Spike stood outside the gate of the Rich manor, staring up awkwardly at it. Even though he had been invited, he felt out of place at the mansion. He took a deep breath, pressing a button on the side of the gate. There was a slight buzz, followed by static.
“Hello?” the crackling voice of an elderly stallion questioned from the other end of the line. “How may I help you?”
“Uh hi,” Spike greeted, pressing the button on the gate again. “I’m Spike and I was invited over to the house.”
“Ah yes, Master Spike,” the elderly stallion replied. “Master Rich and Diamond Tiara are waiting for you in the foyer. I shall buzz you in.” There was a buzz from the intercom followed by a click originating from the gate.
Pushing the gate open, Spike made his way up to the manor. He had seen fancy houses before, but most of them were made from the polished marble of Canterlot. Stepping up to the door, he knocked mildly and stepped back.
The door quickly opened to reveal Filthy Rich in more casual attire than Spike had ever seen him in. He was still wearing a dress shirt, but he lacked his normal tie and suit. Diamond Tiara was at his side, a powder pink dress covering her body. Surprisingly, she wasn’t wearing her signature tiara.
“Spike,” Filthy greeted, a wide smile on his face. “So glad you could come see us today.” Stepping aside, he gestured for Spike to enter. “Please, no need to stand outside boy.”
“Thanks,” Spike said, slowly crossing over into the manor. He stopped to take a look, impressed by how polished and expensive everything looked in the foyer. “You guys have a really nice house, you know that?”
“Thanks,” Diamond said, the young drake having to suppress his surprise. “Daddy’s hired the best cleaning staff outside of the royal castle itself to keep everything looking great.”
“I dunno about that.” Spike crossed his arms, feeling the need to stroke his ego. “I can get a place pretty clean.”
Filthy chuckled, putting one of his hands in his pocket. “If you’d like, I could always ask Randolph to challenge you to a cleaning contest.” He pulled out a small bell, gently swaying it in his hand without ringing it. A moment later, a goofy smile spread across his face. “Though, I think the two of you have better things to do.”
Spike nodded, putting his own hands into his pockets. “Yeah, I’d like to hear some of the family history if it’s not too much trouble,” he requested, a small smile cracking across his face. “If that’s not something Diamond’s opposed to.”
“I’m not opposed to that at all,” Diamond assured, returning his smile. “I know this means a lot to you. Go ahead, ask Daddy anything you like. I don’t know a lot about Star Dust so, this should be interesting for both of us.”
“Very well then,” Filthy started, motioning the two of them to follow him down a hallway. “I’ll tell you everything I can about the stallion.” He led them down the hall into a large room filled with display cases and portraits. The cases all had various family artifacts with a tag marking who they belonged to. The portraits all showed the heads of the family, starting at the far end with a portrait labeled, “Dust Bowl”.
“This is my aunt, right?” Spike asked, gazing up at the portrait.
“That’s correct,” Filthy confirmed, walking up to the portrait and putting a hand on the frame. “This is the humble beginning to the Rich family. She was the older sister to your father. Like him, she began her life as a simple farmer. But, after Star Dust became Celestia’s pupil, she seized an opportunity and claimed a small title of nobility.” He patted the frame of the portrait. “Dust Bowl is the reason that the Rich family has always strived to be pillars in our communities; we try to live by the example she set for us.”
“Why didn’t Dad stay as Celestia’s pupil?” Spike asked, his eyes roving over every inch of Dust Bowls image. “Did they have a falling out or something?”
Filthy chuckled, walking over to one of the cases that contained a small model of a flood gate. “No, Star Dust did not have a falling out with the princess. Your father was always doing one of two things, tinkering or studying. From the letters he sent to Dust Bowl, maids forcing him to eat or sleep was a common occurrence during his tenure at the castle. He was especially excitable when there was an area of study that nopony else knew about. I’m sure you can guess his course of action when he learned that ponies knew nothing about dragons.”
Turning back to Spike, his smile faded a bit. “Your father’s studies stopped because of his search for you. At least, that’s what I believe.” Stepping forward, he placed a hand on Spike’s shoulder. “Ponies weren’t as accepting of half-breeds as they are now. That fear is most likely why he never told anyone but Dust Bowl about you and your mother.”
Spike looked around the room for a moment, a legacy of a family he’d never known surrounding him. He turned back to Filthy, a sad smile on his face. “I guess I’m a little lucky for hatching when I did then.” He tried to play it off as a joke, but his voice hitched at the end.
Kneeling down, Filthy pulled the drake into a hug. “It’s alright, Spike. Things always happen for a reason. Those reasons aren’t always clear, but everything will work out, as long as you put the work in.”
