Wyatt stared out the window as a bleak, desert landscape quickly passed by. He fought the urge to scratch at his face where his bandages were bothering him. In lighter news, Rarity had made him some new clothes. In a moment of inspiration she had decided to make outfits based on his rider forms. He was currently wearing the one inspired by Decade. It sported a black over-shirt with a fuchsia undershirt, black jeans and a white belt. Despite pink not being a color he usually wore, he had to admit that the outfit was very well made.
“Are you alright, Wyatt?” Turning his head, Wyatt was greeted by the soft smile of Fluttershy. She brushed some hair out of her face, sitting next to him. “You seem out of it.”
He returned her soft smile, pointing to his bandages. “Just thinking about some things. Like how weak I am when I’m not a rider.” He let out a dry chuckle. “I mean, an author laid me out in one punch.”
Fluttershy put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure she had a good reason to. Not that hitting ponies is okay...”
Wyatt let out a genuine laugh, waving a hand over himself. “To be fair, she didn’t hit a pony. Guess that means it’s okay to hit me.”
A frown etched onto Fluttershy’s face. “It’s not okay to hit anyone Wyatt, pony or not.”
Wyatt nodded, glancing out the window. “You’re right, though monsters are an obvious exception.” After a few beats, he returned his attention to her. “So, will she still get in trouble, if I don’t press charges?”
Fluttershy’s muzzle scrunched up and her brow furrowed in thought. “Um, I’m not exactly a lawyer, but I think criminal charges will still happen, but civil ones won’t if you don’t pursue them.”
“I really don’t want her to get in trouble over me...”
“Then she shouldn’t have assaulted you,” she countered, a firm tone in her voice. “Not only that, she was lying to Twilight.”
Wyatt sighed and rubbed the side of his head. “When you put it like that, I can’t really argue with you.” They sat quietly, and after a few minutes, Wyatt spoke up again. “Why do you think Agito vanished?”
Fluttershy looked down in thought for a few moments before answering. “Maybe he felt guilty for what happened to his brother and Princess Luna?” she offered, turning her head to look at him. “If my brother died and one of the girls were to get banished, why, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
“You got a brother?” Wyatt asked, a bit more interested in that topic. “Is he as shy as you are?”
Fluttershy giggled, covering her muzzle with a hand. “Oh no, he’s nothing like me. He’s very sociable and extroverted.” She sighed, a frown working its way onto her face. “He’s also lazy and doesn’t stick with things for very long.”
“Ouch.” Wyatt cringed slightly. “I knew a guy like that in high school. Think his name was Jason. Used to hang out with this other guy, forget his name, who was way into Trigun.”
Fluttershy sighed again. “He’s not all bad, he just needs to find his motivation. I just wish he wouldn’t mooch off our parents in the meantime.” She shook her head. Leaning over, she whispered. “He also incessantly hits on Dash.”
“Ah, so a lazy, self-titled lady's man,” Wyatt replied, a flat look on his face. “Sounds like a great guy.” His expression fell. “Uh, no offense.”
Fluttershy flashed him a soft smile. “None taken, even I have a hard time getting along with my brother most days.” She patted his shoulder. “If anything else is ever bothering you, don’t hesitate to talk with me.” Her smile grew. “That’s what friends are for after all.”
Wyatt sighed, turning to look out the window. “Thanks, Fluttershy.” A frown formed on his face. “There is something else I’ve been thinking about.” His brow knit as he tried to get his thoughts in order. “Agito’s rider abilities seem to have made him immortal. So, what if that’s true for me too?”
Fluttershy adjusted her wings, looking down into her lap. “Does it bother you, that it could be possible?”
Wyatt’s frown grew as he closed his eyes and he scratched the top of his head. “I honestly have no idea how to feel about it. I mean, death is something everyone is scared of, but I don’t even know what I’d do with an eternity of time on my hands.” He looked back at her. “Not to mention what it would mean to watch friends like you and the girls all grow old and die around me.” He shuddered. “Not gonna lie, it’s been keeping me up at night.”
Fluttershy turned, taking his hands in hers. “I understand that perfectly, Wyatt.” Shifting in her seat, an unsure look crossed her features. “Twilight thinks our connection to the elements might do the same for us.”
