A few days after the return from the Navajo Reservation Sweetie Drops opened the door to her small apartment in Canterlot. She sighed a little as she took a seat at a desk and brushed her hair back as she picked up a picture that was sitting on it. It was of her when she was younger with some of her friends.
She hadn’t really heard from them since she joined SMILE, it wasn’t that she couldn’t make friends outside the agency but she wasn’t sure if she could handle lying to them. Maybe that was why she lived alone, she was afraid to get close to anyone.
“What am I doing with my life,” she said with a sigh as she looked at the picture and then took out a card from her pocket. It was half a card that depicted a man reaching out with some sort of divine figure behind him.
Ironic really, the Lovers, a card that represented love and companionship. Half of it had come to her some time ago, and the other half… well no one really knew where that was. The best guess was that it belonged to someone else and that until she found that person she couldn’t use the card.
She just wished that she knew who that person was and how she could find them.
“Wherever you are out there, I’m sure you’re just as confused as I am about this thing,” she said with a chuckle as she put the card back away. “I just hope that you’re closer to figuring it out than I am.”
She had to admit she was a little jealous of Scootaloo. She still had her friends and even her lover, they had been written in because they could be trusted. Could the same have been said about her own friends?
She’d never find out now. She put it down and went over to the kitchen and set out to make dinner. For now, she was on her own and until SMILE picked up another reading of Order activity she didn’t have anything to do.
She just hoped that it wouldn’t be too long.
00000
“What do the cards tell you today, Priellit?” The man in black asked as he approached the masked woman as she shuffled the cards. “What is the will of the Wheel of Fortune?”
“You know as well as I do that it is not as simple as just asking,” Priellit said as she set the deck down in front of her. “I was not expecting you, it is usually Caesar that calls upon my services. What brings the second in command to our Master here?”
“Caesar’s lost his touch, the wheel is beginning to spin negative for him,” the man in black said with a smirk. “I on the other hand can give our new agent a better chance. What does the wheel say now Priestess?”
“The wheel spins, and the time is near,” Priellit said as she set the non-summoning deck down and drew the top card. It depicted a man and a woman with their hands intertwined and each holding a cup with winged snakes. “The Two of Cups, a card of unified love and partnership, curious.”
“Curious?” The man in black asked.
“The Two of Cups is a card that represents love or closeness between two individuals with similar ideals,” Priellit said. “Specifically, these are only in their early stages. Perhaps the Wheel is telling us that a new player is about to enter the scene, or something else.”
“Then we will be ready for them, draw our next card,” the man in black said as he looked at her. “I will perform the summoning myself this time.”
“As you say my lord,” Priellit said as she shuffled the summoning deck and placed it down on the table. “The Wheel of Fortune still spins, let us see what it gives us to bring us closer to the Convergence.”
She picked the top card off the deck and set it down on the table. It depicted a man that was chiseling at an archway surrounded by two other men and with three pentagrams hovering above his head.
“The Three of Pentacles,” she said. “A card that represents a lack of teamwork and a disregard for skills. An interesting choice on the part of the Wheel. Can you work with this?”
“Of course,” the man in black said as he picked up the card and began to chant in an unintelligible language. A fiery aura flared up around the card and Priellit stepped back, her visible eye going wide in surprise.
She had never seen him summon a card before, that was usually her job. She knew that he was a summoner but he had always left that role to her. As the chanting finished the card vanished from his hand and energy flew off out of the room.
“You had better know what you’re doing,” Priellit said as she picked up the deck and placed it back in her robes. “You know just as well as I do that she is out there somewhere and she’ll be looking for those cards.”
“Yes, I know, but I’ve taken extra precautions this time,” the man in black said. “We will not have a repeat of what happened with the Ace of Pentacles. The power I have given the spirit will require more than some mere Rider. This will not fail, I assure you.”
Priellit just glanced at him and went back to her table as she looked up at the screen. It was time to see if he was as good as his word.
00000
Elsewhere in Canterlot a man was writing on a piece of paper while some others were practicing on a bass and drums. The man writing frowned a little as he glanced up at the others with a shake of his head.
“I’m trying to write here… do you have to practice here?” He said.
“Hey, we picked this room because it has the best acoustics you know,” the bass player said as he shot him a look. “We have to practice for the upcoming battle of the bands if we want to do good. If you don’t like it Vic, you can always go write somewhere else.”
“I told you, this is where I think best!” Vic snapped back at him. “I need to get this song done for the battle of the bands.”
“We got into this band to make music, why don’t you let us help you write the song this time?” The drummer asked. “It would probably go by a lot faster if you did.”
“Why? Last time I let you do that your ideas were all terrible!” Vic said with a laugh. “We’d lose for sure if I let you two try and write again!”
“Yeah, well maybe we don’t want to be in a band with you anymore then,” the bass player said as he packed up his bass. “Come on Steve, let’s get out of here. If he wants to write music by himself he can.”
