3, 2, 1 Showtime!
Twilight ran the entire way back to Zecora’s hut, her breath heaving in her chest. She couldn’t believe the discovery she had made. A Rider belt made by Clover the Clever himself! If she could manage to get it to work, there was no telling what she could accomplish. The stones were obviously important, but how were they used with the medallion?
Before she could think on it too long, the hut came into view. Bursting through the door, she held out the stones and medallion. “Zecora! I found something incredible!” She cringed, hearing the sound of breaking glass.
“It seems that your walk has brought good tidings,” Zecora replied, staring at the broken vial on the ground. “Therefore your presence I’ll be abiding.”
“Sorry.” Giving Zecora an apologetic smile, Twilight stepped inside. “I found this in the castle; it’s a kamen rider belt~”
“I’m afraid I do not know what that is,” the shaman answered, leaning in close to examine the items in Twilight’s hands. “Could we please not treat this like a pop quiz?”
“I forget sometimes that you spend so much time in the forest.” Taking a seat, Twilight went over the nation’s recent events. “I have to ask that you keep most of that a secret. The only reason I’m telling you is because I need your help getting this belt to work.”
“It is clear that the belt does not work on its own,” Zecora noted, inspecting the medallion in her hands. “We must discover the secrets within the stones.” Nodding at the book, she turned the medallion over. “For once, I find my knowledge weak; perhaps the book has what we seek?”
“I might not have looked through the pages thoroughly,” Twilight admitted, staring down at the stones. “Maybe Clover sketched out some plans for things?” Going back to the book, she flipped through the pages for anything relevant. It took her a little bit, but she eventually saw something notable. “Oh! This is something! Clover was planning on turning the stones into rings!”
The two mares stood together, poring over Clover’s notes. With their shared knowledge, it didn’t take them long to decipher Clover’s diagrams. The pair grabbed the tools Zecora had in her hut and set to work on carving the stones. Between the two of them, they fashioned the black stone into a hand shaped design that matched the medallion with some of the rock left over.
“Looks like we’re gonna need some metal...” Twilight muttered, going over the diagrams again. “Do you know anything about metallurgy?”
“Well, my jewelry is of my own crafting,” Zecora answered, putting a hand on one of her neck rings. “But my supply of silver is lacking.”
“I don’t recall hearing about any silver deposits in the Everfree...” Twilight paced around the hut, hand firmly locked on her chin. “We might have to go to the deer; they might be able to help us. Not sure if they’d be willing to though...”
“I have had dealings with the deer,” Zecora said, picking up Clover’s book. “From them, we have nothing to fear.”
“Right. I’ll let you do the talking.” Gathering up the stones, she placed them in a small sack. “We should hurry, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can free Ponyville.”
Zecora agreed, donning her cloak and leading Twilight out into the forest. Their journey took them off the worn trails, forcing them to push branches out of their way. Eventually, the forest seemed to get less chaotic, the tree limbs getting in their way less often.
“I’ve never been this far in before...” The sense of quiet unnerved Twilight, far more than the sounds of the Everfree could. Sticking close to Zecora, Twilight kept her horn charged just in case.
“These woods can be a place to fear,” Zecora admitted, taking in their surroundings. “But learn its ways and you’ll be clear.”
Twilight kept talking with Zecora during the trip, calming her nerves as the other mare answered every question that popped into her head. Before she realized it, they had come across a village with homes made amongst the trees. Literally, the trees had been shaped to form homes for the wandering deer much like her own library.
A few deer came out from the trees, wearing finely crafted armor. More than a few wielded spears, and at least one had a wooden broadsword. Runes had been carved into its blade; bathing the buck carrying it in pale light.
“Greetings to you this day, good deer,” Zecora greeted, nonplussed by the heavily armed bucks and does. “My friend and I you should not fear. We have good reasons to be here.”
“Why would you bring a pony?” one of the bucks asked, pointing his spear at Twilight. “You know they aren’t welcome here.”
“Look at her eyes and you’ll feel silly.” Zecora questioned, pointing at the unicorn. “Twilight is not a normal filly.”
“I’ve been inducted to a dragon clan,” Twilight added, ignoring the implication of immaturity while looking between the deer. “I’m not here for trouble, I need your help. My home is being held hostage.”
“The truth is that her soul is pure,” Zecora added, putting a hand on the mare’s shoulder. “Deserving of your aid, I’m sure.”
Staring at the two, Spruce stuck his spear into the ground. “Feel lucky, pony, Zecora’s word carries weight here. What do you need, unicorn?”
“I was hoping you might know where I can find a deposit of silver,” Twilight started, breathing a silent sigh of relief. “I’m trying to finish the work of a great wizard that will help me save my home, and silver is integral in doing so.”
Spruce watched for a time before grunting at one of the other bucks. “Timber, take these two to the cave. Let them get what they need and send them on their way. Make sure they leave, understand?”