Wyatt sighed, his look matching hers. “Guess I’m not the only one worried about this sorta thing. I just can’t help thinking which I’d prefer, fighting monsters for the rest of time, or ending it once and for all like Kuuga and Agito did with the Gurongi?” He groaned, letting his head hang. “That sounds so selfish, doesn’t it? Of course ending the fight once and for all is the right way to go. That way no one else will be put in danger or die from them.”
Giving him a gentle smile, Fluttershy squeezed his hands. “Well, no matter what, just remember, your friends are here for you.”
Wyatt seemed to relax a bit, nodding at her. “Thanks for that, Shy.” He took a deep breath and released it before giving her a smile. “I needed to let that all out.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Fluttershy reminded, giggling. She looked past him, noting the train was slowing down. “Well, I think we’re here.”
Wyatt nodded and braced himself as the train lurched before coming to a stop. He then stood up, gently pulling his hands away from Fluttershy’s as he stretched his arms above his head and heard a few satisfying pops. “Good, the seats were killer on my back. I think that thing did more damage than A.K. did,” he joked.
Fluttershy just smiled and got out of their seat, letting him out. “Then maybe you should earn some bits and spring for a first class ticket next time,” she offered, walking towards the front of the car.
Wyatt grumbled, rubbing the side of his head. “Easier said than done, I didn’t exactly have my high school diploma on me when I got sent here.”
“High school?” Fluttershy questioned, forming the unfamiliar name in her mouth. “I don’t think I know what that is.”
Wyatt paused for a moment before realizing the only school he had seen during his time in Ponyville had been the small schoolhouse. He scratched his chin, trying to find a way to explain it. “In my world our education system is divided into what we call ‘grades’. It starts with Kindergarten which is basically just to get kids used to school and teaches some basic stuff, and then switches to a number system that goes from one to twelve.”
Fluttershy nodded, stepping out onto the platform. “Foals go to school for a little over a year after they get their cutie mark. Everypony bases their higher levels of education off of that.”
“Cutie mark?” Wyatt questioned, quirking a brow at her as they stepped off the train. A blast of dry, hot air hitting him in the face.
Rarity stepped out next to him, giving a short giggle. “Twilight, Wyatt’s been staying with you for at least a week, and you still haven’t told him about cutie marks?” Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “Just what exactly have you two been doing?”
Twilight gasped, her eyes widening. “Oh my gosh, teaching him about cutie marks completely slipped my mind! It hadn’t even occurred to me that he wouldn’t know about them.” She turned back to Wyatt with an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry about that.”
Wyatt waved her off. “It’s fine, you’ve been teaching me history and culture. Like about that Flash guy.” He snapped his fingers. “Think his name was Magnus.”
Twilight sighed, running a hand through her mane. “Well, at least a little bit of my lessons are sticking with you.” She paused for a moment to think. “Maybe I need to try a new teaching method,” she said aloud. “Maybe include some sort of incentive.”
“Oh, I can think of a few things dear.” Rarity batted her eyelashes at Wyatt. “I can only imagine male humans are just as enraptured by the right clothing choices as stallions are.”
Wyatt’s face exploded into a blush, doing his best not to picture Twilight teaching him while wearing skimpy outfits. He turned his head away, trying to hide the color on his face. “Uh, I think the current lessons are fine.” He coughed into his hand. “I just need to take them seriously.”
Rarity giggled. “Well, it seems my hunch was correct.” She primped her mane, sashaying her hips. “Good to know.”
Wyatt grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he stuck to the back of the group. “Gotta watch out for her, she’s dangerous.”
“Ah come on, don’t let her get to ya.” Applejack slapped his shoulder. “She’s just teasin’. Ah think she just likes the attention.”
Wyatt stumbled a bit from the strong slap before turning to her. “Yeah, but it’s what she’ll try to do once she has that attention that I’m worried about.” He smirked a little. “I’m sure she could get some work out of someone who can transform into a super-strong and fast rider.”
“Notta lotta stallions can pull off pink,” AJ teased. She adjusted her hat, glancing around the platform. “Alright everypony, Ah told Brae we were coming, so, best not keep him waitin’.”
