A Passing Through Kamen Rider

by thunderclap

Sidetracked and Sidelined

Wyatt leaned on the railing of the Invincible. His mind was racing at a mile a minute, not sure how to feel. On one hand, he was going to see humans again, but they wouldn't be the same as what he was used to. He looked down at his side, finding Ninjor's sword at his waist.

“What do you think about this trip, Ninjor?” he asked, hoping to get a response. “Ninjor? Hello? Please tell me Discord didn't break you.” The sword remained silent, leaving Wyatt to his thoughts. He sighed and slumped on the railing. “Great, the one person who's dealt with humans before and doesn't dislike me can't talk to me.”

“Still talking to your sword?” Daring questioned, moving in besides him. “Give that guy a break. He only just woke up and he’s had to deal with Discord and the whole ‘new universe’ thing.”

Wyatt offered her a weak smile, turning his head. “That's why I'm trying to talk to him; can you imagine how lonely it was inside this sword?”

“Yeah but you said he was sleeping until he got here,” Daring pointed out. “So, probably not that lonely.”

Wyatt nodded, looking back out over the passing land below. “True, can't argue with that logic.” He was silent for a bit before adding, “This is some ship, huh?”

“You're really bad at small talk, kid,” Daring said with a chuckle. “All that stuff just happened and you just talk about how 'cool’ the airship is.”

“What am I supposed to say?” Wyatt asked, not looking at her. “It's awesome that Discord helped us but Pinkie lost her dad to make it happen?” He didn't wait for an answer, his hands starting to tremble. “Or maybe about how much I want to throttle that freak but the truth is he's done more for our efforts to stop Dai-Shocker in one day than I have in a year?”

Daring reached over, socking him in the shoulder. “Don’t. You’ve done your best to keep Equestria safe. You don’t have the powers Discord does, so don’t go about comparing yourself to him, got that?”

Wyatt snorted, shaking his head. “I don't have the power to do a lot of things.”

“Do I have to sock you in the face again? Knock off the pity party,” Daring snapped, her wings fluffing on her back. “Feeling sorry for yourself isn’t going to do a damn thing for anyone, got it?”

Sighing, Wyatt pushed away from the railing. “Alright, I won't let myself get caught up in my head. How’s your dad settling in?”

“About as well as an antisocial guy can,” Daring answered, stretching her arms over her head. “Pretty sure he’d have retreated behind his mask if he hadn’t given it to the princesses. He’ll need a while before he’s properly himself again.”

“Bet he’ll have an easier time with you kicking his ass into shape,” Wyatt noted, grinning at her. “You do pretty well when you’re not being a frumpy old lady.”

“Watch it there, Matthews,” Daring warned, cracking her knuckles. She dropped the gesture and chuckled. “But, if you're back to being a wiseass, then I don't have to worry about you bumming out the whole ship.” Turning on a hoof, she walked towards the nearest door.

“Where are you going?” Wyatt questioned.

“To get some food, I still gotta eat surprisingly enough,” she answered, opening a door to reveal a stairwell. “I’m not actually a ghost.”

Wyatt watched for a moment before his stomach decided to voice its protest. In his haste to be away from others, he had neglected to eat anything. “Hold up, I could use a bite too!” he called out, walking after her.

“Following me now? Would your girl really be okay with that?” Daring questioned, looking over her shoulder.

Wyatt scoffed, smirking at the mare. “Oh please, like I’ve ever given her a reason to think I’d cheat. Sorry Ms. Do, but what we have is strictly platonic.”

Snickering, Daring socked him in the arm. “Oh yeah, I'm real torn up over losing my shot at you. I cry myself to sleep over it.”

The pair slipped into the mess hall, a rather nicely decorated room with a long dining table. If one didn’t know that the Invincible was a war ship, they’d have easily thought they were on a yacht. Pinkie Pie sat at the end of the table, her hair hanging down past her shoulders. On the table in front of her sat the Skull and Eternal memories.

Wyatt carefully sat down next to the pink mare and put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey Pinkie. Here to grab some food too?”

“Huh?” Pinkie looked up from the memories. “Oh, I guess so.”

Sucking in a breath, Wyatt glanced at the memories. “I know this might not sound like much, but we're all going to do what we can to get your dad back.”

“I know, Wy-Wy, but, that doesn't really make me feel better.”

“I sorta figured, but you deserved to hear it,” he replied, patting her shoulder. “If you wanna talk or just need support, I'm here for you. We all are.”

“Thanks, Wy-Wy,” Pinkie muttered, pulling him into a tight hug. “You're a good friend.”

“I've been learning from the masters,” Wyatt croaked, her strength surprising him. “You'd do the same for me.” He managed a smile and patted her back.”Hell, you already have; back during my birthday, you all reminded me I'm not alone.”

Releasing him, Pinkie nodded. “That was a fun party. You needed a good cheering up.”

“You are the queen of turning frowns upside down,” Wyatt assured, doing his best to hide the grateful lungfuls of air he was taking in. “When we get your dad back, how about we throw you a party for a change?”

A weak giggle managed to escape Pinkie’s lips. “What do you know about throwing parties, Wy-Wy?”

“I know enough to make you happy,” Wyatt said, poking her nose. “Trust me on this, I’m a professional.”

