//------------------------------// // A Daughter's Quest // Story: A Passing Through Kamen Rider // by thunderclap //------------------------------// Wyatt had to hold back a yawn as he sat at a desk. Twilight had taken it upon herself to teach him about Equestria from its culture to its history. At the moment she was talking a mile a minute while writing on a blackboard. Wyatt tried to absorb the lesson, but there was just too much. He let out a silent thank you as a knock on the door interrupted her. “Spike! Can you get that?” Twilight called, visibly annoyed. “Sure thing, Twi!” Spike replied. Everything was quiet for a few moments before he spoke again, “Twi, Aj’s here to see you!” Twilight closed her book, setting it on the table. “You can tell her we’re in the back, Spike! Thank you!” Wyatt sighed in relief, sagging in his chair as Applejack walked into the room. “Sorry fer showin’ up unannounced, Twi,” the farm mare said, tilting her hat up. “But somethin’ came up.” She lifted her hand, indicating the letter she was carrying. “My cousin had a run in with someone and Ah thought ya’ll should know.” Wyatt took note of a certain word as he turned his head towards Applejack. “Why’d you say “someone”? Don’t you guys normally say somepony?” “Yeah well, Braeburn didn’t meet no pony,” Applejack responded. “Says the guy had a cloak on and wore a monster mask. Apparently, he beat up a buncha bandits that tried to rob the town.” Twilight frowned. “That’s very odd.” Wyatt brought out his card case and pulled out the card labeled Agito. He held it up for Aj to see. “Did the mask look like this?” Applejack brought the letter to eye level, pouring over it again. “Nothing like that. He said that it looked like a demon or something. He also said that he called himself ‘Oni’ and used some kinda magic to create a weapon.” Wyatt sighed and put the card and case away. “Looks like we don’t have a concrete lead on Agito.” Applejack let her arm fall, rubbing the back of her neck. “Sorry, Ah wish I could be of more help.” An unsure look came across her face. “There was one other thing. He told Braeburn to tell Granny that ‘Pear was sorry.’” Twilight tilted her head, a confused look on her face. “This random person knows Granny Smith?” Applejack shrugged uncertainly. “Ah don’t rightly know. When Granny read it, she got all quiet like. Normally, she gets badder than a bull when she even hears the word ‘pear’.” “That sounds like something you should ask her about. Doesn’t your family have a feud with the Pears?” “I don’t know?” Applejack asked, her unsure look growing. “I’ll talk to Granny Smith and let ya know what she tells me.” “Oh, and how’s Apple Bloom doing?” Twilight asked. “Is her leg recovering alright?” “Yeah.” Applejack nodded her head. “She’s doin’ pretty good. Worried like crazy about Scootaloo. How’s she doin’ anyway?” “I haven’t seen her in a day or two,” Twilight admitted. “Though she still looked out of sorts about the attack.” A melancholy look dawned across her face. “She’s really shaken up. I mean... she inadvertently unleashed a monster on her classmates.” “Ah think we need t’talk with her,” Applejack offered. “Remind her that none of us blame her fer what happened. Ah know Bloom’ will be happy ta try and cheer her friend up.” Twilight let a faint smile spread across her lips. “That sounds like the best thing we can do for her right now.” Wyatt looked between the two mares, not sure what to say. He wanted to offer help of course, but he didn’t know anything about Scootaloo so there wasn’t much he could really do. “Did your cousin say anything else about ‘Oni’?” Applejack looked over the letter one more time, scanning it for any details she had missed. “Just that he didn’t have a lot of fur on him. The only thing Brae says he saw of him was his mouth. And it wasn’t no muzzle.” Twilight nodded and rubbed her chin, her eyes narrowing in thought. “Then maybe our lead is more solid than we thought. Did Braeburn say anything about this Oni still being in Appleoosa?” “No,” Applejack responded. “Said he didn’t want the attention and left town the same day.” Wyatt and Twilight groaned, both of them dragging a hand across their faces. “And just like that we’re back to square one,” he noted. Running a hand through his hair, he gave Applejack his best smile. “Still, thanks for the info.” Aj nodded and pocketed the letter. She gave him a smile of her own. “Ah figured a little info was better than none to report to the princesses.” She tilted her hat, turning to the door. “Ah’ll see ya’ll later.” Wyatt and Twilight said their goodbyes and watched her leave. Twilight then turned to Wyatt and pointed to the board. “Pop quiz! Which pegasus legionnaire is cited as being one of the primary influences for the formation of the Wonderbolts?” Wyatt jumped, his eyes frantically scanning the room.  “Uh... uh... Sergeant Pepper!!” Twilight shook her head. “Incorrect. Sergeant Pepper was the pony that led the charge in the battle of Minos. The correct answer was Flash Magnus.” Despite his incorrect answer, Wyatt smirked slightly. “Did Sergeant Pepper have his Lonely Hearts with him?” Twilight frowned. “No, The Lonely Hearts was a band of mercenaries that fought against Equestria during the Griffon Conflict.” Wyatt’s smile slowly faded, and he put his head in his hands. “Twilight, I’m going to go hide in my room. Your world is starting to freak me out.” Twilight tilted her head as she watched Wyatt slowly left the room. “What?” she asked, following him to the door. Wyatt didn’t pause, making his way down the stairs. “Sergeant Pepper and the Lonely Hearts Club Band was an album by one of my world’s most famous bands. I’ll come back up when I stop having an existential crisis.” Daring Do stepped off the train into the bustling platform that was Canterlot station. Of course, she was in her “A.K. Yearling” disguise so no one would pay her any mind. She glanced around the platform, noting that most of the crowd were unicorns as per usual. She adjusted the stack of paper under her arms as she made her way into the city proper. She had just finished her manuscript of her latest adventure and was ready to present it to her editor so it could become a new novel. The streets weren’t very crowded, making her trip all the easier. It was a welcome change of pace from the Mareoccan markets she had just gotten back from. Of course, the trade off was being around upper crust ponies. Something she tried to avoid at all costs. She adjusted her shawl, feeling eyes on her as she stopped in front of her editor’s office. She climbed up a few steps and opened the door. “Hey, Velvet,” she called out, stepping inside. “Got some words for you. Nice long ones, that’ll satisfy your OCD.” The whitish gray mare adjusted her reading glasses as she looked up from her paperwork. The purple and white mane that normally hung down to her shoulders was done up in a neat bun. She was wearing a lavender suit jacket with a black shirt underneath it. “A.K. how many times do I have to tell you that I don’t have OCD?” Despite herself, she smiled. “Until you can convince me that you don’t,” A.K. shot back, returning her smile. “Bet the fans are gonna love this one.” Taking the tome from under her arm, she held it out to Velvet. “Got everything they love about Daring Do.” “Did you emphasize Daring’s cleverness like I suggested?” Velvet asked, taking the loosely bound pages and skimming through them. “The publishing company keeps telling me that we’re getting letters about the shift to the more action oriented style of the books.” She looked up to meet A.K.’s gaze and shrugged. “Honestly, I think you pull off both styles fine enough, but I’ve gotta play messenger or I’ll keep getting nagged.” A.K rolled her eyes. “Geez, can’t ponies just let a mare write how she wants?” There was a reason she only ever read fan mail, or had any interaction with fans, when she was at conventions. “There’s always something they don’t like.” Velvet chuckled, grabbing a highlighter as she set the rough draft on her desk. “Oh trust me, I know all too well how unpleasable a fanbase can be. Just remind yourself that they’re trying to make something they love better.” A.K. smoothed out her shawl, wearing a scowl. “Yeah, I bet.” Spotting a newspaper lying on the desk, she grabbed it. “Anything important happen since my last trip to civilization?” “There were two monster attacks in the town where my daughter lives,” Velvet answered, indicating to A.K. that it was okay for her to take the paper with a handwave as she set to work on the draft. “Luckily, the princesses unveiled a new type of anti-monster soldier.” Velvet tapped her chin with the back of the highlighter in thought. “A kamen something was what I believe they called them.” The world seemed to freeze at the word kamen, A.K.’s gaze firmly locked on the papers in her hands. She started to read the article, her eyes pouring over every