Everyone let out a quick affirmation and set off for the town. It didn’t take them long to find Braeburn who was waiting for them by the saloon. Wyatt instantly noticed his stereotypical cowboy attire.
“Welcome to Appleloosa!!!” Braeburn shouted, throwing his arms out. “It’s good ta see ya girls again!” Braeburn turned to Wyatt, giving him a once over. “And Ah’m guessin’ yer Wyatt.”
Wyatt held his hand out. “I guess that’s pretty obvious. I tend to stick out like a sore thumb wherever I go.”
Braeburn chuckled and gave Wyatt a firm handshake. “There ain’t nothin’ wrong with bein’ unique, pardner.”
Wyatt pulled his hand away, giving Braeburn a smile. “It does take some getting used to though.”
Braeburn tipped his hat and nodded to Wyatt. “Dontcha worry none, here in Appleoosa we’ll make ya feel like one of our own.” He looked the rest of the group over, giving a nod of approval. “Bet ya’ll are hungry. Ah got some food cookin’ back home. Why don’t we go eat?”
Wyatt was about to object, but as soon as he opened his mouth his stomach turned traitor and growled loudly. “So uh... food?”
The rest of the group started to laugh and Braeburn led them through the town. They wandered towards a large orchard. Wyatt was impressed by how healthy all the trees looked despite the trees looked despite the less than ideal environment. He chalked it up to the earth pony magic that Twilight had taught him about. The orchard cleared away to reveal a decently sized farmhouse. There were a few ponies milling about the land, doing various chores.
“Howdy, ya’ll!” Braeburn called out, waving towards the working ponies. “We got guests fer lunch!” Turning to the group, Braeburn puffed his chest out. “Now we ain’t got Granny Smith, and our orchards are still a might bit small, but what’s ours is yours!”
He led them into the farmhouse and pointed out the sink for them to get washed up at. They all sat down at a large table and Braeburn and a couple of his relatives laid food out for them. Unsurprisingly, apples were the focus of most of it.
“Ah see ya been using that recipe book we sent ya,” Applejack commented, digging into some apple pie. “Granny’ll love that.”
Braeburn smiled and hung his hat up before taking his own seat at the table. “Of course we’re usin’ ‘em. Only a fool would ignore recipes from the best cook in all o’ Equestria!”
Wyatt went quiet as he picked at his food. It all looked good, but it wasn’t exactly what he was looking for. It had been over a week since he had eaten any meat. It was getting to the point where he’d be willing to fight a horde of monsters for just one bite of steak. He resigned himself to his forced vegetarianism and pierced some baked apples with his fork.
“Wyatt, is something wrong?” Twilight asked, noting his lack of appetite.
He looked up at her, swallowing the bite of food in his mouth. He then forced a smile. “Nope, everything’s fine.” He turned to Braeburn. “This is delicious by the way.” He went back to eating, making sure to get big bites.
Twilight frowned, eating some of her own meal while keeping an eye on him. “Are you sure you’re fine?”
“I just...” Wyatt fidgeted in his seat uncomfortably. “I’m just not used to this kind of diet.”
“What, ya mean all the apples?” Applejack asked. “Ah’m sure we could run to the store and grab somethin’.”
Wyatt sighed, putting his head in his hands. “Girls, humans are omnivores.”
“Oh, is that all?” Fluttershy asked. “That’s not a big deal.”
Peeking out from behind his hands, he glanced between the girls. “It’s... not?”
Fluttershy giggled, shaking her head. “Of course it isn’t. I take care of all kinds of animals, including ones that eat meat in one way or another. If you really wanted some, you could’ve come and seen me.”
Wyatt glanced away, rubbing his neck. “I was, I dunno... worried you’d be scared of me of something...”
Applejack just smiled and slugged him on the shoulder lightly. “As if we could ever be scared of ya.”
“When we get back to Ponyville, I’ll make sure to stock up on some fish,” Twilight assured. “You really should have spoken up sooner, I’d have made sure you were getting a balanced diet.”
Wyatt sighed in relief, looking around the group with a thankful expression before settling on Twilight. “That sounds good, and I’ll be sure to let you know anything else.”
