//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Kamen Rider: Equestrian Shade // by The Dark Brony //------------------------------// A few weeks past slowly since the group had met Jack and Luna had assured them that they were on the right track to whatever she believed she’d sensed a month ago, also during this time Scutum managed to learn how to place his form inside the band with the engraved shield on Alex’s wrist. It was at this time Midnight groaned from a mix of boredom and childish curiosity from month long journey as he asked “Luna are you sure you felt something all the way out here?” “Yes I’m sure,” Luna replied as she kept walking onwards calmly seemingly unaffected by the distance she’d travel since they arrived on the moon with nothing to eat or drink. “Besides whatever it was, it should be over the next ridge.” “Okay then,” Alex replied as the group climbed the ridge to the top as they saw what seemed to be a metal building that looked to be covered in burns but how these were caused on the moon was beyond Alex’s understanding. “What is that?” Midnight asked curiously. “I don’t know,” Luna replied as the group made their way towards the building, “but I want to find out.” As they got closer they noticed that even though the building looked to have sustained damage the exterior seemed completely intact which still left the group contemplating why this was actually here. “What even is this place?” Alex asked as he rubbed his hand against the surface of the structure as he saw a faint damaged image that seemed to looked like two cone shaped images one inside the other. The image almost looked familiar in ways, but he was unable to place where he had seen it before. The group then found a small airlock in the side of building had a small red button beside it that read open. “Red buttons are never a good sign,” Midnight said in fear. “What are you talking about, it’s just a big friendly button,” Alex said as he pressed it. “NO!” Both Luna and Midnight said in fear and shock expecting the worst, however instead of the button killing them it caused a door next to the button to open. “See, it was a big friendly button, what were you worried about?” Alex replied as he walked inside with both Luna and Midnight behind him as the door closed behind them. Once the group got inside they saw the room was fully decorated with many faded images around the room, there was also a large white table that looked to have three benches around it, around the room their was benches each covered in a thick layer of dust. It was clear that whoever had been here before them had not been so for for a long time, in fact it was a miracle that the place still had power… wait how did this place still have power? It was at this point he realised a second fact about where they, the light’s were using Electricity, something he was sure did not exist on the planet below, so how did whoever previously resided here manage to get it running? Luna then looked to Alex before she said “What is all these strange candles?” “These aren’t candles, they’re light bulbs, they use electricity to heat up a filament inside them that creates light. Well that how I understand it anyway.” “Amazing,” Luna replied in awe, “What's electricity?” “Electricity is a form of energy, but I have no idea how it works or is formed, so don’t ask me how,” Alex admitted. “I see,” Luna replied calmly as she looked around the room while Midnight had already disappeared from it scouring the place for anything important. “But the fact somethings generating power in here is unbelieveable, I mean, who knows how long this has been abandoned,” Alex admitted before he stopped as he caught a strange yet familiar sight in the corner of his eye. As he walked towards this he noticed it was a Switch like the one’s Jack had used as Fourze, though the ones that were present seemed limited, and in many cases damaged, only one looked like it would still work. The Switch in question was orange in colour, and had a large number 10 on top of what looked to be a set of lightning bolts, which looked to be linked into some sort of machinery. As soon as Alex reached towards it and placed his hand on it the lights in the room fluctuate and once removed turned off entirely, which caused him to reinsert the switch as the lights turned back on. “Looks like this is what creating the Electricity and it’s likely whoever was here before was someone who was aware of the Switches, possibly the same Rider as Jack.” “Do you think, whoever was here still is?” Luna asked. “I doubt it, the amount of dust here, makes it seem probable that he left a long time ago, or doesn’t clean up.” It was at this point they both heard a loud scream before Midnight teleported back to Luna and Alex grabbing hold of Alex’s jacket tightly as she said shakily, “D...ad, help.” “Midnight, whats wrong?” “There's dead bodies in the rooms back there,” she replied as she began shaking in his arms. “Okay, I’ll take a look, you stay with Luna… okay.” “Yes Dad,” Midnight replied still scared stiff, as Alex walked towards the area she had gestured to. Once he reached the back rooms, he saw one open door, which he assumed was the one these dead bodies was in. As he approached the room, he smelt something off, something rotten, which if what Midnight had told him was correct was likely the bodies she had mentioned, with this information in hand he opened the open door more as he looked down to see one human shaped and two pony shaped skeletons on the ground, while each of them held a switch each in their hands, however one had something