//------------------------------//
// J: Journalistic Instinct / Who are the Kamen Riders? 
// Story: Kamen Rider Unicorn 
// by Michael_Ravencroft 
//------------------------------//

It was now May, and for most students it was nearly the time of summer vacation. Oh how Namby Pamby missed those days. Back when all she had to worry about was the next pop quiz, test, and standardized testing, and hanging out with her friends in the Canterlot High Chronicle, the school newspaper. Now though, as an intern for Canterlot City News Network, her dream of becoming a hard hitting journalist had hit a bit of a road block. Which was why she was drowning her sorrows in a burger, fries, and a shake.

“Ms. Cheerilee, what am I going to do…?” Namby asked.

To her right sat her old teacher, Cheerilee, the mulberry woman chuckled at her old student. “Namby, we’re not student and teacher anymore, you can call me Cheerilee.”

“Sorry, force of habit.”

“And technically I wasn’t your teacher, at the time I was a Student Teacher,” Cheerilee corrected.

Namby shrugged. “True, but you were still a great teacher nonetheless.”

“Thank you, but back to your dilemma.”

“Oh, right…” Namby took a sip of her shake before continuing. “I’m stuck in intern limbo right now, I thought when I got selected by CCNN I would be able to show them what I got…but it’s mostly grunt work, and getting other reporters or anchors their coffee…”

Cheerilee patted Namby’s back. “Well, Namby – and I know this sounds bad – but most places are like that with their interns, at least this one’s paying.”

Namby thought about that for a moment and nodded. “Yeah, that’s a plus.”

Cheerilee perked up when she remembered something, “Oh, I did see you in that news helicopter reporting on that monster attack a few weeks ago.”

“Yeah, and I thought that was my big break, but it turns out that all their senior reporters were covering the attack on the ground, and they needed someone to cover the air. But I did the best I could and everybody said that they thought I handled myself better than they thought out there. And still I’m back to what I was doing before that,” said Namby as she let her forehead smack against the countertop.

Cheerilee felt bad for Namby, she remembered her being one of CHS’ best reporters, and her story columns were always interesting, and especially on a tough day, reading a heartfelt column made the day seem a little less stressful. Cheerilee could also empathize with Namby, her time as a student teacher wasn’t always fun either, but in the end she managed to get to where she wanted to be. Although, reporting was a bit cutthroat, and Namby was a nice girl. “Maybe you should show them you have the right stuff.”

Namby raised her head and looked at Cheerilee quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“Take some initiative and go after a story that’s interesting, something that none of the other reporters have managed to do! I mean, if nothing else, showing that you have that kind of drive should get them to see your skills,” Cheerilee suggested.

Namby liked this idea, she liked it a lot actually. Yes, that was the perfect way for her to move up in the ranks and have the higher-ups see that she can be just as great a reporter as other senior members, if nothing else it could get her more than a foot in the door. But the question remained though, what could she write on that would impress her editors? Namby always had a knack for fluff pieces, and she did like reporting on not just important news, but the good things in the community. What she needed was something that was a combination of both, but what?

{Today on CCNN, we at the network have decided to ask this question: what do the people of Canterlot City think of the ‘Kamen Riders’. For months now the city has seen a series of strange monster attacks and happenings, and the one to stop these rampages has been a armor clad, masked hero who calls herself Unicorn.}

{Many of the city’s citizens show a divided line when it comes to the masked hero, with 63% showing that they feel safer with Unicorn – and more recently, the addition of newest hero, Nasca. Still, that leaves a good 32% that feel that Kamen Rider Unicorn is either the cause of the monster attacks or if not the reason why the monsters are attacking. That leaves a good 5% who are still undecided as to how they feel towards both Nasca and Unicorn. CCNN decided to hit the streets and get the public’s opinion on the matter.}

{I think they’re alright, I mean, the police can’t handle those monsters! I was caught in that mess with the giant T-Rex thing started attacking, it tossed those police cars like they were rag dolls. I saw Unicorn coming in on her bike, drove up the side of a building – freakin’ building – and came down and tore that thing apart from the inside out! If she didn’t stop it, who knows what!}

{I just don’t think either of them are good for this city. If they’re really here to help us, why do they need to keep hiding their faces? I can understand their outfits are armor, but the police do the same and at the end of the day we see who’s under the helmet.}

{Those two girls have a lot of power to take down those monsters, sure. But who’s to say they won’t just turn around and do the same to us? Police can’t stop the monsters, and if those two decide to turn on us? No one can stop them! Don’t mistake a conqueror for a defender.}

Cheerilee and Namby watched the news report, Namby was feeling a little disheartened by the way the people were talking about Kamen Rider Unicorn and Nasca, considering the number of times they saved the city, and that popstar Countess Coloratura, you’d think they’d have more pleasant things to say about them. But they did have a slight point, why did they keep their identities secret? Could it be true that they’re secretly behind the monster attacks or possibly the cause? Why do they need to hide their faces? Is it to protect themselves or someone they care about?

Then it hit her, like a lightning bolt straight out of the sky, Namby sat up straight, her eyes wide with realization. “Cheerilee, I know what I’m going to do!”

Cheerilee smiled nervously, seeing the one-eighty her former student pulled. “Oh, that’s great! What is it?”

“I’m going to find out who Kamen Rider Unicorn and Kamen Rider Nasca are!”


***__________<U>__________***




A couple of days later, Namby began her investigation. Problem was, where to start? Kamen Rider Unicorn appeared out of nowhere, just as suddenly as the monsters appeared so did she, like a counter force. Perhaps that’s what she was, a natural counter force to the monsters? Whatever the case may be, Unicorn seemed to possess some kind of magical power, she had recently adopted the catchphrase “The Magic of Friendship unleashed” and, according to Cheerilee, her old alma mater had seen a recent spike in strange happenings before the appearance of Unicorn.

So with Cheerilee’s help, Namby was able to swing a visit back to CHS. She arrived early that morning, parking her car in the visitor’s section. Once she emerged, nostalgia hit her like a ton of bricks, so many memories were made on this campus, some good and some bad, but none of which she’d trade away for anything. After all, it helped shape her into the woman she was today. With a renewed resolve, Namby walked along the quad, her eyes fell upon the pedestal that once featured the Wondercolts horse statue.