“Bah, fine, I don’t need either of you!” Vic said as he waved his hand dismissively. “I can write this myself! I can do this without either of you!”
The other band members just waved him off dismissively as they headed out. The drummer Steve muttered something about being by to get his drums later which just left Vic sitting there alone.
“I don’t need them… all I need is me, they’d just hold me back anyway,” Vic said as he crumpled up the paper he had been working on and threw it to the side. He started writing again on the paper. “Yeah… I can do this all by myself.”
He kept writing as he played on his guitar to try and get an idea of what he was writing. He scowled a little as he looked at the paper and kept playing with the guitar as he sighed a little. If he was going to do this on his own he had to make sure that he knew what he was doing.
“Alright Vic, you can do this, you’ve written music for yourself before,” he said as he frowned a little and tried to write more. “Come on, think… you can do this…”
“Do you need help?” A disembodied voice said from around him.
“Who the hell said that?” He said as he snapped up and looked around for the source of the voice. “Who’s there?”
“Someone who wants to help you,” the voice said as he felt a hand on his shoulder. “You have a lot of potential as a songwriter. If you agree to my deal, then I will give you the power to become the greatest singer and songwriter the world has ever known.”
“What do I have to do in return?” Vic asked.
“Serve the Order, help me take down our enemies and you will get everything you ever desired,” the voice said. “What do you say Victor, it seems like a small price to pay for your heart’s greatest desire. This is your chance to have everything you ever wanted, you only have to give me what I want.”
“Fine, you have a deal,” Vic said with no further hesitation.
The voice said nothing more as a card appeared on the ground in front of him. He reached forward and picked it up. His eyes glowed as the same symbol appeared on his chest. He knew what he must do to serve the Order.
As the power flowed through him he placed his guitar in the case and picked it up as he walked out of the basement and upstairs.
He had to get the best band together he could, one that wouldn’t argue with him. And now he had the power to do so.
00000
Scootaloo smiled a little as she watched Sweetie singing. She had come to the High Note Cafe for lunch and was mostly happy she was getting a chance to relax. There hadn’t been any sign of the Order since the incident on the Reservation so everything seemed to be calming down, for now at least.
“She’s got a beautiful voice,” a waitress with green hair and darker skin said with a small chuckle as she walked up to take Scootaloo’s order. “Let me guess, you’re that girlfriend she always talks about?”
“Heh, yeah, how’d you know?” Scootaloo asked.
“Let’s just say that usually when someone is that focused on Sweetie Belle they’re not interested in her voice,” the waitress said with a roll of her eyes. “Sometimes I think we get customers here who are just interested in us as eye candy.”
“It’s a shame, Sweetie’s been singing ever since we were kids and she’s still got a beautiful voice,” Scootaloo said with a shake of her head. “But, yeah I’m the girlfriend. I don’t have to knock any heads around here do I?”
“No, right now they’re mostly being quiet,” the waitress said with a chuckle. She couldn’t help but chuckle at the idea of the rather petite young woman trying to take on any of the people that would give Sweetie trouble. “Anyway, what would you like to eat?”
“Huh, oh yeah,” Scootaloo said as she ordered her usual. The waitress finished writing it down and walked off to the kitchen to turn it in.
She smiled a little as she looked back at Sweetie who was just finishing her song and spotted her watching. Sweetie gave her a slight wink as she finished singing and walked over to where her manager was before heading over to the table.
“On another break I see?” Scootaloo said with a chuckle as she raised an eyebrow at the young woman. “I heard from one of your co-workers that you’ve been having problems with boys staring at you.”
“Oh, nothing I can’t handle,” Sweetie said as she leaned in and gave Scootaloo a light kiss on the lips. “Besides, that’s just Lyra, she’s pretty new here.”
“Lyra?” Scootaloo asked as she raised an eyebrow curiously.
“Yeah, Lyra Heartstrings I think her name is,” Sweetie said. “She likes to talk about herself a lot, but she seems nice enough. She’s not much of a singer, but they hired her to do backup music from time to time.”
“Well, she seems nice enough, I don’t have to be jealous do I?” Scootaloo asked.
“Nope, you’re the only woman for me and you know that,” Sweetie said with a laugh as she gave Scootaloo a smile before she leaned in and whispered. “Besides, if they ever give me any trouble I’m sure Kamen Rider Justice wouldn’t mind making a, personal appearance to kick their butts.”
Scootaloo chuckled a little. While she didn’t find the idea of hurting humans appealing, she did want to do everything she could to keep Sweetie safe. She sighed a little and rest her head on Sweetie’s shoulder and closed her eyes.
That’s when her phone decided to go off. She groaned a little as she held it up, she was going to ignore it until she saw that it was from Fancy Pants. “Hello?” She asked as she answered the phone.
“Scootaloo, we’ve got an energy signature that’s heading right for the High Note Cafe,” Fancy Pants said on the other end. “I assume that you’re in the area to swee Miss. Belle. You need to get somewhere private and transform, something is coming and it’s letting off energy like nothing we’ve ever seen before.”
