RIDER TIME old chapter repost, volume 6

RIDER TIME

Chapter 6: Learning of the Legend

-----2018------

It had been about 2 weeks since the events of the party. After repeated threats emerging from the distribution of RideWatches, Princess Twilight, with the aid of Ponyville's mayor, Time Turner and of course, Tom Decade AKA Kamen Rider Zi-O, began to make countermeasures.

Time Turner had developed a few new gadgets, first of them being a special display for the RideWatches that Tom had already retrieved. This display would allow Time Turner to maintain and even upgrade RideWatches remotely, as well as keep them out of the hands of anyone who would misuse them. The second was a portable RideWatch detector, which was not only given to Tom and his friends, but were available for anypony in town to use.

Princess Twilight also warned everypony that if a RideWatch is detected, that they should find Tom, one of the elements, or a guard immedately, and under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should a pony attempt to touch one, ESPECIALLY the button.

A few days ago, Twilight had received a letter from Princess Celestia, asking the Elements and Tom to meet her and the other princesses in the Crystal Empire. In preparation for this, Twilight has been doing as much research as she can on Kamen Riders.

Today, Tom, Twilight and Starlight make their way to Sweet Apple Acres, intending to reinvestigate the capsule Tom came in.

-----2018-----

"Do you really think there's something left in that canister?" Starlight asked.

"It was pitch black when I exited it, so I wasn't actually able to see what I had in there. There may very well be something I forgot." Tom answered.

As they approached the farm, they noticed both Big Mac and Applebloom tending to chores...but they also looked like they hadn't slept in days!

"Hey, Big Mac, do you know where Applejack is?" Starlight asked.

"Mmh." Big Mac just mumbled. The three guests looked at each other with confusion.

"Oookay?" Twilight just decided to leave him alone and ask Applebloom.

"Hey Applebloom, have you seen your sister?" Tom asked. He had become a hit with the foals around town, and he was surprisingly good with children. Applebloom let out a big yawn. "She's over yonder..." She pointed towards a deeper section of the orchard.

"Are you okay? You look like you haven't slept in days." Tom asked the filly, worried for her.

"Neither me nor mah brother have been sleepin' well." She replied.

"How come?" Tom asked gently.

The youngest Apple sibling sighed. "Applejack." She said bluntly.

"Eh? How is she keeping you awake..?" Tom questioned.

"Her and Rainbow Dash. Every night for the past two weeks...it's like sleepin' next to a stampede! Heck, the only one who's been gettin' any decent rest is Granny Smith, and that's because she's able to sleep through a tornado!" Applebloom vented.

Twilight and Starlight looked at each other with a mild blush growing. Tom however, shut his eyes and started counting.

"Mr. Tom? What are ya doin'?" Applebloom asked.

"Oh, this is a trick I learned to keep my mind steady." Tom replied, bending the truth a little bit. It was to keep his mind steady in a way, but it was also to keep him from getting flustered constantly, like he had when he first arrived. "Anyway, we'll see you later." The Rider said, as they turned to head in the direction Applebloom indicated.

"Ah'll see ya later...mrmfm..." She fell asleep standing.

------2018-----

As they made their way through the orchard, they found their target- an unusually energetic Applejack, kicking trees with more gusto than she usually did.

"Applejack!" Twilight cried out. Applejack turned to them, and with a big grin, grabbed her and Tom in a bear hug!

"It's nice to see you too, Applejack." Tom said, mentally resuming his counting.

"You're in a good mood today." Twilight noted.

"And why shouldn't ah be? It's a wonderful day, and mah friends are here!" Applejack cheered.

"And I'm sure it has nothing to do with your nightly 'rodeo' sessions with Rainbow Dash." Starlight chuckled to herself.

"Hm? You say somethin', sugarcube?" Applejack asked. Starlight just gave a small smile.

"Oh, nothing. Anyway, Tom, why don't you tell Applejack what brings us here?" Starlight said, quickly changing the subject.

