//------------------------------// // H: High Speed Attack / Enter the New Kamen Rider! // Story: Kamen Rider Unicorn // by Michael_Ravencroft //------------------------------// Another month had passed, and while the city was still recuperating from the Puppeteer and Violence Dopant attacks, the Memories stirred. They still searched for their perfect matches, some were hiding, others were actively searching, and some had already found their perfect matches, as was the case of Sunset Shimmer and her Unicorn Memory. However, some things happen for a reason, and sometimes we need to accept them, even if one of those somethings is a dangerous power. School at Canterlot High was back to its normal routine, classes, sports, lunch, more classes, and the occasional craziness that came from the trio known as the Canterlot Mishap Crew, or CMC as they were nicknamed. A sense of normalcy had befallen the school and for a group of seven girls, despite the fact that their lives had been touched by otherworldly magic and probably wouldn’t get anywhere close to normal for a long time. Case in point was today. Six of the seven girls had sat down to lunch when a certain Rainbow haired girl came bursting through the cafeteria doors and bolted right for the table where her friends were seated, ducking and weaving through several other students before arriving there. “Guys, guys, guys, you won’t believe what happened!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Calm down Rainbow Dash, you’re making a scene,” said Rarity. “Sorry, but this is like super big!” “Oh, what is it?!” Pinkie Pie asked. Rainbow Dash sat up straight and looked to her friends seriously. “Okay, before you all ask. No I did not look for it, no I did not use it, like, at all.” Sunset raised an eyebrow as she raised her carton of milk. “Didn’t use what exactly?” Rainbow Dash glanced back and forth and leaned down and whispered to her friends, “I found one of those Gaia Memory thingies!” Sunset and Twilight spat out their beverages in a spray of tea and milk that practically drenched the rainbow haired girl. Applejack offered a bunch of napkins to which the sports girl gratefully accepted and began drying off her face. “You have a Gaia Memory?! When?! How?!” Twilight asked. “It just appeared to me, like Sunday when I was out riding my motocross bike, I was in the zone, riding fast and about to catch some mad air!……And then I missed up and found myself in freefall…” A round of concerned looks appeared on the faces of her friends, and already she could see their eyes roaming over her body, looking for any sign of injury. Rainbow Dash however waved off their concerns. “I’m fine guys don’t worry, but that’s because of what happened next. In the seconds before I hit the ground I was wishing really, really hard that I could pony up and grow my wings. But that’s when this bad boy came flying out of the sky!” Rainbow Dash reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the Gaia Memory in question. A golden yellow Memory, with an “N” that looked similar to wings. “Then the next thing I know I’m floating in midair with these glowing, fiery, electric wings coming out of my back and landing on the ground like nothing happened. This thing flew into my hand and well, rest is now.” Twilight glanced to Sunset. “That sounds almost similar to how you got your Unicorn Memory, Sunset.” “It came to me because I was its perfect match, and so this one’s your perfect match,” said Sunset. “So does this mean that Dashie’s going to…” Pinkie leaned in for a whisper. “That she’s going to become your Kamen Rider partner?!” An excited look befell Rainbow Dash, she had joked before about wanting a belt, but now that a Gaia Memory had come to her, saved her, and had chosen her, it felt like destiny that she was to become a Kamen Rider like Sunset. However, her excitement faded a little when Sunset Shimmer crossed her arms. “No way.” “What?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Fighting these Dopants is not like what we’ve been fighting against, these aren’t just people corrupted. Some are dangerous, you saw what happened to Gilda, and Glitter Glam!” Sunset argued. “Yeah, but you seem to be doing alright, plus you could just teach me how to fight! I mean I’m a pretty good brawler, but you know, with some of those martial arts moves you can polish my style up so I can help you! Two Riders are better than one,” said Rainbow Dash. Sunset closed her eyes and looked to Twilight. “What do you think, Twi? I know you don’t want to see her in the same kind of danger we’re in.” Twilight looked to Rainbow Dash and then back to Sunset. It was true, what they were doing was dangerous, but then again her becoming Midnight Sparkle and nearly ripping reality a new one was dangerous, and from what she had heard of their previous battles, it was equal to or less than the danger they were facing. But first things first. “I’m inclined to agree with Sunset, but at the same time I do see the benefit in us having two Riders. The battles would be a little less dangerous, and if there were problems on two fronts you wouldn’t have to stress about getting from one place to the other during a battle. But in the meantime while we’re debating this, can I see that Memory?” Twilight asked. Rainbow Dash looked reluctant to give it up, seeing as how it did save her life. But in the end she knew that that kind of thinking was how Gilda and Glitter went down the paths they did, so without resistance, Rainbow handed Twilight the Gaia Memory. However, when she did, Rainbow’s thumb accidentally hit the button on the side of the Gaia Memory. < NASCA! > Suddenly, blue and gold light shot from the Nasca Memory and right through Twilight’s arm. The energy surged through her body and right into her mind, making her eyes glow bright white. In