//------------------------------// // Chapter 17 // Story: Kamen Rider Lux: Sins of the Parent // by Rixizu //------------------------------// “You’re finished, Trixie.” Doctor G said, pointing his axe toward his hated enemy. “This is where you die!” Trixie cursed, her leg burning something fierce. She’d never expected that she’d ever bleed, being an accidentally created pony ooze. But in a way, it felt good that she could bleed. It meant she was still fundamentally a pony. While fascinating questions about her existence, they could wait until later. She hissed after making a misstep on her injured leg.  “This isn’t over.” Shining Armor said, his horn glowing with power. Twilight’s dorky brother possessed an impressive magical ability. Unlike his son, poor Night Light couldn’t defend himself. He quivered behind Shining. Damn Destron. They won’t get away with this. But how could she win with such powerhouses surrounding her? Wait! Trixie grimaced, hating the idea of sinking so low to resort to such a tactic. But what other choice did she have? But even contemplating it brought bile to her throat.  Then she turned her attention back towards Night Light and his son. Despite being her most hated enemy’s family, they didn’t deserve to be used as leverage against Twilight. She supposed it wasn’t their fault Twilight Velvet was such a monster. Fine. Trixie would swallow her pride and stretch out a hoof to ask for Twilight Sparkle’s assistance. This would only be a onetime occurrence. Even after millions of years, she’d never ask for help from Twilight Velvet’s daughter again. And she already knew how she’d get reinforcements. Out the window, she saw some familiar skyscrapers poking out through the trees. Twilight must be waiting at the station. It was only a matter of getting her attention.  Her momentary musings almost cost Trixie as another barrage of bullets flew in her direction, only missing her by inches. Pain screamed through her leg as she rolled away, yelping in surprise as an axe suddenly flew towards her neck. Only a quick duck saved her. She engaged Doctor G, but his implacable, towering shield intercepted every blow. Pain lanced down her back as Machine-Gun Snake punched her from behind, knocking her aside with a backhoof hit.  Trixie shook her head, dazed as she impacted the car’s metal walls. Her eyes widened as she came face-to-face with Machine-Gun Snake’s machine gun arm.  “Die, Rider.” Before Protean could even react, he fired.  Sparks flew as bullets bounced off harmlessly from a transparent blue orb. Shining gritted his teeth, falling to his knees as he struggled to hold his spell. Damn, that was some impressive power. Seeing her opportunity, Trixie tore two bone swords from her arms. She darted around the barrier towards the unsuspecting Machine-Gun Snake. Sparks flew as her twin swords slashed across the Destron monster’s side. Before she could follow up, her blade blocked an incoming axe from her blind spot.  “Impressive skills, Kamen Rider Protean. But you can’t last forever!” Doctor G said, pushing Trixie back as she dodged a follow-up strike.  “Shining, use your barrier to protect your dad!” Trixie said, making a snap decision. It was messy, but it’d draw Twilight’s attention.  “What?” But Shining was already huddling over his father, eyes fearful.  “What are you planning?” Doctor G said, his voice tense. He’d sensed the Kamen Rider was planning something outrageous.  “Nice try, but I’m not finished yet!” While it’d caused her a jolt of pain, Trixie used her injured leg to launch herself into the air. “Rider Kick!”  When her hoof landed on the floor, the entire car exploded apart. Since the train was still moving, it’d flung Trixie clear across the field. The hard jolt of the impact against the incoming ground disrupted her transformation, leaving Trixie bloody as she rolled to a halt. But she nodded in satisfaction when she saw she’d reduced the Friendship Express to a smoldering ruin. Twilight Sparkle would surely notice that. “Are you crazy?!” Shining said, pushing himself free of a piece of the car’s ruined roof. His voice cracked with hysteria, eyes wild. Trixie wondered why he was so upset. Hadn’t he and his father escaped relatively unharmed? “Hey, it worked, right?” Trixie said, smug. “That was quite a ride.” Night Light said, unperturbed. He seemed more amused than anything.  “Damn you, Trixie!” Machine-Gun Snake said, limping towards them. The Destron monster hadn’t been so lucky, getting battered almost senseless. He barely had the strength to raise his machine gun arm. Other Combatponies pulled themselves from the wreckage in little better condition.  