beaten yet again, but instead, he felt...happy. Like he was having the time of his life! And no one was screaming, exploding, or trying to kill him! For once, he could just be a regular kid!

“Alright, what next?” Button asked. “There’s a whole lineup of games to play!” He waved his arm towards the myriad machines.

“Oooh, how about Path Brawler?” He pointed to a machine with two sets of controls. “I never get to play that one with another player!”

“Yeah, it’s fun to go head to head! But I play a mean O. Hyundai, so watch yourself!” Button laughed as the two approached the machine.

Button played well, but not as well as Spike was expecting him to honestly. Like the colt was supposed to be nigh unbeatable at any game he set his mind to.

And yet he was making mistakes, leaving himself open for super moves and combos.

“Heh, you think that Tom Decade guy will be imported into the next game as a special guest fighter?” Button asked as he mashed, well buttons for a combo. “Like he seems to be a pretty good fighter, and well, it’d be fun to see a real life superhero in one of these games.”

“Yeah, but how would you input the form change gimmick?” Spike pointed, seizing his opening and landing a K.O.

“Damnit,” Button swore to himself before saying: “Yeah, true, but who said they’d have to use the alt forms? They could just use his base form and just take the vanilla option right?”

“Yeah, true,” Spike said, the beeping and ringing of the arcade machine filling his ears. He grit his teeth as Button’s character got up for round 2. He got lucky defeating O. for the first time, and now the colt knew his tactics.

Amazingly though, Spike’s character did seem to be having an easy time, and Button was way too distracted to put up much of a fight.

“Hey, you alright?” Spike asked. “I thought you played a mean game?”

“Yeah, maybe we all have our bad days,” Button said. “I’ll get my edge back soon enough, so just you watch out.”

“If you say so, and look, I read moods pretty easily and something’s obviously bothering you,” Spike said. “So out with it. With these Another Riders running about, I don’t want you to be easy watch fodder. Who knows, maybe I can help?”

“I’m that bad huh? That obvious?” Button asked, with Spike confirming that with a nod. “Alright, it’s like this I guess. My mom’s worried I play too many video games for my own good.”

Spike nodded.

“Nonsense right?” Button laughed nervously.

“Well, addiction is a thing…” Spike said, trying to play Devil’s advocate. “She’s just looking out for you, that’s all.”

“Yeah, I suppose. It’s still annoying though, her getting on my case,” Button said.

“Well, I know what that feels like,” Spike said, thinking back to Twilight nagging at him. “But it’s always done with love. Look, Twilight says I need to get out more, stop gorging myself on gems, and yeah it’s a bit annoying but she means well in the end.”

They continued playing. “Yeah, I suppose, but honestly like I can make a career out of this right? You’ve been on PonyTube and the like right? You’ve seen streamers making big bits out of playing their games!”

Well, Spike couldn’t deny that. He saw what Button was getting at really, given he’d seen a few streamers making some cash in his lifetime.

Hell, some ponies even took their careers pro and entered game tournaments.

So yeah, he could see Button going that far if he really put his mind to it.

Honestly, a part of Spike was fairly depressed thinking about it. Like Button probably had his whole life figured out.

And yet he really didn’t know what he was going to do aside from continuing to keep supporting Twilight, and even then there was always that lingering possibility that she’d stop needing him someday.

He hated thinking about it, but it like any other dark thought always prodded at him from the back of his mind.

“Maybe I can talk to your mom?” Spike offered.

“Nah, she’s stubborn like that. Living embodiment of mother knows best,” Button said bitterly. “That she always has to be right all the damn time.”

Spike frowned, not really liking to think about someone hating their mother so much. Was it hate? Maybe not, but the point was Button’s mom was a single mom just trying to raise and support her son.

Just like Twilight was not too long ago. So yeah, it struck a chord with him, Cream Heart and her dilemma.

“She’s just trying to look out for you, raise you right,” Spike said, continuing to frown. He’d been raised to respect one’s family so yeah he had something to say. “She just doesn’t want you to grow fat and loaf around the house one day.”

So much for making friends, he sighed to himself.

“I suppose, it’s just I want to be a gamer and is that so wrong?” Button asked, his voice nearly a whine.

“Just practice a bit of moderation, that’s all,” Spike said. “I apologize if I seem like I’m getting huffy about the issue, it’s just Twilight raised me to respect family and well you should probably respect your own mother just a bit more all I’m saying.”

“I know, and I apologize if I was getting a bit rude there,” Button sighed, slumping his shoulder. “I’m just annoyed about it, that’s all. I love mom, I do, it’s just…”

“I know,” Spike nodded. “Want to play another round, I want a real challenge and so far you’re not it!”

“Oh, those are fighting words,” Button grinned. “Now you’re really in for it!”

“Teenagers!” Spike thought to himself.

Meanwhile, another moody teenager found himself on the edge of town. Damn it, why did they drive him out of the darkness?

Why was he helping these ponies? It’s not like they were particularly worth it. They pranced around, all happy and singing songs.

Anton’s fist clenched. And yet he willingly jumped into battle to protect that little dragon. Well, he hated people beating up those weaker than them.

“Yeah, that’s it. I’m only protecting those who refuse to show strength and true passion, those who dare not better their own situations.”

“Ooooooh, edgy,” said Ouja as he rose up out of a puddle from last night’s rain. “You’re sounding just like Baron you know, Baron 2.0. I hope you know what I mean.”

“Baron got himself killed because he was an idiot. Henshin!” Anton said as he transformed. “I’m better than him. I’ll show you my way of living.”

“Rider Time! Kamen Rider: Geiz! Armor Time! Kaigan! Specter!”

Geiz, pulling up his suit’s hood charged forwards with finger on the trigger. His borrowed Gan Gun Hand fired shots into Ouja’s dark armor, which the reborn Rider only seemed to shrug off.

Tossing the gun aside, Geiz plowed a fist into Ouja’s helmet, making the rider stumble a bit only to be kneed in the stomach for his troubles.

“You interfered in one of my kills, kill stealer! So unsportsmanlike. Like give a guy a free pass huh?” Ouja asked, cracking his neck. “You’re really starting to vex me!”

“Sword Vent.”

Twin golden swords appeared in Ouja’s hands, and he slashed wildly at Geiz who rolled out of the way and kicked up dust into the Rider’s face.

“Yeah? Well allow me to vex you a little bit more,” Geiz said, leaping into an attack and slamming his knee into Ouja’s helmet. “They’re going to need a Ouija board to contact you when I’m done with you.”

“Ooooooh, scary!”

“What’s your game?” Geiz demanded. “What are you and Chrysalis playing at? What’s your endgame?”

Ouja chuckled. “Oh, you'd like me to connect the dots for you, lead you from A to B to C, so that your puny mind could comprehend? How boring. I’m sorry to say, I’m not giving you any hints or any freebies. You’ll have to find out in your own time.”

Their fists collided in the silent forest before Ouja summoned a whip with another card and a: “Swing Vent.”

He lashed into Geiz’s armor, making him scream out in pain, and continued on the offensive.

Ouja spun like a top, his whip swinging wide. “Okay, I know I said I wouldn’t imitate the other snake guy unless I really had to, but it’s time to say ‘Ciao!’ to you!”

“We’ll see, actually I think I should be saying ‘Ciao!’ to you,” Geiz said, grabbing the whip and using all of his strength, swung Ouja around and tossed him into a tree.

“Damn you, well I suppose I’m mildly impressed by your skill and already bored. This was just a little play date, I wasn’t really intending on killing you. Instead, I’ll leave you paranoid and wondering when exactly I’ll come back,” Ouja said. “Every reflection, maybe it’ll have me in it, watching you. I’m going to wait until the time is right, when you’re at the depths of your despair and only then will I strike! Toodles!”

With that, he jumped into another puddle leaving Geiz what the point of it all was.

Spike and Button walked to Button’s house. He felt nervous, about him sneaking off to play video games at the arcade and about his new friend.

“If she asks, we were at the park,” Button said to Spike. Spike nodded, as the door in front of them opened. Button’s mom had answered the door, she was a cream-colored mare with light brown hair, wearing a pink shirt and and black pants under a white apron.

“Button Mash! Where were you- oh, you’re Twilight’s assistant, aren’t you?” Button’s mom started in on her son before noticing Spike standing there.

“Uh, yes, ma’am!” Spike replied rigidly, standing up straight as if he were saluting a flag.

“I’m so glad, Button- you’ve made a friend!” Button’s mom practically squee’d. “And I was worried you’d end up like one of those ‘neckbeards’ I keep hearing ponies complain about!”

She let Button inside, and turned to Spike. “Would you like to come in? I just made some brownies.”

Spike wasn’t sure what to say, but the rumbling of his stomach answered for him. Button’s mom just giggled as she let Spike inside.

Their living room was adorned with pictures of Button, his mom, and a stallion Spike had never seen before.

“Is this...his dad?” Spike wondered. He continued into their kitchen, and was offered a seat at the table.

Button’s mom offered him a plate with a large brownie on it. “Um...thank you, Mrs. Button’s mom…”

“Oh, you can call me Cream Heart, dear,” she replied. “I’m so glad to see Button’s finally making some friends!”

“Mooooom!” Button whined. “I told you, I have plenty of friends!”

“Strangers online that you’ve played games with don’t count!” Cream countered. “You need to go outside and talk to actual ponies!”

“And I do that at the arcade!” Button argued back. “Why can’t you accept that I’m a gamer!?” He got angry and stormed off.

Spike felt uncomfortable. Cream Heart just sighed.

“I’m sorry about that, dear,” She apologized. “Button’s dived into all those games to try to take his mind off his father.”

“His father?” Spike asked. Cream nodded sadly, as she glanced at a photo of her, Button and that unfamiliar stallion.

“Button’s father passed away some time ago. I’ve been trying my best to raise him myself ever since, but...he’s been diving deeper into video games and closing himself off from the world around him,” she explained.

Spike just nodded, not sure what to say. Button and his mom were in conflict over his gaming habits, but the issue stemmed from the loss of his father. He understood that feeling.

“If I didn’t have Twilight in my life, I’d probably want to get away from it too,” He thought to himself. But he saw something out of the corner of his eye near the photo. It looked like a RideWatch, but he wasn’t sure.

Maybe he was only imagining things, good grief he was starting to grow a bit too paranoid for his own good.

“Well, anyway...I’m sure you have better things to do than to listen to an old lady ramble,” Cream Heart concluded. “I’ll go get Button so you can say goodbye.”

“I… well, forgive me if I’m saying too much here, but maybe you should cut him some slack?” Spike asked.

“Cut him some slack?” Cream asked, her voice raising slightly before turning softer. “Yes, well, I suppose he is grieving, it’s just I’m worried that’s all.”

“I know you are,” Spike said, laying his hand on hers. “It’s just, well maybe he’ll make something of himself?”

“I can only hope,” Cream said. “It’s just, well I want him to wake up and face reality, harsh as it sounds. For him to move on with his life. I don’t doubt his gaming abilities will take him far, it’s just that’s not all there is to life.”

“Well, I should probably get going,” Spike replied. “Twilight will probably need me for something soon. Tell Button I’ll see him later, okay?” He said, as he walked out the door, Cream waving goodbye.

When Spike was gone, however, she walked over to the photo, and produced a RideWatch, the very same that the dragon thought he saw.

“Darling… Button and I both miss you… but I will make sure Button can live for you…” She droned, as if she was in something of a trance.

“Nothing will take him away from me… not games or friends… “

Back at the Ponyville arcade, a new machine was being wheeled in. It was a large, neon pink colored arcade cabinet called “Mighty Action”.

The many arcade-goers took a look at the machine. It boasted some incredible graphics, like they had never seen before. One such patron, a pegasus colt with a gray coat and black mane, walked over to the machine, ready to try it out and finally get one over on Button Mash.

“Finally, now’s my chance to get a high score on a machine before Button even knows!” The colt cheered. “Look out, ‘Mighty Action’, it’s Rumble time!” He proclaimed as he inserted his coin and started the game.

“Wow! These graphics are even better up close! They’re so...lifelike…” He said, starting to lose the energy in his voice as he continued to play. After a few moments, he started to feel hot.

“I…don’t feel...so good…” He groaned as he fell to the floor. Orange sparks covered his body, and he started to become translucent! The arcade patrons all panicked as one of them contacted emergency services.

The next day, at Ponyville Elementary, the schoolchildren had just gotten through the torment of an early math class, and were now preparing for their next class.

“Man, math sucks early in the morning.” Button commented to himself.

“Hey, did you hear about Rumble?” He overheard a few fillies talking.

“I heard he’s not here because he got a really bad disease or something from the arcade.” One of them said.

“Well, that’s not surprising, with all the gross colts that go in there!” Another one laughed.

“But my dad said it wasn’t a normal illness, it was like Rumble was fading away,” A third one chimed in. “Ugh...the thought of that happening to me gives me chills.”

Button paused. Rumble was sick? And somehow, the arcade had something to do with it? While he was friends with Rumble, they drifted apart somewhat after Button’s dad died.

He broke into a sprint before anyone could stop him, ignoring his teachers yelling for him to come back. He needed to find out what was going on!

To bE ConTinUeD! SeE YoU NeXt gaMe!

Author's Note

Special thanks to The Bricklayer for help with this!

This chapter is part 1 of 2.

Chapter 7-2: Unlimited Play

“RUUUUMMMBLLLLEEEE!” Button yelled out as he ran as fast as he could to Ponyville Hospital. He ran past anyone in his way, all he could think of at the time was his friend and rival. Bolting past several doctors and nurses, he saw Rumble lying in a bed behind a large barred door that had ‘DANGER! QUARANTINE!’ written on it. He tried to push the door open, but it didn’t budge.

“Rumble! Rumble!” He knocked feverishly on the door. Some of the hospital staff had to grab him and drag him away.

“No! NO! He can’t die! HE CAN’T!” Button cried out in despair.

“It’s happening all over again…” Button remembered all too well that horrible day, when his father was rushed into the hospital...and never came out again.

Moments later, Button was seated in the waiting room, looking at the floor. He had nothing else on his mind but the horrible things happening to Rumble.

“Button?” Cream Heart walked over. Button didn’t respond. His mother draped her arm around him.

Neither mother nor son could muster any words at that time.

Meanwhile, at the Castle of Friendship, Tom was assisting Twilight with the task of repairing the table in their meeting room.

“So, explain this to me again- this table projects some sort of map that tells you guys when there’s an argument or something?” Tom asked, still confused about the concept.

“Friendship problems, actually,” Twilight explained. “Whenever there’s a problem we can solve, the map tells us where it is and who needs to go.”

“That’s...kinda familiar, actually,” Tom thought to himself, remembering a few instances of that idea popping up in Rider history. “Is it any weirder than a vampire-detecting violin or an internet idol that asks about bioweapons?”

Twilight just let out a sigh of annoyance. “It’s not working. Whatever she did to the map, it’s going to take some more time to fix.”

“Who’s ‘she’?” Tom asked.

“Starlight Glimmer, my friendship student,” Twilight again explained. But she also realized that Tom hadn’t met her because she’d been away on a trip with one of her own friends.

“Ah, that’s right, she wasn’t here during all of this, but you’ll meet her soon enough,” she confirmed.

“Right…” Tom just raised an eyebrow. “And if this ‘Starlight Glimmer’ is Twilight’s student, why did she break the table? Did they have a fight or something?”

“Hey Twilight! You and Tom have visitors!” Spike’s voice called out from another room, snapping Tom out of his thoughts. They were led to another room, where a pegasus couple sat on the couch. The lady, a black pegasus with a gray mane and who seemed to be wearing a casual dress, was sobbing into a tissue, while her husband was a buff gray pegasus with a black mane, who was wearing a white undershirt under a green sports jacket and a pair of sports pants. He held his wife in his arms as she continued to sob.

“My name is Storm Eye, and this is my wife, Cloudy Day,” The muscular stallion started. “We’re here to ask for the Kamen Rider’s help.”

Cloudy sniffled a bit, but composed herself. “You see, our son Rumble...he’s contracted some new disease, and now he’s in quarantine at Ponyville Hospital. We can’t even go close to him…” She sobbed.

“A disease?” Tom asked. “I know a few, but I’m not exactly a doctor,” he explained. “But, there is a Rider whose story was tied to a disease…” He thought to himself. “Would you mind describing the symptoms?”

Spike went about his normal routine of cleaning, while Twilight and Tom heard the distraught couple out. Unexpectedly, however, Button came running inside, his face full of tears.

“SPIKE!!!” Button cried out. “I need to talk to the Kamen Rider RIGHT AWAY!” He grabbed the dragon by the shoulders and shook him.

“W-w-wha-a-at ha-a-ape-e-e-ne--d?” Spike asked as he was shaken like a fancy beverage.

“One of my other friends, well not exactly “friend”, more like a rival, got some weird disease from an arcade machine!” Button exclaimed, showing indefatigable tsundere behavior.

“He got sick from a game?” Spike asked. How this was possible left him baffled.

“There’s got to be something he can do- something to cure everyone!” Button continued agonizing over the situation.

Spike patted Button on the shoulder. He didn’t know what he could say.

“What can I say for somepony whose friend got sick from an...arcade machine…” Spike’s eyes widened in realization. Tom had mentioned a past Rider who dealt with video game-based illnesses before. “Oh buck.”

He was running before he even realized it.

“Spike?” Button asked, trying to catch up. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I… Oh, I have a theory, but you’re not gonna like it,” Spike muttered. “I...erm, oh how do I say this? Crap crap holy crapbaskets but I think it’s your mother.”

“My m-mom?” Button stammered. “But-”

“That’s the thing about RideWatches, they twist your mind. They make you do things you normally wouldn’t,” Spike rapidly explained as best as he could. “They make you act on desires you didn’t even know you had, or if you did, wouldn’t act on normally. I think, and again, working theory, I think the ridewatch is making your mother take her hatred of video games out on everyone. If you don’t have anyone to play with, you’d stop playing right?”

“So you mean…?” Button’s voice shook.

“...we need to go tell Tom.” Spike decided. Button just nodded and they ran down the corridor.

In a small meadow near the Castle of the Two Sisters, Lyra sat on a tree stump, practicing with her beloved lyre. She often came here to practice and think.

After plucking the strings of her instrument for a few moments, she sighed.

“I just can’t get into it today,” she lamented. Her mind wandered back to the townsfolk of Ponyville.

“I’m more than just ‘Bon Bon’s marefriend’, and I’m more than just ‘the crazy human-lover’,” she growled. “I have a lot of things that make me unique! So WHY does everypony fixate on those things exclusively!?” She slammed her fist to her side...only to lift it back up and wince in pain.
“Owie owie owie!” She whined as she was tearing up from the pain. But, as she sat there wincing, she heard what sounded like a stallion humming a tune she’d never heard before.

“Huh? I could have sworn no one else was around here…” Lyra mused. “I’d better go investigate.”

Remembering some of Bon Bon’s spy training manuals she read through on a whim, Lyra crouched low to the ground and moved slowly.

“...People With No Name, hm-hm-hmm-hm-hmmmm-hm…” the humming was louder and clearer the more she approached. She crept closer...and peeked through some nearby foliage.

She saw another human, one different from Tom! This one also looked to be a stallion- or whatever it was that humans called their males. He seemed to be camping out here, and had been hanging laundry on a makeshift line. Nearly all of the hung articles were of a similar style.

“Whoever this guy is, he must REALLY like that greaser look.” Lyra thought to herself. “Still, what is a human doing camping out in the Everfree? Doesn’t he know how dangerous it is?”

She kept observing the human going about his business, until he stopped.

“I know you’re there, whoever or whatever you are.” He spoke loudly. Lyra gulped.

“You have until the count of ten to make yourself scarce, capiche?” He threatened. Lyra slowly turned, unwilling to further provoke the mysterious human.

“...I can’t just leave you alone out here. But what can I do?” She thought, as she left for town to give the human the space he wanted.

Ponyville’s arcade was currently enveloped in a large plastic tent, with various ponies in biohazard suits patrolling the area and performing various tasks. Whatever this illness was, it couldn’t be allowed to spread.

Tom, Twilight, Spike and Button Mash all walked towards the tent.

“You’re sure that this is ‘Another Ex-Aid’?” Twilight asked. Tom just nodded.

“The illness symptoms, the source, all of it lines up with Ex-Aid’s story.”

As they walked towards the tent, they were stopped by a worker in a hazmat suit.

“Sorry folks, but you need to be wearing protective gear and follow procedure to enter there.” The worker, a stallion by the sound of his voice, ordered.

“Protective gear, huh?” Tom grinned as he pulled out his Driver and quickly transformed.

“RIDER TIME!” his belt announced as Tom was now in Rider form.

“...fair enough, but you still need to follow sanitation procedures.” The worker replied. Tom nodded and went into the small sanitizing station nearby.

“Okay, so do I just rinse my hands or-” Tom started, but was cut off by a shout of “CLEAR!” and a large blast of pink foam being blasted at him. Tom wiped the foam off his visor, as a series of small colored strips was placed on him.

“I need to stop tempting Murphy.” Tom thought to himself as he was then hit with a blast of air, removing the foam and colored strips off of him. He shook himself a bit as the air finished its job.

“Alright, monster fighting time…” Tom said to himself. “Hey, Twilight! I’ll give you a signal when I find the Another Rider!” He then yelled out. Twilight nodded and gave a thumbs up as the Rider entered the arcade…

The arcade was dim and silent. None of the machines had any power, and the usually cheerful atmosphere was replaced with a sinister vibe of isolation.

“Ugh, this place is giving me the creeps...like that game with the evil robot cartoon animals.” Tom shuddered. He looked around, and he saw a lone machine that still seemed to be active, despite the lack of power.

“...Mighty Action, huh? Good thing these guys aren’t subtle.” He commented, as he held out his hand.

“EDGE OF TIME!” His sword appeared in his hand, but he folded the blade back to use its Gun Mode. He took aim at the machine, but then heard a loud growl followed by a twisted monster leaping down from above!

“Gah!” Tom yelped as he rolled out of the way. The monster landed, breaking some of the floor. As it got up, Tom got a look at the beast. It was a warped, decayed looking beast with a neon pink “haircut” and wires coming out of its head, resembling dreadlocks.

“Yep, Another Ex-Aid.” Tom nodded. He turned the gun back into a sword and rushed the beast.

“MISS!” A strange voice proclaimed as a projection of an effect bubble saying the same appeared.

“Huh?” Tom was confused, but tried a few more times.

“MISS! MISS! MISS!” Tom kept triggering the same response, while the Another Rider was unharmed!

“YoU wIlL jOiN mE...fOr A gAmE…” Another Ex-Aid growled as it lifted Zi-O by the neck and dragged him over to the arcade machines.

“WiNnEr...TaKe...ALL!” It roared as the two were transported into one of the machines!

Meanwhile, outside the arcade, Button Mash impatiently tapped his hoof on the ground, worried about his friends and his mother being a monster.

“...mmgh...ARGH! I can’t stand it! My MOTHER is in there making everypony sick, and I can’t do a thing about it!” He yelled in frustration.

Spike just patted him on the shoulder. “It’s okay. You can trust Zi-O to handle her.”

Button paused, but then got an idea. He then shifted his expression to one of panic. “Oh no! The monster’s escaped!” He pointed at the sky. As everyone present turned to look, Button ducked and ran off!

“Button, wait!” Spike turned back and chased after the mischievous colt. He saw Button run into an empty tent and take one of the unused hazmat suits.

“What are you doing!?” Spike yelled. Button ignored him and continued putting on the suit.

“Spike, my MOTHER is in there. I can’t just sit out here doing nothing!” Button replied. “Don’t try to stop me, either!”

Spike paused for a moment. Button was experiencing exactly what he felt not too long ago. He then decided his course of action, and grabbed another suit.

“Spike…?” Button wondered.

“I’m not going to let you go in there alone.” Spike explained. “You and I are in this together now!”

Button smiled, as they finished putting on the hazmat suits and crept behind the building.

“Ugh….what happened?” Tom asked, still dazed. He looked around and found himself in a strange maze with glowing blue walls. In front of him was a trail of floating yellow balls.

“...aaaaand things just got weird....” he uttered. But as he stood, he faintly heard a strange noise.

“...wakawakawakawaka…” The noise was distant, but seemed to be getting closer. Tom’s eyes narrowed, wait that sound… Why did it sound so familiar? He’d heard it somewhere before. It was a distant, faint memory.

Then Tom let out a little breathy ‘oh no…’ as the sound grew closer.

“...wakawakawakawaka…” the sound echoed off bright blue walls, a moonless sky above him. He felt a growing dread, as the sound seemed to come behind him…

As he turned, he saw a massive yellow sphere with eyes, and a rapidly opening and closing mouth. “WAKAWAKAWAKAWAKA!” It sounded, as it eyed the Rider with a hungry gaze.

“Nope!” Tom turned around and started running as fast as his legs could carry him, the yellow behemoth hot on his trail. “I’m not even using Ghost Armor right now, for Gaim’s sake! Wait… Gaim?”

Tom had the GaimWatch on him...maybe that’d do something?

Activating the GaimWatch, he put it into the slot on his belt and gave the driver a spin. Within moments, the giant orange armor soon lowered itself onto Tom. And Tom then very quickly realized he now looked like a power-up.

“Okay, on a scale of on to ten ladies and gents, how dumb of an action was this? Go on, don’t be shy!” he asked nobody in particular. “Because you know, with the benefit of hindsight, this was not one of my better ideas.”

The yellow muncher picked up its pace, eagerly attempting to devour the now orange-esque Tom!

“BAD DAY BAD DAY BAD DAY!” Tom yelped, as he continued to flee, but then found himself in between the beast and three large, colorful cartoon ghosts! He screeched to a halt.

“Pac-Man, please! You’re not a bad guy, they are though! Eat them, not me! They’re who you’re supposed to be going after! I’ve played your games for years, helped you fight them! Please!” Tom pleaded. But as it seemed like he was about to be Pac-Chow, the character suddenly turned and went down a different corridor!

“...eh? That worked?” Tom wondered, but then remembered he was also surrounded by several angry ghosts! “Questions for later!”

Meanwhile, in the arcade, Button was at the controls on the Pac Man machine, Spike keeping a lookout.

“Hang on, Kamen Rider! I’m here for ya!” Button proclaimed as he guided Pac Man to a power pellet with precision. As Pac Man consumed the pellet, the ghosts all turned blue and their expressions turned to fear!

“Power Pellet, huh?” Tom nodded as he ducked out of the way of the hungry yellow circle’s rampage. After all the ghosts were eaten, Pac Man seemed to be spinning in joy!

“Looks like you’re happy!” Tom nodded, but then Pac Man stopped moving, and seemed to disappear into himself with a ‘wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-boik-boik’ sound. Standing where Pac Man once did was Another Ex-Aid!

“oNlY oNe HiT, aNd ThEy DiE!” Another Ex-Aid growled. “RoUnD 1 gOeS tO yOu...BuT iT gEtS HaRDeR fROm HeRE!”

Another Ex-Aid raised a hand and the area around the two seemed to shift!

“Alright, now what…?” Tom muttered to himself. He noticed that the brightly lit maze had been replaced by an ocean of stars, above him, around him...and below him!

“Wha!?” He panicked slightly, but noticed he wasn’t falling. “...am I in space? Well, if I am, and if I must… UCCCCHHHHHUUUUUU KIIIIITTTTA!”

He then noticed there were formations of giant, bug-like spaceships flying at him! He blinked under his mask.

“...wait, this isn’t even how the game works…” Tom said. But the ships, instead of going for Tom, seemed to go past him and enter a formation simply drifting left and right slightly. A laser beam then whizzed past Tom and hit one of the ships, the ship making a weird sound as it blinked out of existence, replaced briefly by the number 100.

“...oh yeah, I know this game now! It’s Galaga!” Tom realized. “But then who’s controlling the player ship?

“Spike!” Button called out. “I think the monster’s jumping between machines! I’ve got Galaga, keep an eye on the others!”

Back in the game, one of the larger, green ships flew towards a white fighter-shaped ship, and emitted a blue beam that seemed to pull the white ship in!

“That fighter’s been captured!” Tom realized. “If I can free it, two fighters will join and double the firepower!” He began to space-swim towards the green ship, and took out his weapon in Gun Mode.

“Eat this!” Tom fired a few shots, the recoil causing him to spin out a bit, but the green ship was destroyed, and the captured white ship went back, joining with a second white ship!

“Thanks, Kamen Rider!” Button cheered. “Double shot time!”

At this he began rapidly mashing the fire button, as was befitting his name. A hail of lasers quickly demolished the remaining ships until one was left. On this ship, Another Ex-Aid stood on it, riding atop it like a mount.

“yOUr DoUblE shOt WoN’t saVE yOU foR LonG!” The monster growled as it attempted to kamikaze the Rider!

Tom floated undeterred, as he changed his gun back into a sword, and took a deep breath. When the errant ship got close enough, he let out a roar and slashed at the ship, cutting it in two!

“Stage clear!” Tom pumped his fist in victory. The stage around him shifted yet again, and Tom felt himself falling.

“Button! Over here, at Ridge Racer!” Spike pointed to an arcade machine shaped like the inside of a car. Button ran over and plopped himself into the driver’s seat, almost at the same time Tom found himself behind the wheel of a car with the colors of his Rider form.

“Oh so it’s like that is it?” Tom blinked. “I don’t even have a driver’s license, so this is probably going to turn into a demolition derby very quickly. I expect to see the black flag out in about five minutes.”

He looked at the other car to see Another Ex-Aid in a warped-looking race car, as the starting lights counted down.

“3! 2! 1! GOOOO!” The game announcer blurted, as somehow, Tom felt his hands and feet being guided to where they needed to be.

“Huh?” Tom questioned, but he seemed to be driving incredibly well thanks to this mysterious guidance.

Outside, Button had a firm grip on the wheel, while Spike was underneath operating the pedals of the car controls.

As the race continued, Another Ex-Aid and Tom seemed to be neck and neck for first place, but the monster had a trick up its sleeve, and pulled out what appeared to be a leftover ship from Galaga!

“Oh come on! This is RIIIIIIIIIIIDGE RACER, not a kart racer!” Tom complained as he readied his gun once more to shoot down the errant enemy. The ship buzzed around Tom’s car, as he tried to shoot it.

“Spike! Hit the brake!” Button commanded. Spike held his claw on the brake pedal, as a harsh screeching was heard. Button turned the steering wheel hard, and the car was drifting! The enemy tried to continue its movements, but due to the car’s erratic drift, ended up smashing into the entrance to a tunnel! Another Ex-Aid slammed its fist on its steering wheel, frustrated as Tom’s car passed it, crossing the finish line.

“alRiGHt, NO MORE MrS. NiCe RIder!” It growled, as it changed the game again. This time, the two of them seemed to be in a warehouse district, with armed guards pointing guns at each of them!

“Button! Now it’s Time Crisis!” Spike yelled as the two of them ran to the machine and each picked up one of the light guns. Tom was rolling around, trying to stay out of the line of fire. But then, a few gunshots rang out from nowhere, and some of the guards fell. Tom noticed there were a pair of firing reticles moving around, taking aim at the guards!

“Good thing for co-op play!” Spike announced as he and Button nodded at each other and continued their sniping. The game progressed, until Another Ex-Aid itself popped up as a boss! It began firing back and trying to hit both Tom and the reticles.

“Oh no you don’t!” Tom said, pulling out his gun.

“Mile-a-minute shooting!” the weapon cried out blasting the Another Rider into the next stage as the world shifted.

A voice echoed down from above. Divine, and all-knowing. “The almighty ones have granted you a sword, to cut your own path.”

It narrated from nowhere and yet seemed to come from everywhere at once. He found himself in a large chapel, the roof having caved in long ago. Sunlight filtered in through shattered stained-glass windows, a massive organ at the far end of the room.

“...wait a minute. I know that quote… And this place looks so familiar!” Tom’s reverie was interrupted, however, by a shadowy figure smashing down in front of him!

“SOULS, COME TO ME!” The evil figure gave a guttural growl, a nightmarish parody of a knight clad in midnight blue armor strutting forwards. “Your soul, it calls to me. How it shines like a beacon!”

“Of course I’m going up against Nightmare! My luck!” Tom sighed. He produced his Edge of Time, but when he flipped it into its Blade Mode, the business end was...markedly different then what he was used to.

It glowed blue, radiating light and hope. It shone like the purest of stars. And Tom was having none of it- he played the games in this series, he KNEW about what this sword’s deal was!

“Hey! Get off of my sword, Soul Calibur! I’ll forge my own fate, thank you very much! I don’t need you, I can deal with this guy myself,” Tom said, though as Nightmare strode forwards with sword in hand, he swallowed nervously. Looks like he was about to test that boast. “Well then, on this stage of history… come at me. I’ll clear this even if I have to use every continuation I got.”

“Let’s see what fate will write on your epitaph, young warrior. Young knight. Many have tried to stop me and failed,” Nightmare said, dark energy surrounding his blade, a single blinking eye in the center of it. “Ground to dust beneath my blade!”

“Okay, two things. One, your sword is REALLY gross looking this close up, and two, you’ve never fought a Kamen Rider before!”

“Hahahahaha, such boasting! Such spirit, I look forward to devouring your very soul!” Nightmare shouted, as he swung his truly infamous sword. “My thirst is endless! Blood, darkness, come unto me!”

“...freaking edgelord.” Tom muttered as he deftly dodged each of the slow strikes. Leaping onto the blade, he used it as a platform to kick the monster square in the face making the knight noticeably stagger.

“Is running away like a flea all you can do!?” The twisted knight taunted as he moved with sudden speed, knocking his opponent flat on his back! Picking him up, he tightened his grip on the Rider’s neck.

“Grgh!” Tom gargled in pain, barely able to breathe under Nightmare’s grasp.

“You fought like a mewling child. Savor these last breaths, as your soul becomes my sustenance!” The beastly warrior boasted, but hadn’t noticed that Tom’s blade had changed shape back into a gun.

Tom quickly squeezed the trigger, a small swarm of bullets hitting Nightmare in the leg and causing him to release the Rider and trip somewhat.

Tom flipped away, taking a few moments to catch his breath. “Mewling child, huh? I’d rather be that than a broody edgelord with a gross eye-sword!”

He decided he needed to finish this quickly and put his RideWatch in his weapon, switching it back into a blade.

“You cannot defeat me, now or ever!” Nightmare said, his blade glowing a violent red as he raced towards Tom. “Fall… into the abyss!”

“Take that abyss and shove it!” The Rider pressed the button on his sword. “FINISH TIME!”

The Edge of Time started glowing with a golden aura as neon symbols appeared around it.

“ZI-O! LAST MINUTE SLASH!!!” The sword announced as the sinister blade met the Rider’s blade in a fierce clash! The blades were locked, and both Tom and Nightmare pushed against each other with all their might!

“Your soul is MINE!” Nightmare roared, a shockwave erupting and walls beginning to fall away all around them.

“Screw that!” Tom yelled back, shoving against his sword with all his might! Nightmare stumbled as Tom delivered a final stab!

...only for Nightmare to still remain standing as Tom’s blade stuck through him!

“I am the nightmare, I am eternal!” the warrior proclaimed.

“Wait, what!?” Tom panicked. The area around them began to flicker and glitch. Another Ex-Aid appeared before them.

“As LoNg As I aM hErE, NiGhtMaRE haS InFINiTE HeaLTH!” The monster announced, even as Nightmare began to sprout burning wings and grow larger. Much larger. Tom’s eyes widened.

“Oh, you cheating ass!” Tom complained. But their fight was suddenly interrupted by a new challenger!

“Okay, here we go…” said a blond, and somewhat well-endowed woman in a blue Greek-style dress. In her hands, a sword and shield. “I didn’t want to fight, but ready or not here we come.”

Outside the game, Button was at the controls, Spike looking at him unamused.

“Sophitia? Really?” Spike questioned.

“Hey, she’s got lots of great advantages! Two of them on her chest in fact!” Button snorted.

“...teenagers.” He sighed quietly. On screen, Sophita smacked her sword against her shield.

“Gods, guide me!” she said. Tom used the opportunity to separate Another Ex-Aid and himself from the two in-game fighters.

“You and I don’t belong here, Another Ex-Aid!” Tom yelled. “I won’t let you use this world to hurt anyone else!”

They leaped off a crumbled wall, and were now fighting on a large wooden pallet drifting through the moat below.

“ThaT iS aLL theSE gaMEs eVer DOOOOO!” The twisted monster roared. “My huSBanD is GOnE anD noW I’m LoSINg MY Son tO TheM!”

“Your son… he’s dealing with all of this in his own way. He’s grieving, just like you are!” Tom said, rolling to avoid a swing and now behind the twisted being. “He’s in pain, just like you are!”

Up above them, a roar as a monstrous winged beast flew above the castle ruins.

“You want to know the difference between you and him?” Tom started. “Your son found an outlet for his grief. You, however, are taking your sorrow out on everyone else!”

He pointed to the monster above.

“YOU made that!” He accused. “YOU made all those kids out there sick! And why? Because you don’t like your son playing video games!?”

“S...SHUT UP!!!!” The monster roared as it rushed Tom in a blind fury.

“YOU KNOW NOTHING! YOU’VE NEVER LOST ANYONE!” It raged.

“...yes, I have.” Tom said, plainly. “I’ve experienced loss like you’ll never know… Every time I close my eyes…”

He fought back a sob.

“You won’t know this pain, because I’ll make sure no one else has to feel this ever again!” Tom pointed his sword at Another Ex-Aid. “I’ll fight so everyone can live happily!”

As they went to battle, Tom looked up and shouted at the sky.

“I know someone’s out there, helping me! This is a game, right? And there’s always a way to win! Listen to me! Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A! Did you hear that? Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A!”

“Up, up...huh?” Spike asked, but Button quickly entered the sequence with a knowing grin.

Back on the rapids, Another Ex-Aid suddenly roared in pain.

“W-WHAt’S haPPENiNG to MEeeeE!?”

The monster was glitching out! It was unstable!

“Don’t you know? Cheat codes like that give control of the game back to the players,” Tom coolly explained. “As for you, you’re out of continues. Put simply, it's game over!”

He pressed the button on his RideWatch and spun the Driver.

“TIME BREAK!” His belt announced as he leapt into the air, the monster being surrounded by large neon “KICK” projections. Tom extended his leg, and the projections all merged onto the sole of his boot as he collided with the monster.

“Two words. Get. Good.” Tom quipped as the world exploded and he found himself back in Ponyville.

So had Another Ex-Aid apparently, it was in the midst of exploding. And from it, virus-like creatures spawned chittering and chattering. During the explosion, a lime green and neon purple watch flew from the creature’s body.

Tom was panting hard, leaning on his sword for support and shakily holding the ridewatch in his hand.

“Get up Zi-O, there’s still work to be done,” Anton said, walking up pulling out twin watches. “Or are you too tired to continue this playthrough?”

Tom just chuckled a bit. “Like hell I’m too tired. We’re on a mission right now. Let’s finish this with super co-op play!”

Spike and Button had rushed out to see all of the commotion. Spike blinked, the vague stirrings of a faint memory. “Him again?”

“Rider Time! Kamen Rider: Geiz! Armor Time! Come On! Baron!"

A large banana-shaped armor came out of a strange zipper above them, and it landed on Anton’s armor.

“A banana!?” Spike yelped, Tom just tilting his head.

“Banana!?” Button also yelped, his voice seeming to ring out through the streets.

“That’s Baron, dumbasses!” Anton replied, almost reflexively as the armor wrapped around him with fruity juices spraying everywhere. “...wow, that seems almost programmed.”

With a growl, he charged into the fray.

“Well, the fruits of your labor…” Tom joked, as they sliced through the bugsters. More cracks opened, swatting away some with vines before two daidaimaru swords flew out and landed in Tom’s hands.

“Oh shut up…”

“You can just peel the admiration in your bones!” Tom joked. “Your armor, it’s so appeeling!”

“Don’t make me regret helping you, asshole.” Anton groaned, spearing a bugster clean through.

“But I’m just bananas about you!” Tom said with a grin under his helm. “Thanks a bunch!”

A green slipper fell on Tom’s head, seemingly out of nowhere. A mare with an unusual resemblance to Scootaloo was peeking her head out of her house, waving another angrily.

“Some mares don’t appreciate a good joke anymore,” Tom said, spinning his swords in his hands. “Wow, tough town.”

Tom and Anton ceased their banter and continued their assault on the Bugster horde, cutting them down with ease. The two worked like a well-oiled machine, despite their personality differences. Some of the Bugsters began to change shape into more varied forms, many of them now holding weapons like swords, guns and some of them had frying pans for some reason.

“Wait, which game were the frying pans in?” Tom asked.

“Cooking Ma- Not the time, dumbass!” Anton scolded sharply. The mob of monsters began to rush the two Riders, attacking with everything but the kitchen sink!

Anton punched one of them back, before kicking another trying to come up from behind. He wrenched one of their frying pans out of another’s hand before whacking a bugster atop the head.

“Think about your life choices!”

The Bugster bowed before fainting dead away, though more were still coming.

“Finish Time! Baron!”

The rider stabbed his spear into the ground, a series of energy bananas erupting from it and spearing bugsters through. Explosions erupted though more seemed to stride out of the fire.

“Alright, how about this then?” Anton asked, as nearby Tom fired at more of the horde.

“Armor Time!” the driver called mid-spin as rock music and sirens blared. “G3!”

“There’s only one thing that can stop this many monsters at once… and that’s a large gun and lots of ammo!” He exclaimed as he pulled out one of G3’s many guns from his leg, armored panels shifting aside. With that, he began firing it indiscriminately at the Bugster swarm, with spent ammunition littering the ground .

“Aaaand now I need to figure out how to stop ALL the bugsters before he turns the arcade into swiss cheese.” Tom sighed. “Wait...oh, duh!”

He remembered he had seized the Ex-Aid watch. Without hesitating, he activated the watch and equipped it on his belt, before spinning it again.

“Armor Time!”Electronic music and video game noises began to sound.

“LEVEL UP! Ex-Aiiiiiid~!”the Driver sang, as Tom was now equipped with a colorful armor in many loud neon colors, his helmet having gained a plume of pink “hair” and his chest armor now featuring the buttons one would see on a game controller.

“If Rarity saw me wearing this, she’d probably shriek and then faint, and probably ban me from her store for life,” Tom thought to himself. He produced his sword again, only this time it gained the shape and colors of the Gashacon Breaker.

“Alright, Bugsters...the doctor is in!” Tom quipped, holding up his hands like a surgeon. Next he rushed the monsters and started shredding through them like a hot knife through butter. “That’s 50cc’s of whoopass prescribed for you!”

“JUST FINISH THIS ALREADY, IDIOT!” Anton yelled, incredibly annoyed.

“Okay, okay! Yeesh…” Tom complained, but activated the Ex-Aid Watch on his belt.

“FINISH TIME!” It was announced as loud neon effects appeared around Tom. “CRITICAL TIME BREAK!”

The words appeared in front of Tom as well as a barrier of sorts. Tom nodded and grabbed the barrier, smacking the remaining Bugsters into the air before he jumped and started rapidly punching through them!

“I...don’t think that’s how Ex-Aid’s finisher went, but whatever...” Anton commented as one last Bugster tried to sneak up on him. He quickly moved his fist back into its face, the monster falling over and vanishing.

Tom finished delivering the blows and landed on the ground, the Bugsters all exploding in sequence. A large ‘PERFECT!’ icon appeared in front of him as this happened.

“Damn right!” Tom quipped. As he undid his transformation, he noticed Anton walking away without much fanfare.

“Hey, where are you going?” Tom asked after the other Rider.

“Honestly, if I have to listen to any more of your lame quips, I’d probably go full Meteor on your ass,” He snarked as he left the scene.

“...to each their own, I guess,” Tom shrugged, as he exited the tent to inform everyone the threat was taken care of...only to be met with yet ANOTHER blast of pink foam.

“Ok, three times is enough!” He shouted angrily, before turning back to see a sobbing Mrs. Mash. He smiled as he watched Button run up to hug her. Yeah, everything was going to be just fine.

“Well, THAT was entertaining...”

From high above the town, Ouja was sitting on a chair made of pink clouds, with Idunn sitting in another chair next to him.

“Feh. I thought that giving the watch to a tiger mom would be more entertaining than that!” Idunn grumbled.

“So now what?” Ouja asked. “I doubt anymore Ponyville residents would be easily suckered after all that.

“Oh, don’t worry about that…” Idunn gave a sinister chuckle. “There are PLENTY of other towns with Another Rider fodder... “

She looked up further into the clouds.

“Like in that pegasus city for example…”

Ouja shifted in his seat. “Oh?”

“I already have someone on it right now in fact…”

In Cloudsdale, an armored reptilian-like figure stepped into view. They were standing behind a small cloud house, staring at a green pegasus stallion with his blond hair in a man-bun, staring at the sky.

“Hmm...seems this young man requires some motivation,” The armored figure said quietly, tossing a watch up into the air and then catching it in their other hand. “I suppose he’d march to the beat of his own drum… hee hee hee.”

They pressed down on the watch.

“HIBIKI!”

Anton sighed and groaned in pain as he walked back to his humble camp.

“Gonna be feeling that one in the morning...for the next week,” He grumbled. As he walked into the ruins, however, he noticed that there was a small wicker basket placed near the base of what looked to be a massive red mecha.

“Huh?” He warily approached the basket, picking up a stick and poking at it before deciding to open it. Inside was some fruit and bread, and a letter.

Anton opened the letter. “Thanks from all your friends in town!” It said.

“Heh...friends, huh?” He scoffed as he took a bit of an apple. “...damn that’s good.”

A little ways away, Lyra looked on as Anton ate.

“Maybe soon you’ll be able to come see us.” She quietly said as she crept away.

Author's Note

Special thanks to the Bricklayer for helping me finish this chapter!

Ouja and Idunn seem to be turning their attention to other areas of Equestria now. And will Lyra's wishes reach Anton? Will Ponyville be able to go one day without something exploding?

Find out next time!

Chapter 8: “躊躇する (Shed Hesitation)”

It had been a few days since the incident at the Ponyville arcade. Today, Tom was accompanying Twilight to receive Starlight Glimmer, the student she mentioned, from the train station.

Twilight herself was impatiently tapping her hoof on the ground, arms crossed. Tom was just sitting on a nearby bench, and Spike was sitting next to him, reading a comic book.

“Twi, would you relax?” Spike said, looking up from his comic. “Starlight’s probably just fine. She’s been traveling with Trixie, and you did tell her to send you updates. Ugh, I still have indigestion from it.” He sighed, rubbing his stomach gently.

“I know, it’s just…Starlight’s my first student, and I want to be the best teacher I can. That and she’s still learning some of the finer nuances.” The alicorn noted.

A loud whistle sounded, as a pastel colored train with hearts of various shapes and sizes decorating it pulled into the station.

“And I thought the ZeroLiner looked silly.” Tom thought to himself. The train halted, and let out a second whistle, as ponies quickly filed out of the passenger cars. Among those departing was a pink unicorn with a purple and light blue mane. She was wearing a pink blouse and blue jeans.

“Starlight! Over here!” Twilight called out.

“Twilight!” She replied, running over, but stopping when she saw Tom.

“Wait, that’s…!” She thought, but then her eyes narrowed as she approached the human.

“Uh…hi. You’re Starlight Glimmer, right?” Tom greeted, curious about the newcomer’s reaction. Before he could react, Starlight started sticking her face close to various parts of his body and sniffing.

“Okay, MASSIVE violation of my personal space, lady!” Tom complained as he tried to push her back.

“...oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else.” Starlight moved back, becoming sheepish. Tom just raised an eyebrow.

“But me and Geiz are the only humans here…right?” Tom pondered. As Tom was lost in thought, Twilight was scolding her student about her inappropriate conduct.
“...and furthermore, instead of violating his personal space, you could have simply asked him what you needed to.” Twilight lectured. Starlight just nodded.

“Maybe this can wait until we’re back at the castle, and not in the middle of a crowded train station where ponies are staring?” Spike asked, interrupting the impromptu seminar.

The group quickly hustled from the train station.

—-----

Meanwhile, in Cloudsdale, Fluttershy had gone to visit her parents, but also to help them by setting her slacking brother, Zephyr Breeze, straight.

“I really don’t want to do this…but someone needs to stand up for Mom and Dad, and that someone is me!” She thought to herself. Her thoughts went to brave people, like Rainbow Dash and…Tom.

“Tom, please let me have some of your courage.” She thought as she walked up to her house. But what she saw shocked her even more than she expected.

“Oh, hey, sis! Back so soon?” It was Zephyr, but he was actually watering plants and digging holes! It looked like he was utterly invested in actual hard work!

Fluttershy could only shake her head in confusion, before her thoughts immediately jumped to concern for her brother.

“Oh my goodness!” She cried out, as she cradled her brother. “Zephyr, are you feeling okay? You must have some sort of fever! Let’s get you inside, you need bed rest!”

As Fluttershy began to try to pull Zephyr inside, he just chuckled. “I’m not sick, Fluttershy. In fact, the opposite- I’ve never felt more energetic and motivated in my life!” He cheered.

The shy pegasus was utterly stunned. The words “Zephyr” and “motivated” never seemed to go together, yet all of a sudden, he was doing actual labor! It was as if his personality did a complete flip!

“A change in personality…oh no.” Fluttershy muttered. Was Zephyr Breeze under the influence of a RideWatch!?

“Zephyr, you have to tell me- did anyone come up to you and offer you a watch!?” Fluttershy demanded answers. But Zephyr just shook his head.

“A watch salesman? You know salesmen don’t come here after they all took pity on mom and dad.” He replied.
Fluttershy pouted. Zephyr’s motivation had improved, but his attitude definitely hadn’t. And she doubted he’d tell her about any RideWatches if he were asked directly. There was only one option, even if she really didn’t like it.

“Say, Zephyr, I imagine all my friends in Ponyville would love to see your new talents.” Fluttershy said, straining a bit to say it.

“Wait, really?” Zephyr replied.

“Yes, come stay in Ponyville. It’ll…be…great…” Fluttershy said, saying that last part through clenched teeth.

Zephyr mulled it over. But, unfortunately for Fluttershy, he also remembered another reason he’d want to go to Ponyville.

“Rainbows lives down there now, right? I bet she’d be all over me right now!” Zephyr boasted. Fluttershy just winced.

“Rainbow Dash, I am so, so sorry for what is about to be unleashed upon Ponyville.” She thought to herself.

—--------

“...probably a good idea to give him some more medical supplies too, he does get into fights a lot.” Lyra said to herself, as she was assembling another basket full of various foods and supplies.

As she walked towards the front door, basket in hand, she was stopped by an unamused voice.

“Going somewhere?” It was Bon Bon. She was sitting on their couch, arms crossed.

“O-oh, Bonny!” Lyra stammered. “I, um…I was just-” She started before Bon Bon held up her hand.

“I know you’ve been going into the Everfree and giving stuff to that Geiz guy.” She sighed in annoyance. “Could you PLEASE use your head, Lyra?”

Lyra pouted. “And just what do you mean by that?”

“He’s dangerous, Lyra!” Bon Bon yelled. “He doesn’t seem to care about any of us, he just shows up, fights monsters, and then goes back into the forest without even so much as a glance!”

“That doesn’t mean he’s dangerous!” Lyra retorted. “And he helped Tom save our town and our lives more than once! What’s wrong with showing him some kindness!?”

Bon Bon groaned, as her palm met her face. “Fine, go ahead and see what happens! But don’t come crying to me when he’s on your tail!” She pointed at the door.

“Fine!” Lyra yelled, as she stomped towards the door. “I swear, Bon Bon, sometimes you can be too stubborn for your own good!” She slammed the door behind her.

Bon Bon just flopped on the couch and stared at the wall. “She doesn’t understand… how much I want to protect her, and how much I want to be with her.” Sighing bitterly, she grabbed a book and started reading it.

“She’ll be back. I know it. She’ll be back, and she’ll understand I was right.” But she started hearing an odd rhythmic noise from nowhere.

“Huh…who’s playing drums?”

—--------

Around the same time, Fluttershy had returned to her little cottage, Zephyr in tow. He had been insisting on carrying lots of the luggage himself, despite almost getting himself crushed underneath it. What was happening to him?

She was snapped out of her thoughts at the sounds of her animals in distress.

“Zephyr, please, don’t let this be-” she quietly pleaded, but her fears were confirmed. Her brother had tried to handle the animals himself and was now being assaulted by a mob of angry chickens. She winced, knowing just how aggressive her chickens could be when riled up.

“AGH! Please, I just wanted to give you some food- NOT THE FACE!” Zephyr loudly cried. Fluttershy rushed over to calm her dear hens down, and get her brother out of there.

“I hope this isn’t going to be a thing while he’s here.” She lamented.

“Hey, Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash called out, as she flew down. “I thought you were going to be gone for longer.”

“Um…well, you see…” She stammered, but then, almost on cue, Zephyr landed in front of both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, having been thrown by a bear, who was angrily shaking his claw at the offender.

“Ooough… bears. My god.” The pegasus droned as he got up shakily, only to seemingly regain all his energy when he saw Rainbow Dash.

“Well, helloooo seven colors of sexy!” Zephyr flirted. Fluttershy could only facepalm in irritation and embarrassment. He zipped over to Rainbow Dash, and put his arm against a nearby shed. “If I'd known you were here, I’d have brought some flowers and candy. Of course, who needs candy when you have THIS candy here?” Zephyr gestured to his abdomen.

“Ugh! Fluttershy, why is HE here!?” Rainbow groaned. She was pulled into a huddle by the shy pegasus.

“I think he’s under the influence of a RideWatch…” Fluttershy whispered.

“What do you mean? He seems like the same old Zephyr…unfortunately.” Rainbow quietly replied.

“He was trying to actually work, as in manual labor!” She explained.

“Zephyr…doing hard work?” The tomboy pegasus considered this. “Okay yeah, that is VERY out of character for him.”

“I know Zephyr can be…Zephyr, but if he really is under the control of a watch, we have to keep an eye on him!”

Rainbow just sighed. “I guess it can’t be helped…he may be a lazy slimeball, but even he doesn’t deserve to be turned into a monster.” She then realized what she said. “Er, no offense Fluttershy.” She quickly backpedaled.

“None taken, but one of us needs to tell Tom and the others.” She suggested, at that point, Rainbow saw her out.

“Wellyoucancountonmetodothatsoseeyoulater!” She blurted as she flew off as fast as she could.

“I hope we can sort this all out soon.” Fluttershy lamented, as she saw her brother had angered more of her animal friends. “VERY soon.” She sighed again as she went over to rescue her klutzy brother once again.

—-----

Around the same time, back at Twilight’s castle, Starlight was scrutinizing every detail of the events that Tom, Twilight and Spike had recounted to her.