“That’s bad,” Scootaloo said as she looked at Sweetie who nodded towards the ladies room on the far end of the restaurant. “I’m on it.”
She got up and ran for the bathroom, throwing the door open just as there was the sound of glass breaking as something went through it from the front of the cafe.
A monster that looked like some sort of demonic rock star with a tall mohawk and dressed like a leather clad biker appeared. His face was covered with bizarre face markings and he had the symbol of the wheel on his chest with three pentagrams in the shape of a triangle and had a guitar strapped to his back.
“Well, it seems I’m just in time,” he said as he raised an ornately colored shotgun into the air and fired. “All of you, on the floor now!”
Sweetie checked her pocket and flinched a little when she realized that she didn't have her weapons with her. The waitress outfit wasn’t very good for that kind of thing anyway. She looked at the bathroom door and sighed a little as she laid down on the floor with the others.
The monster went through the group of terrified people one by one. He looked at Sweetie for a moment before moving on to another.
“Ah… there you are,” he said as he reached down and grabbed the prone form of Lyra Heartstrings by the neck as he pulled her up. “You are exactly who I’m looking for in a guitarist.”
“Leave me alone you freak!” Lyra said as she kicked at his chest, only to have it bounce off harmlessly.
“Now, now, that isn’t how you speak to me!” He said as he smirked. He whispered something in her ear and she went limp before he turned back to the others. “I thank you for finding this woman for me. I’ll be…”
“Letting her go!” Scootaloo said as she ran into the restaurant from the bathroom in her Kamen Rider armor as she swung her fist around and punched the monster in the jaw as hard as he could.
“What? Kamen Rider Justice, but how are you…” the monster said as he released Lyra from his grip. “No matter, this is far from over.”
He was about to reach for Lyra again before he felt a sword cut at his arm. Scootaloo held the Arcana Rapier out and pointed it at him.
“I wouldn’t do that, and don’t bother with the shotgun either,” she said as she glared at him from behind her helmet. “This is your only warning, leave her alone or face the consequences.”
“I will be back!” The monster said. “You cannot stop me forever!”
He glowered at Scootaloo before he turned around and ran off. Scootaloo offered a hand to Lyra who was snapping out of the trance he had briefly put her in as she took it and was pulled to her feet.
“Are you okay?” She asked as she looked at the older woman worriedly.
“Yeah, I’m fine, thanks,” Lyra said with a smile. “You’re Kamen Rider Justice right? I can’t believe you actually saved me.”
“I was in the area,” Scootaloo said with a chuckle as she rubbed the back of her head a little.
“We’ve got a team on the way, if you want to avoid suspicion you should transform back in the bathroom,” Fancy Pants said over her communicator. “Be careful, we don’t want to reveal your identity just yet.”
“Got it,” Scootaloo said as she looked back at Lyra and leaned in and whispered. “Can you do me a favor?”
“What’s that?” Lyra asked.
“Distract everyone, I need to get out of this armor,” Scootaloo answered and Lyra nodded as the armored young woman headed to the bathroom.
00000
Agent Sweetie Drops finished taking notes from the last witness. She put her pad away as she saw that the medics were done working on the woman who the monster had attacked. She sighed a little as she waited for the medics to finish before she talked to her.
She sighed a little, this was starting to get out of hand. This one had attacked a crowded restaurant in broad daylight, they had been lucky that Scootaloo was there for lunch, but what if she hadn’t been?
She was starting to think that maybe they were going to need another Rider. The only problem was going to be finding someone who could be one. Scootaloo had been a lucky find, it wasn’t going to be easy to find someone else like that.
She sighed a little as she headed over to where the waitress that had been attacked was as the medics finished. She took out her notepad and pen as the waitress looked up at her surprised.
“Bon Bon? Is that you?” The waitress asked as she looked up at Sweetie Drops surprised.
“Huh?” Sweetie Drops asked, and then she remembered that was the nickname that had been given to her by… “Lyra? When did you get back into town?”
“A few weeks ago, I got a job here playing music and waiting tables,” Lyra said with a chuckle as she shook her head a little. “Not exactly the glamorous life I dreamed of, but it’s not too bad here.”
“Well, it’s good to see you again,” Sweetie Drops said with a soft smile. Lyra had been one of her best friends in school, but they had dropped out of contact. She figured she had headed to Hollywood or somewhere else and didn’t know she was back in town. “You look great, I didn’t expect you to be here.”
“Yeah, well I didn’t expect to be attacked by a demonic punk rocker,” Lyra said with a chuckle. “So, what are you doing here, are you working for the CPD now?”
“Something like that,” Sweetie Drops said. “I just want to know what happened in there. I got statements from everyone else, but I want to know if you can explain a few things to me.”
“Okay,” Lyra said. “Ask away, anything for a friend.”
“Okay, first of all why do you think that guy was attacking you?” Sweetie Drops asked as she got ready to take notes.
