Princess Celestia sipped at her tea, savoring the sweet flavor for a few fleeting moments. The last few days had been a nightmare of paperwork. The situation in Ponyville had called her meeting with the sultan of Saddle Arabia short. Not that it could be helped, a crazed rider putting one of her own in the hospital and conquering a town demanded her attention.
The ultimate surprise came from hearing how the matter had been resolved. Twilight of all ponies had become a Kamen Rider and defeated the would-be tyrant with Spike’s aid. Celestia’s brow furrowed, a part of her wondering if Twilight’s newfound dragon’s blood and rider powers would interfere with certain plans she had for her student.
Letting the thought linger for only a moment more, Celestia turned to the door. “Raven, would you be a dear and send Captain Celaeno in? I’m ready to see her.”
“Of course, Princess,” Raven responded, looking up from her clipboard. “Should I also have the chefs whip up some special snacks that are suited to her specie’s palate?”
“Please do,” Celestia responded, placing her cup on the table. “I want her as comfortable as possible.”
“I will get right on that, Princess.” Raven bowed and quickly exited the room.
A few moments later Celaeno entered, a hard to read look on her face. Crossing her arms over her chest, taking in every detail of the room. The room Celestia had picked was a little sun room tucked away in the back of the castle. It was relatively simple; two couches, a table, some plants and a balcony overlooking the lands below Mount Canter.
“It is good to finally make your acquaintance, Celaeno,” Celestia greeted, nodding at the parrot woman. “Please, have a seat.” She waved a hand towards the couch across from her.
Celaeno moved over to the indicated seat, taking it without much flair. “Is there a reason you’ve called me here, your highness?”
“Yes, my former captain personally gave me a briefing regarding your situation.” Celestia crossed one of her legs over the other. “Given that you were threatened to hijack the ship containing my student, I believe it’s only fair I give you a choice aside from prison. Tell me, do you know what's happening on our world?”
“I’ve heard bits and pieces,” Celaeno admitted nonchalantly. “Ponies in the taverns we’ve visited won’t stop going on about monsters and some fancy wedding getting crashed.”
“I’ll keep it simple; our world is under threat from an organization from another world. At the moment, they’ve contented themselves with harassing Equestria, but I can’t imagine that will continue much longer.” Leaning back, Celestia let out a tired sigh. “These last few months have been a hectic whirlwind to safeguard Equestria.”
“Not to sound callous or anything, but what does any of that have to do with me?” the pirate questioned, picking up one of the nicer looking pastries and giving it a sniff. Deeming it edible, she took a bite. “I’m just a pirate you captured; Equestria’s never been a home for me. And I’ve yet to meet a dictator that’s commanded total control of the seas.”
“The fact of the matter is Captain, as it stands no one in this country has more experience in airship combat than you.” Lighting her horn, she levitated over a small box. “Our military has no actual combat experience; which is why I would like you to become admiral of the Equestrian Air Force.”
Celaeno quirked a brow, looking between the box and the princess. “You’ve gotta be pullin’ my pegleg. I try to kidnap a drake that turns out to be one of your citizens and you’re offering me a job?”
Celestia smiled, placing the box in front of Celaeno. “Equestria was built on forgiveness and understanding. I don’t want to chain you down, Celaeno, I’m asking for your help. Our world won’t survive if we don’t all work together.”
“So what all would being an admiral entail?” Celaeno inquired, opening the box and pulling out a medal. “Sounds like I’d be trading in literal chains for bureaucratic tape.”
“Yes, there will be paperwork involved,” Celestia admitted, taking another sip of her tea. “I’m asking for your help; to be more than just a pirate. If you say no, then you and your crew can leave with no hassle.”
Celaeno started to laugh, dropping the medal back in the box. “Wait, so my choices are walk off scott free or work for you? What kind of negotiating tactic is that?”
“It’s not meant to be one.” Celestia put her cup back down, looking into Celaeno’s eyes. “Either I convince you of our plight, or I don’t. You attacked the freighter in duress, and I have no intention to prosecute you.”
Polishing off the last of her pastry, Celaeno met the princess’s gaze with a look of bemusement. “I gotta say, Princess, you’re way more interesting than other leaders I’ve dealt with. Alright, I might be willing to join up with you; on the condition that my crew gets to work for me.”