“So, let me get this straight- I’ve been gone about 2 weeks, and in that time, Ponyville has been attacked by at least eight different monsters? And THIS guy took care of them?” Starlight gestured to Tom. “You don’t exactly look like the hero type.”

Tom just grunted in irritation.

“Starlight, you’re being really rude!” Twilight chimed in. “And it’s true, Tom here saved us all those times!”

Starlight still remained unconvinced.

“...well, whether you believe us or not, that’s what happened.” Tom concluded. “So let’s try to get along, okay?”

Starlight just pouted. Twilight decided to try changing the subject.

“ANYWAY, so now that both of you are here, we can get to work fixing the Cutie Map!” Twilight explained.

“...oh yeah, the table map thingy you mentioned.” Tom remembered. “So, what do you need me to do?”

“...well, you can hand us stuff.” Twilight sheepishly replied. “I was more hoping for it to be a chance for us to do something besides fight monsters...”

But before the conversation could become any more awkward, they were interrupted by a sudden blast of wind, coming from a certain speedy pegasus’s entry.

“Hey Tom! Where are you!?” Rainbow Dash shouted out. She looked around to find that Tom had been hurled into a bookshelf by her supersonic entrance.

“Best match kiitttaaaaa~!” Tom announced deliriously.

“Rainbow Dash, what’s going on?” Twilight announced, lowering a shield she had erected over herself and Starlight.

“No time to explain, we may have an Another Rider situation again!” She explained quickly, lifting Tom up and dusting him off.

“Alright, hero boy, up and at ‘em!” She shook the young man violently.

“Ugh…maybe ease up on the sonic boom next time, huh?” Tom groaned.

“Good, you’re up and ready, let’s go! GO GO GO!” Rainbow Dash vented, as she flew out the castle door, dragging Tom with her.

“Hey! WAIIIIIT!” Tom called out but to little avail.

Twilight and Starlight stood there, baffled at what just happened.

“Um…what’s-” Starlight began, but Twilight stopped her.

“I’ve learned to stop asking those kinds of questions around here.” Twilight sighed. She turned back to the map.

“Also why did you want the human here anyway? I doubt he knows anything about magical artifact repair.” Starlight asked.

“Um…well…” Twilight stammered, breaking into a blush. “It’s the sort of thing that isn’t necessarily in the friendship curriculum, and I’d like to leave it at that.”

The friendship student tilted her head, but just shrugged. “Well, whatever. Come on, this map isn’t gonna fix itself.”

—--------

A few minutes later, Tom and Rainbow Dash were standing outside Sugarcube Corner, both of them with a milkshake in hand.

“Yeah, sorry about that, but I’m not ready to go back yet…” Rainbow Dash apologized.

“Is there something about this potential Another Rider I should know about?” Tom asked.

Rainbow Dash just sighed. “His name is Zephyr Breeze, he’s Fluttershy’s little brother.” She explained. “And he’s really, really annoying.”

“Is he really that bad?” Tom was confused. Fluttershy herself was delightful to be around, but this brother of hers was apparently enough to make Rainbow Dash stall?

“Let me put it this way; I’d rather spend 5 minutes with that Kaixa guy you mentioned than have to deal with Zephyr.” The pegasus explained.

“Ooooh, yikes.” Tom winced. If she was going with the Kaixa analogy, there must be something bad.

“But enough about that for now.” The tomboyish pegasus decided it would be best to change the subject. “So, tell me something- how do you feel about Twilight?”
“How do I feel…? Well, she’s my friend, and she lets me stay in her castle…” Tom replied.

“And?” Rainbow pressed.

“Well, I do like being around her, she’s really smart, and she does look out for me…” He continued.

“So you do like her after all!” Rainbow blurted, which made Tom choke on his milkshake.

“WHAT?!” Tom coughed. “W-where did THAT come from!?”

“Ha! Your face says it all!” Rainbow teased, Tom breaking out into a blush.

“Me liking Twilight!? As a woman!? I…I mean she’s great, and she is cute but- ack!” Tom stuttered. “It’d never work out! I mean, she’s a princess! And what would Spike think? And her family!? And our friends as well!?”

“Aw, come on! It’s obvious you two like each other!” Rainbow continued her ribbing.

“I-I…uhhh…well, what about you and Applejack, huh!?” Tom retorted after regaining his composure. Now it was Rainbow’s turn to start blushing.

“Huh!? W-what’s that got to do with anything!?” Rainbow snapped in embarrassment. The two of them stopped as they realized they were attracting a lot of attention.

“I think we should go see Fluttershy now.” Tom concluded flatly.

“Fine, but this isn't over!” Rainbow retorted. The two of them rushed off towards the forest.

—-----

As the two of them made their way south, they were stopped when they saw Fluttershy looking around in a panic.

“Hey, Fluttershy!” Tom called out. The shy pegasus flinched, but realized who was calling and went over to him.

“Tom! Oh thank goodness you’re here!” She said relieved, as she decided to give Tom a bear hug.

“Fluttershy…need air…” Tom wheezed. As he did, the kindly pegasus let him go.

“Um…sorry, I-I’ve…” She stammered, until Dash sighed in annoyance.

“We need his help with Zephyr, remember?” Rainbow Dash reminded her friend.

A high pitched shriek penetrated the air, almost as if on cue.

“That was Rarity!” Tom realized. “I’d never forget THAT noise!” He took off towards Carousel Boutique, the two pegasi following him.

The three ran up to their friend’s business, they could hear shouting and various banging noises, as well as repeated pleas to stop!

“No! PLEASE!” Rarity’s voice shrieked.

“Alright, gonna have to bust the door!” Dash decided, but Tom just opened the door to see Rarity behind an overturned couch while a green pegasus with a man-bun, who he presumed was Fluttershy’s brother, haphazardly stitching fabric together.

“Hee-yaaah!” Dash shouted, but as the door was already opened, she just shot through the doorway and out another window. “Hey! I said I was gonna bust the door! Not cool!” Dash yelled as she came back moments later.

“ZEPHYR BREEZE!” Fluttershy loudly stated. “What do you think you’re doing to my friend!?”

“Look! I’m making all these clothes!” Zephyr excitedly proclaimed. “I can feel it- I gotta do more!” He said, shooting out of the boutique to find another task.

“...Rarity, are you okay?” Tom knelt down to the terrified tailor.

“...my apologies, dear Thomas, but I suggest you cover your ears.” Rarity calmly suggested. “You too, Fluttershy.”

The two of them just nodded as they covered their ears, as it appeared to them that Rarity was rampaging and angrily exclaiming her feelings, most likely including things she wouldn’t want them to hear. After a bit, she calmed down and gave a thumbs up to Tom and Fluttershy to uncover their ears. Rainbow Dash’s jaw was agape.

“Whoa, Rarity…I’m pretty sure I’ve heard drunken guards that cursed less than that.” She said, in shock.

“Ahem, yes, well…I knew I wouldn’t be able to retain my composure.” She sighed. “But Fluttershy, look at what he did to my shop! All my fabrics, stitched together in such…horrendous fashion!”

“I’m very sorry, Rarity- we think he’s being controlled by a RideWatch.” Fluttershy explained.

“If he is, then you better get after him before he causes any more problems!” Rarity ushered Tom and Fluttershy away. “As for you, Rainbow Dash- you’ll be helping me clean up.”

“What!? Why do I have to clean up after HIM!?” She roared, but Rarity simply pointed to the now obliterated window that Dash had passed through.

“...oh, yeah.” Dash just deflated and grabbed a broom. But both of them paused for a moment.

“...do you hear drums?” Rarity asked.

Rainbow listened closely. “Yeah, I do…it’s making me…kinda tired…” She and Rarity both felt as if all the energy and motivation had left their bodies.

—------

Tom and Fluttershy rushed after Zephyr, but had suddenly found themselves being pushed back by a harsh rainstorm!

“AGH!” Tom cried out. “What…why is there a typhoon in the middle of Ponyville all of a sudden!?”

Fluttershy squinted her eyes, and then just sighed in frustration. “Just a moment, please.” She said gently as she flew in the direction she was looking. After a moment, the storm cleared away, revealing Zephyr standing on top of a cloud, with a very angry looking Fluttershy staring him down.

“Ooogh…” A groan came from a nearby Spike, having been knocked into a nearby wall by the storm.

“Spike, you okay?” Tom went over and helped his friend up.

“Yeah, I think so… but I’m never asking Fluttershy’s brother for help ever again! I mean, I asked him if he wanted to help me clean the windows and he carts in a bunch of storm clouds!?” Spike complained.

“Wait, are Twilight and Starlight okay?” Tom realized they were still in the castle.

“Yeah, they’re fine- Twilight puts up shielding on her castle for occasions such as this,” Spike replied. “Seriously, this kind of thing happens a lot around here, the Another Riders are just the worst of it.”

Meanwhile, Zephyr didn’t say a word while his sister kept her gaze transfixed on him. However, he then started hearing drums…and in that moment, he felt as though he had the confidence of 10 stallions!

“YO!!!” He yelled as he stood up and roared. “You wanna say somethin’ to me?”

Zephyr had practically growled this out at Fluttershy, currently in shock that her stare failed. Not to mention now her brother was saying very harsh and uncharacteristic things towards her. He jumped up and stomped on the ground, then looked back at his sister with a smug grin.

“Sorry, sis, but I’mma go find my Rainbow!” He dashed off.

“Zephyr, wait!” Fluttershy called after him, but the stallion was too far gone in his ego to notice. She sighed. “...Definitely an Another Rider. Has to be. My brother suddenly becoming like this… There’s no other explanation.”

She shook her head, and he was usually bad enough on a normal day.

“Tom!” Fluttershy called down to the ground. “My brother’s headed back towards my cottage! We have to stop him before he gets hurt!”

“Oh great…” Tom muttered. “Good grief. Is he always like this? This…”

He searched for the right word, trying not to offend her.

“Aggravating? Stupid?” Fluttershy said with a deadpan stare. “Yes. Yes he is. But today he seems be like extra-stupid. And worse, he’s motivated. Like he thinks he can do anything.”

“Motivated?” Tom questioned. “Like how motivated?”

“He’s giving Bulk Biceps a run for his money in sheer enthusiasm,” Fluttershy said. “I’m honestly worried about what he might do.”

Tom sighed before deadpanning: “Hibiki then… Here come the drums, here come the drums, baby, baby, baby. You are my voodoo child, my voodoo child.”

“I.. I’m worried about what he might do, and not just that… I… I…” Fluttershy stammered, wings puffing up in embarrassment.

“Go on, you can say it. It’s just a word.”

“I’m so PEEVED he’s become such a moron in order to prove himself,” Fluttershy said, a passing mare covering her niece’s ears. She flushed. “...excuse me.”

Tom just blinked. “Lotta questions, but first things first, let’s go wrangle your brother before does something REALLY dumb.”

Then they heard a shout.

“Alright furball, I have to wrestle you to prove my worth to my Rainbow! Come at me!”

Tom sighed, running a hand down his face. “...What’s that about tempting fate and all? I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut.”

He wondered for a brief moment if it would have just been better to actually let Zephyr do himself in due to his own stupidity. But of course, morals and Rider teachings prevailed.

“Let’s get this over with.” Tom held his belt up and pre-installed the RideWatch, not wanting to waste any more time than he had to.

—-------

Meanwhile, in the area of the Everfree where Anton had set up camp, Lyra tiptoed to a nearby stump with another basket full of supplies.

But as she crept along, she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

“EEEP!” She squeaked as she turned around to see the human, his arms crossed and looking rather annoyed.

“So, you’re the one who’s been leaving me stuff?” Anton asked grumpily.

“Um…well, you did help us in town, I just-” Lyra started.

“Nah, I appreciate the supplies and all, but I really would prefer to keep my distance from you guys.” Anton explained. Lyra frowned.

“Oh…well, here’s some more food and stuff anyway.” She handed the basket to the human.

Anton took the basket, and nodded. “Thanks.”

As he started to walk back to the ruins he was parked in, he heard what sounded like an angry animal and a stallion shouting insults.

“Oh, for Gaim’s sake…” Anton rolled his eyes. “Listen, lady, I suggest you go back to your town, things are gonna get dicey around here.”

“But-” Lyra was about to protest but a harsh glare from Anton stopped her.

“Um…okay.” She muttered as she hastily retreated.

“Now, let’s see what all the noise is about.” He inserted his RideWatch into his Driver before slapping it around his waist.

“RIDER TIME!”

Anton, now Kamen Rider Geiz once again, swiftly made his way to the source of the noise. It was an angry bear being goaded by what appeared to be some sort of obnoxious hipster pegasus. Said pegasus was covered in slashes and bruises.

“Come on, Teddy! I can do this all day!” The bear roared at the insult, and without thinking, Geiz jumped in and grabbed the bear before it could attack!

“What is WRONG WITH YOU!?” Geiz yelled, visibly straining to hold the bear back. “You’re trying to fight a bear!? Why!?”

“Butt out, Red!” The pegasus replied, trying to pull him away. “I’m gonna take this rug on legs down! Then I’ll finally be worth a damn!”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!” Geiz yelled back, as he knocked the bear, and then the pegasus down to the ground. “Dude, the only thing this is gonna get you is a one way trip to the morgue!”

“But-” Zephyr started.

“I’ll fight, so we can BOTH survive!” Geiz pulled out another watch and pressed the button.

“KNIGHT!” The watch announced as Geiz inserted it into the empty slot on his belt and spun it.

“ARMOR TIME!” The belt announced, followed by a series of bat-like shrieks as the armor appeared from ripples in a nearby puddle. Forming from a reflection, and snapping into place. “ADVENT, KNIGHT!”

“Awww come on dude, why do you have to get the cool armor?” Zephyr complained, as Geiz’s cape blew in the wind, billowing behind him.

“Quit complaining and get out of here!” Geiz replied as he held the bear back with a large ax-sword. But as he did, he was knocked away by a fireball.

“ARGH!” Geiz yelled as he fell to the ground, his cape being burnt by the attack. His armor smoking, he craned his neck to see his attacker. It was a strange demon-like figure holding a pair of giant drumsticks.

“Another Hibiki?” Geiz questioned.

“YoU’Re a NuIsAnCe, BaT-bRaIn!” Another Hibiki growled as it turned to Zephyr.

“What are you…!?” Zephyr asked, genuinely confused while Geiz hit his watch.

“Dead, when I get through with it,” Geiz said, a screech filling the air as a massive mechanical bat flew out of the treeline. Flapping its wings, generating gusts of wind, the mirror monster threatened to blow the Another Rider away.

“tHiS iS nOtHiNg!” The monster retorted as it blew a stream of fire at the bat, which used its wings to protect itself.

“Oh yeah… well in a minute you’ll be nothing,” Geiz said, taking a chance to kick the monster square in the gut.

Then, a slithering sound before out of nowhere a truly massive snake leaped out of a nearby puddle tackling Darkwing into the ground. Singing filled the air.

“Everything’s spinnin’ around, I’m gettin’ high in my mind, nobody’s hands can change this. Everything’s spinnin’ around. I’m gettin’ high in my mind! Even I… cannot stop it!” ‘Ouja’ proclaimed as he walked up, twirling in place with sword in hand.

“Ugh, not you again!” Geiz groaned.

“I said I’d be back when you least expected it, and I never break a promise, kiddo,” ‘Ouja’ said.

“So I take it you’re the one behind the little ugly drummer boy here?” Geiz asked.

“BZZZZT! Wrong! I’m just here to cause trouble for you!” ‘Ouja’ said, slinging an arm around Another Hibiki. “Well that, and I can’t count on a certain apple-loving Queen to do shit. This time, edgelord, this time neither you nor that self-proclaimed legacy of all Riders can us this time.”

Another Hibiki took the chance to flee the scene, Geiz swearing and spitting at his luck.

“Now then…here comes a snakebite!” ‘Ouja’ proclaimed as the giant snake coiled near him. But as the snake darted at the downed Rider, it was suddenly kicked away!

“What!?” ‘Ouja’ growled. He turned to the one who attacked his Mirror Monster. It was a Rider wearing bronze armor, resembling crocodile jaws of various sizes.

“Wait, Gaoh?” Geiz wondered. “I thought you were supposed to be completely gone from time!”

Gaoh didn’t respond, and just stared down ‘Ouja’.

“I don’t know who you are, but you’ve got a lot of nerve butting in!” He roared as he sicced Venosnaker on the interloper with a snap of his fingers.

“...have a taste of despair, your time is over,” Gaoh said leaping over the attack, the voice sounding less masculine than Geiz anticipated. Indeed, her figure was quite feminine.

“Forget that, I do things on my own time!” ‘Ouja’ barked back, drawing his sword. Gaoh stood there, unflinching as the snake Rider rushed her. He slashed and slashed, but nothing happened.

“Is this the best you can do? How sad…” Gaoh taunted. “Allow me to show you what a REAL slash is like!”

She pulled a pair of handles from her belt, which reshaped into a serrated sword. Gaoh deftly swung at ‘Ouja’ repeatedly, the evil Rider yelping in pain at each hit.

“It’s not your loss, Ouja… it’s just how it is,” Gaoh produced a golden train pass and held it in front of her belt. “It’s the way of things, all things end in time. It’s the natural order.”

“FULL CHARGE!” The belt announced mechanically. The blade of Gaoh’s sword shot out, crackling with orange energy and was bound to its handle by lightning.

“...NOPE!” ‘Ouja’ quickly dived into a nearby puddle as Venosnaker was cleanly carved in half!

The monster roared in pain as it split and exploded into flame. Under his helmet, Geiz’s eyes widened in horror.

“...hey, boy,” Gaoh turned to Geiz, implanting her blade into the ground. “Get up, I’ve got stuff to talk to you about.”

“...you’re not Gaoh, are you?” Geiz asked. “Well, not the same Gaoh from the history books.”

“...I am Gaoh now, that’s all that matters,” the mysterious Rider replied. “But you…you and I share a common interest.”

“What do you mean?” The red Rider questioned.

“You’re here to find out what happened to your world,” Gaoh started. “And so am I.”

Obviously she was lying. She had to be… right?

“You’re right about me not being the same Gaoh,” she continued, “But I do have a vested interest in the fate of the Kamen Riders.”

She turned away from Geiz. “If you want to know the truth, meet me here in three days.”

“Three days…?” Geiz whispered.

“In the meantime,” here Gaoh chuckled at her own pun. “The Another Rider is getting away, you might want to go after it before it does.”

“Alright, if you’re so interested in winning my trust, maybe a favor then,” Geiz said, knowing he was playing a risky game. “Who’s the poor fool who got turned into Another Hibiki?”

“Well, I can’t give you all of the answers, that’d make things too easy now wouldn’t it?” Gaoh said, wagging her finger. “All I can say is, she’s someone close to your newfound friends.”

“I don’t have friends,” Geiz said, filing the pronoun use away for later.

“Mhmmm, you’d be surprised. Ponies… they’re pretty friendly, and if you just let them in… well, I bet you’ll find something that you’re sorely missing. Ponies being friendly, that’s just the way of things. Constants and variables and all,” Gaoh said. “Constants… and variables.”

Geiz just turned and ran after the Another Rider, unwilling to concede the point to his mysterious new ally. If that’s what she even was.

“Hook, line and sinker…even the turtle jerk never did it this well..” Gaoh thought to herself. “Some people are just way too easy to sucker, that’s all. Sad truth of the matter.”

As Geiz ran, he ended up running into Tom and Fluttershy.

“Geiz?” Tom asked. “Did… did you see him? Fluttershy’s brother?”

“Yeah, I did, along with that jerk Ouja,” Geiz said. “I also saw someone else.”

“...?”

“I saw a friend. That’s all you need to know. In the meantime, by and by, your Another Rider isn’t Buttershy’s brother. Can’t be, he was in the same place as Another Hibiki,” Geiz said. “I think Another Hibiki… she’s got her own agenda than proving a point and winning a mare’s favor.”

“Wait… How do you know?” Tom asked, blinking.

Geiz struggled to answer before finally replying: “Call it instinct.”

“Whatever you say, man.” Tom deadpanned as the group gave chase to the monster.

Author's Note

This chapter is another two-parter, there might be more of them in the near future as well.

But if Zephyr isn't Another Hibiki, then who is? And what does this new Gaoh want with Geiz?

Special thanks to The Bricklayer for helping get this chapter out!

Chapter 8-2: 鬼顔 (Demon Face)

Rainbow Dash was reclining on a cloud, trying to put Zephyr’s obnoxiousness out of her head.

“Seriously, that stallion needs to get a clue.” She sighed. “But, whatever. Time for a little siesta.”

She was about to nod off as she suddenly saw smoke rising from the Everfree. Her eyes shot open as she tossed her sunglasses aside.

“What the fu…” Rainbow said, startled. “I’d bet my entire bank’s worth of bits that isn’t somepony having a campfire.”

She sighed. So much for her chill. Spreading her wings, she raced towards the rising smoke. Maybe it wasn’t her brightest move, but it simply didn’t sit right with her just sitting on her flank and doing nothing.

“Maybe some awesome heroic action will put me in a better mood!” The adrenaline junkie pegasus rationalized.

When she got closer, she saw the aforementioned manchild that had annoyed her, about to get mauled by an angry bear!

“What!? Urgh…I have to clean up his messes now too!?” She grunted as she charged the bear. “I’m starting to regret giving up my chill.”

“Rainbow, dudette, you really gotta relax, I had this well in hand,” Zephyr said, shockingly relaxed for his situation. “Like this bear fears me! I’m awesome right? Tell me I’m awesome.”

“No, the bear was about to eat you,” Rainbow said, the bear looking offended. “Oh, sorry Harry, I didn’t realize it was you. I forgot, you’re a vegan. I wouldn’t recommend eating him anyways, it’s bad for anyone’s diet. I’d consider it cruelty to animals.”

Harry just snorted and trudged away. “Hey! Come back here!” Zephyr yelled after the animal.

“Okay, seriously? What is going on with you? You’re acting like an idiot…well, more of an idiot!” Dash said scoldingly, but alas Zephyr wasn’t listening.

“Oh, so I’m some sort of manchild that needs to be protected now?” The stallion angrily retorted.

“Uh, yeah! Especially if you’re going to pick fights with BEARS!” Rainbow said, completely ticked off by the stallion’s astounding lack of common sense.

“That’s it! Even if it’s you, Rainbow, a stallion’s got his pride!” Zephyr said, furiously. “You! Me! Race! I’ll show you how awesome I am!”

“How about I check my calendar. How about the 17 of never in the month of never gonna happen,” Rainbow said snarkily, before gesturing to herself. “Wonderbolt, like actual wonderbolt and you’re just a layabout.”

“Not anymore I’m NOT!” Zephyr growled, a sinister aura forming around him.

“Aw crap baskets, Fluttershy was right! You have been taken over!” Dash said.

“Taken over!? Stop making excuses! I’m going to make you eat my dust!” The stallion replied. “Bring it on!”

“The day you finally decide to get inspired and it’s not even your brain doing the talking,” Rainbow said to herself in a mutter. “Alright then, you want to get your ass kicked? 3, 2-”

And with that she was off in a streak of light, leaving nothing but a rainbow trail behind her. Zephyr flew in the same direction, and while he started at a sensible speed, he began to speed up.

And up, and up, and up… until he seemed to be catching up to Rainbow!

“The hell?” she blinked.

“I’m…awesome! I’ll prove it! I’ll prove I CAN DO ANYTHING!” Zephyr yelled out. Rainbow rolled her eyes and ramped up the pace, but then she started to hear drums again…and began to waver.

“Oh no you don’t…” Rainbow said, fighting the drumming in her head. “I know how this works, I’ve been here before and I refuse to let it happen again. Yeah, you want to take me over, watch? Well, excuse me, but my head is my head. I don’t offer renters!”

The drumming continued, but Rainbow tuned it out. It tried to get louder, but Rainbow instead bit herself and pushed the drumming out, only focusing on the pain.

Zephyr raced forward, but he noticed Dash was still ahead. At that point, he heard something talk in his head.

“ArGH! YoU REalLY aRE WOrtHLEsS!” The voice roared as Zephyr felt all the strength leave his body at once. He began to fall towards the ground.
“Zephyr!” Dash yelled out, surprising even herself as she dove to try to save him, but was preempted by a blast of fire from below.

The mare barrel-rolled out of the way, spying what had to be the Another Rider of the week atop a roof.

She landed on an opposing roof, wings spread before snarling out: “You don’t get to touch him, he’s mine to beat up.”

Her wings flapped hard, creating gusts of wind that sent the monster tumbling end over end. Leaping down to Zephyr, she held him.

“You alright?”

“I knew you’d save me Rainbows,” the stallion said, puckering his lips. “Now how about a kiss?”

She just dropped him in disgust, shuddering. “...yeah, you’re fine. Yeah he’s fine. Ewwwww…”

“ThAT moROn STiLL couLDN't beAt yoU, EveN wiTH ME heLPInG him!” The monster snarled. “WHY!? WhY dO yOU havE to BE THE ONE!?”

It blew more fire in Dash’s direction, the mare diving to the left and frowning. Something… something about that voice sounded familiar but she couldn’t place exactly why.

“Hold it!” Zephyr hovered back up, still tired. “You mean all that stuff I did…it was just you?”

He sounded actually sad about this, disheartened. The look on his face made even Rainbow feel pity for the poor stallion.

“Of COUrSE you DOLT! You’RE COMPLETELY USELESS!” The monster growled back. “WhY WouLD RaiNBoW DaSH wanT anYTHIng to DO WiTH a PATHetIC LosER likE YOU!?”

Each word uttered struck Zephyr like a knife to the heart. “I-I’m not…”

He sounded like he was close to sobbing.

“JuST gO fiND soME HoLE TO DiE in, YoU jusT maKE eVerYThiNG WorSE by ConTinUinG to BREATHE-”

A blast from Tom’s gun cut it off, the monster staggering back.

“Man, do you ever shut up? Like your mouth is like a black hole, it sucks majorly,” Tom said, helping Zeyphr up. “Get somewhere safe.

“Maybe I shouldn’t…” the stallion said softly to himself. “You heard it, I’d only get in the way. Maybe it would be better if-”

“Not another word. That piece of crap says words, but they don’t mean anything. All of what you did? Sure the monster made you do it, but it was only influencing you.”

Rainbow kicked the monster in the face. “Yeah, he’s right and loath as I am to admit it, you could really do all of those things if you just put your mind to it.”

“Really, Rainbows?” Zephyr asked, his voice still hollow.

She grimaced. “Yeah, and please don’t tell anyone I said that. Made me a bit ill.”

Zephyr just paused. “...I have a lot of thinking to do.”

He floated away, with a shout of: “Don’t you dare die to that thing! I still want to ask you out on a date!”

“Dude just doesn’t know when to stop barking up the wrong tree, huh?” Tom asked.

“You have NO idea.” Rainbow replied, as the monster pulled out a pair of clubs and started drumming them. The sound of drums filled the air, as everything seemed to become heavier…even the plant life around them seemed to be dying.

“Ugh…! The sound…it’s sucking the life out of everything…” Tom groaned. “Rainbow Dash! I need you to get every instrument and musician around here you can find!”

His voice was commanding, like a general to his troops.

“WHAT!?” She asked, covering her ears to protect them. “WHY!?”

“Just DO IT!” The Rider replied. “I’ll hold it here!”

He produced the GaimWatch and inserted it into his belt. As he did, the giant orange armor came down out of the dimensional fly. While this happened, the Another Rider launched a fireball at him.

As Tom spun the driver, explosions erupted from either side of him.

“Armor Time! Soiya! Ga~i~m~!” the driver proclaimed to the splash of fruit juice and Tom pulled out twin swords, ready to turn Another Hibiki into fruit pulp.

“A samurai… to slay a demon,” Tom said, leveling his blades at it. “Hip hip hurrah! You’ve been running roughshod over this town all day, well here’s the juicy climax to your act. It’s my stage now!”

“Honestly, your one-liners are the real danger here,” Geiz’s voice rang out as a few shots hit the Another Rider. “But things are gonna get bananas.”

He produced the BaronWatch.

“Like your puns are any better, jerk.”

“Bitch,” Geiz said, spinning his driver. A large banana armor emerged above him.

“ARMOR TIME! COME ON! BAROOOON!~” The belt sang out as the banana armor descended onto Geiz and latched on. Geiz’s weapon became a banana-like spear as he pointed it at the Another Rider.

“You’re…”

“Going to be nothing but fruit juice?” Tom offered.

“I was going to say nothing but six feet under,” Geiz replied.

“Edgelord,” Tom said.

“EnOUgH! YoU tWo aRE SoMeHoW moRE AnNoYINg thaN SHe was!” Another Hibiki roared, charging.

“Time to slay a demon,” Geiz said, ready to meet it. “Back me up, and don’t get in my way, hero king.”

“Hero king?” Tom asked, confused. “Fine, but you’re backing me up!”

The pair of them rushed the monster, but it jumped up and the two ended up colliding into each other.

“Agh! You idiot! Watch where you’re going!” Geiz groaned, seeing stars and birdies. “Are you blind? Can you even see out of that helmet?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Tom muttered to himself. “Remember, hit her, not me.”

“I heard that,” Geiz said. “I’m not braindead, which is more than I can probably say for you.”

The two Riders stood and readied their weapons, but Geiz rushed ahead first, attempting to skewer the monster. However, the Another Rider balled up it's fist and struck him in a very unpleasant place.

“GYAAA!” Geiz yelped, his voice becoming high pitched. “It…it just punched me in the dick…why did it punch me in the dick!?”

The red Rider nearly fell to the ground in pain, Tom wincing in sympathy.

“I mean… he’s a dick but he shouldn’t be hit in the dick,” Tom said, firing off a revenge shot from his Musou Saber.

“If you keep acting like a moron, I swear to Fruit God I will punch YOU in the dick!” Geiz said, er threatened.

“Is that like your fetish or something?” Tom deadpanned, slashing the monster clean though.

Geiz tried to form words but a seemingly inhuman growl was the only thing to escape his mouth.

“Get ready to party, get ready to die,” he finally managed to snarl. “Get ready to party, get ready to die!”

“And now he’s totally lost it,” Tom sighed, the monster coming back around and delivering a similar attack to Tom himself!

“AAAAAGH!” Tom squealed in pain.

“Not so funny now, is it!?” Geiz said, looking like he was about to bust up laughing. “Turnabout’s fair play.”

“HA! YoU twO arE supPOSeD to BE HerOES!? ThE PaIR oF yoU arE noThInG BuT a JokE!” The monster taunted. “KamEn RiDerS aRe alL taLK afTER aLL!”

But at that last sentence, something snapped inside Tom.

“What…did you just say!?” Tom snapped, his voice filled with rage.

“I saId thaT KaMEn RidERs arE-” It was cut off by a blow to its face from Tom. Geiz blinked.

“...woah, I didn’t know you had it in you, green bean. I thought you were just a sprout,” he said. “That’s kinda metal actually.”

“YOU! DO! NOT! EVER! INSULT! KAMEN! RIDERS!” Tom roared as each word was punctuated with another punch. “Now say you’re SORRY!”
“YeAH, I’m SorRY…thaT yoU’rE sO DUMB!” Another Hibiki kicked Tom back. It then took its clubs in hand again, twirling them “ALLoW mE to PLaY yoU oFF…to YOUr DEATHS!”

Then, the loud squeal of a guitar chord and a series of notes straight out of an eighties metal album.

“Sorry, the only funeral dirge we’ll be playing today,” Rainbow said, guitar in hand and running up with a bunch of other ponies, including some that looked weirdly like the characters of that one movie. The Big something or other. “Is yours.”

Pinkie had a drum strapped to her back, and various other instruments. “Hit it, everypony!”

The ponies started playing as loudly as they could, to the point where the drums couldn’t be heard at all over their instruments. The two Riders stood up, slowly.

“Ha…that’s more like it…” Tom panted, pulling out the Kiva watch and getting an idea.

“Could be a worse soundtrack…” Geiz groaned. “Long live rock, be it dead or alive. But I think we need to add something to this concerto don’t you?”

“Agreed,” Tom said, as they spun their drivers.

“ARMOR TIME! ADVENT, KNIGHT! WAKE UP, KIVA!” both drivers sang in unison.

“YoU won’T stOP mE! I AM THE STRONGEST!” Another Hibiki roared as it blew more fire.

“Yeah, well guess what?” Tom taunted.

“We’re the night, bitch!” Geiz continued as the two of them spun their drivers again.

“FINISH TIME! KIVA! KNIGHT!” they sang.

Darkwing reappeared and swarmed around Geiz, flying high above him with a screech.

“Bloody Rose!” Tom pulled a violin out of seemingly nowhere and began to play a fast tune on it. “Fire on the mountains, run boys run. Another Hibiki’s in the house of the rising sun.”

“StOP! ThiS iS MY SHOW!” The Another Rider demanded, however its demand fell on deaf ears.

Waves of sound erupted from both beast and instrument, their owners conducting them like an orchestra. The sound waves became unbearable to the monster, as it fell to its knees and clutched its head.

“NO! I CAN’T LOSE AGAIN!” It roared in pain, voice sounding awfully clear to Rainbow’s ears as it started to spark. “NOOOOOO!”

It flew backwards, the armor vanishing as a RideWatch flew out of Lightning Dust’s body.

“Oh! It’s… a mare I’ve never met before…” Tom said.

“And they say a party of bards can’t clear a dungeon,” Geiz said in his usual deadpan.

“Wait, you’re Lightning Dust!” Rainbow realized as it hit her.

“Wasn’t that the one who got booted out of the Wonderbolts for being selfish and reckless?” Pinkie asked.

“DAMN IT! Even with that power, I STILL LOST TO YOU! You are my curse, Rainbow Dash!” Lightning punched the ground, tears staining her eyes.

“Awfully dramatic, isn’t she?” Geiz said. “Are you sure she hasn’t been on Broadway?”

“Pffft. The only thing she’s good at is running her mouth and putting everyone else in danger.” Dash snickered. “I’ll go get the guards.”

With that, she flew off.

“So, exactly what was the endgame here?” Tom asked, genuinely confused. “And why do I get the feeling I’m missing half of the story?”

“Oh, I know! She was obviously still sore about what happened at boot camp so she decided to get revenge by using Zephyr to beat her but Zephyr was so bad at stuff that she couldn’t until she was given a RideWatch and then used it to drain other ponies of their motivation and give it to Zephyr and then that plan failed so she decided to just murder Rainbow Dash out of spite!” Pinkie explained, seemingly without breathing.

“...what.” Geiz said flatly.

“I guess you think you’ve got me figured out,” Lightning Dust snarked. “Like a head doctor or something.”

“Nah, just a hunch,” Pinkie replied with her usual pep. “You ever know how hunch rhymes with bunch? Like a bunch of hunches with punches!”

“I just want to say for the record that the pink one scares the hell out of me,” Geiz murmured to Tom. “Like consider me officially freaked and I fight monsters for a living.”

“You get used to it,” Tom muttered back. “Just be glad you didn’t have to take her to get a shot.”

He shuddered at the memory.

“I… Yeah, you have my sympathies man,” Geiz said with a nod. “Just don’t call me the next time you have to do it.”

“Heh, fair.”

“And now that things are settled, I’m out of- ooough….” Geiz started, but he groaned and fell to his knees.

“Whoa, are you alright?” Tom asked. Geiz just stood up.

“I’m…fine…” He moaned. “This…is…nothing…” He said before collapsing.

—--------

A short while later, the group had transported Geiz to Ponyville Hospital and were now sitting in the lobby.

“Thankfully, he’ll be okay,” Tom said. “But the doctor said he’ll need to be on bedrest for the next few days.”

“Oh, we’ll take care of him!” The group turned to see a familiar unicorn and Earth Pony duo dressed as nurses, said Earth pony looking like she’d rather be doing literally anything else.

“Lyra, this is embarrassing…” Bon Bon squeaked.

“Come on, you know you love it,” She said, sashaying her hips. Everyone just blinked, not knowing what to say. “Now come, our patient awaits!”

She rushed into the hospital’s deeper areas, Bon Bon just groaning as she gave chase.

“I still have no idea how to react to them,” Tom said, holding up his hands. “Like uh kudos for Geiz getting friends I guess?”

“Miss Dash?” A doctor approached the pegasus. “We need you to come talk to Miss Dust, please. She’s demanding you.”

Dash thought it over momentarily, but nodded. “Alright, I’ll catch up with you later, Big T.”

“...Big T?” Tom asked, but shrugged. He left the hospital building and headed back home.

—-------

Lightning Dust lay on her side, her arm handcuffed to the bedpost. Her eyes were swollen and puffy from crying.

“So… was it worth it?” she asked, not even bothering to look at Rainbow. “I heard you got into the ‘Bolts. Tell me, was it all worth it? The fame and the fortune, leaving everypony else behind in your dust. I bet you even shit rainbows, because you’re sooooo perfect.”

“You could have been in them too, Lightning,” Rainbow said, leaning up against a wall. “We could be squadmates. So I have to ask you, was it worth it? Nearly getting everypony killed for the sake of your own selfish pride?”

“Nobody would have been killed if they hadn’t wandered onto a military installation. Your friends are civilians, they shouldn’t have even been there!” Lightning argued. “It’s their own fault.”

“Maybe, yeah, but that one incident is still an indicator of a larger problem. The Wonderbolts are a team, they’re supposed to have each other’s backs,” Rainbow said, wings briefly flaring up in anger. “And how can I trust you with mine if you can’t contain your own recklessness?”

“Do you have each other’s backs?” She asked. “Heh, it’s fun to think that way, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think,” Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “I know.”

The green pegasus scoffed. “Nopony has anypony else’s back in this world, Dash. Least of all me…”

“...I tried to, when we were in camp together,” Dash replied. “Is it really that hard for you to trust anypony?”

“...ever since I was a filly, I pushed myself to be the best I could. I put everything I had into flight training. But everyone around me began to push me away.”

Rainbow sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want your sympathies.”

“But… and I’m sorry again,” Rainbow sighed. “Did you ever stop to think that it’s partially your own fault? That you push others away with your attitude?”

Lightning was about to reply, but stopped. “...I know the guards want me to tell you about where I got the watch from. Some weirdo in armor gave it to me. I don’t know anything about them other than they were a mare and that the armor looked like a bunch of crocodile jaws.”

“Lightning…” Rainbow started.

“Save it, Rainbow. You won. That’s all there is to it anymore.”

Rainbow couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Miss Dash, your time is up,” A guard explained. Rainbow nodded and turned to the door.

“Someday, Lightning, let’s fly together again.” She said as she left. Lightning said nothing, just curling up into a fetal position.

—-------

“...how is Zephyr?” Tom asked. He had decided to go to Fluttershy’s cottage to check in on him.

“He was really shaken up by everything, but I think maybe this will be good for him,” Fluttershy said. “He’s going to be going back to mane therapy school after this.”

“That’s good,” Tom replied.

“Thank you for looking out for him, Tom…and us, too,” She said.

“Well, I better head back…I’m sure Twilight will want to know what happened today,” Tom said.

“Oh, um…okay…see you later then…” Fluttershy murmured to herself, her wings falling sadly.

Tom noticed this, and turned around. She felt his arms wrap around her in an embrace.

“Thank you for being there for me too, Fluttershy,” Tom said. Fluttershy didn’t say anything, she just returned the hug.

—------

Meanwhile, in the city of Canterlot, the streets bustled as usual… except for one, which was known as Restaurant Row. Normally, there’d be customers aplenty to dine on the delicacies each establishment provided, but as of late, rumors of ponies going missing, and sightings of bizarre monsters kept customers away..

“Quiet night in Canterlot,” said a female voice. “Seems almost wrong.”

“Well we’d know a thing or two about wrong,” a male voice joined in, Ouja walking up. “So Another Hibiki failed as usual, no surprise there. Hip hip hurrah. Apparently that kid managed to rally the town to his defense, how incredibly charismatic of him.”
“You’d be surprised how far a little charisma can go.” Idunn replied. “Those changelings can’t tell the difference between me and their queen, which provides us with plenty of specimens to work with.”

“Everything’s always an experiment to you, huh?” Ouja said.

“Just as everything is a game to you, Ouja,” Idunn replied. “So the next Another Rider is one of yours?”

“Yeah, she’s perfect for this- self-absorbed, bitter and completely out of her mind,” Ouja chuckled. “If I wasn’t a one mare draconequus, I’d probably ask her out on a date!”

“You? You’ve got a mare at home?” Idunn scoffed.

“Is that a hint of jealousy I hear?” Ouja teased.

“No, I’m just surprised, that’s it. It always seemed like something that’s beneath you, that’s all,” Idunn said. “You like playing games, making ponies scream.”

“Well I assure you,” Ouja said, turning to her, and obviously grinning under his helmet. “My Shy is always doing plenty of that!”

“I guess your Another Rider can chew on Canterlot for a while then,” Idunn nodded. “I wonder if it’ll be as interesting as what I’ve cooked up for Ponyville…”

“Oh, is that a wager I hear?” Ouja asked. “Are you challenging me to a bet?”

“Maybe,” Idunn teased. “If you feel like eating your words.”

“And it is on!” Ouja declared. “Whoever makes the most chaos with their next attack wins.”

“What do I win? And trust me, I will win,” Idunn said, probably smirking. “Come on, give a mare a hint.”

“Well, I don’t know if you noticed, but one of your ‘test subjects’ ran away from you with some important stuff. Like a little bitch, tail between his legs. You win, and I tell you exactly where to find him.”

Idunn clapped her hands. “Oooooooh, I get to make some more screams, and they’ll be the fun kind!”

“I thought all screams were fun coming from you.”

“Down boy,” Idunn said with a little wag of her finger. “One mare snake, remember?”

“Dear Celestia, you two are disgusting,” a third voice said, the sound of footsteps following. “Like really, I’m going to be sick in my armor.”

“Ah, the new girl.” Ouja said with a hiss. “I still haven’t paid you back for that little stunt with my precious pet by the way. I loved him and you killed him. What brings you to our neck of the woods anyway?”

“Well, you two seemed so intent on upstaging each other, I felt I should throw my hat in the ring. I’ve got a scheme brewing that’ll make both of yours look like nothing. You two are only plotting in the small scale, I’ve got big ideas. Well, just one really.”

“And when your scheme blows up in your face, we both get a good laugh out of it,” Idunn snarked. “Don’t forget, you’re still the new meat. No ideas above your station, alright? Don’t get cocky just because the boss seems to like you.”

“He likes me better than he likes you,” Gaoh pointed out. “But for now… let’s see this scheme blow up in your faces before you worry about mine eh?”

“Tomorrow then… we feast on the screams of Canterlot.” Ouja grinned

Gaoh groaned. “Again with the puns. Someone kill me now!”

“Don’t tempt me!” Ouja said with a laugh.

Author's Note

Special thanks to Bricklayer again!

So now we've got three villains, each scheming something horrible.

Will our heroes be able to thwart all of these plots?

Chapter 9: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who's Agito)

The hours of the evening idled by, as Princess Celestia had just finished her duties for the day, mostly listening to the endless whining of the members of the “nobility”. She sighed deeply. As much as she truly loved all her little ponies, she wished that the ones that considered themselves the closest to her would live up to their title more.

The sun princess sat at a desk covered in papers.

“Now then…another message from Twilight.” She noted, as she unfurled a scroll.

Recently, she had been receiving reports of ponies being involuntarily transformed by mysterious “RideWatches”, as well as an armored hero who stands up to the monsters. Twilight kept her well informed of the activities of this hero…sometimes a bit TOO informed.

“I should ask her to leave out the details of the young hero’s musculature,” The princess thought to herself. “Though, I guess she would be at that point in her life…”

There was a knock at the door. “Sister? Tis I, may I enter?” Luna’s voice called from the other side.

“Of course, Luna!” Celestia replied. The night princess strode into the room.

“I see Twilight has sent many reports of the young hero.” She looked over the stack of scrolls.

“Yes, she has…you’ve been to visit him before in his dreams, what do you make of him?” Celestia asked.

“From what I can tell, he seems to be very sincere, but also troubled by something…” Luna commented. “And yourself?”

“All I’ve managed to get from these reports so far are that he’s been protecting Ponyville, and it appears Twilight seems to have a crush on him…”

As she said that last part, a bright pink flash lit up the room, and when the light faded, Princess Cadance was before them both.

“WHAT!?” Cadence shrieked. “Twily has a crush!?”

“...weren’t you in Baltimare, niece of ours?” Luna asked, utterly bewildered. But the love princess ignored the question.

“I can’t believe it! Who is it? Who’s managed to steal my little sister-in-law’s heart?” Cadence rambled.

“Read for yourself, Cadence.” Celestia handed her niece one of the reports.

“...mm-hmm… A human from another world… gallant heroism… boyish charm… yep, sounds like a good match!” She nodded. “Now I have my own duties to perform!”

The look in her eyes was excited, but also seemed manic.

“And, what, pray tell, would those duties be?” Luna asked.

“Why, helping their burgeoning relationship, of course!” The love princess replied.

Celestia’s eye twitched a bit. She then took a deep breath.

“Niece, I believe we’ve had this discussion about our duties as princesses before.” she started. “We are merely to guide and mentor ponies, not directly interfere with their lives. Otherwise they will not grow, and they will become overly dependent on us.”

“That and the rumors of us ‘playing chess’ with the entirety of the nation,” Luna added. “Horrible rumors really, and completely untrue.”

Celestia frowned. “I don’t see what it is with those rumors, if we ‘played chess’ with our ponies it would only be friendly games, in the park, under my sun.”

“At least they haven’t started any more cults,” Luna said, rolling her eyes. “That’s the last thing ANY of us need.”

“You have cults?” Cadence asked. “I mean, I certainly have worshippers, usually thirsty stallions and mares but outright cults are another matter…”

“Sadly, many used our duties to the sun and moon as a pretext to declare themselves a ‘superior race’ and started cults in that name… The New Lunar Republic and the Grand Celestial Empire were what I heard they often called themselves.”

Cadence made a nicker of disgust. “Well that’s missing the whole point isn’t it, you have an equal partnership. One cannot exist without the other.”

“They’re hardly even governing bodies, they’re often very small collections of ponies who know little better,” Celestia said, her voice sounding pitying more than anything else.

“At the very least, these days they are little more than nuisances who solicit ponies at their homes with brochures and whatnot,” Luna said. “Honestly I don’t know how many ponies even listen to their words. At least… I hope that’s the case…”

Her wings folded against her side sadly, somewhat ashamed.

“But that’s why we must make sure we only provide guidance, and allow them to grow as their own individual,.” Celestia added, looking back at her niece. “I know you wish to help Twilight and the young hero, but please be aware of their own feelings on this matter.”

Cadence sighed a bit. “Very well, Auntie. I will not interfere in any of our ponies’ love lives unless they ask me for help.”

“There you go.” The sun princess smiled and nodded.

“In any case, I must be going, Shiny is probably wondering where I went,” Cadence replied as she turned to the door. “Hopefully he hasn’t turned the city upside down looking for me.”

Celestia chuckled. “You have such a loyal husband, maybe a bit of a worrywart but loving.”

Cadence smiled. “Maybe we can all be so lucky one day. You know, if either of you are ever feeling lonely, I can-”

“NO!”

“Thank you for taking the time to come visit me, Rarity.” Twilight said, as she sipped some tea. She was currently in another room in her castle, spending time with one of her best friends.

“Of course, darling. You’ve been working hard on repairing the map, after all- even I need to refresh myself from time to time.” The fashion-conscious unicorn replied. “I assume dear Thomas and Starlight are working on it in your stead?”

“Yes, but…they don’t seem to get along very well with each other. Is it something I’m doing wrong? I’m supposed to be helping Starlight learn friendship, but-” Twilight started, but Rarity held up a finger.

“No no, that’s the wrong perspective.” Rarity said. “Starlight has to learn to overcome her own biases and issues. That’s not something you can just do for her.”

“I suppose…now I wonder if this is how Princess Celestia felt when she was teaching me.” The alicorn sighed.

“Speaking of getting along, how are things with you and Thomas these days?” Rarity asked.

“Um…well, he helps me out just like Spike does, he’s been a great friend so far.

“JUST a friend?” Rarity asked again, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“Please, darling, I’ve seen the glances you’ve stolen. You’ve developed feelings for him, haven’t you?”

Twilight froze for a moment, her eyes widening. “WHAT?!” She yelped. “M-me and Tom!? Like, a-a romantic thing!?” She stammered, her face turning beet red.

“Well of course! You and him would make such a lovely couple!” Rarity continued.

Twilight shakily sipped tea. “B-but Tom doesn’t like me like that, right!? I mean, he’s got loads of other mares who’d willingly date him! I-I couldn’t-” She kept stammering.

“Twilight, please compose yourself.” Rarity said calmly. Twilight took a deep breath. “Now, do you, or do you not, have feelings for Thomas?”

“Well, I mean-” Twilight stammered again.

“Yes or no?”

“...alright, yes, I like him! He’s been so brave to stand up to those monsters for us! And he’s done so much! And I just feel safe around him…” Twilight muttered.

“Well, then you simply must let him know your feelings!” Rarity replied, her eyes twinkling with the urge to matchmake.

“Eh!? But I-um, I mean…” Twilight went right back to barely coherent stuttering.

“Hm…” Rarity pondered the situation, before a thought popped up in her head. “IDEEEAAAA~” She sang. “Why don’t I take you down to the spa today? We’ll make you an utterly irresistible mare, one that Thomas will fall head-over-heels for!”

“Er…” Twilight stammered again, but the conversation was interrupted by the sound of something breaking in another room.

“Oh thank Celestia- I mean, oh no, something happened!” Twilight said disingenuously. “Weshouldprobablygocheckitoutnotimelikethepresentbyeeeee!” She rambled as she rushed out the door.
“You’ll have to talk to him about this sooner or later…” She thought as she followed her friend.

—------

When Twilight walked into the central room, she saw a very annoyed Tom with his hair blasted back and ash all over his front, glaring daggers at Starlight, who was rolling her eyes.

“Oh my…what in the name of Celestia happened in here!?” Twilight shrieked.

“Well, Twilight, it seems your student has some trouble following directions.” Tom said grumpily.

“Come on, you’re supposed to be this big hero, and you’re afraid of a magic beam?” Starlight replied.

“It wasn’t the magic beam, you should have stopped when I told you it was going to cause an explosion!” Tom yelled back.

“And who died and made you the expert on magic, huh!?” Starlight snapped.

“ENOUGH!” Twilight slammed her hand onto the table. “I don’t want to see you two fighting!”

Both of them stopped, but Tom stood up.

“I’m going out. Don’t wait up.” He walked away angrily.

“Tom, wait!” Twilight called after him. She sighed.

“Starlight, I’m going to go catch up with him. Please clean up this mess while I’m away.”

“But-” Starlight was about to protest but Twilight just gave her a look.

“Cleanup it is.” She said, grabbing a broom and dustpan with her magic as her teacher walked out the door.

—-----

“I’m really sorry about Starlight’s behavior, Tom…” Twilight apologized as the two walked to Rarity’s to get Tom’s jacket repaired.

Tom had wiped his face of the ash from the explosion, but his clothes were still damaged. He was still rather annoyed by the incident.

“It’s not your fault.” He replied. “Still, Starlight isn’t the best listener, huh?”
“She’s still got a lot to learn.” Twilight said, her ears drooping. “I really was hoping she could be friends with you, too…”

“These things can’t be rushed, Twilight.” Tom said. “Maybe we’ll find some common ground eventually.”

“It’s not just that though, I wanted to give her a role model as well.” Twilight explained. Tom raised an eyebrow.

“You see, when I met Starlight, she was heading down an extremely dark path in her life. And I took her on as my student, in hopes of teaching her about friendship, but also guiding her to a better path in life.”

“And you wanted me to be a model for a better path?” Tom asked.

“Well, you’ve gone above and beyond to help all of us on multiple occasions.” Twilight replied.

“That’s the responsibility of a Kamen Rider, though.” Tom explained.

“But that’s exactly why I wanted her to learn from you. You have the example of the Kamen Riders to follow. Maybe, if she saw that, she might find her own example to follow.”

“...well, right now, I need to get my jacket fixed. We can talk about Starlight later.” Tom said. Twilight just nodded as the two continued their trek.

“Twilight’s working hard to reform Starlight…I can’t say I’m not curious. After all, Kamen Riders don’t often get that chance…”

—------

Meanwhile, in Canterlot, the normally bustling street known as Restaurant Row was covered in an unusual tension. Ponies went through rigidly, and anxiously, fearing something unseen.

A mare walked up to a food stand, looking around herself in anxious dread.

“Can I take your order?” The stallion working the stand asked quietly.

“I’d like a hayburger with no pickles…” She whispered, but then she felt an ominous presence behind her.

“YoU FooooL!!!” A distorted voice rang out, seemingly from everywhere. “A haYbURger!? NO! No oNE wiLL eaT suCH baSE cuiSINE here!” The stallion’s expression turned to fear, as the mare turned around…

What she saw was a vicious looking monster, vaguely resembling a grasshopper with large teeth.

“MAybE yoU NEEd A leSSoN iN APPreciaTING GouRMET CuisinE!!!” The monster roared as it slowly opened its mouth…

The only thing that could be heard afterwards was a deafening shriek, followed by silence…

“You know what? You were right- this is enjoyable.” Idunn commented as she and Ouja watched on from atop a nearby building.

“I know, right!? She’s sooooo far up her own ass that she honestly thinks she’s doing them a service!” Ouja commented. “And those boneheads in Ponyville have no idea!”

“So what now? We just keep watching while she works over this stupid city?” Idunn asked. Just then, the two of them felt a presence.

“PAUSE!” A voice echoed from seemingly nowhere, as everything but Ouja and Idunn froze in time.

“Oy vey…” Ouja rolled his eyes under his mask. “Show yourself, O Dork Lord!” He yelled out.

“I’ll remind you that I outrank the pair of you.” Another armored figure appeared, in black-and-green armor that resembled gaming equipment.

“So what brings you here, number two?” Idunn asked disingenuously.

“The Boss wants the pair of you to return soon, we have to discuss our next moves. Especially now that ‘he’ is apparently in Equestria somewhere.”

“Really, Cronus?” Ouja groaned. “Just because of that wayward bum?”

“I’ll remind you that the boss explicitly warned us about said ‘wayward bum’.” Cronus replied. “Do not try to engage him.”

“Yeah, yeah…tell the boss we’ll come back soon.” Idunn waved Cronus off.

Cronus said nothing, and started to walk off. But he stopped.

“One more thing. Have either of you heard anything about the Crystal Empire as of late?” He asked.

“Only that Princess Heartbutt and her boy-toy are running things there.” Ouja shrugged.

“...interesting.” He mused, as he disappeared, and time restarted.

“I can never get a read on that guy.” Idunn sighed.