Much to her disappointment, only Doctor G seemed otherwise unharmed. That was some armor he was wearing. His eyes blazed with anger as Trixie responded with a smug grin. “Get them!” The limping Combatponies moved to surround them, numbering in the dozens. Trixie entered a fighting position. Even without her armor, she could fight. Her leg still blazed with pain, but it was lessening. Her odd nature gave her some ability to heal herself, but it came at a price. It worked much slower when using her Kamen Rider powers. Usually, Trixie would sleep off her injury, but that wasn’t an option. Until she recovered somewhat, her best plan was to hold off without her armor. “Bring it!” Combatponies encroached on her at every angle. Unlike the confines of the train car, they could assault her at all angles in an open field. Winged combatants even attacked them from the air. Careful of her injured leg, her hooves moved like lightning as they assailed her. Shining proved backup, his shield limiting the Combatponies’ option as his muscled hooves battered them. He had impressive fighting skills. Night Light wisely kept low and stayed out of the way. “Die Rider!” Heedless of whom he shot, Machine-Gun Snake opened fire into the bustle of bodies. Trixie leaped away from the barrage, Combatponies getting shredded behind her. Unfortunately, it separated her from her allies. Trixie cursed, realizing this was the monster’s intention.  “I hope you have good benefits!” Trixie shouted over the bustle of activity. “Not much job security, it seems!” The Combatponies hesitated, disturbed by how little their lives mattered to Machine-Gun Snake. But a glare from Doctor G made them reconsider any rebellious action, turning to attack their hated enemy once again. But Trixie used this slight hesitation to get into a better position, her hooves already moving. She dropped ten Combatponies before rejoining Shining’s side. With his help, none of the Combatponies still stood.  “Useless foals!” Doctor G drove into the fray, his axe slashing toward Trixie’s back. A magic shield intercepted it, but a back hoof from the general’s shield struck Shining’s head. It battered the stallion senseless, dazing him. In a single blow, Trixie had lost her best ally.  With the way clear, Machine-Gun Snake didn’t hesitate in opening fire. Trixie bounced away, just avoiding them. A bad landing sent a jolt of pain through her leg. It wasn’t healing as quick as she’d hoped. A sudden blow from behind by Doctor G’s shield tossed her aside, planting her face in the dirt.  “You’re finished, Protean!” Machine-Gun Snake said, pointing his barrel toward Trixie’s head. With Doctor G on her back, there wasn’t any easy escape. “Die!” The entire scene exploded in thunder as a rainbow figure crashed into the monster, knocking him senseless. A purple figure jumped from its back, revealing a familiar face. “You!” Doctor G said, his word a curse. “Kamen Rider Lux!” “Sorry, I’m late!” Twilight Sparkle said. “Shining, are you okay?” “I’ve been better,” Shining said, clutching his injured head. “Be careful. These guys are strong!” “Do worry, I’ll save you!” Twilight Sparkle said before turning towards Trixie. “Hey, Trixie.” “Hey,” mumbled Trixie with little enthusiasm, though she was grateful for the save.  “Rainbow, get my family to safety!” called Twilight.  “Got it!” After a salute, the rainbow-colored mare zipped towards Shining Armor and Night Light. Before anypony could stop her, she pulled Night Light across her back before grabbing Shining by the hooves. In a rainbow-colored trail, the pegasus vanished. Trixie gapped in shock. Dear Shocker, that mare was quick! Satisfied her family was safe, Twilight joined Trixie’s side. “Ready?” “I suppose,” Trixie said, summoning her belt. While her leg was far from healed, it hurt less. It’d have to do.  “Kamen Rider Lux, Protean.” Doctor G said, eyes alight with satisfaction. “How convenient for you to come together. It will make eliminating you so much easier! I, Doctor G, shall bring about your destruction!”  “Try it if you like. We won’t make it easy for you,” Trixie replied.  “You’ll regret trying to hurt my family!” Twilight threw her belt around her waist.  “Henshin!” Both riders sprung into action, Lux taking on Machine-Gun Snake while Protean fought Doctor G. With that damn snake monster off her back, Trixie could fight with full force. The unexpected power of a punch made her opponent stagger a step, knocking Doctor G off balance. Trixie took advantage of this lapse, her hooves a blur. But the Destron General recovered quickly, his armor reducing the effectiveness of Protean’s blows.  Machine-Gun Snake kept his distance, firing at Twilight whenever the best opportunity presented itself. But Lux proved nimble, slipping out of the path of each shot. But each barrage of bullets hadn’t been random, aiming at Trixie when the monster thought her distracted. While she’d avoided getting a bullet in the back, Doctor G had been relentless. With her attention split, Trixie was less effective at fighting off the Destron General. Sparks flew as a careless step got her a slash across the chest. Doctor G’s eyes alight with triumph as he saw Protean on the ropes.  I need to change strategies! And Trixie had already devised a perfect one.  “Switch!”  “Huh?” Behind her helmet, Twilight blinked as Trixie did a sudden somersault and kicked Machine-Gun Snake in the face. The next jab and a punch to the sternum made the creature stumble over the unseen train tracks.  “Don’t worry, Lux. I’ve got this guy!” If Trixie had such trouble fighting Doctor G, why bother continuing fighting? “Okay, sure,” Twilight said, preventing Doctor G from attacking Trixie from behind by intercepting his axe with a hoof. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a sword of pure energy and engaged the Destron General.  “That’s such a good trick.” Trixie had to admit Lux had some nifty powers.  “Damn you, Trixie Lulamoon!” Machine-Gun Snake said, regaining his feet. “You will pay for that!” “What? You can attack from behind, but I can’t?” Trixie said, smirking.   “Die, Rider!” Machine-Gun Snake sent a hoof towards Trixie’s head, which the Rider deftly blocked. The monster howled in pain and fury as Trixie kicked him in the stomach. She continued to close the distance, making it difficult for the Destron monster to use his ranged machine gun. Still, her leg throbbed something fierce. This quick fight had inflamed it to almost intolerable levels. Trixie needed to finish the battle soon. Not that Twilight was doing much better. The General’s raw power was proving troublesome. Her energy blade proved useless against his mighty tower shield, not even leaving a scorch mark. For every slip-up, Doctor G repaid it with a painful blow from his axe. Despite her disadvantages, Twilight Sparkle was holding her own. Her sharp eye was already dissecting the general’s fighting style, each of his successive blows becoming less successful as she learned how to counter them.  When Machine-Gun Snake is gone, Doctor G wouldn’t stand a chance! Thought Trixie. Wait, why was she getting so eager about working together with Lux? The pain from her wounded leg must be addling her brain.  A mighty punch sent Machine-Gun Snake clear across the field, holding his wounded stomach in obvious pain.  “Foal!” Machine-Gun Snake said in triumph. “With your wounded leg, you can’t get to me quickly enough to stop me firing on you. You’re as good as dead, Protean!” But Trixie had anticipated this, already thrusting out a hoof. “Pain beam.” The red energy stuck the monster with instant agony, hitting him right before he’d gotten his weapon raised. Bullets went wild as Machine-Gun Snake succumbed to pain unlike any he’d ever felt before. It made aiming almost impossible. With this distraction, Trixie had already closed the distance. With her injured leg, a Rider Kick was out of the question. But that was okay. She had other weapons at her disposal.  “Protean Shining Rider Punch!” The blow struck the creature right where her previous one had landed for maximum effectiveness. The monster screamed in pain and fear, trying and failing to recover from the fatal blow. After stumbling a few steps, Machine-Gun Snake collapsed and exploded in a massive fireball.  “Machine-Gun Snake!” Doctor G said, shocked. The lapse cost him, getting a slash across his chest armor for his trouble. Unlike his shield, his plate didn’t offer nearly enough protection. He staggered, gripping his chest in obvious pain.  With the greatest annoyance dealt with, Trixie joined Twilight’s side to confront the Destron General. Together, they harried their opponent, fighting him from multiple angles. His shield couldn’t block both of them. Wincing from a sudden blow to the skull, Doctor G scowled.  “Kamen Riders! This isn’t over! I, Doctor G, will show you my true power!” After laughing, the Destron general bit his hoof hard enough to draw blood. “What the?” Trixie said, baffled. She didn’t like the maniac look in the general’s eyes.  With a quick wave of his hoof, Doctor G created a pentagram of blood on the dirt. He thrust his hoof into the middle of the crude drawing. Both Riders jumped in shock as lightning flashed above them, driving them back as it almost struck them. “Ancient spirits of evil! Grant me your power! In exchange, I will give you the souls of these two Kamen Riders, Lux and Protean!” A whirlwind formed around the Destron general, throwing both his enemies back. Within the storm, Trixie saw contorted, malevolent faces howling and screaming. Doctor G jerked as each evil spirit flew into him, laughing all the while.  “And now, Riders, you will see my true form!” He thrust his shield forward, blocking his face. Despite being midday, the sky darkened as Doctor G transformed. Trixie stepped back as there was an explosion of foam behind his shield. When he pulled it down, the General’s monstrous face revealed itself.  “Call me, Kani Laser!” Doctor G’s face had changed, becoming a monstrous blend of pony and scorpion. His hair had become insect legs, with a stinger jutting from his skull. Between his scorpion eyes, a lens with an antenna glittered in the returning sunlight. It made him appear like some demented doctor. Underneath his armor, he had spiked insect chitin of a hideous palish blue color. “This is where you both die!” “Okay, wasn’t expecting that,” Trixie said dryly. Of course, a cultish organization like Destron would have experts in the occult. He answered her comment with an axe swing of incredible power, the ground splinting as Trixie almost didn’t dodge away.  