“Honestly? I don’t know,” Lyra admitted with a shake of her head. “I’ve played the guitar here since I got the job and he seemed interested in that. I’ve never seen anything like that before, at least outside of the news reports.”
“Yeah, same here,” Sweetie Drops lied. “It’s been crazy ever since those started up. So, what happened next? The others said you kind of zoned out after the monster said something in your ear.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what that was about either,” Lyra admitted. “He whispered something to me and I just, went blank. I didn’t snap out of it until Justice intervened and drove him off.”
Sweetie Drops paused a moment as she looked back at where Scootaloo was seated with Sweetie Belle. She had interviewed them both already to keep up appearances, that definitely lined up with what they said. She sighed a little as she wrote on the paper, trying to get an idea of exactly what had happened.
It sounded like the monster had some abilities related to suggestion or sound and that worried her a little. There was something unsettling about the idea of a monster that could get into your head and make you do whatever he wanted.
“Do you remember what he said?” Sweetie Drops asked as she looked back at Lyra.
“Yeah, he said something like “sleep” before I zonked out,” Lyra said with a shrug. “I know that’s not very helpful.”
“No, that gives us something to work off of,” Sweetie Drops said with a sigh as she gave Lyra a nod. “The only thing is that there is always a chance that he will come after you again.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do about that?” Lyra asked. “I can’t live the rest of my life in fear of that thing. Can you or the police help me?”
Sweetie Drops sighed a little as she looked at her old friend. This was not an easy choice to make, she had always been afraid of letting anyone get too close to her for just this reason. If she did, Lyra would have a big target on her chest and she wasn’t sure what she could do about that.
But then again, Lyra already had a big target on her chest and they had no idea if the monster would be able to track her down or not. Heartstrings was not a very common name even in Canterlot, so there was always that risk.
“Don’t worry Lyra, we’ll take care of you,” Sweetie Drops said as she placed her hand on Lyra’s shoulder. “That’s what friends are for after all. How about you stay with me at my place, at least until this thing blows over.”
“You’d do that for me?” Lyra asked.
“Yeah, anything for my best friend,” Sweetie Drops said with a soft smile as she pulled Lyra in for a hug. “I promise you’re going to be okay.”
“Thanks, I’ll just go get some things from my apartment…” Lyra said.
“No, no we’ll take care of that,” Sweetie Drops said as she waved her hand. “You’re the one whose life is on the line here, we can’t put you at any further risk. I’ll get something arranged, just let me know what you need picked up from your house.”
“Okay,” Lyra said as she listed some things off which Sweetie Drops wrote down on the notepad and stuck it in her pocket.
“I need to make a call to my chief, hang tight and we’ll get everything worked out,” Sweetie Drops said as she got up and headed into the kitchen which had been cordoned off as their area for this kind of thing. She took out her phone and called Fancy Pants. “Sir, I’ve got the information you requested.”
“Good,” Fancy pants said on the other end. “Do we know exactly what we’re up against right now?”
“Well the eyewitnesses said that he wielded a shotgun,” Sweetie Drops answered. “That sounds like a Pentacles monster to me, supported by the description as well.”
“Right, well it was only a matter of time before they showed up again,” Fancy Pants replied with a soft sigh. Pentacles monsters were one of the more dangerous ones because of their preferred weapons. “Do you have any idea why we were getting such powerful readings?”
“No honestly, everything they said suggests it was only a level three monster,” Sweetie Drops said with a sigh. “That shouldn’t let off that much energy, should it?”
“No, not the amount we were detecting at least,” Fancy Pants replied and paused a moment. “I don’t like this, it feels like we’re missing something. Is it possible that they were hiding their number?”
“Possible, but I doubt it this thing sounds like a sound manipulator with limited suggestive abilities,” Sweetie Drops answered with a shake of her head. “Whatever this thing is, it’s either letting off a false signal or…”
“Or we’re dealing with a different summoner,” Fancy pants finished. “The summoner during the last incident was defeated and the card lost, I didn’t think they had gathered enough energy for a more powerful one yet. This is, certainly concerning, is there anything else?”
“They were after a waitress here, a guitar player named Lyra Heartstrings,” Sweetie Drops said with a sigh. “She’s an old friend of mine and I’m afraid that she’s going to be put in further danger because of that thing.”
“What would you suggest?” Fancy Pants asked.
“I’m going to have her stay in my apartment,” Sweetie drops answered. “Put a surveillance team outside and make sure that no one suspicious goes in. I can at least hold them off until Justice arrives if all else fails.”
“Agreed, we’ll make the necessary preparations,” Fancy Pants said on the other end. “This is not something we’d normally ask you to do. Are you okay with this?”
Sweetie Drops paused a moment as she looked out towards where Lyra was sitting. She looked more worried than anything else, but she was trying to put on a brave face.