Namby quirked her head to the side, curious as to why the statue was gone. Maybe they’re getting a new one? The reporter shrugged, but then her eyes were drawn to something else, the people around the pedestal. Seven girls, all of whom were hanging around the statue. They each had a unique air about them, and Namby could easily place them into certain groups. The rainbow haired girl definitely looked like she was into sports, another girl with a Stetson hat must have been from further out in the countryside. Sitting on the ground was a girl with long pink hair, she was smiling and joining in their conversation, but something about her screamed shy. Another girl had a stylish air about her, her hair was fabulously done, making Namby believe her to be a fashionista of sorts.

Another had curly pink hair, and Namby believed that one’s name was Pinkie Pie, if she remembered correctly from what Cheerilee had told her about her students. The last two seemed a bit…peculiar, and yet interesting. One was a girl with black rimmed glasses, wearing a pink sweater-vest, blue blouse, and a violet skirt with a six-pointed pink star. The other girl had fiery hair and wore a black leather jacket, she had this aura of toughness, almost like a commanding presence. Now that she thought about it, Cheerilee described a girl that looked like that that had at one point been the cause of most of her stress at CHS a few months back.

“Sunset Shimmer…” Namby whispered.

Considering the way Cheerilee described her, she didn’t seem hostile, in fact, her smile said otherwise. She looked genuinely happy, it was almost heartwarming to see as she hanged out with her friends. Namby shook her head, she couldn’t get distracted. Namby was on a mission. The former alumni of the school walked along until she reached the faculty office, and from there was presented with a visitor’s pass from the reception desk, but was also asked to see Principal Celestia before continuing.

Namby Pamby gladly went into the office, finding the rather tall woman standing at her desk as she went over some documents. Principal Celestia looked up from her paperwork and said, “Ah, Ms. Pamby, please take a seat.” Once Namby had seated herself, Celestia did the same. “I was told by Ms. Cheerilee that you wish to conduct some interviews at CHS.”

“Yes ma’am, I do, it’s for a story I’m writing, and I’d like to get some eye witness accounts,” said Namby.

“Perchance, may I inquire what your article is about?” Celestia asked.

“Well, Principal Celestia, it’s about Kamen Rider Unicorn.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow at the mention of the armor-clad hero. “I see, well, we did have an incident here a while back where Unicorn stepped in and managed to stop the chaos before it got out of hand. But she appears whenever a monster does, she surely hasn’t frequented this campus.”

Namby nodded. “That’s true, and I do plan on talking to some of the students, and faculty in regards to that incident. But since we are on the subject, Principal Celestia, I’d like to know your opinion on Kamen Rider Unicorn and Nasca. It can be off the record if you wish.”

Celestia shook her head. “No, I believe I’d like it to be on the record. As far as what I think of them, what they do is dangerous, sure they wield dangerous power. But no one seems to realize that that kind of power can be a burden, they have taken it upon themselves to protect total strangers for nothing. They seek no glory, they haven’t profited from such, and they go in fighting knowing that they could die. Actions speak louder than words at times, and I can’t see fault in two individuals who risk their lives for us.”

Namby Pamby shook her head in awe. “Wow…I didn’t realize you saw them like that. Being an educator and all, no offense.”

“None taken, but that’s how I see it anyway. Now, onto your interviews. I’ve requisitioned an empty music room, it has soundproofed walls so you and those you interview will have some privacy. However, I will have one teacher standing outside at all times,” Celestia warned.

“That’s fair, I wouldn’t expect you to just let a stranger interview your staff and students without someone watching. But you don’t have to worry about that with me, once a Wondercolt, always a Wondercolt,” said Namby with a bit of spunk.

Celestia chuckled. “Very well, who would like to interview first so that I may inform them?”

“There are two actually.”


***__________<U>__________***


The first to be interviewed was Ms. Harshwhinny, Namby was able to gather some information from Cheerilee regarding this teacher. She was a bit strict, and unwavering. Ms. Harshwhinny had a bit of a reputation for being a bit hard, but often fair to her students, and was also known for standing up to the school’s former Queen Bee and bully, Sunset Shimmer. Namby sat in a chair across from Ms. Harshwhinny, keeping a good couple of feet between them. But even with that width of space, Namby could sense an aura of strength from this woman, physically she was about the same as Namby, it was more of authority and intimidation. There was a stool in the middle of them, with a little recorder that was turned on.

“First off, I’d like to thank you, Ms. Harshwhinny, for agreeing to this interview,” said Namby.

“It’s no trouble at all.”

“Now, Ms. Harswhinny, recently, Kamen Rider Unicorn and Kamen Rider Nasca have been fighting against these mysterious monsters for some time now, but I think some people are forgetting that these monsters are in fact people. So, tell me about your encounter with one of these monsters?” Namby asked. “But only if you’re comfortable, I imagine it was a tough time for you,” she added.

Ms. Harswhinny sighed. “It’s alright, I’ve recently learned it’s better to accept the fantastical, in whatever shape or form it takes. The encounter I had was with a former student, she was…ahem…wronged by another student of mine some semesters back. For reasons of privacy I will refrain from using her name. I watched as this former student used a strange device to transform herself into a monster, one that could change the way others and objects looked.”

Namby wrote some notes on her digital pad with fascination. “This device you’re talking about, could you describe it?”

“Not entirely no, I was held hostage in the boiler room, and the lighting in there is quite poor. It was big enough to hold in her hand, and when she pressed it against her skin it transformed her in the monsters we’re familiar with. Her plan was to frame my other student, Sunset Shimmer, for assaulting me by changing herself into me. Miss Shimmer and I were held captive there for some time until Unicorn sent one of her little robot-animal-things to free us, upon which we managed to get the truth from the former CHS student, and in the end Unicorn freed her from its influence,” said Ms. Harshwhinny with a little bit of pride in her voice.

Namby tapped her stylus against her pad as she thought about what Ms. Harshwhinny said. “So, besides that incident, Kamen Rider Unicorn has not appeared at this school at all?”

“Not at all, I would think I’d know if someone in our school was running around in a green suit of armor.” Ms. Harshwhinny purposefully misidentified the color of the armor.