Taking advantage of the opening, Twilight punched the monster in the head. But her blow only bounced off, having little effect on his almost invulnerable chitin skin. The back blow from Doctor G’s axe made Lux howl in pain. “Is that the best you’ve got, Kamen Rider Lux?” Kani Laser changed targets, engaging Twilight with his weapon.  Trixie jumped in to help, but her leg failed her. She cursed, realizing she’d used her last strength dealing with Machine-Gun Snake. Twilight was on her own against this implacable foe.  Energy sword raised, Twilight struck back. They engaged, each matching the other blow for blow. But Kani Laser’s axe proved a more effective weapon against his opponent. While her sword caused some injury, it wasn’t tough enough to pierce the monster’s hard shell. Sparks flew when Lux over-committed to a swing, receiving an axe to the chest for her trouble.  “This isn’t working.” Twilight dismissed her sword, fighting with her hooves instead. This proved more effective, allowing her to get within the swing of his weapon and her strikes pushed him back. His shield still proved an obstacle, but Lux had discovered methods of circumventing it. Even with proton-powered punches, however, her blows only had minimal effect.  It’s time I change this around. After Lux dodged the axe swing, Trixie picked her moment to strike while the Destron General recovered.  “Pain Beam!” Red light shot from her hooves, striking the Destron general from the side. Momentary agony enveloped him, freezing him in place. Seeing her opportunity, Lux kicked his shield from his hooves. It landed in a thud several hooves away, out of reach of its owner.  “Ha! You thought I was useless without my leg, Kani Laser?” Trixie said.  “Damn you!” Blinded by rage, the Destron General switched opponents. With Trixie still on the ground, immobile, nothing would save her from an axe swing.  But Lux used the lapse in judgment to punish him for his distraction. His axe went wide as Twilight kicked it aside. Trixie further dishooved him with a kick to the hoof. She caught his famed weapon before it clattered to the ground.  “How about this?” Flexing her muscles, Trixie applied pressure to the axe. It exploded into powder as it snapped in half, rendered useless.  Kani Laser growled in frustration, jumping aside as Twilight tried a follow-up kick. He created some distance between himself and his opponents.  “Die!” Kani Laser positioned his hooves in the air, chanting something under his breath. He pointed a hoof forward, and beams of energy shot toward his enemies from the lens on his head. Both Riders rolled aside, watching as the laser left deep furrows in the ground.  While Trixie’s legs still wobbled, she joined Lux as they engaged their opponent. While her mobility was crap, Trixie could still strike with tremendous strength if she focused power into her muscles. They bulged as she delivered a powerful haymaker into Kani Laser’s scorpion head. He howled in pain, staggering back. Together, both Riders harried him, attacking him from both sides.  Kani Laser repeated the hoof gesture again, blasting them at close range. He swung his head in an arc, Twilight howling in pain as she took the full brunt of the attack. Satisfied with the result, Doctor G pounded into the momentarily stunned Rider.  “Twilight! Protean Shining Rider Punch!” Trixie leaped forward, forcing her strength into this single blow. Its power was incredible, tossing their opponent across the field.  “Thanks, Trixie! Let’s finish this!” Light exploded from Lux’s back as she leaped into the air and summoned her wings.  Not to be outshone by anypony, Trixie rushed power into her hind legs and joined her in the air. It hurt like hell, but she was ready to finish this.  “Protean Spinning Rider Kick!” “Photonic Burning Rider Kick!” Both Riders flew toward Kani Laser, striking him in the chest as he struggled to rise. A nearby tree shattered into splinters as the Destron General collided with it, leaving a crater when he finally struck the ground. He heaved a pained breath, returning to his pony form. Blood dripped from his mouth, staining his teeth crimson. “You may have defeated me, Riders. But Destron will live on! Destron is eternal! You have no clue what awaits you when the Pferdreich finally invades Equestria. Our collective might will consume you both! Long Live Destron!” Doctor G collapsed and exploded, consumed by an enormous fireball.  “We won!” Trixie said, relieved. With a breath, she undid her transformation. “We make a nice team!” Twilight said, doing the same. Much to Trixie’s disgust, she couldn’t argue the point. The princess gasped as she spotted how badly Trixie’s leg was bleeding. With her last rider kick, she’d done a number on it. The pain almost made Trixie blackout. “You need a hospital!” “No way! I’ll survive just fine by myself, thanks.” It would heal on its own. Besides, she didn’t dare talk to any doctor. They’d only turn her into a lab rat again. Trixie rose on shaky hooves, trying to walk away.  But Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria and Kamen Rider, wouldn’t hear any of it. Before Trixie could protest, the other mare had placed a hoof on her. Her horn glowed with incredible power. In a pop, they vanished.