word. Eventually, she found the name Velvet was talking about, Kamen Rider. Of course, the name wasn’t new to her, she had heard it before. Long before this moment. A.K. looked up from the paper, her eyes boring into Velvet. “Do you know if this Kamen Rider is still around Ponyville?” Velvet looked up from her work, frowning at the serious look on A.K.’s face. “I don’t know, I only asked my daughter if she was safe. Apparently one of her friends was put in the hospital by the first monster attack.” Velvet took her glasses off to rub her eyes. “Poor dear had to have glass removed from her wings.” A.K winced at the thought, reflexively fluffing her wings. “Was anyone seriously hurt?” A soft smile graced Velvet’s lips as she shook her head. “No, my daughter’s friend sustained the worst injuries and she’s expected to make a full recovery. It seems this Kamen Rider is doing a good job.” The news made A.K relax, but only slightly. “Can’t be him...” she muttered to herself, eyes drifting back to the paper. “He’d never let himself get mentioned in the news...” Velvet quirked a brow, leaning forward in her chair. “Hmm, what was that?” “Oh nothing,” A.K. said quickly, cursing under her breath. “I’m sorry, V, but I’m gonna have to cut this short. Something just came up, and I don’t know how long I’ll be.” Velvet smiled and waved her off. “Don’t worry, A.K., with the draft you’ve given me I’ll be busy for quite some time. Just be sure to come back at some point so I can show you the notes. Let’s not have a repeat of what we went through-” Velvet blinked as A.K. ran out of the room, not even bothering to shut the door behind her. Velvet sighed, using her magic to shut it. “Why do I always get stuck with the eccentrics?” A.K. didn’t hear Velvet’s complaint, too busy pushing her way through the Canterlot crowds, as thin as they were. If she pushed just a bit more, she could reach the train station before the next train pulled out. Practically tossing the ticket booth a bag of bits, she jumped on the train just as the doors closed. She hopped into the nearest empty seat and sagged over, sighing in relief. She stared out the window, seeing the valley below Canterlot. Due to the distance, she could just barely make out the buildings that made up Ponyville. She thought back to the last time she had visited the little hamlet. She almost had to chuckle, newsworthy was the last thing that came to mind from what she had seen. Getting comfortable in her seat, she put her mind to the situation at hand. ‘I can’t just, go around asking questions. That’ll just bring myself more attention than I want.’ A scoff escaped her lips. ‘Faust, now I’m starting to sound like him.’ She continued to look out the window, the train lurching to signal the beginning of her trip. ‘He’s got a lot to answer for. Just up and leaving like that without so much as a goodbye. Well, now I’ve finally got a solid lead on him.’ “Father.” She spoke quietly, just loud enough to reach her own ears. There was still enough respect and love for her to call him that. Father. The one that had taken her, an orphaned filly no more than three, into his life. She still remembered everything about the day they met. She had ran away from the orphanage she had been placed in and had got caught in a storm. She took shelter in a cave, shivering from the cold. The moment she looked up and saw him looking down at her was firmly imprinted on her mind. Of course, she had been terrified of the mask he wore, the sharp teeth, the jutting horns. Then he knelt down to her well and greeted her with “Aloha.” At the time, she had no idea what that meant, but the tone of his voice was warm. She didn’t move to get away from him and shakily returned his greeting. He took a seat across from her, crossing his legs. “What's a little filly like you doing here?” Glancing at the mouth of the cave, he tilted his head. “It’s pretty cold out you know. You should be in bed.” She sniffled, shivering again as he reminded her of the cold. “No house,” she said, struggling to articulate her thoughts due to her limited vocabulary. He nodded. “I haven’t had one of those in a while either. How about I get us a fire going?” Reaching under his cloak, he retrieved a large knapsack, from which he removed some firewood. She watched him work with interest, taking in how he used flint and steel to light up kindling. In a matter of minutes, he had a small fire going that offered her some comfort. Daring found