//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Kamen Rider Lux: Sins of the Parent // by Rixizu //------------------------------// “I hate this!” Twilight stared at the piece of paper sitting on her desk. She’d tried her best to keep it organized, but the demands of her temporary office kept pressing upon her. “This goes against everything I believe in!” “I’m sorry, darling, but I don’t know what to tell you.” Rarity said, her expression uncharacteristically grave. “Nopony ever said that command was easy.” “I’ll be sending ponies to their deaths! Fillies and colts are going to lose their parents! Parents will lose their children! Lovers will never be united again! And it’ll be all my fault!” Despair gripped Twilight’s heart. She was asking for a terrible sacrifice. As a Kamen Rider, she’d happily give her life for her ponies, but how could she dare ask the same of others? I bet this was easy for Princess Luna. She’d ruled Equestria for thousands of years. War was probably old hat for her. Heck, she’d likely met millions of ponies in her long lifespan. To the immortal mare, ponies were like mayflies. Did a single life matter against her countless years? Twilight, however, couldn’t be that indifferent. Her heart cared too much.  “There are no easy answers, but Equestria needs to defend itself.” Rarity replied, speaking the grim truth.  “Yes, more lives will die if I don’t sign this bill.” The truth tasted bitter on Twilight’s lips. Her cabinet, such as it was, agreed that Equestria needed a standing army to face the budding threat of Colonel Zol. All fifteen had agreed to this measure. Worse, ponies had already volunteered when news of Zol’s ascension had spread across Equestria. It seemed only their princess had any reservations. Dammit, Rarity’s right! Pushing almost hard enough to break her quill, Twilight signed the Equestrian Service Act into law.  “You’re doing the right thing, princess.” General Stormy Flare, the newly appointed Head of the Department of Defense, said. “Trust me, I’ll get them into tip-top fighting shape!” Despite Twilight’s reservations, the older mare’s enthusiasm was infectious. Almost a decade ago, Stormy had led the Wonderbolts, an elite group of trick flyers. While not a military unit, per se, they had extensive combat training, often partaking in dangerous search and rescue missions. Nopony in Shocker had taken them seriously, to their error. The retired stunt flier was Twilight’s best military commander at present. “Thanks, Stormy. I appreciate your help.” The General herself had led the charge to seize the royal palace, capturing most of Shocker’s politicos when news of the Great Leader’s death had spread. Nopony had expected the stunt fliers to go rogue. A great hero who’d saved Twilight from many messy fights with Shocker’s elite.   “Think nothing of it, Princess.” Stormy put a comforting hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “It’s difficult, but you’re making the right choice. Your caution gives you credit. You care about ponies, and that’s a fantastic trait for a leader.” “And we just rescinded the Military Tax too!” Windowpane, Twilight’s head of Treasury, said. “Some ponies won’t be happy!” “You can’t please everypony, Windy. Besides, Equestria needs defense. The public will understand.” Rarity replied. “With war looming, ponies want to do their part. Nopony wants anypony from Shocker back in power.” “It’d help if we hadn’t lost most of our military armaments to Shocker saboteurs. It’s going to be costly to replace.” The former window fixer said, grumbling to himself. He’d been an odd case, recommended by Twilight’s chief spy, Rarity. But he was an effective bureaucrat with an excellent head for numbers. “I’ll figure out something.” “Don’t worry so much, Win.” Stormy gave the stallion a playful push. “We have a Kamen Rider on our side. Shocker had met its match!” “Thank you, everypony, for your hard work,” Twilight said, stretching her stiff limbs from hours of paperwork.  Time for a well-deserved break! After dismissing her cabinet, Twilight donned her favorite pseudo-leather jacket and jeans. After her stressful day, she was eager to hit Ponyville’s streets with her motorcycle. Her helmet would hide her face, giving her some peace. She craved the anonymity, even for only an hour. “Hey, dweeb. I’d like to have a word with you.” “Captain Gilda? I didn’t know you were still in the royal palace.” Gilda admired Twilight’s biker outfit. “You aren’t as lame as I thought. You like to ride?” Twilight ignored the slight and nodded. “It’s a pastime of mine.” “I’m liking you more by the second. But I’m still not convinced.” Gilda clicked her mechanical talons together, creating sparks. “Join me in the training yard. I want to test your metal, Kamen Rider Lux.” “Uh.” Twilight faltered, unsure how to respond. Griffons valued strength. She’d read that contests of martial prowess were common among Gilda’s people, especially among the nobility. If a king couldn’t prove their worthiness in battle, they weren’t worth following.  