Daring had to stifle a snicker, getting up to get herself some food. “And here I was worried the kid was gonna be down the whole trip. Doesn’t have enough sense to dwell on shit.” Reaching over, she slapped Pinkie on the shoulder. “Just focus on what’s ahead.”

“Right,” Pinkie agreed, taking a steadying breath. Glancing around, her muzzle scrunched up. “I should probably also focus on finding Fang.”

“You lost it?” Wyatt questioned, a frown settling on his face. “How did you lose it?”

“I don't know!” the party mare protested, throwing her arms up. “He got on the ship with me just fine, but then he up and disappeared.” Deflating, she sighed. “Maybe he decided he didn’t like me?”

Wyatt groaned, pinching his brow. “I think I know what's going on. In the show, Fang had an odd temperament. He'd only show up when his user was in direct danger. He probably won’t show up until you need him.”

This seemed to please Pinkie, her mane returning to its normal poofiness. “So he doesn't hate me? Thank goodness! I was worried I'd messed something up with him.” Grabbing the Eternal and Skull memories, she slipped them into her mane. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to watch the land scroll by!”

Wyatt watched the pink mare leave, a smile on his face. Getting up, he went to grab some food. One good thing about Pinkie's randomness, her mood could be uplifted at any moment.

---

Fog rolled in over the waters outside of Manhattan. To the superstitious, it looked like a bad omen. The pegasi hadn’t scheduled fog afterall. Hidden from view, several ships sailed towards the port, seeming to be on a mission. On the lead ship, a stallion stood with a strange belt attached to his waist.

Behind him, the deck carried several medal corrupted crewmen. Each stood silently, watching and waiting for their king to speak.

Gazing at the collection of misshapen creatures before him, Poseidon stamped the bottom of his harpoon against the deck. “Manehatten will burn. Fillydelphia will burn. Each and every city on their precious coast will burn until I have what is mine. Do not stop until what is mine is returned to me.”

He stared into the fog, almost as if he could see through it. Nothing would stand between him and his treasure. Even if the seas themselves tried to swallow him up, he'd claim what was his. Raising his harpoon, he cut through the fog with a slash. Cannons sounded, the fleet opening up its guns as the fog lifted.

The sound of the impact reached Poseidon's ears and he could see debris flicker upward faintly. Keeping his spear pointed forward, he grunted. “Enjoy yourselves, gentlecolts.”

His hoard let out warped cries and leapt off the ship. They quickly reached the port and attacked the nearest ponies. It was only a matter of time; his treasure would come to him and all would be well. If innocent blood needed to be spilled to make him appear, then so be it. Plans required sacrifices, it was unavoidable.

The ship finally breached ashore and Poseidon motioned for the gangplank to be lowered. Touching his belt, the trio of medals set into the disk began to glow. In a brilliant display of light, blue and red armor formed around his body. It was themed after aquatic animals with piercing yellow eyes on the helmet.

Striding off the ship, Poseidon headed towards the heart of the city.

---

The world around Wyatt suddenly seemed much bigger. No, that wasn't it; it was him who was smaller. Turning his head, he instantly recognized that he was in the waiting room for his old pediatrician. From the box of miscellaneous toys to the table piled high with magazines that only the most desperately bored would touch let alone read.

“Thirsty?” his mother’s voice asked, followed by a juice box being held in front of him.

With a nod, Wyatt took the juicebox with both hands. Once the straw was in place, he took a small sip. “It’s so early,” he grumbled, rubbing at one of his eyes with the back of his hand.

“I know sweetie, but we need to make sure you’re nice and healthy.” Placing a hand on his head, she smiled down at him. “How about we go out for some ice cream after this?”

Wyatt opened his mouth to protest, but his mother had played the ultimate trump card. “Okay. Not like I feel sick anyway.”

“Well, sometimes we don’t feel sick even when we are,” she pointed out, poking his cheek.

He nodded, finishing off his juice box. The pair sat in silence for a few minutes before the door to the offices opened. Turning his head, confusion came over Wyatt when he saw a different doctor than he usually saw. It couldn’t have been for another patient, his mother was the only other person in the waiting room.

“Mrs. Mathews?” the doctor asked, looking up from his clipboard. “We’re ready to see Wyatt.” When his mother moved to follow him into the back, the doctor put a hand up. “How about we let the little man have his examination on his own? Can’t baby him forever after all.”

His mother frowned for a moment but gingerly nodded her head. “Alright, but, I want to be informed immediately if anything comes up.”

The doctor chuckled and nodded. “Of course. Says here that he’s scheduled for blood work, that’ll take a few days to get results in. I can have a copy mailed to you if you like, or you can pick it up here.”

Standing up, Wyatt passed his empty juice box to his mother and made his way over to the doctor. “What happened to Dr. Finley?” he questioned, following the doctor towards one of the vacant rooms.

“Dr. Finley is on vacation,” the new doctor replied, looking down at him. “I’m Dr. Sheldon. It’s nice to meet you, Wyatt.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Wyatt replied automatically. There was something about this doctor that felt off. Shaking his head, he chalked it up to it being due to the sudden change. He had to fight the urge to glance back towards his mother and silently complied with the basic height and weight measurements. After the other basic tests were done, Wyatt was forced to hold his arm out and have his blood drawn.