herself staring at his mask in fear and awe, noting the way the light danced along its white surface. He caught her gaze, holding it for a moment. “Would you feel better if I took my mask off?” Daring shook her head, blushing from being caught. She scooted closer to the fire, feeling warmth seep into her bones. A chuckle came from behind the mask. “Well, how about I take it off anyway? It’s not exactly all that comfortable to sleep in.” Shrugging off his cloak, he reached up, quietly removing his mask. Dark skin met the light, along with a muzzleless face. His hair was dark and fuzzy looking, though a lot of it seemed to sit close to the top of his head. His eyes had a slight slant to them and were a deep brown in color that almost looked black in the low light. Some of his face was obscured by a beard that looked like it hadn’t been trimmed for a long time. “Hows that?” he asked, giving her a big smile. “Less scary right?” Daring giggled a little and tugged on his beard. “Fuzzy.” A grunt escaped his lips, though, he didn’t seem all that upset. “Yeah, I’m a fuzzy guy.” Taking a chance, he placed his hands under her armpits, transferring her to his lap. “There.” Letting his cloak drape onto her, he grinned. “That should be warmer.” Daring squirmed for a moment before settling in his lap. She stopped shivering and made no attempt to get away. “See? Better?” He put his hand on her head, scratching her ears. Daring giggled and moved her head with his scratches. Her wings buzzed on her back and her tail tried to swish against him. He watched her for a moment, a smile on his face. “What you’re name anyway? I bet it’s Jade, right?” Daring shook her head, pouting. “No, Dawing!” she corrected. “Dawing Do!” “Daring Do huh?” he asked, mentally translating her lisped speech. “I’m Agito.” He offered her his hand. “Nice to meet you, Daring Do.” “Yeah!” Her smile returned and her wings buzzed again as she ignored his hand and hugged him as tight as she could. Agito blinked for a moment, but returned her hug. The two stayed like that for a while before Daring let out a long yawn. Agito stroked Daring’s head. “Sounds like it’s bed time.” He laid down, letting Daring rest on his chest. “I could use the rest too.” Daring nodded and let her eyes close as she curled up against him. She was brought out of her memories by a lurch of the train. She looked out the window to see Ponyville Station. Daring rose to her hooves, adjusting her shawl to cover her face. If she remembered correctly, Velvet’s daughter was the town librarian, and Celestia’s personal student. She had to chuckle as she stepped off the train. It seemed the need to be surrounded by books was genetic in that family. Bidding the staff pony a good day, she stepped onto the platform, taking in the sights and sounds. There was an air of apprehension coming from the ponies she saw. Not that she could blame them given having two monster attacks so close together. Other than that, it seemed like the peaceful village she remembered. Putting the train station behind her, she made her way into town, stopping a local or two to ask for directions. She thanked them and altered her course accordingly. Along the way, she could see a boarded up window she guessed was damaged in one of the attacks. She made her way towards the center of town, spotting the tree that was the town’s library. She knocked on the door, waiting for a response. “Coming!” a young voice called, followed by the click of nails against wood. The door opened, revealing a small dragon. “Welcome to Golden Oak library! How can I help you?” Daring’s eyes widened for a moment before remembering that Velvet had mentioned adopting a dragon during one of her previous editing sessions. Spike she believed. She cleared her throat, adjusting her shawl. “Yes, I was hoping to see Twilight if you don’t mind.” Spike nodded, turning back inside the treehouse. “Hey, Twi! Somepony’s at the door for you!” “You can let them in!” A mare called back. Daring noted that she sounded a bit like a younger Velvet. Spike stepped aside, letting Daring step inside. Closing the door behind her, Spike showed her into the waiting room. She took a seat and a minute later a young mare stepped into the room. She smiled at Daring and said, “Hi there, I’m Twilight Sparkle. Is there anything I can help you with?” Daring nodded, sitting up. “I’m hoping we can help each other out.” Removing her shawl, Daring gave Twilight a disarming smile. “I’m