“Of course, I would never break your crew up.” Reaching into her dress, she produced a scroll. “Now that you’re considering the idea, I’d like to talk to you about your ship.”
Celaeno grinned, leaning forward in her seat. “Now you’re speaking my language. Are ya putting me at the helm of some top of the line beauty? Kind of a shame that I can’t use mine, but I’m thinking you’re gonna give me a bigger crew than my old girl can carry.”
Spreading the scroll out, Celestia turned it towards Celaeno. “We’re constructing it from iron wood; lighter and tougher than steel. The deer hoard the stuff, but I managed to secure a steady supply.” Pointing towards the back, she tapped the scroll. “We’re also going to be adding our latest set of engines; run completely off magic.”
“Now that is a clever little invention.” Celaeno picked up the scroll and let out an impressed sounding whistle. “I think I can live with a vessel like that. There’s just one more question I have for you.” Her grin turned cheeky. “What’s the navy’s fraternization policy? You can’t put me in charge of a ton of fit stallions and not be tempted to walk their planks if ya catch my drift.”
“I leave that your discretion, as long as it doesn’t become a distraction.” Celestia moved her hand over the scroll, pointing out the ships features. Rock Spider silk sails, Windigo breath ice chests, Crystal Empire cutlery and minotaur bronze cannons.
“With a ship like this, Princess, I think I’d even spend my shore leave aboard this thing,” Celaeno commented, her eyes twinkling as she stared at the scroll. “You might have to introduce me to your design team.”
Chuckling, Celestia nodded her head. “I can arrange that, the only thing left, is to give it a name. Did you have anything in mind?”
Celaeno tapped her foot on the floor and looked up at the ceiling in thought. “Gotta go with something cocky like, The Invincible.”
Celestia smiled, rolling the scroll up and tucking it away. “I’ll tell the team to write that on the helm as soon as possible. It’s a fine name for a fine ship. I look forward to seeing what you’ll do with it, Admiral.”
Leaning forward, Celaeno grinned at Celestia. “In my line of work, it’s customary to seal a deal over a drink. I imagine you must have some strong drink, aye?”
“I have several bottles of spirits,” Celestia confirmed, resting her cheek on her hand. “Do you have any preference? Since you’re a former pirate, I’d hazard a guess that it’s rum. I just so happen to have a bottle or two in my possession.”
Chuckling, Celeano relaxed in her seat. “A dark rum sounds good right about now. Strongest ya got, sun mare. I want something my peg leg will feel!”
“I think that can be arranged,” Celestia replied, calling for Raven to come into the room. Once her request was given, the solar princess fell into some light chatter with the former pirate. When the rum arrived, the two clinked their glasses together and sealed their agreement. After a moment’s thought, Celestia told Raven to clear her schedule for the day and asked for another bottle of rum.
“Planning on drinking the day away with a pirate?” Celaeno grinned, knocking back her glass. A coughing laugh escaped her beak as she set her empty drink down. “Now that, that burns just right.”
“That’s exactly what I plan to do,” Celestia replied, draining half of her second glass. “I always like spending time with someone that isn’t an uptight noble or suckup. With the fallout from what just happened in Ponyville, I need to let my hair down.” Taking another sip of her rum, she grabbed a scone while closing her eyes.
“Can you even let that wavy mane of yers down?” Celaeno teased, draining her glass. “Looks like it has places to be to me.”
“It better not have anywhere to be but my head,” Celestia replied, pouring herself a cup of tea to chase the rum. “I would look dreadful bald. Could you picture me addressing Canterlot and my mane flying right off my scalp?”
Celaeno laughed, pouring herself another glass. “I can only imagine how many eyes would pop out. That’d get you a lot of stares. Just imagine how many you’d get if you went out wearing nothing at all.”
Giggling, Celestia dipped the scone in her tea. “I’m pretty sure I would wind up the centerfold in several magazines. Not exactly a very regal image.” The thought was appealing, if only to watching the nobility lose its mind. But it would be nigh impossible to be taken seriously by foreign diplomats if she decided to indulge in this idea.
Feeling a nice buzz, Celaeno leaned back in her seat. “I imagine a pony like you must have a lot cooped up in that head of yours. Since you’re sharing a drink with a notorious pirate, why not get some of that off your chest?”