The rest of lunch went nicely, with Braeburn and Applejack regaling the group with some Apple family stories. Wyatt couldn’t help but feel a tightening in his chest with every story. Each and every one of them brought flashes of times with his own family. After a few stories, he couldn’t take it and asked where the bathroom was. He excused himself and rushed off, closing himself off in the room.
“I’m sorry...” he muttered under his breath, putting his head in his hands. “I shouldn’t have gone. I’m sorry...” He sank down onto the floor, an urge to scream rising up from his chest. He looked up at the mirror, his appearance quickly becoming disheveled. He let his face fall into his hands again, shaking as he started to sob.
Celestia sighed as she teleported into Ponyville’s library, a small sack in her arms. She had wanted to do this on Spike’s birthday, but his stint as a greed consumed drake forced her to change her plans. “Spike!” she called, amplifying her voice slightly. “Could you please come downstairs?”
It only took a few moments for the baby dragon to rush down, a dishcloth and a bottle of cleaner in his claws. “What is it, Princess?” he asked, panting a little.
Celestia took a seat on the couch, patting the spot next to her. “Forget about your chores for the rest of the day, Spike. This is important.”
Spike grinned, setting the cleaning supplies down on a table before sitting next to her. “Well, I can’t exactly ignore a direct order from the princess.”
“Don’t think of me as a princess right now.” Celestia shook her head. “Spike, I want you to understand...” She stopped shaking her head. “No matter how I try to say it, it never comes out right.”
Spike tilted his head, his smile sagging a little. “What are you talking about, Pr-Celestia?”
“We’ve never talked about where you come from.” Celestia placed the sack on the table. “Twilight and her family don’t know, and I... didn’t want to tell you before I felt you were ready.”
“Yeah, all I was ever told was that you found my egg somewhere.” He let his tail drape across his lap and tapped his claws against the scales on it.
“That’s not entirely true.” She wrapped a wing around him, gazing intently at the sack. “It was four hundred years ago when your egg came into my possession, a day that still bothers me.”
Spike’s jaw dropped and he stared up at the princess in utter disbelief. “Hold on a second, did you just say four hundred years? I was an egg for centuries?!”
Celestia nodded. “Dragon eggs have no expiration date, as far as I can tell.” She mulled it over before adding. “But, I do think that staying in an egg for longer than that, might cause the hatchling to have a warped mind.”
Spike’s stomach turned and he gulped, the spines on his head flattening a bit. “Are you um… speaking from experience?”
“No, just a theory.” She smiled soothingly. “You’re a fine drake, Spike. I don’t think you need to worry about any mental issues.”
Spike sighed in relief, letting his head hang a bit. He then frowned as he looked himself over. “Do you think being an egg so long is why I’m so small? I mean, I haven’t grown in a long time.”
“I’m sorry, Spike. I know as much as you do about dragons.” Celestia shook her head. “Which, isn’t a whole lot.”
Spike sighed, nodding slowly. “Right, nopony knows anything about what’s normal for me.” Looking up at her, he steeled himself. “You said that the day you found me still bothers you?”
“It does, Spike very much.” Celestia put her hand on his head, stroking his spines. “I don’t know what happened, but all of Equestria saw the results. Do you remember the Day of Black Sun?”
Spike’s brow furrowed for a moment. “Wasn’t that some sort of eclipse?”
“Not one I created.” Celestia rose up, walking towards the window. “On that day, something stirred in the Dragonlands. What, I have no idea. But I felt it. As the moon moved in front of the sun, a wave of...” Chewing the word, she looked back at Spike. “Greed struck me to my core. If I had not held strong I-I fear I would have been corrupted, much like Luna.”
“I don’t get it, what does all that have to do with my egg?” Spike asked, watching her carefully.
“There was an explosion, one so powerful, it split the Dragonlands, and shattered every window in Canterlot.” Stepping over to the sack, she reached inside, clutching a handful of silver coins. “These rained down all over the continent for hours.”
Spike’s nostrils flared for a moment and his pupils contracted into slits. He leaned forward for a closer look before shaking his head. When he looked back, his pupils were normal again. “Whoa, that was freaky.”