With our alliance so fresh, I can’t afford to show weakness. I need to earn their respect. “You’re on!” “Good, see you there, Princess Sparkle.” Gilda turned her back towards Twilight. “Don’t disappoint me, dweeb.” Twilight huffed. Again with the insults? She’d enjoy this bout, showing her stuff.  --- Finally, finally! Gilda cleaned and oiled every mechanical joint with practiced talons. While a hassle, it was necessary for peak performance. It had impressed her that the pony princess hadn’t cowed when challenged. It’d been too long since she’d fought anyone but a worthless Combatpony.  “Gilda?” A voice said, interrupting her musings. Gilda’s eyes widened in surprise, having not seen this face since chickhood. While most ponies looked identical, this mare’s coloring was unmistakable.  “Rainbow Dash?” The pegasus flew down towards the training yard, eyes alight with excitement. “It is you. I hardly recognized you!” Unexpected emotion gripped her griffon’s heart, almost making her dizzy. She buried them, putting on an air of indifference. “Hey Dash, didn’t expect to see you here.” Rainbow circled around Gilda, studying her foalhood friend’s mechanical enhancements. “What happened to you?” Keeping her mask of indifference, Gilda gave a noncommittal shrug. “A lot happened after we separated at flight school. Shocker was hard on the griffon people.” Her smile turned nasty. “A mistake they regretted dearly.” “Oh, Gilda, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” The rainbow pegasus’s ears dropped, her expression turning sullen. “I would have done something if I’d known!” “It’s ancient history, Dash,” Gilda replied, touched by the pony’s concern.  “So, what are you doing now?” Rainbow asked. “Still working to join the Silverhawks?” “The Silverhawks?” Gilda hadn’t thought about that name in ages. They were the Griffon Kingdom’s best stunt fliers, the griffon equivalent of the Wonderbolts. “Naw. That was just a childish dream.” Besides, with her condition, she doubted they’d ever allow her to join now.  Rainbow’s wing feathers ruffled, miffed at Gilda’s casual dismissal of her once childhood dream. “What? You used to talk about joining them all the time! You never stopped talking about it!” Gilda’s temper sharped, annoyed by the reminder that she’d failed that particular dream. “And what, you’re a Wonderbolt?” Rainbow Dash tensed, her temper similarly sparking into life. “It’s a work in progress! I’m just doing some odd jobs until they recognize my awesomeness!” She really hasn’t given up? It’s so like her. Was that envy she felt towards her once childhood friend? Ridiculous! “Once I help kick Zol’s butt, I’ll reapply,” Rainbow said, head held high. “Just wait.” “Really?” Gilda paused, her heart tightening when her old friend’s words registered. “You’re joining the army?” “Obviously. They’ll need all the ponies they can get!”  A cacophony of conflicting emotions washed over Gilda, making her almost lose her balance. Rainbow was joining the army. Did she think war was some game? That she was immortal and couldn’t get hurt? The fool, the fool.  Outwardly, Gilda kept her visage of calm while her emotions whirled beneath. The thought of her chickhood getting hurt made Gilda sick to her stomach. Before she could convince her rainbow-colored friend of the folly of her decision, an interloper interrupted them.  “Sorry, I’m late.” Princess Sparkle said, still wearing her biker outfit. “Some other matter of state popped up.” “Princess Twilight? What are you doing here?” Rainbow Dash asked. “We’re going to spar,” Gilda said, her tone icy.  “Right.” The sudden turn in the griffon captain’s mood put the pony princess on edge. You asked for this, remember? Zol’s still out there. Gilda released a breath and stretched. She pumped herself up for the fight. The excitement before a battle was always her favorite.  “I’d transform if I were you. You’re facing the peak of griffon technology.” Gilda played with the release of her hidden arm cannon. It was a half-truth, but she refused to give Shocker any credit.  “Okay.” The pony princess sounded unconvinced, but entered a battle pose. She pulled a belt from her coat pocket and attached it to her waist.  “Henshin!” Twilight’s body exploded in brilliant light, becoming a miniature sun. When the light cleared, insect-like battle armor had formed around her body. It hummed with power, creating a slight pulse under Gilda’s talons. Her golden armor seemed to glow with radiant light, a beacon of heroism.  Gilda found the Kamen Rider more impressive than she’d expected. A crowd had formed around them. Princess Gabby bounced up and down to see over pony heads to watch the scene unfold. “Fancy armor is cool and all, but can you fight?” Without another word or warning, Gilda struck.  The Kamen Rider avoided the sneak attack, proving capable of fighting Gilda blow for blow. She fought with a dancer’s grace, Gilda testing Lux’s ability with every exchange. Much to her delight, her opponent wasn’t an amateur fighter. Better yet, Twilight was testing her opponent’s back. She pushed Gilda harder, the Kamen Rider’s hooves a blur of motion. A throbbing pain coursed through Gilda’s head as a punch slipped past her defenses and clocked her in the beak.  “Enough warming up.” The griffon captain smiled and licked at the blood leaking from her beak. “Let’s play for real.” The pony princess grinned back behind her grasshopper-shaped helmet. “I quite agree.” With a flick of a hand, Gilda’s talons extended. Sparks flew as the blow struck the Kamen Rider’s chest. The pony staggered back and delivered a one-two punch into her opponent’s torso. The pain barely registered, however. Twilight howled as Gilda struck a counter-punch to the ribs and staggered back. The two combatants circled each other, each seeking advantage.  “Go, Gilds!” Princess Gabby cried, cheering her fellow griffon on. Most ponies cheered for their princess, but Rainbow Dash cheered on both sides. Gilda hid a smile, touched by her old friend’s support. Together, they increased the ferocity of the fight. Gilda applauded the pony princess’s battle instincts, not hesitating to exploit any opening or weakness she spotted. Good. The only way to earn a griffon’s respect was through unrelenting strength.  “Seems I need to get serious too!” Twilight extended an armored hoof, summoning a sword of pure light. She entered a battle stance, goading Gilda on with her other hoof.  With lighting precision, Twilight slashed with her sword. A few feathers got scorched as it slipped past Gilda’s head, but it’d only been a distraction. Pain reverberated through Gilda’s ribs as Twilight struck her at full force.  Cheeky. Undeterred, Gilda went on the offensive. She bombarded the princess with punches and kicks, pushing to overwhelm her opponent. Despite her incredible strength, Lux had a fatal flaw that Gilda exploited. She refused to use her sword for anything but faints, not wanting to seriously hurt her foe. It cost her, sparks flying as talons met armor.  Twilight staggered back, hoof holding her injured midsection. With a grunt of rage, Twilight dropped her reservations and slashed at Gilda with her sword. Instead of targeting flesh, Lux aimed toward disabling Gilda’s mechanical limbs. She proved adept at fighting with both hoof and sword.  But Gilda was a more experienced fighter, sparks flying as Lux received another punishing slash across the chest. Panting, her opponent dropped to a knee. Still, she refused to surrender. In a fury of slashes and punches, she slipped past Gilda’s defenses and struck several punishing blows to the chest.  Below, their audience whooped and cheered, captivated by the show. Gilda took great pleasure some ponies had betrayed their princess, cheering for her instead.  How about I show them why griffons are unbeatable? Gilda stood her ground, faking weakness and allowing her opponent to press the advantage.  With her opening supposedly clear, Twilight swung towards what she supposed was a more vulnerable joint. But Gilda charged forward, heedless of the danger. Metal sizzled as Gilda caught the light sword with her metal talons. Twilight howled in pain as she received a punishing blow to the head from Gilda’s beak. Frustrated, Lux swung a blind uppercut toward Gilda’s head. The punch slipped past harmlessly, Gilda seeing her opening. She slipped off her right arm, revealing the laser cannon beneath.  Her opponent gasped in surprise as a cannon shoved against her chest, too close to avoid. “Zapp Canon!” A burst of red energy blasted from Gilda’s arm cannon, walls shattering to pieces as Lux flew through them, out of control. The princess’s body splashed into the moat that surrounded the castle.  “Oh, come on! We just fixed that too!” The pink pony said in protest.  With her keen vision, Gilda saw crocodiles swim toward the unconscious pony princess. She could only shrug. If Twilight got eaten alive, it was her own fault. Jaws opened wide, eager to consume the pony whole.  You better hope pony doesn’t taste good, princess. Much to Gilda’s astonishment, the teeth of the beast carefully lifted the pony princess from the water and placed her on its back. After seeing that its passenger was secure, it swam toward the dry ground.  “Oh, thank goodness!” A yellow pony said, running towards Twilight. “Thank you, Ken. You are such a dear!” Ken waved its scaly tail like an excitable puppy, happy to be useful.  What?! What the hell was that? Since when were crocodiles pets? Gilda stared, baffled. She watched as the yellow pony revived her princess, checking her vital signs. She sighed in relief, finding Twilight only unconscious.  Startling Gilda from her stupor, Rainbow Dash glared into Gilda’s face. “What do you think you’re doing, Gild?! You could have killed her!” Gilda reached down and grabbed her discarded mechanical arm. She offered her old friend an indifferent shrug. “It’s not my fault she was too weak to withstand my buster cannon. She has some skill, but nothing more.” Truthfully, it impressed Gilda that Twilight had even survived. Still, the Kamen Rider hadn’t been adequate to defeat her.  “You only won because of that dirty trick! If Twi was fighting for real, she would have kicked your flank!” Rainbow said, a growl in her throat.  Gilda could only snort in response. Every fight should be ‘for real’. Behind her, Princess Gabby apologized profusely for her captain’s actions. Rainbow continued to fume, striking Gilda with an unexpected onset of guilt. She hated upsetting her old friend, but stubbornness insisted she shouldn’t apologize. It wasn’t a griffon warrior’s way. Twilight was weak, so she lost. Still, Gilda had one last comment before she retreated to her quarters. “Tell your princess this. She wouldn’t defeat Colonel Zol with skills like that. He’d eat her alive.” Like luck, maybe the pony princess would learn from her failure. If not, Gilda would take Zol’s head instead.  --- “Argh!” Twilight cried out in pain, her entire body sore and unresponsive. “Oh, dear!” Fluttershy said, fussing over her friend. “Don’t push yourself, princess! You’re still gravely hurt!” With gentle care, she placed Twilight on the hospital bed. The animal lover was stronger than she looked, taking her friend’s weight without issue. It wasn’t surprising, considering she was a defected Combatpony.  “That jerk!” Rainbow Dash fumed. “I’m so sorry about Gilda, Twi. She’s always been like that. That jerk!” The pegasus switched phases, from being furious to apologetic.  “It’s alright. It was my fault for getting careless.” Twilight managed through gritted teeth. Some Kamen Rider she was.  Trixie wouldn’t have fallen prey to such an unexpected attack. The Ursa Ranger never seemed light on clever tricks, capable of escaping anything. Nothing seemed to put the more experienced warrior off her stride. Trixie oozed supreme confidence with the skills to justify it. She never doubted herself like Twilight.  “Now, don’t move, princess,” Fluttershy said, voice compassionate. “This might hurt a bit.” A stinging sensation made Twilight hiss as Fluttershy applied a gauze soaked with rubbing alcohol over a gash on Twilight’s forehead. She’d struck an unseen rock in the moat. Twilight’s obvious shortcomings made her question the wisdom of taking leadership of Equestria. How could ponies count on her if she wasn’t powerful enough to protect them? She accepted the painkillers with grace and swallowed them down with water.  “Oh, dear. So the maid was right.” Rarity said, popping her head into the hospital room.  “Don’t worry, Rarity. I’m fine.” Twilight gave a weak smile. Despite her inner doubts, she couldn’t afford to show weakness.  “Glad to hear it!” Rarity replied. “I’ll do my best to paper over the situation and avoid a major international incident!”  “While you’re mostly only bruised, I want you to get plenty of rest,” Fluttershy said. “No strenuous activity until I say so.” “But!” Twilight had thousands upon thousands of tasks to perform. She couldn’t afford to lie in bed! “No buts.” Fluttershy gave her a stare that made her reconsider arguing. “You’ve been overworking yourself. When’s the last time you’ve had a solid night’s sleep, princess?” When Twilight didn’t reply, Fluttershy nodded in confirmation. “Thought so.” “Don’t worry, Princess Twi! I got this!” Pinkie said, startling Twilight with her sudden appearance. “As your assistant, I know the ins and outs of everything! If not, I can delegate! And I know just the pony for my assistant! I’ll have everything neat and tidy on your desk. Just as you like it! Nighty night, princess!” “Oh! And I can help too!” Rainbow Dash waved an enthusiastic hoof in the air.  Rarity smiled as Pinkie zipped away, leaving a cloud trail behind her. Rainbow Dash zipped after her, a pony yelping in surprise as the rainbow mare almost collided with them.  Rarity stifled a chuckle. “You have good friends, Twilight. Don’t worry. We’re always here to catch you when you fall.” “Thanks.” Twilight found herself unexpectedly moved by their loyalty. Tears stung her eyelids. Still, a dark mood struck her when she considered her failure. Zol was still out there, planning their demise. Argh, I hate being bedridden when I should be training. Her body ached everywhere, indicating she wasn’t in any shape to do so. Still, she despised inaction! She leaned back, trying to get comfortable. Despite her best attempts, sleep eluded her as Twilight entered a cycle of perpetual worrying. As she tossed and turned, her mind wandered. A memory returned to her unbidden. It was back during her foalhood when Cadance had been her foalsitter. --- “It’s not fair!” Little Twilight coughed, almost slipping the cold pack from her feverish forehead. “I want to be at school! They’re studying astrophysics this week! I don’t want to be home sick!”  “Really? Most foals want to keep away from school.” Cadance laughed with good humor. “How about this? We do flashcards. That’ll help you get to sleep.” “Flashcards! Flashcards!” Twilight beamed with excitement. She loved testing her knowledge. It always confused her why foals hated pop quizzes so much.  “Why is the sky blue?” Cadance said, reading the first index card.  “Rayleigh scattering!” Twilight replied. “Light is scattered through the molecules in the air into shorter wavelengths, making blue light visible.” “Correct!” Cadance nodded, pleased. They’d always enjoyed this little game. “Exact as always. You’ll be a great Shocker Scientist one day.” “Oh.” Suddenly, Twilight’s mode dampened. A scientist like her mother? While she’d always loved science, her mother was something else entirely. She’d devoted herself to science beyond all other things, even her family. Twilight only saw her mother once every few months. Her father took great care of her and her BBBFF, but her mother’s absence always left a big hole in her life. Did she want to be a scientist if she ended up like her mother? Did her mother even love her? Sensing she’d stumbled onto a sensitive subject, the Shocker Kamen Rider barreled forward and asked another trivia question. “Who first proposed that the galaxy was expanding?” --- The memory made Twilight give a melancholy smile. Cadance had been like an older sister to her. And she’d always suspected that her foalsitter had a terrible crush on her big brother Shining Armor. But the greater context of things brought the bitter truth into perspective. Cadance was a Shocker operative and an enemy of freedom. Worse yet, not even a real pony. Her mind returned to their last battle, the alicorn fleeing bleeding inequine blood. What was her former foalsitter? Despite their extensive searching, they came up empty. Even Rarity and her expert contacts couldn’t discover a thing. Twilight feared the worst. Despite their differences, she still cared about her former friend. Ugh, this is why I work myself to death. It keeps me too busy to reflect on my terrible life! I need to get stronger! While formidable, Kamen Rider’s Lux’s abilities were raw and unrefined. She needed something to focus her considerable photon powers. Her photon sword wasted too much energy, dampening its effectiveness. The various nicks on Gilda’s mechanical limbs were proof of that. While Twilight had made rough sketches of different prototypes, she’d been too busy with matters of state to create a new weapon for herself.  Well, I’m stuck here now. Might as well work on it. Besides, Lux’s battle with Captain Gilda proved she still had miles to go. Kamen Rider Lux needed to get stronger, for everyone’s sake.  When Fluttershy turned her back, Twilight levitated a pen and paper from a nearby desk to her. She threw the covers over her head, hiding her frantic scribbling. Millions of figures played around in her head as plans came into motion.