There was a slight flush to Celestia’s cheeks, the alcohol beginning to work its magic on her as well. “Oh? Is a certain admiral trying to get juicy dirt on me so I can’t fire her if she messes up?” Setting her cup down, she gave Celaeno a smile. “Alright, I’ll indulge you.”
Rubbing her hands together, Celaeno chuckled to herself. “This is gonna be good! And to be fair, I’ll share some of my own exploits.”
“I never said exploits,” Celestia replied, giving a little wag of her finger. “You know, my sister made a comment, not too long ago. That I plan out the futures of those around me. I blew her off of course; but after recent events, I can’t help but feel she’s right.”
“So you like to play chess with people’s lives?” Celeano questioned, sipping at her drink. “What made ya realize that?”
“When the Crystal Empire returned, so did its ruler, King Sombra. When the powers of harmony cleansed the city, it reverted him to a foal.” Closing her eyes, Celestia recalled the conversation with her student. “I’m afraid I thrust parenthood on my student, a mare whose only just discovering what life has to offer. I thought it was a perfect solution, but now, I just...”
“Are ya talkin’ ‘bout that purple mare with the gray colt? From what little I got to know her, she’s taken quite well to motherhood.”
“Something that should have happened naturally, not forced by my hand.” Placing her head in her hands, Celestia allowed herself to droop. “I can only imagine this is why Sunset ran away. How could I not realize something like this? Tartarus, I’m even trying to do it with you, Admiral.”
“Last time I checked, you offered me a chance to walk away with no repercussions,” Celaeno pointed out, confiscating Celestia’s glass. “I’d hardly call that manipulating me.” Downing the drink, she placed it back in its spot. “Seems to me like you just want what’s best for everyone.”
“That doesn’t mean I should push them towards that outcome without giving them even the foggiest clue what I intend for them,” Celestia argued, drooping even further. “I-I have a plan for Twilight, a plan that’s been in the motion since she was a filly. I know it’s her destiny; yet, how can I just expect her to be who I want her to be?”
“I dunno, what is it you want her to be exactly?” the parrot woman pressed, quirking a brow at the princess.
“My equal, in power and status,” Celestia replied, not raising her gaze.
Celaeno paused for a while, the meaning of that sentence lost on her. Eventually, the answer was able to pierce through her drunken veil and struck her violently. “Hold up, you’re makin’ her a princess!”
Sighing, Celestia nodded her head. “That’s my hope. I know she’s more than capable of it. I just... don’t want to force it on her. She deserves more than that.”
“Sorry, but can we roll this back a bit?” Celaeno begged, rubbing the side of her head. “I thought only you winged and horned ponies were princesses. How’s the little unicorn supposed t’pull that off. Ya gonna use a hot glue gun and put some wings on her back?”
Celestia tsked, raising her head to give the parrot a glare. “Nothing so barbaric, but yes, Twilight would, hopefully, earn her wings.”
“You ponies are so weird,” Celaeno muttered, shaking her head. “Now you lot can just become princesses with yer magic.” Grabbing the bottle, she took a long drink. “Well, I’m not exactly sure what to tell you, princess.”
Sighing, Celestia leaned back in her seat. “I wouldn’t expect you to. Sorry, I shouldn’t have unloaded all of that on you.” Taking the bottle from her, she downed a few gulps. “Feels good to finally talk about it, though.”
“Well, if you ever need to talk like this again, as long as there’s more booze involved you can count me in.” Celaeno grinned and grabbed the bottle again. To think she’d end up drinking with a princess; the pair of them slamming down a bottle of rum. Pushing the surrealness out of her head, she shot the princess a cocky grin.“Now then, let me tell you how I lost my leg.”
Wyatt grumbled as he returned to consciousness once more. The barren white walls silently greeted him like they had the last few days. The window to his side had been left open a crack, a slight breeze wafting the cloying scent of powerful antiseptics into his nostrils.
Despite his insistence that he was fine, Wyatt’s doctor wouldn’t release him in fear of his stitches breaking open. The slight bright spot was that Wyatt had been cleared to take showers on his own, on the condition that Redheart stood right outside the bathroom just in case anything were to go wrong.
“If they expect me to forgive that crazy bitch, they got another thing coming...” Sucking in a deep breath through his nostrils, he sat up in his bed. Redheart had told him that Trixie had been stopped, though for some reason neglected to go into detail on the matter. “Would it kill someone to talk to me?!” he called, glaring at the doors.