“These coins tend to found in the hoards of particularly aggressive dragons.” She replaced the coins, holding her hand out. “Come Spike, there is something you need to see.”
Spike hopped out of his seat and took her offered hand, his mind racing with possibilities. Some were good, others, not so much. A golden flash dazzled his eyes, replacing the familiar library shelves with the wilds of the Everfree. They stood in one of the rare clearings, a tall, green obelisk rising up in the center. Spike walked up to the obelisk, putting his hand on it.
“What is this thing?” he asked, looking back at the alicorn.
“Take a closer look,” Celestia encouraged.
Spike shifted his gaze back to the pillar, roaming over every inch of it. Carved into the stone was a dragon, wrapping around the sides, its face etched into the top. Near the middle was a plaque. ‘Here lies a mother, her life unknown’
Spike’s eyes widened for a moment, his mind putting the pieces together. He looked back at her, tears welling up in his eyes. “Wh-when you found my egg, y-you didn’t find me alone, did you?”
Celestia shook her head. “I did not know her, Spike. I came into the forest on a report that something large had been hurled in from the explosion. When I arrived your mother was...” She took a breath, kneeling down next to him. “She protected you with her body. I think, I think she recognized me, by race if not by face. She begged me to take you, to make sure you were safe.”
Tears flowed freely from the drake’s eyes as he leaned on the obelisk. His legs felt like they were going to fall out from under him as his mind raced. For over a year, the answer to a burning question he’d had all his life had been right under his nose. He could now say he knew where his mother was. He felt the gentle tickle of wings on his back, followed by the warmth of Celestia’s body as she pulled him into a hug.
She said nothing, merely letting him cry into her chest. Celestia hummed a lullaby, rubbing his back.
“A-all my life I’ve been looking for my family,” he mumbled, sniffling as he tried to collect himself. “And it turns out they’ve been dead for centuries.”
“Your family is right here.” Cupping his chin, she look into his eyes. “You belong to the Sparkles, and they’re not going anywhere, Spike.”
This seemed to console him a bit, a soft smile spreading across his lips as his tears started to slow to a trickle. “Yeah, you’re right.” He then looked back at the obelisk, his smile faltering for a moment. “I wish I could’ve met my birth mother though.”
“As do I. There is one more thing she gave me.” Celestia reached into her dress, offering him a trio of coins. Unlike the others, these were ringed with gold. Each was a different color, red, green and yellow, and depicted a different animal.
His nostrils flared again but his pupils remained unchanged. “Those ones feel different from the others,” he commented. “What are all these coins?”
“I don’t know, Spike.” She took his hand, placing the coins in it. “But, they were hers, and now they're yours.”
Spike looked the coins over, watching as they reflected the light of the sun. He then frowned. “You said weird coins rained down for hours that day, right?” He looked up at her. “Do you think these coins are related to that explosion?”
“I can’t imagine they aren’t.” Celestia stood up, folding her wings. “Come, Spike. How about we have some tea?”
Spike chuckled, turning away from the obelisk to walk to her side. “It’s always tea with you. Have you ever thought about coffee or maybe hot chocolate? Just for a change of pace.”
Celestia giggled and reached down to take one of Spike’s hands. She then lit up her horn and teleported them away from the clearing and back to the library.
Once everyone had finished eating, Braeburn led Wyatt and the girls out into the desert. He explained that the Buffalo tribe would be able to track down anyone that passed through the area recently.
“Little Strongheart helped us smooth things out between the tribe and the town,” Applejack explained. “She’s a sweet little filly, but she’s preddy tough so, try no ta get on her bad side.”
Braeburn nodded in agreement. “Yup, and once she hears about yer problem, Ah’m sure she’ll help ya track that author down.”
On the horizon appeared the settlement, several fires scattered throughout. Several tepees made up the settlement and Wyatt noted the feathers and warpaint that the buffalo were wearing.
“It feels like the times I visited the reservation with Floyd,” he muttered. Except, that reservation hadn’t been inhabited by 7 foot tall, bipedal buffalo. An idea struck him and he walked up to one of the buffalo, greeting them like Floyd and his grandmother had taught him. The buffalo looked at him curiously, returning the greeting. “Guess the languages are different,” he said to himself, quickly excusing himself to catch up with the girls.