“Okay, so then, do you believe that Unicorn’s appearance may correlate to the recent rumors of CHS having strange phenomenon occur on campus?” Namby asked.

At this Ms. Harswhinny flinched. “Pardon?”

“I have heard rumors that Canterlot High has experienced strange – some would call – magical happenings in the last year and a half, some reports go back to the date of the Fall Formal held at CHS, and also about seeing a ‘rainbow in the night sky’.”

Ms. Harshwhinny kept as straight a face as possible. While the faculty, to some degree, have accepted the magic happenings, with Ms. Harshwhinny leaning towards accepting, not much of what has happened at CHS has gone beyond the school. Most believed that it was just a fad thing that was happening at their school, a way to make the students more interested in school. Although, realistically, Ms. Harshwhinny wondered how long that would last with the appearance of the monsters and Unicorn, more than likely it was a matter of time before someone was able to try and connect the two.

“Oh yes, well, some of our students went a little overboard with the special effects for the Princess of the Fall Formal event, and created a laser rainbow light show, it was quite the feat,” said Ms. Harswhinny.

Namby raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh, and there was another reported incident at the amphitheater, witnesses reported seeing monster seahorses flying in the sky, and a giant horse with wings and a horn, made of light, shooting down a rainbow beam, I believe that was during the Battle of the Bands competition. Which, strangely enough, was changed from the original name ‘Musical Showcase’.”

“It was a last-minute decision, and as I’ve stated, our students are very savvy when it comes to stage work, we have one girl here who’s a one woman party planner.”

“And then there was the Friendship Games, there was reporting from a Principal Abacus Cinch – sorry – former Principal, that ‘magic’ was used to help CHS win the games, and that there was a ‘Fallen Angel’ creature tearing apart reality.”

Damn that woman, Harshwhinny thought. “My dear, Abacus Cinch was a woman too preoccupied with the reputation of her school, and pushing her students too far. Yes, academics are important, but social interaction and growth, building bonds, are just as important. I believe many of the students at Crystal Prep would agree the school is a much better place without her, especially since one of their students transferred here because of such treatment.”

“I see…” Namby noticed how Harshwhinny turned that around. She couldn’t help feeling that the teacher was hiding something, but Namby couldn’t straight call her out on it, not without proof. For now, she had gotten a lot information, now it was time to try her hand with her next subject. “Thank you, Ms. Harshwhinny, I think you’ve answered all my questions, but I do have one last one. What do you think about the Kamen Riders?”

At this, Ms. Harshwinny took a moment to ponder her answer. “At first, I thought she was a menace, she looked like a young girl, and I believed there were people more adequately trained to deal with those creatures. However, after seeing with my own two eyes how dangerous they are, I…I have come to realize how courageous and selfless she is to take such responsibility, both of them.”

That put a smile on Namby’s face, despite the serious air about this woman before her, she was capable of seeing the good that the Riders were doing.


***__________<U>__________***


Sunset Shimmer sat before Namby Pamby, she was told that this was for an interview about Kamen Rider Unicorn. At first Sunset was a little afraid that she may have been exposed, but when she heard it was just a public reaction piece to Unicorn and Nasca’s appearance, Sunset relaxed a little more. Still, in her mind, she didn’t know how to play it. Should she act like it wasn’t a big deal? Condemn herself? Be enthusiastic about the Riders? It was hard to figure out when the person Namby was talking about was setting right across from the reporter.

“So, Sunset Shimmer, I’ve heard a lot about you,” said Namby.

“O-Oh, you have?” Sunset asked. “Probably nothing good…”

“Well, to be fair, some of the things I have heard weren’t exactly…let’s say ‘pretty’.”

Sunset sighed. “No need to sugarcoat it, I was a horrible person.”

“Emphasis on was. I heard nothing but good things about you, and how you seem to inspire the other students to be better as well,” said Namby.

Sunset chuckled nervously as she looked down at her boots, a pink tint to her cheeks. “T-Thank you.”

“Any-who, I’d like to talk about what happened here at the school, Ms. Harshwhinny stated that the monster was a former student of the school, and was out for revenge on you. Could you, if possible, elaborate on that?” Namby asked.

A sad sigh passed through Sunset’s lips as she recalled that event. “It was during the time when I was in a dark place, I humiliated her, and made her drop out of the running for the Fall Formal Princess. She moved away, but kept in touch with the goings on at CHS, she heard how I was ‘dethroned’ and was angry that everyone had become accepting of me again, and looking up to me in a way. She wanted to bring me down, and she used that mysterious device to change into that monster. It was a good thing that Kamen Rider Unicorn was there, otherwise I’d be in jail for crimes I didn’t commit, and Ms. Harshwhinny would have to live with the guilt that someone used her face to frame me.”

“You don’t seem to harbor any ill will towards this girl who tried to frame you, I have to say that that’s a noble thing. Most people wouldn’t forgive someone who tried to frame them like that,” said Namby.

It was here that Sunset’s expression became serious. “This all started because I was vindictive and full of pride and hate, what good was there to hate her for something that I pushed her into because of my actions long ago? Forgiveness is a lot easier than hate.”

Namby was actually blown away, this girl was all of sixteen, and yet she had the wisdom of someone much older. She could way the other students of the school look up to her. “Now, Miss Shimmer, prior to the arrival of Unicorn and Nasca, there were rumors of strange magical happenings around CHS. And, coincidentally, it all seems to coincide with your arrival to CHS almost two years ago. Personally speaking, CHS is a wonderful school, but I don’t recall anything like the wild rumors I’ve been hearing happening during my time here.”

Sunset sat up straight. “Oh, well, you know, strange things are happening nowadays. We’ve just embraced the ma – ahem – the strangeness! You know, it makes things a lot more interesting when you’re open minded and accepting of phenomenon that are outside the norm!”

Namby raised an eyebrow at that. “Perhaps…”

Suddenly, thunder roared, which was something considering they heard it in a sound proof room. Ms. Harswhinny opened the door and shouted, “THERE’S A MONSTER ATTACK IN THE CITY, AGAIN!”

Sunset and Namby’s eyes widened upon hearing that. They exited the room and watched as several students were already tuning into their smartphones to watch the news feed. Namby did the same, switching her ExPad to the news stations and found out that the lightning monster had returned. Sunset cursed under her breath upon seeing the creature.