Spike returned the hug, closing his eyes. “Well, I haven’t exactly been a stranger to work lately. Flash Fire is putting me through the wringer.” Spike cracked an eye open when he felt someone else join the hug. Glancing back, he noted Diamond Tiara had opted into the hug.
“How about I make us some tea?” Filthy pulled away and smoothed out his shirt. “I know Dust Bowl’s famous Trottingham brew. I won’t be too long.” Stepping out of the room, he left the two by themselves.
Spike felt a little awkward, not sure what to say as he glanced around the room. “So, have you ever been in this room before?”
Diamond pulled away, smoothing her dress. “Yeah, my mom likes to come in here and look at Dust Bowl’s portrait.” Shifting on her hooves, she glanced up at the object in question. “She likes to say that Dust Bowl’s success meant that she was obviously better than everyone else in her family.”
Spike frowned, looking up at the portrait. He noted the kind smile that the artist had captured. “I don’t think my opinion holds that much weight, but judging how your dad talked about her, I don’t think Dust Bowl considered herself superior to anypony.”
Brushing some hair out of her face, Diamond looked upon Dust Bowl’s image in reverence. “Daddy’s always saying how I should be thankful we have everything we do. He used to tell me about how poor our family used to be. Back when Dust Bowl was alive, our family lived in Trottingham, tending to a farm. They barely made any money and even the foals had to work from sunrise to sunset everyday.”
Spike nodded, looking back at her. “That was pretty common back in the day. Nobles had more control over certain areas.”
Turning back to him, Diamond took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Do you wanna know what changed?”
“Yeah, tell me,” Spike replied, arching a brow slightly.
Gesturing for his attention, she led him over to the display. “One day Star Dust got an idea, something he hoped would make ponies lives better. He made this, the first flood gate. That’s how he became Celestia’s student and got his cutie mark.”
Spike examined the small model, trying to picture his father working on the gate as a foal. “Wow, I can’t even imagine doing something like that. Guess I have something to live up to.”
Diamond’s ears splayed back, her gaze moving down to her hooves. “All of our money comes from Star Dust trying to make the world a better place, but my mother doesn’t care about any of that. All she cares about is Dust Bowl’s status.” Hugging herself, a small whimper escaped Diamond’s muzzle. “I-I know I shouldn’t be like that but... I-I want to make my mom proud of me...” Lifting her head, tears streaked from her eyes. “Am I a bad pony?”
Spike’s expression fell, not knowing what else to do but pull Diamond Tiara into a hug. “No way, Diamond Tiara. A bad pony wouldn’t ask that question. If making your mom proud means making yourself feel awful, then you shouldn’t do it anymore.” Pulling away, he looked into her eyes. “You should talk to your dad about this, you know.”
Diamond Tiara sniffled, rubbing at her eyes. “If I did that, he and mom would just fight even more. They’re always fighting for one reason or another. Randolph mutters that they might get a divorce sooner or later.”
Spike winced but didn’t falter. “Diamond, even if that happens, you have to tell him. You don’t want to be the kind of pony your mom is, do you?”
Diamond Tiara shook her head, casting her gaze down at her hooves. “N-no, I don’t want that. I’d rather be a pony like my great grandma, Dust Bowl. The kind of pony that gets looked up to.”
Allowing himself to smile, Spike lifted her head. “Than take some advice from your cousin, you have to stand up for yourself. Don’t just let your mom turn you into a pony you don’t want to be, got it?”
Diamond took a deep breath, cracking a small smile. “I’ll try.” She paused, fiddling with her hands. “I guess apologizing to the crusaders for everything I’ve done to them is the first step to being that kind of pony.” She winced at the thought. “I uh, have a lot to apologize for.”
Spike chuckled, slapping her on the shoulder. “Hey, you’ll get there, you’re my cousin after all. I know you can do it.”
Diamond smiled, putting one of her hands over the claw on her shoulder. “Thanks, Spike, that means a lot. Can you do me a favor? Always call me out when I mess up.”
“As long as you do the same for me.” Spike nodded, holding his fist out to her.
Diamond’s smile grew and she reached out to tap Spike’s fist with her own. “Deal. Family’s gotta look out for each other after all.” Wiping at her tears, she cleared her throat. “So, what’s it like? Being a superhero and all?”
Spike smiled, pulling away from her and striking a pose. “It’s pretty cool. Fighting monsters can be a little scary, but knowing that I’m helping ponies and cleaning up my grandpa’s mess makes it all worthwhile.”
“Anything I can do to help?” Diamond asked, a hopeful tone to her voice.
Spike scratched his chin, a frown on his face. “I wish I could tell you yes, but other than a rider belt, there aren’t any weapons that work on these monsters.” He noticed her downcast look and intervened. “But, Princess Celestia currently has a program that’s working on battling monsters. If you’re lucky, I might be able to snag you a little something. But there is something you can do right now. Help cover my secret identity.”
