//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Kamen Rider: Equestrian Shade // by The Dark Brony //------------------------------// It was a seemingly normal day in the city of London the streets were busy with many vehicles and people travelling both above the ground and underground in the subways. On the streets above a young man, no older than eighteen years old was just emerging from one of the many underground stations that made up the London Underground. The man had black hair and blue eyes and was currently wearing black tracksuit bottoms,  an red t-shirt below an open black and red hooded jacket which currently was open showing the shirt underneath. He was making his way to the main train station after a long period of time he had been studying at a nearby University, he had decided to do a bit of sightseeing before he caught the train back home to see his family for the first time in around three months. He then looked up before he saw a car by a set of nearby traffic lights that were on red suddenly turn around as the driver began to drive directly down the sidewalk he was on running down multiple pedestrians in the process as he made his way down the path. The man then quickly pushed a pedestrian that was next to him sideways into a nearby wall before the car hit her however in doing so he failed to take his own life and wellbeing into account as the oncoming car hit him knocking him over the roof of the car before he hit the ground behind him as the vehicle moved back onto the road and drove off. Seconds later the pedestrian that the man had pushed to the side ran up to him as she quickly checked his body before quickly grabbing her phone as she seemed to be frantically trying to call someone. This, however, was not the man’s primary concern as his vision suddenly began to blur as his eyes closed, the last thing he heard was the person from before shouting something he couldn’t make out before his world went blank. “I don’t want to die,” the man thought as he realised that was exactly what was happening. However seconds later a voice that the man had never heard before said “you’ve met with an unfortunate fate haven’t you?” At first, the man didn’t answer before he said weakly “w… who are you?” As he somehow opened his eyes to see a pale skinned man with grey hair standing in front of him. The figure was wearing a red cloak that looked to have brown leopard print highlights at the sides of it while he wore a simple golden silk robe below. “Nobody important,” the man said with a shake of his hand before he added, “just the man who’s your only chance of surviving this.” “What do you want?” The boy asked attentively. “To give you a second chance at life.” The strange man offered before he gestured beside him as a small window appeared beside them. The young man then looked out as he saw a small hospital room along with a body lying unconscious on a bed. He then looked towards a small clipboard that read, ‘Alex Shade. Has sustained multiple fractures to his ribs, spinal column, and neck, right lung has been punctured along with multiple accounts of both internal and external injuries.’ Seconds, later a loud sustained beep was heard before the boy noticed a heart monitor that was attached to the body appeared to have one straight line running across the screen. Seconds later a man dressed in a white jacket ran into the room before he was followed by a few others only for the first man to shake his head sadly before the body was disconnected from everything before the image disappeared. The boy then muttered under his breath “I just died… but how am I here?” “Right now all that’s left is, in essence, your soul, your old life is by all rights over.” “What will it take for you to save me?” The boy now known as Alex asked. “I am simply offering to bring you back to life… well not this life, your old life is gone. But I can give you a new clean slate to work from.” “Do it,” Alex said calmly. “You sure once it’s done there no going back?” “Just do it, what do I need to do?” “Okay then kid,” the man said as he opened a small case as Alex saw nine strange objects inside that he instantly recognised to be objects called Eyecon’s from a one of the Kamen Rider Series, these being from Kamen Rider Ghost. “Are those?” Alex asked in surprise. “Yes they are a few of the Eyecon’s from Kamen Rider Ghost, along with one empty one, you can guess who's that for.” The man said calmly. “I assume myself,” Alex replied. “What do I need to do?” The man just smiled before he said “you’ve done enough. Now you rest.” “What?” Alex asked in confusion before he suddenly felt like he was being lifted into the air before he noticed the man was holding the blank Eyecon in his right hand as Alex’s body was dragged towards the object as his body began to compact and shrink as he was dragged into the Eyecon the man held as he saw a smirk on the man’s face. Alex then realised that he could look out of the object he was now trapped inside before he was placed in the same case the man had produced the Eyecon’s from previously as he watched helplessly as the case began to close a sadistic grin on the man’s face the man said “enjoy your last few seconds of freedom… slave.” Alex then began to panic at this before he suddenly felt the case crash to the ground before each Eyecon fell out of the case in a large pile as he saw the man from before fighting with another before he suddenly seemed to fall through a portal along with the other Eyecons that were surrounding him seemed to move towards his own before disappearing as the portal closed above him. After what seemed to be a few hours Alex slowly opened his eyes and attempted to stand up only to find what looked to be seven figures covered in jackets of both similar but somehow different styles but each looking human in stature nearby him, however, none of them had any facial figures whatsoever as he realised each only had two single coloured eyes piercing against a black void. “Ugh, what happened?” Alex asked as he groaned causing one of the figures who was covered in a green and yellow jacket and had glowing green eyes to move towards him as it helped Alex stand. Seconds later a new voice said, “good you’re finally awake it seems they were all worried about you.” “They? Who do you mean? Wait…” Alex asked before he tried to stand up and defend himself before shouting “you must work for the guy who called me a slave!” The figure in front of Alex chuckling before as he stepped towards him as he said “you couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Tell me who was it that saved you before?” Alex then stopped and thought for a second before he remembered the events that had transpired before as he shouted out in surprise “you were fighting that man from before!” “I was. That man is sick and twisted, he has enslaved thousands of people like yourself. In fact, I believe