laying on the ground in front of him. Something he recognised as the Driver Jack had used, which led him to believe this person had been a Rider like him, and most likely someone who had been sent to this world just like him. Alex then reached down the the driver on the dead bodies waist as he removed it from the corpse before taking the three switches as well, before he walked out the room back towards Luna and Midnight. Once he reached them, he saw Midnight had calmed down slightly and was resting in Luna’s lap both being sat down on the benches. As soon as Luna saw Alex reappear she said nervously, “Was she right, were they dead bodies?” Alex didn’t answer at first as he walked towards the two of them. “Alex is something wrong?” “Yes on both accounts,” Alex replied as he placed the driver and Switches on the table as Luna instantly recognised them. “Those are!” “Yes, a driver, the same sort Jack had… and those bodies, were human skeletons… the people here before us are long gone, and they most likely were like me.” “You mean, they were from another reality?” “It seems likely, but they were mortal, and died of either malnutrition, starvation or old age.” Alex admitted sadly. “I hope it was the last,” Luna replied sadly, “But want can we do, we can’t leave the bodies as they are?” “I know… I suggest bury them, create some graves outside, but beyond that I have no idea.” “I’ll sort that,” Luna replied sadly. “If they were Riders, they deserve no less than that, if anything more.” “I know… for now we need to make sure we can survive up here ourselves,” Alex replied, however Luna did not listen as she had already ran outside again. “Dad… are you okay?” Midnight asked sadly looking at the driver on the table. “I’m fine, don’t worry,” Alex replied, “Just thinking about how we can get of this mess.” “We’ll find a way, I believe we can do it,” Midnight replied. “I know,” Alex replied with a smile as he rubbed the top of Midnight head as she began to giggle. “But… if they were like you… doesn’t that mean there could be others scattered around everywhere, other riders that are lost?” Alex paused at that thought before he said calmly, “if that is the case they are out of my reach till we find a way back to Equestria.” “Well when you do… maybe i’ll be your sidekick,” Midnight chuckled as he held the driver on the table in her magic. “Maybe, but that won’t be for a while,” he replied smirking, “Anyway… we should help Luna.” “I guess we should help mommy,” Midnight replied. Why does she keep calling me and Luna that, we ain’t her parents… well I’m not? Alex thought to himself as they went outside. As they both got outside they saw Luna standing in front of three open shallow graves, which caught Alex by surprise from how fast she had dug them. She then turned to Alex and Midnight before she said “There that's the graves done, now we just need to set the bodies inside of them.” Alex just nodded to her as he said “I think it may be best for you to move the bodies. We have no idea on how long they’ve been up here, and they would need to be moved carefully.” Luna just nodded her head as he walked back into the building behind them as Midnight looked to Alex as he moved beside him resting her head against his side, as Alex just looked down and rubbed the top of it with a smile. After a few minutes Luna walked back out with the last of the free bodies inserting it into the last remaining grave before covering it over, it was a shame they were unable to find anything to act as a headstone… or even identify them by name. After a few minutes the trio began to walk back inside but not before Alex spotted something sticking upwards in the ground just behind the building as he walked over to it to see what to most people's eyes would be a blue guitar of some kind, but Alex noticed something strange and subtle that looked off, the fact it was resting straight with the bottom of it stuck in the ground. Alex then walked over to the object before pulling it out before the red flames that seemed to always appear as he touched a weapon flared up around the instrument as the blue colouring was replied with red before it disappeared like every other time the phenomenon had taken place. It was at this point Luna shouted back to Alex, “What's up, you found something.” Alex simply smiled still not questioning the fact he could hear her in the vacuum of space as he shouted back to her “Nothing important!” before he ran back inside the building, only looking back at the unmarked graves once more as the doors closed behind him. As soon as the doors closed behind him Alex looked towards both Luna and Midnight, lost in thought as he began to think about the circumstances that brought those other people into this world. “Alex is something wrong?” Luna asked inquisitively. “Just thinking about who those people where… if they was like me, then are their more like me still alive, or even at all.” Luna simply nodded in agreement to what Alex had been thinking about before adding “Anyway, we found this on the table next to that screen,” as she held up a small CD as she asked him, “Do you know what it’s for.” “It’s a CD, back where I came from they were used to store information for people to use or view later.” “That sounds interesting,” Luna replied, “is there any way for us to see what's on it?” “If we had a CD Player then maybe, but I have no idea if it will even play… or has anything on it,” Alex admitted as he looked at the nearby screen and saw a open disk drive on the side covered In dust. He then smiled before adding, “or maybe there's a way,” as he walked towards