—-------

Tom sat on a couch in Rarity’s home, while she worked on fixing his jacket. But he was also joined by Sweetie Belle, who was still staring at the Rider in awe.

“Uh…something I can help you with-”

“THANK YOU FOR THE OTHER DAY!” Sweetie Belle shouted nervously.

“Agh…you’re welcome…and loud…” Tom winced.

“S-sorry about that.” The filly stammered “But everyone at school is talking about you! You’re the hero who’s been beating up monsters left and right! You even saved us! Well, that and the red guy.” Sweetie explained. “Is he really in the hospital?”

“Yeah, unfortunately.” Tom replied. “He got attacked in a very nasty place, so he’s out of commission for a while.”

“Maybe…I could go see him?” Sweetie asked.

“I…wouldn’t advise that.” Tom said nervously.

“Aw, why not? I want to thank him too!” Sweetie whined.

“Now, now! Sweetie, darling, you should give the man his space.” Rarity walked into the room, holding Tom’s repaired jacket.

“Voila!” She held the jacket up proudly. “Good as new!”

Tom smiled, and took his jacket. “Thanks, Rarity. It looks better than ever!”

“But of course, darling!” She exclaimed proudly, but then noticed that Tom and Sweetie were both staring at her.

“What? Is there something on my face?”
“Uh, Rarity…you’re glowing.” Tom noted.

“I appreciate the compliment, dear, but-” Rarity started.

“No, I mean you’re LITERALLY glowing with light.” Tom explained. Rarity looked herself over. She was shining with a pale light.

“Ah, I guess this means the map is fixed.” Rarity noted. “It has a job for me, apparently. You too, it seems.”

“Eh?” Tom was confused, but then noted his RideWatch was glowing in the same manner.

“Whoa!” He yelped in surprise. “What is this!?”

Rarity just smiled gently. “Come along, now. We don’t want to keep the map waiting.” She grabbed him by the wrist and led him along.

“Rarity, wait! What’s going on!?” Tom yelped, but was ignored.

—---------

As Rarity dragged Tom with her, they were met by Pinkie Pie, who was also glowing.

“Oooh, did the map pick you too, Rarity?” Pinkie asked excitedly.

“It seems so. Shall we then?” Rarity asked as the three of them entered the castle and made their way to the map room.

“...Pinkie and Rarity’s marks I understand, but what’s that little ‘X’ looking one?” They heard Starlight’s voice talking. Tom just gritted his teeth.

“That’s a good question, actually…” Twilight’s voice continued, as the three of them entered the room.

Starlight looked at the three and just rolled her eyes. “Well, those two make sense, but why is HE here?” She pointed at Tom.

“Starlight, be nice!” Twilight grunted. She then noticed Tom’s watch glowing. “So this mark is Tom’s after all.” She wrote something down in a notepad.

“So why are we here exactly?” Tom asked.

“The map’s chosen the three of us to go on a friendship mission, silly!” Pinkie explained.

“Uh…okay, but why me?” Tom continued his questioning. “I mean, I’m not the friendship expert, I’m the ‘kick monsters in the face’ expert.” The group just shrugged.

“The map does send some unusual groups out, but it’s usually for the best.” Twilight replied.

Tom looked at where the map was indicating they were going. It appeared to be a large castle with a mountain carved into it. “So, where’s this exactly?”

“That’s Canterlot!” Pinkie chimed in. “It’s where the princesses live!”

“Ah, the return of the horse puns- with a vengeance.” Tom thought to himself.

“But, wait a minute- if I’m going to be in Canterlot, what are you guys going to do if another monster attacks? I can’t just leave!” Tom said, worried.

“It’s only going to be for a day.” Twilight said reassuringly. “You’re needed in Canterlot, so don’t worry about us- we’ll be able to manage for one day.”

“...I’ll trust you, Twilight…” Tom relented. Pinkie and Rarity both had conspiratorial grins on their faces.

“Well, what are we waiting for!?” Pinkie exclaimed. “Adventure time!” She grabbed Tom and Rarity by the arms. “It’s time to travel to distant lands! Or Canterlot! Whichever of those things are first!” And like that, the human hero and fashion-forward unicorn were forcefully pulled along by Pinkie.

—--------

An hour’s train ride later, the trio found themselves in Canterlot. As per the norm, the streets were bustling with all sorts of ponies, conducting business and going about their day.

“Ah, Canterlot!” Rarity swooned. “Home to the finest Equestria has to offer!”

“So, what should we do first?” Tom asked. “It’s a big city, so this problem could be anywhere.”

“Silly! You don’t go looking for the problem, the problem comes to us!” Pinkie said, bouncing up and down.

“That doesn’t sound smart.” Tom commented.

“Ahem…well, I have noticed something rather peculiar already.” Rarity pointed to a section of the Canterlot streets that, for some reason, everyone seemed to be going out of their way to avoid.

“Huh…that is weird.” Tom noted. “Think it’s related to the map mission?”

“Well, duh!” Pinkie continued. “The street’s having a problem because nopony’s walking on it!”

Tom was about to raise his hand in objection but Rarity just shook her head slowly and gently pushed his arm back down.

“If I remember correctly, that street is home to the best restaurants in the city. It also goes by the name ‘Restaurant Row’.”

“Alright, then- let’s go!” Pinkie bounced off again.

“Pinkie, darling, please wait for us!” Rarity called after her impatient friend.

“...this is fine.” Tom said to himself. “Totally fine.”

Restaurant Row appeared to be very different once Tom and the girls got close. Many of the shops and buildings were closed down, boarded up with wooden planks.

“Oh my goodness!” Rarity cried out. “What has happened to all the gourmet restaurants?”

“...we better take a look around.” Tom suggested, the other two nodding. The group walked forward, looking for any signs of life.

“This is kinda creepy…” Tom murmured. “And it’s not usually like this, right?”

“Of course not! Normally, this street would be bustling with hungry customers, waiting to try true haute cuisine!” Rarity complained.

“Wait…do you smell what I’m smelling?” Pinkie asked, sniffing at something.

“...I don’t smell anything.” Tom noted, but Rarity also sniffed around.

“No, I smell it too…it smells fragrant. Like herbs.” Rarity noted, as the two of them followed the smell, Tom merely following behind. As they progressed, Tom began smelling it as well.

“It smells like curry.” Tom said.

“Curry? What’s that?” Pinkie asked. “Can you eat it in a hurry? Or even a flurry? We better scurry!”

Tom just breathed in sharply as they moved to the source of the smell, it was a small eatery that, while boarded up as well, had this distinctive smell coming from it.

“The smell’s coming from inside.” Tom said. They approached the door, and opened it, a ding coming from the bell above.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” Tom crept in, but then he saw an older stallion brandishing something!

“YOU STAY OUT OF OUR RESTAURANT YOU EVIL THING!” The stallion swung the object he was holding at Tom, but Tom caught it.

“...were you trying to attack me with a zucchini?” Tom asked, as Pinkie and Rarity joined him.

“...you’re not one of them.” The stallion sighed. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Uh…sure.” Tom rubbed the back of his head in confusion.

“My name is Coriander Cumin, I’m the host here.” Coriander explained. “Or at least I’d like to say that…”

“Father?” A second voice came from further in. “Father, are you alright?”

Another pony, a mare who was wearing simple clothes and an apron, and had her poofy mane held up by a bandana, joined them.

“This is my daughter, Saffron Masala. She’s our cook.” Coriander explained as Saffron did a small curtsy.

“We are sorry for the state of things, but we’ve not had many customers lately.” Saffron sighed.

“So, what exactly IS happening, anyway?” Rarity asked. The father-daughter duo just looked at each other.

“Everyone’s terrified of coming here since the ‘Gluttonous Grasshopper’ appeared.” Saffron explained.

“...the what?” Tom asked incredulously.

“It’s a strange monster that looks like a grasshopper…it started attacking ponies when they were trying to enjoy their meals…and it took them somewhere.” Coriander shuddered. “Since then, we’ve all lived in fear of the creature.”

“Grasshopper…” Pinkie wondered. “But why would a grasshopper do that? I’d think they’d rather hop around in grass.”
“Sir, were there any other details about this monster you or anyone noticed?” Rarity asked.

“It had something printed on its abdomen…I caught the numbers ‘2001’, but not much else.”

“2001…? Could it be?” Tom wondered out loud. But their thoughts were interrupted by the shattering of glass.

“I KNow You’rE IN THere!” A distorted voice growled. “YoU CANNot hiDE youR SUBpar CUisinE from MEEEEE!”

“That sounds like…” Rarity started, stammering in fear.

“An Another Rider!” Pinkie yelped. “Why are they here!?”

“You guys stay back.” Tom said, pulling out his Driver and Watch, and running outside.

“HENSHIN!” Tom yelled out, as his armor formed around him.

Tom observed the attacker. It looked like a strange, grasshopper-like humanoid but whose teeth were exposed by lack of skin. It almost looked like it was grinning.

“Another Agito?” Tom wondered. “Or…another Another Agito?”

The monster snarled. Tom pulled out his weapon, and tried to strike the monster, but it jumped and dodged. It then let out a shrieking howl, prompting Tom to flinch.

“Agh! Loud!” Tom grunted in pain, but then he noticed another monster, just like the first…and then another, and then another.

“What…? An Another Agito horde?!” The horde lunged at him, Tom attempted to hold the line, but he was quickly finding himself outnumbered.

“Alright, I guess I gotta make things Musou!” He quipped as he quickly inserted the GaimWatch into his belt. A large orange-shaped armor came from above, and fell on Tom, merging with him.

“This is my stage now, assholes!” Tom shouted as he began furiously swinging his swords. The horde was slowly being pushed back, but some of them shifted their attention to behind Tom! Pinkie and Rarity were attempting to get Coriander and Saffron to safety, but the horde was targeting them! Tom rushed over, swords swinging.

“GET AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS!” He yelled. But more of the Another Agitos swarmed on him as others surrounded the ponies!

“Daughter…when I give you the signal, you run, and don’t look back.” Coriander murmured.

“But, Father…!” Saffron cried.

“Do not cry for me, daughter. I will protect my greatest treasure of all, with my life.” He said calmly, resigned to his fate. He pulled a few vegetables from his pocket and began throwing them haphazardly at the horde!

“GO! NOW!” He yelled, as Pinkie and Rarity dragged Saffron behind them.

The horde ominously closed in on the older stallion…

“I thiNK I’m THE eVIL of the PEOple…” The horde droned.

“PraISe THe GlORY of THE EVIL!” They yelled, as they closed in…and Coriander stood, having been converted into another of the Another Agitos….but his suit seemed to take on a red tint. He turned to Tom…

And then began jerking his arm and head around in a rhythmic manner.

“GIRLY MAAAAAAN!” He roared as he lunged at Tom, the Rider jumping back while the monster started dancing, the rest of the horde mimicking his movements.

“Girly Man!” The lead monster, formerly known as Coriander Cumin, continued dancing. “Girly Man-man-man-man-man-man…Girly Man-man-man-man-man-man…” Tom just stared, bewildered at the bizarre scene, before shaking his head. With a sword in each hand, he rushed the horde again, only for them all to spin and knock him back, not breaking ranks at all!

“Gosh, my old calculator ain’t got no bow!” The monster sang. “Nipple-y man I made, he ate motorboats!”

“The hell are these lyrics!?” Tom thought to himself, as he changed tactics and undid the GaimArmor. He then took his Edge of Time and turned into a gun, taking aim at the monsters.

“Calm down and park that comfy shin guard armor!” The monster continued singing while Tom attempted to hit it with a barrage of shots, only for the monsters to dodge in perfect time. “Welcome the dude who ain’t the buyer of mugs! Girly Man!” The monster shoved its waist in the air suggestively, as if it were taunting the young hero!

“Why you…!” Tom kept firing, but the monsters just dodged every shot, as it continued singing “Girly Man-man-man-man-man-man…” But then one of the shots managed to hit a monster in the leg. The entire group turned to Tom and rushed him.

“RRRRRRRIIIIIIIPPPPP YOUR MAAAAAAAA!” The leader yelled.

“Attention Canterlot! A horde of monsters has begun attacking the area near Restaurant Row! Please scream and run around in circles!” A voice rang out as if amplified by a megaphone.

“Woo, I’m coming! Mutton goes YAY!” The monsters began attacking Tom in sequence, Tom barely being able to withstand the blows. “Cook the chicano’s day! Mucho caliente!”

Tom quickly shifted his gun back into a sword and flailed, creating an opening to escape from the horde’s grasp. He turned back to the monsters, still absorbed in their weird parody dance.

“I’ll eat some wasabi on my dude!” The monster sang as it and its comrades began systematically attacking the closed restaurants. “All my body just got ruled, kinda like a fist on road! One more body for your car! Ooh, ooh, Papa’s restaurant!” At that last part, the horde turned its attention to the eatery that Coriander and Saffron called home.

“Father, no!” Saffron called out. “Please, wake up!”

“Ooooh, you’ll be pumping Ovaltine!” The monster ignored Saffron’s pleas as it slowly marched towards the small restaurant. “Or Salty Shanty’s one-shot tea!”

“Roll, jam, belching, raving son…Mork, and bull and muumuued sour!” The monsters began picking up stones and other objects.

“KILLER, KILL HER! KILLER, KILL HER! KILLER, KILL HER! KILLER, KILL HER! GIRLY MAN!” The monster pointed to the store…

“PleASE Don’t BUY the BAld Seal…” The horde groaned as they began throwing stones! Tom jumped out in front, doing his best to deflect the stones, with Pinkie coming back and firing shots from her party cannon to try to counter the projectiles.

Saffron then ran into the fray and held her arms out in front of the monsters!

“Father, it’s me! Do you not recognize your own daughter!?” She asked with tears in her eyes.

“M…MOVE THEN, CONNIE! LET ME GO YAY!” The monster pushed Saffron out of the way. “CAUSE IT’S A YARDLESS DAY, CONGA LINE TOO, GOOD DAY!”

“Saffron!” Pinkie called out.

“I’ve got to do something…but those monsters seem to counter everything I throw at them!” Tom thought, then he noticed that there were many windows around…

“I have to survive this!” He produced the RyukiWatch and inserted it into his belt.

“RIDER TIME! Advent! RYUUUUKII~” The belt sang as his armor was replaced with portions of silver, red and black. His shoulders gained pauldrons that looked like the heads of dragons, and his left arm gained a strange glove, also shaped like a dragon. His helm also changed into one resembling the slitted hoods of knights.

“Salad is a cargo you could doooo!” The monster continued.

“I’ve had about enough of this.” Tom grunted as he dived at the monster, and the monster sidestepped.

“Chet’s my buddy, Chester Row! Called him at the coaster room! Smashing all the people up! It’s the child no parka rule!” The monster taunted, but Tom seemed to be gone.

“Oh, laddie, ready, bite your knee!” The singing continued as the horde began looking for the Rider. “Oooh, conk a Collie, conquer he!”

Tom slipped through the window surfaces until he was behind the horde. He quietly crept behind them, and began to stealthily knock them out, one by one.

“Deal them, peel them, people look shocked! Move two, then you got private shower!” The singing continued, the monster unaware of its dwindling party. Soon, only a few of the monsters remained.

“KILLER, KILL HER! KILLER, KILL HER! KILLER, KILL HER! KILLER, KILL HER!” The monster began ranting again, but by that time, only he and a few stragglers remained.

“Oh, will you SHUT UP ALREADY!” Tom yelled as he swung his sword at the red monster from behind. The monster fell over, unconscious.

“...that wasn’t it?” Tom asked. He looked around, and saw one of the monsters trying to sneak off. Sighing, he activated the finisher on his belt.

“FINISH TIME! RYUKI!” A large, metallic dragon manifested around him and lunged at the Another Agito, grabbing it in its mouth.

“WhaT!?” The monster roared.

“FINAL TIME BREAK!” The belt announced as Tom leapt in the air, then the dragon spat the Another Rider onto the ground, Tom’s kick smashing it into the ground!

The monster groaned, and separated from the watch. It was an elderly looking mare in a business suit.

“Uggghhh…” she groaned. The other monsters began to turn back to normal as well.
Tom picked up the AgitoWatch and shined the light of his watch on it to fix it.

“Give me that…” A voice came from behind him. It was the mare that was previously Another Agito.

“Huh?” Tom asked.

“I SAID GIVE ME THAT WATCH, HEATHEN!” The mare yelled.

“Whoa!” Tom flinched. “What’s your problem?”

“That’s Zesty Gourmand!” Rarity gasped, scandalized. “You were the Another Rider?”

“Argh! I was about to cleanse the entire city of worthless food, until only the gourmet cuisine I prescribed would be eaten!” Zesty ranted.

“...that’s what this was all about?” Tom sighed. “Dumb motive for a dumb fight.”

“No! I will not be bested by some monkey in a costume!” She lunged at Tom, but Tom sidestepped and restrained her.

“Lady, you have ISSUES!” Tom replied.

“We’ll take it from here, Kamen Rider.” Another voice came. Tom recognized the mare.

“Wait, Officer Rights?” Tom asked. The mare looked perplexed, but then realized what he meant.

“Oh yeah, you must have met my twin sister over in Ponyville.” She explained.

“Wait, twins?” Tom asked.

“Actually, we’re decuplets.” The policemare explained, holding a photo that showed ten identical mares in police costumes.

“...you wouldn’t happen to have some cousins like that, but they’re all nurses, do you?” Tom laughed.

“Huh, you met the Redhearts too.” She noted.

Tom just groaned. “I WAS KIDDING!”

The cops had Zesty restrained in a straitjacket as she was thrashing about, raving madly and foaming at the mouth.
“A shame…she could have used her influence for good, but was so consumed by her own ego that she became a monster.” Rarity shook her head.

“Father!” Saffron ran over to the now restored Coriander. “Father, speak to me!”

“Oooof…I feel like I just got hit by an entire caravan…” He groaned.

“Oh, father!” She cried as she hugged her dad, and he returned the embrace.

Soon, another glow came from Pinkie, Rarity and Tom’s watch before dispersing.

“Misshon comprete!” Pinkie said in a bad Engrish accent.

“I wouldn’t say that.” Tom pointed to the now destroyed Restaurant Row.

“You needn’t worry about us.” Coriander came over to them. “We will rebuild our businesses, better than ever.”

“But we hope you come back sometime, when we’re back in business. We will have you as our guests of honor!”

“Ooooh, how divine!” Rarity again swooned.

Tom just shrugged, as the three began to help where they could.

A fair distance away, Ouja was watching through binoculars. He was clutching them tightly, in anger.

“That little bastard! How did he get here!?” He raged.

“It was fun while it lasted.” Idunn lamented. “But our job here is done.”

“RRRGH!” Ouja growled. “I oughta go down there and-”

“You will do no such thing, Ouja.” Cronus reappeared behind them.

“I am NOT in the mood!” Ouja pouted.

“You are to return to base immediately. Your mission is complete.” Cronus pointed out.

Ouja was about to attack, but stopped himself. “I…I can’t turn down the boss, after all.” He stared at his driver, sadly.

“None of us can.” Idunn interjected. “Let’s go, the sound of cooperation is starting to make me feel sick.”

The villains opened a portal, and left, no trace remaining of their presence…

—----

In another area of Canterlot, a lone pegasus filly kicked a can down an alleyway.

“So some monsters showed up and started wrecking a bunch of restaurants. Who cares?” She moped. “I don’t. I’m alone. I always have been. Maybe I always will be, too.”

She kicked the can again, but it bounced off someone.

“Huh?” She looked at the being who was in front of her, who was hit by the can. He looked like a primate of sorts, but without much fur, if any. He was wearing a trenchcoat, a hat and glasses, and he looked at the filly with curiosity.

“A little one like you, all alone?” He asked, his voice dripping with artificial concern.

“What’s it to you?” The filly asked. “No one wants an orphan. No one ever does.”

“Do you want others to want you?” The man asked back.

“Huh?” The filly was confused.

“I will give you a home. I will give you food, shelter, and family, as you desire.” He reached into his pocket and held out a small, urn-shaped object. “But only if you take this.”

The filly hesitated for a moment. This sounded too good to be true, right? But…she didn’t want to be alone anymore… she reached out and took the urn.

“From now on, you are my daughter. And your name is…?” The man asked.

“Cozy, sir…Cozy Glow.” The man picked Cozy up and held her in a hug, Cozy nuzzling him and being unaware of the sinister smirk on his face…

Author's Note

Well, out of all the fights so far, that was certainly...interesting.

It seems like there are dark forces beginning to move behind the scenes.

Who is this stranger, and what does he want with the orphan, Cozy Glow?

Chapter 10-1: Crystallized Journey

“Crystallized Journey, part 1”

—-----

About a day had passed since the Another Agito attack, and Tom, Pinkie and Rarity were all relaxing aboard the train taking them back home. Tom was trying his best to relax and recover after the utterly bizarre fight.

“Well, it’s all dealt with now, at least.” Tom sighed. “And it looks like Mr. Cumin and his daughter have taken charge of Restaurant Row’s rebuilding too.”

“We simply must visit them again once the district is rebuilt, and hopefully without any more tyrannical food critics or dancing monsters.” Rarity commented.

“And it was super-duper-nice of them to give us all these leftovers to take back to our friends!” Pinkie said, as she held onto a few large plastic bags containing samples of various Restaurant Row delicacies, prepared for the trio as thanks.

“Hope the girls are in the mood for it.” Tom commented. He looked up at the ceiling in contemplation.

“So the Another Rider attacks are spreading to other areas now… I have a bad feeling about this.”

Pinkie stretched out, and stood up. “I think I’ll go take a walk, this car’s making me feel cooped up like one of Fluttershy’s chickens. And I was only a chicken for Nightmare Night!”

She took a stroll outside the small room they were in and decided to take a small trip to the dining car, maybe she could grab some candy! Candy is dandy, it’d be handy to have some candy and not something bland-y. But then, as her mind drifted to thoughts of sweets and sugar, she bumped into someone! The two of them fell to the floor away from each other.

‘Owwie!” Pinkie whined as she rubbed her head. She looked at the one she had run into. He seemed to be the train’s cleaning staff, based on the uniform, but she couldn’t get a good look at his face, as he was wearing a surgical mask and headphones. The only thing she did notice was that he was carrying a strange magenta-colored camera around his neck.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Pinkie apologized. “Here, let me help you up.” She offered a hand to the janitor, as he took it and lifted himself back up.

“Tch… pay more attention next time, huh?” He commanded.

“Sorry…” Pinkie again apologized.
“Eh, what’s done is done.” The janitor shrugged. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a job to do…and I think that your friends do as well…” He muttered.

“Huh?” Pinkie asked. She then noticed a red dot moving around the wall.

“Oh ho! It’s my arch-nemesis, the red dot! I’m gonna catch you this time!” She ran towards the dot as it moved farther away from the janitor, the mare not noticing that the janitor was using a pen-light.

“Yeesh…things are way bleaker than I thought if THAT’s one of this world’s heroes.” He groaned, as he took his camera and snapped a quick picture before walking away.

—-----

Anton groaned out of boredom. His injuries from the fight with Another Hibiki were healed, and he was content to go back to his encampment away from the ponies…if they would LET HIM! But nooooo, they wanted to keep him there for “observation”. Who did they think he was, anyway!?

“You know what? Screw it. They can’t keep me here.” He said to himself as he redressed and prepared to sneak out the window.

“Well, aren’t we the rebel?” A voice called out behind Anton. He turned to see Gaoh leaning against a wall, arms crossed.

“Hello again, friend.” She waved nonchalantly.

“Oh, it’s you.” Anton sighed. “What do you want?”

“Wow, cold.” Gaoh snarked. “And here I thought we were friends.”

“WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT.” Anton growled impatiently.

“I guess I can’t blame you for being in a bad mood, huh?” She said snidely. “Well, whatever.” She cleared her throat.

“In two days time, you will need to travel to the Crystal Empire, far north of here. You’ll get the answers you seek there and then.” She explained.

“The Crystal Empire…?” Anton wondered.

“Yeah. Oh, and don’t let the other Rider or his friends know - they’re going there too.”
She turned and opened a portal.
“Hey, wait! Explain!” Anton commanded. “What’s at the Crystal Empire?”

“Afraid I don’t have time for a Q&A- and neither do you.” She said as Anton noticed the call button in her hands. She pressed it and left through the portal.

“Agh, you-” He started but then was glomped by a turquoise blur.

“Are you alright!? I heard the alarm, what do you need!?” Lyra blathered. “Are you in pain? Are you thirsty? Is it your bed? I-” She stopped when Anton held a finger up to her lips.

“...it was a false alarm.” Anton said, as he continued dressing himself.

“Why are you getting out of bed? Where are you going?” Lyra asked.

“Nunya.” Anton replied.

“Nunya? What’s that?” Lyra queried.

“It means ‘nunya business!’” Anton retorted. “I have places to be. Leave it at that.” Anton just turned to the door, but Lyra got in front of him.

“Seriously? Move!” He commanded, but Lyra started making a sad face. Anton struggled, but just couldn’t bring himself to harm her.

“Tch!” He just sat back down and crossed his arms grumpily. “And I also have to figure out where this Crystal Empire place is…”

“Why do you want to know?” A new voice called. It was Bon Bon.

“...there’s something I’m trying to find out, and I have it in good faith that the answers will be in the Crystal Empire in two days’ time. So I HAVE to go.” Anton explained. “Are you happy now?”

“Well, that makes things easier then. We’ll go as soon as we can!” Lyra cheered.

“Hold on a sec…WE?” Anton retorted.

“Yeah! Bon Bon and I will take you there!” Lyra explained.

“Now, hold on a second, Lyra-” Bon Bon was about to stop her, but she ran out of the room.

“Gonna go clear it with the doctor first!” She yelled as she went on her way.

“...” Anton just looked annoyed.

“Alright, you.” Bon Bon turned to Anton. “Let’s get things straight before she comes back. You know Lyra is MY marefriend, right?”

“...kinda figured that out already.” Anton snarked.

“If you know, then stop trying to seduce her!” She yelled.

“Excuse me!?” He reacted.

“She’s been talking nonstop about you! Every time we talk about something, it always ends up with ‘the Rider this’, and ‘the Rider that’! I love Lyra, so stop trying to take her away, you perverted primate playcolt!” She ranted.

“You know, maybe her eyes wouldn’t be wandering if you weren’t such an uptight nag!” Anton fired back. “And you sound like Olive Oyl sucked a year’s supply of helium!”

Bon Bon was growing even more enraged, even if she didn’t understand why he’d compare her to cooking oil.

“Why, you…!” She growled, as she grabbed Anton’s collar, Anton grabbing her collar in response as the two growled at each other.

“Hey, what’s all the fuss about?” Lyra said, having come back. “Come on, you two; break it up.” She got in between the two and separated them. Bon Bon and Anton just crossed their arms and looked away from each other with a ‘hmph!’.

“Aaaanyway, the doctor gave us the go ahead to take our buddy, so off to the Crystal Empire we go!” She proclaimed as she grabbed both Bon Bon and Anton’s hands and started dragging them along.

“Lyra, waiiiit!” Bon Bon called out.

“How the hell are you this strong!?” Anton yelled, bewildered.

—---------

Meanwhile, in another place…a very, VERY far away place…

Cozy Glow blinked as she and her new “father” arrived at what she assumed was his home. To her surprise, it was a large mansion, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

“W-where are we?” She asked, trembling with fear.

“Why, this is your new home, dear Cozy. Don’t be afraid.” The man accompanying her replied. “Let’s go inside, my wife will be more than pleased to meet you.” The man waved a hand, and the gates opened, as if compelled by some unknown force. The two went up to the door, and the man opened it, beckoning his new “daughter” inside.

Cozy looked around the place. It seemed to be a very nice mansion, but something told Cozy that this place contained something dark.

And that was more than okay with her. She was fully willing to embrace this new life, rather than continue existing like she had.

“We’re home!” The man called out. A moment after he said that, the sound of hoofsteps echoed down the stairs.

“My beloved!” A woman’s voice replied. As the hoofsteps got closer, Cozy’s eyes widened with shock when she saw the source of the sound.

Descending the nearby stairs was a black-coated alicorn, with piercing blue eyes. She was, however wearing ordinary clothes, not armor like she had been depicted with. She also wore a belt like the one Cozy herself was now wearing. Cozy could only stammer out her name.

“N-N-Nightmare Moon!?” Cozy looked shocked. “Nightmare Moon is your WIFE!?”

“As I said, dear daughter. Don’t be afraid. She and I both understand you.” The man reassured her. The dark princess walked over to Cozy, knelt down and gently cupped the filly’s cheek with her hand.

“We promise you, on our lives, that we do not want to harm you, but rather we wish for you to join our family.” Nightmare gently explained. “I would love to have a daughter such as you.”

Cozy’s eyes welled up. Nightmare Moon was supposedly a fearsome monster, but here she was, ready to take Cozy Glow as a daughter. Cozy said nothing, but embraced Nightmare Moon, crying with joy.

The man watched the scene, a sinister grin growing. “All according to plan.” He then walked over to them and joined in their embrace.

But just then, a ringing noise was heard.

“Excuse me, but that’s work.” The man explained as he went to the source of the ringing, a strange wall-mounted device, and pressed a button.

“I was in the middle of a family moment, Chronus.” The man grumbled.

“My apologies, sir.” Chronus replied. “I merely wished to inform you that the reports on our experiments have been returned.”

“Very good. And the next operation?” The man asked.

“Already underway. We are ready to begin in two days’ time, just as ordered.”

“Excellent. Proceed as scheduled.” The man ordered.

“Understood.” Chronus said, as their communication ended.

“The real show starts soon…I wonder just how those idiot Riders will overcome this…” The man thought to himself as an evil grin formed on his face.

—----------

Just two days after his return from Canterlot, Tom found himself accompanying the girls and Spike on another train, this time to the Crystal Empire, far up north. He stared out the window, lost in thought. Twilight tapped him on the shoulder.

“Tom? Are you okay?” She asked.

“I’m fine, Twilight.” He replied. “Just…thinking.” He looked at his RideWatch.

“Besides this, I have ten RideWatches now.” The Rider noted. “I wonder if he’s still out there.”

“He who?” Twilight asked.

“I mentioned him the other day, my gramps? Kamen Rider Decade?” Tom explained. “I can’t help but wonder if things would have been different with him there.”

Twilight was confused. “What do you mean?”

“...it’s not something I’m ready to talk about yet.” Tom sighed sadly. Twilight just patted him on the back.

“You know the girls and I are all here for you, right? And Spike too.” She said gently.

“...thanks.” He said, quietly.

On the other side of the train, sat Anton, in a disguise consisting of a hat with pony ears, a surgical mask and a mustache, as well as Lyra and Bon Bon who also had disguises with mustaches. They peeked over at the Rider and the Elements.

“You know something about what he’s talking about, right?” Bon Bon whispered. “So spill.”

“And why should I tell you that?” Anton replied quietly.

“Pleeease?” Lyra again used her sad face.

“...he and I come from the same world.” Anton explained. “The reason why we’re here...that’s what I’ve been looking for.”

“And you think the answer’s in the Empire?” Lyra asked.

“...it’s the only lead I have.” He replied. “I need to know. I need to know why we’re here…and why we’re the only ones here.”

—-------

A short while later, the train pulled into the Crystal Empire station. The passengers all filed off, Spike deciding to disguise himself for some reason.

“Uh…dare I ask?” Tom was confused.

“It’s kind of a long story…” Spike started, but then someone pointed in his direction.

“Look! It’s Spike the Brave and Glorious!” Someone called out, as a mob of ponies descended on the group.

“So much for the disguise.” Spike lamented as the group was swarmed by dragon diehards.

“Argh! Back off, all of you!” Rainbow Dash yelled out, but the crowd was still swarming Spike.

“Hey, Fluttershy! We need you to grab Spike and go find somewhere safe!” Tom yelled.

“Me? Um…okay.” She muttered as she lifted Spike up and flew away from the crowd as quickly as possible. The group noticed the lack of Spike, and began to disperse.

“Everyone okay?” Tom asked, the rest of the group was frazzled.

“Ah heard Spike was a big deal here, but hoo-wee!” Applejack complained.

“Alright, so…” Twilight pulled out a scroll. “Tom and I will go meet with my family, and you can go do what you want, but we’ll meet at the palace for dinner.” She read.

“Okee-dokee!” Pinkie said with her usual pep.

Rarity made a few subtle motions to Pinkie, who nodded in response.

“I should go find Sunburst.” Starlight said. “He owes me some Dragon Pit.”

“Alright, break!” Twilight said as they all went their separate ways, leaving Rainbow and Applejack.

“So…wanna go find a bar?” Rainbow asked.

“Y’all read mah mind.” AJ replied as the two of them decided to go get plastered.

—-------

Spike and Fluttershy found themselves near the edge of the city, as they gasped for breath.

“I think….*huff*...we’ll be safe…*huff*...” Fluttershy panted. They heard a low moaning sound near them.

“Um…Fluttershy?” Spike asked. “Did you hear that?”

“I did, Spike.” She said. “And I think it’d be a very good idea if we ran as fast as we could.”

“W-wait…” A voice said weakly. “Please…h-help me…”

Fluttershy stopped. While she was terrified, her innate kindness was overriding her cowardice, and she decided to see what was making the noise…from behind Spike, who stood in front of her defensively. They edged towards the source of the noise, and they saw it.

A strange, insect-like pony. They recognized it immediately and started to panic.

“Ch-ch-ch-ch-changeling!” Fluttershy panicked. The changeling just groaned as it fell over. It was horribly emaciated. The bug-pony groaned in pain.

“...what’s wrong with it?” Spike asked. Fluttershy looked the changeling over.

“Poor thing…looks like he hasn’t eaten for days.” The kindly pegasus continued examining the creature. He was wearing ragged clothes, and had a strange cuff on his upper arm.

“It’s…this cuff…steals incoming love…from me…” The changeling wheezed. “Can’t remove it…”

Spike stepped forward and brought his face close to the cuff. He took a deep breath, and started slowly blowing a concentrated flame. He held the flame to the cuff, and it started to heat up. The changeling hissed in pain, and Spike’s face started to turn red, but eventually he was able to break the cuff off. Near moments after the cuff broke, the changeling started to regain some body mass.

“Thank you…you are nice creatures.” He said.

“Who are you, and what happened to you?” Fluttershy asked, Spike still prepared to defend his friend.

“My name is Thorax. As you can see, I’m a changeling.” Thorax explained. “But I can’t stay with the hive any longer. The queen has…changed.”

“By queen, you mean Queen Chrysalis.” Spike wondered. “I thought she was already evil, though.”

“Spike! Don’t be rude.” Fluttershy scolded, but Thorax shook his head.

“No, you’re right- she’s always been aggressive and ambitious…but recently she started acting even worse to us.” Thorax explained, shuddering. “She subjected us to…horrifying…experiments, even if those same experiments cost us our lives.”

“That’s…that’s horrible.” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Even if she was evil, she would never actively kill members of her swarm like that.” The changeling lamented. “I don’t know what happened to her, but I knew that if I stayed any longer, I would most likely be killed by one of her experiments. So I ran.”

Spike mulled over this story. He and his friends had seen the queen recently, as she had gained powers and was distributing RideWatches. He knew the queen was bad, but not THIS bad.

“We need to tell someone.” Spike decided. “Can you still shapeshift?”

Thorax nodded, and stood up with the help of both Spike and Fluttershy. He took a deep breath, and in a blast of greenish energy, he changed into an ash-colored pony with a green mane, still in the ragged clothes.

“Alright…let’s go.” Spike hoisted Thorax as they made their way to the castle.

—--------

Tom and Twilight were led by guards through the corridors of the Crystal Castle. Tom himself was actually nervous. While Twilight was technically royalty, he had no idea about how other royals might react to him. What if they were afraid of him, like Applejack was? But, he steeled his nerves by thinking to himself “No fear, no pain…” over and over.

They stopped a large, ornate door. The guard knocked on the door and it slowly opened.

“Presenting the Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the…Caiman Rider?” The guard announced, but was unsure at the end.

“KAMEN Rider.” Tom corrected the guard.

“Right…Kamen Rider, Thomas Decade.” The two of them entered the room. Sitting on a pair of thrones were a white stallion with a blue mane, in a formal military uniform, and a pink alicorn princess in a white dress and various platinum jewels.

“Twily!” The pair of them shot out of their chairs towards the princess. The stallion hugged her tightly.

“It’s good to see you, little sis!” He said.

“Little sis?” Tom asked.

“Oh, right…Tom, this is Shining Armor, my BBBFF!” Twilight explained.

“He’s your what?” Tom was lost.

“Big Brother Best Friend Forever!” She explained. Then, the pink princess came over and also hugged Twilight, as the two of them danced and started a chant.

“SUNSHINE, SUNSHINE, LADYBUGS AWAKE! CLAP YOUR HANDS AND DO A LITTLE SHAKE!”

“...aaaaand there goes my pancreas.” Tom thought to himself. The pair looked Tom over.

“Twily, is he the one?” Shining Armor asked.

“Yes! This is the Kamen Rider!” She explained. “And Tom, this is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, my sister-in-law.”

“Please, just call me Cadance. Any friend of Twilight’s is a friend of mine.” She said calmly. Then, she remembered something.

“Oh, right, my aunts should be here soon too.” She said, Twilight’s eyes shrinking in shock.

“Wait, Princess Celestia and Luna are coming HERE!?” Twilight panicked. “NOW!? How long do I have before they get here? I have to make sure all my notes on Tom are ready!”

“Well, we arrived about three seconds ago, but it’s still nice to see you taking your duties seriously, my faithful student.” A warm, motherly voice called.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight called out. Two more alicorns wandered into the room. Tom himself recognized the shorter one, she had appeared in his dreams. The other one was new to him. She was tall, the tallest in the room, and she wore a white dress that made her look like some sort of pony goddess. She looked over to the young man.

“You must be Thomas.” She started. “I am Princess Celestia, and my sister and I are the princesses of Equestria.” She stated. “I’ve heard reports of your exploits. You have my thanks for protecting my little ponies from those monsters.”

“Uh, well…just doing my job.” Tom stammered, blushing at the praise.

Celestia looked at Tom and something overwhelmed her as she picked up the Rider and started hugging him tightly.

“HMRPH!?” Tom found himself being squished between…well, it should be obvious.

“You are just the CUTEST THING!” The sun princess squealed. “I just want to snuggle you to bits!”

“Sister, put him down!” Luna snapped. Celestia pouted, but released her grip. Tom fell backwards, Twilight rushed over.

“Tom, are you alright?” She asked with concern.

“Huh…haba baba…hoi…” Tom stammered, his brain still melting from embarrassment. Twilight helped him to his feet.

Princess Luna, meanwhile, was oddly silent and withdrawn. Celestia approached her.

“Luna, aren’t you going to say hello?” The elder princess asked.

“We- I am nervous, sister…what if I haven’t learned the language enough?” Luna confided.

“I think you’ll be fine around them.” Celestia patted her sister on the back and brought her over to the Rider and youngest princess.

“It’s good to see you again, Princess Luna.” Twilight said, Tom just nodding as he was still trying to recover his senses somewhat. Luna took a deep breath.

“WHAT’S CRACK-A-LACKIN’ HOMIES!?” Luna shouted in the Royal Canterlot Voice™. The room fell silent.
“...too much?” Luna asked sheepishly. The group just nodded, and Luna cleared her throat.

“We- I am sorry about that. I have been trying to learn more casual speech from this time, but it has been hard.” She explained.

“It’s…no problem, Princess…” Tom wheezed, the force of Luna’s voice having snapped him out of his fugue, at least to an extent.

“And now it’s time to wake up Flurry from her nap…” Shining Armor said, grating his teeth a bit. He picked up a large shield and helmet. “I’m going in.”

Cadence saluted her husband as he valiantly marched into the most dangerous place in the Empire. Tom just looked confused.

“So, why…?” Tom started asking, but Twilight cut him off.

“Baby unicorns have very poor control of their magic. Flurry Heart was born as an alicorn, so her magic is already extremely powerful.” She explained.

“Oh…you think maybe I should transform and go help him?” The Rider asked.

“I’m sure he’s-” Twilight started before Cadence interjected.

“I think he’d very much appreciate that. Don’t worry about us.” The love princess said as Tom nodded and transformed.

“RIDER TIME!” The belt announced, echoing down the halls.

“Hang on, Mr. Armor- backup’s on the way!” He proclaimed as he dashed down the hall.

Twilight looked at her sister-in-law. “Why did you do that?”

Cadence chuckled. “I was hoping to talk to you privately, and Shiny really could use the help, Flurry’s a bit cranky because she has a cold.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah…super powerful baby plus sniffles doesn’t sound easy to deal with. So what exactly was it you wanted to ask?”

Cadence turned to Twilight, a slightly manic grin forming. “I wanted to know about how things are with you and Tom, of course!”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Oh boy…” She whimpered.

—-------
Tom, having transformed beforehand, had just dodged a lashing energy tentacle.

“Mr. Armor! Nine o’ clock!” He yelled, the former guard captain rolling out of the way and grabbing a nearby table to use as cover.

“I’ll keep these things off your back!” Tom yelled. “You finish it!”

“Appreciate it!” Shining yelled back as Tom took out his sword and swung at the tentacles, while Shining dove at the source…and pulled out a baby bottle filled with lukewarm milk and gently forced it into his infant daughter’s mouth. The magic tendrils disappeared as the overpowered baby began peacefully suckling on the bottle.

“Whew…” Shining wiped his brow. “Poor Flurry…the sniffles are making you cranky, huh?” He said as he held his daughter in his arms, as she released the bottle and let out a sneeze.

“Looks like everything’s under control.” Tom noted as he undid his transformation. “You okay, Mr. Armor?”

“Yeah, thanks…and you can just call me Shining.” He replied. “I can see why Twily thinks so highly of you.”

“Er…well, it’s a Kamen Rider’s duty to help those in need!” He replied with a nervous chuckle.

Shining held his hand out to Tom. “Well, either way, you’ve helped me out a lot.” Tom accepted the handshake from the stallion.

Nearby, a certain pink pony was ducking behind a plant, observing the scene. She pulled out a large, primitive-looking walkie-talkie.

“Cotton Candy to Velvet Ribbon, this is Cotton Candy, over.” Pinkie murmured into the device.

“Velvet Ribbon here.” Rarity’s voice came through the speaker.

“The armor has accepted the watch. Over.” She continued. “Proceed with Operation: Twilight Hour. Over.”

“Understood, over.” Rarity’ replied.

“I still don’t understand why we couldn’t just call it “Operation: Get Tommy And Twilight To Admit Their Feelings To Each Other”, over.”

“Because we need to do this covertly.” Rarity explained. Just then, Pinkie felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Princess Cadence, her eyebrow raised.

“Oh, uh…hello, your highness.” Pinkie stammered, hiding the device she was using behind her back.

“Pinkie Pie, were you trying to meddle with Tom and Twilight in such a way that they’d be forced into a romantic situation?” Cadence asked. Pinkie’s mane flattened a bit, her ears splayed.

“In that case, I want in.” The princess said, which surprised Pinkie but also made her mane inflate back to normal.

“You do!?” She cheered. “...of course, you must see it too! The two of them like each other a lot but can’t admit it to each other!”

“And as the Princess of Love ™ , it is my duty to help these emotions flourish.” Cadence nodded. “Walk with me, let’s come up with some ideas.”

Pinkie nodded. “We should go find Rarity, I’m sure she has something too!”

Cadence nodded as the two started chatting and walking.

—-------

At a nearby bar, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were at the counter, surrounded by empty glasses.

“And itsh not eas-y bein’ a Wonderbolt!” Dash grumbled, drunkenly. “They jusht don’ get it!”

“I hear ya, gurl…*hic*...” Applejack hiccuped, she was also plastered. “And dem fancy-schancy folksh always lookin’ down on us hardworkin’ types!”

“Itsh been crezzeher with the…the Another Ridersh, they keep poppin’ up and we gotta shmack ‘em down!” Dash continued complaining. “But the Rider we have ish doin’ okay.”

“You heard that Twilight hash a thing for ‘im?” Applejack asked.

“Itsh totally ob…obvious! *hic* Thosh two just get all flushtered and shtuff whenever they’re around each other…one of ‘em needs to grow a pair and confesh already!”

“Hey…ya know, ah’ve got…*hic* a pony ah’ve got mah eye on too…” The farmer droned.

“Huh…who’sh the lucky one?” Rainbow asked.
“Eh…erm…I dunno…what wash we talkin’ bout?”

“I forgots…hey, barkeep! Another round!” Dash commanded. The bartender just walked over.

“I think you two’ve had enough.” The stallion said as he started cleaning up the glasses.

“Oh come on! Ah can drunk waaaay more than thish!”

A nearby patron slammed his hand on the table. “Damn it, can’t a guy drink in peace anymore?”

“And who’re you shupossed to be, tough guy?” Rainbow Dash slurred.

“...I’m just passing through. Remember that!” He said, as he left some bits on the table and walked out.

“What’sh that guy’sh probem?” AJ slurred, as the two of them found themselves being dragged out of the bar.

“Get out, and don’t come back until you’re sober!” The bartender yelled as he tossed the two out on their butts.

“Ugh! Shpoilshport…” Rainbow Dash groaned before she and AJ got up and drunkenly wandered towards the castle.

—-------

A bit later, most of the group had reconvened in the castle dining room. Tom and Twilight were seated next to each other at one of the tables, at the insistence of Cadence, Rarity and Pinkie.

“Um…” Tom tried to say something, but couldn’t, he was too embarrassed. Twilight wasn’t much better, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

“Oh for Celestia’s sake, just kiss already!” Pinkie thought to herself as she, Rarity and Cadence observed from another table at the other end of the room.

“Wait a minute…where’s Starlight?” Twilight realized her student hadn’t returned yet.

“That’s a good question…but she’s seeing her friend, right?” Tom asked.

“Yeah…yeah, I think she’ll be okay.” She sighed. “Um, Tom, I wanted to-”

Just then, a large explosion rocked the palace, with shrieks of fear echoing throughout the halls.

“Oh thank Celestia- I mean, oh no!” Twilight corrected herself, as she and Tom ran to the source of the explosion, the others following.

When they reached the scene, they saw that the barrier surrounding the city was being assailed by various projectiles, and the source was an army of blue monsters that looked very familiar to Tom…

“Are those…G3s?” He looked out. “No…those are ANOTHER G3s!”

“What’s a G3?” Twilight asked.

“G3’s another Kamen Rider, and that’s a whole platoon of Another Riders based on him!” Tom explained, Twilight’s eyes shrinking in fear.

“A platoon!?” She yelped. “One of them was bad enough already!”

“Surprised, kiddo?” A familiar voice snarked behind them. It was Ouja, and he swung his staff at the two!

“Ugh, young love…makes me sick in my mouth.” He groaned.

“Twilight, get back! I’ll handle him!” Tom said as he pulled out his Driver.

“Oh no you don’t!” Ouja pulled out a card and put it in his staff.

“WHIP VENT!” The card announced as his staff transformed into a whip, and he struck Tom’s hand with it, making him drop his Driver!

“No! Tom!” Twilight yelled in concern.

“You’re time’s up, clock boy…” Ouja growled. He raised his whip again, but his attack was stopped by a clawed hand from behind him.

“You’re…Discord!” Twilight said. “I’ve never been this glad to see you!”

“Well now, what have we here…a snake in the grass?” Discord commented.

“You’re just as much of a snake as I am, you know!” Ouja slammed his elbow into Discord’s abdomen, causing him to release his grip.

“Ugh…okay, who are you, anyway?” Discord growled.

“Why, Discord, isn’t it obvious?” Ouja pulled the urn from his Driver, undoing his transformation…

“Wait, you’re…!” Twilight yelped. Underneath Ouja’s armor…was another Discord!

“Another me?” Discord was confused. “Alright buddy, now you’ve gone too far! Not just attacking my dear friend, but now you’re committing the unforgivable sin of COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT!”

“Oh, please…I’m not a copy of you. I’m what you SHOULD have been in the first place.” Ouja-Discord said back, a sneer on his face.

“What I should have been, huh?” Discord snorted. “I’m CHAOS. Chaos is whatever it wants! I’m whatever I want!”

Ouja-Discord rolled his eyes. “You’ve gone soft.”

“And since when did the Spirit of Chaos ™ need to use an external battery?” Discord laughed.

“Well, why don’t we see how your powers stack against mine?” Ouja-Discord reinserted the urn.

“REVENGE!” The Driver announced. Discord pressed a button in his belt as a projection of a large snake came from the belt.

“KILLER GRUDGE! REVENGE OF OUJA!” The snake burst apart into particles that attached themselves to the doppleganger Discord, returning him to his Ouja armor.

“You’re keeping me from more important things, you know. I promised to come see Fluttershy when I came back. Still, if it’s a whoopin’ you’re-a wantin’...” Discord pulled up his “sleeves” and they had muscular humanoid arms under them, one of them with a tattoo of an anchor.

“Twilight, would you and your boyfriend please excuse us?” Discord asked.

“He’s not-!” Twilight was about to object but realized there were more important things to worry about, as she helped Tom up, Tom grabbing his Driver with his other hand and the two making their way towards the city.

“Now then, where were we?” Discord said as the two dragonequui stared each other down…

—----

Tom and Twilight ran through the city, towards the castle, but came across their friends being attacked by Chrysalis! Not only that, but Geiz was there, and he was in the fray!

“Huh? What’s he doing here?” Tom wondered. “No time…Twilight, I gotta go!”
“I’ll get our friends to safety in the meantime!” Twilight nodded as Tom quickly transformed.

As Zi-O, Tom jumped at Chrysalis, brandishing his sword and catching her off guard with a slash.

“Ugh!” Chrysalis groaned. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to hit a lady!?”

“The hammer of justice is non-binary!” Tom quipped.

“...and you STILL haven’t got a clue when it comes to one-liners, have you?” Geiz groaned.

“I’m doing my best!” Tom whined, but the two of them turned their attention to the Changeling Queen, as she revealed her belt.

“I’m gonna have to raise some Helheim!” She announced as the two Riders just groaned.

“That was even worse than this idiot’s line!” Geiz complained, but he was ignored.

“REVENGE!” Chrysalis’s belt announced. “TEMPTATION GRUDGE! REVENGE OF IDUNN!” Like the doppleganger Discord, she changed into the shape of Idunn.

The Riders switched their weapons to long range and peppered the enemy with a barrage of attacks. but Helheim vines popped out everywhere and absorbed it all!

“Damn…” Geiz grunted. “Hey, Zi-O! You know what to do about Helheim vines!” He pulled out the BaronWatch, Tom nodded and used the GaimWatch.

“RIDER TIME!” The two took the forms of the orange samurai and banana viking once more, and began to swing and stab at the fiendish foliage.

“You still think you stand a chance!? I’m the Queen of the Changelings!” Idunn laughed.

“No you’re not!” A voice came out of nowhere. It was an injured Changeling, who Spike was supporting.

“Spike, what’s going on!?” Twilight yelped.

“I heard everything from Thorax here.” Spike explained. “That’s not Queen Chrysalis at all, she’s an imposter!”

Everyone, save for the Riders and “Chrysalis”, gasped. Then the outed imposter started to cackle.

“Figures she’d have some bugs in her own system.” “Chrysalis” laughed.

“Who are you!?” Spike demanded an answer.

“Watch it, you little brat.” The fake queen barked. “Or do you want me to skin you alive and turn you into boots?”

“Don’t you DARE threaten Spike!” Twilight shouted angrily.

“Heh, looks like I poked the mama bear…but I’ve done what I need to do here, so ta-ta for now!” She taunted as she opened another Helheim crack and dove into it.

“Wait!” The Riders yelled. A few moments later, they heard an explosion from inside the castle.

“No!” Twilight yelled. “Tom, we have to head back!” Tom just nodded as the group took off towards the castle.

Meanwhile, Geiz looked around and spotted some of the Another G3s, who had infiltrated the city, dragging an orange stallion, bound and gagged, with them.

“Hostages…typical.” The red Rider ran after the enemies…

—-----

The group got back to the castle to see Cadence cradling a badly injured Shining Armor.

“Shiny!? What happened!?” Twilight shrieked.

“Twily…they…they took Flurry…” The prince-consort wheezed. “Top of the castle…help…” He passed out.

“Oh no! Tom, let’s go!”

“Right!” Tom replied. “Don’t worry, your highness! We’ll save your daughter!”

The two of them ran as fast as they could.

“I have a bad feeling about this…”

TO BE CONTINUED

Author's Note

Everything's gone haywire! Another G3s, and doppelgangers of Discord AND Queen Chrysalis!? What does it all mean!?

A terrifying truth awaits beyond these trials...

Chapter 10-2: Crystalline Revelations

RIDER TIME Chapter 10, part 2

"Crystalline Revelations"

Before the attack began…
—----

“And your dragon’s gonna get traaaaapped~” Starlight sang tauntingly as a marble was propelled out of a miniature volcano and rolled next to a small game piece shaped like a dragon.

Her opponent, an orange stallion with a scruffy mane and beard, dressed in a stereotypical wizard’s cloak, whinnied with joy when the board opened up a trap door under his piece.

“Whoo…that’s always a hoot to see.” The stallion, named Sunburst, said contentedly.

“I’m glad we could do this again, Sunburst.” Starlight said.

“I am too…” Sunburst nodded. “I had no idea how much I missed this.”

The two of them sighed contentedly, as Starlight looked over to a nearby clock.

“Well, it’s almost time to go meet up with the others for dinner.” Starlight said.

“Ah, so it is…” Sunburst replied. There was a bit of silence in the air. The two stood up.

“I’m a little nervous, actually…” Starlight confided in her friend. “I know that Princess Twilight says I’m doing well in my friendship lessons, but…”

Sunburst just smiled. “Whatever happened between you and her, it’s all in the past, right?” He said.

Starlight nodded. “Yeah…it’s all in the past. You’re right.” The two of them nodded and went on their way.

“Sunburst is right…all of those other timelines are gone, and there was no lasting harm done…”

—---------

“Argh! You two are going to be the end of me, I swear!” Anton cursed as he carried several bags and boxes down the street.

“Oh, quit complaining!” Bon Bon retorted, also carrying large amounts of shopping.

“Ugh…why are we doing this again?” The human sighed.

They looked over to Lyra, who seemed to be having the time of her life. She was gazing at all sorts of shops.

“Oooh! You two, over here!” She beckoned her companions. The human and pony just sighed and rejoined their friend.

“Look at these!” She said. The three looked into a display case. Inside were three very ornate rings, each with a different colored jewel affixed to them.

Lyra looked over to her friends, and couldn’t help but think of them and herself in wedding attire. She could see Anton with the ruby ring, Bon Bon with the sapphire and herself with the emerald.

But to Anton and Bon Bon, it just seemed like Lyra was staring into space. Anton held his hand in front of her face and snapped his fingers a few times

“Buh?” Lyra babbled as she snapped back to reality.

