Sweet Apple Acres, 8:25am
Applejack stepped out of the home part of the Apple homestead She had decided to head into market and see if she couldn't find a new rocking chair for Granny, (don't ask what happened to the last one). She was just about to leave when she saw Twilight racing towards her at high speeds.
"Howdy, Twilight," upon seeing Spike on her back, "and Spike. What bring ya round here?" Applejack began running alongside the new princess as she explained.
"Applejack, did you ask Rainbow Dash to clear away a patch of fog this morning?"
"Yeah."
"Well, as far as I can tell, she called in a weather team to help, and they found something in the fog."
It was then Applejack noticed there was another pony running, er, flying with them. A yellow pegasus was flying above the tree tops, going in the same direction.
Applejack asked Twilight, "What sort of somethin'?"
Twilight could only say, "We're about to find out."
Moments later
Twilight had never seen a fog bank like this before. Then again, as she was from Canterlot, she hadn't seen much fog in her life at all.
"So you, your team, and Rainbow Dash entered this and were attacked?" She asked the pegasus who was with them.
The pegasi just nodded.
"Well, the best way to find them is to go in after them."
Spike held on to Twilight's back tightly as the group entered the fog bank. They had been walking around for several minutes with no sign of success.
"How big is this thing?" Applejack complained.
"Rainbow called my team in for a reason." Raindrops commented, "and if you had just waited for this soup to clear out, they wouldn't be missing right now!"
The orange earth pony looked at the pegasus with a hurt look. "I, I'm sorry, I've never gotten along well with weather ponies. I didn't mean to sound inconsiderate."
"It's all right, I can be a little over protective of my team. And until we find them, we're stuck together. So, truce?" Raindrops extended her hoof to the farmer.
Applejack responded by spiting on her own hoof and hoof-bumping the pegasus, "Truce. Also I didn't get your name."
"Raindrops." she said shaking the spite off her hoof.
Twilight looked at the bonding mares with a sense of happiness. It was then that she realized something, "Is it my imagination, or is the fog thinning out?"
Indeed, the fog was clearing out around them. The Everfree forest was only a short distance away. And positioned in front of the forest were four figures, two of whom were bound in some way.
As the group neared the figures, Twilight recognized the multi-colored mane of her friend, "Rainbow Dash!" The pegasus looked up, yet only managed a weak smile; mostly due to the fact that she was covered in wounds.
The other pegasus was equally quiet and injured, a streak of blood ran down her face. "Wild Flower! Stay calm, we'll help you out!"
"Don't come any closer," a mare's voice rang out "unless you don't care about your friends safety."
Twilight turned to the other two figures, one stallion and one mare, both had unusually long silky black manes. They also both wore robes, black with short sleeves on the stallion, and white on the mare's, which came up short on the hind limbs.
"The Princess, I presume." said the mare, yet the voice was deep, like that of a stallion.
"Yes, I am Princess Twilight," she said, confused by the mare's unfeminine voice.
Raindrops stepped forwards, "Where is the rest of my team?" she demanded.
The strange stallion moved closer to the bound ponies and spoke in a voice one would expect to come from his companion, "they will be returned, if... we get what we want."
Slightly unnerved by the mismatched voices, Applejack asked the obvious question, "And jus' what would that be. And who are y'all anyways?" er... questions.
"We are Makamou," said the stallion.
"And we want the driver." finished the mare.
"What driver?" Applejack asked.
The Makamou replied, "The belt, Princess."
Twilight's eyes widened in realization. Spike had also made the connection, "You two are Kaijin?"
"Indeed," said a voice from behind the two strangers. Out of the Everfree forest came a tall, reptilian figure. It's scales were a mossy green, with a row of spines running down it's back, instead of hooves it had four relatively sharp claws. But what disturbed Twilight the most was the snake-ish head mounted on top of the Kaijin's body. In it's claws was a length of the same silky stuff that currently bound Rainbow and the other pegasus. At the end of the silk were the other two missing pegasi, bound and gagged and draped across the lizard's back, one of them appeared to be unconscious.
"You see, safe and sound. Now hand over the belt and cards, and we will not only let your friends go, but we will also retreat from this land." said the new comer.
Twilight's mind was racing; how could the first two figures before her be Kaijin? The lizard, sure. But neither it, nor the creature she fought last night looked like the other two. However she could speculate later, now she had more important issues, like did she dare make a deal with them.
