Sunset’s growl was the one thing the girls needed to let them know that their brave leader was not only okay, but mad as hell. It was true that when it came to both Twilight’s, the five girls will join her in hugs and friendship, but they had found out a captain of their team in the redheaded schoolgirl among them. Seeing her transformation from a bully to someone that could inspire others was beautiful and no Wondercolt will ever doubt her efforts into redeeming herself. To see Sunset hold her head in pain not only worried them, but hurt them as well.
After the altercation at the museum, the human elements of harmony didn’t know what exactly to do. This was not an enemy that was attacking them directly. In the news there were already cases of people disappearing, but no one knew if this was normal or the monsters had something to do; in fact, when they arrived at the camp it had been the first time Sunset had been forced to use the strange belt. Things had been so quiet that they all wanted to think that there was no more danger, that the creatures had disappeared, but watching Sunset fight the pain on her head let them all know that things were not right.
Maybe they had grown used to the idea of strange things happening around, after all that’s the way in which they all became a group of friends. It was that kind of experience that solidified their friendship.
Sunset’s days as a bully may have been a factor to their split, but they still had their problems and their arguments. Their battle against the siren had shown their problems and only thanks to Sunset were they able to sort them out. Now, instead of letting feelings fester, they were always aired and smoothed out rather than wait it out until they exploded. Sunset had truly changed the way the group worked and they were grateful.
The redhead had become a source of strength, a force to be reckoned since her redemption; always being there whenever someone at school needed help. Never asking for something in return, Sunset had become something greater than just another friend or the forgiven demon. She was not Twilight, but she was something even more amazing. Yes, Twilight had helped them before and will continue be their friend, but there was something about Sunset that made everyone look up at her. Maybe because when she spoke about friendship and hope she knew where she was coming from. She had seen and knew about both sides of friendship or good and evil. She was not preaching, but talking form experience. Maybe that’s why every student in CHS had started to see Sunset as the de-facto leader of the school, even if they already had their own Twilight Sparkle. Heck, even the human Twilight looked up at Sunset as if she was a guiding light.
To see someone so strong reduced to painful moans did not sit well with them. They all remembered the way in which she looked and behaved after she was defeated and none took comfort in that, not anymore at least.
“If this is going to happen all the time, I will have to find the guy that created the belt and give him an earful!” It was not every day that Sunset’s friends got to hear her annoyed at something. Sure, her temper had become legendary already, but these past few months had shown them another side, one that they quite liked; the one of protector and leader of the school.
“If ya find it Ah’ll even help you with the ass kicking,” the blonde cowgirl said helping Sunset up. She had come running from the newly repaired harbor just like the rest of her friends. So far she have done all the things she wanted to do in the camp, except sleeping outside on her sleeping bag considering they all had tents, which was kind of boring in her opinion.
“I’ll hold him down,” Rainbow continued trying hard not to show how concerned she really was at what was going on with Sunset. This was the second time something like this happened and so far she hasn’t been able to help. The first time it happened she had found the idea of going to the museum boring, but if every trip to it meant monsters and fights then she was all up for it, maybe they could find some strange artifact like in a Daring Do novel.
“I’m pretty sure violence won’t fix this, but I’m willing to give whoever made the belt a stern talking,” the soft voice of Fluttershy drifted around like a crystal bell, helping Sunset focus once more in the world, beyond the whispers, images and pain that she now attributed to the belt currently dormant inside her body. How exactly the belt worked, who made it or what was the purpose, well, most of that were only vague theories, The only thing that mattered was that it worked and things were starting to get even worst with time.
“In this case, I think violence works very well,” the redhead shook her head to get rid of the remnants of strange visions. It was not funny to get them and yes, she knew that by now they were probably important, maybe as some kind of low level scrying technology or spell imbued on the belt, but what was the purpose? Probably a radar-like ability, or an alarm feature that fired up on its own every time there was a monster nearby. Either way, she hoped that it won’t be as painful every time it happened because it was headache and she didn’t want to have to deal with it every single time something new happened, like a monster; they were headaches by themselves.
They would have continued talking if it weren’t for a scream not too far away from them. They all reacted quickly, even Fluttershy who may look shy and demure, but when a crisis started she was the first one to go help, each and every single time.
What they found out was Timber and Gloriosa standing face to face with a strange aura of energy around the last, an energy that Sunset was sure no normal human being could be able to produce beyond special effects.
“Sister, I don’t care what you think! This is getting out of control! Those things you found are not going to help us save the camp!”
“Who cares about the camp anymore? I found something even better, I found my lord and I will do his bidding!” The dark energy began to be absorbed by Gloriosa’s body, twisting it into another form, one that they have heard from Timber’s story, but ten times worst just from the power that emanated from her. Once the transformation was complete they all saw that unlike Sunset or twilight’s transformation with magic, Gloriosa did not become a dark version of herself, this time she did not look human. This time Gloriosa’s body had been turned into a monstrous appearance, with a body of green and purple and with a face like a dark mask. She had become a strange fusion between creature and armor, of plant and darkness that immediately swatted Timber aside as if he was a nuisance. The teenage felt upon a bench and bounced off of it, thankfully the hit had been just powerful enough to bruise him and take the air out of him.