The one with the greatsword nodded, sheathing his weapon. Motioning with his hand, he led the two mares towards the other side of the village.
“How have you been, Timber?” Zecora asked, looking up at the buck with a smile. “Staying loose and limber?”
“Of course, the forest always keeps one in shape.” Timber grinned, giving her a thumbs up. “What about you, Zecora? You still tutoring that apple filly?”
“She is quick to learn the art of the brew, soon there will be nothing she cannot do.” She smiled and put a hand to one of her earrings. “Soon she will have to craft sacred jewelry and then she’ll be a shaman just like me.”
“Are you allowed to do that, you know considering she’s not a zebra?” Timber led the two out of the village and back into the forest. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a non-deer learning our secret arts.”
“My tribe was different from others,” Zecora explained, returning her hand to her side. “Outsiders could become brothers.” If there was one thing she disliked about the deer, it was their need to look down on others. Luckily, their shared kinship with nature had given her a means to earn their trust. But even that wasn’t enough to change their distaste for ponies.
“Timber, do you know what’s going on in Equestria?” Twilight didn’t doubt the deer had some informant somewhere. They might sequester themselves out in the forest, but they weren’t stupid. Keeping themselves in the dark regarding world events would just be reckless.
Timber nodded, the trees starting to thin out. “We have heard of the recent events. But I haven’t personally been very interested. There have been no threats made against us so I’ve had no reason to.”
“Dai-Shocker’s after our whole world, you can’t just act like it isn’t your problem.” Twilight frowned, clutching her sack closer. “We all need to work together, or we’ll lose everything we have.”
“If that is how you feel then you should speak with King Aspen,” Timber offered, stopping at the mouth of a large cave. “He is the only one that can mobilize our forces.”
Sighing, Twilight walked into the cave. “I’ll have to talk to Princess Celestia.”
“For spare pickaxes, I must beg.” Zecora stated, following Twilight into the cave. “My own became a table’s leg.”
“I’ll see what I can do, I can’t make any promises.” Moving off to the side, he left the two mares to their own devices.
Lighting her horn up, Twilight used the spell she had learned from Rarity to search for the precious metal they were after. “At least the deer agreed to help us,” she said, stopping at a wall towards the middle of the cave. Her horn revealed a decent sized vein of silver over a foot beneath the surface. “Alright, I think this’ll be all we need.”
“We should not take more than we require,” Zecora warned, leaning against the wall opposite of the vein. “We do not want to risk the deer’s ire.”
“Do you... do you think we could get the deer to join us?” Letting the light of her horn fade, Twilight took a seat next to Zecora. “Wyatt told me in his world there’s an organization called the ‘United Nations’. It’s a collection of almost all his world’s nations; where they try to fix all the world’s problems.”
“I do not know, the deer have always been reclusive,” Zecora started, looking down at Twilight. “And I have sometimes found their thoughts to be elusive. If they see Dai-Shocker to be a threat, then there is hope that they may join us yet.”
“I hope so.” Twilight hugged her legs, gazing at the wall ahead of her. ‘We have to work together, we just have to.’
“I don’t really like doing this,” Nurse Redheart grumbled, walking in sync with Wyatt. “This isn’t something a nurse should be doing.” Carried in her arms was a medical pack, storing all of the necessary tools to keep Trixie under.
“I understand how you feel, but would you rather we just let her run amok?” Wyatt countered, his hands in his pockets. “She nearly killed those kids by making them pull that wheeless monstrosity.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.” Her frown deepened as they approached the bank. “I mean really? The bank vault? Isn’t that a bit much?”
“No, it really isn’t,” Wyatt replied, opening the door for her. “Apparently the longer Trixie has that thing on, the stronger and crazier she gets. Come on, Red, I think you’ve treated me enough times to know when I’m joking.”
Snorting, Redheart pulled an empty syringe out of her pack. “You’re lucky keeping her sedated is all you want. Otherwise I’d put your flank in a sling.” She stopped, grabbing his arm. “Who else is in there with her?”
“Maud and A.K. should be, why?” Wyatt questioned, raising a brow at her.
“Get down!” Redheart tackled him just as the vault door blasted off its hinges. “I thought you said she was still out!?”
“She was just a little bit ago!” Wyatt retorted, pulling him and Redheart back to their feet. He paused coming to a realization. “Shit, I think the amulet made her more resistant to the sedatives. Redheart, run and tell ponies to get somewhere safe. Trixie’s gonna be pissed and I’m one of the people she’s gonna be gunning for.”
Ixa stepped into view, Ixacalibur in hand. Around her neck was the alicorn amulet, glinting with red magic. “You think you can lock me up!? Think again, monkey!”