“Weirdo.” The human grumbled. Lyra just playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

The human just rolled his eyes, until he saw some familiar looking vines sticking out of an alleyway… Anton shoved all the things he was carrying into Bon Bon’s arms and ran towards the vines.

“Wha- hey!” Bon Bon stumbled. “Rrrrgh! That little…” She growled as she tried to regain her balance.

“Something’s wrong, Bonny!” Lyra exclaimed. “The only reason he’d run off like that is-”

“...if he found what he was looking for!” Bon Bon finished the thought. “Lyra, take these back to our hotel room, I’ll go after him.” She commanded.

“But-” Lyra was about to complain, but Bon Bon just shot her a look.

“...be careful, Bonny…” She whimpered as she turned away. Bon Bon then ran in the direction Anton ran. What did he see?

—---------

Spike and Fluttershy were carrying the now-disguised Thorax to get medical help. They weren’t sure if they had anything that’d work on a Changeling, but they had to try.

“Hmm…” Thorax, calling himself “Crystal Hoof”, just hummed in thought.

“What’s wrong, Tho- I mean, Crystal Hoof?” Spike asked, correcting himself mid-sentence.

“It’s this whole situation with the Queen… how can all my fellow Changelings not see what’s happened?” The disguised drone pondered.

“Aren’t you guys supposed be a hive mind?” Spike asked. Thorax shook his head.

“That’s a misconception. There is a link between us, but it’s more about knowing if each of us are alive or not.” The changeling explained. “But…I know. I know that whoever that is, it’s not our Queen.”

Spike and Fluttershy couldn’t think of anything to say. Until they met Thorax, they thought changelings were inherently monsters. Unfortunately for them, they noticed a small squad of the aforementioned “monsters” sneaking around in the alleys.

“Changelings!?” Spike yelped. “Thorax, you’re not-” Spike started, but Thorax stopped him.

“No, Spike, I’m not with them. They must have shown up here recently.” Thorax explained. “Though, something about them feels…off.”

“Off how, exactly? I mean, if you don’t mind explaining.” Fluttershy asked.

“I can’t really put my finger on it…it’s like there’s something else in them besides their Changeling selves…something really dark.” Thorax noted. “We should follow them.”

“But, you’re still injured…” Fluttershy complained.

“But they’re still my people. If I can help them break free of whatever’s got a hold on them, maybe I can convince them to come to our side.” Thorax said, his resolve solidifying. He stood up and approached the marching creatures, dropping his disguise.

“Hey! You guys, it’s me! Thorax!” He said cheerfully. The other changelings seemed to not notice him at all.

“Hello? Guys?” Thorax continued. Spike and Fluttershy walked over, but the Changelings didn’t seem to notice them either, even with Spike waving a claw in front of their faces.

“This isn’t right…” Thorax was growing increasingly worried for his brethren. A few moments later, one of them started to twitch a bit.

“T-time…” It groaned.

“Huh?” Spike wondered as he, Fluttershy and Thorax all looked at the convulsing Changeling.

“T-TIME!” It yelled, as the others began to follow suit in spasming.

“R-RiDeR TiIiiIME!!!” The squad roared out as they were all covered in black energy and began changing, one by one, into armored blue creatures. Spike and Fluttershy both recognized what had happened to them.

“They’re all Another Riders!” Spike yelped. “We have to go warn the others!” Spike grabbed Thorax and Fluttershy and began running as fast as he could.

—-------

Shining Armor was taking a breather, reading a book while gently rocking his daughter’s crib.

“That kid wasn’t too bad.” He noted to himself. “Maybe Cadence was right about him, he may be a good fit for Twily after all.”

“Is that so, Captain Armor?” A new voice called out. Shining felt a chill as he turned to face the intruder.

“Who’s there!? Show yourself!” He commanded. He grunted and turned to see himself staring at the mask of the intruder, colored black and green with three spikes on its forehead, and markings that made its “eyes”.

“Who- where did you come from!?” Shining jumped back, taking a defensive stance. The intruder just turned to Flurry, gently sleeping in her crib.

“Such an innocent soul…it’s such a shame about my mission.” The intruder said, almost with a laugh. Shining, in a profound moment of paternal fury, lunged at the stranger, but it was almost like he wasn’t there…and now, neither was Flurry! He panicked and saw the stranger holding Flurry.

“If you value this one’s life, you will follow my commands.” The stranger ordered. Shining tried again to rush him, but heard a mechanical voice.

“PAUSE!” The voice rang out as Shining found himself unable to move his body.

“I only paused your body, and not your mind, so I can make you understand.” He pulled the device on his belt off, and attached it to his hand, forming it into a crude gun. He shot at Shining Armor a few times. Shining’s mind registered the agonizing pain.

“You will understand just how helpless you are…” The stranger changed the gun into a sword-shape and slashed him. The pain was unbearable.

“...and how worthless you are in the grand scheme of things.” He replaced the device onto his belt and delivered a fierce roundhouse kick to the back of Shining’s head. He then pressed the two buttons on his belt.

“RESTART!” And immediately, all the pain that was inflicted on Shining Armor hit him all at once.

“AAAARGH!!!” Shining yelled in sheer agony as he fell to the floor, blood starting to trickle from his wounds.

“I cannot say this hasn’t been…entertaining, but I do have a prior commitment.” The stranger turned to the door to see a very angry Princess Cadance and a platoon of guards pointing their weapons at him.

“Shiny!!!” Cadence yelped as soon as she noticed her husband. “Oh my goodness!” She teleported over, and began casting every single healing spell she knew. The guards, meanwhile, kept their gaze on the stranger.

“Hmph.” He just scoffed as he removed his belt, undoing his transformation…and all the guards immediately dropped their weapons and became paralyzed by terror.

“K-k-ki-KING SOMBRA!!!!” One of the guards shouted. Though they were elite crystal guards, the horror and pain that the evil king once wrought upon them still lingered. And it all came rushing back at the sight of him. It was then that Tom and the Elements also came running into the room…

—-----

Back in the present…

The girls, Tom and Spike all ran to the tallest tower, where Sombra was lying in wait. Tom wasn’t taking chances, and was already transformed.

Twilight’s mind was racing at a mile a minute.

“Why is King Sombra here!? The Crystal Heart vaporized him! Furthermore, why isn’t it affecting him now?” She had many questions.

The group reached the tower’s turret to see Sombra there, and Flurry Heart in his clutches.

“Release Flurry Heart right now, Sombra!” Twilight demanded.

“Of course.” He snapped his fingers and Flurry floated back over to Twilight. “After all, she was just bait.” He then pulled out his Driver. “Revenge!”

“A MANIPULATIVE GRUDGE! REVENGE OF CRONUS!” The belt announced as Sombra’s form changed into that of Kamen Rider Cronus.

“Sombra’s an evil Rider too!?” Rainbow Dash yelped. Tom pulled out his sword.

“Whatever your deal is, you better back off!” The rider commanded, but Cronus-Sombra just scoffed.

“Not just yet, boy.” The evil Rider replied. “Not all of the players are on the stage just yet.”

Almost as if on cue, a contingent of Another G3s appeared from a Helheim portal, carrying a hostage.

“Wait, that’s Starlight’s friend!” Twilight recognized the captured stallion.

“Indeed…” Cronus-Sombra said, as Starlight joined the group.

“Sunburst!” Starlight called out. Sunburst wriggled, trying to escape.

“And now, three…two…one…” At the end of his countdown, Kamen Rider Geiz came running in, with Lyra and Bon Bon hot on his tail.

“Now we can truly begin the show.” Sombra laughed…but Geiz wasn’t moving for some reason. Then he started to growl.

“Y…you…” Geiz seethed. “I finally found you!” He took his axe and lunged at the evil Rider.

“Stand still!” The red Rider commanded, but Cronus-Sombra dodged all his attacks.

“How pathetic.” Sombra just delivered a roundhouse kick to Geiz’s face, knocking him to the ground.

“Geiz! Are you okay?” Tom asked.

“Rrrgh…stay out of this! He’s MINE!” Geiz grunted as he got back up.

“Such rage…but I wonder if you’re aiming it at the correct person.” Sombra taunted.

“What are you talking about!? I saw you! You…you murdered them!” Geiz raged.

“I’m sorry, but I simply don’t recall.” Sombra shook his head.

“What is going on?” Tom asked. “Who got murdered?”

Sombra laughed. Then, Idunn-Chrysalis and Ouja-Discord appeared alongside him.

“You two as well…” Tom stared down the trio.

“Oh, stop with the angry eyes.” Ouja-Discord taunted. “Even under the mask, I can tell you’re glaring at us.”

“ANSWER ME!” Tom barked.

“How scary.” Sombra deadpanned. “Very well, if that’s what you want.” He produced a strange holographic screen, showing images of a world Tom and Anton recognized.

“That’s…that’s our home…that’s the World of Riders.” Tom gasped.

“Oh, but wait, it gets better!” Ouja-Discord laughed, as Sombra gave a small motion. The scene changed to a vision of the depicted city being destroyed, overrun by monsters that the ponies gasped at upon seeing.

“Discord…Chrysalis…Sombra…and others too.” Twilight noted. “And…how many of them are there!?”

She noticed that there weren’t just one of each of these familiar foes, but whole armies of them! Chrysalises leading armies of Changelings, Nightmare Moons firing upon the people, Discords all unleashing chocolate monsoons… the image was ghastly. And through it all, they saw many people, and many Kamen Riders…all dying from the actions of these villains.

“The World of Riders is gone…I know that already!” Anton growled. Tom was shocked at this news.

“...sorry you had to find out like that.” Anton murmured. “But now my question! How did you manage to do this!? Where did you come from!?”

“Oh, it’s quite simple.” Sombra noted, as he pointed to Starlight. “You can ask her.”

“Huh!?” The group yelped.

“You know exactly what he means, Starlight Glimmer, and you too, Twilight Sparkle!” Twilight’s eyes widened.

“No…it can’t be…” Horror and realization appeared on her face.

“But it is!” Idunn cackled. “Your little time-trip from a few months ago!”

“Twilight, what is she talking about?” Tom asked.

“You mean you don’t know?” Ouja-Discord asked mockingly. “Glim-glam there decided she was going to try to change time to ruin Twilight’s life, and ended up mucking things up! So many wonderful bad futures!”

“B-but those don’t exist anymore!” Twilight tried to argue back.

“Is that right…well, it seems that we exist just fine, right now.” Cronus-Sombra taunted. Geiz turned to Starlight Glimmer, shock and shame on her expression.

“That’s right, Starlight Glimmer…we exist because of what YOU did!”

—------

On a nearby tower, another human was observing the proceedings, as he took a picture of the scene.

“Well, it’s about time to get the ball rolling.” He said, as he pulled out a pink flask and drank from it. “Hope you can handle this, kiddo.”

Author's Note

And thus, the truth comes out!

These three came from the futures created in the Season 5 finale! But why are they here? HOW are they here!? More answers await in the next chapter!

Chapter 10-3: Shattered Revelations

RIDER TIME

Chapter 10, part 3 “Shattering Revelations”

“Starlight Glimmer…we exist because of what YOU did!”

Those words reverberated through the minds of everyone in the room. Starlight just fell to her knees, her mind consumed with guilt.

“It…it’s all my fault…” She mumbled.

Twilight’s reaction was shock, tears in her eyes at the fate of Tom’s homeworld. Her friends weren’t faring much better, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy outright sobbing.

Lyra approached Geiz and put her hand on his shoulder, but Geiz snapped back.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!” He barked. Even with the mask, everyone could tell he was seething with rage and grief.

Tom turned to Starlight briefly, and then back to the villains in front of them.

“...I don’t care what spawned you- right now, you’re hurting everyone I care about!” Tom yelled. He rushed the Changelings holding Sunburst captive, managing to knock enough of them over to free him.

“You alright?” Tom asked. Sunburst wasn’t very responsive. He then just pointed at Starlight.

“You…you’re a MONSTER!” Sunburst yelled. “You said you traveled through time, but…I never knew…”

Twilight moved in front of Sunburst and aggressively pointed at him. “How DARE you!?” Sunburst flinched. “Starlight was trapped in her own loneliness for YEARS, you could have tried to communicate with her yourself, but nooooo, you were just as consumed by your own problems! You are in no position to cast any blame!”

“At least I didn’t try to destroy the world out of spite!” Sunburst retorted, as the two were growling at each other. All of this was tabled by a loud roar of anguish from Anton, followed by the red Rider taking his ax and wildly swinging it at Chronus-Sombra.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH! I SWEAR TO EVERY GOD I CAN THINK OF, I WILL RIP YOU APART WITH MY BARE HANDS!”

“Geiz! Calm down!” Bon Bon commanded.
“SHUT YOUR HOLE! HE DIES NOW!” Anton growled, his mind completely consumed by his rage. He turned his attention back to Chronus-Sombra, and kept up his wild swings.

“Really? Is this the best you can do?” The evil Rider laughed. “You’ll have to do better than that, boy!” He tapped on his belt.

“PAUSE!” Everyone besides Sombra seemed to freeze in place, but Tom and Anton could move still, albeit much more slowly.

“Interesting…it seems your Rider powers shield you from being totally paused…” Chronus-Sombra mused as he produced a replica of the Buggle Driver II and mounted it on his wrist. “But not nearly enough!”

The evil Rider rushed at both Zi-O and Geiz, and began assailing them with a series of punches, kicks and slashes. He then restarted normal time and the two Riders were splayed out on the floor before him.

“How pathetic…it seems the legend of the World of Riders does end here after all.” Chronus-Sombra scoffed. He raised his weapon. “You should reflect on your arrogance in the next life!”

He started to swing his weapon downwards, but just then, several shots hit him in the arm! The evil king staggered and dropped his weapon.

“WHO DARES!?” Chronus-Sombra roared out.

“Oh, you know…” An unfamiliar voice sounded out. Then, someone jumped in front of Zi-O and Geiz. It was another type of Rider, having magenta colored armor with a white and black cross pattern on its chest, and its face having pink and black stripes slightly resembling a barcode, with large green lenses.

“Just a passing through Kamen Rider, and don’t forget it!” The new Rider announced.

“Y-you’re…!” Chronus-Sombra balked. “You two, we must leave!”

“What!?” Idunn-Chrysalis complained. “He’s just one guy!”

“No arguments!” Chronus-Sombra waved his hand and a portal opened. “WE GO! NOW!”

He shoved Idunn-Chrysalis and Ouja-Discord into the portal. “This is FAR from over!” He stepped through the portal himself, the portal vanishing behind him.

“...sheesh, what crawled up his ass?” The magenta Rider asked. He then walked over to Zi-O.

“Alright, kiddo- up and at ‘em.” He said, lifting Zi-O to his feet.

“Ugh…wait, Gramps!?” Zi-O yelped.

“GRAMPS!?” Everyone there also yelped.

“Okay, LOUD.” Zi-O groaned. “And yes, this is my great-great-grandfather, Kamen Rider Decade.”

Decade just nodded, undoing his own transformation. He looked quite a bit like Tom, but had a noticeably darker skin tone, and narrower eyes. Around his neck was a camera that was patterned after his Rider form. He then took a flask out, also patterned after his Rider form, and took a drink from it.

But what was most noticeable about the man was how young he appeared, despite being Tom’s ancestor.

“Before you ask, in this order; I’m immortal like your princesses, my name is Tsukasa Kadoya, and I don’t give out autographs.” The elder Rider explained, taking another sip.

“Don’t you think it’s too early for that?” Twilight asked. Tsukasa just shrugged.

“Hey, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere in the multiverse.” He snarked. “And I think you guys have bigger things to worry about.” He gestured down towards the city, as a horde of Another G3s were marching in…

—-------

Down in the central square, ponies were running and hiding from the metallic monsters encroaching on their homes. Princess Cadance was attempting to shield as many of them as she could from the invaders’ attacks, while Celestia and Luna fought back, blasting as many of the invading army as they could.

Though, Celestia’s mind was on something else…

“I WILL NOT LET YOU DEFILE HIS IMAGE, FIENDS!” The solar princess yelled as she shot a ferocious fireball, incinerating the invaders until they were naught but crispy, charbroiled corpses. She let out a yell and began firing consecutive blasts at any direction the Another G3s were in, roaring like some sort of equine warrior princess the whole time.

“Sister, calm yourself!” Luna pleaded as she noticed her elder sister’s rampage. She ran over and grabbed the solar princess in a hug, stroking her mane.

“Let the sun set, and rise again tomorrow.” She said quietly, as a platoon of guards approached. “Defend our ponies from those monsters! We will set up a temporary shelter at the castle! And foals, the injured and the elderly take priority!”

“YES, YOUR HIGHNESS!” The platoon saluted as they took to the field. Luna lifted Celestia over her shoulder. She noticed tears running down her sister’s eyes, as a single word left her lips.

“...Kuuga…”

—---------

“LET ME GO!!!” Anton angrily roared. It took several guards to restrain him and stop him from going after Starlight Glimmer.

“Please, calm down!” Lyra pleaded.

“Hmm…” Anton seemed to relax a bit. “Alright, I’ll calm down…take a few deep breaths…and then I’LL RIP OFF THAT SELFISH BITCH’S TAIL AND MAKE HER EAT IT!” He began raging again.

Lyra didn’t hesitate to wrap herself around Anton, attempting to hug the rage out of him.

“Please…don’t be like this…” Lyra pleaded, sniffling a bit.

“Why are you trying to stop me?” Anton asked. “You know what she did!”

“I know, but…attacking her won’t fix anything!” The minty unicorn replied.

“She needs to pay for what she did! Don’t you see that, Biwa!?” Anton yelled before suddenly stopping and clamping his mouth shut. Lyra was as confused as anyone else.

“...Biwa?” Lyra asked. “Who’s Biwa?”

“...someone I knew…whose life is gone because of…because of HER!” Anton growled. He stopped, and looked down. “She’s gone…I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t do anything!” He shouted, his voice shaking. “And now you guys are trying to stop me from doing anything about it AGAIN!” Anton eventually threw the guards off him before yanking his confiscated Driver out of another guard’s hands. “I’m going to work some stress off on those monsters.” He transformed and stormed off.

“Wait!” Lyra called after him, but it was too late. She fell to the floor, sobbing. Bon Bon came over and put her arm around the sobbing mare to console her, but she also had her own thoughts about all this…
“...he lost someone like that? Someone who was as important to him as Lyra is to me?” She pondered. “...I can’t even imagine what it’d be like without her anymore…would that be the result?” She sadly thought as she continued hugging her marefriend.

“You’d better come back to her, Geiz…I won’t forgive you if you don’t.”

—--------

“RIDER TIME!” Tom’s belt announced as he transformed once again, and was about to charge headfirst into the battle, but he felt someone trying to stop him.

“Tom, wait! You’re still hurt!” It was Twilight, pleading with him not to go.

“Twilight, I have to go! It’s my duty as a Kamen Rider to-” Tom started.

“Don’t! Duty or not, I don’t want you to get hurt anymore!” She cried.

Tom hesitated. He knew he needed to fight, but if he did, the girl in front of him would be devastated. But, before he could act, he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. It was Tsukasa, and he grabbed both Tom and Twilight and brought them close.

“Don’t worry, you two. I’ll go out there with Tom and make sure he comes back.” The elder Rider offered.

“Well…if he’s not going out there alone…” Twilight thought. “Then you should go.”

Tom just nodded and ran out to fight. Tsukasa was about to as well, but Twilight stopped him.

“As for you, I’m sure you can handle yourself…but if he comes back with even a hair out of place I will turn you into a cactus and place you on my windowsill. Am I clear?” Twilight snarled.

“...crystal.” Tsukasa whimpered. “She’s almost as scary as Natsumi…” He thought to himself as he followed his grandson out to the battlefield.

Ponies all around the empire began to barricade themselves in their homes as the army of Another G3s marched through the main streets in lockstep.

A little filly was trying to hide behind a house, sniffling, but soon enough, a small group of the monsters splintered off and began chasing her!

“Nooo! Help me!” The little filly screamed as the creatures surrounded her…before a series of blasts struck the monsters. She looked towards the shooter- it looked like a knight in pink armor to her. The warrior took the strange box that he shot the monsters with and pulled a blade out of it, as he began hacking away at the invaders.

“Hey kid! If you want to live to your next birthday, then make yourself scarce!” The armored being yelled. The filly just nodded as she ran for safety. Afterwards, Zi-O jumped into help.

“You could have been a little nicer, you know.” Tom quipped.

“Less yakking, more attacking, kiddo!” Tsukasa replied, as the two continued fighting, slowly whittling down their numbers. To Tom’s surprise, the Another G3s were not nearly as strong as past Another Riders were, going down with minimal effort.

“Yeesh…compared to the other ones so far, these guys are kind of pathetic.” Tom noted.

“Probably because of one Rider’s power being spread across so many vessels.” Tsukasa shrugged. “So they’re trying to compensate with numbers.” As he explained, he pulled out a card and inserted it into his Decadriver.

“KAMEN RIDE: GAIM!” His belt announced as his shape changed to that of Kamen Rider Gaim.

“Gaim, huh?” Tom nodded, as he produced the GaimWatch. “Let’s give them 200% of their daily dose of ass-whooping!”

Tsukasa face-faulted slightly. “Loving the enthusiasm, but work on those lines, or hire a writer. Preferably the latter.”

The two imitation fruit samurai began hacking their way through the invading army. Although they were making decent progress, it seemed it would still be an uphill battle, if anything due to the large number of enemies…

“You know, for once, I’m glad to be fighting a bunch of enemies.” Anton said, cracking his knuckles. “I’ve got some shit to work out.” He said as he pulled out his axe and began aggressively hacking away at the enemies. He noticed that Zi-O and Decade were busy with their own group, so he could do what he wanted with this lot. He removed his watch from his belt and placed it in the slot on his weapon.

“FINISH TIME! GEIZ!”

The red Rider crouched slightly, bringing his weapon to his side.

“GEIZ! DEADLINE CHOP!” He twirled around, swinging the axe into the surrounding enemies as they all exploded one by one.

“...eat your heart out, Kintaros.” He said, smirking under his helmet as more Another G3s approached.

“Damn pests.” He flipped his axe into its bow configuration.

“Now, all of you…BOW TO ME!” He yelled as he began rapidly firing into the platoon.

—------

Twilight paced around the inside of the castle. Her friends had gone to do what they could in the midst of the disaster, but Twilight was asked to stay hidden with her brother and niece. Her anxiety was skyrocketing.

“Hnng…” Twilight groaned. “...I can’t do this! I can’t just sit here while everypony’s out there in danger!” She was about to dash to the door but Shining grabbed her.

“Shining Armor, let me go this instant!” Twilight barked.

“Twily, calm down.” The former guard captain said calmly but with authority.

“I can’t just-” Twilight started, but then an idea crossed her mind. “No, you’re right…it’s better if I wait here.”

“There you go!” Shining reassured. Twilight then knelt down to Flurry Heart, as she looked at her aunt with wide eyes.

“Flurry, guess who?” She covered her face. “Peek-a-boo!”

The baby princess giggled with excitement.

“Aaaand…” Twilight covered her face again, repeating the actions. “Peek-a-boo!”

Flurry continued to giggle.

“Maybe you should give it a try, Shiny.” Twilight suggested. Shining just smiled a bit, and he covered his eyes.

“Flurry, guess who?” He uncovered his eyes “Peek-a…”

And then he noticed that while his eyes were covered, Twilight wasn’t there.

“...boo.” He finished flatly.

Taking a deep breath, he took a piece of parchment and wrote on it, then zapped it with his horn.

“As much as I hate to admit it, if the situation was reversed, I’d probably be doing the same thing Twilight is.” The former guard captain noted. “Doesn’t mean I’m not going to chew her out for it though when she gets back.”

He sighed, focusing his attention on his daughter.

“You better make sure she comes back, Kamen Rider…”

—-------

Zi-O continued his struggle against the large numbers of Another G3s. Though his body felt incredible fatigue, he used all his willpower to keep going.

“They’re counting on me…there’s no way I’m gonna fall to these jerks!” The young Rider grabbed the AgitoWatch from his holder and activated it.

“ARMOR TIME! AGI-TOOOOOOO!” His belt sang as his armor became a new black-and-gold colored form, prominently displaying a pair of impressive horns on its helmet.

“My soul is wide awake!” He yelled out as he began assailing the enemies with furious strikes from his fists and feet.

He noticed Spike and Fluttershy attempting to escort someone, and went over to help.

“Spike! Fluttershy! Are you two alright!?” Zi-O asked.

“W-we’re fine, but…” She glanced to the increasingly sickly looking Changeling in their care.

“This guy…” He looked him over. The poor thing looked like he hadn’t eaten in weeks, not to mention whatever else was going on.

“We’ll take care of him, Tom.” Spike replied. “Go kick their…” He started but was kicked to the ground by a surprise attack from an Another G3!

“Spike!!!” Fluttershy cried.

Thorax was shocked, but felt something strange roiling inside him. He pushed himself off Fluttershy.

“You…hurt…my…FRIEND!!!” Thorax’s body started to spasm, and he screamed in pain as he started to violently change shape.

The form Thorax took was a strangely chameleon-esque being, with similar looking eyes to the Kamen Riders.

“Thorax…?” Spike whimpered, as the transformed Thorax lunged at the Another G3 that had struck Spike and started violently attacking him! The former Changeling roared in rage as he started making his way through more of the Another G3s, ripping them apart.

“Whoa!” Zi-O jumped in. “Take it easy!”

Thorax just backhanded the other Rider and pushed him off. Fluttershy could only cover her eyes, not able to handle the brutal sight.

“Thorax, calm down!” Spike called out, but it was no use. The Another G3s were all destroyed, Thorax still growling.

“Hey…Thorax, buddy?” The young dragon inched closer. “It’s okay now…you got ‘em all.” Then, Zi-O grabbed Spike.

“Don’t get any closer to him!” Zi-O warned. “He’s out of control!”

Just as the rampaging Thorax turned its head to the others, a beetle-shaped Rider appeared before them and delivered a chop to Thorax’s neck, knocking him out.

“Wait, Kabuto?” Zi-O asked before noticing the belt on the insect Rider.

“No, you’re gramps!” The younger Rider exclaimed.

Tsukasa just looked forlorn at the KO’d changeling. “I didn’t think they’d be turning these guys into Amazonz, of all things.”

Zi-O was bewildered. “THAT was an Amazon?” Spike and Fluttershy looked confused.

“Um, what’s an ‘Amazon’?” Fluttershy asked but another explosion hit.

“Guys, I have to go!” Zi-O announced “Gramps, can you take them to safety?”

Decade just nodded, as Zi-O ran into the fray once more.

—--------
Twilight stealthily made her way towards the center of the market, where the largest concentration of the monsters seemed to be.

“I can’t just stand by…there’s got to be SOMETHING I can do!” She thought to herself. The Another Riders that they had encountered before seemed to mess with her magic, but even then, she felt compelled to take action.

“Ok…just gotta get close enough…” The young alicorn thought to herself, though her thoughts were interrupted by a loud screech. Some of the monsters had noticed her, and started running in her direction!

“No! GO AWAY!” She yelled, reflexively blasting one of them with magic in self-defense.

“GYAA!” The monster who was hit yelled as it disintegrated into ash. Twilight took note of this, and smiled a bit.

“So…you guys aren’t invulnerable to my magic, huh?” Twilight said in a threatening tone, her horn charging up. “I’ve got a very important lesson to teach you all…”

Nearby, Tom was continuing his struggle, slashing and blasting his way through more of the invaders.

“For the love of Gaim, how many of these things ARE there!?” He griped. “It feels like I haven’t even put a dent in their numbers…”

He then heard the sounds of magic blasts, accompanied by what sounded like cackling. Tom rushed over, and saw Twilight, blasting Another Riders left and right and grinning like a lunatic.

“I CAN do something! I CAN fight! I’m not useless! I’M NOT USELESS!!!” She yelled as she continued laughing and shooting.

“Twilight!?” Tom yelped. Unfortunately, the manic alicorn didn’t notice him as she continued indiscriminately firing at the horde. Her outburst was intense, but it didn’t allow her to notice another group of enemies from behind her! Tom rushed out and pushed Twilight out of the way at the critical moment, before the monsters started to attack!

“AAAGH!” Tom screamed in pain as the fiends began to attack him without remorse. Even with the powerful armor afforded to him by his Rider transformation, it could only do so much.

“Hnnng…” The Rider groaned as he managed to grasp his sword.

“HI-YAAAA!” He yelled as he delivered a low slash to the surrounding monsters’ ankles, knocking them all over.
The yell snapped Twilight out of her furious trance.

“Oh no!” She cried out. “Tom!”

She ran over to the wounded Rider.

“Tom, are you alright?! Speak to me!” She begged.

“...Twilight…this is exactly…why I told you to stay behind…” Tom groaned.

“And just leave you to sacrifice yourself!?” She yelled in reply.

“This is what I have to do!” Tom yelled back. “I’m a Kamen Rider!”

“And I’m the Princess of Friendship!” The frustrated mare replied. “I’ve seen you fighting all these monsters on our behalf, and until now I wasn’t able to do anything to help you!”

“I don’t want you fighting! You’ll get hurt!”

“And I don’t want you getting hurt either!”

Then, suddenly, both of them blurted out the same sentence.

“I DON’T WANT SOMEONE I LOVE TO DIE!”

Both of them covered their mouths. While Twilight’s face had visibly become red, it wasn’t possible to see Tom’s face under his mask. But a bit of steam did start coming off his helmet.

“...Tom…did you just say-” Twilight started but noticed the monsters regrouping.

“We’ll talk about this after.” Tom replied. “I’ll deal with this-”

“No. WE will.” Twilight corrected him. Tom was about to protest but Twilight stopped him.

“NO. No buts. You and I have something to discuss after this, and we can’t do that if you’re badly injured.” Twilight put her hand on the hand Tom was holding his weapon in. “Now, we fight together.”

“...you really won’t let this go, huh?” Tom sighed. “Let’s go then.” The two of them ran at the monsters, delivering powerful strikes and magical blasts.

Meanwhile, Anton had successfully eliminated as many of the Another Riders as he could see. But he was still angry. His rage hadn’t fully subsided.

“This is all her fault…” He seethed.

“That it is, Geiz.” The voice of Gaoh came from behind him.

“You again…so that Starlight mare was the one who started all this… that’s why you had me come here.”

“Uh, you’re welcome?” Gaoh snarked. “But you know what you have to do now, don’t you?”

“...no.” Geiz replied.

“No? What do you mean ‘no’? Don’t tell me you’re just gonna let her get away with it!”

“That’s not it at all.” The red Rider shook his head. “I’ll avenge them, but I’ll do so on my own terms.”

He pointed his weapon at Gaoh.

“And I sure as hell won’t be used by a shady bitch like you!” Geiz yelled. Gaoh just began to laugh.

“Oh, you are such a poser.” The mysterious Rider shook her head. “But that’s fine. I can kill her myself. As for you though…” She delivered a kick to Geiz’s midsection, knocking him over.

“Remember this, little boy.” Gaoh started. “One way or another, Starlight Glimmer is dead. Get in my way, and you’ll be next.” She scoffed as she once again vanished.

Geiz just groaned. “...I won’t forgive them. But I’ll do things my own way…” He muttered, as he passed out.

Tom and Twilight managed to thin out the Another Riders’ numbers considerably from working together.

“There’s still too many of them!” Twilight yelled, as she was starting to feel fatigued.

“If we can get them all into one place, then a finisher should do the trick.” Tom replied.

“BIND, PLEASE!” A mechanical voice came from nowhere, as strange sigils appeared underneath all the Another Riders and started dragging them close together.

“That’s Wizard’s power!” Tom realized. He looked up and saw the familiar ruby-red colors of the ringed mage…but the one in question was wearing a familiar camera-esque belt.

“Gramps!” Tom cheered.

“We’re not done yet, kiddo!” Decade yelled down. “I’ll line these morons up, you hit ‘em hard!” Waving his hands, the binding circles drifted closer together, pulling all the Another Riders into one cramped lump.

“Now!” The elder Rider commanded. Tom changed his sword into a gun and attached his watch to it, but he was unable to aim it straight, his injuries catching up to him. But Twilight grasped his arm and propped it up, as they now both held the gun.

“FINISH TIME!” The gun announced, as the two of them had their fingers on the trigger.

“Let’s do this, Twilight!” Tom exclaimed.

“Yeah!” Twilight replied.

“ZI-O & MAGIC! TWILIGHT HOUR LOVE BREAK!” The gun yelled as a huge neon pink blast engulfed the Another Riders, while seemingly repairing other things. The Rider and pony held fast, clinging to each other for support as the recoil pushed them back.

The Another Rider army had been decimated. The Crystal Empire was safe, and victory was theirs…

Tom and Twilight were each panting heavily, Tom’s Rider form vanishing as he fell to his knees.

“Tom…” Twilight said with concern.

“We…we did it.” The young man grunted. “I think…I need a nap.” He said as he fell over. Decade grabbed him and hoisted him over his shoulder.

“I’ll take the kid. You coming?” He asked. The young princess just nodded as the three made their way back to their friends…

—-------

Tom stirred, as his eyes opened. “Where…?” Just then, he felt something grip him.

“You’re awake!” It was Twilight, and she was hugging Tom tightly. Perhaps a bit too tightly, as he started to feel some pain.

“Twi…too…tight…” The wounded warrior wheezed. Twilight released him, blushing.

“Oh, I’m sorry…” She replied, flustered.

“You’re still doing better than the other kid though.” A new voice said as Tsukasa entered the room.

“Gramps!” Tom cheered.

“Yep, the one and only.” Tsukasa replied smugly. “That Geiz kid’s got a mare who’s being WAY more clingy than your little girlfriend will ever be on his ass right now.

“G-g-GIRLFRIEND!?” Tom yelped. Twilight was speechless and blushing. Tsukasa rolled his eyes.

“Oh come on! Everyone and their grandfather can see it! LITERALLY!” He complained. “Seriously, you two had a love confession on the battlefield!”

“How did…?” Twilight pondered, but Tsukasa held out his hand.

“Never mind that. You two really need to figure yourselves out.” Tsukasa commanded. “In the meantime, there’s an open bar with my name all over it.” He walked out of the room.

Tom and Twilight couldn’t look at each other.

“I-I think I need some time…” Twilight stammered as she left the room.

Tom laid back down.

“Okay, yeah…I like her. A lot. But…”

—-----

Twilight walked onto one of the many balconies and sat on a bench there, staring at the sky.

“I do like him…but would it work between us?”

—------

“I’m a Kamen Rider, and she’s a princess.”

“I’m the Princess of Friendship, and he’s a hero.”

“I could very well put her in more danger.”

“He could end up getting hurt worse because of me…”

“Could either of us ever be together like that?”

—------

Meanwhile, nearby the Empire train station, Spike and Fluttershy were seeing off Tsukasa, but moreso Thorax, who Tsukasa was taking with him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to say goodbye to Tom?” Fluttershy asked.

“Eh, it’s not like I won’t be back.” The passing-through Rider explained. “But this guy…he’s got Amazonz powers now, and I gotta help him get them under control before it’s too late.”

“But you’ll be back, right?” Spike asked.

“I’ll be back, Spike.” Thorax said. “And when I’m back, we can finally hang out as friends.” The changeling paused. “Huh, a changeling with friends…never thought it’d happen.”

Spike just nodded. “Good luck, Thorax.” He shook Thorax’s hand as Tsukasa opened a silvery portal behind them.

“Our ride’s here.” Tsukasa explained. “Come on, bug boy.” Thorax nodded as the two stepped into the portal.

“Thorax, you can do it.”

Author's Note

Wow, this one took a while to get out.

We're not just JUST yet with this, there's an epilogue to come.

Chapter 10-4: Translucent Reflections

The panic that had rocked the Crystal Empire had died down after the invading army of Another Riders was driven off. And while the city and its citizens were safe, there was no rejoicing amongst the heroes who had prevented the attack.

Tsukasa had taken Thorax with him to parts unknown, aiming to help him get his new Amazon powers under control. Anton, who had discovered a horrifying truth about his homeworld’s demise, had become overwhelmed by rage. Lyra and Bon Bon had to keep him from leaving his room so his wounds would properly heal. Starlight Glimmer, who could barely process the weight of her own sins, isolated herself in a guest room, not coming out for anything.

And of course, Tom Decade and Twilight Sparkle…two who seek the courage to love each other. Who are held back by their own perceptions of themselves and each other.

—-------

Today was not a good day for Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, known to her close friends and family as Cadence.

As the princess of love, her innate powers allowed her to feel all sorts of different types of love and attraction, but in different ways. Feelings of insecurity in love, however, were actually unpleasant to her, hence her drive to try to fix them.

And right now, the amount of that she was feeling gave her the sensation of a migraine, hangover and ice cream headache combined.

“Ugh…” The pained princess rubbed her temples. “I’ve got to help them…if not for their sake, then for my brain’s…”

“Cady? You okay?” Shining Armor walked in, with Flurry sleeping peacefully in a harness around his abdomen.

“Shiny…” She whimpered a bit. “It’s just too much…they’re all hurting, I can feel it.”

The former Guard captain merely embraced his wife, the love he felt for her soaking into her weary mind and giving her reprieve from her pain.

“Ahhh…” Cadence sighed with relief. “Thank you, Shiny. I needed that,” She gave her husband a smooch on the cheek. “Now, time to do what I do best.”

“Um…” Shining Armor became nervous, considering his wife had taken an unusually strong interest in his sister’s relationships recently, and she could be overzealous when it came to her “duty”.

“Shiny, please…I can tell how much they’re hurting over this,” Cadence pleaded. The former guard captain simply couldn’t remain strong in the face of his beloved wife, but steeled his reason.

“I think maybe we should broach the subject with the princesses- at least in Twilight’s case, all things considered. Dunno about Tom though,” He commented.

“Maybe Aunt Luna? She does specialize in dreams, after all,” Cadence pondered. “I guess we could go ask them.

The couple nodded and started making their way to the meeting hall, hoping they could find some help.

—---------

“I told you, I’m fine,” Anton grumbled. “So can you take these things off me!?”

Due to his previous outbursts, Anton was currently in a series of medical restraints until he was cleared by doctors.

“No can do, Tony,” Lyra chided. “Especially since the doctor said you need to stay in bed!” A look of frustrated concern was covering her face. “And you still have a lot of explaining to do, mister!”

“A LOT of explaining,” Bon Bon chimed in, as she was sitting across the room, reading a tabloid. “Like why you turned into a raving lunatic when you saw King Sombra, for starters.”

“And who’s this ‘Biwa’ anyway!?” Lyra exclaimed. Anton twitched at the mention of the name.

“Biwa is…was…a friend of mine,” Anton sighed. “...you remind me of her. That’s all.” Lyra just frowned.

“Tony…please tell us the whole story.” Lyra pleaded. “Even if you think it won’t do any good, or if you think it’s none of our business, please…”

Anton sighed. “...I guess there’s no reason not to,” But he looked at both of them sternly.

“What I am about to say does NOT leave this room under ANY circumstances unless I say otherwise!” He commanded. Lyra and Bon Bon just nodded their heads…
—----------

Twilight laid on top of her guest bed, sighing. She had finally confessed her feelings for Tom! Not only that, but Tom reciprocated! So why doesn’t she feel happy?

“I just don’t get it…” The confused pony just rolled onto her side. “What am I doing wrong?”

Just then, there was a knock at her door.

“Twilight? It’s me,” Princess Celestia’s voice came from the other side. “May I come in?”

Twilight bolted out of bed and quickly answered the door.

“Of course you can! Why wouldn’t you? I mean, you are the princess after all! Well, not of the Crystal Empire, but-”

“There’s still a door between us, my faithful student,” Celestia chimed in, snapping Twilight out of her rant.

“Right, sorry…” She said embarrassed as she opened the door. The princess walked in, and gently hugged her student.

“I’m glad you’re alright, my faithful student.” She said, “But the monsters aren’t what I’m here to talk with you about.” She went and sat on the bed, and patted at her side to get Twilight to sit next to her. Twilight simply walked over and sat without any hesitation.

“Tell me, Twilight- you and Tom…” The princess started, already noting the blush on her student’s face.

“What!?” Twilight just buried her face in her hands. “Don’t tell me…you heard me too…”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Twilight.” Celestia reassured her student. “You are a young mare, after all.”

Twilight just squeaked in embarrassment.

“It’s just…I don’t know if I can be in a relationship…” The young alicorn muttered sadly. The solar princess was curious.

“What makes you say that?” She asked calmly.

“I’m supposed to be a princess… and he’s a hero who fights monsters… we have responsibilities to a lot of others… wouldn’t a relationship get in the way of those?” Twilight asked, sniffling a bit.

Celestia chuckled a bit. Twilight was confused…was her mentor laughing at her?

“What’s so funny?” She asked, pouting a bit.

“I’m sorry…I didn’t notice that you really have matured into a fine princess.” She commented. “I went through something very similar a long time ago.”

“You did?” Twilight asked.

“Yes…I fell in love with the most wonderful kind of man.” Celestia started.

“Wait, ‘man’? Not ‘stallion’?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes…it was when we first used Star Swirl’s mirror…I ended up in a human dimension.” The princess explained. “And it was there that I met him. My beloved.” The princess sighed longingly, pulling out a small gold trinket that looked like some sort of ancient letter.

“But…he is no longer with us…yet he will always be in my heart.” Celestia finished.

“So, you mean…” Twilight started.

“It’s the reason I never sought any more romantic partners after. Because for all this time, my heart still belongs to him.”

“I…see…” Twilight sighed a bit herself.

“But that is exactly the lesson I want to impart on you, my faithful student- you love Tom. And he loves you too, by the sound of it. And if it’s meant to be, you two can make a relationship work.”

“But…” Twilight stammered.

“Twilight, listen to me. Don’t let love pass you by. If you really want to be with him, then you should.” Celestia replied.

“...do you really think I can do it?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Trust me, Twilight- you’ve overcome many difficulties in both your duties and your own life. You can do this.”

“...alright, Princess…I’ll try.” Twilight said, slowly gaining confidence. “Thank you.”

The solar alicorn gave her student one more hug as she got up to leave.

“Oh, and one more thing…I want grandkids.” The princess said teasingly.
—---------

The space between the physical plane and the aetherial space was one Princess Luna frequented. As part of her duties, she would find the dreams of those in need and either offer guidance, support, or removal of nightmares.

This time, her trip was of the highest priority- speaking to the sleeping Tom Decade about what had happened earlier. She looked for the dreams that the young hero was having while he rested to recover from his hard-won battle.

“Ah yes…there he is.” Luna nodded. Compared to the last time she had visited his dreams, the bubble looked much more peaceful. She casually strolled towards the bubble, and with a small zap from her horn, entered the dream…

This time, the dream seemed to be taking place in a large city, akin to Manehattan but with more urban sprawl.

“Hmm…unusual he would dream of a city…but where is he?” She looked around, only to see a large, menacing fleet of flying machines descending!

“PEOPLE OF THIS PLANET! I AM EMPEROR BADGUY, SUPREME LEADER OF THE BADGUY EMPIRE! TREMBLE IN FEAR AT MY GENERIC VILLAIN MONOLOGUE!”

The strange ships halted in the air for some reason, as if to hype up dramatic tension…

“Halt, Badguy! We will not allow your evildoing!” Luna heard Tom yell out, but then saw five beings jump out- they looked like versions of Tom’s armor in different colors!

“The Overpowered Leader! Red Rider!” The first one, primarily red, was announced, followed by the others.

“The Edgy Loner! Blue Rider!”

“The Dorky Comic Relief! Green Rider!”

“The Out-Of-Focus Big Guy! Yellow Rider!”

“The Token Girl! Pink Rider!”

“Five Riders Assembled! Rider Sentai Zi-Oger!” They announced it as one.

Luna just stood there for a moment, trying to comprehend what she was looking at. She remembered she had seen many foals reading what they called ‘comic books’, and this looked to be something right out of one. As she was considering her next move, the red colored Rider noticed her standing there.

“Princess Luna?” The Rider asked. It was Tom’s voice coming from him. “Ah…so this is a dream.” Everything save for the team of Riders seemed to stop.

“Take five, you guys, I’ve got a guest.” Red Rider…erm, Tom said as he disengaged his transformation, the other four disengaging to be variants of Tom…except for Pink Rider who looked oddly like a human version of Twilight Sparkle. They went over to a random group of trailers and each entered one.

Luna didn’t seem fazed by this though, she was more than familiar with the nature of dreams.

“Well, this dream…tis much more cheerful than last we visited, invaders notwithstanding.” Luna chuckled.

“Hey, being a Rider isn’t all doom and gloom…” Tom replied. “So, what brings you to my brain today?”

“Well, we wished to talk with you regarding what happened today.” Luna started. “My sister and I both have questions we hope you can answer.”

“Go ahead,” Tom shrugged. “But first, I’d like to make things a bit more comfy,” As Tom spoke, a small cafe table appeared, and the two took a seat, drinks appearing before them- a cup of tea for Luna, and a soda for Tom.

“So, are you interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with Miss Sparkle?” Luna asked as Tom took a swig of soda, causing him to cough and sending the soda out his nose.

“*cough* WHAT!?” Tom was bowled over by the bluntness of the princess’s question. “W-where did that come from!?”

“DO NOT LIE!” Luna shouted. “We know you and Twilight Sparkle share strong romantic feelings for each other!”

“Agh…” Tom groaned in a combination of frustration and physical agony. “Alright…yeah, I like her. But she’s a princess! I’m just a guy from another world who kicks monsters in the face until they explode! What would our friends think? Her family? The rest of the country!? I care about her a lot, but if others will try to hurt her because of how I feel-” Tom ranted but was stopped by Luna holding a finger to his mouth.

“The most painful fights are the ones we wage in our own hearts.” Luna said gently. “My sister can tell you that much.” She sighed. “I strongly urge you to go to Miss Sparkle. Convey your feelings.”
Tom thought this over. There were a LOT of dimensions to consider, but…he needed to make a choice.

“Alright, Princess…I’ll talk to her first thing.” Tom replied, his voice filled with conviction.

“Most excellent!” Luna cheered. “We are glad you have found your courage, young Tom.”

“Thanks…” Tom replied.

“We must go now, but we shall see you again in the waking world.” Luna said as she opened a portal out of the dream.

“Right…thanks again.” Tom said.

“If you truly want to thank us, we very much desire grandchildren to spoil.” She teasingly said as she walked through the portal.

“Wait, WHA-” Tom started but the closing of the portal cut him off. Luna merely giggled to herself.

“This must be what our niece experiences on a regular basis.”

—---------

A few hours passed, and Tom was up again, and walking around. He decided to search for Twilight- Princess Luna was right, he needed to say something!

He walked around the castle for a bit until he spotted Twilight sitting on a chair, staring out a window.

“Uh…hi.” Tom stammered, and Twilight yelped a bit.

“Oh! Um…fancy meeting you here…” Twilight mumbled.

“Er…” Tom was nervously rubbing the back of his head. “Sooo…”

“Yeah, um…” Twilight wasn’t much better.

“Right now, the courage that I have to stand up to monsters…please let me have some for this!” Tom thought to himself, as he breathed in.

“Twilight, I…do you remember when I first appeared here?” Tom started. “When I was panicking, you acted with kindness and calmed me down. And when others in Ponyville began casting doubts on me, you stood up for me. You…you mean a lot to me.”
“I guess…that’s the same with me.” Twilight replied. “You’ve been risking yourselves for our sakes, standing up against the Another Riders. None of us could really do anything against them, but you stood up to them and protected us…I like you a lot, Tom…more than I would a friend.”

“So…should we give it a shot?” Tom asked. “Being a…couple.”

Twilight smiled bashfully. “I’d like that.”

Tom and Twilight reached out and started holding hands, as fireworks started going off outside…to the pair’s bewilderment. They looked around and saw a familiar tuft of pink sticking out of a large vase nearby.

“Pinkie Pie…” Twilight said in a scolding tone. “Were you eavesdropping?”

“Yipes! I’ve been compromised!” Pinkie yelped as she jumped out of the jar. She was holding what appeared to be a primitive walkie-talkie. “Come in! Position has been compromised!”

Elsewhere, Princess Cadence was positioned near a bunch of now-emptied firework launchers. “Mission is a success, you may drop cover.” She said through another walkie-talkie. Rarity approached and the two high-fived at the success.

—--------

Cozy Glow walked down the corridors of her home. She was a bit confused.

“Daddy’s work friends all came back…and they were scared.” She said to herself, but overheard the adults talking.

“...of course we weren’t going to engage him!” Sombra yelled. “He said it himself- under no circumstances are we to engage Decade directly!”

“Oh come on! He’s just some dimension-hopping bum now!” Discord yelled back. “With the three of us-”

“Enough.” Sombra interrupted. “These were orders from the boss himself. If you wish to complain, you can complain to him.” Discord blanched at the thought.

“Well…maybe we could figure out a more fun way to do things.” Discord said nervously.

At that, Cozy decided she knew what she had to do next. She marched down to the hall where her daddy’s office was, and knocked.

“Daddy? May I come in?” Cozy asked.

“Of course, pumpkin- let me get the door.” The man who Cozy now called daddy said sweetly. She heard the noise of several deadbolts being shifted. The door opened.

“Daddy!” Cozy cheerfully ran into her “daddy’s” arms.

“It’s good to see you too, sweetie.” “Daddy” said. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, your work friends came back, and I heard them talking…Daddy, who’s Decade?” Cozy said. At the mention of Decade, the man’s eye twitched.

“Where did you hear that name?” The man asked, his voice becoming gravely serious.

“T-the others were saying something about not engaging him…they sounded scared too. Daddy, is Decade a bad guy?”

“The worst guy, sweetie…” The adult man started. “He goes around to different worlds and destroys them! Everything there…everything that ever is, was or will be in that world…gone.”

“I-is that true?” Cozy shook.

“But don’t worry- as long as I’m here, Decade will never hurt you.” The man said to his adoptive daughter.

“O-ok…” Cozy stammered.

“I’ve got some more work to do, why don’t you go and find your mum?” The man suggested.

“Okay!” Cozy said as she walked out the door. The man shut it behind her and then began to grow enraged.

“Decade…of course it’s you again…this time, I’ll make sure I put an end to you! Damn you, Decade! DAMN YOU!”

Author's Note

So, Tom and Twilight have finally taken the first step to their relationship!

But more mysteries abound.

Also, you may be wondering what Anton was going to say...in this case, there's a special chapter coming that will detail everything about the rival Rider.

Look out for the special chapter "PAST TIME- Savior's Successor"!

Chapter 11: Rough Ride Through Youthful Days

“Starlight, open up! This is your great and powerful best friend staging a great and much needed intervention! Trixie says you can’t keep yourself locked away forever~!”

Starlight groaned and pulled the covers off her, as the sunlight filtered in and blinked at the rapid knocking at her door.

“Go away… It’s way too early in the morning for this crap…”

The past week was a painful time for Starlight Glimmer. She had already been having many issues and guilty feelings about what she did to Twilight and her friends, not to mention the whole of Equestria…and then she finds out that her actions resulted in an entire world being obliterated!

“TRIXIE IS TRYING TO BE A GOOD FRIEND, STARLIGHT! I KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR TRIXIE TO BELIEVE TOO! THIS IS ALL NEW TO TRIXIE TOO! NOW OPEN UP THIS DOOR THAT YOU MAY BASK IN HER GREAT AND POWERFUL FRIENDSHIP!”

Starlight sighed and opened the door. She was still in a bathrobe, her face matted with tears and her mane unkempt.

For once, Trixie was rendered speechless. She was completely out of her element when it came to this sort of thing, and yet she was the only one who could even begin to help Starlight now.

“Trixie wishes she was that amazingly arrogant mare Twilight Sprinkle right now but it seems Trixie herself will have to do…”

“...it’s nice to see you, Trixie…” Starlight mumbled. “Though it seems Trixie has no volume control…”

“But of course! Trixie is only being herself! The great and powerful Trixie came as soon as she could when she got a scroll from Twilight’s little dragon minion.”

“His name is Spike.” Starlight sighed.

“And Trixie doesn’t believe a word of any of this! Even if you tried to exact revenge on Twilight, and rightfully so, you couldn’t have destroyed an alien planet in the process!”

“...but it was because of me that the entities that did destroy it exist…” Starlight sobbed.

“What garbage! The Great and Powerful Trixie-”

“Really, REALLY needs to learn some Gaim-damn volume control!” Another voice yelled. It was Tom, and he was covering his ears.

“Ah, you must be the Commode Rider that’s been in the news recently.”

“Did this loudmouth just go there!?” Tom thought to himself. “It’s KAMEN Rider.”

“It’s all a bunch of utter rubbish!” Trixie argued back. “Do you really expect Trixie to believe that you of all creatures are some sort of hero, and that your planet was destroyed by a gaggle of villains from our world?”

“He’s not lying, Trixie…” Starlight interjected. “Those villains exist. I saw them. I heard from them. That Red Rider tried to kill me because of it.”

“He did WHAT now!? Oh, Trixie will be sure to teach him a lesson he won’t soon forget!” Trixie fumed, pulling up her sleeves.

“Look, Trixie…” Tom started.

“That’s the GREAT and POWERFUL TRIXIE to you!” Trixie yelled back.

“...Starlight, would you mind going somewhere with Trixie? The greatly annoyed and completely tired Tom needs to sleep in and he also thinks you two need some time alone. He will not hesitate to Rider Kick you through the nearest wall if need be.”

“Hmph! Leave to a foolish alien chimp to not comprehend the glory that is the GREAT and POWERFUL-” Trixie started again but Starlight stopped her.

“Let’s go somewhere else please…I’ve already caused him enough damage recently.” Starlight sighed again.

“...very well, Starlight. Shall I help you make yourself presentable?” She asked as Starlight nodded and the two retreated into Starlight’s room.

“...ugh…need coffee now…and ibuprofen.” Tom groaned, rubbing his temples.

Tom walked into the kitchen, yawning and grumbling. “Stupid loud mare…does she have any idea how to even be quiet?” He continued grumbling as he started making some coffee. He then saw Twilight sitting at the table, nose deep in a book…and then his brain started racing.

“Ok, Tom…it’s not a big deal. She likes you. You like her. You can go over and talk to her…god damn, this IS scarier than a monster fight!” He took a deep breath.

“Um…good morning, Twilight.” Twilight yelped, accidentally tossing the book up and it landing on her face.

“Oh, uh…book! No, Tom!” Twilight stammered. “Good morning!”

“Oh dear sweet Faust, what am I doing!? Get a grip!” Twilight thought to herself.

Tom walked over to the table, a cup of coffee in each hand.

“I…uh…made some coffee for you.” He stammered.