That sneaky son of a – he would appear again while I’m stuck here!

Sunset and Rainbow had gone out to combat the Lightning Dopant some time ago, but were unable to fully subdue him. He had gone into hiding for a couple of weeks now, but now he was back. Sunset wanted to go, but with Namby Pamby here, the reporter was sure to get suspicious if she suddenly left and then Unicorn appeared. Thankfully, that wasn’t going to be an issue, as the news cameras shifted to show Nasca flying in.

Thank you, Rainbow Dash, Sunset thought.

The battle lasted all of three minutes, but it felt like three hours to all watching. Once again, the slippery Dopant escaped into the electrical system. The camera showed Nasca stomping her foot on the ground and shouting at the Dopant that he was a coward. With her work done, Nasca flared her wings and flew off out of sight. Sunset was relieved that Rainbow made it through the battle, but the look on Namby’s face made it appear as if the gears were turning in the young woman’s mind.

“Strange, Unicorn didn’t appear,” she observed.

“Well…maybe she was preoccupied with something else?” Sunset suggested.

“Huh…now that I think about it, Unicorn and Nasca sound young, and their stature does seem in keeping with a high school girl…That’s it! I knew it, the Kamen Riders are high schoolers!” Namby exclaimed.

Ms. Harshwhinny’s eyes widened and she tried to run interference. “Now Ms. Pamby, we can’t know for sure.”

“No think about it, Nasca flew out because she’s fast, she could be to the battle and back to whatever school she attends in no time! Unicorn’s fast, but not as fast as Nasca is since she can’t fly, plus, if one of them can’t get away, the other can cover! It’s perfect! They’re high schoolers!”

Sunset and Harshwhinny were now starting to get a bit worried now.

“I gotta go, I-I-I need to work on this theory, I’ll be in touch!”

Namby moved faster than the wind out of the hall and to the Principal’s office, leaving Sunset and Harshwhinny to sigh, both teacher and student moved swiftly amongst the crowd to a back door that was devoid of anyone. At that moment, a flash of blue light went off outside the door and coming in was Rainbow Dash.

“Seriously, it’s so awesome how you know and are helping us now,” said Rainbow.

“Thank you, Miss Dash, but we may have another problem,” said Harswhinny.

“What does she mean?”

Sunset rubbed her temples gently as she spoke, “That Namby Pamby lady may have made the connection that Unicorn and Nasca are high school girls.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “So? There are a lot of high schools in and out of the city, and a lot of high school girls. Not like she can narrow it down.”

At this, Ms. Harshwhinny interjected, “Which would not be a problem if she had not already been digging into the magical happenings around the school. It will not take her long to focus her search on this school.”

Rainbow Dash paled when Ms. Harshwhinny said this. Having a teacher and her parents know about her secret was one thing, having the entire city know was a different story. On top of that, if the Lightning Dopant knew her identity, he could attack her parents, and let’s not forget the SCU wanting to bring in both Riders since they were vigilantes, and last Rainbow checked, vigilantism was technically against the law. The sports girl slumped against the wall and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands.

“Oh crap we are so screwed,” said Rainbow.

“Look, let’s say she does narrow it to CHS, she’d still need to figure out who among all the girls in this school fit to be the Riders,” said Sunset.

“Miss Shimmer, considering how ‘popular’ you seven girls are, and the changes you have inadvertently instigated, I would think she’d narrow her search to you seven, and Miss Pamby strikes me as a perceptive woman,” said Ms. Harshwhinny.

Sunset groaned and the let out a frustrated sigh. “For now, one problem at a time. Secret identities aside, we need to stop that Dopant and figure out what his next move is before he does any more damage.”


***__________<U>__________***


Namby was back at her apartment, after collecting several bits of info that she could regarding CHS and CPA. She lived a modest apartment, it was quite spacious without being too over her budget. There was a living room, a bed room with a quest room, a single bathroom, and a kitchen with a bar. After placing her groceries, she had bought on the way back into her refrigerator and cupboards, Namby took her research material into her guest room, which she converted into an office.

She combed through several articles of both schools, starting with her alma mater. She noticed the trend of the school’s moral shifting, where once different social clicks isolated themselves from the other groups, now they seemed to mix and socialize outside of their circles. On a personal level she found this paradigm shift to be very good, but at the same time, it seemed a bit suspicious.

The same thing seemed to have at occurred at CPA. Crystal Prep Academy was known for its excellence and high academic, and athletic courses, pushing students to be the best of the best. More recently, after the Friendship Games, the school was undergoing a change from within the student body, and working its way up through the faculty. Which somehow resulted in Principal Abacus Cinch to resign and the former Dean Mi Amore Cadenza to take the role of principal.

Namby looked over the photos of the games, showing the two teams that were selected to compete, and then ones showing the final six. Surprisingly, it was those very same six girls who she saw at the marble statue, minus the girl with glasses. “Or maybe not…” Namby noticed that the seventh member of the group was with Crystal Prep, “…must be the girl Cheerilee said had transferred from CPA. Supposedly very intelligent.”

Despite her combing through the articles in the school newspapers and photos, and not much was mentioned or shown about anything out of the ordinary. Still, Namby couldn’t deny that there was something different about the school, just stepping foot onto the campus filled you with a kind of energy and harmonious feeling that wasn’t there when she first attended. Not to say CHS was bad, it was always there, but it appeared to have been amplified.

Namby had littered her wall with different monster attacks, starting with the first one, where a white raptor attacked downtown. Following that another attack came in the form of a dragon-like creature, who appeared to be a juvenile who attacked a police officer, a member of the newly created Special Crimes Unit, Officer Shining Armor, who was also related to the same young bespectacled girl from the Friendship Games.

“Twilight Sparkle…” Namby whispered.

Namby followed her gut, searching through more pictures and articles that she could pull up from what she had or could find online. There were some shots of the concert Countess Coloratura had, and in one, Namby could make out the faintest hint of Twilight’s distinct hair color during the concert backstage, but alongside her was the girl known as Sunset Shimmer. Namby kept tracing back more and more as she approached the time of the motocross competition. A glance of the roster showed that two girls from CHS were competing, a Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer. And in some pictures of that event, that same group of girls was there.