Diamond nodded, her look hardening. “I’ll do anything I can to help, Spike, I promise.”
Spike gave her a thumbs up, a wide smile on his face. Before the two could say anything else, Filthy walked in with three steaming cups of tea. “I’m back, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.” Gazing at the pair, a smile graced his features. “Seems like I missed out on some family bonding.”
Spike smiled, sharing a look with Diamond. “Yeah, we were just talking about how we admired Dust Bowl.” Taking his cup from Filthy, he passed Diamond hers. “Hey, so, I’ve been meaning to ask, how many of Dad’s medals do you have?”
“Four, including the one that I gave you last night,” Filthy said, setting the tray down on top of a display case and gripping his own cup. “The others depict a deer, a bee and an ant.”
Sipping at his tea, Spike hummed in thought. “You know, I probably should have asked Grandpa which medals he made and which my dad made. I do know each of Grandpa’s sets have ten medals in total. Do you know if any of the medals you have are like that?”
“From what I understand, Star Dust only made one copy of his sets,” Filthy told him, leaning against the display. “So that’s good news for your quest. I’m sorry I can’t be of any help, I have no idea where the rest of Star Dust’s medals are.”
“That’s plenty helpful,” Spike assured, looking into his cup. “Now I don’t have to worry about even more medals to collect.”
“I’m glad.” Reaching into his coat, he retrieved an envelope. “I did some thinking, Spike. Our country is facing a very serious crisis, one only you and your human friend can do anything about.” Holding it out to Spike, he gave the dragon a firm look. “It wouldn’t be right for me to do nothing, while asking others to fight on my behalf. Which is why I’ve decided to fund the G-Project.”
“That’s great news!” Spike beamed, staring at the envelope with bright eyes. “I’m sure Celestia will appreciate the extra help.” Staring at the envelope for a moment, an idea struck him. “Actually, this gives me an idea! Celestia’s gonna hold a conference about all the monster stuff, make Wyatt officially part of the military.” He waved the envelope around a little frantically. “If you make the donation then, it could inspire others to do the same!”
Filthy smiled, nodding at the drake. “Capital idea, my boy. I’ll make sure to be at the conference. If I can inspire one other pony to donate, I’ll consider the venture a success.”
“Awesome!” Spike fist pumped, placing the envelope in his pocket. “Just wait until I tell Twilight! She’s gonna be so hype!”
“Yeah, I bet tons of ponies will donate if we do!” Diamond chimed, looking between the two with an easy smile. She looked up at her father. “Can I come too, Daddy?”
“I don’t see why not.” Filthy nodded before holding his hand up. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with your school work, is that clear?”
“No problem, Daddy! I’ll just do any homework I’m given in the hotel room!” Diamond promised, her smile widening into an ear splitting grin. “Oh! Can I show Spike around the manor?”
Filthy chuckled, taking a sip of his tea. “I think your cousin would be insulted if you didn’t offer to show him around. You two go and have some fun.” He pointed his cup at his daughter. “And don’t forget to show him the pool, dear. When you’re done, meet me in the den and I’ll give Spike the rest of the medals.”
The two nodded and Diamond Tiara took Spike by the wrist to lead him out of the room. Filthy smiled, hearing their voices echo off the halls. Gazing up at Dust Bowl, he sighed in content. “I hope we can make you proud, Dust Bowl.” Finishing up his tea, he carried the tray out of the room. Happier than he had been in some time, he dropped the dishes in the kitchen and made his way to the den. He stopped in front of the mantle and picked up the chest that contained the medals. Opening it, the chest slipped from his hands, face contorted in shock. Empty. It was empty.
Filthy turned on his hoof, only one pony on his mind that could have stolen the medals. “Blasted mare, this is beyond anything she’s done before. What’s she thinking, taking those things?” A creeping sense of dread crept over him, his heart gripped in the icy embrace of fear. “S-she wouldn’t...” He quickened his pace, heading upstairs to check their bedroom first. He cursed under his breath, finding it empty. He rushed through the halls of the manor, moving toward the front door to search for his wife in her usual haunts in Ponyville.
Spoiled heard her husband cursing down the hall as he stomped toward the front door. She sat in the laundry room of the manor, the last place he would ever think to look for her. Her ears twitched, the faint click of the door slamming in the distance catching her attention. She stood up, walking back out into the halls.