“What took ya?” Applejack asked, looking back at him.
Wyatt rubbed the back of his head. “Oh, just tried something. These buffalo remind me of certain…” he tried to find the right word for a moment. “Popular conceptions that relate to a group of people back home. So I tried greeting one in a language that my friend’s tribe speaks.”
“Braeburn!” Wyatt turned to see a young buffalo running over to them. She was around the size of a similarly aged pony foal, with with a feather tucked behind her ear.
“Howdy, Little Strongheart!” he greeted, bracing himself as she rushed him and wrapped her arms around him for a tight hug. “It’s good t’see ya!”
“You haven’t visited in awhile.” Strongheart pulled away, looking up at him. “I was going to stop by town soon, we’re almost out of pie again.” Turning to the rest of the ponies, she grinned. “It’s good to see you all.” Her smile faded a bit. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?”
“She’s in the hospital at the moment,” Twilight answered. “Luckily, she’ll make a full recovery so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“That’s good.” Strongheart peered at Wyatt, an unsure look on her face. “Whose your friend?”
“I’m Wyatt Matthews,” he answered, giving her a quick wave. “But you can just call me Wyatt, everyone else does.”
“Nice to meet you.” Gesturing to the tribe around her, Strongheart smiled. “Why don’t you spend the night and we can get all caught up? We’re having a bit of a celebration tonight, so we’ll have lots of food and music.”
“That sounds mighty nice,” Applejack replied, tilting her hat up. “Then we can talk about why we came t’see ya.”
Wyatt listened to the idle chit chat, a little put off by the uncanny valley. By the time night fell, the village had gathered around a large bonfire, with many of the buffalo in costume. This only caused the uncanny valley to get wider since he recognized some of the costumes. Especially the one he guessed depicted a thunderbird. It almost felt like Floyd’s grandmother would step out and perform one of the ceremonies he had witnessed. Though he noticed something odd. A few of the costumes seemed out of place from what he had seen during his visits to the reservation. They looked more like demons than anything else.
Then, a ceremony started. The costumed buffalo started to dance around the fire while a chorus chanted in a language that definitely didn’t match what Floyd tried to teach him. From what he could gather, the demonic creatures were terrorizing the other costumed buffalo. When things seemed at their lowest, one of them fought back. Though not with traditional weapons, the costumed buffalo used a musical instrument to start driving back the demons. Wyatt’s eyes widened, the story matching something he recognized. The ceremony ended with the other costumed buffalo joining in with the first, driving back their malevolent counterparts.
Wyatt leaned over, whispering in Twilight’s ear. “I think these guys had a run in with another kind of monster.”
Twilight turned to him with a surprised look. “Really?” she whispered back. “You recognized something from their ritual?”
“Yeah.” Wyatt nodded. “Driving off monsters with music was an element of Hibiki.”
Twilight looked back at the buffalos, watching as they removed their costumes. “Fascinating, we keep seeing elements of riders influencing cultures of Equestria. We’ll have to do some digging to see what else we can find.”
“Do you think it’s because of Kuuga and Agito, or despite them?”
Twilight’s muzzle scrunched up and she put a finger to her chin. “That’s pretty hard to say. I’d need conclusive evidence that monster sightings like this didn’t start until Kuuga and Agito appeared in our world. But, seeing as I only learned about Kuuga, Agito, and the existence of all this recently, I can only make baseless speculations at the very best.”
Slouching in his seat, Wyatt closed his eyes. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
Twilight smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, just because we don’t know now, it doesn’t mean we never will. It just means that we have to do some research.” Her eyes seemed to twinkle in the firelight. “And research is one of my specialties.”
Wyatt looked up at her, and found he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “Ya, that makes me feel better. Thanks, Twilight.”
Twilight giggled, putting her hand in her lap. “There’s no need to thank me. Friends help each other, it’s what we’re supposed to do.” Her smile grew. “And you’ve been doing a pretty good job of that when you’re Decade.”
Wyatt looked away, rubbing his neck. “Seems like I’m pretty lucky. No one liked the original Decade. There’s a reason ‘it’s Decade’s fault’ became a meme.”