“Oddly enough, that was also the day Kamen Rider Nasca first appeared.”

Unicorn had been strangely absent for a whole week not too long ago, and Nasca took over monster patrol. Oddly enough, Cheerilee mentioned that Sunset Shimmer was gone that whole time, which was a bit odd as the bad girl hadn’t missed a day of school, perfect attendance. Namby’s mind was starting to put some of the pieces together, she could see it, the girls, the absences, it pointed to those seven being at the heart of this whole thing. Possibly even more than that.

Namby put up a picture of Sunset, Twilight, and Rainbow. Hanging below each of them was a picture of Kamen Riders Unicorn and Nasca. She wasn’t sure, which was which, but there was a strong possibility that it was one of these three. “If it is Twilight Sparkle, it could cause a scandal for the CCPD,” Namby gasped, “or, maybe they do know?!”

It would be quite the scandal, if the police did know of Kamen Rider Unicorn or Nasca’s identity but were keeping it secret and pretending to treat them as vigilantes to throw off suspicion, it would be a big cover up. Especially if one of their officers was enlisting the aid of a teenage girl, a brilliant girl, but still too young to join any kind of law enforcement.

“That would be a big story, but it’s just a theory,” Namby wrote on a sticky note and placed it next to Twilight’s picture that read “possible ties to police cover up”. “Now where do you two fit into this?”

The pink haired woman sat in her desk chair, letting it roll backwards until it hit the wall. Namby stared at her haphazardly connected Web of Conspiracy, she could feel it, she was close to figuring out who the Kamen Riders were, and one step closer to finding out why they are fighting the monsters. The unanswered questions of the public, kept ringing in her head. Are they responsible for the monsters? Are they dangerous to the public? Can they be trusted? Why do they keep their identities hidden from the public?

“If I’m going to be taken seriously as a reporter, then I have be willing to go the extra mile, and beyond. I’ll find those answers, and I think I have an idea how.”


***__________<U>__________***


“There’s a reporter…and she’s looking into Unicorn and Nasca…Oh my gosh, I-I should’ve seen this coming! I should’ve taken counter measures, hacked the internet, something!” Twilight panicked as she paced her room.

Rainbow Dash and Sunset had arrived at Twilight’s house that night, it was a Friday night and most of the girls were out doing their things with their families, so they decided to have a Team Kamen Rider meeting at Twilight’s to bring her up to speed with what happened. Needless to say, she reacted as they both expected.

“Wait, you can hack the internet?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Probably best not to know the answer to that question,” said Sunset, not sure if she wanted to know the answer herself. “Calm down, Twilight, she only interviewed me and Ms. Harshwhinny, it’ll take her a while to figure out anything, besides, we’ve been careful up ‘til now.”

Twilight stopped and looked at her two friends. “Yes, we have, but no one was actively trying to discern your identities! The police have been too busy dealing with the Dopant attacks, and preparing for others to worry about investigating you!”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow at that. “How do you know they’re not?”

Twilight’s cheeks tinted pink. “I…I may have hacked my brother’s computer files…” Twilight groaned as she crouched to the floor. “Oooh, I’m the worst LSBFF, I hacked his computer – I’m going to hell!”

Sunset and Rainbow rolled their eyes. The former unicorn sat up and knelt before Twilight, rubbing her back as she spoke, “No you’re not Twilight, one day we’ll be able to tell him, and by then it’ll be when we’re done with being Kamen Riders and the Dopant’s are all beaten. But you’re not a bad little sister, at all.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow added, “it’s not like you hacked his computer to find his porn stash or mess with it or anything.”

Twilight’s left eye twitched. “M-M-My brother would not have anything like that on his computer!”

Rainbow raised her hands up. “Hey, just saying, all guys have one, it’s no big deal. Even I have one.”

“Yes, but we all know you’re a pervert at heart, so it’s no surprise to us,” said Sunset.

“Hello pot, I’m kettle.” Rainbow shot back with a grin.

“Touché.” Sunset went back to Twilight, deciding to get off the subject as it was clearly creeping her out that she could’ve found something like that. “So, what can we do to stop this Lightning Dopant?”

Twilight stood up and walked to her computer, she brought up multiple files and footage taken by their mech-animal, Hawk. “Whoever he is, he’s smart. He knows how to wield the electrical energy precisely.”

A video played on the screen, showing their first encounter with the Lightning Dopant on the day that Sunset returned from her vacation. Sunset fired a mana sphere at the Dopant, but the energy monster’s electrical field skewed the trajectory and made the ball curve around the Dopant, hitting a lamppost and exploding upon impact. The Dopant had a smug look on his face, and Unicorn knew she wasn’t going to do that again, for risk of the Dopant using her attacks to hurt civilians.

Nasca summoned her sword, and dashed straight for the Dopant. That same electrical field rose up and caught the blade of Nasca’s sword. And in less than a second, she was thrown back, skidding on her heels against the pavement. Rainbow Dash’s brow furrowed as she remembered that fight. “Yeah, I remember that, it felt like I was being pushed back or something.”

“Most likely, his power is manipulating the electromagnetic field, creating a repelling force with the opposite charge of you and your sword. Same for Sunset’s sphere, even though it’s magic, it’s still comprised of light and energy, and with the right tweaking of the field, me managed to curve the shot around himself.” Twilight bit her lower lip as she thought. “Honestly I’d applaud this person’s application of electrical energy manipulation if they weren’t trying to hurt people.”

“And that’s not the half of it, the Dopant can turn into lightning and shoot through the power cables and anything that runs on electricity to escape. Which also means he could be anywhere in the city,” said Sunset with a frustrated growl.

It was here that Twilight had a bemused look upon her face. “And that is his downfall. I…ahem…peeked at Canterlot City’s electrical grid –”

“Hacked,” coughed Rainbow.

Twilight sighed, “Fine, hacked, I hacked the grid. Anyway, I noticed some unusual spikes in energy before his attacks, and when he retreated, well, take a look.” Twilight pressed a few buttons on her keyboard and immediately the city’s electrical grid map overlaid with a map of the city. The video played in sync with the grid, and when the Lightning Dopant retreated, the energy spikes began to appear, following a path along multiple lines until it eventually stopped, settled for a moment and then disappeared.

“No way, you can track him?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Awesome!”