Reaching into her blouse, she grasped the stolen medals. A feeling not unlike ecstasy danced along her fingers, slowly spreading through her body. Part of her wondered if this is what unicorns felt when they used their magic. The thought was quickly banished as she reminded herself that this feeling was hers and hers alone, just like the medals were now. She returned the coins to her pocket, keeping an ear out for the sounds of her daughter and the drake that her soft-hearted husband had allowed into her home. Her ears quickly picked up on something coming from the game room on the first floor.
Stopping at the door to said game room, Spoiled made sure her looks were in order. Holding her nose up, she walked into the room and cleared her throat. “And just what is going on here?”
Diamond rested a pool cue on her shoulder, glancing at Spike as he paused lining up his shot. “I was just showing my cousin around the manor,” she said, looking up at her mother.
“Cousin?” Spoiled asked with a scoff and no small amount of disgust. “All I see is a filthy lizard defiling my home. Come here this instant, Diamond Tiara, and you, get out of my home, you reptilian vagabond.”
Diamond Tiara trembled, fear gripping her as she looked at her mother. Then, another feeling rose up in her as she remembered the talk she and Spike just had. She gripped the pool cue tightly, steeling her expression. “I think you need to get your eyes checked, mother!” Diamond boomed. “Spike isn’t a filthy lizard, he’s the son of Star Dust and a member of our family!”
“What was that?” Spoiled growled, narrowing her eyes at her impetuous daughter. “I don’t believe I quite heard you, Diamond. I told you to get away from that freak.”
“And I’m telling you to stop insulting my cousin!” Diamond shot back. “I’m not listening to your specist rants anymore!”
Spoiled shook with fury, glaring daggers at Diamond. “You ungrateful, weak willed leech! How dare you!? Do you have any idea how much I’ve done for you?! All those parties, all those lessons! And what do I get for trying to shape my daughter into the perfect image of nobility!? She spits in my face, over a mongrel Star Dust produced because he was too much of a degenerate to keep it in his own kind!”
“You haven’t done anything for me!” Diamond retorted, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the cue tightly. “All those parties were paid for with Daddy’s money, all the legwork was done by Randolph, and those lessons you’re talking about were just rants about ponies deserving to be the top of the social ladder in the world.” Closing her eyes, she mustered up her courage. “I don’t want to be a hateful pony like you!” She jabbed a thumb at her chest. “I want to be like Daddy, Dust Bowl and even the pony you look down on, Star Dust, and do what I can to help everyone from now on! And that includes people of other species like dragons.”
Something popped in Spoiled’s mind, a murderous look dawning on her features. “I see you’re a lost cause, Diamond. Your idiot of a father let his trash poison you. In all honesty, it’s about time our family tree had a bit of a pruning.”
Spike’s nostrils flared, his eyes widening as he sensed the massive amounts of desire surrounding her. He subtly reached for his driver, hoping he wouldn’t need it. “Di, we need to get away from your mom,” he whispered, keeping his eyes locked on the older mare. “I think she’s got my dad’s medals that your dad was supposed to give me.”
Absentmindedly putting her hand back over the medals, Spoiled took a step forward. “I’m ever so sorry, my precious Diamond, but you’re just too far gone. Don’t worry, mother will make sure it doesn’t hurt.”
Spike reacted instantly, grabbing Diamond’s hand and tossing a few of the pool balls at Spoiled’s hooves. The maneuver had the desired effect, tripping the mare up and giving the drake a means to get him and his cousin out of the room.
“You malformed runt!” Spoiled hissed, tricolored electricity starting to arc over her body: Bronze, yellow and grey. “I’ll skin you alive you little homewrecker!”
Spike ignored her ranting, backtracking through the mansion as best he could in an attempt to lead the crazed mare out of the manor. “I really hate being right,” Spike muttered, noticing the electricity arcing off of her from the corner of his vision. “Di, I need you to run. Run to the library and tell Twilight and Wyatt. Can you do that?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Diamond assured, Spike releasing her hand from his grip. She pulled ahead, glancing back to see Spike putting his driver on his waist. “Spike, be safe, okay?”
Once his driver was secured, he held up a thumb, not looking back at her as he grabbed a trio of his medals, the only medals he had on him. ‘I really need to get that coin case a bungie cord’ Slotting the medals in, he ran the scanner over them as the corrupted Spoiled rounded the corner.
“Taka! Tora! Batta!” The driver called out, the multicolored rings surrounding him and forming into his armor. He jumped out of the way as she threw a fist at him, the electricity growing more wild.
“Spoiled, you need to let go of those medals!” Spike urged, extending his claws. “Do you hear yourself, you just told your own daughter you were going to kill her!”
“That’s because you and her blasted father corrupted her!” Spoiled growled, her body pulsating. “I need to pluck the weeds that idiot of a patriarch planted centuries ago!”