actually one of your mother’s clients.” Twilight gaped for a moment before letting out a high pitched squee that threatened to shatter nearby glass. “You’re A.K. Yearling!” She zipped over, filling Daring’s vision with purple. “I have a first edition Daring Do book, would you please sign it?!” Daring leaned back, putting her hands up. “Ms. Sparkle please, calm down. I’d prefer if you didn’t shout my presence out to everyone.” Twilight blushed and covered her mouth with a hand. “Sorry. I’m just a long-time fan. I’ve read all your books. Including the novel you wrote for a more adult audience that critics praised but didn’t sell as well.” “You know, Velvet warned me about that.” Daring chuckled, letting the tension leave her body. “As you know, Ms. Sparkle, I’m a very private person. I don’t interact with many ponies these days.” “I know, there are tons of fan debates for that that range from the mundane like you’re just an introvert, to the ludicrous like you’re the real Daring Do and your books are based on real events,” Twilight quickly said. She then quickly laughed. “How ponies come up with that stuff is beyond me.” Daring put on her best smile. “Imagination is never a bad thing. Now.” She cleared her throat. It was obvious that, while Twilight was an adult, she was also a bit naive. Daring invoked her best business voice. “Despite that, I always try to make time for my fans. I was hoping to hold a little something here in Ponyville. However.” A concerned look crossed her features. “The recent monster attacks have me worried.” Twilight blanched, throwing her hands up. “Oh, you won’t have to worry about that! We’ve got a great way to combat monsters here in Ponyville!” “Would that be this... ‘Kamen Rider’ I read about in the news paper?” Twilight nodded emphatically. “Yes, that’s exactly right!” A small, nervous smile wormed its way onto her face. “The rider’s already stopped two attacks and saved the life of my friend.” Daring let her frown stay. “And you’re sure this ‘rider’ will prevent anymore?” Twilight nodded, her smile growing. “Of course, the princesses approve of the rider, so you can trust them.” Nodding, Daring returned her smile. “That’s very reassuring. If you’d like, I could sign those books for you.” Twilight struggled to contain herself as she rushed out of the room. ’Nows my chance.’ Getting to her hooves, Daring proceed to scoop the room, looking for anything that would give her a lead. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the waiting room. She fought off a frown before spotting a door. She opened it and saw a flight of stairs that led down to a basement. She started to walk down the steps, careful to not make them creak. Once she made it to the bottom of the stairs, she found herself in a large room filled with scientific equipment. Short on time, she began to search the lab, making sure not to leave anything out of place when she was done with it. Before she knew it, she heard someone clear their throat and tap her on the shoulder. “Um, are you a maid Twilight hired, or should I go and get this world’s equivalent of cops?” Daring didn’t think. She grabbed the hand, twisting it around and throwing whoever it was against the wall. “I was hoping to do this quietly...” she grumbled to herself, pinning them between her and the wall. The mystery person woozily lifted their head up, revealing a light skinned face that vaguely reminded her of her father. “Note to self, ponies know Judo,” he said, a dazed look in his eyes. “What's a human doing in Equestria?” She asked, twisting his wrist. “Talk, now.” The human grunted, wincing in pain. “I’m staying here.” He pointed behind her towards a bed in a corner of the room clear of equipment. Not taking her eyes off him, she gripped his wrist harder. “What do you know about the Kamen Rider?” The human winced again, a nervous look in his eyes for a brief moment. “Just that he fights weird looking monsters. It’s like something out of the old stories of the Gurongi.” His eyes drifted up and away from her. Classic liar’s tell. “Do you think I’m stupid?” she hissed, pinching the area between his thumb and forefinger. “I know damn well that the last two riders were humans. I honestly don’t care about you, or your secret. I just want to know where Agito is.” The human blinked for a moment before seeming to relax slightly. “Applejack came by earlier with a letter from her cousin. A person calling themselves Oni fought some bandits in