the time brief time that Twilight was holding the Nasca Memory a vision appeared before her. The vision of a warrior, with glowing, fiery-electric wings. This warrior was a shadowy figure, barely any discernable features, but the one and only thing Twilight was able to see, was a belt. < UNICORN! > Without warning, Twilight was ripped from the vision and brought back to reality. All around the table the girls were staring at Twilight, with Sunset’s hand grasping onto Twilight’s tightly while she held the Unicorn Memory in her other hand. The Nasca Memory had fallen onto the table and Rainbow Dash had this look of fright on her face. “Twilight, are you alright?” Sunset asked. “I…I’m fine, I think so anyway,” said Twilight as she held her head. The girls sighed, but Rainbow still held her breath, she hadn’t meant for that to happen and for a brief moment she had thought she’d seriously hurt Twilight. “Twi…I…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for that to happen I –!” Sunset glared back at Rainbow. “This is why we said their dangerous, Rainbow! Why you should’ve called us all immediately when you go that thing!” Twilight looked to her friend with concern. “Sunset I’m fine, really.” “I don’t like that many close calls with you, first the pillar, and now this?!” Sunset reached out and took the Nasca Memory and placed it in her jacket pocket. “This Memory is staying with me, and that’s final!” Rainbow Dash lost any will to protest, especially after her careless action. “I…I’m going to, uh…yeah.” The others watched as the rainbow haired girl walked out of the cafeteria, despite her confident posture, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy could tell Rainbow Dash was feeling low right now. “Um…Sunset, you didn’t have to yell,” said Fluttershy. Sunset snorted, a habit she had from back when she was pony. “Look, it’s better that she knows now not to mess around with these things, Dash’ll get over it. Are you sure you’re okay Twilight?” The bespectacled girl nodded. “I am, trust me.” ***____________________*** Later that night, Sunset hadn’t stopped thinking about the events of the lunch room. Even as she stood under the warm cascade of the shower head, her mind couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Rainbow Dash’s face. More precisely, it was her eyes. In her time of studying and analyzing the girls from when she was a more villainous, and more recently after knowing them as friends. Sunset was able to notice tells when they were feeling down or depressed. Rainbow’s was in her eyes, she’d put on a confident smile, but really, it was her eyes, and when she was giving Rainbow Dash that tongue lashing, she could see the hurt in them. Sunset smacked her fist against the shower wall, growling in frustration of herself. “I can’t believe I did it again…!” This was not the first time Sunset Shimmer had let her bad girl side show, the first time was when they first met Twilight after the race. When her pendant device was going out of control and nearly killed her fellow Crystal Preppers, herself, and Rainbow Dash. She yelled at Twilight, although she yelled because she was concerned and afraid for her friends’ wellbeing, there was definitely a different way to have gone about stating that than yelling at Twilight. In a way, she could argue that it was because of that that it led Twilight to be more easily swayed by Principal Cinch into unleashing the magic. Sunset believed she had learned her lesson, but now she wasn’t so sure. She had done the exact same thing to Rainbow Dash when Twilight was in the trance. If it wasn’t for her using the Unicorn Memory to aid in pulling Twilight out of the trance, Sunset wasn’t sure if it would’ve become permanent. Sunset exited the shower and wrapped herself in a towel before heading to the couch, she dried off her hair and still continued think of her actions, all while staring at her cellphone on the coffee table. With a heavy sigh, Sunset picked up her phone and scrolled through her list of contacts until she landed on Rainbow Dash’s number. At this point she wasn’t even sure if Rainbow would even pick up. Deciding to cross that bridge when it came, Sunset pressed the button and dialed. She began to feel a little nervous, not sure if Rainbow would be angry, nervous, or still hurt from what she said. After the third ring she thought Rainbow would just let it go to voicemail. Until… [Whew, jeez, made it! A man, sorry Sunset, I was coming out of a shower when I heard the phone ring.] Sunset sighed in relief. “It’s okay, Rainbow, I got out myself a couple of minutes ago.” [Oh ya did? So, what’re ya wearin’?] A deadpan look befell Sunset’s face. “You know exactly what I’m wearing you perv.” [Pot calling the kettle black, Sunset.] Sunset thought about that for a moment. “Touché. But, uh, listen Rainbow, I wanted to say I was sorry.” [For what?] The fiery haired girl played with the hem of her towel as the nervousness came back. “You know, for getting angry like that, and yelling at you. I did the exact same thing to Twilight at the Friendship Games and I thought I had learned my lesson about doing that, but…evidently not. I had no right to get that angry at you, I know you didn’t do that on purpose, it was an accident.” There was some shuffling on the other end of the line before Rainbow spoke again. [Sunset, chill. I’m not going to lie, that stung a bit, but after a minute to think I knew where you were coming from. I remembered that time at the Friendship Games, and how similar you sounded back then. So I knew you weren’t yelling to just yell, you were scared for Twilight, like you were scared for us during the games.] Sunset began to blush, feeling her cheeks grow warmer. “T-Thanks, Rainbow. I just didn’t want this to –” [And if my girlfriend got hurt I’d probably