Applejack piped up, "I'm not sure what they want, but ya got to give it to them Twilight."
Spike hopped off of Twilight's back, "No! If she gives up the belt, she can't fight these guys."
"Twi-light." All members of the party looked up at the sound of Rainbow's voice, "Just, give them, what they want. You can't fight these guys." Her voice was strained and weak.
"Alright!" announced Twilight, "You let your prisoners go, and I'll give you the driver."
"Wise choice, your highness." said the male Makamou.
Twilight opened her saddlebags and removed the ride booker. Like her cousin, Raindrops had a very keen eye, and when the device was removed from the bag, she could have sworn she saw it close.
The lizard kaijin took a swipe at Rainbow and Wild Flower's bindings, which fell away. "We will send the other two over when you give us the driver, now you two, walk." said the female Makamou.
The pegasi began walking over to the rest of the ponies. AJ and Raindrops moved forward to help them, but Rainbow, being the stubborn mare that she is, refused. Twilight used her magic to levitate the ride booker over to the kaijin's waiting hooves.
"Now the belt."
Twilight lifted the belt out with her hooves, she wanted this part of the trade to happen at the same time, in case they tried anything. She began walking; Spike chewed his claws, Raindrops swallowed in anticipation, the male Makamou grinned evilly.
"Twilight Stop! It's a Trap!"
Twilight immediately stopped in her tracks to see a figure emerge from the same place as the lizard Kaijin had come from. Out of the bracken came a web entangled...
"Rainbow Dash?"
The Rainbow behind Twilight suddenly charged, and caught a startled Applejack with a left hook. The other pegasus reared her back legs and bucked Raindrops into one of the nearby apple trees, knocking the wind out of her.
The two bloody pegasi turned to Twilight as their faces, no their whole bodies, began to glow. When the glow subsided, the pegasi were nowhere to be found. In their place were two identical, horrifying creatures.
They were a sickly green, and stood only a bit shorter than the average pony. Their back hooves were normal, but the front hooves had an addition; two spurs sprouted from the right hoof, making it look more like a weapon than an appendage. The creatures main body looked like an opened cocoon, with its head covered by two protective plates. Yet most disturbing was the face; it resembled that of a pony's skull, with bony hooves reaching up from inside the coverings to cover it's empty eye sockets.
"What?" was all a disgusted Twilight could say.
The Makamou meanwhile had jumped the real Rainbow Dash and had her pinned to the ground. "Worms," said the lizard "very convincing shape-shifters, and as for your cyan friend," the Makamou pressed even harder causing Rainbow to cry out in pain.
"Ahh! Easy on the merchandise."
Twilight held up the driver like she was about to place it on her midsection.
"Too little too late, I'm afraid." the kaijin held up the Ride Booker, "You can't fight without your cards. Attack!"
Twilight saw the Worm charge her out of the corner of her eye. She took to the air seconds before they could.
"Yeah, slight problem with that plan." Twilight placed her driver on her midsection, the belt part extending before connecting on the other side. She then landed with the rest of the ponies, minus Rainbow Dash and plus Spike, behind her. Reaching into her saddle bag, she produced the "Decade" rider card, "Don't be so ready to make a deal with someone who tried to kill you."
Twilight slid the card into the slot.
"Kamen Ride D-D-D-Decade!"
Eight gray ghost ponies formed in an arc around Twilight, knocking the Worm into their allies. Applejack's eye's widened as she saw the armor form over her friend.
"Wha?" she muttered. The pegasi were just as surprised.
The Kaijin were completely dumbfounded as well. The lizard looked among it's comrades. "Get her!" he cried out in an exasperated tone. The Worm charging first, the Makamou let Rainbow go before they too changed before the ponies eyes.
The stallion and mare that had stood before them were replaced by two large dark creatures. The creatures had large ridges across their faces, and their hide was bulky and uneven. The only other notable feature was their uncannily hairy fore legs.
Twilight prepared to face the four monsters. She dodged a hook from the first Worm and landed a hit on the other. She then landed a firm kick on the male Makamou, who then was driven into the female.
The Ride Booker flew out of the female's hooves, and was caught by Twilight as she charged the lizard Kaijin. However, the scaled creature side-stepped the winged unicorn's attack and landed it's elbow (Do quadrupeds’ have elbows?) hard on her back.