“Why does my luck have to be the worst,” Wyatt muttered, glancing at Redheart. “Red, get out of here!” he boomed, shoving the nurse towards the door. Not sticking to see if she was following his orders, he dove behind a desk. “I can take Ixa, wasn’t that strong of a rider...” Shots rang out from the direction of the bank vault, sparks raining down in front of his face. “Of course, that Ixa never had magic steroids.”
“Where are you, monkey~?” Trixie sing-songed, her hooves echoing through the room. “I’m only going to discipline you. I promise you’ll keep all your limbs. Well, most of them anyway.”
“Why do I have a feeling she’s talking about the ole bait and tackle?” Wyatt muttered, shuddering at the thought while summoning his driver. Placing it around his waist, he quickly dropped a card into his belt.
“Kamen Ride: Decade!” As soon as his armor formed, Wyatt hefted the desk he was hiding under over his head and tossed it at Ixa.
“Hey, Trixie! You lost? You look like a Knights of Tir Na Nog reject!”
Whipping around, Ixa sliced downward and cut the desk in two to let the halves fly right past her and crash into the wall behind her. “Don’t reference things your overlord doesn’t understand!” Aiming at him, Ixa fired off a few shots.
Wyatt tucked and rolled, managing to get behind a file cabinet while the shots landed where his head had been only a moment before. Grabbing his card case, he unfolded it into his gun and leaned over to return fire. “Sorry, but I don’t have an overlord! Especially not one that’s like a mid-tier Rider at best.”
Ixa fired off several more shots, Wyatt’s own glancing off her armor. “You’re one to talk! You’re just one of Celestia’s pet riders! Too busy sucking up to help anyone!”
“I joined the Guardians of Harmony to help people!” Wyatt retorted, rolling towards another desk before Ixa’s shots could tear through the cabinet and send papers flying. “I’ve never cared about earning brownie points with Celestia!”
“Talk is cheap!” Ixa lit her horn, grabbing Wyatt’s cover and tossing them aside. “Come on, Pink Boy, let’s see just how good you really are!”
Wyatt grabbed a pair of cards off his belt, slotting the first one in. For a moment, he stood in Kuuga’s Mighty form before slotting the second card in. “Form Ride: Titan!” The familiar silhouettes converged on Wyatt and left him in the purple armor of the Titan form.
Raising his large sword up, Wyatt crouched into a stance. “Fine, the shootout was getting a bit stale anyway.”
Switching her weapon to sword mode, Ixa walked closer. “Come on now, don’t you think you're overcompensating just a bit much? You must be one insecure monkey.”
“How original, making a big sword equals compensation joke,” Wyatt shot back, rolling his eyes beneath his helmet. “What’s next, gonna go on a diatribe about airline food?” Gripping his sword, Wyatt struck first aiming a slash at her chest.
Ixa moved her sword, blocking the strike with a grunt of effort. She followed up by stepping forward and punching Wyatt in the stomach. Grinning she followed it up with a right hook to the face.
Wyatt stepped back his still recovering jaw sending a spike of pain through him. Ignoring it, he feinted with his sword, only to deliver an uppercut to Ixa’s chin. He blanched as she grabbed his hand and flung him through a wall. Bricks fell around Wyatt as his head rolled in a daze. Slowly, he managed to pull himself to his feet just in time to lean away from a sword slash from Ixa.
“You don’t look so good~” Ixa taunted, a sinister giggle punctuating her words. “And here i thought you were the great Decade! Here to save all Equestria?”
The taunt snapped Wyatt out of his stupor, and with a burst of strength, he quickly sliced up at Ixa’s chest and then followed up by slashing downward diagonally. “That’s right!” Wyatt boomed, shoulder checking Ixa and slashing her stomach. “I have a responsibility to protect people! And no stage magician with an over inflated ego is going to keep me from that.”
“And you think I don’t!?” Ixa staggered back, her amulet starting to glow. “Who do you think kept ponies safe while Celestia sat on her fat flank, stuffing her face full of cake! It was my family, the Lulamoons who kept the masses safe from what hunted them!”
“Oh yeah, Ponyville was so protected under your crazy ass,” Wyatt retorted, stabbing his blade at the glowing amulet. “Two kids nearly put in the hospital, kicked out a prominent member of the town and made everybody miserable. Face it, the only one you care about is yourself!”
“Shut up!” Trixie caught Wyatt’s sword in her magic, keeping it from her neck. “I’m done letting other people tell me how to live my life! I’m in control now, no one else!”
Wyatt let go of his sword, taking Trixie by surprise and slamming his fist into her helmet. “Living your own life doesn’t have to be at the expense of others! Grow the hell up!”
Ixa recovered, using her magic to slash Wyatt’s sword in sync with her own. “You’re just content to be Celestia’s lap dog, just like all those other riders!”
On the next swing, Wyatt managed to catch the blade of his sword in his hand, sparks flying from his shoulder where Ixa’s cut into him. “You’re really getting on my nerves. Those are my friends you’re insulting.” Raising his leg, Wyatt kicked Ixa in the stomach and wrenched his sword from her magic.