“You’re a pretty tough kid,” Dr. Sheldon commented, gently taking Wyatt’s arm and finding a vein. “You’re what, 6 or 7?”

“Seven,” Wyatt answered, looking away from the needle to lessen the sting. “And needles aren’t that scary. Mom and Dad say the only time needles are bad is when you find them somewhere outside where doctors aren’t.”

“That’s very true, your mom’s a pretty smart woman,” Dr. Sheldon said, quickly setting up a blood vial. “I hope you listen to her.”

“Mmhmm, she’s really smart,” Wyatt agreed, rubbing his arm. “She works for the newspaper.”

“Oh yeah, which one?”

Wyatt thought for a moment before answering with the name of his town’s local paper. “She writes a lot of articles and stuff.”

“That’s very interesting,” Dr. Sheldon said, putting away the vial. “It takes a special kind of person to be good at that job.” He plugged in another one and offered Wyatt a smile. “Now then, since you’re here, are there any aches and pains I should know about?”

“Um, my arms and legs hurt at night sometimes, but my mom and dad say that’s just growing pains.”

“They’re probably right,” Dr. Sheldon assured, gently taking Wyatt’s other arm and moving it this way and that. “Are you feeling anything now?”

“No, that doesn’t hurt,” Wyatt replied, watching his arm curiously.

“Hm, alright.” Having filled the second vial, he removed the needle and quickly tapped a cotton swab to the area. “There, all done. Make sure your mom gets you something to eat so you can replace all that red stuff.” Lifting up his clipboard, he lifted up a page before speaking again. “Ah, it appears you’re about on time for some booster shots.”

Wyatt frowned, but held his arm out. He was starting to feel like one of his father’s pin cushions at this point.

“I appreciate the initiative, but I have to consult your mom first.” Rising up, Dr. Sheldon moved to the door. “I’ll be right back, alright? I trust that you won’t get into any trouble while I’m gone.”

“No, I’ll be good.” Wyatt adjusted himself in his seat, doing his best to relax.

His eyes drifted to where his blood was being kept, a pang of worry going through him. They wouldn’t find anything wrong with him, would they? He didn’t feel sick but his mom had just told him that that might not mean anything.

A knot formed in his stomach, the worry growing into a fear. Various fictitious symptoms came to his mind, but it was a singular disease that dominated his thought process. What if his night aches meant he was getting polio? He gulped, recalling his grandmother’s stories about just how bad polio was when she was his age.

His juvenile mind wouldn't be swayed by things like facts or logic. Facts like he was up to date on his shots and that polio was basically nonexistent in his country.

“Wyatt?” Dr. Sheldon asked, stepping back into the room. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.” Walking back over, he placed a set of syringes on the desk.

Wyatt shot up, doing his best to not let his fear show. “N-no, it wasn't long, Doctor.”

Picking one up, Dr. Sheldon tapped the side and pulled off the cap. “Alright, Wyatt, can I see your arm please?”

Gulping, Wyatt held out his right arm. Looking at the door, he cringed as he felt the slight prick. Sucking in a breath through his teeth, he counted the seconds, glancing over every now and then. He eyed the other syringes, spotting one labeled ‘hypnos’.

“What's hypnos supposed to protect me from?” Wyatt asked, looking up at the doctor.

“Hm?” Dr. Sheldon asked, switching out the first syringe for the second. “Ah. Think of it like vitamins. It’ll help your body grow up strong and healthy.”

“But aren't booster shots supposed to protect against specific germs?” He glanced at the other syringes, unable to make out any of the words written on them.

“You trust your doctor, don’t you?” Dr. Sheldon asked, looking down at him with sparkling green eyes. “I only want what's best for you, Wyatt.”

“Wyatt!” a faint voice called out, causing the office to start to fade away.

“Wyatt!” Spike screamed, shaking the sleeping human as hard as he could. “Wake up!”

Wyatt slid out of bed, glancing up at the drake. “Is something on fire?” he grumbled, tossing away the covers. “Why are you shouting at me?”

“We've gotten word from the changelings aboard, Manehattan's under attack!” Spike boomed, throwing his hands into the air. “Celaeno’s taken us to Van Hoover, we’re above the teleporter now.”

That instantly got Wyatt's attention, his dream banished from conscious thought. He rushed towards the door, his driver in hand. “Do we know who's attacking? Is it Drakkon!?”

Spike came up right behind Wyatt, his own belt wrapping around his waist. “No, the changelings said it was pirates, tons of them! And some of them have been corrupted by medals!” Pushing Wyatt along, he slotted in some medals.

Pulling out his card, Wyatt slotted it into place. “Henshin!” With his armor formed, he rushed out with newfound speed. In no time at all, he was out on the bow of the ship. Without a second thought, he hiked himself over the railing and went into freefall. After a quick movement of his hand, he switched into his Cassie form and glided down to the teleporter.

The other riders stepped out of one of Twilight’s spell circles, each already armored. A few changelings buzzed around the pad, taking up positions at a few circular nodules.

Wyatt reverted to his base form and stepped onto the pad. “Once we get to Manehattan, where are the brunt of the enemy forces?” he questioned, turning to the nearest changeling.

“Near the harbor. Several ships are bombarding the city,” the changeling responded.