Appleoosa before leaving the town.” No changes in his eyes or body language. Daring knew he was telling the truth. Spinning him around, she drew her arm back. “Thanks. And tell Twilight I’m sorry.” Not giving him a chance to respond, she decked him across the face, letting him drop like a sack of rocks. “And sorry to you too.” Twilight came back into the waiting room with her books in tow, hovering in the air around her. She paused for a moment, A.K. was nowhere in sight. She looked around for a moment before seeing that the door to the basement was open. “Oh, she must be looking for a bathroom,” Twilight said to herself. She walked over, ready to personally point the author in the right direction. “Ms. A.K.?” Twilight inquired, peeking down the stairs. “Are you down there?” She didn’t get a response, causing her to walk down the steps. She gasped, finding Wyatt in a heap on the floor. She rushed over to him, wincing when she noticed the odd way his nose was bent. “Wyatt!” She ran over to him, wincing at his wound. “Hey, come on, you have to wake up.” Shaking him, she pressed her sleeve against his nose. Wyatt groaned, stirring slightly. “Ow,” he muttered. His eyes opened fully and winced from the pressure on his nose. “That mare hit like a horse.” “A mare?” Twilight questioned, a confused look on her muzzle. “What did she look like?” “Uh... kinda yellow with a blackish-grey mane.” Wyatt bolted upright, making Twilight stumble. “She knows!” Twilight stood up straight and put her hands on his shoulders. “Easy there, moving like that might not be a good idea. You could have a concussion for all we know.” “Twilight, she knows!” Wyatt insisted. “About me, about Kuuga and Agito.” Twilight blinked before everything seemed to sink in. “A.K. Yearling knows about that?! How? I didn’t know about that and I read every book in Canterlot Castle that wasn’t restricted!” "I don’t know!” Wyatt responded, his frustration clear. “She said she didn’t care about me, she just wanted to know where Agito was.” “Then we know where she’s going if you told her about Applejack’s letter,” Twilight replied. She then noticed his nose again and lit up her horn in order to sooth the pain. “I’ll let Celestia know what happened. Assault is a pretty serious crime in Equestria.” Wyatt quickly thanked her while resisting the urge to rub his nose. “Think we should go after her? Who knows what she wants to do to Agito if she’s willing to punch me in the face.” “We should get you looked at first,” Twilight replied, rising to her hooves. “I think this is more important than my nose,” he argued. “Just give me some painkillers and I’ll be fine.” He quickly deflated, seeing the glare Twilight was shooting him. “Or I could get looked over. That works too.” Twilight gave him a triumphant smirk before dragging him by the hand out the door. “Glad we could come to an understanding.” Wyatt grumbled to himself every step of the way, his frustration only matched by the stabbing pain in his nose. A lone pony was working in a lab cramped with various pieces of equipment. Papers were scattered all around the room, each bearing various equations and measurements. Some of the measurements were crossed out and some pieces of paper were discarded altogether. The quiet, gray pony worked diligently, her hands putting the finishing touches on a small, purple rectangle. A purple crystal sat on the desk, resting on a circular device. It pulsed every few seconds, bathing her in pale light of the same color. Completing the object in her hand, she plugged it into the device, flicking a switch on the side. Energy pulsed into the rectangle, arcs of electricity running along the crystal. Then, the rectangle let out a flash of purple light and she flipped the switch again. Removing the rectangle, she lifted it to eye level, the barest hint of a smile growing on her muzzle. “You’re legacy won’t be forgotten.” She turned her gaze to a tapestry hanging from the wall, depicting a yellow, insect-like symbol. Returning her attention to the rectangle, she pressed a button, located near the bottom. Joker! “Everything seems to be progressing as planned,” the mare said to herself, opening a drawer next to her. She pulled out a case and opened it to reveal slots that could fit several of the rectangles. Replacing the purple rectangle, she took out another, black rectangle. “Now, we just need to test it.” She sat the black rectangle on the table and began adjusting the equipment on it.