Spike had to hold back his anger, feeling his eyes nearly turn into slits as he controlled his breathing. He knew if he got angry that he’d do irreversible damage to the mare. And while she was a hateful bigot, he’d still feel guilty for maiming her. “Don’t talk about my father as if you know anything about him,” he said, barely able to keep an even tone.
“Don’t I?” Spoiled asked, clutching the medals tighter. “He was an idealistic fool, a pauper who didn’t know his place. His sexual deviancy resulted in you, an abomination against nature. I’ll rid the world of you, and then that backstabbing husband of mine.”
Spike growled, balling his hands into tight fists. He crouched into a fighting stance, his eyes locked on her. “What you call sexual deviancy was love,” he spat. “Something you clearly know nothing about. And I am not an abomination. I am Spike Bahamut Sparkle, and a kamen rider!”
“Call yourself whatever you like! You’ll never be more than a stain on this family!” The electricity surrounding Spoiled reached its peak, starting to sink into her. Not long after, corrupted OOO armor started to form, tearing her clothes to shreds. The first piece of armor to form was a bronze deer head, and despite Spoiled being a mare, she grew large, sharp looking antlers. The second section was colored yellow and from the forearm down, Spoiled’s right arm became a huge bee stinger. Her left forearm bulged out and a honeycomb shape formed into a crude shield. Finally, her legs changed, becoming pointed, insectile limbs covered in carapace with four smaller vestigial legs twitching at her waist.
Staring for a moment, Spike shifted his stance. “I dunno how much of that is the medals, or how much of that is you, Spoiled. At this point, it doesn’t really matter. Say what you want about my father and me, but I won’t let you hurt Diamond or anypony else.” Without second thought, he leapt forward, claws out and gleaming with determination.
“Pinkie, please stay still,” the gray mare spoke, her voice a flat monotone. “I need to make sure this equipment can fit over your mane, and your bouncing isn’t helping me in the slightest.”
“Sorry Maud!” Pinkie chirped, her body covered in diodes attached to a machine she couldn’t identify. She stopped bouncing in her seat, only for her body to start vibrating. “I’m just so excited to help you!”
“I understand that.” Maud nodded, clipping a strange helmet to Pinkie’s head. How it contained her hair was a mystery. “I am surprised you’re so eager, considering how you felt before about our family duty.”
“That’s because I thought it was all just a bunch of old stories,” Pinkie explained, glancing at the machine. “But now I know it was all true!” She thought for a moment before looking back to Maud. “Was that Pa we saw out in the desert?”
Maud nodded, adjusting the settings on the machine. “Yes, I had him help me test the system. Though his is a prototype, designed to only use one memory.The real system is untested due to a lack of compatible subjects.” Turning away, she lifted up her metal suitcase and placed it on table. “The finished belt uses two memories simultaneously, which means it needs two users.”
Since Maud had arrived, Pinkie’s room had been virtually converted into a makeshift lab for Maud’s tests.Gummy was off to one corner, ‘playing’ with Maud’s pet, a rock named Boulder.
“Um, why does it need two users?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head. “Can’t you just figure out a way to have somepony use it by themselves?”
“A pony can’t handle two memories at once.” Undoing the latches on the suitcase, Maud opened it to reveal a pair of belts, each having a quartet of USB-like devices laid out next to them.
Both the belts had two red portions that looked like they could hold the devices in them. The red portion was attached to a silver backing that appeared to contain circuits. The belt strap matched the silver bit in color.
“Wow, those’re pretty nifty looking,” Pinkie commented, her eyes roving over the belts.
“They’re more than nifty, they’re the culmination of generations of work,” Maud explained lifting up one of the smaller devices, this one green and labeled Cyclone. “Now, we need to test if you’re compatible with me.” Turning the machine on, she inserted the device into the machine.
The helmet on Pinkie’s head whirred to life, various lights blinking on it. She had to stifle a giggle as she was reminded of Twilight’s attempts to study her Pinkie Sense. The screen on Maud’s screen blinked, revealing a percentage readout. Maud slipped in another device, this one labeled ‘Joker’.
“These are what I call Gaia Memories, I created them from the planet’s memories,” Maud explained, watching the readouts. “With these, a pony could become a kamen rider, just like Kuuga.”
“Or Decade!” Pinkie cheered, throwing her hands up. She smiled to herself as she pictured transforming into armor of her own and fighting by Spike and Wyatt’s side. “Or even better, like Pa!!!”
“Well, there will be one small difference,” Maud said, keeping an eye on the screen. “The belts will transfer the consciousness of one of us to the body of the other. Two minds inhabiting a single body is the only way to use two Gaia Memories at once.”
“Huh?” Pinkie blinked and looked at her. “I don’t know what you just said, Maud.”