“Thanks! I like coffee! I mean…thanks for the coffee!” Twilight was tripping over her words.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, until…

“Um…Starlight’s loud friend was here.” Tom started.

“Yeah, I know…and I’m fairly certain everyone in town does too,” Twilight replied, ears flat against her head.

“No volume control, huh?” Tom replied.

“You have NO idea. I mean, the first time we met, she was-” Twilight started but stopped.

“The first time we met, she was putting on a show and bragging about herself to everyone. She even started humiliating our friends.” Twilight explained. “Then those two kids brought an Ursa Minor into the town…”

“An Ursa Minor? Like the constellation?” Tom asked.

“Like the bear.”

“How big are we talking here?” Tom asked and when Twilight gestured with her hands, he blinked. “...okay how are those two kids not dead?”

Twilight shook her head. “Dumb luck, if I had to hazard a guess. In fact, looking back…a lot of all of that could have been avoided.” She looked down. “If I was a better friend…”

“What do you mean?” Tom asked.

“...I was too afraid of doing anything about Trixie at first because I thought that if I showed off my magic, they’d hate me like they did her.”

“But you’re… well,” Tom blushed. “Well, you? Who could hate you?”

“Oh, you’d be surprised…” Twilight sighed again. “Before coming here, I was a borderline shut in…and ponies tried to be my friend, but I always shut them out because I didn’t realize how important it was to have friends.”

“But you do now,” Tom said. “The past is the past, the now is the now.”

“You’re right…but it still bothers me sometimes,” Twilight replied. “Thanks for listening, Tom, you’re a good boyfriend,” she said, and then suddenly covered her mouth, her face turning beet red.

Tom’s face was a similar shade. “Y-you’re welcome, Twilight.”

Neither of them had noticed, but Spike was sitting at the table, eating a bowl of cereal nonchalantly.

“So are you two gonna do something with this relationship or what?” Spike asked. The two merely looked away from each other, their blushing increased. Spike just sighed and continued eating.

Starlight just sighed as she sat at an outdoor cafe with Trixie. She hadn’t been out of the castle in a week, and while she appreciated her friend’s efforts, she felt horrible. She didn’t deserve to be out here, she should be locked up like the monster she is.

After all, what else could you call someone who caused the deaths of everyone in the world? Even if it wasn’t her own world…

“...and then, Trixie said to the stallion, ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie does not need to move her cart, officer! She has obtained an extended parking permit!’ But she ended up giving me a ticket anyway… are you listening, Starlight?”

Starlight looked up and nodded: “Sorry, my sympathies to your… wait, sorry, I lost track. Something about your cart and Manehattan right?”

“Starlight!”

“Sorry, I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, that’s all!”

“Trixie can tell, Trixie is honestly feeling ignored here lately. Trixie can tell something is weighing down on you.”

“...I’m a monster, Trixie,” Starlight started. “I’m responsible for the deaths of Faust knows how many. They died because of my stupid grudge!”

Tears began streaming down Starlight’s face.

“Sorry, did you go overboard when fleabombing your house?” Trixie blinked. “I mean, they’re just fleas and speaking from personal experience with Trixie’s immaculate coat Trixie says hardly anyone will miss them. Trixie hardly sees any reason to be crying.”

“I meant Tom’s homeworld! His people!”

“...you really believe that was your fault, even now?” Trixie asked. “Trixie asks, did you even know what your actions would lead to? Let Trixie phrase it this way, if Trixie gives a child an allergic reaction due to the bunny she uses in Trixie’s stage show, would she know about it until she actually finds out about it via a lawsuit? Trixie cannot see the future.”

“...but Starlight can ruin everyone’s future,” Starlight replied.

“Did Starlight intend to ruin everyone’s future? Trixie thinks not.”

Starlight couldn’t bring herself to respond. Whether she intended it or not, she was the reason behind the deaths of countless beings, behind the misery of both Tom and that other Rider…and the source of the monsters that have been haunting Equestria ever since.

“For buck’s sake, Starlight!” Trixie yelled, slamming her hands on the table. “You are Trixie’s most important friend! Trixie believes in you! Trixie cares about you! So please, Trixie implores you!”

Trixie looked down at the table, sobbing.

“Please…don’t keep beating yourself up like this…Trixie can barely stand to see you like this…”

The two mares looked down and didn’t say anything for a few moments. Then, Starlight spoke.

“You really are my best friend, aren’t you?” Starlight said. “You still care about a twisted mare like me?”

“Even if the very sky were to rip asunder, Trixie would never stop caring about you!”

“You should really write romance fiction, I think you’d be great at it…” Starlight giggled slightly.

“Well, it seems you’ve managed to recover some of that snark, at least…” Trixie rolled her eyes, but noticed that there were a pair of cupcakes on their table.

“Starlight, did you order these for us? Trixie was thinking about it…”

“No, actually. Where’d they-”

Before Starlight could even finish that thought, a loud pop echoed around them followed by streams of confetti!

“Surpriiiiise!” The ever joyful voice of Pinkie Pie sang out. “Twi told me you were feeling sad, Starlight! So I made you some extra special cupcakes!”

Starlight’s ears flattened against her head as Trixie clapped in applause. “Please, Pinkie, my hearing’s only just starting to come back…”

“Very impressive, pink one! Not once has anyone ever managed to sneak up on the GREAT and POWERFUL TRIXIE!”

“Trixie…not helping,” Starlight winced.

“Oh, that reminds me! My family’s coming in to see me today, and I wanted you to meet my sisters!” Pinkie said, bouncing up and down to the annoyance of Starlight and the…interest of Trixie.

“My dear Faust you could bounce a bit off those buns…” Trixie thought to herself before shaking her head. “No! You are here to support Starlight, not be ensorceled by this springy succubus!”

“You can come along too, Trix!” Pinkie said.

“...Trix?” Trixie mumbled. Starlight snickered a bit.

“Trix are for kids, you know,” Starlight stuck her tongue out. She knew that bit of human media she read was worth it after all.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Very well, the Great and Powerful Trixie will meet your family.”

“YEEEEE!” Pinkie squealed in cheer. “Meet you at the train station in half an hour!”

Pinkie ran off as suddenly as she appeared.

“What on Equus did I just agree to?” Trixie asked herself. “I feel like I made a deal with the fiends in Tartarus.”

“Don’t be afraid, I’m sure Pinkie’s family will be nice…Trix,” Starlight replied, sticking out her tongue at the end.

“Trixie demands you stop calling her that!”

“Sorry, not going to happen. Consider this payback for nearly deafening me earlier.”

“Trixie told you, Trixie was just being herself and Trixie considered it a big enough risk when dragging you out of bed,” Trixie said. “Trixie knew she had to wake you up somehow, and if that didn’t work, Trixie would resort to setting off firecrackers outside your door until you came out. Trixie is basically saying you got off easy compared to what Trixie had planned.”

“Yeah, seems like it…”

“Trixie can be as big of a nuisance as Trixie wants until Trixie gets exactly what she wants.”

“Trixie is a brat,” Starlight said.

“Trixie is indeed a brat. What are you going to do about it? Punish me?” Trixie asked, waggling her eyebrows.

“I think we need a few more coffee dates before I’m going even consider that possibility.”

“Trixie thinks you need to live a little, Trixie promises you won’t regret it!”

“Trixie is sex-crazed.”

The mare in question nodded. “Trixie will admit to that.”

As the two walked off, a somewhat young mare was behind a tree, shaking her head before she held up what looked to be a railway pass and swiped it in the air. A train horn honked, police sirens blaring with it before a thick blue train thundered by and when it vanished the mare was gone. A few ponies blinked, swearing they’d heard the train before quickly writing it off as their imagination…

The half-hour had passed as Pinkie had invited all of her friends along to greet her family at the train station, including Tom, despite not having met them before.

Starlight had noticed that Tom wasn’t responding much, despite the combo of Trixie and Pinkie proving to be a borderline noise hazard.

“Has he finally accepted the insanity?” Starlight chuckled. Tom noticed Starlight talking and reached towards his ears, pulling a small earplug out of each. “You say something?”

Starlight just blinked. “Why didn’t I think of that?” She thought to herself.

“So, what’s Pinkie’s family like, anyway?” Tom asked. “Are they all…?”
“Nah, they ain’t all like her. Pinkie’s pretty special like that.” Applejack explained.

“That’s one way to put it…”

As they chatted, the whistle of the incoming train came from nearby.

“That’s them! That’s their train!”

The train slowly came to a stop before letting out a large hiss of steam. The doors opened and a parade of travelers came off…one such group noticed Pinkie.

“Over here! Ma! Pa! Limestone! Marble! Maud!” Pinkie jumped up and waved.

The two groups met each other in the middle. Tom noticed a familiarity with how they dressed.

“So, these guys are like…pony Amish? Huh.” He thought to himself before noting that there were only four ponies, when he heard Pinkie call out five names.

“Wait, where’s Maud?” Pinkie asked, looking around.

“IIIIIT’S ROCK TIME!” As if to answer her question, a loud voice rang out…the sheer volume surpassing even Pinkie and Trixie. They looked and saw a gray mare in what appeared to be a delinquent-styled outfit, holding a yo-yo and chewing on something. She blew a pink bubble and popped it, light green and orange streaks in her otherwise dull hair.

Both groups blanched, except for Tom who just looked on in confusion.

“...is she on her Rumspringa or something…?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I think Maud’s been RideWatched…!” Pinkie whimpered, her hair losing some of its normal poof.

“My apologies, dear daughter…your sister has not been well these past few moons,” Pinkie’s father apologized. “And do forgive our manners for not introducing ourselves.”

“I am Igneous Rock Pie, and mine wife is Cloudy Quartz.” The elder stallion tipped his hat while his wife gave a courtesy.

“Limestone.” The eldest sister spat out bluntly.

“Um…Marble.” The next just said shyly, pressing her fingers together and hiding behind her long stone gray hair.

“Okay, did Fluttershy clone herself and not tell anyone?” Starlight wondered.

“And then-”

“I’m Maud Pie! I’m gonna be friends with every single rock in the world!” Maud exclaimed.

Tom merely whispered to the others. “Fourze. Definitely Fourze.”

The group just nodded. They knew by now that Tom was the only one around who could help them with this right now.

“Well then, I’m sure you’re tired after your trip,” Twilight said. “We can take you to my castle, there’s plenty of room for you to lodge there.”

“Aw, but I was gonna see if the Cakes would let them stay!” Pinkie pouted.

“I…don’t think the Cakes have enough room for all of you, not to mention…” Twilight replied as she gestured with her neck towards Maud.

“Oh… oh right,” Pinkie sheepishly replied. “Yeah, castle works fine.”

“Well then, let’s goooo!” Maud said as she picked up all their bags…and Marble. “Onwards to the castle!”

She took off in the direction of the castle at normally Pinkie levels of speed, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake.

“Hey! Maud, wait!!!” Pinkie called after her, running along.

“We…should probably head there before someone breaks something.” Twilight muttered, the group nodding and allowing Twilight to lead the way.

“I’m surprised she hasn’t turned into Another… Fourze was it yet,” Starlight mused. “From the sounds of it, she’s been infected, for lack of a better word, for the past few days. Nobody else has taken nearly this long to transform…”

Trixie shrugged. “Trixie is still new to all of this, but from what she’s seen, Pinkie is an oddity amongst her family. Perhaps Maud is, although Trixie has never met her until now so she can’t say for certain but perhaps Maud is so unlike this Frozen character she’s taking longer?”

“Well, whatever it is, I’m hoping it holds out!” Pinkie explained. “I know my sister, and this is NOT my sister! I don’t want to have her turn into a monster on me!”

—----

“Well, you certainly screwed the pooch this time, Discord…” A certain purple clad Rider made his way around, keeping himself concealed with a Camo Vent card.

“You left the FourzeWatch WHERE!?” Ouja’s boss yelled.

“Um…I can explain…” Ouja whimpered, shrinking in front of his boss.

“You know DAMN well that those watches are vital to our plans! You will go retrieve it immediately! And you know what’ll happen if you don’t…”

“Alright, alright, fine!”

“Ugh… the boss vexes me for sure, but considering the alternative, I think I’ll take my chances.” He shuddered. “Now, where’s little miss stone-face gotten off to?”

Ouja continued slithering around the town, until he noticed his target lifting a large pile of luggage and what appeared to be another mare on her shoulders.

“I never really understood the appeal with muscle-y girls, but to each their own,” He shrugged as he attempted to get closer. “Heh, look at Starlight. So goody-goody, it makes me sick. She’s trying to be everything her counterpart in our big happy evil family isn’t. Trying to be a good pony, all to appease her teacher. She should really just… cut loose like I did. Much more fun. What’s wrong with a bit of chaos?”

With a sigh, Ouja just kept watch over his potential prey, until he noticed some very unwelcome adversaries.

“And of course, I have to deal with the little snot and his fan club. They vex me more than the boss does,” he muttered. “It’s like, so hard to be a good bad guy these days! Ooooooh, what I’d give to get that brat alone, away from all of his little marefriends and just show him what a true Rider can do. He thinks he’s a king with his title does he? I’m an Emperor!”

Unknown he was being stalked, Tom wondered when Maud would turn into her Another Rider form so he could be done with today already. He’d already been woken up waaaaaaaay too early by Trixie’s poor attempts at volume control and forced back a yawn.

“Your whole castle is made of beautiful rocks, I don’t even know what kind, but when I become friends with them, I’ll find out!” Maud said, taking out a hammer and chisel to take a sample for herself.

“I-I-I’m pretty sure that’s vandalism…” Tom stammered out only to back up, back way up and tumble over a side table at Maud’s downright vicious glare.

“Yeah?” Maud said, walking over and looking at him with the evil eye. “And who’s gonna stop me, huh, is it you pipsqueak?”

“Maud, please, don’t threaten your host,” Cloudy tried to calm her down.

“My host? Please! He’s just the Princess’ consort! He’s not even her husband yet!” Maud said as Twilight went even pinker than usual. “He doesn’t have any authority! And if you ask me, the Princess can do way better than him, he’s a shrimpy little pipsqueak!”

“Hey!” Tom said, rather offended. “I mean I know I’m not exactly a bodybuilder but you’re the first one who’s ever complained in… well, since I came to town actually. Even Rainbow’s shut up about my shrimpiness!”

Trixie was giggling. “The great and powerful Trixie rather thinks this Maud has a point, you are rather shrimpy!”

“Trixie…!” Starlight whisper-hissed, smacking her arm none too gently.

“What?” the mare asked, gesturing to Tom. “Well, he is!”

“Your comments have been noted, they’re very helpful Trixie,” Twilight said, trying to be as polite as she could be around her nemesis and the Another Rider to be. “Thank you for speaking your mind.”

“Oh, if she were an Another Rider right now…” Tom mumbled, looking at the showmare, before turning back to Maud who was raising her hammer and chisel. “Hey, stop! What did I say? No vandalism!”

“Help help, I’m being oppressed!” Maud said as Tom tried to pry the hammer and chisel away from him. “Get away from me, you’re just a servant of the mare!”

Here, she kicked Tom away down the hallway as he rolled down it like a bowling ball. Everyone swore they heard a pin-crashing sound followed by a groan of pain.

“Tom!” Twilight said.

“I’m alright!” Tom said, giving a thumbs up. “I’ll live! I’ve taken worse!”

“Trixie is concerned that she believes him on that.”

The day went by about as well as could be expected, Starlight keeping a close eye on Maud in case she mutated into her Another Rider form.

“I will say this,” she mused as she relaxed in a chair, looking up from her magazine on kites. “She’s got a pretty strong will if she’s been able to fend off the transformation for this long. Of course, she is Pinkie’s… older(?) sister and if they’re anything like, they’re nothing but determined mares.”

She chuckled remembering what the rest of her family looked like.

“It’s hard to believe Pinkie comes from such a…” she paused searching for the right word, conservative didn’t really fit and had different connotations according to Tom. “...restrained family.”

She smiled sadly.

“I can see why Pinkie wanted to come to Ponyville, I doubt she really fit in at all.”

“Actually, if anything,” said her father as he walked over, tipping his hat at her politely as the older stallion sat down in a chair beside her. “She was always the bright life in our life, the sun on a cloudy day. We were sad when Pinkie decided to leave for Ponyville, saying destiny was calling her, but we knew it was time for her to leave the nest and find her own place in the world.”

“I see…”

“She sends us letters weekly, her handwriting has always been poor but,” here the stallion gave what must have been a rare smile. “We can always understand what she’s trying to say. She says she’s happy here, and… I’m glad.”

“The way you make it sound…”

“Some days on the farm were better than others, she always had us, but we could tell Pinkie would one day want to make her own way in the world,” the Pie family patriarch said. “Some mares aren’t just meant for life on the farm.”

“What kind of farm do you…?”

“Rocks.”

“Of course it is,” Starlight said. “Is… sorry, I’m searching for the right way to phrase this. Are your family happy where they are?”

“I assume by family, you mean my daughters? Limestone, she’d never admit it, but she loves our farm and loves us, even if she tries to act otherwise. Maud, she loves exploring the nearby caves…” here the stallion sighed. “Marble… I worry about her though. Limestone and Maud have such overwhelming forces of personality, that she’s feeling suppressed I suppose?”

Starlight looked back at the shy mare, who was trying to be the smallest thing in the room and immediately understood what Igneous meant.

“She looks like she needs a friend…” Starlight said, remembering a time when she was all alone in the world as well. “...a mare like that, one who makes even Fluttershy look outgoing… yeah, she needs a friend.”

Before she became a target of the Grudge Riders, she told herself.

She walked over to the light gray mare, still hiding behind her hair.

“Hi.”

“Hi…”

Starlight could see Twilight send her an approving smile.

“Marble, is it?”

“Mhmmmmmm…”

“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you. We’re all friends here, I know a mare exactly like you. Fluttershy? You two are a lot alike. She needed a friend once,” Starlight said, speaking softly as not to spook the shy mare. “She was lucky to get one in Rainbow Dash. If… if you want, I can…”

“...be my friend?” Marble squeaked.

“So cute…” Starlight said to herself before saying: “No, stop, control yourself girl. You’re here to make friends, not squee how cute she is, even if she’s Fluttershy all over again.”

“I… I, I’m sorry, this is all new to me,” Marble said, not able to meet her eyes just yet. “I… I’m at a princess’ castle and something is wrong with my sister and… I’m sorry, it’s a bit overwhelming that’s all.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Starlight said. “You’d think I’d get used to how strange life in Ponyville can be, right? Nope, every day brings new surprises.”

“Sounds…” Marble paused. “Sounds stressful…”

“It can be yeah, sometimes. It’s very different from where I grew up…”

“Good different… or bad different?”

“Good different,” Starlight said. “Every day brings new adventures, heh, life’s never boring here is it? But it’s never lonely either… everyone’s so nice and friendly here…”

Even if she wasn’t entirely sure yet if she really deserved any of their kindness.

“Friendly huh?” Marble wondered.

“Yeah, they’re very friendly. Ponyville has a weird way of making you feel welcome and like you’re at home even if you’re just visiting for a spell,” Starlight said. “Heh, I’ve been here barely a few weeks, at most, and I already feel like I’ve lived here my whole life.”

“Sounds nice…”

“Come on, let’s go somewhere else, like let’s go raid the castle’s kitchens. Trix can keep an eye on your sister and come get us if anything goes wrong,” Starlight smiled holding out her hand.

“My name isn’t Trix! It’s Trixie! And oh you did not just volunteer Trixie to keep an eye on anyone!” the mare in question shouted as Marble retreated into herself.

“Trixie! Volume! What have I said?!?” Starlight glared at the mare.

“Yes, you have said to Trixie to tone it down.”

“Good, do that or I remove your mouth and do it for you,” Starlight threatened. “You’re not the only one who knows that spell!”

Twilight looked torn between disapproval and wondering if she could ask Starlight how to perform that spell.

Tom meanwhile threw his fist into his mouth to stop himself from laughing. He quickly looked back at Maud, sighing. “Don’t put your hooves up on the cutie map.”

“I’ll put them where I want to,” she said. “This is me, chillaxing. Oh, dude, does your place have like a garage where I can put my bike?”

“Er… no?”

“Lame,” Maud said. “You really know how to bum a girl out. I hear there’s some fast mares here, in this town and I want to see how fast they really are.”

“Don’t let Rainbow Dash hear that, she might think you’re saying she’s slow.”

“It sounds like this Rainbow Dash has an ego bigger than all of Cloudsdale…”

Tom sighed and said: “...well you’re not wrong but all the same…”

“She’s all full of hot air, from the sounds of it. It sounds like she needs to be deflated,” Maud said. “I’ll challenge her to a race, and then when she loses, she’ll have to help me collect rocks to befriend.”

Maud was looking ready to strike a familiar pose though Tom hoped she wasn’t quite as… enthusiastic about it as Gentaro.

“Please… not in here…” he said to himself.

“ROOOOOOCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Maud said, throwing her hands out wide as the sound reverbrated all through the crystal castle.

“...she’s worse than Trixie…” Tom said, rubbing his ringing ears before swiftly pushing Maud out of the room. “Okay, for the sake of all of our hearing, mine in particular, out you go. There’s a bunch of rocks outside, and more importantly, Ponyville doesn’t carry an echo.”

“Are you trying to tell me where to go, man?” Maud said, whirling on her hooves. “Nobody tells me where to go and what to do. Especially not a servant of the Mare. You’re always doing what that Princess of yours tells you to do, and you’re never making decisions for yourself. Tell me, is she at least good in bed? Is that why you’re with her?”

Tom squeaked as he went beet red and steam hissed from his ears. “We haven’t even…”

“Wow, so you’re not even jumping into bed with her? She’s a princess, I thought you’d take the first chance you’d get with her,” Maud said, and even though Tom knew she wasn’t in her right mind, she was still getting on his nerves. “I mean, it’s not like a shrimpy little monkey like you has any real chance at a dating life. You’re just a hairless-”

“Shut… Shut up. You’re not me, and you don’t get to tell me who I am. I care… I care for Twilight and she cares for me! I respect her boundaries, and when… that happens, it’ll happen in it’s own time! I’m not going to rush this relationship, not when I respect Twilight too much for that!”

A chuckle came from nearby.

“Well, aren’t you sweet?” Discord said, purple armor shining in the sun. “You’re a real knight in shining armor, you even have the mechanical two-wheeled horse to match. You’re going to make me melt from cute.”

“Ouja… So you’re showing up for another humiliation?” Tom said, going for his ridewatch. “Because that seems to be what you’re best at, getting humiliated.”

“No, I’m here for her,” he said, looking at Maud, who crossed her arms as her coat flapped in the wind. “See, I put that thing in her months back, yet it’s taking her annoyingly long to transform. I guess you could say I’m here to speed up the process!”

He summoned his sword, -”Sword Vent!”- the massive golden fang shining in the sun as he swung it at Maud. Tom pushed her aside and then slammed his palm into the dark rider’s chest shoving the chaos spirit back.

“Heh, well, I can see as long as you’re around, I won’t have much luck,” Ouja said. “Don’t worry, when she’s alone… or at least whenever she’s not with you… I’ll strike. So, ta ta for now. Toodles!”

He conjured a glass of chocolate milk, drunk the glass itself and threw the milk inside it behind him causing an explosion to mask his escape.

“Great, things are getting even more complicated.” Tom groused to himself. He then noticed that Maud had escaped during the commotion. He could hear the whine of a motorcycle engine and saw a trail of dust kicked up into the air.

“Damn it, I’ve got to get after her!” Tom started to run, but realized that he wouldn’t be able to catch up to a motorcycle on foot.

“...I really didn’t want to use this here, not yet. But I don’t have a choice!” Tom pulled out a strange watch and pressed the button, then tossed it on the floor. The watch immediately began unfolding itself until it had fully transformed into a motorcycle of its own!

“And while I’m at it- HENSHIN!” Tom quickly equipped his Driver to transform, knowing that he’d need to be prepared to face what’s ahead. He uneasily sat on the motorcycle’s seat and began revving the engine.

“Ichigo, guide my bike…” Tom prayed as he pulled the throttle and began moving. However, he started to lose control quickly and fell over before he went very far.

“Ugh… good thing I’m armored up. Let’s try this again, I don’t have a lot of time to learn this.”

—----

When Rainbow Dash heard about the situation with Maud and the RideWatch, she took to the sky to see if she could spot any sign of her or Ouja from above.

“Huh…where is she?” She scanned the area, but as she did, she heard a loud revving noise from below.
“What is THAT?!” Rainbow yelped, not used to the noise.

“Oi, bluebird!” She heard from below. “Let’s race!” She looked down to see Maud dressed like something out of one of Fluttershy’s manegas, riding what looked to her like some sort of mutant bicycle. Massive flags flapped behind her bike, with equally massive silver pipes erupting from behind, a loud horn honking obnoxiously.

“Hey! You’re supposed to be at the castle!” Rainbow yelled.

“Come on, let’s race! You’re supposed to be fast! Or are you a little scaredy pony!?” Maud taunted.

“Oh you did NOT just go there! It’s on!” Rainbow predictably fell for the taunt. Maud readjusted herself on her vehicle as Rainbow Dash landed nearby, and crouched into a starting position.

“On your marks!” Rainbow declared.

“Get set…” Maud continued.

“GO!” The two yelled as they both took off in their own ways.

Meanwhile, on a nearby rooftop, Ouja was observing the proceedings through a pair of opera glasses.

“Oh ho, seems that the transformation’s been speeding up ever since she got here!” Ouja noted. “Shouldn’t be long now…and the rainbow dolt will be a nice warm up for her.”

Back a ways, Tom was starting to get used to the speed of the bike after more than a few falls. He was finally able to move at a fairly decent speed.

“Just gotta focus…” Tom reminded himself as he kept his eyes on anything ahead of him.

Then a royal purple bike pulled in front of him, Ouja revving the throttles, the bike resembling a massive cobra.

“Oh no, you’re not interfering in this,” he said, wagging a finger. “EAT MY DUST, YOU LITTLE BRAT!”

The exhaust of his bike blew a massive cloud of exhaust into Tom’s face. While Tom wasn’t choking on it thanks to his armor, it was still a rather sizeable middle finger to him.

“Fine! I’ll show you who the real Rider is!” Tom scoffed as he began driving again, being mindful of everything around him as he sped up more. Ouja was just ahead of him, chopping down trees with his blade.

Tom clambered over the wooden trunks pulling out his gun as Ouja took off down another path. Laser blasts flew through the forest, slicing through the air and going wild. Ouja, the far better biker and driving far faster, was able to outrace the shots and waved mockingly at Tom as they joined up on a single dirt path again.

Ouja slugged Tom across the jaw as they drove off a hill, landing down at the foot of it below. Ouja sent his bike into a spin, sending up dust and dirt to blind Tom who was coughing even through his helmet.

Then, from the dust, Ouja popping a wheelie on his front wheel knocking Tom off his rider machine.

“I am the king of the road, baby!” Ouja taunted as he laughed at the novice biker’s plight. But strangely, after the dust had cleared, Tom and his machine seemed to be missing.

“Eh? Did he finally grow a brain?” The evil serpentine Rider scoffed. “Will wonders never cease…”

His thought was cut off by the impact of a bike’s front wheel in his face!

“Who’s king of the road again?” It was Tom, having managed to take advantage of Ouja’s showboating. Twirling his bike around, he sped off into the distance towards the sound of Rainbow’s angry shouting.

“You little…” Ouja got back on his bike and began aggressively driving into Tom’s machine, attempting to knock him off the road! Tom delivered his own blows, and eventually decided he’d try to take out Ouja’s front tires. Focusing as much as he could at the time, Tom fired a few shots at the enemy Rider’s front tire, but they seemed to miss.

“What’s the problem? Can’t walk and chew gum at the same time?” Ouja taunted. “Vexing, isn’t it?”

Before Tom could respond, there was the roar of another engine, and Maud on her twisted mockery of a machine jumped in front of their path, over their heads.

“Fourze!” her watch growled, completing the mutation. She howled in pain as dark power covered her body, turning her into a twisted effigy of an astronaut.

“Ah ha…now we’re getting to the fun part!” Ouja laughed. “I think I’ll let you two kids have some fun- uncle Ouja’s got a call to make. Toodles!”

He mockingly waved as he drove off.

Then, he turned back towards them.

“Actually, you know what, you’ve been quite the irritating thorn in my side,” Ouja said as laser blasts flew from the bike’s ‘eyes’. “You’ve been causing a little too much trouble lately, and well, I don’t see your boyfriend or your girlfriend around anywhere…”

Tom ducked as laser blasts flew under his head and drove in a circle around the dark rider and the twisted rider, pulling out his gun again and slamming the W Ridewatch into it.

“MILE-A-MINUTE SHOOTING! W!”

A whirlwind wrapped around the clearing, sweeping up both the Another Rider and Ouja into it and throwing them into the trees.

“Heh, very well then, there’s still two of us… and only one of you…” Ouja was probably grinning under his helmet as he advanced, drawing his blade. “So, kid, whatchu going to do when they come for you? Bad boys, bad boys, whatchu going to do when they come for you…?”

“Tom!” Starlight said, as she and Pinkie arrived via teleport. “You’re not alone!”

“So, are you going to hide behind them?” Ouja laughed, dragging his blade in the dirt.

“Actually…” Tom said, as he glowed with cyan magic. “I had another plan in mind.”

With a poof, a clone of him appeared!

“Looking good handsome!” Tom’s clone said.

“I try!” Tom said, tossing him the W watch while slotting the Ex-aid watch into his belt. They both snapped their fingers and pointed at Ouja and Another Fourze. “Now, let’s clear this with super co-op play!”

“We’re the 2 in 1 Kamen Riders! Now let’s count up your sins!” The Tom-clone quoted as the two transformed into ExAidArmor and WArmor respectively.

“Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O! Armor Time! Level Up! Ex-Aid!”/“Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O! Armor Time! W! Cyclone, Joker!”

Another Fourze growled, as she pushed a switch on her belt.

“RoCKeT On!” A distorted voice called out as Another Fourze’s arm turned into a warped rocket and she began hurtling towards the twin Toms.

“Batter up!” Ex-AidArmor Tom gripped the giant hammers of his armor and swung, smacking into the monster’s midsection as it went to the ground.

“That’s a grand slam if I ever saw one!” WArmor Tom cheered on his counterpart.

“But you’re still the final trump card here! Let’s send ‘em flying!” WArmor Tom nodded as he and ExAidArmor Tom both activated finishers.

“FINISH TIME! W!” The WArmor Tom rose into the air, a duo of drones forming from the Gaia Memory replicas on his shoulders.

“MAXIMUM TIME BREAK!” The drones attached to the feet of the armor, forming a large W out of their collective feet as they struck both Ouja and Another Fourze, sending them both into the air.

“FINISH TIME! EX-AID!” ExAidArmor’s finisher was next, though not as how Tom expected it, with Pinkie leaping down and pulling a massive health bar out of nowhere and beating both Ouja and Another Fourze over the head with it.

“Uh… sure… that works I guess…”

“That’s for messing with my sister, you creeps!”

“Agh… beaten up by the pink one… Idunn’s never gonna let me live this down…” Ouja wheezed. “She’s like something out of a cartoon…”

“Did that feel like a cartoon to you? Hey, get back here!” Pinkie yelled. “I’m not done with you yet!”

“I’ve got a million better things to do than get bludgeoned by a bonehead like you. See ya.” Ouja grunted as he leapt into the reflection of a nearby puddle.

“He got away…” Pinkie grumbled.

“Urrggh…” Another Fourze let out a groan as the monster’s form disappeared, leaving Maud behind unconscious. Tom walked over to her and took the watch off, exposing it to the purifying light of his own watch.

“FourzeWatch GET!” He said, holding it over his head like some sort of legendary hero.

“Maud!” Pinkie cried out. She ran over to her sister and cradled her.

“Oh no, Maud! Taken from us before her time…” Pinkie sobbed.

“I’m not dead, Pinkie.” Maud deadpanned. Hearing this, Pinkie’s hair poofed out.

“Maud! You’re okay!” She continued squeezing harder.

“Not…if you squeeze that hard…” Maud wheezed.

Pinkie let go, wiping her forehead with relief. “That was a close one.”

Then someone flipped out of the forest, grabbing the FourzeWatch out of Tom’s hand. As the figure turned, they were revealed to be clad in silver armor, police lights flashing with a dog’s face on their chest. They pocketed the watch, and whistled as a train horn blared. A train thundered by and then they were gone.

“What!? G-Den-O?” Tom was surprised. “Agh, they took the RideWatch!”

“Honestly, I’d rather that thing go far away,” Maud noted. “It’s caused me enough headaches.”

Tom took note of the mare’s demeanor. “So, this is how your sister normally is?”

Pinkie nodded. “Yep! Good old Maud!”

Maud looked at Tom, her face unchanging.

“Thank you for getting rid of that monster. I could kiss you right now…but I won’t.” She said, completely monotone.

“Uh…sure, don’t mention it.” Tom undid his transformation, the clone disappearing as he did.

Starlight walked over and picked up the WWatch from where the clone was.

“I think this is yours,” Starlight said as she handed it back to Tom.

“Thanks,” Tom replied. “And I mean it. You really helped today.”

Starlight smiled at that. “I’ve got a lot more to do if I’m gonna make this right.”

“And now that Maud’s not a monster and Starlight’s not a sad mare, it’s time for a Pinkie party of preposterous proportions!” Pinkie cheered as she set off a trio of party poppers.

The group just shrugged and headed back. But just after, Rainbow Dash came back.

“Hey, where’s that chick with the weird bike? Don’t tell me she chickened out!” Dash groaned. “Well, whatever. She should have known better than to challenge the fastest flier around!”

—----

“So you failed to retrieve the FourzeWatch, and now it’s completely MIA…” Ouja’s boss said without raising his voice. Ouja just gulped.

“Y-yes sir… I can at least confirm the Elements and their pet Rider don’t have it.” Ouja trembled.

“...I suppose that’s for the best.” The boss replied, surprising Ouja. “Good news, you’re off the hook.”

“Th-thank you, sir!” Ouja bowed.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, my dear wife and daughter are waiting for me at home.” The man stood up and walked towards the door. “Remember to lock up on your way out, we don’t want any Makamou getting into the garbage around here.”

As the man walked further down the hall, he snickered a bit.

“Letting the FourzeWatch slip out of our grasp is a small setback, but it seems there’s a silver lining to all this… I just have to make sure those two novice Riders are distracted while I have Gaoh do her thing…” He thought to himself, as he brandished a red and white RideWatch. “Sleep well, Starlight Glimmer, for soon enough you’ll be cast down to hell…”

—--------

“I’m back.” G-Den-O said as she entered the passenger car of her time train.

“And you got it?” Another pony, a rather effeminate yellow stallion with puffy pink hair, asked.

“Yep.” G-Den-O waved the FourzeWatch. “Mission accomplished.”

“That’s good then…” The stallion sighed in relief.

“But no sign of Gaoh…what is she up to?” G-Den-O pondered.

“Eh, that can wait. I think we’ve earned a break! I even made some of that cheesecake you like so much!”

“Hehe, well this job does work up an appetite, you know…”

—-------

Author's Note

Special thanks to the Bricklayer for helping me get this chapter done!

Chapter 12: A Family Show

Tom sat near the train window, listening to the clacking of the vehicle as it ran on the tracks. The map decided to send him, Fluttershy, Applejack, Trixie and Starlight together to a city called Las Pegasus.

“Horse puns. Horse puns everywhere.” He thought to himself. “And yet…I’ve kind of gotten used to it.” He glanced over at his companions. Applejack, Trixie and Starlight were all playing cards, while Fluttershy was asleep, gently snoring.

“This is the second time I’ve been asked to go on one of these “friendship missions”. And it seems Another Riders are popping up in places other than Ponyville now…knowing my luck, there’s going to be an Another Rider involved,” Tom sighed. “I just hope things turn out okay…”

He then leered over at the table the others were playing cards at. “All things considered.”

Trixie looked out at the table from behind a large pile of poker chips. “Alright, cards on the table.” She exclaimed as she displayed her hand.

Starlight rolled her eyes as she put her cards in front of a more modest pile of chips. Applejack then groaned as she placed her cards on the table, unimpeded by any chips… because she didn’t have any.

“It’s a good thing this ain’t fer money,” The farmer just sighed.

“Or strip poker,” Trixie replied teasingly. Starlight lightly swatted her on the back of the head as Applejack blushed. “Oh, is that a blush I see? Are you hoping, wishing Dash was here?”

“Knock it off, Trixie.” Starlight groused.

“Still, why do ya think we’re goin’ to Las Pegasus anyway?” Applejack asked. “You don’t think it’s one of them monsters again, do you?”

“Considering our current party,” Starlight motioned her head towards Tom, “that seems rather likely.”

Tom just scowled a bit.

“Of all the ponies to be accompanying, it just HAD to be them. I know Applejack means well, was trying to protect her family and all… and Starlight wasn’t INTENDING to enable those monsters…and Trixie’s just trying to defend her friend… but I still can’t help but feel uncomfortable in this situation,” He thought. He shook his head, this wasn’t the time to let his own feelings get in the way of what needed to be done. And the sooner he did so, the sooner he could go back to Ponyville.

“Are you okay, Tom?” Fluttershy spoke, having woken up.

“Honestly? I just want to get this mission over with, then go home,” the Rider replied. “And…well, I don’t want to speak badly of your friends, but those three and I are not exactly the best match.”

Fluttershy just patted him on the shoulder. “You have your own reasons to feel that way, I’m sure,” she said comfortingly. “And I’m aware that Trixie’s personality can be… not for everyone. But please at least try to be civil with them, they’re not infallible.”

“...and neither am I,” Tom admitted with a sigh. “Even if it feels like I have to be, sometimes. It feels like I have to be this perfect role model for everyone. Superhero and all. That’s how Kamen Rider Ichigo, and Nigo and V3, and Amazon and Kuuga all were. Role models to children and adults.”

“But you’re not them, are you? My suggestion is to stop trying to imitate the past, and look forwards to the future,” Fluttershy said kindly. “Stop trying to be someone you’re not. You’re not them. You’re you.”

“...thanks, Fluttershy. You’re really smart, you know that?” Tom replied. Fluttershy couldn’t help but blush at the compliment hiding slightly behind her wings.

“Um…well, thank you for the compliment…I just said what came to mind, that’s all…” She squeaked as she hid her face completely.

“Attention passengers - we will be arriving at the Las Pegasus station shortly. Departing passengers should prepare for disembarking. Please check your belongings before leaving the train.”

“Looks like this is our stop,” Starlight said. “You two coming?”

Applejack nodded, and Trixie stood with a slight flourish of her cape. “Trixie thinks she will do quite nicely in this endeavor.”

“...right,” Starlight sighed a bit. “Hey! Fluttershy and Rider boy! We’re here!”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard the announcement,” Tom groaned as he and Fluttershy stood.
The group felt the train come to a stop, as other passengers began filing out.

“Well, let’s go!” Starlight said, attempting to emulate a leadership role.

“You can get through this, Tom…you’ve been through worse…” Tom thought to himself as they made their way to the exit.

—----

After a few minutes of walking, the group found themselves in the busy center of the city.

“It’s certainly fancy enough,” Applejack said, “but a bit too much for a country gal like me.”

Tom was covering his ears. “It’s also loud as all hell - where are we supposed to be going?”

“Anyone else feel like we’re underdressed?” Starlight said, tugging on her leather jacket. “Like… I feel like I’m a bit underdressed…”

“Now that ya mention it…” Applejack said.

“One sec,” Starlight said, snapping her fingers and everyone was soon dressed in nicer clothes with the mares in shiny cocktail gowns and Tom in a tuxedo. “There we go, we’re dressed to impress and we all look like we actually belong!”

Applejack, with a ruby resembling an apple in her blonde mane, said: “Not a fan of the heels, if I’m bein’ honest. I can barely move in these lady stilts. I sure wish you’d at least let me keep my trusty boots instead of these here flimsy shoes I’ll only likely be usin’ once.”

Starlight snapped her fingers again and Applejack let out a sigh of relief.

“Not very fashionable, Rares would probably have a conniption but I don’t rightly care for what’s fashionable only what’s practical to wear.”

“Trixie thinks we should go there!” Trixie pointed to a large casino.

“And pray tell, what makes you think that?” Tom snarked.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie sees and knows all!” Trixie barked back as she started heading towards the casino.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going!?” Starlight yelped as she ran after her friend.

Applejack and Fluttershy just shrugged and followed, Tom following himself.

“You can do this… just keep reminding yourself of that.”

As they walked around, they were taking note of any behavior that might indicate a friendship problem or the presence of an Another Rider, but they weren’t seeing anything.

“Seems like everypony’s getting along just fine,” Applejack noted.

“Just wait a moment, someone’s probably going to accuse someone of stealing their chips or cheating,” Starlight drawled. “Places like this, I’m reminded why I tried to take everyone’s cutie marks and make everyone equal, so they all have equal skill and equal chance at getting broke. Getting rich and then getting busted. Viva Las Pegasus… black jack and poker and the roulette wheel with a fortune won and lost on every deal…”

“Alright, oh princess of Communism, let’s not go there,” Tom retorted.

“And just what do you mean by that?” Starlight growled back.

“Nyet! I do not speak badly of the people’s leader, komrade Glimmer!” Tom said in a horribly bad version of a Russian accent. “Please don’t send me to the gulags! I didn’t pack any long underwear!”

“Alright, break it up, you two,” Applejack said, getting in between the two. “We’re here to find a friendship problem, not MAKE one.”

Tom and Starlight just grumbled and looked away from each other, Tom muttering: “...I wasn’t aware we were friends to begin with…”

Applejack kicked him in the shin none too gently for that sour remark. Tom winced a bit, but decided to not poke the bear any further.

“...ladies and gentleponies, despite what my competition might say, I know you’ve come to this fair city to be entertained!” The group heard a stallion announcing something. “And I assure you, there is nothing more entertaining than the astounding acrobatics in Gladmane’s Pony Fantastique!”

“Now I suppose that might be true,” A similar voice rang out, “if it weren’t for the existence and far superiorly entertaining presence of the showstopping exotic animal act that Pony Fantastique includes!”

Fluttershy turned in the direction of the voices. “Those voices sound familiar…” Tom just looked confused.

“They sure do,” Applejack said angrily, stomping forwards and if she had sleeves she’d probably be rolling them up. “Flim and Flam…”

“Wait wait wait, weren’t they…” Starlight started, pulling out her reading glasses and checking her journal rapidly flipping through it.

“...the guys who tried to con you out of your family orchard?” Tom remembered. “Trying to make faster, better cider?”

As much as Tom wasn’t a fan of Applejack, he did like the Apple Family and would probably have intervened himself had he been there. Even just listening to the two fast-talking conmen…he could feel the sleaze dripping off their every word.

“You know, I really shouldn’t be that surprised,” Starlight mused aloud. “Las Pegasus is perfect for these two. Lot of people wanting to get rich quick and all.”

The group noticed that not only were Flim and Flam operating separately, but their pitches also seemed to contain more than a few barbs at each other.

“Don’t let this price gouging charlatan take you for a ride!” Flim announced. Flam just gasped dramatically.

“Charletan!? How dare you!” Flam replied dramatically.

“View must be nice from that glass house of theirs…” Starlight snarked bedore she sighed in resignation and realization. “...wait, don’t tell me…”

Applejack sighed as well. “As my brother might say… E’yup.”

“Can we just like…” Starlight made a gesture with her hand. “...ignore the friendship problem, just this once?”

“Starlight!” Fluttershy gasped, a hand over her mouth with the mare in question looking unrepentant.

“Don’t wag your finger at me Shy. Like… come on, don’t tell me you’re all thinking it!”

“I’m still gonna try to help. Call it my duty as a Kamen Rider,” Tom replied. “...Not to mention one or both of them might be Another Riders.”

“Whatever rubs your rhubarb, Dudley Do-Right,” Applejack sighed. “You sound like such a colt scout. Though, I admit, when you put it that way… you have a point.”

“...hey, wait… anyone seen Trixie?” Fluttershy piped up.

“Is she gambling? She did say she needed a new wagon. Is she asking if Lady Luck might make the dice stay hot?” Starlight asked, looking around.

Only to see Trixie looking longingly up at a poster of a strangely familiar looking stallion in a top hat, reaching out as if to touch him.

“So you were here… if Trixie can solve this friendship problem, might she able to see you again?” Tom heard her ask, sadly.

“You know him?” Tom asked. Trixie just yelped, hiding herself in her cape.

“Uh, well…he’s a fellow practitioner of the arcane arts! Trixie was just sizing him up!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached peak tsundere…” Tom rolled his eyes.

“...now, the Great and Powerful Trixie and her entourage will solve this friendship problem!” Trixie boasted, somehow lit by a holy backlight with Tom covering his ears again. “Trixie will get rich off your applause and the feeling of being a good pony or get busted!”

“Argh! The only thing you’re gonna be busting is my eardrums at this rate!”

“Tell you what, I think we should split up to cover more ground,” Starlight suggested.

“Great idea.” Tom said. “You take Trixie and go over there. Far, FAR over there. And over there has to stand for itself and speak for itself.”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “Come on, Trixie.”

Trixie simply flourished her cape and followed Starlight.

“Thank Gaim…” Tom grumbled. “So, looks like it’s up to us to solve the problem and get those two to mend their relationship.”

”Are you sure you didn’t have any ulterior motives? Now I’m not exactly the Princess of Love, but even I can tell those two have a little thing for each other,” Applejack said. “Are you playing matchmaker, Tom?”

“Er…actually I kinda just wanted to get away from those two for a bit, any potential face-sucking between them is a coincidence.”

“...so, what do you think we should do first?” Fluttershy said. “I mean, I’m okay with whatever you two decide…”

“I think the best approach is to go talk to them directly and get the story.” Tom said.

“In that case, I think I’ll go mosey around the casino myself,” Applejack said. “No offense, sugarcube, but if I’m around those two much longer I may do something all of us’d regret.”

“Hey, if you see anyone handing out lotus flowers… don’t take them no matter how purdy they make your mane look!” Tom said.

Applejack rolled her eyes as she took off in another direction away from the Flim-Flam brothers. Tom and Fluttershy both looked at where the two were arguing and noticed a third stallion, an older one with a large coif and a fancy suit, standing in the middle.

“You think that guy might know something?” Tom asked. Fluttershy nodded as they began to approach, clutching onto his arm nervously. “I dunno, I’m going to take a wild guess, and I’m just spitballing here but a guy in a fancy suit looking all important is usually pretty important. Must be the owner of this place.”

The two approached the well-dressed stallion. “Excuse me, sir - do you mind if we ask you a few questions?” Tom asked politely.

“Hm?” The stallion faced the two. “Well, well, if it isn’t the famous Kamen Rider himself!”

“Wait, you know who I am?” Tom asked.

“Of course! You’ve been all over the papers! Oh, but where are my manners? I’m Gladmane, the owner of this fine establishment,” Gladmane said, rapidly shaking his hand. “And you and this well-dressed lady on your arm must be your heroes’ reward. After all, every knight in shining armor has to have a princess on his arm!”

Fluttershy let out an ‘eep’ and pulled herself away, hiding herself in her wings.

“Now now, don’t be so shy,” Gladmane said. “You should be proud of yourself, young lady, for snagging such an impressive specimen of heroism. And they say chivalry is dead, because you Mr. Rider have been offering your jacket to this young mare, holding the door for her! Welcome, to my fine establishment. I can set you up with the best room in the hotel, the lovers suite with an all access obsidian card to keep you entertained for days! That is… if you’re even interested in leaving your room with how in love you two seem to be!”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Tom said. “I’m dating someone else.”

“Well, now, I would advise you young man for this not to get back to your real girlfriend. It’s okay, we all succumb to temptation, and I can’t blame you with how pretty this mare is! Like an angel from heaven!”

Tom just looked ill at the thought and Fluttershy looked actually pretty angry at the thought of him cheating on Twilight.

“I’d never cheat on-”

“Exactly,” Fluttershy said, calmly. “Tom is very happy with his marefriend and I would never dare come between the two of them. Please don’t imply otherwise.”

Gladmane flinched a little from how harshly she was staring was at him, tugging at his tie nervously.

“My deepest apologies to you both, I never meant to offend,” Gladmane quickly backpedaled. “So what can I do for you today?”

“Those two who were fighting in front of you, you know them?” Tom asked. Gladmane sighed sadly.

“The Flim Flam brothers? I sure do. Started working here not too long ago,” the older stallion started explaining. “But to see those two at each others’ throats like this… it breaks my heart.”

“I’m sure,” Tom deadpanned. “Do you know why they started fighting?”

“I can’t rightfully say.” Gladmane replied rubbing his chin in thought. “They may be brothers, but even brothers fight. I think you better get the story from them honestly.”

“Right then… thanks,” Tom said as he and Fluttershy turned away.

“You know what happens in Las Pegasus stays in Las Pegasus!” Gladmane called out, but Fluttershy turned and glared at him. Nervously, he said: “Kidding! Only kidding!”

—---------

“Alright, spill,” Starlight said. “You’re way too eager to be here. You picked out this casino specifically. You don’t care about Flim and Flam, you’re here for another reason.”

“You’re right, Trixie does have her reasons but Trixie isn’t obligated to share them with you.”

“I’m still new to this friendship thing and all, but I’m pretty sure friends share whatever’s bothering them,” Starlight said. “I mean, I’m asking nicely and I’m sure Twilight’s happy I’m asking at all, and y’know not just pulling it out of your mind like I would have used to.”

“Would you really do that to Trixie?”

“Well, Twilight’s not around to lecture me and I’m actually kinda concerned about you Trix…” Starlight trailed off, leaving the threat hanging in the air.

“Trixie thinks you’re a terrible friendship student,” Trixie said. “Trixie thinks you’ve still got a lot to learn about being a better pony.”

“You’re right, I still do have a lot to learn,” Starlight admitted with a shrug. “That’s why I’m still a work in progress.”

“Alright, as Trixie doesn’t want you reading her mind and learning all of the secrets behind her tricks…” the mare said before taking a deep breath and sighing. “Well, Trixie supposes she’ll explain. Trixie has never known her father, Trixie’s never seen him once, not even on her birthdays.”

Starlight winced and squeezed her hand. “Yikes, that’s uh… and I thought I had issues. At least I knew my parents.”

“Trixie’s mom refuses to talk about him, says he’s a stallion of poor character and clams up whenever I ask about him. But Trixie knows who her father is,” the mare said, gesturing to a nearby poster. “He’s in every town I go to. He’s famous. Trixie’s father used to be her idol and the reason Trixie got into stage magic, until I worked out what a poor excuse for a stallion he is.”

“...so you’re here to confront him, no wonder you leaped at the chance to go to Las Pegasus once you found out,” Starlight said, with a sympathetic smile. “Alright, I suppose Flim and Flam can wait.”

“Like Trixie said, you’re a terrible student and Trixie wonders if she’s a terrible influence,” the mare replied. “Trixie says you shouldn’t be such a busybody and mind your own business and focus on the real reason you’re here which are those two characters, those two charlatans.”

“Perhaps,” Starlight said. “But as your friend, I’m thinking I should be supporting you when you need it.”

“Trixie does love loopholes!”

As they walked towards the backstage areas, the dressing rooms and the like they could hear arguing.

“Oh come on, Jack Pot!” the two could hear another stallion complaining. “Look, if you play for another night, I’ll hit you up with the finest suite in my hotel. You’ll basically have your own apartment, it’ll be like living here!”

“I already practically live here, you have me playing a show five nights a week,” Jack Pot said and as Starlight peered around a corner she could really see the resemblance. “I’m tired and what’s worse I don’t get that much time to myself. I need to think up new tricks, folks have seen it all from me. I need to add something new to my act!”

“If it weren’t for me, Jack Pot, you’d still be traveling around the country, playing in carnivals and whatever school would take you to show off to the colts and fillies,” and Starlight could guess this was Gladmane given his logo was everywhere. “I discovered you, Jack Pot. I made you, I can unmake you as well. I could throw you out on the street, there’s always someone wanting to be next in line!”

“Trixie may not like her father,” Trixie whispered. “But Trixie is getting to detest this Gladmane character even more. Thinking of new tricks for your act is half of the fun! You can’t give the crowd the same old same old and expect them to be impressed. Trixie knows they always need the new razzle dazzle!”

“It’s a shame this guy isn’t the friendship problem we came here to solve,” Starlight sighed. “Because I’d looooovee to give this guy the boot. Down with capitalism, down with fat cats. Eat the rich! Everyone should be equal! Nopony should have a higher status than anypony else!”

Trixie was giving her an odd look.

“...sorry, I forgot I’m not that pony anymore. But remembering how corporations tend to control everything was the reason I went into my goth phase. The world seemed so pointless back then, I just wanted to look as depressed on the outside as I was on the inside.”

“That’s not goth, Starlight,” Trixie said. “That’s just being nihilistic. As someone who had her goth phase as well-”

“You had a goth phase?” Starlight blinked in disbelief.

“Trixie made a beautiful pastel goth, if Trixie says so herself,” the mare said. “Trixie, while she didn’t crowd around in graveyards or anything but she wrote poetry and leaned towards dark characters. …actually Trixie thinks she still has some of that poetry at home.”

“You’ll…” Starlight started. “I’d actually like to hear some of it sometime. I’ve always loved poetry, though this really isn’t the time for me suddenly starting to develop a keen interest in you.”

“Keen interest?” Trixie leaned in curiously.

“I’m pan,” Starlight admitted. “And the idea of you reading really dark beautiful gothic poetry to me is making me crush on you so hard right now…”

“...just curious, but did your idea of everyone being equal to you involve equally shared relationships?”

“That’s not communism, that’s just community,” Starlight said with a drawl in her voice. “Now hush, I’m trying to listen to what else they’re saying!”

“I don’t rightly care if you fire me. Actually, you can’t fire me, I QUIT!” Jack Pot thundered. “Find someone else to be your star attraction, I’ve got a family waiting for me back home that I haven’t seen in years!”

Trixie’s jaw dropped, her eyes growing misty. “He… he remembers me?”

“What’s this now? A family?”

“I have a daughter out there, I’ve been sending her money, keeping her afloat so she can follow in my hoofsteps. I’ve never officially claimed her as my own, I didn’t want her to be in my shadow,” Jack Pot said. “I know I’ve been a terrible father, but I intend on fixing it. Consider this my last greatest trick, my final disappearing act!”

“Oh no, you’re my literal Jack Pot,” Gladmane said, as his body became consumed by a familiar dark energy. “You’re making me richer every day, I can’t let you leave just yet. Forget six nights a week, you’ll be here for eternity!”

“Wizard!” the dark ridewatch growled as Gladmane morphed into a twisted parody of the Rider, flames burning away to reveal his form.

“Run, go get Tom, go find him,” Starlight said, shoving her friend away as her horn started to glow. “I’ll hold him off.”