“Twilight, this is great, now when he tries to run, we can follow him and take him by surprise!” Sunset added as she hugged Twilight from behind.

The bespectacled girl blushed from the close contact of her friend, especially when she caught a whiff of Sunset’s hair, which had a pleasant floral fragrance about it that made Twilight feel all tingly inside. But the moment did not last as Sunset slowly released her hug and brought Twilight back to reality. Mourning the loss of that pleasant feeling, Twilight went back to work on the computer.

“E-Exactly what I was thinking, I’ve already setup a tracer program to alert me to unusual spikes in electrical energy, factoring out large businesses that normally draw a lot of power. I’ve also downloaded it into Hawk, so once he tries to run, Hawk will track his location from the sky and I’ll track it from my computer.”

“Hey, Twi, what’s this under your bed, it’s pretty big?” Rainbow asked as she pulled up the bed skirt and saw something underneath.

“Oh, I had another idea for a new Mechanized Animal, I normally work on it in the shed, but I needed my computer here to complete the more complicated software,” said Twilight.

“You are sleeping, right, Twilight?” Sunset asked in concern.

“Yes, I am, don’t worry.”

Rainbow stretched and then laid back on Twilight’s bed. “Well, since we’re here. Why don’t we just make this a little slumber party with the three of us?”

Twilight’s eyes twinkled at the idea, but then looked to Sunset, and then to her dresser. “Oh…well…I don’t know if my spare pajamas will fit you. I know they’ll fit Sunset, but…”

“Eh, no problem, just give me a baggy shirt and I’ll just kick off my shorts.”

“Crude as ever,” said Sunset with a smirk.

“Yeah, but you guys love me for it.”

Debatable, Sunset and Twilight thought at the same time.


***__________<U>__________***


Most of the night was spent with Twilight working on the newest mech-animal, and occasionally breaking to play one of her numerous video games that she had sorted in a cabinet. Rainbow had asked why she hadn’t played any of the games? To which Twilight’s answer was, “I wasn’t really into most of the games, and since most them required you to co-op or do online play, I really didn’t feel the need to do any of that, but back then I was in CPA and more focused on my studies.”

Rainbow and Sunset understood, so they tore the Brainiac away from the new machine and made her play a first-person-shooter with Rainbow Dash. To their surprise, Twilight was popping Rainbow’s avatar like a trained sharp shooter, one match after the other. Sunset had stared with wide eyed amazement, while Rainbow Dash had this frustrated and panicked look on her face as she tried to find the reset button on Twilight’s console.

After agreeing that nothing about that game would ever leave the room, the girls went to sleep. The next morning, Sunset and Twilight were still asleep, Spike was sleeping in his nice little doggy basket. Rainbow got up, still groggy and half asleep as she got up from the air mattress she was sharing with Sunset and walked off towards Twilight’s door. When she opened the door, she was greeted with the sight of Shining Armor, in full uniform, pausing midstride as he saw Rainbow Dash. It took a few moments before Rainbow’s mind finally got into full gear and realized the situation as she looked at Shining Armor and then back down at what she was wearing. Which was in a baggy t-shirt, which wasn’t as baggy as she’d liked, since it didn’t go all the way past her waist.

“Ha, ha, heh…Morning?” Rainbow dared to say.

“M-Morning,” replied Shining Armor as his eyes turned to an interesting spot on the ceiling.

“So…um…”

“I…I need to go to work…” Shining Armor stated.

“Yeah, you, uh, y-you do that,” said Rainbow Dash with a nervous grin.

Shining Armor kept his eyes up as he walked foward, only bringing his eyes down once he reached the stairs and disappeared down them. Rainbow Dash closed the door, her face a little red from having been seen like that. Despite what she may say, being caught in that state of affairs was still embarrassing. However, when she turned around, Rainbow noticed Sunset and Twilight had awakened. Sunset was propped up on her right elbow, with her chin resting in the palm of her hand as an impish grin spread across her lips. Further up, Twilight was staring with a twitching left eye, and mouth agape, unable to find the words to describe that embarrassing moment.

“How much of that did you see?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight grabbed her pillow and placed it over her face as a muffled scream emanated from it.

“In a nutshell, we heard the door open, and watched as you stood there in your skivvies as Twi’s big bro passed by, and of course that awkward pause between you two,” said Sunset.

Rainbow Dash slumped against the door and slid down until her rear hit the floor. “Ugh, that was embarrassing as hell!”

“This coming from the self-proclaimed pervert?”

“It’s different when I’m being like that on purpose! I wasn’t planning on flashing Twi’s brother!”

Sunset could help herself and began laughing, finding Rainbow embarrassed, blushing face priceless, and Twilight’s reaction as equally amusing. The two girls looked at Sunset from their respective positions and stated in unison, “IT’S NOT FUNNY!”

“Oh yes, yes it is!” Sunset managed to say before falling back into her laughing fit.

Twilight responded by throwing her pillow at Sunset, and Rainbow looked about ready to go over and wrestle Sunset into submission until she stopped. However, the laughing passed and Sunset apologized, and after agreeing to never speak of that again, the three girls got dressed. Sunset and Rainbow were planning on heading back to their homes to get a shower and fresh clothes on. Twilight’s parents had invited the two girls to stay and have breakfast, but they politely declined. Once outside, Sunset and Rainbow mounted their bikes and prepared to leave, but a beeping noise from Twilight’s phone halted them from leaving.

Taking out the cellular device, Twilight saw that it was a Dopant alert, and it was back in the city. Both Sunset and Rainbow Dash’s expressions grew serious as they realized who it was.

“Looks like lightning-butt is back,” said Rainbow Dash.

“I’ll go and get the tracker ready, just in case!” Twilight stated as she bound for her house.

“Let’s ride!” Sunset ordered.

Both girls turned on their bikes and revved their motors. Rainbow and Sunset peeled off down the street, leaving skid marks and smoke in their wake. The two teenage girls weaved through traffic and took a shortcut down an alleyway as they both summoned their Drivers and took out their Gaia Memories.

< UNICORN! >

< NASCA! >

“HENSHIN!”