“We can’t risk exposing our involvement yet,” Sweetie Drops said with a sigh. “Right now this is our best chance to keep her safe. I’d also keep an eye out for any reports of unusual activity involving musicians in the city. I think this guy is targeting musicians for some reason.”
“Understood, but that’s not going to be easy,” Fancy pants said. “We’ll get everything worked out. I’ll have Fleur check up on you from time to time, let me know if anything else happens.”
“Yes sir,” Sweetie Drops said.
“And Agent Sweetie Drops, be careful,” Fancy Pants finished before hanging up.
Sweetie drops sighed a little as she put her phone away. She just hoped that she was making the right decision and that this wasn’t going to make things worse.
“Everything okay?” Lyra asked as she came out of the kitchen.
“Yeah, I guess,” Sweetie Drops said. “Just cleared everything with the Chief. We’re going to have a protection detail in case that thing ever comes back.”
“Uh, exactly what are cops going to do against something like that?” Lyra asked as she raised an eyebrow at Sweetie Drops. “Is there something you’re not telling me Bon Bon?”
“It’s, nothing,” Sweetie Drops said with a shake of her head. “Don’t worry about it, you’re in good hands.”
“What, do you have Justice on speed dial or something?” Lyra asked which just made Sweetie Drops chuckle at how right she was.
“Come on, let’s wrap things up here,” Sweetie Drops said as she got up. “I’ll show you to my place and then we’ll get your stuff picked up.”
“Okay, thanks Bon Bon,” Lyra said with a smile as she hugged Sweetie Drops tight. The government agent paused a moment and smiled as she hugged her old friend back.
She just hoped that she really could protect her.
00000
“And here we are, it’s not much but it’s home,” Sweetie Drops said as she opened the door to her apartment. “It’s only a one bedroom so one of us is going to have to sleep on the pull-out couch bed.”
“That’s fine,” Lyra said as she sat down on the couch and looked back at Sweetie Drops. “I think it’s nice here. Is everything okay? You’ve seemed a little distracted ever since we left.”
“Yeah, I’m just thinking about what happened is all,” Sweetie Drops said as she took a seat across from her. “I mean, this isn’t exactly the first monster attack in the city, but…”
“It’s never been on a friend before?” Lyra asked as she raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Sweetie Drops said with a shrug. “Sometimes it just feels like there’s something more I could do to help with the whole thing but I’m being held back by fate.”
“You’re jealous of Kamen Rider Justice aren’t you?” Lyra asked with a chuckle.
“Maybe a little,” Sweetie Drops admitted as she brushed her curled hair back. “I know I shouldn’t be begging to get into a fight with these monsters. But at the same time, I know there is something I could do if I was in the right position.”
“Well, you never know, maybe she’ll need a sidekick or something,” Lyra said with a chuckle and Sweetie Drops shot her a look. “I’m kidding, geez. But what have you been up to? We haven’t talked in what, 8 years?”
“Almost nine,” Sweetie Drops said with a sigh. “It’s hard to believe that it’s really been that long to be honest.”
“The others said you haven’t been staying in contact with them either,” Lyra said. “It’s like you dropped off the map until you showed up at the High Note. What, did you get into organized crime or a cult or something?”
Sweetie Drops actually laughed a little at that. This wasn’t something she was ready to try and explain to Lyra, but she was just glad her old friend hadn’t changed that much.
Old friend, it had been so long since she had even thought of anyone as a friend. She had co-workers at SMILE that she was friendly with, but not really any friends. Sometimes she missed the old days with Lyra and the others.
Maybe she really should try and get back to having a life. There wasn’t much point in living her life alone, but she couldn’t tell Lyra the whole truth yet.
She hoped that she never would have to.
“So what’s for dinner?” Lyra asked and gave a small chuckle as she looked back at Sweetie Drops. “Did you ever actually learn how to cook? I seem to remember you being a nightmare in the kitchen.”
“No, nothing too special, I usually get take-out honestly it’s all my job affords me,” Sweetie Drops said as she placed her hand on the pocket where the card rested. “Listen Lyra, I… I’m sorry I haven’t been in much contact with you or the others lately. Everything’s just been so crazy busy and I haven’t really had time to think about it.”
“Don’t worry about it, I understand,” Lyra said with a soft smile. “You’re doing important work, I’m just a failed actress who came back home. I’m just glad that I found you again, even if I wasn’t expecting it.”
“Yeah,” Sweetie Drops said and smiled a little as she got up and took a seat next to her friend. “How are the others doing?”
“They’re all doing well last time I talked to them,” Lyra said. “Colgate started up a practice in some small town somewhere. Moondancer is now working on her doctorate I think. And well, everyone’s just kinda spread out.”
She sighed a little as she leaned back and looked back at Sweetie Drops. “We all miss you still, even with how spread out we’ve become we can always stay in touch. I think they’d be happy to hear from you again.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Sweetie Drops said and gave her a slight nod. “It’s just, I’m worried about what they might think about everything I’ve been doing. And that I might put them in danger because of it.”