“Thanks, now we know where to go first.” Wyatt, checked his side, finding Ninjor’s sword. ‘Time to find out who would win in a fight between pirates and a Ninjor.’ “Whenever you guys are ready.”

“Alright, the spells are in place,” one of the changelings said, looking up from their work. “Brace yourselves.” Green fire surrounded the group, flicking at their legs. Spreading across the platform, the flames grew higher. “Good luck.” As one, the riders sank into the platform at an alarming rate, falling into blackness.

As quickly as they had sank, they sprang back up. Green fire gave way to entirely new surroundings that left them disoriented for a brief moment.

“Shake it off!” Spearhead snapped, greeting them a moment later. “We don’t have time for you to get comfortable.” The thunderous roar of canons punctuated his words, as did the sounds of impact.

“Yeah, let’s head for the harbor. Spike, and I will take the lead since we can get there the fastest,” Wyatt said, pulling out another card. “Twi, think you can use Connect to cover the distance and still be able to fight?”

“The two of you are enough,” Agito cut in, switching to Storm form. “The rest of us will go where we’re needed.”

“Alright, good plan,” Wyatt agreed, switching to Kabuto. He pulled out a second card, eyeing it nervously. ‘Let’s hope this works this time.’ To his relief, the form engaged much as it did the first time.

He rushed off, knowing that Spike would catch up. The city blurred by, even the flames seemed to stand still as he ran by. A blur came from his left, followed by a massive fist to his chest. The impact knocked him off his feet and the wind from his lungs. He rolled across the ground, using his momentum to scramble to his feet. Drawing Ninjor’s sword from its sheath, he took in the one who matched his speed.

A corrupted pirate loomed over him, silver and black armor covering his body. The head look like a disfigured version of the Sai helmet with a wider area at the bottom. The forearms were massive, easily the size of a small car. The legs were capped with three toes and resembled an elephant’s if said elephant were in need of an exorcism. Altogether the figure was at least ten feet tall and easily dwarfed Wyatt.

“Crush!” the behemoth screamed, bringing a trunk-like arm down on Wyatt’s head. “Kill!”

Wyatt jumped out of the way, the street where he had been standing erupting into rubble. Some of it bounced off his helmet harmlessly a grimace on his face. “I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t a freaking cave troll.”

Several more blows came crashing down, each one coming dangerously close to reducing Wyatt to a red stain on the pavement. He retaliated with a slash from his sword, the blade bouncing off the giant’s leg with a harmless ‘tink’.

‘Oh crapbaskets, I don’t think I’ll be able to hurt him like this.’ Putting his card case in his peripheral, he racked his brain for ideas. ‘I have to have something in my bag of tricks for taking on King Kong.’ Inspiration struck him at that thought and he pulled out a pair of cards.

“Kamen Ride: Hibiki!” The familiar blue and red armor formed over him and he pushed the next card into place. “Attack Ride: Ryoku Ozaru!” Silhouettes appeared in front of Wyatt, forming into a giant green and prismatic golem shaped like a gorilla.

He hopped on its shoulder, confidence filling him. “Alright, let’s make this a fair kaiju fight.”

---

Pinkie Pie found herself walking a thin line; the primal fury of Fang, and the stoic focus of Maud. Dodging an electrified eel-arm, she severed the offending appendage with her wrist blade. A certain thrill descended over her; a battle high, as Maud had called it.

“Pinkie, press down on Fang’s tail twice,” Maud advised, watching Pinkie’s battle and feeling genuinely impressed. “I think you’ll like what you get.”

“Is it a pastry?” Pinkie inquired, flicking the aforementioned tail. “Cause if it is, I dunno how I’m gonna eat it through a helmet.”

“If my projections are correct, then it should give you a throwing blade.”

“Oooh~ You mean like a boomerang?” Pinkie giggled, dodging a kick from a grasshopper leg.

“Shoulder Fang!” The Memory called out, a blade sprouting from Pinkie’s shoulder.

“You mean this?” Reaching up, Pinkie pulled the blade out of her shoulder pad. “It’s a little... sharp...”

“That’s to help bad guys see the point.” Maud would smile at her own joke if she had control of her lips at that moment.

“That was a funny on-” Pinkie’s response was cut off as an eel arm bit down on her leg. She froze, her body locking up as electricity surged through her. Gritting her teeth, she tried to fight through the pain. Flicking her wrist, she tossed the shoulder blade at the eel arm.

The arm burst into cell medals, freeing her from its grasp. Pinkie grinned, picking up the blade again. “You were right, Maud, I do like this.” Adjusting her weight to her back hoof, she tossed the fang with all her strength at the pirate’s chest.

Armor broke under the blade, shattering into pieces. The nude pirate slumped to the ground, laying on top of a bed of cell medals. Pinkie strode over, grabbing the Core Medals off of the pirate. “Spike’ll appreciate it if we give these to him. Now let’s keep beating these guys up, Maud!”

“Look at me!” A sharp pain erupted from her back, taking her attention. “I said look at me!”

Turning on her hoof, she found a pirate retracting a leg capped with giant talons. His head was surrounded by a golden mane and orange shells guarded his arms. Bouncing between her hooves, she sized him up and thought out her next move.