"Oh, right...Applejack, you've still got the capsule I came in around here, right? Can you take us to it?" Tom requested.

"Oh yeah, it's in the barn now...come on, I'll bring ya over there." The Rider and ponies followed Applejack, her hips noticeably swaying.

'I'm gonna run out of numbers by the time this day is over, aren't I?' Tom thought to himself.

-------2018-------

Day court had been proceeding in Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia presiding over the proceedings...and sighing, wishing she was somewhere else right now. Preferably with her Kamen Rider pillow.

'This could NOT be any more boring.' She thought. Her thoughts then turned to the Rider her student had befriended recently. Until recently, she wasn't even aware there were any more Kamen Riders besides her beloved Hongo-san, let alone a whole society of them! She had requested her student find out as much as she could.

Just then, one of the guards came in, with urgent news.

"Your highness! I come bearing an urgent report!"

"Speak, guard." She commanded.

"The wanted criminal, Geiz, has been spotted on the castle grounds! Your command?"

Celestia knew that her guards would most likely prove no match for the rogue Rider.

"Very well, I will see to this matter myself. Put the castle on lockdown if you must." She commanded. She was determined to find out why Geiz was so hateful towards her little ponies.

------2018------

Applejack had opened the barn doors, revealing the canister-shaped pod Tom had arrived in. It was still in relatively good shape, though it appeared someone had tried to open it.

"Ah, yeah, caught my sis tryin' to bust that thing open. She didn't mean nothin' by it though, she's just curious." Applejack reassured the group.

"Not that she'd get very far anyway." Tom added. "I'm the only one who can open the thing here." He said, pulling out his RideWatch and holding it up to a sensor on the pod. The sensor beeped, and the pod opened with a mechanical clicking. Tom peered into the pod, examining its contents. One thing he noticed was another type of watch, this one labeled "Bike".

"Oh wow, I forgot about this!" He said, holding the watch out.

"Ah! Tom, be careful with that thing!" Twilight panicked, knowing full well what RideWatches did to her friends.

"Huh?" Tom was confused, but realized what the problem was and gave a little chuckle. "Oh, no. This isn't a RideWatch, it's actually something else." He pressed the button and tossed the watch forward slightly. The watch unfolded into a motorcycle with the same color scheme as Zi-O's armor.

"Whoa!" Starlight and Applejack fell over. "What is that thing?" Starlight asked, curiously.

"This," Tom patted the machine. "is my Rider Machine, the RideStriker. In other words, it's what makes me a Kamen RIDER." He explained. "All Kamen Riders have a machine like this to ride around in." Twilight suddenly pulled out a notepad and scribbled on it furiously. Tom then tapped the bike a couple times, and it reverted back to its watch form.

Tom continued to dig around in the capsule, and found another interesting item- another watch-shaped device with a lens on it, like a projector. The word "Archive" was printed on it.

"Huh, wonder what this one does." He pressed the button, and the projector created a holographic screen displaying the words "Rider Archives". Tom then grinned a bit.

"I think we hit the jackpot." He said, gaining some confidence.

-----2018-----

Princess Celestia, along with a small group of Royal Guards, entered the castle gardens, where Geiz was standing.

"Kamen Rider Geiz!" The princess announced. "You are wanted for multiple charges of assault with a deadly weapon, distributing contraband, and now trespassing!"

Geiz turned around. "...it's funny that my target comes to me this time..." He summoned his axe. "I remember all too well what YOU did."

Celestia looked confused. "...I'm sorry, what I did?"

"Don't play dumb!" Geiz yelled. "I saw you! Changing your hair won't let you hide from me, Daybreaker!" Geiz charged at the princess.

"...Daybreaker?" Celestia questioned, but quickly cast a barrier over herself and her subjects.