“Hell no, you go get Tom,” Trixie said. “Trixie is going to protect her daddy!”

“...?”

“Look, Trixie is unhappy with her daddy leaving her but she’s not particularly happy with Gladmane either. Trixie just has some anger issues to work out okay?”

“I’m sorry Trixie, but…” Starlight said teleporting her away as the mare yelped in shock. “You’re only a stage magician. I’m Twilight Sparkle’s student, and the mare who changed time and made it bow down to my will. Now stand aside, please.”

—---------

Unaware of what was starting to unfold, Fluttershy sobbed into the sink and wasn’t aware she was being pulled into Applejack’s arms until she heard the mare’s voice.

“Hey, you… no, I’m being silly, of course you’re not alright,” Applejack said with a sigh. “Now what’s reduced you to tears, ‘Shy?”

“Gladmane,” Fluttershy said with a whisper, wiping her red eyes. “He… implied me and Tom were in a relationship. We’re not, he’s with Twilight and I’m very happy he is but-”

“I understand, ‘Shy…” Applejack said. “You wish he was with you, right?”

“Y-Yes…” Fluttershy nodded weakly looking up at her, more tears in her eyes. “Is that so wrong?”

Before AJ could answer, she heard the sounds of screams.

“Hold that thought, ‘Shy will you for a moment? From the sounds of it, it’s a good thing we came along. Sounds like somepony’s going to have to be introduced to Kicks McGee.”

Never a dull moment, the mare thought to herself.

—---------

Starlight threw up a shield even as the Another Rider conjured a series of burning knives, letting the storm of blades bounce off her shield. Then she saw it, a rising wave rushing through the room washing away anyone in its path.

The shield cracked but didn’t shatter under the tsunami, only for the ring bearing wizard to scan one of his rings on his belt.

“Explosion, please!”

Starlight felt the shield shatter and felt herself thrown backwards into the theater, seats crushed underneath her. The dragonic Another Rider chuckled, scanning two more spells.

“Portal, please! Big, please!”

A portal opened underneath her, and the Another Rider sent his foot through it even as his foot grew to an impossible size. Starlight rolled out of the way even as a bright light filled the room.

As the light faded, she saw the same rider from before, G-Den-O holding up the massive foot.

“Explosion, please!”and as the spell erupted all around them, G-Den-O tackled Starlight out of the way.

Their helmet shattered and Starlight’s eyes widened.

“No… it can’t be you…” she whispered in horror. “But you’re…”

Even as the helmet repaired itself, Starlight’s eyes stayed wide and almost blank in shock.

—---------

“TOM!” Trixie said, being teleported right on top of the man. “Oh, Trixie is so sorry, but you need to transform now! Gladmane… he’s one of them!”

“One of what?” Tom said, able to barely hear.

“YOU KNOW WHAT!” Trixie barked. “Starlight teleported me away, just because she thought I can’t protect myself from a ring bearing magician! Oh, when I get my hands on her…”

“Wait, ring bearing magician?” Tom asked before his eyes narrowed and he said: “Another Wizard.”

“He certainly is, and a shoddy one at that!” Trixie said indignantly.

“Just…show me where they are. Preferably with your inside voice.”

The two ran towards the backstage areas, but as they did, they saw mobs of ponies fleeing for their lives from something.

“Another Wizard’s probably going on a rampage!” Tom shouted, as he produced his Driver and RideWatch. “Trixie, you stay back and-”

“No! The Great and Powerful Trixie has too much stake to just sit out!” Trixie yelled back.

Just then, Applejack and Fluttershy came running towards them.

“What the hay is goin’ on?” Applejack asked.

“Another Wizard’s going nuts backstage,” Tom explained. “Gonna go fix that. HENSHIN!”

Tom quickly transformed into his Rider form as he ran backstage to see Another Wizard corralling the performers with fiery sigils all over the ground.

“Now you all BELONG TO ME FOREVER!!” Another Wizard snarled.

“Holy crap, man, haven’t you ever heard of fire safety before?” Zi-O quipped as he quickly shot the overhead sprinklers to make them start spraying everywhere. “Smokey would be ashamed!”

“Ah, the Rider… I wish it didn’t have to come to this, you know. Having the Kamen Rider enjoy his time at my lovely establishment would have been such a good draw.” Another Wizard said with another growl.

“...you’re that asshat with no sense of relationship boundaries from earlier!” Tom said, firing his gun only for the Another Rider to send the shots flying every which way with gusts of wind.

“Hey now, this place ain’t quite right for a big show like this… let’s make things more interesting!” Another Wizard said and placed his hand over the skeletal hand on his belt.

“ENGAGE, PLEASE!” The Another Rider’s belt announced as a large portal appeared under not just him, but Tom, the trapped performers, and Tom’s approaching friends as well.

“What!?” Tom couldn’t react fast enough before he was dragged through.

—---------

When the group came to their senses, they found themselves on what appeared to be a giant casino table.

“Okay, this is getting weird, even for my standards,” Tom said. “Is this supposed to be his Underworld or something?”

“The… The underworld? Are we dead?” Trixie squeaked, spinning on a wheel even as knives began embedding themselves all around her. “Trixie’s still too young and too pretty to die! Not to mention too mad at her father!”

“Will you hush?” Applejack said. “We’re probably just in his personal dimension or something.”

“Oh, you could say it’s the Underworld alright…ha ha ha…” Another Wizard’s voice came from everywhere.

More light filtered in as they saw the performers being tortured on various casino themed traps.

“Father!!! Starlight!!!” Trixie shrieked as she saw both her father and Starlight tied up above a giant pit of sharks, with a roulette wheel above being the only thing keeping them tethered.

“Cliche as shit,” Tom said with a sigh, feeling so exhausted from the events of today. “Let them go, Gladmane!”

“Oh come on, the fun’s only just started! Let’s spin the wheel and see which of them gets to live, and which of them gets to be shark food!” Gladmane said with a laugh.

“Stop!” Tom said as he ran towards the shark tank only to be repelled by a blast.

“Oh, did I forget to mention our special guest performers tonight? Give it up for Kamen Rider Lupin!”

Tom’s assailant showed himself, blowing smoke off his golden gun. His outfit was like a stereotypical phantom thief, only covered in gold and gems. Bowing, the rider flourished his billowing black cape.

“Aren’t you supposed to be robbing this place?” Tom said, tilting his head. “Stealing his heart? …no wait that sounds like you’re making him fall in love with you. You’re supposed to be stealing from this place, not playing assistant. What next, are you going to get put in a bunny outfit?”

“But that’s not all, we’ve got the ninja knowhow from Kamen Rider Fuuma!” The twisted pony-turned-monster announced loudly as a series of kunai flew towards Tom. Tom quickly rolled out of the way, drawing his gun again.

“And last but certainly not least, riding the rails in from who-knows-when is Nega Den-O!”

A sword slashed Tom across the stomach, and he gasped in pain as the purple rider stepped forwards, looking like the original Den-O but covered in light blue flame artwork.

“So…a hat trick of Dark Riders…” Tom groaned.

“Play fair, ya creep!” Applejack yelled.

“Ah, ah, ah!” Another Wizard chided as he snapped his fingers.

“BIND, PLEASE!” A sigil appeared beneath Applejack, and she was rooted to the spot by black chains.

“The audience shouldn’t be participating in this…you can just watch the great show I’ve prepared! It’ll be your last, after all!”

Another Wizard conjured rocks and threw them at Tom only for a blue glowing bubble to step between him and Another Wizard. Inside the blue bubble, G-Den-O.

“What do you want…?” Tom groaned in pain as the dark riders gathered around them. “Can’t you see I’m already having a terrible enough day? I can’t deal with you right now.”

“The same thing you want, I imagine. His watch. And a terrible day you say? Then help me deal with them instead.” G-Den-O said. “Don’t kid yourself though, kid. This is only temporary.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know how this whole bit works.” Tom said as he got to his feet.

“Well, it seems our show has met an unexpected interruption, but the show must go on! Let’s see if you two can handle my Dark Riders all at the same time!”

“We can’t fight him here,” G-Den-O said. “This is his world.”

“But we can’t just leave everyone else here to be tortured either,” Tom said back. “We need a strategy… A plan of attack!”

“Relax kid, once he’s dealt with, everyone will be put back to where they were,” G-Den-O said. “I have a plan of attack. It’s called attack.”

“You think so, huh?” Another Wizard interrupted. “Well, let’s see how you fare when your precious friends become a shark snack!”

Another Wizard cut the rope holding Jack Pot, as he fell to the tank where the sharks happily jumped for joy…

“No! Father!!!” Trixie said, unable to look.

“And now, your friend here is next…wait, what!?” Another Wizard looked only to see Starlight was already gone.

Starlight had teleported, grabbing ahold of Jack Pot and then teleported him next to Trixie.

“Reminder, Princess Twilght’s personal student, dumbass,” Starlight said to the Another Rider.

“Enough! I’m the magician here!” Another Wizard yelled back as a series of fiery sigils formed around him.

“You… you dare to call yourself a magician?” Jack Pot said angrily. “Magicians put on a show to make people smile! All you’re doing is making them cry in fear. You bring shame to our craft!”

“Oh, wah wah,” Another Wizard snarked. “Just shut up and die!”

Then G-Den-O kicked Nega Den-O mid sword swing into the Another Rider, even as Applejack broke free of her chains. Frustrated, Another Wizard fired off all his fireballs, but Tom jumped forth, having used the HibikiWatch to transform into Hibiki Armor. He somehow managed to absorb all the fireballs, drawing them inwards to him.

“Now that’s a spicy meatball!” He said, mimicking a chef’s kiss, before suddenly spitting them all back at Another Wizard.

“ARRGH!!!” The magical monster roared in pain, as he fell to the ground and Tom and G-Den-O launched themselves into a twin rider kick.

The walls between worlds shattered, and they were back in the casino. Them and the Dark Riders.

“Get them!” Another Wizard snarled.

The trio of Dark Riders charged the two heroic Riders, and Tom pulled out a pair of large clubs only for AJ to slam her hoof into the phantom thief-themed rider.

“Now don’t you worry about us Tom, like I said I needed to introduce someone to Kicks McGee!” AJ said, kicking away Nega Den-O as well. “Now they ain’t Another Riders, meaning they’re not bound by their fancy smancy time rules. Meaning… Well, shucks, they’re nothin’ to worry about.”

“Fine, but leave the big boss to me!” Tom said as he used his clubs to launch a large stream of fire at Another Wizard, the bestial Rider countering with his own flame.

Nearby, out of the corner of his eye, Tom saw Fluttershy reappear with white lions and tigers which pounced upon Nega Den-O ripping into his armor with their claws.

“Thank you for your help, my lovely new friends.” Fluttershy said softly, petting a tiger’s head as it let out a loud purr.

Nearby, Tom was locked in a literal fire fight with Another Wizard, both of them spewing intense fire!

“Well, good thing I know a thing or two about sleight of hand!” Another Wizard said as a series of kunai came flying towards Tom’s blind spot. But just as they were about to land, they suddenly stopped in midair.

“Wait, what?” Another Wizard and Tom said in unison. They stopped and noted the kunai were embedded in a dark block.

“Magic 101: Misdirection!” Trixie and Jack Pot said at the same time.

“Y-you!!!” Another Wizard growled but lost his focus enough for Tom to start overpowering him. The Another Rider growled, blowing Tom backwards into some poker tables with a gust of wind.

“Time to bring the house down!” the Another Rider said, causing an earthquake with his ring as rubble fell all around Tom.

The true Rider summoned his bike, letting it expand and started blasting his way through to Another Wizard, finally knocking him to the floor.

“Let’s turn the tables!” He replaced the HibikiWatch with the Ex-AidWatch, transforming quickly.
He then quickly leapt towards the slot machines and tagged them, the machines suddenly pointing towards Another Wizard.

“I always bet on black… no wait, that's roulette,” Tom said with a sigh. “But… Jackpot!”

“Who, me?” the stallion asked even as golden coins belted Another Wizard, flying from the slot machines.

“Ow-ow-ow-ow!” Another Wizard winced under the assault. “You little weasel!”

“Hey, I thought you wanted to rake in the big bucks?” Tom taunted. “Either way, your time’s up! Now let’s bring this little show of yours to a close!”

“FINISH TIME! EX-AID!” Tom’s belt announced as a series of word bubble-like projections appeared. Tom repeatedly slammed them with his armor’s hammer fists as he moved quickly towards Another Wizard.

“No, no, no, no, no, NO!!” Another Wizard screamed as he was bombarded by blindingly fast blows.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” Tom said.

With one last uppercut, and an announcement of “PERFECT!”,the Another Rider fell to the ground, his transformation disappearing.

“Game, set, match,” Tom said, snapping his fingers. As Another Wizard’s transformation disappeared, the Dark Riders he summoned went with it.

Tom walked over to the WizardWatch and grabbed it, but G-Den-O pointed her weapon at Tom. She said: “That’s mine. Hand it over.”

“Not happening, lady!” Tom said back. “I don’t know what you want with them, but these are too risky to just let anyone handle!”

“In that case, I don’t have a choice. Apologies, kid.” G-Den-O rushed over to Tom and sucker-punched him in the stomach, making him drop the watch as he doubled over coughing.

Both Starlight and Applejack ran to grab it from the Rider, who vanished as a train rushed past horn blaring.

“Damn it, she got away with another one.” Tom grumbled. “Who even is she anyway?”

After a short while, the casino floor was swarming with police and emergency workers. A familiar face walked over to the group.

“Kamen Rider, I presume?” The officer was yet another of Officer Rights’ many identical siblings.

“Let me guess, your sisters told you about me,” Tom said back.

“Hey, when you’ve got a family in law enforcement, you share info,” The officer shrugged. “We’ve taken Gladmane into custody, and the performers are being looked over by the medics. It’s a good thing no one was hurt very badly.”

“...wait, the staff…” Starlight said, facepalming. “Crapbaskets, like oh cheese and crackers we forgot all about Flim and Flam.”

“Dagnabbit!”

“...can we just like…” Starlight started. “Forget about them?”

“Starlight…” AJ glared at her.

“Fine… fine…” the mare sighed. “But I’m using my Twilight’s personal student credentials to check us all in for a nice massage after this.”

“Well, brother, that was a fine how-do-you-do…” Flim groaned.

“I agree…but did you see that fella in the armor?” Flam replied.

“...you thinking what I’m thinking?” Flim said smiling.

“We make a killing off of Kamen Rider merchandise?” Flam replied, smiling back.

“I’m sorry, brother of mine.” Flim said.

“I’m sorry too…from now on, we’ll make the big bucks the way we know how!” Flam said back as the brothers embraced. The group’s bodies (and Tom’s watch) all glowed, signifying a successful mission.

“Well, mission complete, so sayeth the map,” Starlight said, relief evident in her tone. “Now, who’s up for that massage?”

Tom could only moan in pain, which Starlight took as a yes.

“...Trixie needs a moment, you go ahead.” Trixie said as she looked over to Jack Pot, sitting on a stretcher. The group just nodded, as they grabbed hold of Tom and walked off. Trixie then approached her father.

“...father…I-” Trixie started, but Jack Pot held a finger to her mouth.

“I’m sorry, Trixie. I didn’t want to abandon you like I did…and I don’t have any excuse. I’m a horrible father.” Jack Pot said.

“...daddy…” Trixie sobbed. “I missed you!”

She hugged her father tightly.

“I missed you too, my little showstopper,” Jack Pot said, returning the embrace. “We’ve got some catching up to do.”

Just then, a piece of paper fell from Jack Pot’s pocket. Trixie recognized it.

“That…that’s one of my flyers,” Trixie said.

“I make sure I keep one for all of your shows. Even if I can’t be there, I know you’re doing great as the Great and Powerful Trixie. You’re my daughter, after all!”

Trixie smiled, tears still in her eyes. Just then, another stallion in a magician’s outfit came up.

“Jack, are you okay?” The other stallion asked.

“Wait, uncle Bucks?” Trixie asked.

“That’s right, Trixie.” Jack Pot said as Big Bucks put his hand on his shoulder.

“...ohhhhh… guess that’s another thing we have in common then…”

—-------

Back in Ponyville, Spoiled Rich was pacing around in her room. She couldn’t get the Riders out of her mind.

“Those two menaces have done nothing but cause trouble since they arrived! What’s more, they’ve corrupted my little Diamond, too! How am I supposed to make her into a respectable member of high society? And how am I supposed to get her married off to a rich noble if she keeps rebelling against me?”

“Of all the candidates for Another Riders I’ve met, you have to be one of the worst,” A voice came out of nowhere.

“Who-” But before she could say anything else, she saw a black and green masked figure, followed by a sharp stabbing pain in her stomach. She looked down and saw that the masked cretin had somehow shoved something inside her via a dark portal.

“Show everyone the meaning of true betrayal, Another Blade.” The masked figure said as he disappeared as quickly as he arrived. Spoiled fell to her knees as she groaned in pain…but the pain soon turned to a sense of euphoria.

“I see now… if there is a way to get those filthy monkeys out of our town, then I will have to do it myself!” She said, starting to laugh madly…

Just outside the window, on a branch, a familiar human with a camera observed, as he snapped a picture.

“Looks like it’s time for the kid to get an upgrade…” He pulled a strange, elongated RideWatch from his pocket…

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait, Chapter 12 is now out.

Special thanks to the Bricklayer for their amazing assistance!

Chapter 13: The Great Card Battles

—----

“Ugh…damn, it’s so boring around here,” Anton groaned. He had been under ‘house arrest’ so he would recuperate from his injuries…and so he wouldn’t go after Starlight Glimmer.

“Complaining about it isn’t gonna do anything, Anton,” Bon Bon said. She and Lyra had taken a custodial role over him, albeit reluctantly on her part.

“I hate this. I really, REALLY hate being stuck here while the ‘hero king’ gets to go around and pick up as many RideWatches as he damn well pleases!” The rebellious Rider slammed his fist against the wall. Bon Bon just rolled her eyes.

“You make it sound like he’s playing PokeMane or something,” the confectioner said.

“He may as well be! And you and Lyra just keep me here! Why!? What did I ever do to you!?” Anton raged before he winced in pain.

“Nothing,” Bon-Bon said. “It’s what you’re doing to yourself, that’s why you’re here. You need to rest up, and heal.”

“Screw that! I’ll heal when I’ve done what I need to do!”

“Oh for the love of… Lyra, we’ve got a code rowdy here!” Bon Bon called down the hallway. “He thinks he’s a badass!”

“Coooming!~” Lyra’s voice rang out as she came to the room. She locked eyes with Anton.

“Urk…” Anton just stopped. “No, I’m not letting you get the better of me this time!”

“Lyra, proceed with puppy-dog eyes manuever 12,” Bon Bon said, Lyra saluting as she cleared her throat and proceeded to make an exaggerated sad face at Anton.

“...gah, alright, alright! Just put that thing away before you give me insulin shock or something!” The Rider just sat down, embarrassed. Lyra just giggled.

“Come on, it can’t be that bad, staying here,” Lyra said.

“Lyra, I’m supposed to be out there fighting monsters and stuff! It’s literally in my blood!” Anton said, almost sounding like he was whining.

“And if you WERE to go out there your blood wouldn’t be in you for much longer,” Bon Bon said. “Do we need to tie you to the bed or an- Wipe that look off your face, Lyra. Anton, you’re not getting out of the house until you’re healed.”

“Yes, moooooom,” Anton said with the sarcasm of a thousand disaffected teenagers.

“It’s like I’ve become a parent to a moody teenage colt,” Bon Bon said, rolling her eyes. “If I wanted your attitude, I could have gone to the orphanage.”

“Imagine, Bonnie,” Lyra said. “Us, being parents. I just didn’t think it’d happen this soon! I haven’t even put a ring on your finger yet!”

Bon Bon facepalmed. “It’s a figure of speech, Lyra.”

But their banter was interrupted by a beeping noise coming from another room.

“Excuse me, Lyra and I have to take this,” Bon Bon then rushed Lyra and herself out of Anton’s current room and into what appeared to be a bathroom. The mirror in there was pulsing with a glowing light. She reached out and touched the mirror.

“Agent Sweetie Drops and Deputy Agent Lyra Heartstrings reporting, sir,” Bon Bon said to the mirror, which began to show a stallion in a darkened room. “Red is still contained, though his attitude is increasingly uncooperative. Not to mention grating…”

“All in service of protecting our country, Agent. Have you gotten any more information about these ‘Another Riders’ at all?” The mirror-stallion asked.

“No, sir. Anton doesn’t seem to know anything about them other than they’re made from those RideWatch devices, and that doppelgangers of several known criminals and threats are distributing them.”

“I see…it seems there was a disturbance in Ponyville recently, as well as an incident in Las Pegasus involving the Another Riders. Agent Sweetie Drops, you have your standing orders; investigate any possible leads to finding those doppelgangers and stop them from passing out any more RideWatches…and keep that boy from doing anything daft, please.”

“I assume you’re talking about me,” Anton staggered in, clutching his side and using another hand to support himself by gripping the doorframe. “Or that other idiot, calling himself the king of heroes?”

“Huh…you know, I’ve never actually heard him call himself that,” Lyra said. “You sure you didn’t just hear him say something else?”

“You’re supposed to be in bed!” Bon Bon said with a hiss.
“Bite me. Also, Mr. Mystery, I hope you’re not thinking of trying to keep me here for much longer… my issue is with Starlight and those Dark Riders, so don’t get in my way! And if you try to Men in Black me, I’ll break your hand.”

“Believe me, you have no idea what we’re capable of. Don’t underestimate us, Rider.”

Anton rolled his eyes. “Blah blah blah. How about you come here in person and I can show you exactly who you’re messing with-”

“Anton, ENOUGH!” Bon Bon yelled. “Go back to your room and STAY THERE!”

“Yeah yeah, I’m going, but if you seriously need any help figuring out what’s trying to kill you scared little girls toys, you should just ask me. Hello, Rider here?” Anton said, doing jazz hands before heading back to bed. “Honestly…”

“...he seems to be in better spirits than before. At least we got some more actual conversation before he started resorting to threats this time.”

Bon Bon sighed, pinching between her eyes. “It’s been a work in progress.”

“Deputy Agent Heartstrings,” the stallion said. Lyra just stood at attention. “Do what you can to get information out of him about anything related to the Another Riders.”

“Yes sir!” She saluted and walked out of the room.

“Sir, I believe I’m more than capable of extracting the information we need,” Bon Bon replied.

“Unfortunately, it seems this situation will require a different approach than usual,” the stallion explained. “Especially since we might actually need him soon enough.”

“Hm?” Bon Bon asked.

“You have your orders. Command out.” The stallion said as the image disappeared, leaving only Bon Bon’s normal reflection.

“I hate my life sometimes… I really do.”

—--------

Outside, Tom and Twilight were spending a bit of time by themselves, at the insistence of all their friends.

“All our friends have turned into shippers,” Tom lamented silently, still unable to work up the nerve to say much.

“Um…so…how did things go in Las Pegasus?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Er…well, it wasn’t exactly my idea of a good time.”

“I’m sorry…the map has a mind of its own, it chooses who goes where,” Twilight said. “I wish I could have gone myself.”

“I did miss having you there,” Tom said.

“I missed having you here,” Twilight replied as they began to get closer…but they both pulled away.

“...I really suck at this, huh?” Tom sighed.

“We both do…” Twilight also sighed.

Tom was about to reply but he noticed something in a bush nearby.

“Just a moment, Twilight.” Tom pulled out a small red watch. He pressed it and it unfolded into a small mechanical bird.

“You know what to do,” He pointed at the bush. The bird flew into the bush, and a yelp of fear came out as Pinkie Pie and Rarity fell out of the bush, having been spying on them.

As the little bird kept pecking at the ponies heads, Twilight rolled her eyes. “Pinkie, Rarity, I appreciate the concern, but this is just creepy.”

“Well, pardon us for wanting to see you two happy together,” Rarity said indignantly. “Really darling, was that really necessary? Oww, stop it! He’s pulling at my mane, do you know how long it takes to style this every morning?”

“TakaWatch, return.” Tom bade the bird to return with a snap of his fingers, it flew back and folded back into a watch. He just looked at the two interlopers with crossed arms and an annoyed expression.

“Neither of us has had any real experience with this kind of thing before, you know that,” Tom said. “Let us figure it out on our own, please.”

“But we just want to help!” Pinkie squeaked. Twilight walked over to the two and hugged them gently.

“I know you two mean well, and Tom and I both appreciate and understand that,” Twilight said. “We’d just appreciate some actual time to figure things out for ourselves.”

“...very well, darlings, we will relent,” Rarity said. “But please do let us know if you need us.”

“Yeah! We want you two to be happy!” Pinkie chimed in. “Well, I want everyone to be happy, but I want you two to be super extra happy!”

Tom sighed a bit. “Thank you, both of you,” he said. “Twilight, I think maybe we should head back to the castle for now.”

“Yes, that sounds good. See you two later,” Twilight said as the two made their way home.

A few moments later, as Rarity was re-straightening her mane, Pinkie decided to speak up.

“I think maybe we overdid it this time,” Pinkie said.

“You may be right…I got so caught up in the idea of those two that it made me act foolish.” Rarity said back.

“Well, we’ll just have to make it up to them somehow!” Pinkie said, beginning to bounce a bit.

“Let’s just leave them for- wait, what is that?” Rarity looked towards the town and noticed that ponies were beginning to attack each other.

“You thought my roses were ugly?” Roseluck shouted, going after one of her fellow flower ponies. “How about I make your lilies look even worse! My roses are the best in town!”

Everypony else nearby wasn’t much better.

“Oh oh, a tiff! How terribly uncouth of them all! My goodness! Has the town gone mad!?”

Pinkie could only wince as the carnage began to unfold. “I don’t suppose we could go after Tom in this case?”

“I think he’d understand if it were an emergency… and I dare say, this qualifies.”

Pinkie and Rarity nodded at each other as they ran towards Twilight’s castle to alert them of the potential threat.

—--------

“...wait, what’s going on outside?” Bon Bon said, as she looked up from restocking her store shelves. “It doesn’t sound like one of Pinkie’s parties…”

She peered outside and only twisted a pony’s arm, wrestling them to the ground as they tried to attack her with gardening shears.

“Roseluck?” Bon Bon blinked. “What the…”

She was hit in the face with a muffin, and then another, the baked goods thrown hard enough to bean her in the head.

“...wait, these are Derpy’s muffins… and she’s usually such a nice pony, and she’d never waste them! These aren’t baked goods, these are baked bads!” Bon Bon said. “What’s going on? Roseluck would never even think of attacking another pony, and neither would Derpy, especially with her beloved muffins!”

Written Script and Thunderlane tried to tackle her but Bon Bon leaped into a split kick knocking them unconscious.

“It’s like everyone’s gone insane,” Bon Bon said, as she watched ponies breaking out into various brawls all around her. Wrestling another mare to the ground, she felt a gasp escape her as Applejack kicked her through the window. Display cases shattered even as the mare lassoed her, pulling her forwards.

“That’s enough of that,” Anton said, slicing through the mare’s lasso with his axe, still clutching his side in pain. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but… OWW!”

“You should be in bed,” Bon Bon said.

“I should be paying my rent,” Anton said, throwing his axe like a boomerang and letting it disarm several farmers of their tools. Catching the axe, he sighed. “I know I know, you can yell at me later but are you really going to complain when I’m apparently one of the only ones not affected by… whatever this is?”

“Point,” Bon Bon said. “It’s almost like they’re in a battle royale… Last one standing wins…”

“No, not a battle royale…” Anton said as a look of dawning realization, and then dread crossed his face. “A battle fight.”

“Those two things mean the same thing… right?”

“Not where I’m from,” Anton said. “You know, for once, I’m not going to complain about the king of the idiots. He’s just what we need today, and I can’t believe I just said that.”

He sighed to himself, shaking his head.

“Round zero… has begun.”

—--------

“What the hell?” Tom said, already having seen the chaos erupting around him, and his eyes widened as he pulled Twilight to the side as a crate full of fireworks went flying.

The fireworks exploded all around them, and his marefriend trapped them all in bubbles before wrapping two of the brawling ponies in purple rope.

“Okay, I’m not Applejack, but those should hold… I think,” Twilight said. “Okay, everyone, remember remember, just remember all you;ve learned from the Friendship Journal! We may fight, but we’re all friends and-”

“Duck, Twilight!” Pinkie shouted, and the two ducked as her party cannon went off sending an attacking pony flying. She wiped a bead of sweat off her face, as she said: “Geez Louise, not even my parties get this wild! Who spiked the muffins!?”

“Yes, this is all getting terribly out of hand,” Rarity agreed, commanding her dresses to wrap ponies tight in their corsets restraining them. “They are getting awfully rambunctious aren’t they?”

“And I think I can see who’s responsible,” Twilight said, pointing to a mare in ridiculously top heavy armor, with sunken eyes and a buzzsaw attached to her sword.

“One day off… just one,” Tom said, looking skywards as he pulled out his driver. “Is that too much to ask?”

“Look at this way, you’ll have a fun story to tell the kiddos!” Pinkie said, using a rubber chicken to knock out some brawling ponies. Both Twilight and Tom blushed, unable to look at the other.

“RIDER TIME! Kamen Rider: Zi-O! Armor Time: Agito!” the Space-Time Driver said as Tom went on the offense, punching the Another Rider several times before kicking her away. Pulling out a blue halberd, and letting it unfold, the Rider took up a fighting stance.

Striking with the weapon, his unusually top-heavy opponent blocked each strike with her sword moving a lot faster than her heavily armored appearance would suggest. And any strikes Tom did manage to land, didn’t really do much thanks to her heavy armor.

“I guess I’ll try this then!” Tom said, switching watches.

“Armor Time: Build!” the Space-Time Driver said, and he pulled out his drill weapon letting it spin up and thrust it forwards. This time, Another Blade did let out a yell of pain though she was soon knocking the weapon out of Tom’s hands with her own sword.

“Here’s hoping the third time’s the charm then…”

“She really seems to dislike you, Tommy!” Pinkie said. “It’s like she’s after you in particular, she went straight after you as soon as she saw you.”

“Armor Time: Gaim!”

Cracks appeared, vines lashing at the Another Rider who charged up energy in her sword and slashed, knocking him out of his Rider form.

“Tom!” Twilight said, rushing to his side even as her boyfriend rubbed his head, having hit a ramen bar.

“Ouuuuuuchhhhh,” Pinkie winced. “That looked like it hurt!”

The only one at the bar was another human, who’d seemed completely oblivious to the chaos, looked up from his noodles. A unicorn, with pink fur looked incredibly annoyed.

“Can’t anypony catch a bite to eat around here?” the stallion, with streaks of gray in his brown mane said with a heavy Japanese accent. A magenta camera dangled from a lanyard on his chest.

Tom’s eyes widened as he recognized the stallion.

“And who are you supposed to be?” Another Blade said.

“Nobody in particular,” the stallion said, pulling out a card with a barcode on it. “I’m just passing through, and I have to ask, is this town always this crazy? Or did I just arrive on a particularly bad day?”

“Nope, it’s… actually pretty much always like this actually come to think of it,” Pinkie said in thought. “Oh, I like your camera and your coat though! It’s pink like me!

“It’s magenta,” the stallion said, for the most part incredibly nondescript even as he was slipping the card into a device on his belt. A driver. And then his disguise dropped, shimmering and flickering out of existence to reveal his humanity.

“Kamen Ride: Decade!” the belt said, as multiple silhouettes converged on the rider forming his armor. Piercing emerald eyes stared the twisted parody down, as the rider pulled out a gun.

Firing several shots, rolling to the left to dodge a sword slash, the Rider continued on his assault firing off several more rounds.

“Why don’t you dance with me for a while?” Decade asked, no longer another face in the crowd. “Dance with the devil for a bit eh?”

Slipping another card into his driver, he turned into an exact replica of the original Kuuga.

The red and gold rider punched and kicked the Another Rider, twin golden horns like stag beetle pinchers erupting from his helmet. Grabbing a hold of the Another Rider with his hands, Decade as Kuuga headbutted the twisted parody.

Spinning and elbowing the Another Rider to keep her off balance, he slammed his hoof into her own. Mid-attack, he changed forms again, this time turning into the original, true Kamen Rider Blade.

Drawing his sword, he slashed the Another Rider several times and these slashes more than anything else seemed to do the most damage.

“Fight fire, with fire, after all,” Decade as Blade said. “I’m not the original, but I’ll substitute while he’s wandering the earth with his boyfriend. Such a pain… I thought I was done with this hero business.”

Striking the Another Rider again, he shook his head.

“You know, in my time… they had a name for me. I doubt you know it, so I’ll let you in on what they call me. The Destroyer of Worlds, and that includes yours.”

Twilight swallowed. “...is… do you…”

“Not unless I have to, and I hate doing it,” Decade as Blade said. “I’m supposed to be retired, but all of this came up and I saw the kid getting his ass handed to him like a schoolboy getting beaten up by a bully. I hate bullies, and I really hate seeing my family getting his ass handed to him AND looking like a chump. He’s not supposed to be a jobber, that’s Kurokage’s and Specter’s jobs.”

Decade then pulled out a strange looking RideWatch that didn’t just have his picture on it- it resembled his armor somewhat.

“Hey, kiddo! Let’s play tag like we used to!” Decade said as he started running towards the Everfree.

“What? Gramps, wait!” Tom started to run but hesitated. “If I go after him now…”

“Tom, go after him,” Twilight said. “I think I know what your grandpa is thinking anyway! Get Another Blade out of Ponyville, lessen the effects of her powers right? We can handle these guys here.”

“Are you sure?” Tom asked. Twilight gave him a thumbs up, just like the one he showed her.

“...not bad.” Tom said as he turned to chase the passing through Rider.

“Your marefriend is pretty smart,” his grandpa said. “I can see why you like her, she reminds me of Natsumi. She clearly holds onto your brain cell.”

“Wait, where is he going!?” Another Blade roared. “That little delinquent isn’t getting away from me!”

“...wait a tick,” Tom said, snickering a little at his own bad pun. “I recognize that voice! I thought she was back to shouting at managers these days.”

“I’ve been given the power I need to make this town what I want it to be- what it rightfully should be! I only need the best of ponies living here- and ONLY ponies!” She declared but was met with an arrow shot from the approaching Anton.

“Racist much?” Anton said, prepping another shot. “Go get your mid-season upgrade, hero king.”

“Okay, why does he keep calling me that?” Tom thought before he shook his head and chased after Decade.

“No! I will not allow you to escape!” Another Blade started to pursue Tom herself, Anton firing a few more arrows to make her stagger before she was out of sight.

“Hope the idiot can remove whatever gigantic stick is in her ass,” Anton sighed. “Now then, let’s clean things up here.”

He pulled out the BaronWatch and used it to summon his BaronArmor. Pinkie saw this and yelled “Banana!?”

The shout echoed across the town square, everyone turning to stop and stare at the rider.

“That’s Baron!!!” Anton replied as the giant metal banana unfolded into his armor, but shook his head. “... Right, note to self. Need to learn to NOT do that.”

Then he clutched his side in pain, his transformation falling.

“Son of a bitch!!” He tried again to stand. Bon Bon stood over him.

“That’s enough! You’re coming back with-” Bon Bon said but was cut off by another crazed pony trying to swing a chair at her.
“And it’s Flash Sentry with a steel chair!” Lyra said

“Yoink!” Anton escaped her grasp and began running towards the battle again, gritting his teeth as he tried to endure the pain.

—-----

Decade swiftly darted and weaved through the trees, keeping an eye on his grandson as he…tried. He could only wince when the younger Rider tripped over a root.

“Yikes…” He said to himself, but noticed that Tom not only got back to his feet but was gaining fast by using the OOOArmor to leap above the trees.

“I’ve got you in my sights, Gramps!” Tom yelled as he attempted to overtake his magenta precursor.

Decade didn’t say anything, but pulled a card from his case and inserted it into his belt, then folded the case into gun mode.

“ATTACK RIDE: BLAST!” Decade fired a volley of shots near Tom, nearly missing him but getting close enough to make him lose his balance. His grandpa leaped towards him, changing his weapon into its sword form and locking his blade with Tom’s claws.

“If you want this, you gotta work for it!” Decade said. “Show me what you can do as a Rider!”

Tom shoved Decade away and took out another watch twisting it.

“Sword VS Sword… gonna have to upstage you!” He quickly turned into GaimArmor and pulled out a pair of Daidaimaru blades.

“Oh, Gaim? I can do that too,” Decade said arrogantly as he slotted a card into his belt.

“KAMEN RIDE: BUJIN GAIM! The Path of Heresy: To the Stage!” Decade’s belt announced as he had assumed a form resembling the original Kamen Rider Gaim.

“Let’s see just who’s stage this really is!” The two stared each other down in a manner resembling a samurai duel, leaves blowing in the wind.

“Nice touch, Equestria,” Decade said as he made the first move and charged at Tom, brandishing his blade. Tom caught the blood orange blade between his two, but Decade was still pushing Tom backwards, sparks flying as their blades ground together.

“Come on, I know you can do better than that!” Decade said. Tom said nothing, and mustering all his power, pushed Decade off him before pouncing.
“That’s more like it!” Decade said as he rolled out of the way and slotted another card into his belt.

“ATTACK RIDE: Musou Saber!” A strange sword/gun hybrid appeared in Decade’s hand as he fired a few shots.

“They say don’t bring a blade to a gun fight… I say, bring both!” Decade said, before slamming both weapons together.

He swung them slicing through the air, launching several blades of energy that Tom cut through. Then Decade spun, a manifestation of a blood orange slice forming all around him and erupting outwards. Tom leaped over the attack, slashing his predecessor across the chest making him stagger back.

“Yeah, you got it! But let’s see if you’re hardboiled enough to handle this!” Decade pulled out another card.

“KAMEN RIDE: ETERNAL!” Decade’s form shifted to the shape of a white Rider with a billowing cape, blue flames licking at it and the ground.

“Eternal… so I’ll do this!” Tom switched watches again, this time into WArmor.

“Now, count up your sins!” Tom said, mimicking the signature hand gesture.

“Trust me, you don’t have enough time in your lifespan…” Decade snarked as he produced Eternal’s signature knife, then vanished with a flourish of his cape.

“Not this again… I already had enough of this back in Las Pegasus,” Tom groaned, keeping his eyes out for any signs of his opponent’s presence.

He stood, keeping his eyes and ears opened…and then quickly turned around and kicked, landing a blow at Decade’s midsection. The rider had been gliding towards him like a massive bat, his cape like wings.

“Impressive!” Decade staggered back. “Good ears.”

“They’re a blessing and a curse… especially when Trixie’s around.”

“We’re not done yet,” Decade pulled out yet another card. This time, a pair of large metal plates appeared and pressed themselves around Decade, before retracting with billowing steam and a small ‘ding!’

“Metal Build now?” Tom asked, as the rider appeared from out of the mold. “In that case…”

Tom took the cue to transform into BuildArmor, his driver letting out a proclamation of: “BEST MATCH!”

“I’ve got the winning formula!” Tom said.

“You sure about that?” Decade replied. “Let’s see if your solution works!”

Tom spun up his drill, using it to rip through trees sending them toppling down all around his grandfather. Decade simply burst through the trees, throwing them away in a show of his strength.

“Tut tut, I thought I taught you better than to go around deforesting places,” He said, slotting in another card. “Just think about the poor birds who nest in those trees, they’re homeless now.”

“ATTACK RIDE: DRILL CRUSHER!” A drill-like sword appeared in his hands as he lunged at Tom, piercing through any additional debris. Tom did a similar thing with his own drill, as the two weapons met in the middle. The two Riders pushed at each other, until Decade’s drill slipped and Tom struck him in the shoulder.

“Damn… getting a bit sloppy in my old age,” Decade said. “You’re not bad at all, kid.”

He undid his transformation and tossed him the promised upgrade.

“So this is the DecadeWatch?” Tom looked it over.

“That it is. You’re gonna need it right about… now actually,” Tsukasa just said, stepping back out of the way of Another Blade, who had pursued them here.

“There you are! You won’t get away from me!” Another Blade howled.

“Alright, gramps, let’s see what your watch can do!” Tom reverted to normal Zi-O before inserting the new watch. Spinning his driver, a series of holographic armor parts appeared around him before locking onto him, the most notable being a strange monitor in front of his face.

“ARMOR TIME! Kamen Ride: WOW! Deca-Deca-Decaaaaade!” The belt sang. Tom just groaned - of course Decade just had to be a bit extra.

“You think changing into an even more ridiculous costume will help you?” Another Blade scoffed.

Tom said nothing and held his hand to his side. “RIDE HEISABER!” A new sword appeared in his hand.

“Come on, lady - I’m calling your bluff!”

Another Blade rushed at Tom, swinging at him wildly. Tom blocked the attacks with his sword before kicking her back. The monster then fired a blast of energy from her chest.

“Whoa!” Tom rolled out of the way. “Yeesh, watch where you’re pointing that thing.”

Another Blade then started channeling darkness into her own sword, which she launched as a sonic boom. Tom slashed the attack in half with his own sword.

“I think you bet on the wrong horse this time,” Tom quipped.

“That’s horse racing, not poker…” Tsukasa groaned, facepalming. “Seriously, hire a writer!”

Tom ignored the complaint and began rapidly spinning the watch hands on his sword.

“HEY! KAMEN RIDERS!” The sword said before starting a jingle.

“HEY! SAY! HEY! SAY! HEY! SAY! HEY! SAY! H-H-HEY! SAY!” The sword sang and Tom had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

“Eat this!”

“ULTIMATE TIME BREAK!” The sword announced as a large energy slash came from the sword, following the path of a line of holographic cards.

“AAAAAAH!” Another Blade screamed as she fell to the floor… sparks were coming off her.

Tom pointed his sword at the enemy. “You’ve lost now! Surrender!”

Another Blade just started laughing madly. “You fool…if I can’t have this town for my own…” She pointed up into the sky, with Tom and Tsukasa noticing the presence of a large helix-shaped monolith.

Tom felt a cold chill run down his spine as he remembered the rules of the Battle Fight, and to be more accurate what happened when the Joker Undead was the last one standing. He’d won… but they’d all lost.

“Oh… shit…” Tsukasa said, taking a step back as countless Darkroaches began to spawn from it.

“I will destroy the town myself, and rebuild it in my image!” She got back up and fled towards Ponyville.

“Damn it! Wait!” Tom rushed to follow her, as Tsukasa simply stood there and snapped a picture.

“And like that, I’m leaving this to you, kid- make it count,” Tsukasa said as he simply summoned a shimmering curtain and vanished through it.

—------

Back in Ponyville, the girls and Spike were resting after they managed to pacify the rampaging townsfolk.

“Huff…huff…that’s…that’s the last of ‘em,” Applejack panted.

“Good call on the pacification spell, Starlight.” Twilight said.

“Anytime.” Starlight smiled… but her smile soon turned to fear.

“Uh…Twilight? What are those?” She pointed at the direction of the Everfree to see a horde of monsters rushing towards them.

“...well, horseapples.” Applejack groaned. Within moments, the town was overrun by these creatures, separating the ponies outside and in the middle of the madness.

“Lyra!” Bon Bon called out. “Can you hear me!?”

Lyra heard Bon Bon’s voice and was about to respond, but her mouth was covered by a clawed gauntlet.

“Congratulations, you’ve won our grand prize today.” It was Ouja, as he pulled the struggling Lyra through a dark portal.

“G-get off me!” Lyra struggled.

“Sorry, minty - you’re gonna be working for us in a bit.”

“Do you expect me to talk?” Lyra growled.

“Actually, Ms. Heartstrings, I expect you to Ride.” He said as he produced another watch…

“FAIZ!”

Author's Note

Two chapters in a short time, that's good.

Next time, the battle with Another Blade continues, but a dangerous new foe lurks just out of sight...

Chapter 14: The World of Monsters

Tom, Anton, the Elements of Harmony and Bon Bon were all sitting around the giant table in Twilight’s castle. None of them had said anything though, and the atmosphere was incredibly tense.

The heavy thoughts and feelings swirling in the room created an atmosphere of sorrow and anxiety, with each of them contemplating the situation…

“AAAARGH!” Suddenly, Rainbow Dash roared out. “Somepony SAY SOMETHING already!”

“What do you want us to say, then?” Anton growled. “That we messed up? That an innocent pony got taken to Gaim-knows-where because of our inability to do anything? That we’re not GOOD ENOUGH!?” Anton slammed his leg against the table.

“Whoa, calm down!” Tom asked. But Anton was having none of it.

“You’re just as responsible as I am, kingy boy! Neither of us could do shit!”

“You two, stop it!” Twilight demanded. “This isn’t helping anything!”

Tom and Anton both backed down, Anton looking away.

“Now then…as far as I can tell, wherever they took Lyra isn’t in Equestria…it may not even be on Equus proper, if my theory is correct.” Twilight explained.

“Not on Equus proper? What do ya mean by that?” Applejack asked. “Y’all are tellin’ me there’s more of them alien varmints?” At that, Tom glared at Applejack. “Oh…sorry, sugarcube, old habits and all.”

“...so if we can find out where they’re coming from, we can save Lyra, right?” Bon Bon asked. She hadn’t said much, most of her time was spent staring into space. It was as if Lyra’s kidnapping had also taken a part of her very being with her.

“Yes…but doing so is easier said than done…” Twilight continued. “We’d have to figure out not just where they are, but how to get there…”

“And that’s where I come in to save the day!” A voice rang out as a door appeared above the table, and out came Discord, dressed in a gorilla suit.
“Sorry I’m late, here’s my card.” Discord pulled out a small card and gave it to Twilight.

“...a 5 of Clubs?” Twilight asked. “Discord, this isn’t the time for your shenanigans!”

“Oh, but it is! Especially since I can help you get the mint one back.” Discord said, but was interrupted by shouting and grunting from nearby. It was Anton, who had his ax out, and Bon Bon, who had been holding him back in a Full Nelson.

“Let me go! I’m gonna chop him into his individual parts AND THEN MAKE HIM EAT THEM!” Anton raged.

“He’s not the Discord that-” Bon Bon said but Anton continued struggling, and eventually broke free, lunging at the chaotic being.

Discord chuckled and teleported out of the way as Anton’s missed lunge caused him to face plant into a nearby wall.

“Anyway, Edgy McEdgelord aside, I should be able to help you get to wherever those phonies went.” Discord said.

“And you’re willing to…?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight, I’m hurt. We’re friends now - and I mean actual friends. Fluttershy is still my best friend, of course, but I care about you too…” Discord sighed. “That, and I have my own reasons…”

“Your own reasons?” Tom asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Teaching that bootleg bastard his place, of course!” Discord said angrily. “There’s only one Spirit of Chaos here! Accept no substitutes!” He showed a mark on his foot that looked like a cartoon seal giving a thumbs up. “My seal of approval, everyone!”

Tom just blinked, even as a Kamen Rider and having learned of the crazy things his predecessors dealt with, he was still not used to Discord’s presence.

“Let’s get back on topic- you can help us get to wherever they took Lyra?” Tom asked.

Discord nodded. “The dimensional walls around Equus are actually rather thin- you’re welcome by the way- so I could easily bring one or two of you with me.”

“Then we’ll go.” Twilight said. “Tom and I will go and-”

“Hold it!” Anton barked, having regained his balance. “I’m the one who’s going to save her! And I don’t need some half-baked hero king or his horsey harem holding me back!”
“What did you say!?” Fluttershy, who had been quiet this whole time, stood up in anger. This time, she would use the Stare.

Anton felt it…a heavy sense of shame boring down on him…but he knew those weren’t his own thoughts and smacked himself back to his senses before angrily glaring at Fluttershy.

“Mind control!?” Anton shook his head. “Why I oughta-”

“Anton, enough!” Bon Bon yelled. “This isn’t getting us anywhere!”

Anton growled, but relented and sat back down.

Bon Bon sighed. “Princess Twilight, I can appreciate your willingness to help, but it really should be me and Anton who do this.” She turned to Discord.

“I don’t need HIS help for this.” Anton grumbled. “I mean, I’ve got the Time Mazine - wait, crap!” He quickly shut his mouth.

“Excuse me? ‘Time Mazine’?” Tom asked.

“None of your business. Come on Bon Bon, let’s go do something actually useful.” Anton said as he stood up and walked out.

“Hey, where are you going!?” Bon Bon yelled as she ran after him.

“Whatever the hay he’s hidin’, it’s BIG.” Applejack said. Tom nodded and pulled out the Taka Watchroid again, pressing the button to make it unfold.

“Follow him, but don’t be noticed.” Tom commanded. The bird-shaped robot took to the air, following the rebellious Rider out of the castle.

—------

A short while later, Anton and Bon Bon approached his old hiding spot in the Everfree. Bon Bon looked around, confused.

“So, what’s this Time Mazine thing, anyway?” Bon Bon asked.

“It’s my ride. And our ticket to finding Minty and beating the crap out of the assholes who kidnapped her.”

“And why is it called a Time Mazine? That name makes no sense.”

“Beats me, I didn’t name it.” Anton shrugged. He stopped walking, and looked around.

“Alright, looks like we aren’t being tailed…” He pulled out his personal RideWatch and clicked the button on top of it three times.

“TIME MAZINE!” A voice announced as a large vaguely bike shaped vehicle rose out of the ground.

“...how in Celestia’s name did you manage to hide it like that!?” Bon Bon squeaked.

“Hard work and determination. You coming?” Anton beckoned his reluctant companion to follow as a hatch opened up in the machine’s front, forming a staircase to enter. The two climbed in, and as the hatch was shutting…

“....punch it!” Another voice called out as Tom and Twilight sped forward on his RideStriker, Twilight holding on to Tom for dear life.

“JUMP!” The two leapt into the air and grabbed onto the closing door, Anton furiously trying to make it shut faster.

“What in the absolute Helheim are you idiots trying to pull!?” Anton said angrily, as Tom used the TakaWatch to retrieve the watch that turned into his bike before the hatch was closed.

“Sorry, but I’m a Kamen Rider too, and she’s a government official. We’re coming whether you like it or not.” Tom bluntly explained.

“Argh! Fine, but I’m not responsible for you two!” Anton growled.

“Make that three~!” Another voice came from Tom’s pocket. It was Discord, having taken the shape of a RideWatch himself.

Anton was about to lose it but Bon Bon stopped him. “You’re driving, moron. Dial it down a few hundred notches.”

Anton snarled, but took the helm once again.

“And now, I’ll find out where the destination is with my ultimate decision-making skills!” Discord announced. “Let’s see…eeny, meeny, miny, moe…” The hand part of the watch Discord was currently imitating stretched out and pointed at a specific portal. “There.”

“...are you serious? You just came up with that on the fly!” Anton said.

“No, really! It’s the right way!” Discord said. “I swear on everyone else’s life but mine and Fluttershy’s.”
“...” Anton was unimpressed.

“Alright, fine, if it turns out I’m wrong you get one free revenge swing, okay?” Discord offered. Anton immediately veered towards the portal, causing the others to stumble.

“You’ve got some messed up priorities, man.” Tom said as they came out of the portal.

The time machine soared over what seemed like endless wastes, as the group scanned for any signs of life or activity.

“Wastelands…more wastelands…what the hell happened to this world?” Tom asked.

“You better not have been screwing with us or I’ll-” Anton started but Bon Bon interrupted.

“I can see something! Looks like a city.” She stated. “If it really is enemy territory though, maybe we should park away from it.”

Anton looked around. “Ah, there’s some ruins there. I can park us there, it should be safe.” He veered towards the ruins as the vehicle slowly descended, then landed.

The front hatch opened, with Tom and Twilight accidentally spilling out.

“Oof.” Twilight moaned.

“Suck it up, purple.” Anton said. “We’re on their turf now.”

“That’s a good point, actually.” Bon Bon started. “How exactly are we supposed to even get into the city, let alone find Lyra?”

“I’ll have the TakaWatch scout for a bit, see what I can find.” Tom unleashed the watch-bird as it flew towards the city.

“And now…we wait.”

—------

The expanse of time rolled on for eternity…literally. Hours and hours of sand, building up from people’s memories. On those sands were tracks, and a black time train chugged aong them, adorned with patrol lights.

G-Den-O stared at the endless sands, lost in thought.
“You’re the one destroying our town!” “You’re the bad guy!”

“Have I…gone too far?” She stared down at the two RideWatches she had stolen. “What are these RideWatches to me, anyway?”

She moped, unmoving, until a loud POP came from behind her.

“WAAAGH!” G-Den-O fell on the floor. Behind her was a somewhat androgynous yellow stallion with pink hair wearing baker’s clothes.

“Come on, Boss, you’ve been moping like that since we came back. Have a snack and cheer up!” The stallion held out a plate of vegetables.

“...you know, I’m surprised at how well you’re able to make veggies taste good, Cheese.” She took a piece of broccoli and munched on it.

“I had to learn. Mom loved her treats, but it still weighed on her.” Cheese noted. “And dad wasn’t much better in that regard. So I had to learn to make healthy alternatives.”

They both sighed. “I miss them too, boss.”

G didn’t say anything, but looked at her belt. “I want to make things right, but at this point, I feel like we’re sacrificing the past for our own selfish wishes.”

“I don’t think it’s selfish at all, Boss!” Cheese replied. “But…I do admit there’s probably a better way to do things.”

As they pondered, their train was hit by something! Both of them fell over. “We’re under attack!”

As Cheese ran to the control room, G looked out back and saw a large, formidable crocodile-like train following them!

“The GaohLiner…? I thought they decommissioned that after Gaoh was defeated!” The GaohLiner sped up again and rammed into the smaller train.

“It’s trying to run us off the tracks!” Cheese yelled. “I’ll take the controls, Boss! You go and stop whoever’s driving that crazy thing!”

G quickly transformed and exited the train from a hatch in its roof, then jumping onto the GaohLiner as it came in for another strike. As she did, a series of gatling guns emerged from the roof of the train and fired at her! She strugged to maintain her grip, and stumbled towards the back of the train, only barely hanging on! She was able to pull herself up and enter the train from the back.

“Freeze! Whoever’s operating this train, you’re under arrest for assault on an officer!” G yelled. The driver emerged from the control room, and G was shocked.

“Gaoh! But you…you were erased!” G stammered.

“The old Gaoh, sure.” The crocodile-like Rider said, the voice clearly recognizable as female. “But his powers are mine now.”

“A new Gaoh…either way, you are to stop this train immediately!” G commanded, but Gaoh just laughed and punched her in the stomach.

“Silly little meter-maid.” Gaoh taunted. “I’m afraid that this is the end of the line for you and your buddy.” She picked up G, and climbed onto the roof of the train, throwing her back onto her own train.

She pulled out her GaohGasher and scanned the pass. “FULL CHARGE.” The announcement said.