“Bon Bon... Sweetie,” Lyra said, using her friend’s real name for a moment. “You’re out there fighting and putting your life on the line every day. I don’t think they’d think ill of you, and if you put them in danger then we’ll figure something out.”
“But you’re already in danger and there’s not much I can do about it,” Sweetie Drops said.
“Yeah, but you’re doing your best,” Lyra said with a soft smile. “You opened your home up to me when you didn’t have to. You’re doing everything you can to make sure that thing doesn’t hurt me, it means a lot, I’m just glad I won’t be stuck on my own.”
“Me too,” Sweetie Drops said as she laid her head gently on Lyra’s shoulder.
There was a knock on the door and Sweetie Drops got up and checked the door. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was just one of the other agents who had been sent to get Lyra’s things and she opened the door.
“Here, this should be everything she asked for,” the agent said.
“Thank you,” Sweetie Drops said and added quietly. “Did you check it all over? There wasn’t any sign of their energy was there?”
“No, it was clear,” he whispered back. “There was some strange energy readings but we couldn’t find the source of it. Nothing to be worried about though, I think you’ll be fine.”
“Okay thanks,” Sweetie Drops said as she took the bag and gave the agent a nod. “I’ll talk to you later, I’ll call the office if we need anything else.”
“Thank you,” the agent said as he headed off and Sweetie Drops returned to the couch.
“Here, this should be everything you asked for,” she said as she gave the bag to Lyra. “Hopefully we won’t need to stay here for more than a few days but if you need anything else…”
“No, this should be fine,” Lyra said with a smile as she pulled Sweetie Drops into a tight hug. “Thank you so much Sweetie.”
“Heh, you know, that old nickname was kinda growing up me,” Sweetie Drops said with a chuckle. “Lyra, I really missed you. I wish I had tried to stay in better contact, I guess I didn’t really realize that until I found you again.”
“Yeah, same here,” Lyra said with a soft smile as she leaned in and gave Sweetie Drops a kiss on the cheek which made the dual color haired girl blush a little. “What?”
“I, just didn’t expect you to do that,” she admitted as she twirled her hair with her finger a little. “Why did you kiss my cheek?”
“To thank you silly,” Lyra said with a giggle as she hugged Sweetie Drops. “You were my best friend for years. I thought you liked it when I did things like that.”
Sweetie Drops blushed deeper, actually she did but she had completely forgotten that Lyra had used to do that. She shook her head, how long had she been away from her friends that she had forgotten something like that.
She was about to say something when she felt something warm against her chest. She blinked a little and reached into her pocket and took out the half of the card. She blinked a little as she looked down at it and realized that it was glowing.
“What the…” Lyra said as she reached into her purse and took out half of a card which was also glowing. “Bon Bon, do you know anything about this?”
“Where’d you get that?” Sweetie Drops asked.
“I don’t know, I found it awhile back when I first came back to town,” Lyra said as she held the card up. It depicted a woman with an outstretched hand and half of a divine form behind her. “This is weird, it’s never reacted like that before.”
Sweetie Drops paused a moment and turned her card around as she held it up next to the one Lyra was holding. They matched up perfectly, they were two halves of the same card as they glowed brighter and a musical tone came from them.
“Sweetie, what is going on?” Lyra asked as she looked at Sweetie Drops confused. “Why is this happening?”
“I, have to make a phone call,” Sweetie Drops said as she got up and picked up her cell phone. She went to the bedroom and closed the door as she hit the number for Fancy Pants’ office.
“Yes?” He asked as he picked up after a few rings.
“We’ve got a situation,” Sweetie Drops said. “Lyra has the other half of the Lovers card. It reacted to the two of us a few minutes ago, what should I do?”
“How much does she know?” Fancy Pants asked.
“Nothing more than what that public knows about the monsters and Kamen Rider Justice,” Sweetie Drops said. “I can write her in if we have to. Do you have any suggestions on exactly what I should do?”
“Tell her what you think would be best,” Fancy Pants said. “If there’s a chance that we can make this work with a Driver then it would certainly help with the situation. Talk to her and if she’ll agree, come to HQ.”
“Understood,” Sweetie Drops said. “Has there been any new reports on the current whereabouts of the monster?”
“Yeah, we’re getting readings on the north part of town,” Fancy Pants replied. “I’m sending Scootaloo to investigate. Hopefully this’ll be enough to stop the monster, but it would be good to have some backup.”
“Alright, I’ll try, I’ll let you know what happens” Sweetie Drops said as she hung up and headed back into the living room.
“Is everything okay?” Lyra asked.
“I need to tell you something, I don’t work for the CPD,” Sweetie Drops said as she reached into her pocket and took out her credentials which she showed to Lyra. “I’m with the Secret Monster Intelligence League of Earth or S.M.I.L.E.”
“Wait, you mean that rumored government agency that was supposedly formed to fight monsters?” Lyra asked. “I thought that was an urban legend or something.”