"You and that Nightmare Moon bitch!" Geiz yelled. "You completely destroyed our atmosphere with your petty eternal night or eternal day arguments!" Celestia was alarmed at the statement. Nightmare Moon, the darker half of her sister, Princess Luna, had been imprisoned in the moon shortly after her creation, and 1000 years later, was almost immediately dealt with by her student and her friends. How could she have been in Geiz's world at all? And who was this 'Daybreaker', and why did Geiz think she was her?

------2018-----

Tom and company were walking back to Twilight's castle, with the BikeWatch and Rider Archive in tow.

"So this little thing contains information on every single Rider!?" Twilight asked excitedly, like a dog being given a bone.

"And more, if what I understand is correct." Tom replied, reading a manual for the device he found. "We might even be able to see some of the Riders' stories for ourselves." Twilight gave a puzzled look at Tom when he said that.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, some universes have it so Kamen Rider merely exists as a story, a program of sorts that was watched on television." Tom explained. Twilight remembered a device like that from the Canterlot High world, it was a monitor that displayed programming like news, sporting events and even animated cartoons. "This device contains every single episode of all the Rider shows, and we can watch them with the projector. I think our friends would like them too- they're pretty good."

"So you mean we'll both learn about the Riders AND take in a show?" Starlight asked.

Tom gave Starlight a look. "Yes, I guess that IS what's gonna happen." He then remembered about some of the Rider stories touching on some...dark subject matter. "I recommend you let me pick the order we watch these in though." He wasn't going to expose Twilight and friends to something like Kamen Rider Gaim or Faiz for their first show. Hell, he still got goosebumps from parts of Faiz. Maybe something like OOO or Wizard would be good to start.

"Well, alright...you are the Rider expert here after all." Twilight agreed. "Do you think we can start tonight? I did promise the princess after all..."

"Sounds good to me!" Tom said, with a cheerful inflection- he was actually really excited to share his culture with the ponies. "So, we'll round everypony up later at your castle, that sound good?" Tom asked.

"Alright then." Twilight was also excited, not just about the Rider history, but about getting to watch them with Tom...she harbored feelings for the Rider too, seeing his willingness to fight for their friends. Though she also knew all of her friends save for Starlight felt the same. She needed to meet with them all beforehand to decide on a few things.

"Tell you what; I'll go round everypony up. Tom, can you take Starlight back to the castle and set everything up? Ask Spike if he'll make snacks too." Twilight requested.

"Good idea- this is a snack-worthy occasion." Tom and Starlight split off from the princess, heading back to her castle.

-------2018-------

Celestia and Geiz were locked in a fierce battle. Although Celestia was one of the most powerful beings in this world, Geiz was managing to keep up with her. They were both gasping for breath.

" *huff* *huff* I never expected... that a pony would be able...to keep up with a Rider..."

Celestia just glared, while trying to breathe. But then, Geiz suddenly grasped his chest in pain...his suit started emitting sparks.

"Urgh!" He fell to the ground, gasping in pain. Celestia called her guards over to apprehend the rogue Rider while he was incapacitated. But, before they could, a rain of bullets came from above. It was Geiz's Time Mazin. The machine hovered over, Geiz standing back up and staggering towards the machine.

"Hah...hah...this isn't over, Daybreaker..." Geiz climbed into the vehicle and flew off.

Celestia panted, and staggered a bit, some of her guards coming to support her. "Who is...Daybreaker?" She wondered aloud. It seemed there was more to this situation than anypony thought.

------2018-----

"...a Kamen Rider viewing party!?" Pinkie jumped up and down with excitement. "I'm so excited! We'll get to see the Riders' adventures and have snacks! Ooh, I'll bring some myself!"

"Yeah! If Tom's fights were any indication, Riders do a lot of awesome action- this'll be cool!" Rainbow Dash joined in the excitement.

"Um...I wouldn't mind, as long as it doesn't get scary..." Fluttershy also agreed.

"Well shoot, this is really important to the fella- I'll give it a go." Applejack joined.

"I may even find some more inspiration for new Rider outfits!" Rarity added.

"So we're all agreed, though there is...one thing." Twilight produced some straws. Her friends raised eyebrows.