> UNICORN! <

> NASCA! <

Two fields of energy, turquoise and blue, surrounded the two girls, transforming Sunset and Rainbow into Kamen Riders Unicorn and Nasca. Their bikes were also transformed into their Rider states, receiving a power and speed boost that rocketed the two Riders out of the alleyway and towards downtown Canterlot.

Down town, several SCU officers fired from their newly acquired pulse rifle weapons, thanks to the generous donation from PhoenEXE Corp’s weapons research. The fully armed SCU continued to barrage the creature of pure lightning energy, but even with their weapons, the energy bolts were simply redirected elsewhere, either back at them or at the buildings around him.

“This is pathetic, bring out Unicorn and Nasca, I want a real fight!” the Dopant shouted.

Suddenly, the sounds of two motorbikes cut through the gunfire. Unicorn and Nasca’s bikes zoomed over the heads of the officers and over their barricades and landed in the no-man’s-land that was created by the police and Dopant. Both female Riders dismounted their bikes and strode up to the Lightning Dopant. The Dopant cracked his knuckles, which sounded like muffled thunder.

“This time, we’re not holding back,” said Unicorn to Nasca.

“Wait, you’re going to use that new Memory, here?” Nasca asked with surprise.

“Let’s just hope it still works.”

Unicorn took out the golden Shining Memory and pressed the button on its side.

< SHINING! >

{< SHINING! MIMETIC DRIVE! >}

A pillar of golden light shot up around Unicorn, the armor shifted colors to gold, with turquoise runic markings on her arms, legs, and around her chest. Feathery wing fins came out the sides of her helmet, the eyes having changed from aquamarine to turquoise along with her horn, and from her shoulders two long shimmering cloths flowed out. When the light faded, everyone gazed in awe at the new form Kamen Rider Unicorn, her body gleamed in the light of the morning sun, making even the police put down their weapons.

“Unicorn: Shining Day.”

“Whoa…” Nasca managed to say as she looked upon her partner.

The Lightning Dopant felt something, fear? Intimidation? Panic? Whatever it was, there was power, a great power coming from Kamen Rider Unicorn that made even his energy based body sweat bullets. “A costume change, big deal!”

“You guys never learn, do you? The costume doesn’t just change…” Unicorn dashed towards the Lightning Dopant, and in the blink of an eye had bridged the gap between them. “…it’s our power, too!”

The Lightning Dopant, out of sheer panic, raised his electro shield just as Unicorn threw a right hook at him. Her fist blazed with golden light as it crashed into the shield, the result of which made the Dopant fly backwards in the air, sailing a few yards per second. Eventually, the Dopant managed to correct himself, stopping in midair and landing on the ground. However, his respite would not last as Unicorn was hot on his tail. The Lightning Dopant fired a barrage of thunder bolts at the Kamen Rider, but Unicorn dodged them all with grace and ease.

Whoa, I mean, it’s not as over powered as it was when I was in Equestria, but still damn powerful! Sunset thought as she pressed the button on the left hip port once.

\ HONEST! /

Orange light enveloped Unicorn’s right fist, she then jumped into the air and came back down, slamming her fist into the ground as she shouted, “Avalanche Rush!”

The ground erupted with several earthen glaives jutted out of the ground and sped towards the Dopant. The energy being panicked and flew back in retreat as he fired more lightning at the spikes that rushed towards him. Some of the bolts managed to destroy the spikes, but more just grew back and continued after him. Finally, the Dopant decided to fly into the air where they could not reach, and where he knew he’d have the high ground.

\\\\\ LOYAL! /////

The Dopant looked up and saw as Unicorn hovered over him, her arms crossed as the cloths shimmered brightly, coating her body in a sparkling aura that levitated her. Unicorn held out her right hand and formed a blade of red light over her whole forearm.

“Grand Gladius!”

Unicorn flew straight for the Dopant at high speed, too fast for the Dopant to counter as Unicorn slashed him across the chest, and another time at his back. In no time the Dopant was lost in a blur of gold and red light that caused sparks to fly off his body from every point. When the flurry of slashing ended, the Dopant fell to the ground, groaning and panting as he realized that he was seriously outmatched.

“Alright, it ends now!”

Unicorn took the Shining Memory from her left hip port and placed into the right.

>} SHINING! MAXIMUM DRIVE! {<

The golden Kamen Rider took a stance in midair, charging her arm blade with the power of the Maximum Drive. The power built more and more, until suddenly…it stopped.

 “Wait, wha –!”

Unicorn’s body shined bright with light, and in the next moment, her Shining Day form was gone, leaving the Kamen Rider in the air. Unicorn yelled as she began to plummet, but thinking quickly, she placed the Cyclone Memory into the left hip port.

< CYCLONE! >

{< CYCLONE! MIMETIC DRIVE! >}

In less than a couple of seconds, Unicorn had changed into Mystic Cyclone form, allowing her to regain her flight capability. Unicorn focused her energy and steered away from the Dopant as she landed a few feet away from him. Her heart was thumping in her chest, Unicorn had no idea what had just happened. Just then, Nasca came flying in, landing next to her partner.

“Unicorn, what the heck happened?!”

“I don’t know, but let’s finish this before –!”

“See ya, suckers!”

With that, the Lightning Dopant changed into pure electrical power and shot into a lamppost and into the electrical grid it was connected to. Both Riders growled in frustration after all that, they almost had him, and now he was gone again.

“I think we better get going,” said Nasca.

“Yeah, but we don’t know where he went –”

“No, I mean, we really need to get going! ‘Cause you kinda wrecked the street…”

Unicorn turned around and her eyes went wide, the attack she had done earlier caused more damage than she had thought. The ground had been upheaved in a bad way, the street and sidewalk had been completely trashed, she did more damage than the Dopant did. Unicorn shook her head in dismay, not believing her eyes.

“I…I have to fix this!” Unicorn took out the Cyclone Memory and pressed the button on the Shining Memory. However, no words were uttered from the device. “What the…?”

“We need go now, Unicorn!” Nasca exclaimed.

Unicorn didn’t want to leave the area in this state, damage done by the Dopant’s were one thing, but this her doing. “Alright…”

Their bikes zoomed around the cop cars and stopped before their Riders. Unicorn and Nasca mounted their bikes and took off down the road. They split up to make it harder for the police to chase them down, and with their abilities, they’d be able to lose them in the next minute. Unicorn teleported a few times, circling around until she reappeared in an alleyway a little behind the yellow line. Sunset walked her bike out of the alley and into the street, putting on the kick-stand as she walked to the edge of the alleyway and saw the destruction, at least the portion she had a hand in.