“You took the words right out of my mouth.” Her horn still glowing, Trixie fired a bolt of magic, sending him blasting him through another wall. “I’m done playing games with you.” Giving her sword the same glow as her magic, Trixie stepped out onto the streets. “Come on, let’s finish this.”
Pulling himself out of the rubble, Wyatt pushed a card into his belt. “Fine by me.”
“Final Attack Ride: K-K-Kuuga!” Energy arced around Wyatt’s sword, the eyes on his helmet flashing for a brief moment.
Trixie rushed forward in a blur of red energy, striking him several times. “I’m better than you in every way. If you beg now, I’ll still take you as my husband. After a good gelding of course.”
Wyatt grunted, nearly falling over from the pain of the strikes. “Yeah, you haven’t caused nearly enough brain damage for me to take that deal.” Summoning up the last of his strength, he thrust his sword towards her chest.
Knocking it aside, Trixie brought her sword to bare. With a blood red glow, the blade cleaved through Wyatt’s armor, cancelling his transformation. “Oops! You seem to be having a wardrobe malfunction.”
Wyatt went to give a witty retort, only to collapse onto his face. Trixie’s laugh was the last thing he heard before unconsciousness claimed him.
Reaching down, Trixie removed the Decadriver from Wyatt’s waist. “You won't be needing this.” Turning towards the buildings, she fired a shot into the air. “You see that, you miserable peasants! Not even Celestia’s precious riders can stop me! Just accept your new overlord!” Before she could boast further, the Decadriver faded from her grasp.
The townsponies all whispered amongst themselves, regarding Wyatt’s battered body with fear in their eyes.
“Kneel, all of you!” Trixie commanded, leveling her weapon at them. “Don’t make me tell you twice.”
Slowly, the townsponies all fell to one knee, looking down at the ground in shame. While the crowd kept Trixie busy, a few townsponies spirited Wyatt out of sight.
Redheart checked Wyatt’s wounds while the other two carried him. From what she could see, he’d need to get treated at the hospital or else he’d be in danger. “Get him to the hospital, now! Make sure our ‘new leader’ doesn’t see you.”
“Right,” one of the stallions replied, leading the other down an alley to escape Trixie’s line of sight.
The mining took longer than Twilight had hoped, but she and Zecora had managed to gather up what they could from the vein. After thanking Timber, the pair had returned to Zecora’s hut to set about separating the silver from the stone and smelt it.
With controlled fire breathing, Twilight melted down the ore. Using her magic, she filtered out the imperfections; pouring the molten silver into Zecora’s cauldron.
“Fire breath is so useful,” Twilight mused, grabbing the molds they had prepared. “I have no idea how we’d smelt these otherwise. So uh, the book never specified designs for the rings. What do you think we should carve the stones into?”
“There were no set designs, ‘tis true,” Zecora remarked, grabbing the black stone. “So we must create something new.”
“I guess we will,” Twilight relented, sitting down next to Zecora as they looked over their tools. The zebra grabbed a file, letting Twilight hold it steady while she started carving. “I’m a little worried, Zecora. Clover the Clever was one of the greatest unicorns of all time and he couldn’t make it work. How could I make it work when I’m not even on his level?”
“You will work it because you must,” Zecora stated plainly, carefully carving against the stone. “Your efforts will not be a bust.”
Twilight nodded, watching as Zecora worked her tools. She kept the silver hot with a bursts of flame. “I just have to believe. Trixie can’t keep me from my family.”
“Very good, Twilight,” Zecora praised, pausing to inspect the rock for a few moments. “Let your hope turn to power. With it you can fell even a mighty tower.”
Twilight didn’t ask how Zecora knew what to carve, she figured the mare more than knew how to make magical artifacts. Holding the book in her magic, she went over the belt design again, forming a few spell combinations in her mind.
The hours ticked by with Zecora and Twilight each doing their parts. Night had more than fallen before their efforts bore fruit; a quartet of rings, each one baring a different design. One showed a dragon coming out of a hole, the next a close up of a helmet of some sorts, the third was a hand that matched the medallion and the last was a hoof, surrounded by dragon shaped flames.
“Wow, we made four rings out of this one stone?” Twilight mused, picking up the ring depicting a hand. “So, I guess I just have to put this on and touch it to the medallion?” Taking a deep breath, she put the ring on her left hand, adjusting it for a moment. She walked over to the shelf where she had put the medallion and attached it to a crude belt before wrapping it around her waist. Steeling herself, Twilight slowly brought her hand down to hover over the medallion.
“Driver on!” Magic pulsed from the medallion, transforming the crude belt into something far more elaborate. The medallion itself became akin to a belt buckle. The belt had two switches on either side of the buckle which Twilight absentmindedly tested to find that it switched the direction the hand faced.