“That’s right, look at me!” jabbing at her stomach, the pirate’s metallic mane shined intensely. “No one can ignore me!”

Pinkie covered her eyes, sweating beneath her helmet as the air started to heat up. Flicking Fang's tail twice, she threw her shoulder fang at the pirate.

Bringing his arms up, the shield halves combined into a single shape. He cackled madly as the blade plinged against his shield. “No one can match my brilliance!” Breaking his shield, his mane flashed brightly, far too intense for Pinkie to handle.

She turned away from the light, blinking away the spots from her eyes. ‘Oh no, how can I fight someone I can't look at. Maud, ideas?’

“Keep moving, don’t get blindsided.”

Pinkie nodded and broke off into a dash. “Okay, you can’t look at him and he’s got a big shield. Think, Pinkie, think!”

Glancing around, she took in her surroundings. All around her were buildings with cloth awnings to cover their entrances. Despite the danger she was in, Pinkie couldn't help but think of funny movies where ponies fell and bounced off things just like the awnings. A lightbulb went off above her head and her hand shot to her belt. She flicked Fang's tail, creating as many projectiles as she could.

‘Maud, how good are you at Geometry?’ Pinkie questioned, looking between the buildings.

“What are you planning?”

Pinkie snickered, relaying her plan to her sister. ‘I just need your brain to pull it off.’ With the mental math provided, Pinkie threw all of her at the various buildings.

“Where are you aiming, dumb ass?!” the pirate taunted, an unhinged laugh tearing out of his throat.

“Wait for it~” Pinkie giggled, watching and listening as her blades richotte off walls. “And... now!” The blades sailed through the air, cutting into his armor at various points. “My sister’s great at math!”

The pirate’s laughter died, cell medals bursting off of him. Dropping to a knee, he growled. “No one can endure my radiance! Especially not some two bit whore!”

“That’s not a nice thing to call somepony,” Pinkie replied. ‘Maud, how do we activate our finishing move in this form?’

“Press the tail three times.”

‘Thank you.’ Pinkie got into a stance and pressed the tail three times.

“Fang! Maximum Drive!”

Energy radiated off of Pinkie and a blade grew from her heel. She jumped into the air and she started to spin until her body was nothing but a blur. Continuing to spin, she angled her leg down, the blade cutting across the pirates chest. The energy coming off her formed into a recreation of Fang’s head, biting down on the pirate’s body while Pinkie landed.

“And... bam!” Pinkie tucked into a roll, springing back up to her hooves. “One more pirate down!” Resisting the urge to skip, Pinkie went up to the pirate and gathered up the Core Medals off him too. “Spike’s gonna be one happy little dragon when he sees all the medals we’re getting him.”

“Focus. There are still pirates attacking the city.”

“Right, let’s keep going.” Pinkie started to jog, looking for more pirates.

---

Tsukiya swung his halberd in an arc, knocking aside an incoming crab claw. Three pirates lay strewn across the street, which glittered with cell medals. Striking forward, he aimed for the less armored crocodile legs. He was forced to retract his weapon as the jaws on the legs threatened to clamp down on it. Spinning his polearm, he kicked up a wind to push away the pirate.

“How you doing over there, D.D?” He questioned, resisting the urge to glance over. “Getting tired yet?”

“Are you kidding? I’ve ran for hours in the rainforest while carrying a golden artifact.” Daring said, spinning on her hoof and kicking a pirate in the chest. “I’m more worried about you, old man. Don’t break a hip.”

“Now that hurts,” Tsukiya said, taking a step back. “Let’s not forget, you’re still just a kid.”

Daring laughed while jumping back and narrowly avoiding tiger claws. She grinned, swinging her club and scoring a glancing blow across the pirate’s chest. A few close calls had shown her that the teeth of her weapon tore through most material like paper. More than once, she had had to make it intangible to avoid causing injury.

Thinking fast, she charged at the pirate, phasing through him and punching him in the back of the head. Spinning on her hoof, she sliced the pirate across the back.

“Yeah, I’m totally a kid. Makes perfect sense to me.” With one last swing of her club, her opponent's armor exploded into pieces. “A thirty year old kid with a college degree and a nationally-recognized book series. If that’s being a kid, I don’t want to be whatever it is you consider an adult.”

Tsukiya snorted, pushing away two pirates with his halberd. “Talk to me when you've had your hundredth birthday.”

“You’re just being pissy,” Daring said, quickly gathering the defeated pirates’ medals. At least, that was her plan before a yellow blur zipped in front of her. “Well that’s annoying.”

“You’re too slow~” The new combatant taunted, coming to an abrupt stop. “All that loot’s mine now~”

Tsukiya ignored the obvious joke and began to twirl his halberd as fast as he could. The wind began to pick up and small bits of rubble skittered along the ground. “You can handle a speedfreak, can’t you?”

“I dunno, never tried to fight one,” Daring admitted, crouching and keeping an eye on the figure.

“Oooh, do I get to be your first?” the pirate asked, giggling to herself, if the voice was anything to go by. “Now that sounds fun~” In full yellow and black armor, she exemplified just how warped medals could make a body. With oversized legs, massive, armored hands with ridiculously long finger claws and a shimmering, crystalline mane, it was hard to take her seriously.