Before any of the girls could react, two more monsters joined Gaia; both looked like a combination of human and cats, probably jaguars. At the sight of them the rest of the campers began to disperse, already more than used to magical shenanigans and knew that they will only make things harder for Sunset and the others. Quickly the camp had been cleared, but instead of following them, Gaia only raised her hands, making vines and plants erupt from the ground, quickly covering the camp, but before she could gain control there was a new sound, something that made the monsters and teenagers stop. It was the sound of a bike being revved up.
Coming right from the woods, a man on top of a red motorcycle came barreling down, striking the three monsters as he passed by and sending them flying backwards. Using the momentum of his machine, the man turned the bike around to stop close to Sunset and her friends who were still in shock at what was happening. The man quickly dismounted the bike and the girls took a look for the first time of the one that helped them.
He was young, but with spiky hair that had been clearly dyed blonde; that alongside his jacket gave him a wild, untamed look. His face and eyes showed the clear Asian blood on him.
“If I were you I will run away from here, I can take care of them, now, move!” The man said as he prepared to fight the monsters, but Sunset’s hand on his shoulder stopped him before he could move.
“I don’t know you, but you are not going to fight them alone; that girl is my responsibility in a way,” before either Sunset or the man could continue their talk, Gaia had recovered and sent a flurry of vines at them. The two had to jump away as the rest of the girls ran to cover, prepared to finally see Sunset fight. From all of them, only Twilight had seen it, or at least had an idea of what was going on. The man was the first to get ready, quickly putting his hands like claws, crossing them over his chest; for a second Sunset could have swear that she saw a phantom image at his side, almost like a green monster.
“Henshin!” he screamed as he unleashed his anger, his desire to battle and in a flash, he was no more, there was only the green rage that had cursed him for years. His scream of rage made the mask on his mouth open up, making it clear that this was no mask, it was his face and now he had become a monster, one called Gills.
Jumping into the fray, he began to fight one of the jaguars; his kicks and strikes sending the creature right into the defensive due to the ruthlessness and pure savagery that was Gills' fighting style.
Looking at the man fight, it made something inside of Sunset burn, something that had been happening since she arrived at the camp. It felt similar, almost familiar in its burn, like something that had belonged to her. She felt her belt appear suddenly, her energy compass floating in the air, signaling in the center a source of power. Since the Friendship Games, Sunset knew that magic had been present in the human world, but this was the first time the modified machine had detected anything since the day she had become a Kamen Rider.
Before any of the remaining monsters could react, Gaia felt a pull and in a blink, one of the stones that had let her become Gaia flew into the compass. With a snap, the small geode was installed inside the machine as this one flew into Sunset’s hands.
“I have no idea what was going on, but I can see you are taking power from this, let me show you MY power! HENSHIN!” closing the belt, Sunset felt the rush of energy coursing through her body, but this time it felt warm, like a sun, like an old friend.
With a flash, she wasn’t alone; someone had appeared on her side. It was a figure of power, a memory. It was there but at the same time it was only a memory, one that will fight with her. In the middle of his fight with the jaguar, Gills recognized the figure, one that he knew very well; the armored form of one of his friends.
“It can’t be, Shouichi?” before anyone could say anything, both Agito and Yujo started the fight, with Sunset hitting Gaia repeatedly and sending her flying into the woods. Yujo quickly dodged a vine send into her head and with a twirl, her foot impacted Gaia into the stomach, but before Yujo could continue she was hit by a series of shots, the force of them sending sparks everywhere. From the smoke of the shots, Yujo saw the man from back at the museum attack, the one with the dark suit looking directly at her.
“I suppose it was a nice idea to use her, but don’t worry my dear, you will see us again,” then he turned around and disappeared alongside Gaia. Before Yujo could try and go after them, the two jaguars crashed against trees not far from her.
Gills released a scream of rage, making a blade grow from his heel; he then jumped up and with an axe kick, the long blade was inserted on the back of the dark jaguar, making it scream in agony. With another kick to dislodge the blade, Gills watched how the jaguar began to shine before exploding in smithereens.
At Yujo’s side, Agito’s crest opened up like a flower as Yujo’s power made her cutiemark appear on the sky alongside the one of Agito. As one, both warriors jumped up and flew through the mark in the sky, their bodies becoming a meteor and striking the lightly colored jaguar right in the chest, making it explode in a ball of fire that for some reason didn’t make the grass of the plants around ignite.
Looking behind her, Sunset noticed that the Rider known as Agito simply disappeared in a flash of light, leaving behind only behind the man known as Gills.