“We’ll see if you’re compatible,” Maud replied, giving the screen her full attention. “It might be better to experience it firsthand. I’ll be the one providing the body.”
“Okay!” Pinkie smiled, trying to picture being inside Maud’s head. She imagined there would be a lot of rocks, causing her to giggle. “I can’t wait to try it~”
Maud’s eyes widened all of a millimeter as the percentage readout settled on a number. “I think we’ll find out. You’re showing a ninety percent compatibility rating. I can finally properly test these belts.” Lifting one of the belts out of the case, she strapped it to Pinkie’s waist. Pulling the Cyclone memory from the machine, she passed it to Pinkie. “Are you ready?” she asked, strapping the other around her own waist.
Pinkie pushed the button on the memory, causing it to call out its name. Her eyes lit up and she looked up at Maud. “Ooh, I know what to say now!” She placed the memory into one of the slots and pulled the red portion down to an angle. “Henshin!” she cheered.
Before Maud could ask how Pinkie knew what slot to put the memory in, Pinkie went limp and fell over. A moment later, the Cyclone memory appeared in the corresponding slot in Maud’s belt.
Maud pressed the button on her own memory, placing it into her own belt and pulling both slots into place. “Henshin.”
“Cyclone, Joker!” A green “C” and a purple “J” appeared in front of the belts before colliding and shattering into odd fragments. The fragments surrounded Maud and converged on her to form a two toned green and black armor. A silver strip ran between the halves the right green and the left black. On the chest armor the green had a gold pattern and the black half had a purple pattern. The two patterns when viewed together formed a “W”. The helmet had circular red eyes and a silver piece that also took the shape of a “W”. The only other notable thing about the armor was the white scarf that fluttered off the green half.
Maud shuddered at the rush of power, flexing her fingers. “Pinkie? Can you hear me?” she asked, looking around the room.
“Yup!” Pinkie chimed, her voice ringing in Maud’s mind with an echoey effect, the green side’s eye flashing.“This is so weird.” With a bit of concentration, she moved the green arm, punching the air.
“It looks like you’re adjusting quickly,” Maud praised, moving the black arm. “I didn’t expect you to be able to move my body at all.” She walked around the room, pausing to think. “I knew from the start you and I would be a perfect match, Pinkie. I didn’t even bother to test Limestone or Marble.”
Pinkie giggled, the green side’s eye flashing rapidly. “We have always been really close. Now we’re literally two halves to make one whole rider! So, what do we do now?! Fight a monster?”
“We can’t fight a monster if we can’t find one,” Maud pointed out, putting her hands on the belt. “But as soon as we do, yes, we’ll transform and fight a monster.”
From out the window, the combined pair heard a loud crash. They looked out the window to find a monster pulling itself out of the splintery remains of a marketplace stall. The monster itself was a chimerical mess of three different animal parts, each part bearing a different color.
OOO and Decade closed in on it, with Decade laying down supporting fire and OOO going for melee. Blocking most of Decade’s shots with its shield arm, the beasts antlers launched forward, several of them nearly impaling OOO.
“Looks like it's time for us to make our debut!” Pinkie chirped, making a trumpet noise. “OOO and Decade need our help!”
“Best not keep them waiting.” Maud moved over to the window, sliding it open. “Leave the fighting to me, Pinkie. Judging by your appearance, you haven’t kept up with your training.” In one swift motion, Maud leapt through the window and broke into a sprint as soon as her hooves hit the ground.
Pinkie gasped. “Is that your way of saying that I’ve gotten chubby?”
“Pinkie, now is not the time for this conversation,” Maud chided.
Wasting no time at all, she made a beeline for the chimera. By chance it spotted her, sending a spray of antlers at her. Dropping into a slide, Maud went under the branches, springing up and slamming her fist into its gut. The beast let out a guttural cry, stumbling backwards and lashing with its bee stinger wildly in all directions.
Maud leapt back to avoid the blind strikes. Glancing to either side of her, she got into a stance. “OOO, Decade,” she greeted as they moved to her side.
“W?” Decade questioned, surprise evident in his tone. “Just how many riders are there going to be?” he muttered, shifting his weapon into sword form. “I’m not gonna ask now because we really don’t have the time.”
“Good decision,” Maud agreed, focusing on the monster. “You and I should flank the monster while OOO takes it from the front.” Reaching down, she closed the driver and removed the Joker memory. “Unless one of you has a better idea?” Placing the memory on an empty slot on her belt, Maud retrieved a silver memory labeled ‘metal’ and slotted it into her side of the driver.
“Cyclone, Metal!” Maud’s driver called out as she opened it again, her armor shifting. What had once been black was replaced by silver and the pattern on the chest was gray with rivets to make it look bolted on. On her back was a staff weapon with a portion of it collapsed at the top.