everyone here suffered the same fate as you.” “You mean that madman on the street was used by him to get people for him to use!” Alex shouted in a mix of anger and fear. Alex then looked to all the figures around him to see them all nodding before the one helping him stand said “I fell into the same trap as you, that thing sealed me in my Eyecon before you… the others have lost their ability to hold their original forms along with the ability to speak freely, and I fear I’m following the same fate.” “Is there nothing we can do to help you?” Alex asked hopefully. “Sally I do not know, as far as I am aware we are all too far gone to be saved… but you still have a chance.” “I do?” Alex said curiously. “You do,” the man from before admitted as he walked towards Alex as he saw the man was wearing a simple white shirt with black trousers. He had a head of neatly combed black hair along with some blue and silver sunglasses. “I need to know who are you and who was the man that captured everyone?” “My name… I suppose you can call me Andrew. The man that tricked you was someone I tried to help a long time ago. He turned on me and began his mad grab for more power, that same power has corrupted the poor boy’s mind to the point that he no longer cares for anyone but himself.” “Someone needs to stop him,” Alex admitted his fists clenched tightly. “Don’t worry, someone is dealing with him. But for now, you need to focus on your own predicament,” Andrew suggested. “Well, what would you do about my problem because I’m open to any suggestions right now?” Alex asked curiously. “Well the option of going to a new world is always an option, of course I refuse to do what happened to you before,” Andrew admitted as he held out a familiar almost transparent belt it had a bright orange and black handle on the left-hand side along with a large open black eye in the centre of it. “Wait… you’re handing me a Ghost Driver. Why should I trust you.” “Because I have no intention of betraying you, when you place the driver on you can help the others, if they want it that is.” Alex then reached for the driver in front of him before the cape that had been helping him stand simply nodded to him before Alex said “you have a deal… just no controlling me.” “I would never dream of it, besides I do all I can to assist anyone that I do this too, I’m not a monster,” Andrew admitted. Alex then grabbed hold of the Ghost driver before placing it on his waist as what almost seemed to be orange flames emerged around it as what could be called a strap appeared from the driver attaching it to his waist. He then looked to Andrew before asking “where did the Eyecon I was in go?” “Oh I freed you from it before it was accidentally destroyed maliciously,” Andrew said with a smile. “Well, how will I be able to use the driver without it?” “Simple… catch” Andrew said as he threw him a blank white Eyecon “just click the side and it will activate without harming you.” Alex then did as the man suggested before the Eyecon in his hand began to shine before seconds later the front of the Eyecon now had a black background with an outline of a mask of some kind that had two large red circles that seemed to have a myriad of red lines dripping below from them. “How do you feel now?” Andrew asked Alex curiously. Alex then looked towards Andrew before he simply asked “No different? Why?” “Is it wrong for me to care for your own wellbeing?” Andrew pointed out before adding “anyway maybe you should help the others?” Alex then looked at everyone around him as he saw that each figure was standing in front of each other before they each, in turn, flew into Alex’s Ghost Driver before each of them turned into their own Eyecon each sporting a different colour to their own Eyecon’s. After a minute had passed the only figure left were Alex, Andrew, and the green coated figure. The last figure then walked up to Alex before he said as Alex heard him chuckle “and then there was one, I guess this makes us partners in crime as it is.” “I have have intention of us becoming criminals… how about we go more as… brothers in arms?” Alex suggested. The figure could only laugh before it said “were going to get along just fine… hopefully, I’ll retain my voice after my change.” “Hopefully you do, I would be a shame having nobody to talk too when I know you can,” Alex admitted as he placed his hand out to the figure, “being that we are working together from here on out, I’m Alex.” “Well, now I guess mines, Robin… Robin Hood.” The figure now known as Robin said as he took Alex hand as they shook each other’s hands before Robin took a step back before he too floated into the Ghost Driver before a green Eyecon appeared from it in Alex’s hand. Andrew then turned to Alex before he said “anything else you wish to ask about before I send you off?” “Not really just… thank you for saving me from that other guy.” “Think nothing of it, I was happy to help.” Andrew admitted as he opened his hand as a portal appeared behind Alex before he added “that will take you to a new world and don’t worry if you ever need anything I’ll be around to help.” “Well thank you for everything you’ve done for us, I’m sure that the others would say the same thing if they were able to,” Alex admitted calmly as he walked through the portal as it closed behind him leaving Andrew alone. “I’m sure they would… but I fear what Demigra will do next… good luck kid… you’ll need it.” Andrew said to himself as he disappeared through another portal. Meanwhile, in another dimension, two figures obscured by shadows looked towards each other before the first larger one said “that man’s becoming more of a problem each passing day, and his sons becoming a real thorn in my side.” “Well, what can we even do about it?” The second figure asked back. “Right now we need to make a new plan to deal with that wretched Displacer but for now I need to work on tracking down and dealing with those slaves that escaped… you have full authority to kill them.” “Thank you, Lord Demigra,” the second figure replied before bowing to the first. “Oh and Genm… watch out for that Displacers lapdog… we don’t want him rewriting your powers again.” “I understand Lord Demigra, if he makes an appearance I will endear to pull back,” Genm agreed before he added “also with your permission I would like to take some of our new… ‘friends’ on a ‘test drive,” Genm requested with a sadistic grin. “Of course take whoever you require… just make sure to enjoy yourself you could use the experience to learn how to control our ‘toys’ better.” “Thank you, I will not disappoint you,” Genm said as he faded away. The other figure just laughed as he said “Have fun my little playthings because if you fail to impress me, I’ll dispose of you like the rest.” Seconds later begging and some screams were heard before the figure disappeared as he said “maybe she’ll finally tell me how to give Genm more power?”