“Ugh, did those medals give you the mentality of a twelve-year-old?” Daring questioned. “Ah right, you’re a recidivist degenerate whose profession revolves around pillaging. Silly me.”

The pirate growled, charging at Daring in a blur of speed. Her claws swiped through Daring, her form barreling through Daring’s and continuing down the block for a good while. Digging her claws into the street, she made a crude turn and dashed back towards Daring.

Grinning, Daring kept her body intangible and let the corrupted mare pass through her again. She made her club tangible and quickly used it to trip up the pirate. “Oops! Didn’t see ya there.” Before the mare could get up, Daring stomped down on her back.

“Oh, I like a girl with spunk~” the pirate’s mane exploded into light, glowing like a sun. With Daring stumbling back, she sprung up in a flurry, slashing and clawing. Kicking Daring away, she closed the distance to the other pirates. “Sorry boys, but it’s a one mare show.”

With blinding speed, she dearmored the pair, swiping their medals. “Now, I wonder... what happens when you use twelve at once?”

“Bad idea,” Tsukiya warned, eyeing the medals. “Unless you want to wind up a mindless kaiju.”

“I dunno what that means but let's find out!” Closing her palms, her body went rigid as multicolored energy crackled over her. “Now that’s a rush!”

Tsukiya held up five fingers and started to count down. “And here we go.” A scream of pure agony companied his statement. “And this is where I wish we had a megazord. Know any weird growth rituals, D.D?”

“No, not without the use of cursed artifacts,” Daring answered. She watched the pirate carefully, the mare's body pulsating.

The mare convulsed, her already altered body shifting more: a pair of kamakiri arms erupting from her chest, kujaku wings ripping out of her back, sai horns from her helmet. Dropping onto all fours, a feral roar loosed from her throat even as more appendages sprouted from her body.

“Okay, I'm thinking hit and run tactics,” Daring said, creeping backwards. “Maybe hijack a ship and use cannons on her.”

The abomination let out a low roar, the windows of the nearby buildings rattling. With the sound of a stampede, it charged forward, the street under it buckling and shattering. All rationality had let its mind, feral impulses driving it forward.

Daring and her father broke into a run of their own and tried to lead the beast to the harbor. The behemoth was hot on their heels, kicking up asphalt and crashing into buildings as it tried to close the gap on the two Riders.

“The harbor’s too far,” Tsukiya said, spotting a construction site up ahead. “There, to the left.” Veering off, he leapt over the safety fence and tucked into a roll. Getting up, he pushed on the right side of his belt.

His armor distorted, the middle returning to its default brown. While his left arm remained in storm mode, his right arm entered flame form; leaving him as mismatched as the monster. Pulling a sabre from his belt, he brandished both weapons with expert flourishes.

Daring followed behind her father, finding a wrecking ball in one corner. Her goal was obvious and she let her father run distraction for her.

Tsukiya stood his ground as the beast barreled into the site with the thunder of an oncoming train. It bellowd a challenge, striking forward with a twisted paw. Crossing his weapons, he caught the claw between them and redirected the behemoth's momentum towards the naked scaffolding. He grunted, the maneuver nearly tearing his arms out of their sockets.

Running under it, he weaved between scythe slashes and brought his sword to bear. Cleaving off one of its mantis arms, Tsukiya jabbed his halberd into its belly. With a pained roar, it kicked the man away.

Dropping his weapons, Tsukiya hefted up a girder with a pained grunt. “Fetch.” rearing his arms back, he hurled it into the beast. Grabbing his halberd, he sent it right after the girder. It was no surprise that the monster knocked away the impromptu weapon, nor was it one when the much smaller weapon pierced and shattered one of its eyes.

Tsukiya had to fight off a grin as he took in the damage he caused. Glancing to his daughter, he could see she was almost ready. He started to circle around in the hopes of putting the corrupted pirate in the path of the wrecking ball’s swing.

“Hey ugly!” Tsukia boomed, hefting another girder. “What good is all that bulk if you can't hit shit!” The sight of green energy building up around its horn altered his plan drastically. Dropping the girder, he dove out of the way as a bolt of green lightning struck where he had been.

Skirting around the site, he retrieved his halberd. With a heave, he threw the polearm at the horn. A jerk of the beast’s head, and the weapon merely grazed its target. Cursing under his breath, Tsukiya tried to rethink how to get the monster in position. Taunting it would only get him more lightning and it was smart enough to at least protect its horns.

Tsukia went over his options, limited as they were. For once, he was jealous of Wyatt. His powers were many things, but versatile wasn't one of them. “I could have at least used a gun.” More lightning was sent his way, forcing him to sprint out of its path. “Any time now!”

From her position, Daring made sure everything was set. After the behemoth took a step forward, she threw the main lever and the wrecking ball began its journey. It started off slow, the hefty sphere accelerating quickly. Inspiration struck Daring and she leapt out of the cabin. Positioning her leg, she gave the ball the strongest kick she could muster and let it fly into the corrupted pirate’s chest.

A strangled cry emitted from the monster’s throat, the impact shattering its chest cavity. It fell back against a neighboring building, cell medals raining down from its gaping wound. The mare’s nude form rested with in, quickly becoming encased in medals once more.

Tsukiya sighed in relief and gathered his weapons. Once that was done, he went over to the hole where the mare was taking a medal nap. “Alright, get up.”