Grabbing the staff, she extended it to its full length. “Shall we begin?”
Decade and OOO nodded, brandishing their own weapons. Decade darted to the right, aiming for one of the monster’s sides. Maud took the left, swinging her staff at the beast’s shield. The beast swung both its arms upward, blocking both of the rider’s attacks. With a deafening roar, it sent its branch-like antlers out towards their chests.
Maud spun her staff expertly, each end emitting a green colored burst of wind. In a display of excellent footwork, her stormy assault broke most of the antlers before they reached her or Decade.
“Wowee, that training really paid off!” Pinkie commented. “Go Maud!”
Spike took the opportunity to charge forward, lashing at the beast’s chest. With every swipe of his claws, cell medals flew across the street. “Come on, Spoiled! You have to let the medals go! Look at what they’ve done to you!”
“That’s Spoiled Rich?!” Pinkie questioned with a gasp. “I knew she wasn’t nice, but I never thought she’d turn into a literal monster!” A gasp droned out all other noise in Maud’s head. “If she’s a monster now, you should tell Spike to use the pink medals! Maybe he can uncorrupt Spoiled like we did to Princess Luna!”
Maud nodded, looking over at the drake. “OOO, try the pink medals. They might be able to purify her without hurting her. Like what happened with Princess Luna.”
OOO paused mid-slash, staring at her. “How in Equestria do you know that?” He was answered by a shield bash to the face that sent him tumbling away. “Ow...”
“I’ll answer your questions later,” Maud promised, twirling her staff against another flurry of antlers. “But for now just try the pink medals.”
“Alright, alright.” Pulling himself into a sitting position, Spike removed his current medals, replacing them with the pink set. “Here does nothing.” Scanning the medals, OOO rose to his feet even as his armor shifted into UniSaPo.
Decade took the hint, dropping his sword and wrapping his arms around Spoiled’s right arm to restrain it. “OOO, we’ll hold her back, you just hit her with a scanning charge!” he called out.
OOO nodded, grabbing his scanner off his belt and running it along his medals. The medals lit up, the three rings they emitted converging on his right fist. The images of each element appeared around him, looking like cut outs in the air. OOO punched the air a few times, each punch making one of the symbols appear on Spoiled.
“Harmony Punch!” OOO called out, rocketing his fist into Spoiled’s chest.
A rainbow light surrounded the monstrous Spoiled and three riders, blocking them from view from anyone on the street. When it died down, a very naked Spoiled fell flat on her face, the three offending medals rolling away from her.
“I think we need to find Spoiled a blanket,” Pinkie commented, wishing she had control of the head so she could tear her eyes away from the nude mare.
OOO panted, standing over Spoiled. Stepping away, he used his magic to conjure a blanket over her. “She should be okay now...” Turning to Decade and Maud, he gave them both a thumbs up.
“Great job, OOO,” Decade praised. “Now just retrieve the medals and we can get some answers from our new friend here.”
“Of course.” Closing her driver, Maud removed the two memories not really caring if anyone saw her. Her armor disappeared in a flash, revealing her identity
“Oh my gosh it’s… a pony I’ve never seen before,” OOO said, looking Maud over.
“My name is Maud Pie,” Maud introduced, grasping the chain around her neck. Lifting it up, she exposed the symbol of Kuuga that hung at the end. “Loyal vassal of Kuuga.”
Decade stared at Maud, his helmet hiding any of his thoughts. “How about we meet up at Sugarcube Corner after OOO and I undo our transformation?” he suggested. “Something tells me there’s someone else waiting for us there.”
“Of course. “ Maud nodded, turning on her heel. Without further word, she made her way towards Sugarcube Corner. ‘My hunch was right, Pinkie is the perfect partner. I really shouldn’t be surprised. Our field test went off with flying colors.’
A few minutes later and Maud was sitting next to Pinkie with a human and a dragon seated across from her. The human surprised her, she had expected all of Kuuga’s people to be sequestered across the sea on the continent they called home.. “You must be Spike, and Wyatt,” Maud spoke, her voice as monotone as always.
“Wait, Pinkie has something to do with the new rider?” Spike asked, looking between everyone at the table. “Honestly, I don’t really get it.”
“Their rider system needs two minds to work,” Wyatt explained, glancing between the sisters. “One body does the fighting while the other goes limp. But, want I what to know is... that.” He pointed to the necklace Maud proudly displayed.
Maud put one hand beneath the necklace, holding it out. “The Pie family are old blood. Not that anypony would call us nobility. A long time ago, one of my ancestors was trading in human lands. One of the gurongi attacked and if Kuuga had not intervened, my sister and I would not be here now. That pony swore to Kuuga that from that moment on, the Pie family would be at his service as his sworn vassals.”