Redheart opened the door, poking her head inside with a frown. “Geez Wyatt, I know being cooped up in here sucks, but can you please keep it down for the other patients?”
“Sorry if my cabin fever bothers you,” Wyatt replied, turning his head. “It’d be one thing if I could watch T.V but the other things to do here are to read and stare at the ceiling.”
“Sorry we don’t have the kind of entertainment you want,” Redheart replied, walking into the room. “I’m sure your friends will be by later today to see you so you’ll have to make do with the books for now. We just got in some donations so I might be able to grab you something interesting. Is there a genre you’d prefer?”
Sighing, Wyatt relented. “Horror or adventure. And please, make sure you don’t get them from a crazy librarian, I don’t feel like becoming an illustration.”
“Oh, I think I remember seeing a horror book among the new donations,” Redheart said, perking up. “I’ll go see if I can find it and when I get back you can explain what I’m sure was a hilarious reference.” Turning on her hoof, she slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Wyatt clicked his tongue, adjusting his pillow. He knew he had been sent to the hospital too many times when the staff were no longer surprised by his out of nowhere references. “I’ll have to either get obscure or get more native material...”
It only took a moment of thought to make his choice. Making obscure references native to Equestria was the clear winner. What could be more surprising? The only issue would be that he’d need to study Equestrian materials. Good thing he lived in a library.
Sighing, Wyatt closed his eyes. He knew he was just distracting himself from thinking about his defeat at Trixie’s hands. Honestly, defeat was something he was getting way too familiar with. Flash Fire’s lessons were only getting him so far, he’d need something to give him a boost. Unfortunately, the only thing that came to mind was most likely in Tartarus.
“There’s gotta be something...” Thoughts and ideas ran through his head, giving him suggestions. “Am I just a crappy Decade?” Summoning his driver, he turned it over in his hands. “Really starting to feel like I’m playing catch up.”
“Wyatt?” Twilight’s voice called from outside the door. “Can I come in? We have some things to talk about.”
Wyatt let the driver disappear and shot up in bed. “Oh thank god, social interaction! Come in, Twilight! I’m going to die of boredom in here.” The sudden motion brought a slight wave of pain, making him lay back down. “Yes, please, come in.”
The door opened, revealing Twilight with a weak smile on her face. Moving over to the side of his bed, she leaned down and gave Wyatt a quick kiss. “How are you feeling?”
“Stir crazy.” Sitting up, he pulled her into a hug. “What took you so long? No one’s come to see me in days and Redheart won’t tell me what happened.”
Twilight chuckled nervously, tapping her pointer fingers together. “Yeah, I sorta asked to be the one to tell you everything.” Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she rested a hand on his knee. “I would’ve been here sooner, but I was helping get the town back in order.”
“How’s the town doing? Are Maud and Daring okay?” The thought of his friends stuck in such horrible positions just made him hate Trixie more. “Trixie better pray that they aren’t.”
Twilight smiled and patted his knee. “The town’s as back to normal as this place can ever be and those two have returned to being themselves. They changed back as soon as the amulet came off Trixie’s neck.”
“That’s a big weight off my shoulders.” Wyatt smiled, putting his hands behind his head. “So... how did you guys take her down? She hit like a truck, that necklace was like magic steroids.”
Twilight chuckled nervously again, giving his knee a squeeze. “Well, I found something in the Castle of the Two Sisters that turned out to be very helpful. It was the unfinished project of Clover the Clever, Starswirl’s apprentice.” Holding her other hand up, she showed off a very familiar ring.
Wyatt’s eyes widened in recognition, zeroing in on the ring. “You’re Kamen Rider Wizard now?!” He gaped at her, his mind shutting down partially. “That’s awesome!” He grabbed her up in a hug, unable to keep a grin from splitting his face.
Twilight blinked, returning the hug. “That wasn’t quite the response I was expecting. I would’ve thought that you’d try to tell me that being a Rider was too dangerous and we’d get into an argument.”
“Even if I did, would you give it up?” Wyatt pulled back, looking into her eyes. “It would have been like when you and Spike butted heads over his rider powers. Who am I to tell you no?”
Chuckling, she leaned in and gave him another kiss. “Thank you for understanding, Wyatt.” Taking one of his hands in hers, she gave it a squeeze. “I want to be there for you no matter what. If that means becoming a Rider, then I’ll gladly do it.”