“Hey, Tsuki!” Pinkie called, suddenly standing on the crane. “Havin’ any trouble?”

“We had a mare use 12 medals, but we took care of her!” he called back. “How are things on your end?!”

“Good! You might wanna watch out though! She seems mad!”

Tsukiya reacted quickly, looking to the mare. Her eyes were rolled in the back of her head and she let out a guttural roar. With a clear target, he leapt up, simultaneously avoiding one of its arms while punching the exposed mare in the head.

A layer of cell medals formed over her, protecting her from further attacks. The behemoth rumbled, rising to its full height once more. Shaking itself off, it took an unsteady step forward; medals still pouring from its wound.

Tsukiya jumped back, avoiding another swing from one of its limbs. Looking skyward, he called out to Pinkie. “On second thought, help would be appreciated!”

Pinkie saluted, jumping down from the crane. Along the way, she created several shoulder fangs and threw them at the medal monster. “Um, I don’t think those are gonna do all that much. Ohh! Maud says we should all kick it!”

“Alright, we should time this right.” Tsukiya said, the horns on his helmet splitting apart. “We should all aim for the same spot.”

“Right!” Pinkie pushed Fang’s tail down, priming her own kick.

Daring opened up her belt, spectral energy flowing out to surround her right leg. The three shared a look, and jumped in unison. With a symphony of warcries the trio slammed into the pirate’s chest.

A cacophony of sound accompanied the impacts, the massive body breaking apart. Cell medals rained down from the sky, pelting the ground like metal hail. The pirate plummeted like a rock, out cold.

Pinkie was quick to react, digging through the Cell Medal pile to find the cores. Displaying her prizes to Tsukiya and Daring, she giggled. “And that’s another twelve for me. Gotta be fast if you wanna collect the most.”

---

Intense pain shot through Spike’s side as he tried to catch up with Wyatt. Looking down, he found a red harpoon had collided with his armor. Before he could think on it too long, something hoisted him in the air by the neck.
“Ah, there you are,” the commanding voice of Poseidon spoke, his hand wrapped around Spike’s neck. “I’ve been waiting for you, my precious treasure. Where was the Sun hiding you?”

Spike deigned not to answer, instead bringing up his legs and using the cheetah powers to let loose a flurry of kicks against the other Rider.

Poseidon stumbled, dropping Spike. “There’s no need for that, boy. You’re where you belong, with me.”

Spike didn’t answer again, one thought in his mind. If he could get Poseidon to lose his transformation, he’d get the answer to the question burning in his mind. Unfolding his tiger claws, he moved in a blur around the pirate king, looking for an opening. Using the sharp vision of his hawk medal, Poseidon’s ribs seemed the perfect place to strike. Rushing forward, he slashed his claws against the other Rider’s armor.

“You try my patience, boy,” Poseidon grunted, leaning away from the blade. Sweeping his harpoon out, he cut across Spike’s chest. “Don’t make me punish you.”

Leaping back, Spike avoided the worst of the blow. Tilting his belt, he removed his tiger medal and replaced it with the eel. Flicking his wrist, he wrapped his electric whips around Poseidon’s wrists and neck.

“And what do you plan on doing now?” Poseidon questioned, staring Spike down. “Electrocute me?”

“Nothing gets past you,” Spike replied, lighting up his whips. “Why don’t you show me your real face?”

Poseidon spread his wrists apart, breaking free of the whip binding them. Bringing his harpoon up, he threw it into Spike's chest. “A child does not make demands of the parent.”

Spike staggered, the wind getting knocked from his lungs. Circling around the pirate king, he took a moment to catch his breath. “So it’s true, you really are Star Dust.”

“I am Poseidon!” the rider barked, his ferocity startling Spike. “Do you understand!?”

Knitting his brow, Spike dashed around the stallion, lashing with his whips as he did. “No, but I’m going to find out what’s going on with you.”

“Bahamut, you will obey me.” Calling his harpoon back to his hands, Poseidon swung at Spike’s legs.

Spike went into a roll, his head colliding with pavement several times before a wall managed to stop him. He groaned, pulling himself back to his feet with a bit of a sway. “My name, is Spike.”

“That is not the name I gave you, it has no weight with me,” Poseidon dismissed, slowly walking towards Spike. “You are mine.”

“I’m not your property, I’m your son,” Spike countered, launching himself up and performing a high speed bicycle kick against his opponent. “What the hay is wrong with you!?”

Poseidon swung his harpoon, sending Spike flying back. “There is nothing wrong with me. I see things clearly here, Bahamut. Now, behave and return those medals to your father.”

“You should know why I can’t do that,” Spike said, catching himself from tumbling again. He panted, trying to come up with a plan. “Don’t you understand what you’re doing!? You’re hurting ponies!”

“They are insignificant compared to my goal.” Poseidon swept his hand out, indicating the destruction. “This entire city can burn to ash as long as I can reclaim you.”

“My brother isn’t something to reclaim.” Several shots impacted on Poseidon’s back. “If you can’t understand that, then you aren’t really family.”

Poseidon flinched from the shots, turning to find Twilight in her Flame style. “This has nothing to do with you, pony.” He slowly approached Twilight, his weapon at the ready. “And you are no sibling of Bahamut’s.”