yell at the person who hurt her too.] Sunset’s left eye twitched as she stood up suddenly. “Excuse me, what?! Girlfriend?!” [Uh, duh, ya. Getting aggressive because your friends are hurt, that’s one thing. But when it’s your girlfriend, then some people can get like dragon levels of protective.] The former unicorn was gripping her phone hard, but trying with all restraint to keep from breaking it. “Rainbow Dash, please stop with the teasing already, especially when I’m trying to apologize!” [……Wait, you mean you guys really aren’t?] “No.” [Seriously?] “Yes.” [……Are you sure, I’m not going to say anything if you are.] Sunset slapped her face with her left hand and dragged it down her face. “I am not going out with Twilight Sparkle, we’re friends! And besides, she doesn’t like girls like that! And the last thing she needs after everything she went through and with what’s going on, is relationship issues! Especially from me!” There was a long drawn out groan on the other end of the line. [Geez, you guys are like perfect shipping material, I mean I would’ve pegged you and Princess Twilight – which I think would’ve been superhot – but you and our Twilight – it’s like hot and cute at the same time.] Sunset couldn’t believe what she was hearing, she wanted to yell again, she wanted to deny it and tell Rainbow to leave her out of her little shipping fantasies. And yet, curiosity prevailed. “……Purely out of morbid curiosity……why could you see me with either or?” [Ha, where do I start?! Okay, for Princess Twilight, she saved you from being a She-Demon, and during that Sirens thing, you guys seemed to have a kind of chemistry. Not so much like teacher and student, but like an understanding that’s deeper or something like that, and I could see it more since you two are from the same world.] Sunset pondered that for a moment, and she wouldn’t deny that she held some kind of fondness for Princess Twilight that bordered on a crush. “And for Twilight?” [Same scenario in reverse, but different. She’s still a little vulnerable after that Midnight Sparkle thing. Only difference is that instead of just having me and the girls, she has you, someone who has been through what she went through, and who brought her back. Plus, she’s still learning stuff about relationships if that time I spent talking to her meant anything.] Unfortunately she could also see that as well. And Sunset couldn’t deny she was feeling something for Twilight, but she wasn’t entirely sure if she should cross that line with someone who just went through a traumatic experience as she did during the Games, especially since Twilight was just starting to understand how good having friends was. “You put entirely too much thought into that. You know that, right?” [Hey, before that, I was shipping you with everyone in our group, even me.] “Now that’s the line.” Laughter could be heard on the other end of the phone, and Sunset couldn’t help in laughing herself, feeling relieved that today’s events hadn’t soured their friendship at all. [Sine we’re past that now, there’s something I’d like to ask.] “Okay, what is it?” [There’s a motocross derby coming up this weekend, and I was wondering if you wanted to enter? Seeing as you ride, and if it wasn’t for that plant monster, you totally would’ve beaten Indigo Zap.] Sunset thought for a moment and smiled. “Heh, why not. Something different anyway.” [Sweet, Indigo’s joining too, so it’ll be a bit of a rematch for her, but I’d like to think of it as friendly competition.] Suddenly, the loud roar of a motorcycle engine broke through the silence of the night, and Sunset would know that roar, she rode one every day. The unusual thing here was when the engine roar went off, the entire loft began to shake and rattle. Sunset rushed to a window and watched as something red and trailing fire came rushing down the street, stopping at the intersection and doing donuts there. [Sunset, what the hell was that noise?! I could hear it all the way here!] “I gotta go, hero stuff, we’re on for the weekend!” Sunset hurried and put some clothes on, and quickly called on her Uni-Driver and Unicorn Memory. < UNICORN! > “Henshin!” > UNICORN! < Sunset opened the window to her loft and jumped out of the second story window, in the brief time before she hit the ground, the turquoise electrical field had formed around her, and by the time it was finished, Sunset landed on the ground, Iron Mare style, clad in her armor of Kamen Rider Unicorn. Unicorn’s horn shined and immediately her motorcycle came to life, transforming into its supped up form and revving towards her. Unicorn jumped up and landed on the seat with flawless grace and rode down the street. Unicorn passed by several cars in the blink an eye before coming to a halt before the wall of fire. “Whoever you are, stop now or I’ll make you stop!” The roar of the engine grew louder and sounded closer now. Unicorn ducked down as the motorcycle burst forth from the flames and caused to cars to swerve to the sides, hitting a lamppost and mail box before coming to a stop. Unicorn looked back and saw the one responsible. It was a bike, red in color, with no driver seat. The back wheel was large, and the angle of the bike was slanted, allowing less wind resistance. There was a flaming decal on the top and sides. But after a second the bike glowed and shifted into a humanoid form. The creature before her had a blue visor for eyes, and six vertical vents on its face plate. Armor covered its upper torso and shoulder, forearms, and legs. The shoulder pauldrons were shaped almost like handle bars on a bike, and the flame decal somehow shifted to the stomach and unprotected gaps of the armor. “Well looky here, Kamen Rider Unicorn! Was wondering when you’d show up, thought I’d have to tear up and down the city before I caught your attention?!” “What