Twilight tilted her head. “Meme? You mean the Aristrotian concept of an idea that spreads among a society quickly? I had no idea you were versed in classic philosophy.”
“I have no idea what you just said,” Wyatt responded. “That’s just what we call things that spread on the internet. My personal favorite was 60’s Spider-Man.”
Twilight blinked. “And now it’s my turn to have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“It’s hard to explain. See, there was this Spider-Man cartoon in the 1960's that had hilariously bad animation, and the internet had a blast taking stills from it and making stupid captions with them.”
Twilight continued to blink owlishly. “That only made things marginally better.”
Wyatt shrugged. “I told you it was hard to explain.”
Pinkie hopped over to them, hauling them to their feet. “C’mon you two, stop making kissy faces at each other and let’s join in on this party!” She dragged them over towards the bonfire, and let them go before starting to dance.
“Uh...” Wyatt blushed, the implication of Pinkie’s words sinking in. His hide was saved, as a loud roar pierced the air. “Oh thank god, saved by a monster.” He ran into the nearest tepee and summoned his driver into his hand. “Henshin!” he cried, donning his Decade armor. He then ran out of the tepee and towards the source of the roar.
At the edge of the village was a large monster. It looked like a giant, red spider except that a few of its legs were capped with scorpion-like pincers. He recognized it as one of the makamou that Hibiki fought.
“Looks like I’m going to have to beat some sense into you,” he said, taking a card out of his case and put it into his buckle.
“Kamen Ride: Hibiki!” his driver called out, his form shifting. His armor became blueish purple with a silver harness on the chest. His gloves changed to a bright red with silver bands on the wrist. The helmet was radically different from any of the other riders. There were no eyepieces, only jagged red bits that ran along the helmet to create the vague outline of a face. Two little silver horns poked out from the top of the helmet and a protrusion that resembled a tuning fork rested between them. In his hands were long, red sticks with red spheres on the end.
Wyatt tapped the rods together, lighting the orbs on fire before charging the monster. The monster spat webs out from its mouth and wrapped them around him. He struggled for a moment, only for the monster to pick him up in one of its pincers.
Much to his surprise, the buffalo began to chant. As one, they joined their voices, stomping their hooves on the ground in unison. This caused the monster to falter for a moment, dropping Wyatt to the ground. He then struggled for a moment, wriggling his wrist and pressing the flaming stick to the web. The webs quickly burned away, freeing him.
He raised his rods and started to swing them, the sounds of a drum filling the air as he sent out fireballs. The monster roared in pain and swung one of its pincers. Wyatt tried to dodge but ended up getting hit in the chest. He went flying and rolled on the ground before crashing into a tepee. Wyatt rose to his feet, his chest throbbing in pain. He ignored the pain as he threw off the cloth from the fallen tepee.
Wyatt rushed back towards the monster and jumped in the air in an attempt to land on its back. The monster swatted him down, causing him to crash and knocked the wind out of him. He rose to his feet, swaying slightly. He rose his weapons up in a defensive position and rushed the monster again. It jabbed at him with a pincer, hitting him right where his weapons crossed.
Wyatt was pushed back a little, his feet creating tracks in the dirt. He pressed forward, moving as fast as he could while straining against the pincer. He grunted in exertion, knocking the monster’s pincer up with a mighty heave. This knocked the creature off-balance for a moment and he dove underneath it. He spun around, facing the beast’s underbelly. He then started to swing his sticks right on the monster’s stomach.
Roaring in pain, the creature scuttled backwards, jabbing with its pincers. After a moment, it turned, beating a heated retreat. Wyatt got to his feet, trying to run after the monster. This didn’t last as his adrenaline started to fade from his system. He fell to his knees, his chest exploding in pain.
Hauling himself behind a few boxes, he returned to his human form, collapsing to the ground. He groaned, his eyes threatening to drift closed. Putting a hand to his stomach, Wyatt winced, knowing he’d have more bruises tomorrow. He faintly heard Twilight and the others call his name. He tried to respond, but only a hoarse croak escaped his throat. His eyes drifted closed and he decided to just rest them while he drifted into unconsciousness.