the screen cleaning the disc on his shirt, which didn't amount to much from his much of a mess his shirt was in due to his month long moonwalk. He then proceeded to try and clean the disc drive which he eventually managed to do before inserting the disc and closing the drive. “Is it working?” Midnight asked curiously. “I don’t know,” Alex admitted before the screen blinked into life the screen covered in static. “Is it broken?” Luna asked sadly. Alex then hit the top of the screen before the screen cleared causing Alex to chuckle as he said “I never thought that would work.” The trio then looked to the screen as they saw a figure in a tattered white shirt, his face marred with open cuts that were bleeding staining his shirt. The figure had black hair, with blue bloodshot eyes. The figure then looked towards them, to what Alex assumed was a camera before he said shakily “If you are listening to this, then it likely means that are already dead, and this this warning will have arrived to late, but if the planet below has not fallen into the grasp of our enemies, our mission is now passed on to you.” “What the heck is he on about?” Alex muttered to himself. The figure then proceeded to add, “The mission we undertook was to protect the land below from the enemies of the Kamen Riders, a force we inadvertently brought to this world, when we were tricked by a strange, cloaked man. He made a group of us into Riders ourselves, but at the cost of our homes and families.” Luna’s eyes went wide at this as she looked at Alex in surprise at this revelation. “Those of us who arrived were scattered around the planet below, where we each learned to use our new abilities, me and my five friends became different Riders those being Fourze, Drive, Wizard, Den-O, X-Aid and Genm, while one of us was tricked into becoming a driver, left unable to defend himself. After a long period six of us met back up, the only one we were unable to find being Genm, and around this time found sanctuary on a continent of the land below called Equestria, where we separated once again, each taking our roles in protecting the creatures that called it home.” “So their was more than just Wizard hiding in Equestria,” Luna muttered to herself. “And all of them were like me,” Alex added. “However after this things suddenly began to fall apart, as Wizard was killed trying to protect the royal family, with none of us able to reach him to back him up, and before long we were each hunted down, next went Drive but as he was killed we heard reports of someone calling themselves Kamen Rider Wizard assisting our enemies in hunting us down. It was then Den-O was targeted, but we believe he escaped from his pursuers and the last we heard from him he told us he was attacked by both Wizard and Drive and that he had seen a figure in a black suit leading the monsters.” “Wizard… He…” Luna said he eyes wide in shock at what she was being told. “Our friends had somehow turned against us and began to hunt us down, it was then we met a strange man who warned us not too…..” the video then cut off into static, before cutting back in the whole video skipping a large portion of information. “It was then our turn, which brings us to what happened an hour ago, the combined forces of Drive, Wizard and all of our enemies attacked at once, I was no match for them as they destroyed everything in their path, killing my two friends I escaped here with. I am afraid that I too have only hours left to live, and my Driver is no longer functioning, and is beyond my abilities to repair. Jacob, if you hear this message, do not trust…  he is not our ally… I repeat do not trust…” the video then went black as a loud explosion was heard before the same voice as before said in fear “dammit, they're back again, please if the land below still alive, defend it! You may be Equestria’s last hope!” The video then stopped completely and froze as a blurry image appeared of a figure in black and silver appeared but beyond that it was impossible to tell who it was. “Who is that!” Luna shouted out in confusion. “I don’t know, but whoever it was, they clearly are the reason why there was three dead bodies here.” “Well… what are we going to do about it? It’s not like we know anything about who that figure was!” Luna argued. “Oh that's simple,” a disembodied that sound a lot like the voice that was heard from Alex’s Driver said as a black and red portal appeared on the ground, which was followed by a demonic figure’s head appeared from inside it. The figure’s skin was completely red and he had two long curved horns on his head long with completely red eyes, they were also able to make out the top of what looked to be wings. “Do you know this thing?” Luna asked. “Well… not personally,” Alex replied, “from what I know this figure was Lucifer the fallen angel… but most people just call him the devil, or Satan.” “You know, it’s not fun when everyone knows who you are,” The figure now known as Lucifer replied, “Anyway, I wanted to tell you, that the souls in those bodies never left this plane of existence, and also, if you need us, you have our support Kamen Rider Shade.” Alex’s eyes widened at this as he said “How did you…” “Know that,” Lucifer replied with a smile as he added, “You’re a Rider who’s suit makes him look like a demon to the outside world, but beyond that, you use the fear caused from your finisher to break the resolve of your enemies to make them yours.” He then smiled before continuing to say “I’d be lying if I wasn’t impressed by your methods, you’d sound like a evil rider to anyone not in the know.” “And you're