do you want?” Unicorn asked. “A race, I wanna see who the fastest rider in the city is! I’ve seen you fight, and that’s fine, I’m pretty sure I could wup your horse ass up and down the block, but I’d rather race first,” said the Dopant. “Yeah. I don’t think so.” The red Dopant’s visor glowed. “Not really giving you a choice, hero. Either you race me, or I’m going to go for the joy ride to end all joy rides through Canterlot City! On your marks, hero!” The red Dopant glowed and again and metamorphed into the hotrod motorcycle again. The back wheel squealed against the asphalt as the Dopant tore down the street that Unicorn just drove down. Unicorn growled and revved the engine of her bike and took off after the red Dopant. It didn’t take that long before Unicorn was on the Dopant’s tail, getting closer until she was right beside her. “Looks like you accepted my challenge!” The red Dopant shouted. “As if you gave me a choice! That power you have is dangerous, too dangerous for you to use like this! You’ll hurt innocent people!” Unicorn warned. “Any price to be the best! Push everything to the limit and beyond!” The red Dopant popped a wheelie and increased its speed, weaving around the cars that were in its way or outright pushing them aside. Unicorn was more careful, or at least trying to be as she passed two sedans, squeezed between A pickup and a van, and was now coming up on highway. Both racers entered the busy street, but then the red Dopant hopped the divide and drove into oncoming traffic. In a panic, Sunset sped up and jumped the divide as well, still in pursuit. The red Dopant made a beeline for an eighteen-wheeler, but at the last second moved to the right, but not before creating a red hot spike on the hub cap and slicing through the front left, and back left tires. Consecutive explosion blowouts occurred as the big rig struggled to maintain control. Sunset’s eyes grew wide as saucer plates under her helmet as she saw the large truck coming towards her, at the last second, Unicorn angled the bike low, sliding just underneath the gap of the trailer the truck was carrying. Unicorn spun around and reached out with her magic, concentrating as she wrapped the truck in her telekinetic magic aura and lifted it up before teleporting it off the highway and onto the shoulder of the service road. Unicorn snorted in anger at the actions of the Dopant, and drove after her. The red Dopant had stayed back some ways, apparently watching the show, but when the Dopant spotted Unicorn it quickly sped away, laughing the whole time. Unicorn poured more of her magical power into the bike, further increasing its speed. She had contemplated teleportation, but with the number of cars she dared not risk a sudden teleportation, nor could she risk firing a magic bolt. “You could’ve killed that driver and the people on the road!” Unicorn yelled. “What good’s a hero who can’t save a few people?! They’re fine, focus on the race!” The Dopant shouted back. No, this ends now! Unicorn pulled out the Metal Memory and pressed the button. < METAL! > {< METAL! MIMETIC DRIVE! >} The M symbol appeared behind Unicorn, and in a flash of silvery light, she was now in the drive form of Iron Heart. Sunset hit the button on her left hip port once. \ RING! / Unicorn held out her right hand and materialized her metal ring, she glanced around the road and noticed there was going to be a brief moment of no oncoming cars. When the point was reached, Unicorn tossed the ring. The ring sailed and struck against the concrete divider, ricocheting off of it and heading straight for the Dopant. Sunset hit her the button on the port three times. \\\ BIND! /// The metal ring detached and began to move like a snake, coiling around the red Dopant. The moment it had, the Dopant felt an incredible amount of weight being placed on it, reducing its speed considerably. Sunset smirked under her helm as she sped up and prepared to deliver the final blow to the Dopant. However, when she got closer, the Dopant’s body began to glow crimson red, tires squealing as the smell of burning asphalt filled the air. Flames ignited under the tires until a little infernal blaze bellowed forth, the power generated broke off the Ring and allowed the Dopant to blaze down the highway. Unfortunately, the inferno was heading right for Unicorn. The hero and her bike were engulfed in the flames as cars began to stop and moved away from the fire trail. Some who had watched what happened feared for the masked hero as she had not emerged from the fire. \\ ARMOR UP! // The sound of Unicorn’s bike echoed into the air as she exited the blaze, her body and bike coated in plates of heavy armor that sizzled from the intense heat of the Dopant. The armor deactivated and Unicorn panted, she looked at the fire trail, but could already hear the police on the way. There was no way she could catch up to the Dopant tonight, and she feared, that she might not even be able to at all. ***____________________*** That Saturday saw the girls at the Canterlot Motocross Track, a special course built on the outskirts of the city where the land was tilled and upheaved to create the best possible track for motocross enthusiasts. Today the PhoenEXE Corporation was holding a race over the weekend, consisting of several races with the best times moving up. Several would-be and hardcore riders entered to participate, with the grand prize being that of a thousand dollars. Of course it just wasn’t the money, no, it was the publicity, with so many news and sports magazines coming to cover the event, it was a good way to stand out and get recognized. For Rainbow Dash it was just a day for fun, with a competitive edge added on. Indigo Zap had invited the rainbow haired girl, but when she found out Sunset Shimmer was coming as well, she was even