“In the future, don’t come knocking without a warrant. Oh, wait, I forgot- you don’t have a future!” She swung her sword at the other train as it stalled, while one final smash from the GaohLiner knocked it off the tracks and into the abyssal sands.

“So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good riddance!” Gaoh cackled madly. “Oh right, I should probably get going - wouldn’t want to miss out on the spectacle!” The tracks under the GaohLiner diverged, and it took the new path to an unknown destination…

—-------

“Ah, the TakaWatch is back.” Tom said, as he held out his hand to receive the small gadget. “Now then…” Tom pulled out a small phone-like watch.

“Hey, wait a minute! I had those stowed in there! You…” Anton growled.

“And how exactly was I going to display the data?” Tom noted, Anton just crossed his arms in indignance. “Hmph!”

“Tsunderes…” Tom rolled his eyes as he connected the watches together, and a holographic window appeared.

“What’s this?” Twilight asked.

“Basically, I’m playing back the recording from the watch as it was flying over. What it saw- we’ll see here.”

The group watched the recording carefully. As the TakaWatch managed to get closer, they noticed that the entire city seemed to be inhabited by countless monsters!

“Holy…look at all of them!” Tom yelped.

“Grongi, Dopants, Phantoms, Orphnochs…even some Undead down there.” Anton commented.

But what the recording showed next would utterly sicken them. It looked to be a large sports stadium, and they saw various humans chained to the ground as a giant spider monster came out. The humans struggled as the spider monster drew closer, opening its drooling mandible…followed by a grisly sight that was too much for Twilight to handle.

“Agh! Turn it off! TURN IT OFF!” Twilight freaked out as Tom cut the feed. “That was…horrible!”

“I had no idea our enemies were so…vile!” Bon Bon added. “Even in Equestria things never got to that state!”

Tom sighed. “All those monsters you saw were enemies that other Kamen Riders fought and defeated in the past.”

Twilight and Bon Bon looked at each other worriedly. “So that means the entire city would most likely be inherently hostile to you two.”

“Yeah…so it might be a good idea for us to split up and approach this from multiple sides.” Anton explained. “Purple, you’ve got magic, right? Could you make it so you and Bon Bon are completely gray colored?”

Twilight lifted an eyebrow. “Huh? I mean I can, but…why?”

Tom was wondering too but then his face lit up with realization. “Oh, I get it! If you go into the city while gray, they’ll just think you’re a pair of Orphnochs!”

Bon Bon nodded but Twilight was more hesitant. “You mean we have to go in…there?” She whimpered.

“It’s the best way we’ve got at the moment. As for Anton and myself…” He plugged the TakaWatch back in and spawned a map. “It looks like this is some sort of large compound, potentially their base. We’ll go and attack that from the back.”

Twilight was still hesitant. “I mean…it’s a sound plan from a logical perspective, but…”

“Twilight, please!” Bon Bon pleaded. “This could be the only way we can save Lyra!”

She groaned. “I suppose…alright, let’s get this over with.” She lit up her horn, and a wave of magic swept over her and Bon Bon, turning them completely grayscale.

“Yep, you definitely make convincing Orphnochs…especially Bon Bon.” Anton chortled.

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean!?” Bon Bon whined.

“Save the flirting for later, and let’s go!” Tom commanded. Anton and Bon Bon just froze.

“F-flirting!?” Bon Bon yelped. “B-but I’m with Lyra! And I’m not into stallions!”

“He’s no stallion, I can tell you that.” Tom said tauntingly. “Though he is an ass.”

“Rrrgh…whatever, I’ll kick your ass later.” Anton growled as the groups broke off.

—--------

A few hours later, Twilight and Bon Bon had entered the city and were looking around.

“Remember, Twilight…don’t do anything to draw suspicion to yourself.” Bon Bon said. “That’s infiltration 101.”

“Right. Be as inconspicuous as possible.” Twilight nodded before something tapped her on the shoulder.

“YEEEEEK!” Twilight shrieked as she quickly ducked behind Bon Bon. Bon Bon just groaned.

“Wow, touchy much?” The tapper, a strange humanoid that looked like a minotaur missing a horn, scoffed. “Freaking Orphnochs. Nudge ’em once and they read you the riot act…” He snorted and turned away.

Bon Bon glared at Twilight. “What did I just say?” She said, irritated that their cover was almost blown after only a few minutes.

“I-I’m sorry!” Twilight stammered.

Bon Bon just sighed. “Forget it, it doesn’t look like that guy really noticed.” She looked around and noticed a group of monsters gathered.

“Let’s check it out.” Bon Bon said. Twilight gulped, but followed silently.

Twilight and Bon Bon got closer to the crowd, and what they saw immediately had Twilight cover her mouth…

“Ah, hey girls!” A random monster called out. “Come to see the results of the latest human hunt?”

It was a group of several monsters, emptying large bags of dismembered body parts…Twilight had to do everything she could to refrain from vomiting.

“Yeah, they got a huge haul this time- and apparently they’re gonna start bringing in some new species altogether? I think they called them ‘ponies’ or something…” The monster continued. “Sounds like a good time to me.”

“They’re going to do WHAT!?” Twilight thought to herself.

“Oh, hey!” One of them pointed to a cage-like vehicle. “I think those are today’s entertainment!” Twilight saw a bus full of humans and ponies, beaten and chained. “How long do you think the new meat’ll last?”

“Eh, I’d give 'em 5 minutes, tops.”

Twilight slowly backed away but stumbled on a rock, losing the grip on her magic and undoing the grayscale on her and Bon Bon.

“...well, buck.” Bon Bon sighed as she quickly grabbed Twilight and ran, the monsters chasing them!

The two quickly dove into an alley, hiding under a pile of rubbish to avoid detection. As soon as the mob dispersed, the two reemerged.

“Congratulations, Princess Twilight- you actually lasted a little longer than I thought you would.” Bon Bon said snarkingly. Twilight just frowned.

A hand reached out and tapped Twilight on the back. Twilight was about to shriek again but Bon Bon quickly clasped her hand over Twilight’s mouth. She then turned to see the source of the hand…it was an incredibly disheveled looking human.

“You two…can you help me?” The human wheezed.

—--------

Near the back end of the large city, Tom and Anton, both transformed as Zi-O and Geiz, took the fight to the security around the large compound. The guards were seemingly endless armies of low-level henchmen, but despite their numbers, the Kamen Riders were still easily cutting through their ranks.

“I don’t know why they keep sending these guys out. They’re just kind of annoying at this point.” Zi-O said, as he delivered a left jab to a Dustard’s face, followed by a leg sweep on a small group of Masquerade Dopants. “That got the kinks out,at least.”

Geiz, meanwhile, was hacking his way through with his axe, making enough room for a large attack. “Hey, kingy! If you don’t want to get blown to bits, move your ass!”

Zi-O nodded and hurled himself out of the way as Anton changed his axe into its bow form and loaded the Knight RideWatch.

“KNIGHT! TERMINAL SHOT!” A large bat-shaped energy arrow launched out of the bow, swooping down and carving through the remaining minions.

“Looks like that got the rest of them.” Geiz said as he landed. “Alright, let’s blast this place wide open and get Lyra outta here!”

Before they could, a large train car crashed in the desert behind them, making them both jump.

“Holy- almost scared the Henshin off me!” Zi-O said, trying to regain his composure.

“A time train…at least, I think it’s one. Never saw that one though.” Geiz commented.

“We should check it out.” Zi-O suggested.

“Hey, hey, hey! What about what we’re SUPPOSED to be doing?” Geiz complained, but Zi-O turned to him.

“It’d be in our best interest to go investigate it, especially considering they’ve most likely noticed too.” He pointed to the building they were about to break into.

“...alright, fine. Let’s make this quick.” Geiz sighed as he begrudgingly followed alongside his fellow Rider.

The two opened the door on the side of the train and had a look inside…the lights were out, so Zi-O used OOOArmor to make his way around, while Geiz used KnightArmor.

“You know, I don’t remember Knight having night vision…” Zi-O noted.

“His contract monster is a BAT. It’s echolocation, dumbass.” Geiz replied.

Zi-O rolled his eyes under his mask, and then noticed what looked like people on the floor.

“Hey, I see someone!” He said as he and Geiz ran over.

They saw a pair of ponies- a pink unicorn with orange mane, and a young yellow Earth Pony with a poofy pink mane.

“Huh…the little one kinda looks like Pinkie…” Zi-O noted as he tried to nudge them.

“Hey, are you alright? Can you hear me?” He shook the older mare.

“Ugh…” She opened her eyes, but immediately reeled back when she saw who was above her.

“Stay away from me!” She panicked, as she grasped around for something.

“Hey, calm down, I’m here to help!” Zi-O said gently.

“My flank you are! You’re just here for payback!” She yelled, Zi-O being confused.

“Payback…? For what? I don’t even know who you are.” The rider looked confused.

The mare got to her feet, and glared angrily at Zi-O. “You don’t know?” She pulled out a belt of her own.

“Wait, that’s…oh, that explains who you are.” Zi-O said nervously.

“I’m not going to fail this time…I’ll stop you myself! HENSHIN!” And after scanning her Rider Pass, she took the form of G Den-O.

“Hi-yah!” G Den-O threw a punch, Zi-O quickly moving to the side and grabbing her arm to lock it in place.

“Ok, seriously, what is your deal?” Zi-O asked. “You’ve got something against us, and I don’t even know what! So explain yourself!”

“...fine.” G Den-O calmed down, and undid her transformation. Zi-O did the same.

“Hey, Geiz!” Tom called out. “Over here!”

“He’s here too!?” the mysterious mare was about to transform again but Tom just swiped the Rider Pass from her hands.

“Hey!” She complained but Tom held her at arm’s length.

“None of that. Behave yourself.” Tom commanded firmly. The red Rider walked into the room as Tom was helping the younger pony to stand up.
“So, apparently this one is the G Den-O that’s been giving us problems.” Tom explained, pointing to her with his thumb as she sat there, pouting with her arms crossed. “Don’t know who the little one is though.

“My name is Luster Dawn. That’s Cheese Sandwich Jr, we call him Lil’ Cheese though.” Luster explained.

“Never met either of you before.” Tom said.

“That’d be because neither of us had been born in your time.” Lil’ Cheese explained. “Luster and I come from a future where Ponyville got…” His face turned sad, Luster patting him on the shoulder.

“Wait, what?” Tom asked. “What happened?”

“HE happened!” Luster pointed angrily at Geiz. “One day, he lost his marbles completely and went on a freaking RAMPAGE!”

“Excuse me?” Geiz retorted. “Who do you think you are!? You’re the one who’s been harassing us!”

“Oh, spare me! You’re already jonesing to murder my mom!” Luster yelled before covering her mouth.

“Wait…Starlight Glimmer’s your mom?” Tom asked.

Luster sighed. “Yeah…she’s my mom. Cheesy here’s Pinkie Pie’s son.”

Tom thought about this. “So you’re from a future where he actually went through with it?” Luster just nodded, still glaring at Geiz.

“What? She deserves it! You know that!” Geiz ranted back. “She dumped a crapload of villains on our world just because of her former hate boner for the bookhorse!”

“Geiz, that’s enough!” Tom said.

“You don’t like her any more than I do, you royal pain!” Geiz barked back.

“Yeah, I don’t like her, but I’m not gonna go and kill her for it!”

“Please stop!” Cheese spoke up. “Look…we’re sorry for the problems, we were just trying to keep Geiz from getting that power that made him go berserk in the first place!”

“Wait, what power?” Geiz asked.
“You called it “Geiz Revive”. Apparently it’s your power-up form, but when you used it, you lost control and started attacking everything indiscriminately…”

“...you know, it is kinda fitting you’d get the berserker power up.” Tom said.

“Screw you!” Geiz snapped back. “And as for you two, I don’t know what you’re on about, but my goal is to stop these assholes and that’s it! You stay out of my way, and you don’t get the axe. It’s simple.”

Tom rolled his eyes. Then Cheesy got up and handed them a small box.

“Here. I think these are yours.” The colt said as Tom opened the box to find the RideWatches Luster had stolen.

“Cheesy, what are you doing!?” Luster yelped.

“Now that he knows, I think we can trust Zi-O at least.” Cheesy explained. “Geiz is still a bunch of red flags though.”

“FNRGH…” Geiz growled. Tom just gave him a look.

“Dial it back, Black Hazard.” Tom said flatly.

“Why, Cheesy? Why?” Luster said despairingly.

“...look, Luster, you’re basically one of my big sisters and I love you and all, but stealing the RideWatches and terrorizing the past isn’t going to stop what happened from happening.”

“But…” Luster whimpered.

“Then let me handle it.” Tom chimed in. “If he goes nuts, I’ll shut him down.”

Luster scoffed. “Do you really think you can do that by yourself?”

Tom shook his head. “I’m not by myself.”

Geiz rolled his eyes under his mask. “Cheesy friendship speech in 3…2…1…”

“All this time, I’ve been supported by my friends. Spike, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, even Applejack and Starlight Glimmer to a certain extent. My power isn’t just mine alone. It’s all of ours! And it can stand up to anything-” Tom said proudly before being interrupted.

“...alright, alright, we’ll try things your way.” Luster groaned. “Just spare me the future speeches.”

“Me too. Especially since while you’re blathering, we could be using that time to, I don’t know, SAVE LYRA!” Geiz growled.

“Wait, they still have her!?” Luster asked, concerned. “Jeez, Zi-O, get your crap together!”

“And who was the one who kicked the crap out of me so I couldn’t?” Tom sighed. “Look, we need to go save her, and I think we could use your help. Can you put aside your differences with us so we can?”

Luster considered it. “I suppose it is kind of my responsibility to help those in need. Fine, I’ll help you rescue Geiz’s waifu.”

Geiz twitched under his mask.

“Let’s go. The sooner we get Lyra back, the sooner we can get the hell out of here.”

—-----

“My name is Otoya Kurenai.” The human introduced himself to Twilight and Bon Bon. “I used to be the king of this world, until the Gehenna drove me out.”

“Gehenna?” Twilight asked, not familiar with the name.

“The organization that now controls this world. They gained power from an unknown world and used it to conquer this one.” Otoya explained. “I know that the power they gained was from a world with those ‘pony’ creatures in it, however.”

Bon Bon looked at Twilight. “Hey, do you think…?”

Twilight nodded. “This Gehenna organization are the ones behind the Another Riders we’ve been fighting.”

“Most likely…” Otoya mumbled. “But why are you here?”

“Our friend was taken from our world and we’re here to rescue her.” Twilight explained.

“Then you mean to break into their base?” Otoya asked. “If that’s the case…I’ll help you get in.”

“Alright, thank you!” Twilight said before Bon Bon stopped her.

“Wait a minute- why should we trust you, exactly?” Bon Bon asked with suspicion.
“Because I have a bone to pick with those guys anyway. I can’t do anything to them, but maybe you can.” Otoya explained.

“...I guess we don’t have many other options. Alright, I’m in.” Bon Bon said, sighing in resignation.

“Excellent.” The human took out a pair of strange looking costumes. “You can use these as disguises.”

Twilight looked over the costume. It looked like a black military uniform with a helmet not unlike a Kamen Rider’s.

“Gehenna has a contingent of ZECTroopers in their base, but if you’re dressed up like one, they shouldn’t notice…um, except you’re gonna have to find a way to hide your wings.” Otoya pointed out.

“Oh, that’s no problem. Twilight’s horn lit up and her wings suddenly became transparent.

“...you just have an answer for everything, huh?” Bon Bon commented. Twilight just grinned.

“Well, whatever. I’ll show you the way.” Otoya said, beckoning the girls to follow.

—----

“AARRRGH!” Lyra screamed in pain. She was strapped to a table, and dark energy was lashing out from her, before it calmed down and left her panting in agony.

“Tsk tsk, you’re still trying to fight back…” Ouja-Discord just shook his head. “You aren’t getting out of this one, minty. You’re MINE.” He cupped her chin in his claw. Lyra scowled at the evil dragonequus.

“Now, what else can I do with you…?” He pondered before Lyra spit in his eye.

“Ugh! Gross!” Ouja-Discord raged. “You’re lucky we still need you as bait, otherwise you’d be snake food!”

Just then, Ouja-Discord’s head started rattling and making a ringing noise. “Ah, excuse me, I have to take this.” He reached into his ear and pulled out a corded phone receiver, the cord still extending from his ear.

“Yes?” Lyra couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she tried.

“Uh huh…really? Sounds fun, I’ll be right over.” Ouja-Discord said, before stretching the phone out and letting it bounce back into his ear.

“Well, looks like they took the bait, little lady. I hope you’re ready, we need to get you dressed up for your date…you’d probably look stunning in black.” Ouja-Discord grinned. Lyra gulped.

Ouja-Discord produced a small bell and rang it. “Oh, dear slave, would you be a doll and come assist me?”

A pony walked into the room. Lyra recognized her- she looked nearly exactly like Fluttershy…but parts of her coat and mane were grayed out, and she noticed several bruises and bandages on her body. But the worst was her eyes- they looked completely devoid of any hope or light- like her will had been completely obliterated.

“Now, let’s begin with the operation.” He said, snapping his fingers as a doctor’s outfit appeared over himself, and a nurse outfit over the Fluttershy lookalike.

“Then…all the zapping…?” Lyra asked, still in pain.

“Oh, that was just for funsies. The real fun part begins now!” Ouja-Discord said, a sadistic grin being visible even under the surgical mask.

—-----

Twilight and Bon Bon, still in disguise, followed Otoya into the large building.

“HALT. SHOW ID.” A pair of soldiers stopped the group from entering, but Otoya pulled out a card and showed it to them.

“...UNDERSTOOD, MOVE ALONG.” The trio kept going until they were out of sight, and then ducked into a corridor with an elevator.

“Alright, it’s safe for you two to ditch the costumes now.” Otoya explained. “This elevator should lead to the prison blocks.”

“Thanks!” Twilight said gratefully. But Bon Bon wasn’t convinced.

“How do you know how this place is laid out?” Bon Bon asked, but was unable to get an answer as the elevator arrived.

“W-well, I was the one who used to rule this world, this used to be my place.” Otoya stammered. Bon Bon raised an eyebrow.

Otoya pressed a button, and the floor underneath them started lifting up. A few moments later, the three found themselves in the middle of a large space, surrounded by rows of seats.

“Wait, this isn’t-” Twilight said, but was cut off.

“Mr. President!” Otoya called out to the highest point. As Twilight looked up, she was alarmed at who she saw sitting there.

“That’s…Nightmare Moon!” She recognized the dark blue alicorn.

“But when did she have a kid?” Bon Bon noticed Cozy Glow sitting next to her. Just then, a bigger seat appeared. On it was a strange cloaked figure wearing a jester’s mask.

“...beloved, was the clown mask truly necessary?” Nightmare Moon muttered to the cloaked figure. “I don’t think Cozy likes it very much.”

Cozy squirmed in her seat. She knew it was her daddy under the mask, but it was still really creepy.

The cloaked figure cleared his throat. “State your business.”

“I have here two of the ponies, one being another alicorn! I would like to offer them in tribute!” Otoya declared.

“Wait, WHAT!?” Twilight yelped.

“Y-you! You tricked us!” Bon Bon growled.

“Sorry ladies…not sorry.” Otoya smirked. “Now then-” The cloaked figure held out a hand and a group of ZECTroopers surrounded them all.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” Otoya yelped.

“Did you REALLY think I forgot about you? I knew you’d try and do something to get into my inner circle. But I don’t need you anymore- begone!”

Another door opened, and Cronus-Sombra stepped out, fully transformed.

“Be grateful that the president even considered listening.” He said flatly as he pressed the buttons on his driver.

“FINISHER!” The belt announced. “CRITICAL CREWS-AID!”

“I’m afraid you’ve been discontinued.” He delivered a roundhouse kick to Otoya, his body exploding from the inside out. Nothing was left of him. Cronus-Sombra simply bowed as an elevator activated underneath him, and took him out of the arena.

Twilight and Bon Bon looked on in horror. “Now then, Princess Sparkle…” The cloaked man said.

“You’re…Gehenna’s leader, aren’t you?” Bon Bon inquired.

“As you say, I am indeed the president of Gehenna.”

“So you’re the one who’s been making ponies into monsters!” Twilight said, pointing at him. “Why are you doing this!?”

“And why should I tell you that? In a moment, you’ll be dead.” The cloaked man snapped his fingers as hordes of monsters rushed into the stands.

“My dear citizens!” The cloaked man called out. “Today we have a very special main event for you! See our newest champion lay waste to this pathetic purple pony princess!”

Another hatch opened, and a group of ZECTroopers led a familiar looking pony out in chains. Bon Bon immediately recognized her.

“Lyra!” Bon Bon called out, but Lyra did not respond. The ZECTroopers released her from the chains and then vacated the arena. Bon Bon rushed over to her marefriend.

“You’re okay…come on, let’s get out of here!” She said, but Lyra did not respond.

“...Lyra?” Bon Bon asked.

“B…Bonny….please…stay back…stay away…from me…AAAAAGH!” Streaks of dark energy surrounded Lyra as she transformed back into Another Faiz!

“Lyra, no!” Bon Bon screamed, Twilight pulling her back with magic. Another Faiz roared as it began stalking slowly towards the two…

Only for the ceiling to blast open, and Zi-O, Geiz and G-Den-O all jumped down.

“Twilight!” Zi-O yelled. “Are you two alright?”

“We’re fine, but Lyra’s turned back into that monster again!” She pointed to Another Faiz.

The masked man looked on in curiosity. “So this is him…the Rider who’s been standing in my way. Ugh…just seeing that clock face of his makes me sick.”

Zi-O and Geiz produced their weapons and both rushed Another Faiz, but from out of nowhere they heard a distorted voice. “StaRT Up.” And Another Faiz disappeared!

“Wait, that’s Axel form!” Geiz said as the monster appeared behind him, about to deliver an attack before he rolled out of the way.

“Faiz Accel, huh…being able to speed up for about 10 seconds a time.” Zi-O said. “Of course I don’t have Kabuto on me today either.”

“Well that’s just magical, isn’t it!?” Geiz growled.

“Magical…wait, that’s it!” Zi-O pulled out one of the watches he had reclaimed from G-Den-O.

“Let’s make some magic happen!” Zi-O turned the dial on the watch and pressed the button.

“WIZARD!” It announced. Zi-O inserted the watch into his Driver and spun it around.

“ARMOR TIME! PLEASE! WIZAAARD~!” The belt sang as Zi-O’s armor was enveloped by a red magic circle, the circle sweeping over his body as his armor changed to resemble Kamen Rider Wizard’s iconic look.

“If it’s magic, don’t forget about me!” Twilight flew over and joined her armored boyfriend. Zi-O said nothing, but briefly grasped Twilight’s hand, before they stood back to back.

Zi-O pressed the button on the WizardWatch. “CONNECT TIME!” The Edge of Time appeared, but had taken on a different shape, resembling Wizard’s own weapon instead.

The masked man just scoffed, and pressed a button on his throne. A squad of ZECTroopers entered the arena, holding guns up to the Riders and their pony friends.

“Geiz! We’ll take care of these guys, you go get Lyra!” Zi-O yelled, Geiz nodding before rushing towards Another Faiz, ax in hand.

“STarT uP.” The garbled voice came from Another Faiz as the monster blinked from existence.

“Huh? I thought the cooldown was longer.” Geiz said.

“Ah, that’d be me!” A voice came from the balcony, Ouja-Discord was floating around with a soda drink hat and waving a flag. “I made a few tweaks to that whole thing.”

“Argh, you!” Geiz growled, but was smacked down by something he couldn’t see.

“Geiz!” Bon Bon ran over to the downed Rider.
“What the hell are you doing…?” Geiz wheezed. “You’re gonna get your ass killed! Get away!”

“No! I’m going to help you save Lyra!” She grabbed the FaizPhone X watch off of Geiz’s watch holders.

“This thing’s some sort of weapon, right? How do you use it?” She asked, but a roar from Another Faiz cut her off. The monster rushed Geiz as he blocked it with his axe, and tried to hold it back.

“RRRGH…bend the screen to the left!”

“Huh?”

“The silver part! Bend it to the left, then point the black part at the target and pull the trigger to fire it!” Geiz barked.

Bon Bon followed his instructions. “BLASTER MODE.” The device said as the screen was tilted. Bon Bon grasped the handle in both hands.

“Now you let go of my LYRA!” Bon Bon pulled the trigger and was pushed onto the ground by the knockback.

The attack was successful, striking Another Faiz in the shoulder.

“Yes!” Bon Bon pumped her fist in victory.

“Hey, what are you doing!? Monster’s still here!” Geiz scolded Bon Bon as he was still struggling against the fiend.

“Ah! Sorry!” Bon Bon apologized quickly as she tried to aim another shot only for Another Faiz to activate its speed again.

The monster kept zipping around and hitting both Geiz and Bon Bon, sending them sprawling on the ground.

“Maybe I can stop them with Knight…?” Geiz pondered.

“NOPE!” Ouja-Discord suddenly popped in and snatched the watch.

“What!?” Geiz panicked slightly.

“Not happening, red- you’re just gonna have to take your lumps…” Ouja-Discord taunted as he vanished back towards the balcony…only for a shot to ring out and hit Ouja-Discord in the hand!

“YEOW!” The evil Rider winced, dropping the KnightWatch.

“Geiz! Now!” Bon Bon yelled, Geiz nodding and diving for the watch. He quickly activated it and inserted it into his belt, then spun the belt.

“ARMOR TIME!” The belt announced. “Advent! KNIIIGHT~!”

Geiz’s armor transformed, it now resembled the bat-like Kamen Rider Knight. He clicked the button on the KnightWatch two times.

“ADVENT TIME!” A portal opened up, and a large, bat-like monster came flying out.

“Darkwing, help me slow her down!” Geiz commanded, as he pointed to Another Faiz.

Another Faiz was about to start zooming around again, but before it could, Darkwing wrapped itself around the monster’s head! It couldn’t see a thing! The beast thrashed around, attempting to shake off the summoned monster, but Darkwing held on with every last bit of strength it could!

“FINISH TIME! KNIGHT!” Geiz’s weapon cried out as he had loaded the KnightWatch. “KNIGHT! DEADLINE CHOP!”

Geiz leapt high into the air, and just as Darkwing released its grip, he brought his axe down, splitting the monster in half! The monster roared as it exploded, leaving Lyra on the ground, unconscious but unharmed, the FaizWatch falling on the ground besides her.

“LYRA!” Bon Bon ran over to her, shaking the mint-colored mare tightly. “Lyra, speak to me!”

“Ugh…morning, Bonny…” She wheezed. “I feel like I just got shoved off a cliff…”

“Oh, Lyra, you’re okay!” Bon Bon hugged Lyra tightly.

“Alright, you two- you can do that later! We’re still not out of the danger zone yet!” Geiz quickly picked up the watch and stored it away before he helped Lyra up to her hooves.

Twilight continued rapidly firing spell after spell at the hordes of ZECTRoopers, while Tom went on the defensive, creating earthen walls around them.

“Look! Lyra’s back to normal!” Twilight said.

“Good, then we can finish this!” Zi-O pressed the button on the WizardWatch a few times.

“FINISH TIME! WIZARD!” Zi-O leapt up into the air.
“Twilight, get back!” Zi-O yelled, as the princess dived out of the way.

“STRIKE TIME BREAK!” The belt announced as a portal appeared in front of Zi-O’s leg, and when Zi-O extended the leg for a kick, a gigantic version of Zi-O’s foot came forth and smashed all the remaining enemies beneath it, before the Rider came back down for a landing.

“How’s that for magic?” Zi-O said teasingly.

“Not bad, Riders- but we’re not beaten yet!” The masked man pressed another button and groups of Riotroopers, Kurokage Troopers and Ride Players appeared.

“Great…more pests.” Zi-O groaned. “Guess it’s time to break out the big guns.”

He pulled out the DecadeWatch and changed the WizardWatch out for it.

“RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDE: WOW! DECAAADE!” The belt sang.

“D-Decade…” The masked man’s fists clenched, his teeth grinding.

“Beloved?” Nightmare Moon looked at the masked man with concern.

“Daddy?” Cozy was confused, she had never seen her daddy do this before.

“Decade…” The masked man growled, his body twitching with rage. “DAMN YOU DECAAAAAAADE!” He then yelled, his voice filled with pure fury. “ALL PERSONNEL! KILL HIM! I DON’T CARE HOW!”

All the troopers in the arena immediately fixed their aim on Zi-O, who quickly readied another watch and put it into the extra slot on the DecadeWatch.

“FINAL FORM TIME! F-F-F-FOURZE!” The armor transformed again, into one resembling Fourze, but with twin guns mounted on its shoulders, the monitor serving as the armor’s face switching to a new image.

“Alright, blast off!” A burst of smoke shot out from Zi-O’s back and propelled him into the air. As he hovered, the guns repositioned their aim down towards the floor.

“Twilight! Shield yourself!” Zi-O yelled out, and when he saw that his magical girlfriend had indeed put up a barrier, he opened fire on the enemies below. The various soldiers either were struck by the bullets and exploded, or they retreated back into the various doors.

“ARRRGH!” The masked man leapt from his chair. “OUJA! IDUNN! CRONUS!” He commanded.

“It’s my turn to have some fun!” Ouja-Discord leapt down, Idunn-Chrysalis and Cronus-Sombra following.

Zi-O landed, but the DecadeArmor disappeared - his stamina was drained from all the fighting, and he staggered near Twilight, who was also growing exhausted.

Geiz and Bon Bon weren’t doing much better, Bon Bon having lifted Lyra over her shoulder.

“Crap…” Geiz grunted. “Any more bright ideas, kingy?”

“Only one…we fight our way out!” Zi-O stood with his weapon at the ready, as the three evil Riders rushed in!

But before any attacks happened, a strange white cloth appeared and swirled around the heroes, warping them away!

“What!?” The villains all cried out in confusion.

“Urgh…” The masked man settled down, now that the Kamen Riders were no longer in sight. “I am so sorry, dearest, and Cozy…I lost my composure…”

Nightmare Moon and Cozy simply hugged him.

“It’s okay, Daddy! You told us that Decade was a bad man!” Cozy said.

“Yes…I did.” The masked man said.

—--------

The group found themselves next to Geiz’s Time Mazine, joined by a Rider they had never seen before.

“Do not worry, fellow Riders.” The new Rider said. “It is not written that you shall die here.”

“Who…?” Zi-O was about to ask, but the mysterious Rider merely held up his hand.

“I am certain you have many questions, but I regretfully must decline. But be assured, I am your ally.” The mysterious Rider explained.

“It is too dangerous for you to remain here, so I advise you to retreat back to your own world. And with that, I must bid you farewell for now.” The Rider swept his hand out and the white cloth wrapped around him as he disappeared.

“...I think he’s right. We got Lyra back, so let’s go.” Zi-O said.

“...as much as I hate to say it, he’s right. We’re not equipped to handle this place now.” G-Den-O explained. G-Den-O merely held out her Rider Pass, as her time train appeared in front of them on a set of glowing tracks.

“You’re responsible for what happens with those powers now, Zi-O. Don’t let me down.” The time police Rider said, Zi-O merely nodded. As the time train took off, the rest crawled back into the Time Mazine.

“There you all are!” In there, was Discord, looking like he had been stuck in there for some time. “And…yeesh, you look like you’ve been through a woodchipper!”

“I didn’t see you providing any help!” Bon Bon complained.

“Yeah, where were you?” Twilight asked.

“Ugh…that counterfeit’s powers kept me from getting close. You can bet when I get a chance he’s gonna hear from my attorney!”

“Let’s just go. We did what we came to do.” Geiz said, as he sat down and powered up the vehicle, as it floated in the air and flew through a time portal.

—-----

The next day, after the group had recovered, they all met at a local burger place to check in on each other.

“Hey, Lyra!” Tom waved. “You’re looking better!”

“Yeah…sorry about that. But I’m sure glad you and Twilight came with Tony and Bon Bon to save me!” She said happily.

“And I’m still feeling that fight. Oof.” Anton rubbed his back.

“Oh, quit being such a baby.” Bon Bon rolled her eyes.

“By the way, Princess Twilight…I wanted to ask, why are we meeting here?” Lyra asked.

“Well, there’s another loose end I wanted to make sure was resolved…” She explained as the waitress marched up to their table and plopped their food down unceremoniously. To their surprise, it was Spoiled Rich!

“Here’s your food. Choke on it.” She snarled.

“Now, now…don’t forget that your husband and daughter asked us to go easy on you.” Twilight explained.

“Rrrgh…” Spoiled Rich just growled before her manager tapped her shoulder.

“Mrs. Rich, what did we talk about?” The manager pony said tapping his hoof on the ground.

“...good customer service starts with a smile…” she grumbled.

“Good, now I think you’ve got some bathrooms to clean.” The manager rolled up a wheeled bucket with a mop in it, and handed it off to Spoiled, as the disgruntled ex-socialite just walked into the bathrooms with it.

“You know, I was skeptical of you asking us to have Spoiled Rich do her community service here, but it hasn’t been as bad as I thought.” The manager explained. “Why, she’s only been here a week and she already looks dead inside like the rest of us.”

“That is what minimum wage does to a pony…but it was either this or the dungeons, and both Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara begged for this.” Twilight added.

“Right…well, I suppose I’ll let you get back to your meal. Enjoy!” The manager said with forced enthusiasm.

“Poor guy…he has to put up with her for a whole year?” Tom said empathetically.

“Well, maybe working for a living will teach her some humility- after all, she’s not allowed to use any of the Rich family’s money right now.” Bon Bon noted.

“Either way…this last fight made me think…I really need to get stronger.” Tom said. “Even with the DecadeWatch, we would have been dead if it weren’t for that weird Rider.”

“Who was that guy, anyway?” Anton asked. “Never seen him before.”

Tom just shrugged. “Maybe Gramps would know? I’ll ask him next time I see him.”

“And when, pray tell, might that be?” Anton groaned. “Asshole wanders all over the damn multiverse, he could be anywhere!”

Just then, they saw Tsukasa wander out of the stallion’s restroom.

“Ugh…this dimension needs to invent the bidet, and fast.” Tsukasa complained.

“Gramps?” Tom asked.

“Oh, hey kiddo, was just coming to see you.” Tsukasa explained as he walked over, and pulled out his flask again, to the ire of the manager.

“Sir, I’m afraid alcohol is not permitted in this establishment-”

“Better kids’ meal toys than you have tried and failed to take it from me.” Tsukasa groaned, but put the flask away. The manager rolled his eyes and walked away, grumbling about how he was not making enough to deal with it.

“So, you charged into the enemy base to save the mint horse, and almost got mulched.” The wandering Rider summarized. Lyra stuck her tongue out at Tsukasa.

“Insults to my marefriend aside, that’s about it.” Bon Bon said. “Seriously though, lay off her.”

Tsukasa waved his hand. “Anyway, sounds like you kids need some special training.”

“Special training? What did you have in mind exactly?” Tom asked.

“Oh, don’t you worry, kiddo- just leave it to me.” Tsukasa said, as he wandered out the door.

“...why do I feel like I should be VERY worried now?” Twilight asked.

“Because it’s Decade. Even I know what sorts of crap he can start.” Anton said. Tom was about to object but Anton stopped him. “Search your feelings, you know it to be true.”

Tom just grunted but relented. “Food’s getting cold.”

The group decided to table the subject and eat.

—--------

In another time and space, Tsukasa appeared out of an Aurora Curtain, in front of a small photo studio.

“Home sweet home.” Tsukasa said as he walked in. He could smell something cooking, and sighed.

“Oi, Kaito! Didn’t I tell you to let me know before you broke in?” Tsukasa said, annoyed.

“Well hello to you too, Tsukasa.” Kaito said, walking out with a pink apron around his waist.

“Listen, I appreciate that you’re coming by to keep an eye on the place and all, but you don’t have to wait up for me.” Tsukasa explained.

“Oh? I thought you’d like a nice hot meal when you got back. Or is it that I shouldn’t be wearing anything but this apron~?” Kaito teased.

“Keep it in your pants, man- I told you I’m not into you like that.” The passing-through Rider sighed.

“Oh, you’re no fun.” Kaito said. He put a bowl of hot udon in front of his friend.

“Enjoy while it’s still hot.” Kaito said cheerfully.

“Thanks…” Tsukasa said as he started slurping the noodles. “Hey, do you know if that AR world with the bacon-head girl is still around?”

“...why would you ask me about a girl?” Kaito said, shrugging.

“You know what I mean.” Tsukasa replied.

“Well, if you’re talking about THAT Rider universe, pretty sure it’s still around.” Kaito said. “And I do hope you don’t forget to pick up a nice treasure or two for little old me- it’s the least you could do for me after I’ve kept this place straightened up for you.”

“That’s probably the only straight thing you’ve done in ages, man.” Tsukasa snarked. “But I’ll see if I can find something nice and shiny.”

“Tsukasa, listen…I know you’re probably still upset about Natsumi but-” Kaito started but Tsukasa stopped him.

“I’m not ready. I’m REALLY not.” Tsukasa said as he pulled his flask out.

“...you’ve been drinking again.” Kaito said, disappointed.

“After the day I’ve had, I need it.” The magenta Rider said as he took a swig of the booze.

“Tsukasa, please…at least try to cut back.” Kaito said.

“What, are you worried about me now?” Tsukasa said, snarling slightly.

“...I know you, Tsukasa. You may be a big dick, but as far as I’m concerned you’re OUR big dick. Mine, Yusuke’s, and hers.”

“If she’s even still out there…” Tsukasa sighed. He gazed out the window.

“Natsumi…I pray you’re still out there somewhere. Please be alive…”

Author's Note

Sorry it's been so long- Chapter 14 is up.

News as well- RIDER TIME is doing a crossover with Kamen Rider Unicorn! Look forward to it!

Prologue: Start The Clock, part 1

Prologue: Start the Clock

"No matter what, even if there is no God or Devil, no Buddha, and everything looks as bleak as can be...there will always be Kamen Rider. Believe in those brave souls who don this mantle!"

On the outskirts of Ponyville, blanketed in a sea of apple trees, was Sweet Apple Acres, the family run apple farm belonging to the fittingly named Apple family.
The air around the farm at night was quiet and tranquil. As the Apple family were all sleeping, barely any movement existed outside their house.

Which made the sudden impact and explosion in the middle of their fields even more jarring. Applejack, who had been sleeping peacefully, rolled out of bed in alarm.
"What in tarnation was that!?" The recently awakened Applejack cried out.

Hastily throwing on her clothes, she rushed downstairs. Grabbing a small lantern, she approached the door, but was approached by her younger sister, Applebloom, who had also been awakened by the intense noise.

"Mmmgh...what's all that noise?"
Applejack just gave her little sister a gentle smile.
"Don't you worry none, just go back to bed, okay?" Applejack assured. She marched outside to the fields, Applebloom trying to tag along unnoticed.

Applejack wandered over to the source of the loud noise. To her shock, a large crater had been dug into the ground nearby, with an unusual metallic object lodged in the center. Said object looked like a giant tin-can that had been hit by a runaway
cart. But what was most unusual about it was the bright magenta insignia on it.

She hesitated to approach it, remembering a scary movie Pinkie Pie had her and their friends watched. Applejack had always had a very secret fear of alien invaders, but kept it locked away, figuring that nothing like that would ever happen.
The scared farmer swallowed her fear as much as she could to approach the strange object.

Applejack tensed up as she slowly edged more towards the large object...and promptly ran in the direction of Twilight Sparkle's castle as fast as her legs would let her when the thing started emitting an incredibly loud hissing sound. She was running with such panic she didn't even notice her sister there, and the same sister ran back to the house and back to bed immediately, hoping this was all just a bad dream. But Applejack's thoughts were stuck on one single idea.

"THE ALIENS ARE HERE! THEY'RE GONNA EAT MAH BRAINS!"

".....optimal living environment reached. Releasing stasis. Good morning, Thomas Decade."
"...ugh...I really wish I could just have it call me Tom...I hate being called Thomas..."

The container let off a large burst of cold steam as it opened up. Its contents was a young man with somewhat pale skin and brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a cyan t-shirt with a series of Japanese characters in neon pink under a letterman jacket with a "T" embroidered onto the front, gray jeans, and a nondescript pair of sneakers. He started to stand up, and grabbed two items from within the canister; a strange belt-like device, and a small pocket watch-shaped gadget.
Tom was trying to push the lid off the container, but as he did, he felt the container moving.

"Ngh! What...?" He asked as he felt the unstable rocking of the container.
"H-hey! What's going on!? HELP!!!" Tom started to panic, and began flailing around.
"Ugh...it's...so heavy...!" A female's voice said.

Too little, too late however, the grip was broken and Tom fell back on the ground.

"OW ow ow ow..." Tom whimpered, rubbing his head. He tried to look around for the source of the voice.
"Hey, are you alright?" The girl's voice rang out again.
"I'm fine, I think..." Tom replied.
"So...who- and WHAT- are you exactly?" The girl asked.

"What am I? What do you mean, I'm-" Tom started, but stopped as he got a look at his "rescuer" and the others with her. And his jaw dropped when he saw exactly who he was talking to.
It was a purple horse-esque creature, with a noticeable horn on her forehead and wings from her back, wearing a purple sweatshirt with rolled up sleeves and jeans.

"SWEET MOTHER OF GAIM!" Tom yelped out, as he crawled backwards away from the unfamiliar creatures.
"Wait!" Twilight yelled after him. "Please don't be scared!"

But for Tom, it was too much. Left became right, up became purple, and his mind simply couldn't handle the stress of his situation. All he could do was babble incoherently as his overloaded brain tried desperately to make sense of what he was seeing.
"Huh-buh haba-haba bah..." He babbled before fainting.

"Ohhh, this is bad...Applejack, can you help me get him back to the castle?" Twilight asked, but Applejack refused to move, her gaze never leaving the sight of the human.
"Ah don't trust it! What if it's just playin' possum so he can nab us!"
"Applejack, really? I've seen creatures like him before remember, he looks a lot like the humans from the Canterlot High world." Twilight Sparkle replied, attempting to assuage her friend's paranoia.

"I ain't gonna let him cut me open! He came outta the sky in his UFO and he's gonna call a bunch of varmints and we're all gonna be stuck in tubes of goo!" Applejack retorted, having fallen deep into her alien-phobia.
"Oh come on, that was just from that silly movie of Pinkie's!" Twilight retorted.
"Fine then, you deal with him, and then you'll be sorry when you have a big metal stick up where the sun don't-" Applejack kept going, but...

"CONSARN IT! If'n y'all don't pipe down ah'm getting mah mallet!" The voice of Granny Smith bellowed from the farmhouse.
The two decided to shelve their quarrel, hoisting the unconscious newcomer into a spare cart and wheeling him off.

The dawn had just broken over Ponyville. At this time, a certain rainbow-maned pegasus was about to start her morning workout.

"Alright, I'll do the usual laps around the sky, and get rid of the excess clouds while I'm at it!" She decided. She had put on a tank top and a pair of gym shorts, as well as a well-worn pair of sneakers. As she headed out however, she noticed that someone had left her a package.

"Huh? I wasn't expecting anything...must be from one of my fans!" She opened the box to find what appeared to be some sort of red-and-blue colored watch.

"A watch? Am I supposed to time myself with this?" She looked it over, and tapped the button on it. At that time, the watch started to spark, and zapped Rainbow Dash with red-and-blue bolts of energy! Rainbow let out grunts of pain as the watch turned into this energy and entered her body...

The sun shined through the windows of the Castle of Friendship, and shone on the face of the unconscious Tom. His jacket and shoes had been removed and placed nearby him on a chair, and a blanket was placed over him. He was currently sleeping on his side, trying to lean away from the sunlight.

"Ugh..." Tom groaned as roused from his slumber. "What happened to me...?" But his eyes widened as he remembered what had happened. He began to panic.

"Okay, Tom, don't panic." Tom tried to reassure himself out loud. "They didn't look like any of the Rider monsters, and they brought me to a bedroom instead of a cell. So they aren't going to attack me...right?"
The door began to open, and a young purple dragon walked in, nonchalantly.

"Alright, so gotta clean the guest rooms and-" Spike was saying but stopped when he noticed Tom.
"Uh...hi?" Spike greeted nervously.
"PHANTOM!" Tom yelped out.
"Phantom? What?" Spike was confused.

Tom tried to grab something off his left wrist, but whatever he was grabbing wasn't there.
"My RideWatch...it's gone!" As Tom said this, he began backing away from Spike.
"S-stay back!" He stammered.
"...I'll just go." Spike backed out of the room slowly.

Tom kept his eyes locked on Spike until he was out of the room. After a few moments of collecting himself, he stood up and put his jacket and shoes back on.

"I can't stay here...I gotta find my RideWatch, then I'll figure out my next move." Tom thought to himself, as he slid out the door to the room, keeping himself flattened to the wall. He sidled along the hallway, keeping his eyes and ears open. As he approached the end of the hallway, he heard footsteps.
"Crap, they're coming this way! Gotta go back." Tom thought to himself again, attempting to sidle in the other direction.

"...it's the weirdest thing, though." Spike was explaining to Twilight as they were walking to the human's room. "Not only did he freak out, he thought I was a ghost!" The dragon kid shook his head. "I mean, I'd figure the whole dragon thing would be the first thing he thinks of when he saw me, but still..."

At that point, they noticed that the door to the room the human was in was open.
"I shut that door though..." Spike wondered as he and Twilight came to the same conclusion.
"He's gone! He must have ran away!" Twilight yelped. "Spike, go stay by the castle door!"

The young dragon saluted her and dashed to take position. As for Twilight, she began scouring the corridor.
"Hello? Mr. Human? I'm sorry if we scared you, please come out!" She announced, walking around.
Tom, meanwhile, was ducking in a corner, and was about to make his escape, but..
"Ah, there you are!" Twilight sighed in relief. Tom was not so relieved, however, as he gave a small yelp and tried to scramble away.

"Wait, we're not going to hurt you! Please calm down!" She pleaded, but the pleas fell on deaf ears as the terrified human continued to run away.
Twilight chased after the human, trying to explain herself. Finally, she managed to catch up, when he ran out of room and was backed up against a wall.

Tom was afraid, but knowing he had no escape, swallowed his fear and resigned himself.
"If you're gonna kill me, then just get it over with." He requested, a defeated tone in his voice.
Twilight looked hurt at what the human said. Why did he think she wanted to hurt him at all?
"...I don't know what you mean, but no one here wants to hurt you, okay?" She replied as calmly as possible.

Tom wasn't sure how to reply. He ended up deciding to at least hear what the creature in front of him had to say.
"...alright." He replied with hesitation.
"Good, now then..." Twilight held her hand out to the still unnerved human.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle, what's yours?"
Tom hesitated for a bit, but took the strange being's hand. "Thomas Decade...but I prefer to just be called Tom."

As Rainbow Dash was flying around Ponyville, busting the clouds to clear the sky, she found herself struck with inexplicable headaches.

"Ugh...note to self, don't binge on double chocolate brownie batter ice cream before bed..." She shook her head and resumed her work.

On the ground beneath her, however...
"AIIIEEEE!" A shrill shriek pierced the air. Rainbow flew closer to the ground to scope out the situation and hopefully find some needy ponies to satisfy her ego. What she found, however, was objects spontaneously crumbling or exploding.

"My flower pots, they're all ruined!" Daisy of the Flower Trio cried.
"The horror! The HORROR!" Roseluck joined in, belting out what may as well have been her catchphrase at this point.
And their crying and shrieking was punctuated by a rush of loose vegetables pouring down the streets, from a bunch of collapsed market stalls.

"What is going on? Why is everything breaking? Is this a reaction or an action?" At that last thought, Rainbow stopped herself.

"Wait, why am I thinking about reactions? I need to save the day!" She rushed down and began flying around to corral lost produce and protect the town.

Back at the Castle of Friendship, Twilight and Spike had sat Tom down at the round table they often ate at, either by themselves or with their friends. However, while Twilight was relieved, and Spike was trying to be welcoming, their guest was still incredibly unsettled by everything he had experienced in the past hour, let alone his landing the previous night.

Twilight had offered Tom a cup of tea, which he accepted. He clasped the cup with both hands, and stared down at it.
"Uh...t-thank you." He said shakily. Twilight just smiled, keeping a friendly face on in hopes of reassuring her human guest. Tom took a sip of the tea...it was actually really good!

"Huh, this is...actually really tasty." Tom commented.
"I'm glad you like it." Twilight replied. "I do have some questions though, is that alright?"

"Well...sure, I guess." Tom answered. "I have plenty of questions of my own though, trust me." But then he remembered that he was still lacking one of his most important belongings.
"Before that though...where's my RideWatch?" He asked. Twilight looked at him, puzzled.

"Your...what?" She queried. Realization dawned on Tom then, she didn't know what it was and probably just thought it was some sort of weird watch.
"That big watch I had on my wrist. I'd like it back, please."

Twilight was curious. "Is it that important?"
Tom nodded. "EXTREMELY important." Twilight just nodded in reply. "Spike, could you go grab the rest of our friend's belongings?" She asked her assistant, who gave a salute and went down the hallway. She then turned back to Tom.
"Now then, as I was saying...you said you go by Tom, right?" Twilight asked, with Tom nodding. "And you are a human, right?"

"Yeah, I'm a human...wait, you know about humans? Do they exist here?" Tom asked.
"Well, no, though they have been known to appear here every once in a while." Twilight explained. "Usually when they do arrive, they end up as heroes that vanquish some massive threat. Though detailed knowledge about them is scarce, the last one we had here was well over 2000 years ago."

Tom mulled this information over. "So...I'm here because there's something this world needs me to do?" He sighed in relief, which was the reaction Twilight was least expecting.
"You seem to be taking this awfully well." Twilight noted. "If I was in your position I'd probably be hyperventilating by now." She remarked, speaking from prior experience.

"Well, whoever did choose me to come here at least chose someone equipped to handle situations like evil villains and the like." The human replied. "And you're wondering why, I presume?" Tom asked, an air of confidence and pride filling his voice. Twilight nodded.
"Well, it's because..." He cleared his throat. "I am Tom Decade, and I'm a Kamen Rider!" Tom pronounced loudly. "...in training." He added quietly. Twilight just stared blankly.

"I'm sorry, you're a comma-what?" She asked, utterly baffled.

Tom stopped, a realization dawning on his face. "Ah, right...I didn't think about whether you had them here or not." Once again, he cleared his throat. "Well, Kamen Riders are a lineage of heroes from the world I'm from. Each one stood up against evils that threatened the people of the world, either after suffering terrible fates or gaining powers from the same source as the threat. But no matter what, the Riders still stood for the freedom and happiness of everyone. That's what it means to be a Kamen Rider!" Tom proclaimed.

Twilight just sat there, dumbfounded. "Either you come from a very strange world, or you read waaaay too many comic books." She replied after a few seconds.

At that time, Spike came back, holding the watch that Tom was wearing before he passed out.
"This is it, right?" He asked, showing the watch to Tom. Tom took the watch from the young dragon and looked it over.

"Yep, this is my RideWatch. With this, I can become a Kamen Rider." The human explained. "Still, I have a lot of questions..."
"Yeah, I have a question too- why did you think I was a ghost?" Spike asked.
Tom was confused but realization dawned on his face. "Ohhhh....no, when I said Phantom, I meant-on second thought, that would be a really long story to tell." He replied. "Let's just say the word 'Phantom' means something entirely different to me." Twilight and Spike just looked at each other, and Spike shrugged.

Just then, a series of screams emanated from the nearby town. All three of them stood at attention.
"Something's going on!" Tom declared! He started running towards the door, but Twilight cut him off.
"Wait a second! If you go out there, you'll probably make everyone panic more!" She explained. Tom just shook his head.

"If I just let the people panic, I'd be spitting on everything I believe in, Twilight...so I'm going!" He rushed past her and ran as fast as he could out of the castle.
"Spike, I need you to send a letter to Princess Celestia as fast as possible!" Twilight requested. "I gotta go after him!"
Spike just saluted and went to get a scroll. Twilight, meanwhile, ran after the human.

Tom ran headfirst into the town square, where he was witness to the destruction.

Structures and houses crumbled to pieces. Valuables and resources stuck under what appeared to be stone numbers and equations. And a lot of very confused, and VERY frightened, pony folk.

Of course, with Tom being an alien that none of them had actually seen before, many of them were staring at him with shock and fear, except for one mint-colored unicorn whose face was overflowing with a sense of joy, like she won the lottery, a medal of honor and the Equestrian Buckball League at the same time.

But, as he advanced through the crowd, he noticed that several of the nearby walls had various complicated physics formulas and equations scrawled across them.

And then he saw her. A cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail, wearing a white lab coat over a tank top and gym shorts, scribbling more equations across the wall. For some reason, she was emitting sparks of red and blue energy.
"Who...?" Tom wondered to himself.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight's voice rang out behind the human.
"Rainbow Dash...? Is it just me, or do a lot of these creatures' names sound like dessert flavorings?" Tom pondered to himself. But, he put that thought aside so he could focus on figuring out what the problem was.

Twilight walked up to the pegasus. "Rainbow Dash? Hello?" But it was no use, she was too absorbed in her scribblings to notice. Annoyed, Twilight took a deep breath...

"RAINBOW DASH!" She shouted, using the "Royal Canterlot Voice" skill that was bound to get anyone's attention. It seemed to draw Rainbow out of her trance, somewhat.

"What is it, Twilight? I'm so close to solving this equation! If I can find the answer to this, I'll have found a mathematical formula on achieving greater percentages of coolness!"

This stunned Twilight. The Rainbow she knew wasn't keen on what she herself described as "egghead things", let alone complex equations. And the more she scribbled, the more red and blue energy sparked off her.

"What's happened to you, Rainbow Dash? Are you feeling alright?" Twilight asked with concern. A small tuft of Rainbow's mane stuck up, and she looked at her friend with annoyance.

"No, I can't do this right now, Twilight, I have to solve this! I have to!" She said, growing increasingly manic with both her words and actions.

"I'm gonna solve this, and then I'll be known as a genius! I will be a genius! I AM A GENIUS!" The energy sparks began covering her body at those proclamations, until she suddenly hunched over.

"Grrrr...." She groaned in pain. "I...AM....A GENIUS!" The red and blue energy seemed to give way to black bolts of energy that seemed to cover her entire body. "I...AM...BUILD!"

The black bolts swarmed over her, and she screamed in pain as they seemed to engulf her! Twilight tried to grab her friend with her magic, but the sinister force surrounding Rainbow Dash rejected her magic, the resulting backlash knocking Twilight over. She sat up, clutching her head in pain.

The black energy subsided, but the being before them...wasn't Rainbow Dash anymore.