"Well, I think it's obvious...we all have feelings for Tom." Twilight started, all of them acknowledging this. "And one of us is gonna sit next to him tonight, so..."

It became obvious. They were going to choose their seating arrangement by drawing straws, the winner being seated next to the Rider.

"No matter what the outcome is, we'll all get our chance. And no hard feelings." They all agreed, plucking straws.

-------2018------

In a couple hours, Tom, Starlight and Spike had finished setting everything up. Starlight arranged a spare room with the optimum conditions for viewing, and had moved a couple couches in there with her magic. Spike had just finished making an array of snacks for the viewing- he was just as excited as the rest of them to see Riders in action! And Tom had finished setting up the Rider Archives, deciding to start them off with Kamen Rider Wizard. It made sense to him- start the ponies off with a relatively familiar subject and then work their way to the more intricate things. That, and Wizard was a relatively tame series compared to something like Gaim.

Their friends had each arrived at the castle, Twilight seeming extra cheerful- she had won the draw after all. The group greeted the Rider and Starlight, Spike carrying in the food he had made. They each took a seat on the couch- Twilight sitting next to, and snuggling up to Tom himself. Tom blushed, being very well aware of the ponies' feelings for him, but deciding not to act on it yet.

"Alright everypony, welcome to our first Rider viewing." Tom started. "I've picked out one of the Riders for us to watch, and I'd like to get your thoughts on a few things after. So, without further ado, I present to you...Kamen Rider Wizard!" He pressed the button on the Rider archives, and the first episode of Wizard starting playing...

-----2018-----

------Rider Review: Wizard!------

On the use of magic within the series:

"While I would normally have many objections to how magic was used, I do realize that world doesn't run on the same rules as ours." - Twilight

"It seems a bit limited, having to use specific rings to cast spells. But still, I do admire how creative Wizard got." -Starlight

"I'm still trying to figure out why the little hand thing said please all the time when using magic-ohhhh! Now I get it- please is the magic word! That's really clever!" -Pinkie

On the central theme of hope:

"Seeing Mr. Haruto go out of his way to cheer people up and lift their spirits was really nice to watch." -Fluttershy

"He really is a nice guy, and saved all those people from those Phantoms! That's cool!" -Rainbow Dash

"Seein' him work so hard at what he does, I can relate." -Applejack

On Wizard's suit design:

"Such class! Such style! A truly breathtaking sight to behold!" -Rarity

"The Style Rings were an interesting idea- he could change his element to suit the situation." -Twilight

"I still bet I could out-fly him, even with the Hurricane Dragon." -Rainbow Dash

On the Phantoms:

"They were really creepy! And they came bursting out of people- I'd hate to go through that!" -Pinkie

"I felt really bad for those poor people...being driven to despair just so they could make more of them..." -Fluttershy

"It reminded me of Queen Chrysalis- only worse!" Twilight

On Kosuke Nitoh, Kamen Rider Beast

"Donuts and mayonnaise? Yuck! Now, cupcakes and hot sauce, that's much better!" -Pinkie

"Yeesh, the guy has to EAT Phantoms to keep going? That just sounds gross." - Rainbow Dash

"I wasn't as bothered by it as I thought I'd be- the food chain is a part of the animal world, after all." - Fluttershy

Overall:

"I liked it! Haruto made lots of people happy, and became happy himself!"- Pinkie

"I'm very glad he managed to put his friend to rest. I understand Wiseman was sad, but what he was doing was wrong." -Fluttershy

"He kicked Phoenix into the SUN! That's some serious power!" -Rainbow Dash

"It was a lotta fun- I might want to see more." -Applejack

"I am going to be designing up a storm later- those rings gave me ideas for so many new designs!" -Rarity

"It was a good first Rider- he really embodied a heroic spirit." - Twilight

"I have to admit, I wasn't sure if I'd like this or not, but I had a lot of fun!" -Starlight

-----2018------