I underestimated how powerful the Shining Memory was in this world…I was fighting like I was back in Equestria. Thinking as if the damage would be quickly repaired with a few spells! I have to be more careful, at least when I’m in the city. Sunset glanced down at her pants pocket feeling the Memory in question rest there. And we need to find out why you just suddenly stopped like that.


***__________<U>__________***


Later that night, Sunset took a hot shower, letting the fatigue of the day wash away, and at the same time, contemplated what had happened. She remembered when she fought Kaizer Hell and used the Shining Memory for the first time. Sunset had so much power, it felt as if she was a demigod. On her own she empowered the other Kamen Riders, saved the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and defeated the evillest creature she’d had ever faced. Although, here, the power seemed limited, finite. Compared to Equestria, it seemed infinite. But even that finite amount was powerful, and she ended up creating a lot of damage from that one attack.

Sunset banged her fist against the wall of her shower, cursing herself for her hotheaded move. She wanted to beat the Dopant so bad she used her most powerful weapon without first testing it in this world. The most shocking thing, other than the destructive power, was how she switched back to default form while initiating a Maximum Drive attack. Sunset shut off the shower and wrapped a towel around her body and hair, making her way to her couch as she began to think.

There is one theory, but I’ll have to use it once more to verify it. First things first, once I’m done here, I’ll head back out and fix the damage I did. I don’t want people being afraid even more that I can so easily destroy the city.

The news report she saw on her and Rainbow showed that a majority of the city was on their side, while there were also some who thought of them as dangerous. After the stunt I pulled, Sunset thought, I wouldn’t blame them.

With renewed vigor, Sunset hurried drying herself off so that she could go and fix the damage, but the ringing of her doorbell interrupted that process. Sunset looked towards her door, she picked up her cellphone and checked her text messages. There were none, and there were no missed calls. The only other person who would come by would be, maybe, Principal Celestia, Vice Principal Luna, or even Ms. Harshwhinny. But even then, she figured that one of them would call first. The doorbell rang again, making Sunset get a little edgy, visitors at this late hour on a Saturday night was not always a good thing. Especially, Sunset learned, for teenage girls living on their own.

If that is a creep, he’s about to be in for a world of hurt. Sunset grabbed her robe, and also materialized her Uni-Driver and took out her Unicorn Memory. She carefully put it under her pillow and pressed the button.

< UNICORN! >

“Henshin…”

Sunset placed the Memory into the slot, but did not press down on it to activate the transformation. Instead she placed it at her waist, under the robe and over the towel wrapping her body, and let the straps loop around. Once secured, Sunset tied up her robe, and walked towards the door, ready to activate the transformation at a moment’s notice. Once she arrived at the front door, she stood to the side and asked, “Who is it?”

“Oh, um, sorry to drop in like this. It’s Namby Pamby, from the Canterlot City News Network, we spoke yesterday.”

The fiery haired girl looked through the peephole and confirmed that it was indeed Namby Pamby. She was curious as to why she had come to Sunset’s loft, or how she found her at all. Until Sunset remembered she was reporter and slapped her forehead. Still the cautious one, Sunset decided to let her in, but kept the Driver active just in case. Sunset unlatched the safety locks and opened the door to see a nervous Namby Pamby, she was dressed in her informal clothing. A pair of jeans, and a nice blue-green blouse that complemented her skin tone.

“I’m sorry for coming over at this time, but there were some follow up questions that I needed to ask you and they really couldn’t wait,” said Namby.

“Sure, um, do you mind if I change first? Unless you want to interview me in my bathrobe?” Sunset asked with an impish smirk.

Namby blushed and shook her head. “Oh, I am so sorry! I – Oh my – I really should’ve called or asked for your phone number! I am so stupid…”

Sunset chuckled at Namby’s nervousness. “It’s alright, I’ll just grab some clothes and head to the bathroom to change.”

Sunset locked the door behind Namby and went and did just that. She deactivated her Driver and pulled out the Unicorn Memory, keeping it in her pocket just in case. After changing into some sweat pants and sweater hoodie, Sunset walked out and kept the towel she was using to dry her hair. She saw Namby sitting in her lazyboy chair, looking around the room curiously until she spotted Sunset and flashed a nervous smile. Something was off about this woman, and it was making Sunset get that edgy feeling again.

Once Sunset sat down, she sighed and looked directly at Namby. “So, you said you had so more questions. I don’t know what else I can give you, but I’ll try my best to answer.”

Namby nodded. “Well, if it’s alright, I’d like to be straight with you, Sunset Shimmer.”

“Okay, shoot.”

Namby took a deep breath and calmed her nerves as looked the teenage girl straight in the eye. “Sunset Shimmer, you are Kamen Rider Unicorn.”

Sunset’s blood went ice cold, the only thing stopping her eyes from going wide was her sheer willpower and the competent part of her brain screaming “DON’T REACT, DON’T REACT!” Sunset quickly chuckled at the accusation. “Me? Unicorn? I mean, I know I have the ‘bad girl’ motif working for me…and truth be told I was one, but I am definitely not a superhero.”

“Sunset, I’ve tracked a number of strange occurrences that have happened at your school, and are mostly revolving around you and your friends. I have to say, it’s possibly one the best kept secrets of the city. A hero living under our noses,” said Namby.

Sunset could tell that Namby wasn’t going to stop this train of thought, so Sunset decided to derail it. “Look, Namby, while I appreciate all that Unicorn has done, she’s wanted by the police for being a vigilante. And the fact that you’re coming in here accusing me of being Unicorn, you’re essentially calling me a criminal.”

Although not coming off as angry, Sunset managed to put enough emotion into it that she sounded upset, but not outright angry. Hopefully the consequence of accusing a teenage girl of being a vigilante would make her yield, unfortunately, Namby still seemed steadfast.

“I figured you wouldn’t admit it so easily…but…” Namby took out her cellphone. She tapped on the screen a few times and swiped it once. “Look.”

Namby turned the phone to face Sunset, and Sunset’s face went pale.