“I hatched him, I helped raise him, I joined his clan,” Twilight countered, switching to sword mode. “If that doesn't make me his sister, I don't know what will.” Using her free hand, she ensnared him with the Bind ring. “That's more than I can say for you.”

A bestial growl rumbled in Poseidon’s throat, and he flexed his arms. The chains broke, sending pieces flying in all directions. Swinging his harpoon, a wave of blue energy shot out towards Twilight.

Twilight tucked into a roll, the attack sailing by where her neck had been just a moment prior. “He isn’t an object that you can own! He’s a living, thinking person and he deserves better than whatever you have planned for him.”

“I brought him into this world, it's my right to decide his future.” Poseidon swept his harpoon several times, sending out an onslaught of attacks against Twilight. “I’m the only one who can.”

Continuing to dodge, Twilight returned her sword to gun form and opened fire on him. “Spike decides his own future! No one else!”

“I can speak for myself, you know.” Spike lashed out with another whip, wrapping one around Poseidon’s leg and yanking back. “I’m taking those medals, end of discussion.” Dragging Poseidon off his hooves, he struck him in the back with the other whip.

A relieved laugh passed Twilight's lips, finally managing to catch her breath. “You're right, Spike, you can.” Twilight fired on Poseidon, her free hand going for her Kick Strike ring. “How about we knock some sense into him?”

Spike tilted his driver up and grabbed his scanner. “Ready whenever you are.”

With her new ring on her finger, Twilight adjusted the hand on her belt. "I've never been readier." Tapping the ring to her driver, she charged at Poseidon.

Scanning his belt, Spike followed after her. Jumping up, three rings appeared in front of him. He passed through the rings while Twilight jumped off a spell circle with flames surrounding her leg. The two converged, Poseidon attacking with his harpoon to meet their kicks.

A blinding light burst out from the point of contact, sending Twilight and Spike flying back. Poseidon staggered, dropping to a knee as he fixed a glare at the pair. Rising back to his hooves, Poseidon pounced on Twilight. Stepping on her hand, he held the tip of his blade at her throat.

“End this tantrum, Bahamut, or I spear this wench.”

Spike rose to his knees trembling at the scene before him. Silently, his hand rose to his belt and he straightened it to cancel his transformation. Pulling it away, he tossed it between himself and Poseidon.

Retracting his spear, Poseidon punched Twilight in the helmet and started walking to pick up Spike's belt. "You have made the right choice. Come, we're leaving this city." Turning away, he walked towards the harbor, not bothering to check if Spike was following him.

---

Wyatt panted, tucking into a roll to avoid a massive fist. His tired body had only inches to spare, the ongoing fight leaving his reflexes sluggish. “What does it take to get rid of you?” Pushing himself further, he dove behind a chunk of wall.

The street was lined with broken and smashed buildings, many homes and businesses destroyed. His summoned golem was no more, though it put up a valiant fight, the corrupted pirate had managed to come out the victor. Daring to look out from his cover, Wyatt examined the monstrosity closely. He had managed to score a few good hits on the thing, and he hoped he was lucky that at least one of them had left a weak point for him to exploit.

“Crush! Kill! Destroy! Smash!” the behemoth screamed, ripping a street light out of the ground. Stomping forward, it began to smash through Wyatt’s cover. Each strike broke off a piece of wall, raining debris down on Wyatt.

Only bothering to move if a larger piece threatened to fall on him, he kept up his desperate search.. His eyes lit up, finding a small crack in the armor just under one of its armpits. Switching his booker to gun mode, he brought out a card. “Gotta time this just right,” he muttered, inserting the card into his belt and jumping out of his cover.

The beast rose its arms, preparing to slam both down on his head. Pressing the handles in on his belt, his driver called out for his finisher. The projection of cards appeared, following the barrel of his gun. Raising it up, he aimed and fired on the weak point. The small blast passed through the cards, a swirl of barcodes growing around it with each subsequent card.

The pirate’s lumbering bulk made it impossible to avoid the oncoming assault. Bits and pieces of its armor fell away, dissolving into cell medals. Staggering back into a most intact building, the pirate was clearly visible inside of the chest cavity.

Switching back to sword mode, Wyatt jumped up at the behemoth. He hacked and slashed with his blade, doing his best to cut the pirate out without hurting him. Several arm sized fingers wrapped around his waist, the pirate tossing him into the ground. He squeaked out in pain as it brought a massive hoof down on him.

It raised its hoof up again, ready to crush the life out of Wyatt. Bracing himself, he waited for the perfect moment to dodge. Just as the behemoth started to move, a thunderous cannon shot echoed through the city and a burst of colored smoke hung above the harbor. The behemoth stared up the smoke for a few seconds before turning away and lumbering towards the ships.

Relaxing, Wyatt struggled to catch his breath. “Y-yeah, you better run.” The settling of rubble faded in over the pirates thunderous hoofsteps, reminding Wyatt just how costly the battle had been for the city. His only solace was that the cannons had stopped.

Comments

[InfernoRage008]

Uh-oh.

[badninja]

Well it looks like Spike is growing up well. Then again he has a great family to support him.

[Spidey Viewer]

His armor distorted, the middle returning to its default brown.

This looks brown to y'all?