seen as the definition of all the bad things in the world by anyone from the christian faith, and that’s what anyone not in the know would think.” Lucifer just smirked at Alex before he said “I think we’ll get along just fine… tell you what. I’ll get working on something for you, something to help you… but for now, don’t trust anyone who’s not in this room.” “And why should I trust you?” Alex asked. “Who else can you trust?” Lucifer asked, only to get no reply from Alex, “Exactly.” He then nodded to the group before adding “Well anyway if you need me just call,” as the portal closed above him as he disappeared. “What just happened?” Luna asked in confusion. “Who knows… but I’m sure things are only going to get crazier from here on out.” Alex replied nervously. -Meanwhile in another reality- “So the boy managed to not only escape you, somehow managed to free the Princesses and prevent the birth of a new phantom for my armies and along with that somehow taking one of our own slaves as his own?” Demigra asked angrily. “I have no excuses for their failure Lord Demigra,” A figure covered in darkness replied, “However I am preparing our forces to deal with him in due course.” “No… he has already took up enough of our time trying to reclaim what he took from us… for new we will let him believe we have given up… give him one-thousand years respite, if he’s still around by then, we will deal with him.” “Very well Lord Demigra… but what about that new troublesome slave you took?” “She along with those other two are yours to deal with, along with the three others I had you take after you defeated them.” “Of course Lord Demigra” the figure replied a grin on his face as six figure walked into the room, three of them dragging the others in before forcing them to the ground. The three who were standing fell onto one knee and bowed to the two figures, while the other three were all shouting angrily at them, each getting kicked in the side of their heads for their actions. The first  of the standing figures was covered in a red and black suit that had a large car tyre diagonally across his body, along with a black driver on his waist. The second wore a large back jacket that covered was covered in red crystals along with a similar design on his helmet, and had a silver Driver with a large had on it. The third figure was covered in a white suit that had two orange line running down its side along with four coloured shapes on his body, two on his arms and two on his legs, his helmet was comprised of a black cone inside a larger white one and had two red eye socket. The three figure on the ground each just continued to glare at the two in front of them. The first of the three was a Orange earth pony mare with a two tone black and orange mane and tail, who had a cutie mark of a katana. The second was was a dark blue unicorn stallion that had a black mane and tail, and his cutie mark resembled a potion flask. The last figure was a young girl, she had long blond hair and blue eyes, however her clothes were ripped and covered in blood and her eyes were bloodshot with long streaks running down her face, as he arms showed multiple scars and burns. “Seem’s those three still refuse to listen to their masters,” Demigra groaned in annoyance. “They do, the girls keeps screaming for her older brother to save her… she is a fool by the time she see’s him again, she will not even remember who she was,” “No… I will handle her personally,” Demigra said as he walked towards the girl with a grin as he reached down lifting her up off the ground as he said “I’m going to enjoy this… your brother may have escaped my grasp after I found him… you will not be so lucky.” “I don’t know who you think you are,” The girl replied angrily as she spat blood into Demigra’s face. “But when my brother finds me, and he will… he will make sure you pay for what you’ve done.” “Your brother, doesn’t even know you're here… and by the time he learns that you are here, it will be as you capture him and force him to swear loyalty to his new masters.” “Go fuck yourselves, being that's all you two seem to do,” the women replied. The second figure then walked up to her, he was cover in almost entirely black and silver armour and his face almost looked cartoonish in nature, he also had strange purple Bugvisor on his waist that had a red and white button on it. He then glared at the girl before he slapped her with the back of his hand before he said “You will learn to show us the respect we deserve from our slaves, being you are nothing more than that anymore, and after Lord Demigra is finished with you, you’ll be begging to serve our every whim… you got that slave!” “Jump up your own ass and die!” the girl shouted before she was thrown onto the ground as she fell into unconsciousness. “Insufferable bitch,” the second figure spat. “Don’t worry, she’ll behave sooner or later,” Demigra replied as he looked away from Genm almost looking disgusted at his actions. “Of course, Lord Demigra,” the figure replied, “Take them back to their cells, make sure they are secure.” “Yes Master Genm,” the three standing figures replied in unison as they grabbed the three others taking them away. Once they had left Genm looked to Demigra before he said “Do you really think we can leave the one that escaped to his own devices?” “What can he do to threaten us, he is but one rider, and we have armies at our disposal.” “I guess so,” Genm replied hesitantly. “Don’t worry, thing will be fine,” Demigra replied before they both left the room, “It’s not like he’s even able to handle any more than my weaker monsters.”