“I-it works?” Twilight asked no one in particular, staring down at her waist in a daze. A split second later she looked up at Zecora with a massive grin. “It works!” She struck a pose, resting her hand on the belt. “I can do this!”
“For this you earn high praise, Twilight,” Zecora said, examining the belt with a warm smile. “But we’ve more rings to make tonight.”
Twilight nodded, removing her hand from her driver and letting it shrink back down. Once she returned to Zecora’s side, they grabbed the red stone and set to work on the next ring. As the night wore on, the pair sculpted the multi-colored stones into shape. When the last ring was finished, Twilight was ready to drop; eight rings sat on one of Zecora’s tables, their facets glittering in the early morning light.
“I think I need some sleep.” Twilight yawned, the bags under her eyes having bags of their own. She took a couple steps before collapsing, just barely making it onto the bed roll she had been staying on. A loud snore tore from her throat, rings of smoke puffing out of her mouth.
Zecora chuckled before her own exhaustion caught up with her. Clover had left them with one last design, but it was clear that neither of them were in any condition to work on it. Pushing two earplugs made of beeswax into her ears, Zecora joined her temporary roommate in the realm of dreams.
Rhythmic beeping greeted Wyatt as he drifted back to consciousness. A haze hung over his mind and he sat up in a hospital bed. A dull pain throbbed in his chest while he tried to piece together what had happened to him.
“She kicked my ass hard...” Wyatt groaned, rubbing his head. “Stupid amulet, making her stupid strong...” Pulling the blanket off of him, he looked down at his chest to find a few sets of stitches running along his body that matched where Trixie had slashed him. “Great, I feel like Frankenstein right about now.”
The door opened, snapping Wyatt out of his train of thought. Craning his neck, he found Nurse Redheart step into view with a cart full of bandages and rubbing alcohol. “Oh, you’re finally awake,” she noted, shutting the door behind her. “Kinda bad timing seeing as it’s time for me to clean your wounds and change your bandages.”
“How long have I been out?” Wyatt asked, turning his head away as she tended to his wounds. “I feel like I got hit by a bullet train...”
“On the bright side, it’s not like you could look any worse,” Redheart teased, dabbing the rubbing alcohol along his chest. “And as for how long you’ve been out; it’s been a little over a day.”
“Sounds like I got a proper asskicking,” Wyatt grumbled, wincing slightly from the sting of the alcohol. “You uh, haven’t let Sombra see me like this, have you?”
“Of course not,” she replied, keeping her eyes on her work. “That poor colt doesn’t need any more trauma. We have to get you presentable, you’re having visitors today.”
“Please tell me I can take a normal shower with these stitches,” Wyatt said, letting out a sigh of relief at the former half of the mare’s news. “I don’t need to add sponge baths to the list of my humiliations.”
“You’re not leaving this bed.” Poking his chest, she leaned in close. “I don’t care if you’re a rider, you need to recuperate; and I’ll see that you do.”
Wyatt’s eyes turned to the size of dinner plates at her comment. “Wh-what did you just say? You know I’m a rider?”
“Whole town saw you when your armor disappeared,” she explained, changing a bandage on his arm. “Everypony's been doing their best to keep her attention off you.”
“So much for keeping my secret identity,” Wyatt muttered, letting his head hit his pillow. “She must be making everyone even more miserable now because of me.”
Redheart rolled her eyes, finishing with his bandages. “Save the pity party, alright? No one in Ponyville is going to blab; we all took an oath. You’ve done more than enough keeping us safe from all those monsters.”
Quirking a brow, Wyatt tilted his head to meet the mare’s gaze. “Even my boss at the paper? She’s been chompin’ at the bit for rider stories.”
“Yes, even Silver Quill.” Pulling his blanket up, Redheart sighed. “I’m sad to say that your friends in the vault are in worse shape than you. That maniac turned Pinkie’s sister to stone and trapped Ms. Yearling in an illustration.”
A frown etched itself onto Wyatt’s face and he gripped his sheets tightly. “The instant you leave this room I’m going after that bitch,” Wyatt warned, knowing full well he was in no condition for a rematch. “What about Spike, Sombra and the library? Has she done anything to them?”
Redheart snorted, leaning in again. “Get off this bed and I’ll sedate your flank into next month. You need rest. She hasn’t done anything to the library, as far as I know.”
That eased Wyatt’s mind slightly and he relaxed his grip on the sheets. “Good. If she had, then no amount of drugs would keep me from snapping her horn off and shoving it up her ass.”
“Damn, Wyatt, you don’t mess around.” Dash stepped into the room, glancing at the human. “How are you feeling, besides like crap?”
“I’ve still got a pulse, so I guess that’ll do,” Wyatt replied, turning his attention towards the prismatic mare. “What about you? Has Trixie made you make the clouds look like her yet?”
“She’s been makin’ us do all sorts of crazy things.” Applejack walked into the room, leading the other girls inside. Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to be with the group; most likely looking after Maud. “Ah don’t think Ah’ can take another day of this nonsense.”