Spike quirked a brow, focusing his attention on Pinkie. “How come you never told us any of this before? Especially after Wyatt showed up.”
Pinkie rubbed her neck, looking away. “It’s a family secret. Before I left the farm, Pa made me swear I wouldn’t tell a soul about any of it. I can’t break something like that, Spike.”
“It’s fine, Pinkie,” Wyatt assured, resting his hands on the table. “You had your reasons and it never hurt us to be in the dark about it. Which leads to the next question: Are you here to stay?” He turned his gaze to Maud, gesturing her to respond.
“Yes, now that I know that Pinkie is compatible, I’m going to be close by in order to further my research,” Maud explained, taking her hand off her necklace. “If I may make a request, I would like to study your own rider powers as well.”
“I don’t see a problem with that,” Wyatt conceded. “But only if you share all of your findings with the G Project that Celestia has set up. They could use the help.”
Maud nodded in agreement, sitting there quietly with her hands in her lap.
“This is so great!” Pinkie beamed, doing her best to be quiet. “Now Maud and I can help you guys with all your kamen rider stuff.” She giggled and rubbed the back of her head. “Though I’m basically just there in spirit while my body takes an uncomfortable nap.”
The quartet continued their chat, Pinkie doing the talking for Maud whenever she understood the question enough to answer. After a while, Spike pushed away from the table in order to go check on the Rich family.
The Isle of the Pirate King had long ago stopped being just an island of sand and trees. The entirety of the place had been covered by pieces of ships, all haphazardly constructed into a fortress. The very top housed the King himself, and High Wind’s current destination. High Wind did not look forward to telling the King about losing the medals, but he hoped that his information about the person on the ship with medals of his own would earn him some mercy.
Making his way up the fortress, he sound found himself outside the throne room. “I’m here to see the king,” he informed the guards, though he wasn’t sure why Poseidon needed guards. The stallion was king for a reason, and no one would dare challenge him for the title. He still remembered the last poor sod who had been brave or thick enough to attempt it. There was still a stain in front of the throne.
The guards grunted, one gesturing with his head. “King’s been waiting for ya. He ain’t happy ‘bout it either.”
“Wasn’t expecting a red carpet rolled out,” High Wind muttered, walking into the long room where the throne was held. The king was already waiting for him, his mane contained beneath a black bandana. Kneeling down in front of Poseidon, High Wind removed his hat. “My lord, my crew and I have returned.”
“Where are the medals I gave you?” Poseidon asked, lounging in his throne and resting his hands on his cheek. “I recall giving you three of them, High Wind, and I don’t sense them on you.”
High Wind winced, gripping his hat tighter. “I’m sorry my lord, I lost them when our ship was captured.” Looking up, he cleared his throat.
“Oh, you lost them.” He tapped his fingers on the arm rest of his throne, a red spear appearing on his lap. “Is that all? Those medals gave you capabilities beyond that of a normal pony and yet you found a way to lose them.”
“My lord, the ship we attacked had more than just some old sailors on it. There were two in armor like your own.” His hands shaking, he continued. “One of them even used medals of his own.”
The king didn’t seem to react, standing up from his throne with the spear in hand. He walked over to High Wind, putting a hand on his shoulder. “And where was it that this ship had come from?”
“We were following a few days before we struck,” High Wind continued, his blood running cold. “A day before, a great dragon descended upon the ship. I don’t know what was said but it dropped a few ponies off before returning to the dragon lands.” Resisting the urge to look away, he gestured to him. “T-there is one other thing, my king.”
“Then what are you waiting for, say it.” The king’s grip didn’t tighten, but High Wind could feel a great pressure weighing upon him.
“I-I don’t know why, but the guard captain helped us escape. Knocked out the whole compound, even got our ship free of the impound. H-he said to give you Somber Shield’s regards.” Taking a breath, he hoped this next bit would be enough to spare him from the sharp end of Poseidon’s spear. “He also said that the treasure you’ve been looking for is just within reach.”
“I will have to thank this Somber Shield for the message.” High Wind gasped, a sudden pain erupting from his chest. He looked down, the king’s spear stuck in his rib cage. “Even so, I cannot forgive failure, High Wind.” He removed the spear, letting it disappear from existence as High Wind collapsed into a bleeding pile.
Stepping away from the dying stallion, Poseidon returned to his throne. Sitting down, he stared out into the space in front of him. A slight tinge of pain shot through him for a moment, a sweet voice and a smiling face flashing through his mind. “She’s gone…” The voice left as quickly as it had come and he was left staring blankly at his throne room for a while as High Wind took his last breath. “And I will have what is mine.”