happier, the rematch of the Friendship Games was happening. The races started early, allowing for some last minute entries. Indigo, Rainbow, and Sunset all managed to get best times in their individual qualifiers, weeding out the less graceful of the participants and leaving only those skilled. Compared to riding as Unicorn, Sunset found the course easier than expected, and was actually having fun, especially with their friends cheering them on from the stands, Pinkie Pie being the most vocal and shooting off confetti cannons every time they moved up in the rankings. Sunset was surprised to see that some of the Shadowbolts had come to watch Indigo, mainly, Sour Sweet, Sugarcoat, Lemon Zest, and Sunny Flare. Sunset couldn’t help noticing how Sunny Flare kept making eye contact with Rarity, the two of them casually flirting. The fiery haired girl smiled under her helmet, feeling happy that Sunny Flare was able to at least have someone to care about like that, and for Rarity to reciprocate those feelings. “Watching the lovebirds?” Indigo asked. Sunset looked to her left and chuckled. “I’m just glad Sunny’s doing better, and that Rarity was actually open to the idea of them going out.” “Yeah, but I think they were wishing their date was at a fancy restaurant, with a ‘happy ending’ at an even fancier hotel,” said Indigo with a wiggle of her eyebrows. “Jeez, you and Dash really need to hang out more, if she weren’t already racing I’d say she was right here with me,” said Sunset. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Both girls were in the same race group, and the top three from this race would advance. The contestants revved up their bikes, the whining sound of the engines drowned out the roar of the crowd as the riders focused on the course before them. The overhanging lights flashed red, and then yellow, and after an almost agonizingly long moment, shifted to green. All the riders took off down the dirt track, some taking the dirt mounds to perform aerial tricks once they were high enough and safely to the ground. Sunset rolled her eyes at those contestants, as this was a race of speed, and not a performance, at least that particular event wasn’t happening for a bit anyway. Sunset used the mound to propel her over a few of the riders and moved up to fifth place, Indigo Zap was hot on her tail, not wanting to come in last to Sunset, she wanted this to end in the finals, but if neither of them made it then it wouldn’t be as much fun. Indigo passed two more riders, putting her in sixth place, and slowly pulling up next to Sunset Shimmer. Both girls glanced at each other and grinned beneath their helmets, and as if in complete sync, began pushing past the other competitors weaving around them as if they were standing still, completely in the zone and shutting out all other distractions. However, there was one distraction they couldn’t ignore. The sound of an approaching bike. The rider wore a red and blue suit with black gear, and a blue bike with yellow lighting streaks. The rider started to gain on them, passing several others. Sunset and Indigo had made it to the head of the pack, and were fighting for first place, but the unknown rider was getting closer, quicker than they had expected. The finish line had neared, Sunset and Indigo were neck and neck, with the blue rider coming in fast and now right next to them. Finally the finish line was upon them and in an unprecedented moment, all three riders crossed at the same time, with the rest of the riders trailing behind. All three riders pulled into a safe area to stop. Indigo and Sunset pulled off their helmets and fist bumped. “That wasn’t half bad, Indigo,” said Sunset. “Heh, don’t get used to it, I plan on smoking you and Dash at the finals, I’m making sure I don’t lag behind.” Indigo Zap turned to the third rider and smirked. “You were good out there, that was some crazy speed! What’s your name?” The rider took of their helmet, revealing a girl with spikey blonde hair, a mint green complexion, and gold colored eyes. “Name’s Lightning Dust, and I came to win it all ladies.” “Heh, I like your attitude,” said Indigo replied. Sunset rolled her eyes as she smirked. On the sidelines she could see the rest of their friends waving at them, Rainbow Dash with them, still dressed in her motocross gear. Indigo and Sunset rolled their bikes over and were greeted to a round of congrats from their friends. “Sweet, you guys had the best times, we’re definitely going to the finals!” Rainbow declared. “Thanks, so how was your run?” Sunset asked. The rainbow haired girl put her helmet back on and closed the visor, crossing her arms. Indigo and Sunset gave confused looks at the action, prompting Pinkie Pie to answer in her stead. “Well she beat everyone, but…have you met Rainbow’s parents?” “Briefly,” said Sunset. “Heh, heh, welllll…” “WHOO-HOO!” Rainbow Dash noticeably cringed when she heard the cheer. The girls turned around and watched as Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles came rushing towards them. Windy was wearing a wig done in Rainbow’s colors, and a flag that had Rainbow Dash’s signature personal emblem, a cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt. While her husband, Bow, had painted his face with a rainbow, had a shirt on that bore Rainbow’s emblem, and had a giant foam finger that read “RD #1”. “You girls did great out there, really neck and neck,” said Bow. “And Dashie here went and pulled it off back in her race, left everyone in the dust!” Windy exclaimed proudly. The girls smiled at their enthusiasm, while Rainbow Dash was wishing the helmet made her invisible at the same time. Lightning Dust watched this spectacle while chuckling as she rolled up next to Sunset and Indigo. “Who are those two?” “Meet the parents of the girl who’s cringing with