“I’m sorry, girls,” Wyatt replied, looking down at his bed. “I could’ve put an end to this whole mess, but I just wasn’t good enough. I should’ve been training harder.”
“Nonsense.” Rarity sat by his bed, taking his hand. “You did all you could, we’d never hold that against you.”
Wyatt managed a small smile, looking up at the fashionista. “Hey, stop trying to make me feel better; can’t you see I’m trying to have a pity party here?” he joked. “How’s Pinkie handling everything?”
“Bout as well as ya can expect,” Applejack answered, adjusting her hat on her head. “She’s been guardin’ Maud like a watchdog. Poor filly, I’d be right where she is if somethin’ happened to Bloom’ or Mac.”
Wyatt chuckled, the image of Applejack holding a shotgun while guarding statues of her siblings popping into his head. “I’m sure you would, AJ.” Turning to Rainbow, he took on a more serious tone. “Any word from Twilight?”
“No, but we heard from somepony they saw her run into the Everfree,” Rarity said, crossing her arms over her chest. “She must’ve gone to Zecora’s. We’ve been thinking of sneaking someone out and getting a message out to her.”
Wrapping her arm around Fluttershy, Dash pulled her to the front of the room. “We got one heck of a plan! We even got Shy’s animals on board!”
“Lay it on me,” Wyatt requested with a grin. “I’d rather not be a single parent anymore.”
The group huddled around his bed, speaking in hushed whispers.
Twilight had resumed her training with Zecora, though now she had added hand to hand combat on top of the magic lessons. Zecora had suggested that the unicorn limit her hands for blocking mostly in order to prevent the rings from getting damaged.
As such, the shaman was instructing Twilight in a fighting style that focused on the use of her legs.
“I never thought... I’d be doing this...” Twilight panted, kicking the target again. “At least I’ll never complain about how useless Spike and Wyatt are after a training session anymore...”
“Training is meant to be a chore,” Zecora noted, using her walking stick to apply pressure where Twilight’s stance was off. “You’ll know it works if you feel sore.”
“That’s painfully obvious.” Twilight delivered another series of kicks, noting the burn in her legs. “I’ll have to cut back on the reading; start gathering technique books.”
“Do not trust techniques which you’ve only read,” Zecora replied, letting her walking stick rest on the ground. “Without any practice you’ll end up dead.”
Twilight paused for a moment, wiping the sweat from her eyes. “You know, I never pegged you for someone with combat training. In hindsight, you’d probably need some, living out here and all.”
“The roles of a shaman are varied and many,” the zebra informed, dropping into a stance and shadowboxing for a moment. “Some involve the dispatching of an enemy.”
Levitating over a waterskin, Twilight took a long drink. “You aren’t teaching any of this to Applebloom, are you?” She could already picture the fit Applejack would throw if she found out someone was teaching Applebloom to fight.
“I swore not to teach her more than how to brew. By shamanic law, that is all I can do,” Zecora assured, passing Twilight a towel. “It helps most foals focus on the knowledge they sought, and prevents young minds from becoming overwrought.”
Twilight graciously took the towel, wiping off as much sweat as she could. “She might end up with a classmate, considering how things are going. I’ll need your help making more of those rings.”
“As soon as you find another likely stone, we will see if it is one that we can hone,” the shaman promised, motioning for Twilight to continue training.
Moving into her stance again, Twilight noted some movement in a bush. Her eyes lit up when a familiar face emerged from the forest. “Fluttershy!” practically galloping over, she pulled the pegasus into a tight hug. “How did you get out of town?!”
“It turns out that Trixie’s dome doesn’t extend to underground,” Fluttershy began, returning Twilight’s hug. “So my animal friends dug a hole big enough for me to fit through and snuck me out in this disguise.” She flopped one of the bunny ears on her hoodie for emphasis.
Giggling, Twilight stepped back. “I suppose that’s a bright side. Is everyone in town okay?”
“Um, that depends entirely on your definition of okay,” Fluttershy replied, tapping her pointer fingers together. “Trixie has been treating everypony like her personal toys. Everyone is scared she’s going to hurt them like she did-” she clammed up, not wanting to tell the draconic unicorn about what Wyatt had gone through.
“Who did she hurt?” Twilight asked, her eyes starting to contract. “Fluttershy, please, I need to know.
“Wyatt,” the pegasus squeaked out, barely registering as an audible sound.
Twilight shook with fury, smoke licking at the edges of her nostrils. “Zecora, I’m sorry. I can’t let this go another day. I have to stop her.”
“I would not dare stop you, Twilight,” Zecora replied, grabbing her walking stick. “This could only end in a fight.” She retrieved the driver, passing it over to her. “Take this and do what must be done, and surely this day will be won.”