“How did Celestia take it?” he asked, kissing her hand. “I bet she’s worrying her head off about you. Won’t take a week for her to gain some grey streaks.”
Giggling, Twilight waved him off. “Oh come on, Wyatt, you’re just being silly. Princess Celestia was surprised, but she wasn’t worried. I don’t think she even can lose her cool.” Wiping at the corners of her eyes, she recovered from her giggle fit. “But she only stayed for a little bit to help out with reconstruction. There were important matters in Canterlot that needed her attention.”
Nodding, Wyatt’s expression hardened. “Tell me she tossed Trixie into a jail cell. Anything less is a miscarriage of justice.” At Twilight’s apologetic smile, his look deepened. “Seriously? She wasn’t arrested for enslaving the damn town?”
“I can understand why you’re upset, Wyatt, but there’s a reason why Trixie isn’t in jail. Her Ixa belt only works on members of the Lulamoon family. So Princess Celestia thought it was best that she work with the G-Project as part of her punishment,” Twilight explained, waving her hand by her head.
Grunting, Wyatt put a hand over his eyes. “I suppose national safety trumps terrorism.”
“Don’t worry, if Trixie tries anything the rest of us can put a stop to her now that the Alicorn Amulet is locked away,” Twilight assured, giving him a smile. “Now, would you care to hear how I got my Driver? I haven’t seen you in days and I am not letting you be miserable a second longer.”
Moving his hand, Wyatt returned her smile. “Yeah, that should be pretty good. Tell me how you got into showbiz, Twily.”
Giggling, she settled in and started to tell the story starting from when she first met up with Zecora. She spared no detail, explaining how she stumbled into the chamber with the medallion that went on to become her belt. She concluded with her battle against the malevolent force inside the Alicorn Amulet and how she had teamed up with Trixie.
Wyatt whistled, giving her a once over. “Damn, Twilight. That’s way more hardcore than my first day. Good on ya.” He socked her in the arm, grinning like an idiot. “Sombra’s gonna be so excited, both his caretakers are superheros.”
“To be fair, I did have my own version of a Yoda training montage before I went out and fought,” Twilight replied. Upon seeing his dumbfounded expression, she giggled like a filly. “What? Just because I don’t understand your references doesn’t mean I don’t listen when you talk about them.”
“Dear god, do I need new material.” He groaned, letting his head hang. “I’m all washed up, Twilight. People are catching onto my act.”
Rolling her eyes, she patted his leg. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out. As for what you said about Sombra, he cheered his little head off when he found out I was a Rider. He misses you by the way. He’s been asking nonstop about when you’re coming home.”
“Maybe you could convince Redheart to let me go home?” Wyatt gave her a hopeful smile. He had no idea how much longer he’d be able to put up with the hospital. The place was driving him up the wall.
“I’ll see what I can do, but I’m not having you keel over on me,” she told him, poking him in the chest. “If they give me a good reason for you staying here then you’ll just have to live with the boredom.” Her expression softened and she put her hand on his shoulder. “If you don’t give the ponies at the hospital any trouble, there’ll be a nice surprise waiting for you at home,” she promised, her smile turning devious.
“What kind of surprise?” Wyatt pressed, not certain he liked that smile.
“Something I’m sure you’d like,” Twilight said, getting up off the bed. “Now, I’m gonna go talk to your doctor and see about getting you out of here. Turning on her heel, she slipped out of the room, Wyatt watching the last strands of her tail before the door closed behind her.
Laying on his bed, Wyatt stared up at the ceiling. “Welp, my life just took a strange turn. Please, for my own sanity, let her get me out of here.” He couldn’t keep his eyes off the door, counting the seconds until she returned.
In the back of his head, he digested the news that Twilight had just given him. She had become a Kamen Rider. Not only that, but she had worked hard to basically create her gear with Zecora’s help. He knew she was a capable mare, but that certainly took the cake.
“She’s freaking amazing...” he muttered to himself, a proud smile spreading across his face. “How did a schlub like me get a girl like her? She could have anybody in the world if she really wanted to.” Summoning his card case, he cracked it open. “You know, I never checked. Do I have a W or Wizard card now?”
Flipping through his cards his self doubt disappeared for a moment as he saw a card with the Wizard helmet on it. “Very nice, might have to try out the catchphrase.” Throwing his hand out to his side he said, “Now, it’s showtime.” He let his hand drop and nodded sagely. “Yeah, that felt pretty good.”