Twilight rolled off into the underbrush on the border of the Everfree. She opened the deck and examined one of the cards.
"Let's try this." she said before inserting the card into her belt.
"Attack Ride Slash!"
The driver then unfurled a handle off of one corner, and a long blade off the opposite corner. Twilight used her magic to grab the sword's hilt. The alicorn princess charged the kaijin who had encircled the area she had disappeared into.
The kaijin proved to be of little trouble after that, Twilight would arc her sword across one while the others were still recovering. Sparks would fly as metal met carapace. The makamou's web spitting (when could they do that?) was a tad annoying, but Twilight was able to compensate.
Meanwhile, Spike and the other mares had made their way to the captured ponies. The real Wild Flower was gagged and bound to a tree just beyond the undergrowth, several loose threads and a gag indicated where Rainbow had been held. Spike's claws made quick work of the weather team's silken restraints.
Applejack helped her multi-chrome friend to her hooves, "Ya all right RD?"
"Yeah." she said shakily, "but, what are those things?"
"Ah don't know, but Twilight sure seemed too."
Back with Twilight…
Said mare was currently preparing to finish off the Kaijin soldiers. She raised her sword and charged, somehow causing the blade to glow a pink hue. As she first struck the Worm, she noted that a pink after-image was trailing behind her weapon.
Both Worm immediately halted and exploded into a small ball of green flames. Not stopping her onslaught, Twilight thrust the glowing sword into the chest of the closest makamou, who managed to utter a small shriek before it to burst into (normal colored) flames.
Twilight then turned her goggled attention to the remaining two kaijin. The second makamou, Twilight recognized it as the female, actually seemed scared of her. This was only emphasized when it/she began fleeing for the Everfree Forest.
“I would follow your friend's move if I were you.” Twilight said.
The lizard kaijin snarled, “I'm no coward. Hiii!” The lizard charged Twilight, it's claws kicking up dirt. Twilight charged as well, dragging her blade across the ground, leaving a trail of sparks. When the two reached each other, Twilight flicked her sword tip at the reptile, throwing sparks into it's face. The lizard recoiled in pain. She then arced the sword down on her foe's back, forcing it to the ground.
Turning toward the Everfree Forest, Twilight saw Rainbow Dash and the rest of Raindrop's team were safe in the hooves and claws of her friends. She then returned her attention to the Kaijin.
“Time to finish this.”
Twilight returned the Ride Booker to it's storage form and drew another card from it. This card simply bore a symbol on it, in fact it was the same symbol that was the Decade suit's cutie mark.
“Final Attack Ride D-D-D-Decade!” rang out the belt.
Several yellow rectangles made out of energy formed between her and the Kaijin. Twilight lept into the air, somehow knowing exactly what had to be done, despite never having done it before. As her jump reached it's peak, Twilight rotated her hind limbs forward, so she was in position to deliver a drop kick to the lizard. As she moved through the rectangles, (which had repositioned themselves when she jumped), she felt a sensation not unlike what happened when she teleported, only less sudden, and it only moved her into the next rectangle.
Twilight landed her hoof on the kaijin's chest. It cried out before exploding into flames like the others.
“Yeah!” Twilight turned to the sound of Spike's cheering, “I knew you take those things down!”
The rest of the ponies came forward. The pegasi looked battered, but alive.
“That. Was. Awesome!”
“Princess,” Raindrops said, with a bow, “on behave of my team, thank you.”
“Yeah, that was some fine fighting Twi.” Applejack said, however Twilight detected a hint of worry in her voice. “But, what were those things? And this?” She said gesturing to Twilight's armor.
Twilight opened her belt and removed the cards, “It's a long story,” she said as her armor dissipated, “I promise I'll explain everything, but first you mares need some medical attention. And please, can you not tell anypony about what you saw here?”
The ponies looked among themselves, before nodding in agreement.
"Thank you. Fluttershy's cottage would be best. Spike!" she said addressing her scribe, "Go get Rarity and Pinkie Pie, they need to hear this too."
Spike saluted the new rider and jogged off towards Ponyville, while the ponies began moving towards the grounded pegasus's residents. What none of the parties noticed thou, was that they were being observed by a certain trench coat wearing individual.