Twilight nodded, buckling the belt around her waist. “Thanks, Zecora. Without you, I wouldn’t stand a chance.” Slipping a ring on her finger, she turned to Fluttershy. “Are you ready to go back in, Fluttershy?”
“Why did you grab jewelry, Twilight?” Fluttershy questioned, tilting her head at the ring. “And where did you find those?”
A grin split Twilight’s face as she brought the belt to life. “Why, Fluttershy, I’m so glad you asked.” Slipping another ring on, she shifted the hand on her belt. “Why don’t I show you?”
Spike gripped the hilt of medajalibur tightly; his back against the library door. “I already told you, you ain’t coming in!” Staring Trixie down, he slashed at the air in front of him. “Get the hell away from my home!”
Glaring at the drake, Trixie picked him up in her magic. “Did you just tell your overlord no? For that sort of insolence I have half a mind to tear this library down and order a statue of me put where it once stood.”
Spike sneered, breathing a torrent of fire in Trixie’s face. “You’ll touch that tree over my dead body, you pathetic excuse for a magician!”
Dropping to the ground in order to avoid the fire, Trixie leered at Spike. “A poor choice of words, dragon,” she spat, pulling out her belt and slapping it around her waist. “I’ll do to you what I did to that filthy monkey.”
Struggling in her magic, Spike spat at her. “Do your worst, Trixie. You’re a failure of a rider and a sub-par performer. You’re nothing but a bully who never grew up.”
Ignoring the glob of spit on her cheek, Trixie removed the buckle from her belt and pressed it to her palm. “You are making this so much more enjoyable,” she growled.
“Fist on!” An ornate cross spun on the belt before growing and hovering in front of Trixie. An outline of her armor took shape and slid over the mare’s body. It materialized into her suit, a literal knight in shining armor.
Pulling out Ixacalibur, Trixie leveled the weapon at Spike’s face. “Any last words?” A frown developed under her helm as Spike remained silent. “Fine, have it your way.”
“Trixie Lulamoon!”
Turning her head, Trixie found Twilight Sparkle standing in the middle of the street, glaring at the despotical rider. “Sparkle, how in the name of Faust did you get through the dome?”
“While you were busy terrorizing Ponyville, I did some relic hunting of my own.” Reaching her hands down, she shifted the hand again. “I’m not about to let you invade my home; this ends here and now!”
“Shabadoobie Touch to Henshin!” the belt chanted, awaiting Twilight’s input. Switching the direction of the hand once more, she slipped the red ring onto her finger and flipped a bracket down.
“Henshin,” Twilight said, touching her ring to the belt.
“Flame, please!”
The world seemed to come to a crawl as Twilight felt the belt’s power surge through her. Her inner fire expanded into a wildfire; threatening to consume her. A scream froze in her mouth, every one of her nerves on fire. Before it could, the fire found a release, centering on her hand that bore the red ring. Stretching her arm out, a red magic circle forming just beyond the tips of her fingers. The circle edged closer, passing over her body.
“Hi-hi, hi-hi-hi!” Twilight’s driver chanted, the magic circle fading from existence to reveal her new armor. Her helmet had no traditional face portion, instead it was all an ovular red jewel with silver brackets that divided it into a forehead, eye and mouth areas. Her horn extended in the helmet and was encased in the jewel. Her torso was covered in a black coat that extended down to her knees. The two flaps on her chest each had three square gem portions and the coat itself parted to reveal more of the gem. Her wrists and ankles were protected by red and silver bands that completed the outfit.
“Now.” Getting into her stance, Twilight focused onto Trixie. “Let’s have ourselves a rematch; winner takes all.”
“So you’ve become a rider, big deal,” Trixie dismissed, dropping Spike from her magic. “You’re still no match for me, Sparkle! Just like your ape of a coltfriend wasn’t.” Reaiming her ixacalibur, she fired of a few shots at the newly revealed rider.
Tucking into a roll, Twilight just managed to avoid the shots. She pulled the ring off her left hand and slipped a new one on. Switching the direction of the hand on her driver once more, Twilight tapped the new ring to it. “Connect, please!” A small magic circle appeared in front of her and she reached in to pull out a large silver gun that bore a hand on the side that matched her belt.
“Trust me, Trixie, I’ve got tricks up my sleeve.” With a flourish, Twilight dodged Trixie’s shots, returning fire with her weapon. “I can teach you, if you think you’re up for it.”
Trixie attempted to dodge, but the bullets curved and struck a glancing blow against her arm. “I do not need to learn anything from you!” Trixie boomed, firing at Twilight. “I am a master of the stage!”
Trixie cried out, something striking her from behind. “Really?” Spike questioned, donned in entirely green armor and brandishing arm scythes. “Because it looks like you forgot about the crucial skill of misdirection.”
“I don’t care if you had a hundred riders!” Trixie tossed a cart at Spike with a flash of magic. “I’m the strongest one there is!” Shifting her weapon into its sword weapon, she took a swing at Twilight.