“Yeah, well we keep a low profile,” Sweetie Drops said with a sigh. “The only reason I’m even allowed to tell you this is because of the card.”
“So, what does that mean?” Lyra asked.
“It’s a long story,” Sweetie Drops said as she took a seat and took out the card half again. “These two halves contain spirits or something. I’ll tell you everything I know, and then you’ll have to decide whether or not to help.”
Sweetie Drops looked at Lyra and started telling her old friend everything.
00000
“Yesss… you’re all mine,” the punk rock monster said as a dazed looking young man walked forward. “You will serve me now and forever.”
“What is your bidding?” The hypnotized musician asked.
“Go to this address and wait for me there,” the monster said as he placed a piece of paper in hypnotized person’s hand. “You will go there and get ready for the Battle of the Bands.”
“Yes master,” the musician said as he got into his car and drove off.
“Yes, perfect, that meddling Kamen Rider may have stopped me last time, but now there’s nothing to hold me back!” He said with a cackle as he started to walk back towards his van when the sound of a motorcycle was heard.
He turned just in time to see Scootaloo come in for a stop on Forseti. She glared at him as she removed her helmet and took out her Driver.
“I’m not going to let you get away with this,” she said which just made the demonic rocker laugh loudly.
“Try me Rider, you’re nowhere near powerful enough to defeat my power!” He said. “I am Tripen, the new king of rock and roll and I’m not about to let you beat me!”
“We’ll see about that,” Scootaloo said as she placed the Driver on her waist as the belt formed around her and she slid the cards into the slot. “Henshin!”
“TIME TO TIP THE SCALES!”
The energy flew into her as the armor formed around her and she drew her Rapier. She pointed it at Tripen and gave him a nod. “Have at thee!”
“Time to rock!” Tripen said as he swung his guitar around so it was in his hands as Scootaloo ran forward at him. He strummed hard on the guitar and sent soundwaves at Scootaloo that sent her flying back.
Scootaloo groaned a little as she struggled to get to her feet. That hadn’t been what she expected, how was this guy suddenly so strong? She ran at him again, only to have him strum the guitar again and she was only barely able to dodge the sound attack again.
“What the heck… how did you get so strong?” She demanded as she avoided another attack just barely.
“I’m not your average rank three monster!” Tripen said with a laugh as he started playing faster on his guitar. “You’re going to have to try even harder to beat me, but you can’t because you have no range!”
Scootaloo growled as she ran at him again and dove down as she avoided the sound attack only to find herself face to face with his shotgun. She screamed a little as she got caught in the chest with the energy shot and fell back just as Tripen jumped up laughing.
“You have the disadvantage little girl!” He said as he spun around, playing music as he did which just sent more waves around him.
“This isn’t over…” Scootaloo said as she tried to dodge each of the sound attacks only to have one of them hit her and send her sprawling out on the ground. “This isn’t good…”
“For you maybe, but I think it’s perfect for me,” Tripen said as he stopped and looked back at Scootaloo. “You’re nothing more than a rookie. You can’t hope to stop the guitarist who plays with the power of hell itself!”
He laughed as flames started to surround him as he played harder. Each note he played manipulated the flames as soundwaves flew at Scootaloo, each one hitting her one after another. She finally fell forward onto her face and the armor shattered around her.
“That’s… not fair…” she said as she looked up to see the barrel of the shotgun pointed at her. “What are you going to do with me?”
“The Order wants you dead, and I’m obliged to fulfill their wish,” Tripen said as raised the shotgun only to scream as something impacted him from behind. “What the…”
He spun around only to see someone lining up another shot. This one caught him in the chest and he placed his hand over the wound before realizing that it was starting to bleed. The shadowy figure turned and ran off, a moment later the sound of a motorcycle was heard.
“Son of a… this isn’t over, I’ll get you later!” He shouted as he ran off to his van which just left a bewildered Scootaloo lying there.
“What the heck just happened…” She muttered as she got to her feet shakily. The sound attacks had hit her hard but she was able to remove the Driver and the cards. She dialed a number and after a moment Fleur answered. “We’ve got a problem.”
“We know, we were monitoring you the whole time,” Fleur said. “Are you okay? You took some hard hits back there.”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Scootaloo said. “I’m just a little shaken up, I haven’t felt any power like that even with Alupah and he was an Eight.”
“Yes, that’s very worrying,” Fleur said with a sigh. “I’ve already contacted your friends. Report back to headquarters, we might have something that can help with your next encounter.”
“Another upgrade?” Scootaloo asked as she headed back to where her bike was resting.
“Something like that,” Fleur answered. “I don’t want to get your hopes up. But did you get a look at whoever shot at the monster?”
“No, I didn’t they were in the shadows,” Scootaloo said as she picked up her helmet. “Do you have any idea what that might’ve been?”
“We picked up another energy reading in the area, but that’s about it,” Fleur said. “It could have been anything. I would approach with caution for now.”