“What felt pretty good?” Twilight asked, stepping back into the room. “Did you find something nice in your collectibles?”
“Take a look for yourself,” Wyatt replied, proudly showing off his new Wizard card. “And I just tested out Wizard’s catchphrase. I think it suited me.”
“Do you really want to switch now from your classic one though?” she questioned, sitting at the edge of his bed. “Also, I’ve got some good news and bad news. The good news is that I was able to lessen your stay here.” Before he could jump out of bed she added, “But the lowest he’d go is two more nights.”
Wyatt groaned, sinking back into his head. “Why must I be trapped in this sterile hell? What did I do to deserve this? Did I kick puppies in a past life or something?”
“It won’t be that bad you big baby,” Twilight assured, lightly slapping his arm. “I’ll be back to visit these next two days. Just focus on getting better, okay? For me?” She flashed him a pair of puppy dog eyes, quivering her lip.
Barely holding out for a moments, he put his hands up. “Alright, alright. I’ll stick around to get better; on one condition.” Reaching out, he poked her nose. “You gotta visit everyday and keep me company.”
“Deal,” Twilight answered, sealing it with a kiss. “I just said I’d do that. Work on your listening skills,” she teased, gently flicking his forehead. “Maybe we should do that for my visits?”
“Make a simple mistake and suddenly you’re inattentive,” he grumbled, making a show of rubbing his forehead. “But whatever, I’m good for anything as long as you’re here.” The two spent the remainder of Wyatt’s visiting hours catching up; though it came much too quickly for his tastes. Still, he did feel much more at ease after seeing her.
The haphazard construction of Klugetown was the first thing that caught visitor’s eyes; the second being all the strange beings that inhabited it. Many strange anthropomorphic races called the junk city home: cats, mice, hedgehogs, pigs, sharks, even a few turtles. Because of this oddball nature, none of them questioned the black garbed being bearing a demon’s mask.
The cloaked being walked through a dusty bazaar, turning his head to examine the stalls. The hodgepodge of shopkeepers were mostly selling junk, bits of scrap and dilapidated gadgets graced the surfaces of their tables. If it wasn’t garbage, then it was food that looked about as edible as the table it rested on. However, one shopkeeper called out a type of ware that caught the demon masked being’s attention.
“Got ourselves a fine new shipment here!” A blue fishman called out. “Why we even have a pony of all things in our lineup today! Take yourself home a young mare ready to serve you!”
Oni paused, turning towards the fishman. “A mare you say? Please, elaborate.”
“Ah, now there’s a discerning eye,” the fishman complimented, pivoting on his stubby legs to grin at Oni. “Aye, we’ve got ourselves a mare in stock. Pretty thing too at the height of her youth. Little unicorn got caught by a wrecked airship in the middle of the desert. The rest of the crew wasn’t so lucky.”
Oni stepped closer, peering out from his mask. “I’d like to see her first.”
The fishman nodded, waving his hand towards one of the haphazardly built towers. “Of course, good sir. Follow me and I can show you everything we have in stock.” Oni tuned out the rest of his chatter as they walked through the dusty streets.
Keeping an eye on the fishman, flexing his fist slightly. No use in doing anything to the cretin now. Better to simply let him talk; pretend to be interested in his trade. Opening the door to the tower, the fishman ushered Oni inside. The building was nothing special looking, a lobby of sorts with a couple of rooms branching off and a staircase at the far end that had a flight going up and down.
With some sort of grand speech that Oni promptly tuned out, the fishman led him downstairs into a long hallway of cells. Inside each one was a cluster of chained beings. Their species were varied but each one had the same dead eyes. Save for one in the last cell on the right. It was the unicorn that the fishman had hyped up, struggling against her chains and whipping her head to and fro as if looking for some means to escape. Her cellmates paid her no mind, simply sitting and staring off at the stone walls blankly.
“This is her?” Oni asked, his eyes roving over the mare. “What about the others?”
“The others are something to consider if you’re looking for a less rare slave,” the fishman answered. He pointed to a small hedgehog sitting at the back of the cell, their white hair matted down against their scalp. “That one’s the cheapest. He’s been here the longest.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not in the market for a slave.” Oni grabbed the fishmans head, slamming it into the bars. “Perhaps you should find a new line of work?”