her helmet on,” said Sunset. “They always this over supportive?” “Yes,” groaned Rainbow Dash. “Heh…must be nice,” said Lightning Dust. “Anyway, see you guys in the finals.” Lightning Dust rolled off, Sunset couldn’t help but feel as if there was a hint of sadness in her voice, and maybe jealousy? Eh, I’m overthinking it. “Okay, can we go and see the junior division now?” Apple Bloom asked. “Yeah, Scootaloo’s going to be up soon,” said Sweetie Belle. “Hold yer horses we’re headin’ that way, Dash, ya comin’? Ah know Scoots would like it if ya were there,” said Applejack. Rainbow Dash lifted the visor and sighed. “Yeah, the Squirt can use some support.” “Oh shoot, how could we have forgotten?!” Windy exclaimed. “Quick, swap out!” Bow added. Bow opened his backpack, and somehow both husband and wife fit their Rainbow Dash cheer attire into the backpack and replaced it with Scootaloo themed gear. Windy now had on a wig styled like Scootaloo’s hair, and had a flag with a wing and lightning bolt in it. Bow had replaced the face paint and now had one half of his face orange while the other half was purple, and had a foam finger on that read “SCTALO #1” on it. Rainbow Dash groaned again, but at least this time she wouldn’t be the target of their overzealous cheering, it would be fun to see her little admirer get embarrassed by her parents a little. Once the group a little further away, Twilight tapped Sunset on the shoulder. “Um, Sunset?” “What’s up, Twi?” Twilight looked hesitant as she tightened the grip on her backpack, but in the end sighed and shook her head. “I just needed to talk to you, but later and alone.” Sunset raised an eyebrow in concern. “Twilight, whatever it is we can talk about it, the girls won’t mind if we’re not there.” “I know, but I’d rather not in this public area, and because it’s, um, Rider related,” said Twilight. Sunset got the hint and nodded. “Besides, I really want to cheer on Scootaloo, she looked kind of nervous earlier before we left her.” “Trust me, I don’t think she will be for much longer.” ***____________________*** At the junior division track, they were using mountain bikes instead of full octane motocross bikes, liability insurance and all that, but it didn’t hinder the younger contestants from giving it their all. As expected, when they arrived, Scootaloo was going to be next after Rumble got through with his tricks. The orange girl was practically hyperventilating, performing in front of her friends was one thing, but doing her tricks in front of hundreds of people and before cameras? “Scootaloo ya got this, yer like the best at bike tricks,” said Apple Bloom. There was a cheer coming from the crowd as Rumble performed a daredevil trick. “Okay, so Rumble’s good, but you’re good too, probably better!” Sweetie Belle added. Scootaloo looked back at the crowd and at Rumble’s performance, she gripped the handle bars of her bike tight, feeling fear and doubt grip her mind and heart. “Maybe I should just drop out…try again some other time.” “You don’t try now, Squirt, some other time wont’ ever come,” said Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo looked behind her, watching as Rainbow’s parents, and Rainbow Dash herself came walking towards her. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom nodded to each other and stepped away, knowing that if there was anyone who could give Scootaloo her confidence back, it would be her. Rainbow crouched down a little to bring herself to eye level with Scootaloo. “Hey, I get it, you’re nervous, you don’t want to beef it out there in front of people, that’s fine. But you can’t let it get to you, are you going to fall and face plant? Maybe. But no matter what, we’re going to be cheering you the whole way,” said Rainbow. Windy and Bow stood on either side of Rainbow Dash. Bow got down on one knee and patted Scootaloo’s helmet. “Ya don’t have to be afraid to mess up, small one, from what we hear, you’re a pretty cool little daredevil, like our Dashie.” Rainbow inwardly groaned, but smiled outwardly. Windy placed her hand on Scootaloo’s shoulder and smiled confidently at her. “You can do this Scootaloo, we’ll be cheering for you the whole time, and even your friends will be too!” Scootaloo felt her heart swell with pride and happiness hearing Rainbow Dash and her parents give her words of encouragement. The daredevil in Scootaloo was roused from slumber, and her confidence was emboldened from the support, the announcer had signaled the end of Rumble’s run and was now announcing Scootaloo’s turn. She have a quick salute to her friends and idol and went to take her position. The others filed into the sidelines and watched as Scootaloo tightened her helmet and mounted her bike. The green light was given and Scootaloo went into her routine, attacking the mounds and grabbing large portions of airtime as she performed her aerial tricks, and some that made Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle grip onto the guardrail hard enough to bend the metal. The whole time, while the whole crowd and her friends were cheering, none cheered louder – or more bombastically – as Rainbow Dash, Bow Hothoof, and Windy Whistles. They practically put everyone else to shame. And as it turned out, was just what the daredevil girl needed to push herself through the event. At the end of her run, Scootaloo returned to the starting position by doing one flip before landing and skidding to a stop. The judge’s panel showed nines, and one perfect ten. The Rainbow Dash and her parents whooped it up louder than before, despite the crowd doing the same, you could clearly distinguish them among the others. Scootaloo rushed down back to her friends, where she was met with a bone crushing embrace from both of her friends, pats on the back from Applejack and Sunset, and congrats from