It appeared to be a strange bipedal monster, with intermingling red and blue armor strewn over a black bodysuit. Its face vaguely resembled a skull, with a pronounced jaw full of jagged teeth, and its eyes covered by strange "lenses", one red and one blue. Around its waist was a peculiar looking contraption, appearing to be rusty and warped. Across its chest, the words "Build 2017" were engraved on it.
"R-rainbow...?" Twilight stammered.
"Me...BUILD!" The monster roared. It raised its arms in a threatening manner, but was then suddenly bound with a lasso!

"Not on yer life, ya ugly varmint!" The familiar Southern sprawl of Applejack rang through the air, as she tried to restrain the beast. But, it was no use as the monster easily broke the rope.
"You...Applejack?" The monster said, its voice echoing with a warped distortion. It then raised its arms out to its sides and ran over to the farmpony.

"BEST MATCH!" The monster began tightly hugging Applejack, as she tried to break free of its grip. Eventually, she shoved it off her. She backed up towards Twilight, shuddering. "What in tarnation is that thing!?" She yelled, but then she noticed Tom.
"YOU! What did you do to Rainbow!?" She pointed accusingly at the human. But Twilight got up.
"It wasn't him, Rainbow- he ran out here when he heard there was trouble!" Twilight explained. "Despite me specifically asking him NOT to." She continued, sounding annoyed.

But, Tom walked forward, seemingly undaunted.
"Twilight, Applejack...stand back." He commanded, an air of calm and confidence in his words. He held out his left hand to his side and focused for a few seconds. A strange clock-shaped portal appeared over his hand, and when it disappeared, he was holding a large belt buckle. He slapped the buckle around his waist.

"SPACETIME DRIVER!" The belt announced in an echoing voice.
"I'm thinking this is why I'm needed here." Tom explained. "So if I'm here to defeat monsters like this, and save the innocent..." He produced his RideWatch.
"...then that's what I'll do! As a KAMEN RIDER!" Turning the bezel on the watch, he pressed the button on top.

"ZI-O!" The watch announced. Tom inserted the watch into the right-hand side of the belt buckle, and as he did, a large illusory clock appeared behind him. A strange beat reminiscent of a ticking clock surrounded them...
"HENSHIN!" Tom yelled out, as he span the belt buckle. The clock image rotated, and it seemed like time itself twisted around the human. A trio of energy rings resembling metal watch straps surrounded him, as he was also engulfed in energy. It formed a suit of armor around him, and a series of neon pink characters also appeared in front of him.

The monster, enraged by this, attempted to attack, but the strange neon characters shot out at the beast, keeping it at bay.
"RIDER TIME!" The belt announced again, as the armor seemed to solidify.

The armor that Tom now wore was a black body suit with many metallic accents, and notable watch motifs such as a large watch strap going down the center of the armor's midsection, and "crown" dials on its knees. The helm sported two clock hands that seemed to act as a crest, and the floating neon symbols attached themselves to the helmet's face, where the eyes would be.

"Tom...is that you?" Twilight asked. The transformed human nodded.
"I am Kamen Rider Zi-O!" Tom declared, striking a pose. "I promise you, in the name of the Kamen Riders..."

"I'll save your friend!"

Author's Note

https://youtu.be/43VJrPhE1UA?list=PLXFLyiWeGstFfMaKQUMtO3iasI9qWVLFT

The redone story begins here! Kamen Rider Zi-O has appeared before the heroines! His foe is Another Build, who has taken the body of Rainbow Dash as its own! Can our hero overcome this foe and save its victim?

Chapter 2: Recollection - Lonely Trap

RIDER TIME rewrite
Chapter 2: Recollection - Lonely Trap

It had been three days since Ponyville was attacked by yet another pony-turned monster, which was dealt with by the mysterious alien hero, Tom Decade. Or, as he preferred to be addressed when he was armored, "Kamen Rider Zi-O".
Tom had suffered some moderate injuries during his last fight, but it wasn't anything overtly dangerous, and he was almost back to 100%.

"...ow...ow...ow." Tom winced repeatedly as a comb was repeatedly run through his hair, getting stuck on many tangled ends.

"My goodness, what do you do with this hair of yours?" Asked Rarity, the one subjecting him to this painful preening.

"I - ow- don't do - ow- anything special- ow. It just -ow - does what it- ow - wants most of the- ow, take it easy!" Tom complained.

"Aaaand there! I think I've tamed this unruly mane of yours!" Rarity cheered...before Tom's hair instantly reverted back to its previous state with a *pop*.

"Aaargh!" Rarity stamped her hoof in rage. Tom just stared, an eyebrow raised. She then realized what she was doing, and regained her composure, albeit with a light blush on her face.

"I'm terribly sorry for that outburst...but I want to make you look good, darling!" Rarity explained. "I heard that you saved both Rainbow Dash and myself from monsters, and for that I am grateful." She continued, giving a small bow. "I merely wish to repay you."

Tom was still a bit sore from the attempt at grooming, but he wasn't mad at Rarity- she was showing gratitude. Even if his scalp wasn't as appreciative.

"It's good that you're happy, but I'm just glad you're okay." Tom replied. "I doubt being a monster's puppet was at all enjoyable for you." Rarity just stopped for a second, then shook her head rapidly.

"I'd rather...not think about that dreadful situation, thank you." She then turned and grabbed some measuring tape. "Now, let's get those measurements."

"Ah, okay." Tom simply stood up and stuck his arms out in a T-pose. Rarity chuckled.

"Darling, I'm afraid you misunderstand." Rarity started explaining. "If I am to get your measurements, I need you to remove what you're wearing now."

"...huh?" Tom asked with a slight dread in his voice. He then noticed a cobalt-colored magic aura on his jacket...and his jacket was moving off! Tom quickly moved to hold it in place.

"NO! Don't take my jacket!!!" Tom screamed, and then huddled into a ball. "Nononononono..."
Rarity didn't say anything, but, now incredibly worried about her savior, tried to stand him up to walk him back to the Castle.

"Hm-hm-hmm~, and that's another batch of shortcakes in the oven!" Mrs. Cake sang to herself, as she went about making plenty of cakes for the upcoming Hearts and Hooves festivities. This time of year was especially important as many couples came looking to buy baked goods and treats to share with loved ones.

And this year was no different. She had even started making special cakes themed around the holiday. But, there was a concern she had.

That being Pinkie Pie-her assistant in the bakery, who was also like a daughter to her. She had returned from a trip yesterday, but had been uncharacteristically evasive.

After she had finished up her baking, she went upstairs to check on her tenant.

"Pinkie, dear? Is everything okay?" She asked as she knocked on the door. There was no response. "I'm coming in." She said, opening the door slowly.

But what she saw immediately made her stop in her tracks. The room was disheveled, and various parts of it were destroyed, many things having gashes in them like claws. And Pinkie herself was nowhere to be seen, the window in her room being wide open. This led Mrs. Cake to the obvious conclusion.

"CARROT! CALL THE POLICE! PINKIE'S BEEN FOALNAPPED!!!"

Meanwhile, Rarity had returned Tom to Twilight's castle, and they were seated at the table along with Twilight and Spike. Tom was visibly shaking, and Rarity was still very apologetic. Twilight was trying to calm Tom down, while Spike was serving tea and attempting to flatter Rarity.

"Darling, I am SO sorry!" Rarity apologized. Tom just shied away, keeping his head down.

Twilight was next to Tom, her hand on his shoulder. Tom just couldn't look at anyone right now.

"...just take deep breaths, okay?" Twilight assured Tom.

"...y-yeah...I'm okay." Tom squeaked out. "I-I don't like having to undress around other people..."

Rarity looked mortified. Did he think she was going to do something inappropriate? Did...something like that happen to him? Many questions raced in her mind.

"Rarity...you weren't going to try to hurt me, were you?" Tom asked.

Rarity recoiled at the suggestion. "What? What possible reason would I have to do that?"

Tom hesitated, but shook his head. "...it's nothing. I'm sorry I overreacted."

"What could make Tom act like that? I doubt it's as simple as being shy..." Twilight pondered to herself.

At that time, Mrs. Cake had burst into the room, in a state of panic. She rushed over to Twilight and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"TWILIGHT! PINKIE! MESSY ROOM! NOT THERE!" She shrieked hysterically, shaking Twilight in the process.

"M-Mrs. C-aa-a-ke! Ca-al-m dow-w-wn!" Twilght said, her words distorted by the shaking. She then noticed Tom sitting nearby, and marched over to him.

"It's you! The armored hero from the other day! Certainly, you can help me!" She started.

"...huh?" Tom asked.

Mrs. Cake joined them at the table, explaining her plight.

"So this 'Pinkie' person was kidnapped?" Tom asked.

"I-I found her room in a-an utter wreck and...oh dear Celestia whyyyy!?" She sobbed.

Twilight patted the weeping baker on the back, while Rarity stood up.

"Rarity? Where are you going?" Twilight asked.

"I just need to freshen myself up, darling." She replied, walking off.

Tom then stood up and walked over to Mrs. Cake. He leaned down and looked her in the eye.

"I'll find Pinkie. I promise you." His statement was met with a bone-crushing embrace.

"You are a blessed child! Thank you so, so much!"

Just then, Rarity stepped out into the kitchen, dressed to the nines in a scarlet overcoat, pink sashes darting around it to accentuate her waist and forming a bow at her chest. Topping her head was a wide brimmed hat colored purple a shade darker than her violet mane. The hat had a ribbon tied into a bow the same color as those on the coat.

"To me Mrs. Cake, it sounds like you've got a mystery on your hands. A real doozy of one too. A missing baker. Sounds like they were trying to take the cake. Or Pie, rather."

Tom and Twilight were both speechless at the sudden wardrobe change, while Spike gazed at her, utterly enamored.

"Now, I must away! The crime scene waits for no mare!" Rarity dramatically declared as she headed out, Twilight pursuing.
Tom noticed Spike was still frozen in place.

"Uh...yeah, so...hold down the fort?" He shrugged before heading off himself.

Sugarcube Corner was flanked by all manner of law enforcement and paparazzi. An outright kidnapping in Ponyville was rare, and with the recent attacks from monsters still fresh in everypony's memories, tensions were higher than ever.
Rainbow Dash was flying above, and had flown closer to see what was going on. As she did, she saw Tom, Twilight and Rarity coming towards her...but she immediately felt a sense of annoyance when she saw what Rarity was wearing.

"Oh jeez, not the Shadow Spade schtick again!" She groaned.

Tom turned back to Rarity, raising an eyebrow. "Shadow Spade?"

"Some lame detective novels that Rarity likes." Rainbow replied.

"Lame!?" Rarity interjected indignantly. "I will have you KNOW that Shadow Spade's mysteries are far more compelling and sophisticated than Daring Do!"
"REALLY?! How could anypony enjoy a story without real action in it?" Rainbow barked back. Twilight, in her increasing irritation, decided to employ the "Royal Canterlot Voice".

"WE HAVE BIGGER THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT RIGHT NOW!" Twilight's voice echoed out, immediately drawing attention from everypony around her. Tom, meanwhile, was covering his ears.

"...in the future, please warn me the next time you're going to do that." Tom winced. Twilight just nodded, and the group went to investigate the scene.

Pinkie's bedroom had been wrecked by whatever had happened. Large gashes were carved into hardened furniture, various popped balloons and damaged party favors littered the floor, and her bedding was reduced to piles of shredded fabric.

"What...happened in here? It looks like a manticore trampled all over the place." Rainbow noted.

The group split up, examining the destroyed room. Tom stepped on a piece of paper, and picked it up.

"What's this? Hearts & Hooves Dating Party?" He read.

"Oh, I know those! My parents made me go to one-" She started, but stopped and covered her mouth, a blush forming on her face. Tom just sighed.

"So, what is it then?" He asked.

"They're a party for lonely mares and stallions to hopefully find a special somepony." Rainbow Dash replied. "Though I've never been to one!"

"But why would Pinkie Pie have a flyer for it?" Tom asked.

"If I may...it could be that Pinkie is involved in organizing these parties." Rarity answered. "Parties ARE her specialty."

"AHEM." The sound of an irritated older mare clearing her throat filled the room. The group turned around to see an annoyed looking police-pony staring at them. She had a cyan coat and dark blue mane under her hat.

"Oh...uh..." Tom was at a loss for words.

"Oh my gosh!" Twilight exclaimed. "I was so concerned about Pinkie I forgot about the police! I am SO sorry, um..."

"Officer Miranda Rights." She replied. "I have special orders to allow you to investigate. Though it seems that really didn't matter." She grunted. "So, find anything?"

"Well, this." Tom handed the officer the flyer.

"Hmmm...I had heard there'd been a rash of folks going missing at these parties as of late." She explained.

The group looked at each other. "Is it possible there's a connection?" Rarity asked.

"Who knows? I wouldn't be caught dead at one of these things." The nearby officer shrugged.

Rarity thought to herself for a moment. "So it seems the common thread is a dating party... in that case, I propose we investigate first hand!"

Tom, Twilight and Rainbow all looked mildly afraid.

As day turned to night, the local dating party had started. Tom, Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow Dash all approached the venue, the meeting hall in the center of Ponyville.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash both wore dresses they had previously worn to the Grand Galloping Gala, while Tom was simply in a button down shirt and slacks. Rarity, however, was wearing a long black dress that emphasized her curves. She definitely looked the part of the "femme fatale".

As they entered the hall, they noticed Applejack was there, also wearing a previous Gala dress.

"Applejack?" Twilight called out, making the farmpony jump a bit.

"U-uh, fancy meetin' you here, Twi!" She replied, stammering. She turned to the others as her heart sank and she blanched in embarrassment.

"Ugh, yer never gonna let me live this down, are ya?" She groaned to Rainbow Dash.

"Hey, I'm here too, you know." Dash replied. "Why don't we just hang out?"

"...I guess that'd be nice." Applejack replied shyly. They didn't notice Rarity was observing them from a distance.

"Two souls drift off, like two ships into the night. Both so different yet more alike then either would admit. Eyes like opposite poles of a magnet, forcing them to not part this evening. Who will give in to the undeniable des- oh Celestia! How much mayo are on those shrimp puffs!" The fashionista cried, tearing off to give some unfortunate server a piece of her mind. As she turned, however...she noticed a strange trail of pink powder leading from the punch bowl.

"What...?" As she said that, she noticed that most of the attendees had the same punch in their cups...

Tom just walked around, nervously. A lot of the mares were eyeing him with some interest, but also some trepidation, while most of the stallions either paid him no mind or glared. He sighed and was about to take a sip of his drink-

"I found you! You can't run away this time, Mr. Human!" A mint-colored blur tackled the human to the ground, knocking the punch cup far away from him.

It was Lyra, and she currently was straddling Tom, while he was sprawled out on the floor, dazed.

"G...grandma said this...o-ore, sanjou...!" He wheezed out in a daze.

"Oh my gosh!" Twilight ran over, accidentally dropping her punch. She pushed Lyra off the dazed Tom.

"Tom! Are you alright? Speak to me!" She shook him.

"...ow." He started rubbing his head.
"Lyra Heartstrings! You apologize to him right now!" Twilight commanded. But the mint pony's eyes were full of tears.

"Oh no! I am so, so sorry!" She cried, grabbing the human in a bear hug. "I-I was just so excited to meet a real human! I didn't want to hurt you!"

"Too tight...!" Tom wheezed. Twilight magically grabbed Lyra and pried her off.

"Lyra, I know you're excited about him and all, but show some restraint!" Twilight complained.
Tom stood up and dusted himself off. "That would be appreciated next time, Ms...?"

"Oh, my name is Lyra Heartstrings, but you can just call me Lyra!" The mint pony cheerfully introduced herself. "I'm Ponyville's number one anthropologist!"

Tom held out his hand. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Lyra." Lyra's eyes lit up and she eagerly grasped his hand and shook it.

"Ohmygosh, human hands!" Lyra squeed. Tom just sighed. What have I just unleashed?

The party continued in full swing, stallions and mares mingling and flirting, some even dancing.

One such mare was sitting down near the wall, sipping at her punch. But she started to hear something unusual.

"What's that noise? Sounds like a...violin...feel...sleepy...." She droned, passing out shortly after. Others around began to start dropping, one after the other, upon hearing the sound.

"What's going on!?" Twilight shrieked. Tom was currently supporting Lyra, who had fallen asleep and was snoring contently in his arms.

"Shh!" Tom closed his eyes to focus. He could hear the tones of a violin being played from somewhere.

"I hear a violin...but where is it coming from?" Tom asked, but Twilight was just staring in fear.

"Twilight? What's wrong?" Tom asked, before Twilight shakily lifted her arm.

"B-b-behind you!" She shrieked. Tom turned as quickly as he could before being swatted to the floor by a clawed hand.

Tom got a good look at his assailant. The being in question was a strange caped creature, with a head resembling a bat, but many of its features appeared to have a pattern resembling stained glass. Its shoulders had what appeared to be small, fleshy monsters attached to it, with bat wings jutting out. And it had a belt buckle strongly resembling a bat.

"What IS that thing!?" Rarity shouted.

Tom stood up and summoned his Driver. "If I were a betting man...that's our culprit."

"RIDER TIME!" The Driver announced as Tom quickly transformed and drew his sword. As he took a large overhead swing, however, all the lights in the building had mysteriously cut out. It was pitch black in the area.
"Ahh! What the hay happened to the lights!?" Twilight yelped. She and Rarity attempted to light the room with magic, but that made the monster lunge at them both in rage. However, Zi-O dived in front of the two and took the attack across his abdomen.

"AARGH!" Tom roared in pain. He delivered a backwards kick to the monster's stomach as quickly as he could, to get it off of himself and the girls.

"Oh my goodness! Are you alright, darling?" Rarity inquired. Tom grunted as he got to his feet.

"This...it's nothing. Kamen Riders deal with a lot worse than this." He explained. "Still not fun, though." He continued, wincing slightly. "Stay back, though. This is dangerous."

Rarity nodded and attempted to move away, before a sword swung just in front of her, narrowly missing her! She fell over in shock.

"WAH!" She cried out. Tom quickly turned and caught her. The sword's owner came into what little view they had, it was a strange wolf-esque monster.

"Where did THAT one come from!?" Rarity cried out again. But she stopped completely when she felt a tuft of hair fall from her head. Her expression completely changed from fear to rage.

"HOW DARE YOU! I WORK VERY HARD TO MAINTAIN MY MANE, AND YOU RUINED IT! I WILL PERSONALLY TEACH YOU MANNERS, YOU BRUTE!" She turned to Tom.

"Dearest Thomas, if you would be so kind as to leave this uncultured lout to me." Rarity requested.

"I'm not sure that's-" Tom started, but stopped when he was able to make out a death glare from the angered fashionista's face.

"Yes ma'am!" Tom quickly muttered while turning his attention to the bat monster.

The bat monster concealed itself in the darkness of the room, managing to repeatedly surprise Zi-O from behind.

"This...isn't getting anywhere..." He wheezed, but then, he had an idea.

"I wonder...this OOO watch would have the Taka head..." He contemplated, but then found himself dodging a flurry of bullets and a large purple hammer!

"Knock on wood!" He yelled, activating the watch and quickly slamming it into the empty slot on his belt, before spinning the belt.

"ARMOR TIME!" The belt announced as a trio of robotic animals appeared, and formed themselves into armor. "TAKA!
TORA! BATTA! OOO~" The belt sang out.

Tom saw everything coming into view, the bat monster and the other two monsters that seemed to be under its control-a merman-looking beast and a Frankenstein's monster ripoff, respectively.

"I can see you, Frank & Fishy..." Tom joked, as the long claws on his gauntlets extended. The Frankenstein-like monster lifted its large hammer over its head and swung it at Zi-O, but he merely jumped to the side slightly, making the hammer get stuck in the floor. Zi-O then started hacking at the monster with the large claws, ending with a cross-chop. The Frankenstein disappeared into smoke, the merman doing the same out of cowardice.

At that point, the bat monster tried yet again to sneak up on the Rider, but now that the dark was no longer an issue, he managed to stop it, pushing it back with the claws.

"No...you...don't!" Zi-O grunted, throwing the beast off him. He then crouched a bit as his leg armor started to glow green.

Zi-O then lunged forward at the monster, a burst of green energy propelling him forward. His claws were extended to his sides.

"SEEEEEEIYAAAA!" Zi-O yelled as he slashed through the monster! The monster doubled over in pain...but then, a pair of fang-like projections appeared and shot out at one of the fainted guests. It latched on and seemed to be absorbing energy for the monster, while the victim started turning into what appeared to be glass.

"Crap!" Zi-O dived at the monster again but the monster moved faster than he could even notice. The monster had regained some strength, and was now effortlessly dodging the Rider's attacks!

But, as fate would have it, the fangs were knocked away from the victim! It was Rarity, and in her fury, she had thrown the wolf monster in such a way that the fangs were removed.

"Let that be a lesson to you, you ill-mannered fiend!" She proclaimed. She then came to Tom's side.

"Thomas, darling, are you alright?" She asked with concern.

"I'm fine...this guy got its power back from whatever it was doing to the guests." The Rider explained. "How is this monster able to appear out of nowhere like that?"

"Appear out of nowhere?" Rarity thought to herself. "Wait...could it be?"

"Ideeeeeaa!" The fashionista's voice rang out. She then went over to what was left of the buffet table and found an undamaged cupcake.

"Mmm! These CUPCAKES sure are to die for!" Rarity exclaimed with an odd intonation. "I sure am sorry that PINKIE PIE isn't here to sample these!"

The monster then started clutching its head in pain. "I...wAnT...cuuuUUUUPCAAAAAKES!" It roared out.

"As I thought...that monster IS Pinkie Pie!" Rarity revealed. "It might be the same thing you said happened to me! Please, you have to save her!"

"On it!" Tom pressed the buttons on the watches he had. "FINISH TIME! OOO!" Flicking the driver with his hands to turn it, he then crouched down for another leap.

"SCANNING TIME BREAK!" The belt announced. Zi-O leapt into the air, and a trio of coin-shaped projections appeared in the same colors as the OOO armor. Zi-O then kicked at the enemy, the coin shapes gathering in front of him.

"SEEEEIIIYAAAA!" Tom repeated as the monster was smashed by the large coins and exploded, leaving a shuddering pink mare in a heavy coat and sick mask, and a sparking black RideWatch with a yellow bezel. Zi-O removed his primary watch from his belt and pointed it at the other watch.

"Hope this works again." A beam of light shot from the Zi-O Ridewatch, dispelling the purple sparks around it. He then went to pick up the watch.

"Oh, I get it! This is Kiva...that does explain why I didn't recognize it at first though." Tom noted, undoing his transformation.

"Because it's forbidden or something?" Twilight asked, having undone the shielding on the other guests.

"Actually...I kinda slept through that class." Tom replied, embarrassed. Twilight just groaned and facepalmed.

The police were called to help get all of the victims to the hospital. Thankfully, even the one who had her energy drained by the Kiva-monster was going to be just fine.

"You did good, kid." Officer Rights approached the human.

"Um...thanks." Tom responded, a bit flustered by the praise.

"I had my doubts about you, but you've got some talent. If you ever need some help from us, you let me know, okay?" She continued, holding out her hand.

"...I appreciate it." Tom shook the officer's hand. He then turned to go join Twilight and Rarity. They were tending to Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

"...are they going to be okay?" He asked.

"Thankfully, none of them seem to be badly hurt. The sleeping drug that the monster used should wear off in the morning, and Pinkie Pie should wake up soon too." Twilight explained. "You saved my friends again." She noted. Then, she gave Tom a small kiss on the cheek, making Tom's face turn red.

"Ah...buh...muh..." Tom stammered, unable to form coherent words. Rarity looked on, amused.

"Hm hm hm...looks like you've found yourself a wonderful knight, darling." Rarity teased.

"K-k-knight!?" Now it was Twilight's turn to break out into a blush.

"And I would be more than happy to join you two..." she continued, causing them to fall over in shock.

"Oh dear, I guess it was too much teasing. Still..." Rarity walked over to Tom.

"You are a wonderful hero, Thomas. Thank you." She gave him another cheek kiss.

Half a day later, Ponyville was returning to normal. The only one that hadn't woken up yet was Pinkie Pie, and Tom, Twilight and Rarity stayed by her until she did.

"Mmmh..." Pinkie groaned.

"I think she's coming around!" Twilight said out loud, prompting the others to approach.

Her eyes opened, looking at the three around her. Her eyes locked onto Tom, and then she pounced.

"YIPPEE!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "You're the one who beat that mean ol' monster that took me over, aren't you!?" She kept on.

"Wait...you remember?" Twilight asked.

"Of course I did! It was so sad and dark in there...but then you came and kicked the monster out! Literally!" She gripped Tom in a bear hug.

"Gah!" Tom squeaked. "P-P-Pinkie Pie...need...air..."

"You know what this calls for, right!?" Tom shook his head.

"Well, duh! It's time for a party!"

"...huh?" Tom asked, confused. Twilight just put her hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

"Don't try to comprehend Pinkie. For the sake of your own mental health, just...don't."

Around the same time, a small tea party was happening in a little cottage near the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy, animal caretaker and Element of Kindness, was having tea with her dear friend, Discord, the Spirit of Chaos.

"I'm so glad you could come today, Discord. I thought you'd be on your trip for a bit longer." Fluttershy said.

"W-well, it just happened to work that way." Discord stammered. Then he grinned. "That reminds me...I have a little something for you." He pulled out a small white box.

"Oh, a present?" Fluttershy asked. "Thank you!" She opened the box to reveal a small silver watch-like object with a red ring around it.

"Hmm, what is this? It looks like a watch." Discord just smiled.

"Ah, this? Well, you use it like...THIS!" He pressed the button and then forced the watch into Fluttershy's body!

"Aaagh! D...Discord, w-why?" Fluttershy sobbed. But then she saw strange purple armoring forming on the dragonequus's body.

"Y...you're not Discord!" The pegasus squeaked as red and white bolts of energy consumed her.

"Oh, but Fluttershy...I'm more Discord than the weakling you know ever will be. Have fun with Kabuto's powers!" He laughed, vanishing in a purple haze.

"N...no...somepony...help me...please!"

Author's Note

Took me a while...honestly I was trying to get this up since February but real life cares not for schedules.

Special thanks to thunderclap for his help with the Rarity monologues, and The Bricklayer for various consultations!

Next time, peculiar pink pony parties and pegasi in peril!

Chapter 13-2: Open Your Eyes, You Are The Last Faiz

It was only a few moments ago that Ponyville’s citizens were on the verge of a massive brawl…and now the town was covered in Darkroaches.

Twilight and her friends were attempting to keep the fiendish swarm at bay, having also been trying to bring anyone they could to the castle for safety. Anton too, doing what he could despite both his injuries and the pleas of Lyra and Bon Bon. And Tom was still stuck in the forest, trying to get back to his friends.

Amidst all of this, a trio of evil figures were enjoying the carnage from nearby.

“Well, Chronus, I have to say, this is the most fun I’ve seen out of all of these little experiments.” Ouja-Discord said, hoisting a glass of chocolate milk in the air. “A toast to you.” He drank the glass, while the chocolate milk remained, and he then threw the remaining beverage behind him, said beverage exploding upon impact.

“Yes…at first, I was merely content to transform one of those insipid flower mares, but I figured we could kill two birds with one stone…”

—---

“I demand you give me powers!” Spoiled Rich yelled in Ouja-Discord’s face. How she had caught up to him was alarming enough, but now she was demanding that she be given powers!

“And, pray tell, WHY should we?” Ouja-Discord asked. “The only thing you have going for you is the fact you’re a class X uber-Karen.”

“Because I can get rid of those damnable monkeys! I will be rid of them one way or another!” The mare’s stuck up attitude had devolved into derangement at this point.

Ouja-Discord took Idunn-Chrysalis to the side momentarily to discuss the prospect.

Idunn-Chrysalis took a deep breath before her judgment. “No.” Ouja-Discord just nodded.

“Well, ma’am,” Ouja-Discord started. “We appreciate your interest in our organization, but sadly the position you have applied for requires different qualifications.” He said, imitating a job reviewer in hopes of making the annoying mare leave.

—------

“...and you remember how that ended up. She kept following us for weeks!” Idunn-Chrysalis complained.

—-----

“Come on! I want Rider powers!” Spoiled Rich yelled as the trio were sitting at a cafe table. Idunn-Chrysalis rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers as a series of Helheim vines wrapped themselves around the complaining socialite and tossed her into the distance.

—-----

“She was tenacious, I’ll give you that…which did prove her to be a worthy specimen in its own way. Chronus-Sombra mused.

“But, that’s not the only reason, right?” Ouja-Discord asked.

Chronus-Sombra just scoffed. “Of course not. I wasn’t expecting anything much from her - if she succeeds, fair enough, if not, at least the pest will be dealt with and out of our way.”

Idunn-Chrysalis snorted at that. “Two managers with one Karen?”

“But we should probably get clear… those Darkroaches are getting too close for comfort.” Ouja-Discord snapped his fingers and a portal opened. “Ladies first.”

Idunn-Chrysalis rolled her eyes as the trio entered the portal, it closing behind them.

—------

“Lyra! LYRA!” Bon Bon called out in panic. She was using what combat training she had to attempt to make her way through the swarming monsters, to search for her beloved.

Anton, despite his injuries, was keeping up as much as he could. He was swinging his axe like his life depended on it. And right now, it did.

“Darkroaches… of course a monster based on Blade’d have access to them. I put too much stock in the king of morons.” Anton lamented to himself.

“Do you see her?” Bon Bon asked her reluctant companion.

“I can’t see her at all!” Anton grunted. “Damn it! That idiot screwed up!”

“You know something about these things?” Bon Bon asked.

“They’re called Darkroaches, they’re basically a cleanup crew if a Joker Undead wins the Battle Fight!” Anton explained while continuing his attacks. “And we’re the mess!”

He took out the Knight RideWatch and stuck it into his weapon.

“KNIGHT! DEADLINE CHOP!” The axe let off a series of bat-shaped energy slashes that took out a great deal of the Darkroaches in front of them, allowing the two to dive into a nearby building for a temporary reprieve.

“We can…catch our breath in here for a bit.” Anton panted. Bon Bon sighed, and produced an object that Anton had been trying to find.

“My Space-Time Driver!” Anton said as he attempted to swipe it back but Bon Bon pulled it away.

“What are you doing? That Driver’s MINE!” He growled, but Bon Bon instead grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and got in his face.

“You listen to me, and listen well!” Bon Bon said intensely. “Out there is the mare who is the most important pony to me in the entire Celestia-damned world. I am giving you this back temporarily so we can go save her, but I swear to ALL the princesses, if you even THINK of betraying my trust to settle your edgy grudge, no amount of Rider powers is going to save you from me. Am I clear?”

Anton gritted his teeth before sucking in a breath. “...understood. We’re understood.”

“Good,” Bon-Bon said with a nod, before handing him back the driver and injecting him with something. “Now… do what you do best. What I injected you with… it’ll numb the pain for a little while, but you shouldn’t push yourself, got it?”

The driver, attached to Anton’s waist wrapped a belt around him, and even as he twisted his ridewatch into the ‘ready’ position he could feel some of the pain slipping away.

“...can’t believe I’m having to save your ass again, Hero King,” Anton said. “Henshin.”

Twilight was attempting to coordinate the resistance against the invading Darkroaches, her and Starlight working together to erect a magical barrier around the castle to protect the citizens.

“These things are endless!” Starlight said. “What’s taking Rider boy so long?”

“Tom’s fighting just as hard as we are, Starlight!” Twilight replied. “We have to hold out!
Then, she noticed that a father and daughter were surrounded by the fiends…and it wasn’t just any father and daughter, but Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara- Spoiled’s husband and daughter!

“Starlight, I gotta save those two! Can you hold things here? Thanks!” Twilight said in a hurry as she surrounded herself in a magical aura and leapt into the fray.

“Twilight, wait!” Starlight yelped. “...damn it, he’s rubbing off on her.”

As Twilight rapidly approached, the Darkroaches’ count seemed to pick back up, and as she reached the two of them, she formed a smaller barrier to protect them all…but she couldn’t move, they were pinned down! The Darkroaches slammed against the princess’s shield, Twilight becoming more and more strained with each strike… but then she saw a soaring purple blur. It was Spike! And he was surrounded by Starlight’s magic!

“Cannonball!” He rolled into a ball and smashed into the Darkroaches, before hitting them with fire breath.

“Spike!?” Twilight yelped in surprise. “But…”

“Starlight’s idea. She provided the lift, I brought the heat!” The dragon said proudly.

“Going to have words with her later…” Twilight sighed, but felt something tug at her sleeve.

“Princess…that monster…she’s my mom.” Diamond Tiara said.

“Wait, that was Spoiled?” Twilight asked, kneeling down to the filly’s level. Diamond just nodded, tears in her eyes.

“Spoiled has been…not quite herself since that incident at the school,” Filthy sighed, rubbing his temples. “I knew she was getting out of control, but I never thought she’d become an actual monster!”

“Then we have to stop her!” Spike said.

“I know, but… even if she is a monster now, she’s still my mom inside!” Diamond pleaded. Twilight didn’t know what to do, but decided that stopping the attack came before anything.

“Spike, can you get these two to the castle? We can talk about all this after.”

“Sure thing, Twi,” Spike said as he took another deep breath and blew a stream of fire at the Darkroaches between them and the castle. “This way!”

Meanwhile more just kept coming and Twilight was clenching the Agito ridewatch in her hand for luck and to feel as if Tom was right by her side. “...please, Lady Faust, just give me the strength to continue… You and Lady Bonnie. Right now… I could use all the strength I could get to protect my friends… My kingdom.”

Then to her surprise, when she saw a Darkroach getting a little too close to Spike, she reacted the only way she knew how. And that was by punching the creature, the symbol of Agito knocking the foul creature back and reducing it to dust and ash.

“...thanks, Tom. I… I… I lo… Thank you.”

Today was not Tom’s day, upgrade or no. He was currently locked in combat with Another Blade, formerly known as Spoiled Rich. For whatever reason, the Karen-Pony had it in for him the moment she laid eyes on him, and now her rage was unleashed in full force. And because of the power of the Joker Undead coursing through her, he could barely hold her off. Even the DecadeArmor that he had just gained wasn’t enabling him to gain much more ground.

“Seriously, what sort of unholy Karen energy is powering you!?” Tom grunted as Another Blade pressed down on him with her sword.

“YOU EXIST! You came here and ruined everything even more than it already WAS!!”

As their blades ground together, in a shower of sparks, Tom’s eyes widened under his helmet.

“That’s your beef with me?” he said, breaking away and starting to spin the crank on the Ride Heisaber. “That’s why you’re so angry at me?”

“I have done my best to keep the ponies of this town free of any corrupting influences from any other beings! They’re all inferior to ponies!” Another Blade ranted.

“And yet look at what that hatred has turned you into… you’re nothing but a damn hypocrite!” Tom said, still spinning the crank. “Look at yourself in a mirror sometime, assuming it doesn’r crack from how damn ugly you are inside and out! You’re not even a pony anymore! You’re not even a Rider! You’re just a twisted parody!”

“Shut up…you sound just like they do…those ingrates who always complain…I’ll kill you here and now! And then I’ll get rid of anyone who doesn’t agree with me!” Another Blade snarled.

“That’s not leadership… it’s tyranny! Respect isn’t stolen through fear, it’s earned!” Tom said.

“HEY! KIVA!” the Ride Heisaber shouted.

“You’ve become a monster inside and out… but I’ll still bring you back.” Tom swung the Ride Heisaber, as a swarm of energy bats came from the slash and began swarming the monstrous entity.

“Get these winged rats off of me!” Another Blade growled as she flailed around wildly. Tom began turning the crank on his sword again.

“HEY! EX-AID!” it proclaimed as he slashed the Another Rider to hit flashes, each saying ‘Excellent!’ accompanied by 8-bit video game sounds.

“I don’t just have one power on my side… I have the power of my family, the Kamen Riders…” Tom said, firmly as he turned the crank again. “....and my friends, and… Twilight, who I intend to return to!”

“HEY! W!” the Ride Heisaber said, purple and green wind swirling around it before Tom swung the sword, sending a cyclone rapidly spinning towards the turned Spoiled Rich.

“Are you even sure what you’re fighting for anymore?” Tom asked. “What about your family? Your husband and daughter? Right now, because of you, that town you profess to protect is being destroyed!”

Another Blade flew backwards, thrown away by the cyclone’s winds, but then began raging again.

“No…I know what I’m doing is best for everypony! MY VOICE IS THE ONE THAT MATTERS!” She continued raging, flailing wildly at her opponent.

“You’re just doing what you think is best for you!” Tom said, spinning the crank.

“HEY! DECADE!” the sword said, as a line of gold cards appeared in front of Tom before he slashed straight through them and sliced right through the Another Rider. But he wasn’t done yet.

“HEY! BLADE!” the Ride Heisaber said after another crank, and Tom turned on his heel slashing through the rouze cards and again through Spoiled Rich.

“This is the real power of Blade!” He announced, as Spoiled’s energy finally gave out and the Another Rider form disappeared. Her watch fell to the ground, followed by Spoiled herself shortly after. Tom picked up the BladeWatch, and then lifted Spoiled over her shoulder.

“...you’ve got a lot of cleaning up to do, lady.” Tom sighed as he started to make his way back to town.

—------

While all this was going on, the Darkroaches were still battering the barrier between them and Twilight’s castle.

“We can’t hold her for much longer!” Starlight said, cracks already beginning to form and growing wider and deeper with every attack. “That barrier’s going to fall any minute now!”

“...It has to hold, it has to,” Twilight said, her horn glowing and Rainbow along with several other Pegasi in the weather team flying up into the rapidly graying clouds. “It has to hold, Tom will defeat Spoiled. He will. We hold the line here, until we can no longer.”

Jagged lightning bolts rained down on the Darkroaches reducing them to ash with every strike.

“Seems you could use a little help, right?” Tsukasa said, after snapping a photo of the chaos, sitting atop one of the battlements. None of them had even noticed him appearing in the midst of the chaos. “Very well, I suppose I’m interested enough in this little pony world of yours to not let it get destroyed.”

His hologram flickered, revealing his true human self as he slipped another card into his driver.

“Henshin,” he said, as the driver revved up like a motorcycle engine.

“Kamen Ride: Ex-Aid!” the Driver said as Tsukasa leaped down into a massive mecha suit. “Saidaikyuu no powerful body! Dariragan! Dagozuban! Maximum Power~ X~!”

Just landing in Ex-Aid’s level 99 form send several Darkroachs flying and several more fell into an abyss as the mecha suit marched forwards creating a crevice in the ground. Even as Tsukasa sent the roaches flying with frailing arms, they kept swarming and eventually some pulled him out of his suit.

“...very well then, I suppose I’ll have to try something else then.”

“Kamen Ride: Build! Are you ready? Form Ride: Kirincyclone! Best match!” and what looked like runners for model kits snapped together a new suit. A fan on one arm began blowing away more of the roaches.

“Kamen Ride: Faiz! Complete!” the driver said, as red lines formed around Build’s suit, transitioning it into Faiz’s. Decade pulled out a red sword and began slashing through the Darkroaches even as his chest plate opened up.

“Form Ride: Faiz Axel!” and at this Tsukasa became a blur of motion. But the darkroaches were still slipping through even as he took them down. And every one he struck down, three more took its place.

“Damn it, I always hated dealing with these things…” Tsukasa groaned, but after noticing a change in the air, stopped moving completely.

“Hey, what are you doing!?” Twilight yelped, but Tsukasa held a finger in front of his helmet to shush her.

“Three…two…one.” He counted down as the Darkroaches began to disappear as suddenly as they appeared.

“What…where’d the monsters go?” Twilight looked around, confused.

“Kid’s done it. Heh, just like I thought he would. The Karen has been contained.” Tsukasa said as he undid his Driver. A ghost of a proud smile was on his face.

“Then…we’re safe?” Twilight asked, but then a red shot whizzed past her. Another monster had appeared.

“Wait…that’s not a Blade monster…” Tsukasa said, looking the new challenger over. “Mind… It does look like… Two at once eh? And I just undid my transformation… pain in my ass.”

He retransformed, and pulled out his own sword.

“You’re standing between me and my after-battle drink. Reflect on your sins in hell.”

—-----

As the Darkroaches vanished, Anton and Bon Bon took that as their cue to comb the town for Lyra.

“Lyra!” Bon Bon called out.

“Oi! Minty!” Anton also called.

“Where is she…you don’t think she was-” Bon Bon started but Anton stopped her.

“No. Bad,” Anton scolded. “You start that negative talk and everything goes ass up.”

Bon Bon just sighed but noticed another monster, eerily resembling one of Decade’s previous Rider changes about to attack Twilight and her friends.

“Another one!?” Bon Bon yelped. Anton looked, but then he ran over without saying anything.

“H-hey, wait!” She ran after the red Rider.

Decade stared down the monster, but Anton came between the two.

“Sorry, Decade, but this one’s MINE,” Anton insisted. Decade just sighed again.

“Whatever rubs your rhubarb, kid,” He replied as he stood back. “Go for it.”

The monster, with bloody red veins erupting from its body roared as it seemingly ignored both Anton and Decade and went straight for Bon Bon.

“Ah!” Bon Bon cried as the monster grabbed her.

“Put her down, you phony Faiz!” Anton commanded, but the monster just ignored him.

“Of all the Riders to encounter here…” He lamented before growling. “Fine, I’ll make you stop ignoring me!”

Firing a few shots into Another Faiz’s arm, it tossed Bon-Bon aside before striding towards Anton and leaping into its own version of a Crimson Smash.

“I have a duty to take you down specifically…in the name of the De Faiz family!” Anton slid under the monster’s attack, and switched his weapon into its Bow mode.

“Bow before the might of Anton De Faiz!”

“...De Faiz?” Twilight asked.

“...da hell?” Tsukasa quipped.

Anton and the monster grappled, but the red Rider could feel the pain from his injuries flaring up again.

“Son of a…why now!?” He felt his strength ebb as the monster managed to overtake him and toss him aside.

“Anton! Don’t you dare die!” Bon Bon yelled as Another Faiz walked towards her. “Lyra and I won’t forgive you if you do!”

“Argh…easier said than…done…” He grunted as he tried to pull himself back up only to fall to his knees.

“Damn it…I can’t die here! Not now!” Anton thought, but just as the monster was about to deal a critical blow…

“HEY! KUUGA!” a golden beetle of light hit the monster from the side, sending it flying from Anton.

“Just in time!” Tom said, as Anton looked at the new armor.

“Okay, what in seven hells is that getup?” Anton said, considering the armor silly looking even by their exceedingly high standards.

“You’re welcome, is what I believe you were trying to say,” Tom snarked. “Sorry for stepping in when you were about to be crimson smashed.”

Bon Bon walked over and picked the moaning Anton up over her shoulder. “Okay, you’re benched. I told you not to push yourself and it’s sweet really you wanted to defend me but you’re still a massive idiot.”

“I did it…for Minty…” Anton wheezed. “She likes you a lot, you know.”

“...yeah, she does,” Bon Bon replied. “I’m not sure why, but she does. That’s something we can agree on, for once at least.”

Tom, meanwhile, was facing down Another Faiz with the two trading blows.

“Your contract is cancelled!” Tom attempted another quip, but everyone just groaned.

“Make that two things… his one-liners suck,” Bon Bon rolled her eyes.

“HEY! FAIZ!” the Ride Heisaber said as it became charged with glowing red photon energy.

“Can you hear me now? Good, because you’re done!” Tom said, swinging his sword for a finisher before a bright blue orb landed between him and the monster taking the attack. Tom averted his eyes, to avoid being blinded but he knew who this was either way.

As the orb faded, it revealed G-Den-O, right on schedule.

“Not a good time, lady!” Tom complained.

“I’m getting those watches,” G-Den-O said. “Nice day for a two-for-one, too.”

“You’ve already grabbed enou-” Tom said before being cut off by Anton laughing.

“You mean she stole some of your watches?” Anton said, through pained laughter. “I thought you couldn’t be any more of an idiot and then you go and improve on your stupidity!”

G-Den-O looked at the source of the laughter and gritted her teeth. “I’ll deal with you after, asshole.”

Anton looked confused. “Eh? What’d I do to you?”

G-Den-O stopped in her tracks, growling a bit.

“What did you do to me…?” She said with growing anger. “You…YOU…”

“Hey! There’s still a monster here!” Tom said, gesturing with his sword to Another Faiz.

“Shut your hole, TV head!” G-Den-O yelled. “That red bastard…I’ll never forgive him!”

She rushed at the injured Anton before being stopped by a transformed Decade.

“Down, girl!” Decade said as he pushed her back.

“GET OUT OF MY WAY! HE DIES!” G-Den-O shoved Decade out of the way, and readied her own weapon. But Another Faiz suddenly jumped in the way and took the hit, staggering backwards in a shower of sparks.

“Wait, what!?” Tom, Anton and Twilight all asked as Another Faiz fell to its knees.

“I…I cArE fOr HiM…” Another Faiz wheezed out, the armor briefly fading away to reveal…

“Wait…Lyra?” Bon Bon said, swallowing and her throat dry as the desert.

“PlEaSe…hE…wE…cAn bE…HaPpY FaMIlY…” Another Faiz said before the transformation completely gave way, Lyra falling to the ground alongside the FaizWatch.

“Lyra! LYRA, NO!” Bon Bon cradled Lyra in her arms. “You can’t…”

“Oh, but she can…” Ouja said as he pulled Lyra out of her arms and shoved the Faiz watch back into the mare’s chest. “We’re not done with you yet!”

“You…you son of a bitch!” Anton growled. “It was you!”

“Who were you expecting?” Ouja-Discord taunted, wagging his finger and then sipping chocolate milk through his mask. “Sorry, but your little girlfriend’s MINE now.”

“No…give her back!” Bon Bon demanded.

“Yeah…I’m thinking not,” Ouja-Discord taunted, shoving Another Faiz through a helheim crack. “This scenario is just too good to just let it end just yet.”

“You…” Tom snarled, noticing the new slot on the Decade watch, perfect in size and shape for a third RideWatch. “You bastard. Unforgivable. You’re unforgivable. Henshin!”

Tom pulled out the RyukiWatch and inserted it into the DecadeWatch slot.

“FINAL FORM TIME! R-R-R-RYUKI!” Tom’s armor changed, as it started gaining details of Ryuki’s form. The barcode across his chest changing colors and shape, and the TV on his face scrolling to display a Ryuki-like image.

“Hey, Bon Bon!” Tom said, as flames erupted all around him, crackling and burning. “I’ll bring Lyra back! I promise! So believe in me!” Bon Bon nodded.

“You better keep that promise!” Bon Bon said.

“That makes…two of us…hero king…” Anton wheezed.

Tom ignored the last part, but gave a thumbs up. “Yosh! You mind if we put this on hold for a bit, G?”

“...do what you want, you’ll be plenty exhausted by the end so I can take another ridewatch from you anyway,” G-Den-O scoffed. Tom nodded and faced down Ouja.

“Oh, gag,” Ouja-Discord said, pointing his finger at his face, his tongue coming out from under his mask comically. “The lovey-dovey garbage between you and Princess Purple Smart’s bad enough.”

Ouja-Discord pulled out one of his cards. “But if you insist…I’ll show you what happens when you REALLY vex me!”

Slotting it in his staff, he summoned a certain snake which slithered out from an alleyway. But then Ouja slotted in another card, and another, both a rhino and a stingray appearing as well.

“Unite Vent!” Ouja’s staff said, as all three mirror monsters combined into a horned, winged monstrosity with a snake’s head. “Advent: Genocider!”

“So it’s a monster fight you want, huh?” Tom pressed the button on the RyukiWatch twice. “ADVENT TIME!”

“Come on, Dragranzer!”

A large serpentine dragon wearing knight-like armoring came down, flying through the sky with sharp metallic teeth flashing in the sun light.

“Hey kid! I’ll give you a hand, even the odds a bit!”

“Really? Thanks!”

“This Ouja’s gotten a little bit too smug for my liking, honestly,” the Destroyer of Worlds said. Decade pulled out a card and put it in his belt. “ATTACK RIDE: ADVENT!”

A second dragon, similar to Dragranzer but less armored, appeared as well and joined the fight next to its armored counterpart.

“Double Dragons!” Tom said, posing. “It’s time for a double battle!”

The group groaned again, even the dragons briefly losing their composure before returning to a battle ready demeanor.

“Final Vent: Doomsday!” Ouja’s staff said even as the fusion monster opened up its chest, sucking anything and everything towards it. Ouja-Discord himself leaped into a corkscrew kick, but the effect was countered by the two dragons spinning around each other in a spiral.

“What? You stupid overgrown salamanders!” Ouja snarled even as Dragranzer shifted into a bike form. Tom pulled himself onto the bike and gunned it.

“This is payback for the other day!” Tom said, pulling out his Ride Heisaber yet again. The bike slammed into the fusion monster’s leg, causing it to lose its balance. Tom leapt in the air and brandished his weapon, while Dragreder flew nearby and spat a series of fireballs in Tom’s direction.

“Batter up!” Tom swatted the fireballs in Ouja-Discord’s direction -now standing atop Genocider- with the fireballs becoming larger and more intense as he hit them. Ouja-Discord could only growl in pain as the fiery projectiles battered him.

“Argh!” Ouja-Discord fell off the monster completely. “Not losing another pet today…” He opened a hole and the fusion monster went inside.

“Running away?” Tom said.

“You better watch your mouth, brat! I’ll be back to make those dragons of yours into a set of boots!” He said as he also leapt into the portal.

“And look at you,” G-Den-O said, watching Tom struggle to stay standing. “You’re exhausted, how do you even think you’re going to fight me?”

G-Den-O took her weapon and attempted an attack, but Tom stopped it with his own sword.

“I didn’t hear no bell.” Tom said as he stood up, slotting Blade’s watch in and replacing Ryuki’s.

“FINAL FORM TIME! B-B-B-BLADE!” the driver said as his helmet shifted again and silver wings spread from the armor’s backside.

“You just don’t know when to quit, do you?” G-Den-O scoffed.

“That’s Kamen Rider 101. We never give up! You seem to have forgotten that!” Tom stood up.

“Fine…I’ll just have to pry those watches out of your cold, dead hands!” G-Den-O rushed forward but Tom took off into the air.

“You think I can’t hit a moving target?” G-Den-O switched her DenGasher into a gun and took aim. “Shouldn’t be too hard to hit a lame duck.”

A series of shots came from G-Den-O’s gun, Tom flying around them gracefully.

“Stand still!” G-Den-O roared as she began shooting more recklessly and blowing holes in houses.

“I thought your motto was serve and protect?” Tom asked. “How are you protecting anyone? Look around! They’re scared of you!”

Sure enough, ponies were actually backing away from the time police Rider in fear.

“Wait, I’m the good guy!” G-Den-O said. “They’re the bad ones!”

“The only bad guy right now is you!” A colt yelled out, throwing a rock at her with the other ponies nodding and agreeing.

“Why, you…” G-Den-O snarled.

“Just stop!” Tom said. “Whatever your issue is with us, you of all people should know not to involve innocents in your business!”

G-Den-O didn’t say anything, but a train suddenly appeared from a tunnel behind her.

“This isn’t over, Zi-O…” She said as she boarded the train, said train then vanishing through another tunnel.

Tom didn’t say a word, but disengaged his armor. The town was a wreck, and even if he’d beaten Spoiled he hardly felt like he’d achieved any sort of victory at all. Anton was even more badly hurt… and Lyra was in the hands of the enemy.

“I feel… so tired…” Tom said, as Twilight held him in her arms.

—-----

“...and that’s what was written in the letter.”

In Canterlot, Princess Celestia and Luna convened with other nobles.

“Those monsters are growing more and more insidious,” Fancy Pants, minister of commerce, commented. “They’ve done more than enough damage already, but they’ve also managed to get a pony to actively commit treason!”

“Spoiled Rich is currently being held in Ponyville’s county jail until we can decide her sentence.” Luna noted. “As to the matter of the hostage, Ms. Lyra Heartstrings…”

“...why?” Another noble, this one an older mare with a turquoise coat and graying mane, said with tears in her eyes. “Why her?”

“Lady Harpsichord…” Celestia knew why she was so upset. After all Lyra was her granddaughter, whom she doted on.

“Tell me, princess…what sort of sick, twisted monster could kidnap such a sweet young mare?”

“...as it stands, the Kamen Riders are the only ones who can stand up to the Another Riders effectively.” Celestia sighed. She didn’t like anyone so young tasked with defending ponykind, they were all like children to her by this point.

“But we’ve only got the young Thomas Decade! The other one is too much of a wild card, and even then, he’s supposed to be injured!” Another noble in attendance, Prince Blueblood, slammed his fist on the table in anger. “What does it say when we can’t even defend ourselves!?”

“Dear nephew, please compose yourself…” Luna said. “We too, are deeply concerned about our own lack of ability to combat these threats.”

“So what are you gonna do about it?” A new voice rang out, as a silvery curtain appeared behind the solar princess.

“Who goes there!?” Both Celestia and Luna stood ready to fight, the guards also pointing their spears at the curtain.

“Whoa, take it down a notch, Sunshine,” A pink colored stallion walked out of the strange silver curtain.

“Who…?” Celestia was stunned to see someone enter completely undetected, passing through security so easily.

“Eh?” Tsukasa was confused. “Oh, right - my disguise.”

The image of a pink alicorn faded to reveal another human, one that looked a bit like Tom did.

“...Kamen Rider Decade, I presume?” Celestia said.

“No autographs, please,” Tsukasa said as he took a swig from his flask. “Back to the matter at hand… you’re right that as you are now, you wouldn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of doing much.”

“Then what do you suggest? Equestria doesn’t have Kamen Riders like you do, barring Tom.”

“Oh, there’s more than one way to skin a cat,” Everyone gasped. “Metaphor. Just a metaphor.”

Tsukasa made a smaller aurora curtain appear, and pulled out a manila folder.

“Kamen Riders aren’t the only heroes out there. I’ve got the intel on something you might be able to use to give yourself some sort of defense,” he explained. “At the very least you can help take some slack off the kid’s back.”

Celestia took the content of the folder and looked it over quickly.

“...very well, we shall put it to a vote,” She used her magic to quickly make copies of the folder and levitated them towards the other nobles. Tsukasa just whistled at the display.

“Convenient. Remind me to look you up next time I need to make some photocopies.” Tsukasa teased. Celestia just ignored him.

“All in favor of Decade’s proposal?” Gradually, a chorus of ‘ayes’ filled the room.

“In that case, I decree…we shall start laying the groundwork for these new defenders… the Pretty Cures.”

Author's Note

Well, that didn't end very well, did it?

With Lyra now an Another Rider in the clutches of the enemy, what will Tom's next move be? What about Anton? And why did G-Den-O react so negatively to his presence?

Also, Decade has opened a new window of opportunity for Equestria...time will tell how this works out.