The fishman’s only reply was a garbled mess of nonsense as blood filled his mouth. Spitting out a glob of blood and spit, he pulled a thin, silver whistle from his pocket and gave it a long blow.
Oni sighed, gazing down at the fishman. “No matter who you call, you won’t get rid of me.” With a flourish of his hand and a flash of flame, a sword formed in his hand. “I hope you have good health insurance.”
The fishman attempted to beg, but between his shattered teeth and the blood in his mouth, Oni couldn’t make out anything coherent. A moment later, and several goons piled into the hallway, some were fish men like the slaver he was assaulting, while others resembled yetis.
Staring down the newcomers, Oni took a step forward. “There’s no law here, we all know that. Only those who carry big sticks.” Lifting his sword, he entered into a stance. “I happen to carry the bigger stick.”
Ignoring his warning, the gang of slavedrivers charged at Oni two by two. He kicked the first fishman in the side of the head to knock him out before meeting their charge head on and swung his sword into another fish man’s gut.
In a blazing whirlwind, he danced through the group. Dodging and absorbing hits, Oni’s blade disabled each, leaving them all withering on the ground. They were bloody, but none of them were dead. Oni pointed his sword at the nearest yeti, igniting his sword so the embers would fall on its face.
“I want you and your friends here to leave now or else your lives are forfeit. And, spread the word through the city; the slave trade is officially over.” Swinging his sword, Oni cleaved through the bars of a cell, stunning the now former slaves within it. Walking up to the now fearful mare, he expertly cut through her bindings. Kneeling down, he let the tip of his saber rest on the floor. “Are you alright, little one?” he asked, examining her. There were a few cuts and bruises poking out from beneath her pink fur and sand and grime caked her aqua colored mane. But other than that, she appeared physically healthy.
“W-who are you supposed to be?” the mare asked, rubbing her wrists now that they were free of her bonds while eyeing Oni critically. “Are you one of those Kamen Riders that works for Princess Celestia?”
Oni tilted his head, regarding the mare not unkindly. “And what would you know of Kamen Riders?”
“I know that Princess Celestia has made a team of them to fight the monsters that have been showing up all over Equestria lately,” the mare answered. “Oh, and this one uh… hoo-man that lives in some town called Ponyville has written articles about them.” Reaching into her dress, she pulled out a newspaper. “This was on the airship. The slavers let me have it so I could,” she coughed, clearing her throat with a blush that her pink fur hid well. “Clean up after myself.”
Taking the paper, his eyes eyes scanned over it. Words could not describe the feelings that surged to life inside of him when his eyes landed on a picture of Kuuga. Clentching his fist, he placed it gently on the ground. “Can you walk?”
The mare pushed herself upright, wobbling for a moment before testing her legs. “Yeah, I think I can walk. Legs are just a little asleep thanks to those chains being on me for a couple days.”
Oni nodded, standing back up. “What about the rest of you? Can you make it out of here alright?”
The assembled slaves nodded vigorously, a flicker of hope appearing in their eyes as they held out their chains towards Oni. Raising his sword once more,freeing them from their binds. There was a beat, and then the freed slaves crowded around him and cheered. The flicker of hope became a full blown light, their grim faces illuminating with bright expressions as each of the slaves thanked Oni in their native tongues.
“Get moving,” Oni ordered, nodding towards the door. “They shouldn’t come looking for you.”
The free beings didn’t need to be told twice, all of them save the mare charging for the exit as fast as their legs could carry them. She smoothed out her dress, a weak smile on her face. “I don’t suppose I could hire you to take me back to Equestria?”
“I don’t need your money,” Oni dismissed, letting his saber fade from existence. “But I am heading that way. We can part ways at the first settlement.”
The mare nodded, standing close to his side. “Thank you so much. I think I can manage to get back home once we reach an Equestrian village. May I ask your name, good sir?”
“You can just call me Oni,” he told her, adjusting his cloak and slowly making his way towards the stairs. “It’s the only name I use anymore.” His mind lingered on the picture of Kuuga, the thought refusing to leave him be. After a moment of thought, a detail stuck out to him. Kuuga wasn’t wearing the Arcle in the photo. Instead, the belt in the picture was a Decadriver.
‘Alright, Decade. You wanna masquerade as my brother? Fine, I’ll just make sure to collect my royalties.’