Fluttershy and Rarity. Pinkie Pie somehow set off a confetti cannon, but it was well received. Rainbow Dash went the extra mile and hoisted the girl onto her shoulders while they chanted “Scootaloo! Scootaloo! Scootaloo!” Unfortunately the celebration didn’t last long, an explosion took place further at the back of the event, followed by the sound of a loud engine roaring out into the air. Sunset recognized this sound immediately, the racing Dopant was back. Sunset glanced to Twilight, an unspoken conversation had gone on between them as they knew what needed to be done. “Everyone let’s move, now!” Bow stated. Everyone did move, but in the chaos, Sunset slipped away, finding a spot that was out of the way and out of sight long enough to do what she needed. < UNICORN! > “Henshin!” > UNICORN! < A field of turquoise light appeared around Sunset and in flash she was in the form of Kamen Rider Unicorn. The superheroine teleported towards the commotion, flashing in and out until she appeared atop of light post and looked down, spotting the red racer Dopant chasing after someone on the track. “You think you’re fast?! C’mon, go faster or I’m gonna get you!” “L-LEAVE ME ALONE!” The rider screamed in terror. Sunset narrowed her gaze under her helmet, she pulled out the Cyclone Memory and quickly inserted into the left hip port. < CYCLONE! > {< CYCLONE! MIMETIC DRIVE! >} A gust of emerald wind surrounded Sunset, transforming her into Mystic Cyclone form. Unicorn jumped off the post and used the emerald winds to fly towards the rider in danger, her scarf straightened out, becoming gliding wings as she angled herself towards the rider. The rider looked to his right and gasped in fear, but it was quickly replaced with relief upon recognizing Unicorn. “Take my hand!” Unicorn ordered. The rider reached out and took Unicorn’s hand, and in an instant both of them were teleported away, leaving only the bike to continue until it hit a dirt mound and sailed into the distance, crashing into a kiosk. Further away, Unicorn reappeared and dropped off the rider, and headed back to combat the red racer Dopant. Unicorn hovered over the area, watching as the Dopant shifted into humanoid mode and glared up at her. “Heh, Unicorn, still sore that I beat you in our race?” “You blew out the tires of a semi and nearly caused a huge wreck that could’ve killed a lot of people!” The red racer Dopant chuckled and shook its head. “An obstacle, you would’ve caught up if you had just left it alone. Street races have no rules Uny, it’s just the road and the racers, everything else is just an obstacle to dodge, use, or smash through!” “Tch, I’m not listening to this! I’m putting an end to this before you hurt anyone else!” Unicorn declared. The masked rider flew down towards the red racer Dopant, who chuckled and zoomed to the left, appearing as a red streak. Sunset pulled up and looked back, growling at her miss. Unicorn’s horn glowed as she summoned the emerald wind and condensed the air particles into dense spheres. The red racer Dopant widened its stance and prepared to move. Sunset then pointed her right hand at the Dopant, curling in her last three fingers and leaving her index finger pointed out and her thumb up, mimicking a gun. “Air Bullets!” Several of the spheres shot off, creating small, thunder like explosions as they flew towards the Dopant. This time, Unicorn was able to watch as the Dopant raced around without transforming, appearing as a red streak that dodged all her Air Bullets. Unicorn then issued a full barrage over the area, but even then, it as if the Dopant could see where each one was going to hit and easily dodged them with its incredible speed. The red racer Dopant stopped for a moment and taunted Unicorn to come and attack. Unicorn dove in and began her assault, all the while a mechanical bird kept watch over the battle zone. ***____________________*** All the contestants and spectators were evacuated and the police had created a line to keep anyone else from entering. While this was going on, Twilight was keeping a close eye on the battle through her cellphone. Her friends were helpful in making sure no one saw her deploy Hawk, and once the mecha-bird was in the air, it immediately fed a video stream right to Twilight’s phone. The fight was going poorly as far as they could see, the red racer Dopant was faster than Sunset even in Mystic Cyclone form. Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy kept watch to make sure no one was looking, while Twilight and Rainbow Dash were watching the action. “Sunset’s in trouble, this new Dopant is faster than anything we’ve faced up till now, and all her Memories aren’t the right type to deal with this,” said Twilight as she watched. “Dammit, Sunset, she’s open on the left!” Rainbow whispered harshly. Twilight glanced to Rainbow. “Wait, you can see the Dopant’s movements?” “Kind of…I’m catching every other second of its moves, but yeah. Why?” Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight, who was now giving her a determined look for some reason. “Um…Twi, why are you looking at me like that?” “Because I’m about to do something that Sunset will either hate me for or think I’m crazy…er.” Twilight reached into her backpack and pulled out the Nasca Memory. The bespectacled girl then shoved the Memory into Rainbow Dash’s hands. “Take it.” Rainbow Dash gingerly took the Nasca Memory, not really sure where this was going. It then began to click when she saw Twilight pull another object out. It was a buckle, not unlike Sunset’s Uni-Driver. It had an N design similar to the Nasca Memory symbol, but at the center was bolt with a button that allowed it turn. The N was colored azure on one end and vermillion on the other, and both ends had a spot for the Memory to be inserted. A left hip port was also installed