“Understood,” Scootaloo said as she hung up and put her helmet on before she started back down the road towards the SMILE HQ.
00000
“That monster was letting off more energy than a Rank Three monster should,” Fleur said as Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom walked into the room. She was talking with Fancy Pants, Sweetie Drops and to their surprise Lyra from the restaurant. “If I didn’t know better I’d say the energy signature is closer to that of one of the Court monsters.”
“Tha Court monsters?” Apple Bloom asked.
“The face cards basically, page, knight, king and queen,” Fancy Pants answered as he adjusted his monocle a little. “They’re the most powerful of the Minor Arcana monsters. We were only able to defeat one of them 13 years ago and the card is under lock and key.”
“So, exactly what was that thing then?” Scootaloo asked. “If it wasn’t supposed to be that powerful, why was it?”
“The power of a monster in the Order is proportionate to the power of the Summoner,” Fleur answered with a shake of her head. “That much energy and that much power means that we’re dealing with an exceptional Summoner.”
“Summoner?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“It’s how they summon the monsters as far as we can tell, we fought against one 13 years ago,” Fancy Pants said. “They use their energy to awaken the card spirits and send them out to find a host is our guess. Unfortunately, we don’t know anything about this new summoner or how he or she works.”
“Because of course it wouldn’t be that easy,” Scootaloo said with a groan. “So, Tripen is that powerful because he was summoned by a very powerful Summoner?”
“Honestly, that’s probably what’s going on yes,” Fleur said. “Unfortunately unless we know who this summoner is there isn’t much we can do about him or her. We’re going to have to come up with a plan to dealing with the monster.”
“Well, whoever took a shot at him was able to catch him off guard,” Scootaloo pointed out. “If we could get ranged weapons that could weaken him that might be able to help.”
There was a pause for a moment before Fancy Pants looked up at Sweetie Drops and Lyra. “Perhaps that can be arranged. Flim and Flam are currently finishing scans on the card fragments you two brought us.”
“Wait, card fragments?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“It seems that the Lovers card actually has two spirits in it,” Fleur said as she glanced at the two. “We’re still figuring all the details out, but it seems that it requires two individuals who are incredibly close to one another to hold both pieces to work.”
“That’s, oddly specific,” Apple Bloom said as she blinked in confusion. “So, what are ya’ll gonna be Kamen Rider Lovers now?”
“That name is a little weird,” Lyra said.
“Kamen Rider Amores then,” Scootaloo suggested.
“We’ll discuss it,” Sweetie Drops said with a roll of her eyes.
The others just chuckled a little as they waited to hear word from Flim and Flam. Scootaloo paused a moment, she hadn’t been expecting this to happen, but if it gave them a new ally in fighting the Order, well that was a good thing right?
She hoped so at least.
00000
The group headed down to the labs where Flim and Flam were working. They looked up when the group entered and gave them a nod.
“Well, we have some good news,” Flim said as he looked back at them. “It seems that you have awoken the power of the spirits in the cards.”
“And it seems to be in tune with the Cups suit as well, interesting,” Flam added. “I think whatever force decides this kind of thing has an incredibly strange sense of humor.”
“Right, because the Cups are bows, the whole cupid thing,” Scootaloo said with a light chuckle. “Well, on the bright side that’ll help us against the monster.”
“Indeed,” Flim said as he took out a Tarot Driver and gave it to Sweetie Drops and gave the card pieces to the two women. “And I believe Stone is already finalizing the customization on a bike.”
“Of course he is,” Sweetie Drops said as she looked at Lyra. “I guess I’ll use the Driver, unless you want to.”
“No, you’re the one with the training, you should do it,” Lyra said. “Come on, this is cool, I want to see this.”
“Okay, okay,” Sweetie Drops said as she placed the Driver on her waist as the belt formed around her. “Henshin!”
She slid her piece of the card into the card slot on her Driver. At the same time the half in Lyra’s hand glowed with bright energy as it reformed in the card slot and energy started coming out of the Driver.
“LOVE CONQUERS ALL THINGS!"
Pink and red energy flowed over Sweetie Drops’ body. Brilliant red armor with pink markings crossing it formed over her body with a circle with a heart in it. A helmet formed over her head with hot pink eyes and appendages that formed her mouthpiece.
“Wow, I look, very red and pink…” Sweetie Drops said as she looked at her reflection in surprise before she looked back at the others. “How do I look?”
“Great,” Lyra said with a smile as she chuckled a little. “Who knew my friend would be a Kamen Rider?”
“Join the club,” Sweetie and Apple Bloom said with a roll of her eyes.
“Come on, let’s get the Ace of Cups out of storage,” Fleur said and Sweetie Drops gave her a nod. “Are you ready for this Agent Drops?”
“Yeah, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Sweetie Drops said with a nod as she looked back at her reflection.
She had known this day might come for awhile, but still there was something odd about it. She couldn’t place her finger on it, but something about this made her feel weird.
She just hoped that she really was going to be able to help.