on it, making it clear that this belt could also perform Mimetic Drives. Twilight took this buckle and presented to Rainbow Dash, the others had glanced at the goings on and wanted to comment, but seeing as they were acting as a wall to hide their actions, they couldn’t. “Twi…are you…does this mean…?” “Remember, you have to say ‘henshin’ after you press the button on the Nasca Memory, insert it into the blue side, and then press down. Got it?” Twilight asked in a serious tone. Rainbow Dash understood and carefully took the buckle. “I won’t let you guys down.” The rainbow haired girl found an opening in the crowd and ran for it, weaving through several people and ducking behind an unwatched back way into the track. Please let this be the right decision. ***____________________*** < METAL! > {< METAL! MIMETIC DRIVE! >} \\ ARMOR UP! // Sunset put up her guard, she had tried to attack and counter attack the red racer Dopant, but ended up failing. She wasn’t a match for the Dopant’s speed, and the power behind its attacks. Now Sunset was stuck playing defense as the Dopant attacked her from all sides, landing blow after blow against her armored up body. “You think you can wear me out by going all defense?!” The Dopant mocked. “Even metal is susceptible to extreme speeds, an object traveling fast enough can even pierce titanium!” The red racer Dopant sped far into the distance, red and orange energy blazed around its body. Unicorn braced herself, knowing she wouldn’t be fast enough to counter attack, but if she were able to catch the Dopant during the attack, if she could survive it, she may have a chance. The Dopant’s visor glowed bright blue as all the energy shunted towards its feet, catapulting it forward and causing a trail of fire to appear in its wake. Unicorn’s eyes widened as she watched the red racer Dopant cross several yards in the blink of an eye, and was now directly in front of her. The Dopant struck Unicorn in the abdomen, sending with it all the kinetic force, and energy that the Dopant built up, and sending it straight through Unicorn. The power of the blow created a shockwave that sent a dust cloud into the air behind the masked rider, cracks appeared on the armor and then, in less than a few seconds, shattered like fragile glass and sent Unicorn flying with sparks shooting off her body. The heroine landed some feet away, her Iron Heart form deactivated and left her in her default form. Unicorn groaned as she clutched at her stomach, feeling pain all over as if a giant fist hit her entire body. She tried to get up, but saw that her armor sparked a little. Crap…if I take another blow, I’ll revert back to normal…! The red racer Dopant dusted itself off and began walking slowly towards Unicorn. Under the cover of the kiosks, Rainbow Dash was watching this and gritting her teeth in anger, but at same time she was nervous. She saw how strong this Dopant was, and now Sunset was on the ground. Sunset had a knack for the hero bit, she had fighting skills and know-how, but what did Rainbow Dash have? She was athletic, strong, hardheaded, and…And I never leave my friends hanging! Rainbow Dash placed the buckle at her waist, as soon as she did the belt shot out and looped around her waist. Taking a deep breath, Rainbow Dash brought up the Nasca Memory and pressed the button. < NASCA! > Rainbow Dash narrowed her gaze, and spoke with conviction, “Henshin!” She placed the Gaia Memory into the blue slot and pressed down. > NASCA! < A field of blue light encompassed Rainbow Dash, at first she was freaking out, but after a second, she steeled her nerves and allowed the process to finish. The field of azure and yellow light flashed with the symbol of the Nasca Memory and burst apart. What stood now, was a new warrior, a new Kamen Rider. Her armor was blue like the sky, her right and left forearm bracers bared the markings of the Bird Nazca Line, and the pauldrons on her shoulders had black wings imprinted onto them. On the helmet, the eyes of were in the shape of wings, and bright orangey yellow, with a single horn that pointed backwards. On its back were two cloths that were orange at the bottom and faded to blue as it went up. Rainbow Dash looked upon herself, feeling the power of the Nasca Memory flowing through her. She clenched her fists, this moment feeling so surreal that she couldn’t believe that she was moving the armored hands before her. But they were her hands, this was her power, and now she had to fight, she had help her friend. The Kamen Rider’s body glowed bright blue, and in the next moment, shimmering, fiery electric wings of orange and yellow light appeared out of her back. Rainbow Dash could feel their power, lifting her up off the ground and making her feel as if she can be…faster. In a blink of the eye, Rainbow Dash took off, the world becoming a slow motion blur to her as she rose higher, she willed herself to stop her ascension and paused in the air. She looked down below and watched as the red racer Dopant was about to close the distance on Sunset and deliver the final blow, but she was not letting that happen. Rainbow Dash angled herself downward, appearing as an azure blur in the sky. An unnerving sound filled the air, similar to that of when a mortar shell was about to land. The red racer Dopant glanced about until it looked up and quickly backed away, narrowly escaping getting struck down by Rainbow Dash as she landed with a great thud against the ground. She rose from her one knee stance, her wings disappearing into particles of light. “What…What in the world?!” “Don’t worry, Unicorn, I got your back!” “Who the hell are you?! And since when are there two of you?!” The Dopant asked. The new Kamen Rider chuckled. “Listen up, Unicorn’s got a new partner! Delivering justice at sonic speeds! I’m Kamen Rider Nasca!”