With a quick adjustment, a blade unfolded from Twilight’s gun and she blocked Trixie’s attack. “What an interesting choice of words,” she started, a sly grin concealed beneath her helmet. “OOO, would you care to show Trixie here what your green combo does?” kneeing the other unicorn in the stomach, Twilight shoved her towards Spike.
Spike glowed, several clones stepping out of his body. “With pleasure.” Grabbing Trixie in an arm lock, he allowed his clones to lay in a beat down. “Try and one up that.”
With a roar of anger, Trixie’s horn glowed and she threw off all of the clones with a quick dome of energy. “Use all the tricks you want, I’m still better than you!”
“There are no tricks here, just magic!” Twilight beamed, tapping her ring to her belt once more. A magic circle appeared beside her and she shoved her sword through it. Another magic circle appeared behind Trixie and Twilight’s sword emerged to stab at the back of the crazed mare’s head.
“How are you doing that?!” Trixie whirled around, countering with her own sword. “Where did you learn hornless magic!?”
“Trixie, I thought you knew better than to ask something like that,” Twilight teased, tapping her ring to her driver yet again and creating a magic circle at Trixie’s legs. With a quick motion, she thrust her sword through the portal and sliced her opponent in the knees. “A magician never reveals her secrets after all.”
Spike’s clones gathered around the dazed mare, each subjecting her to a cascade of electricity. “Just take that stupid amulet off, it’s not helping you as much as you think it is!”
Crying out in pain, Trixie thrashed from the electricity arcing around her body. Seeing an opening, Twilight pulled off her Connect ring and replaced it with the ring bearing the flaming hoof. Switching the direction of the hand back and forth, she let her new ring hover above her belt.
“Very nice! Kick Strike! Fabulous!” A large magic circle appeared beneath Twilight, Flames circling her right leg. Her helmet flashed red, and she charged towards Trixie. After a moment, she jumped into the air and positioned herself to kick Trixie in the chest. A group of concentric magic circles appeared at Twilight’s leg and she shot through them towards the megalomaniacal mare.
“I’ll burn the corruption off you!” Twilight roared, her hoof impacting Trixie’s chest. The force of the kick drove her back into the ground, her armor finally giving out in a small explosion. Kicking off Trixie’s body, Twilight landed in a graceful display, striking a pose. “And that’s a wrap~”
“Not quite,” Spike said, cutting off the flow of electricity and kneeling down by Trixie’s side. Tapping the side of her face with the back of his hand he asked, “Hey, you still awake?” He shook his head, getting a groan in response. “How are we supposed to get that thing off her?”
“I think I have an idea,” Twilight replied, pulling a ring off a chain that dangled from her waist and down one of her legs. Kneeling down, she grabbed Trixie’s hand, slipped the ring onto the mare’s finger and placed it on her driver.
“Engage, please!” A magic circle appeared over Trixie’s head and Twilight hovered above the ground. Twilight moved over the circle and hanged in the air for a moment before passing through the magical sigil.
Twilight landed on her hooves at the gate of a decent sized village. Rather than the thatched roofed cottages that dominated Ponyville, this town was filled with brick homes and businesses. It was clear that something brought money to the town, but Twilight didn’t have time to worry about that. Stepping along the streets, she debated with herself on where she was most likely to find Trixie.
“I don’t recognize this town...” Twilight muttered to herself, walking down one of the streets. “Granted, I haven’t really been to a lot of places.” Shelving the realization that she had kept herself pretty sheltered her entire life, she continued to search for Trixie. “Hmm, maybe if I get to some higher ground?” she wondered, slipping off her red ring and replacing it with the green one. With a quick flip of the hand on her belt, Twilight tapped the ring to it.
“Hurricane, please!” A green magic circle appeared above her, passing over her body and changing her armor. The shape of her helmet shifted to be more triangular as did the jeweled portions on her coat. The other notable alteration was that what once had been red on her outfit was now green. The magic circle persisted once her armor settled and a whirlwind picked up beneath Twilight’s hooves. Her body started to rotate and she used the wind to jump up to a nearby rooftop.
“Alright, if I was Trixie, where would I be?” Standing at the edge of the roof, she peered out at the town below her. A large home at the edge of town stood out from the rest of the buildings. Its well manicured lawn and large pillars running along the perimeter of the house certainly helped with that. “Given her ego, a mansion’s a pretty obvious place to look.”
Using her connect ring, she teleported herself just behind the front gates. Keeping her sword at the ready, Twilight made her way to the door. “No sense in knocking...” With a grunt of effort, she broke the doorknob and stepped inside.
Just like Twilight imagined, the inside of the home was just as well maintained as the outside. A large staircase led up to the second floor and a sitting room was directly to her left. Just down the hallway, she swore she could hear voices. Stepping forward, she followed the sound of the voices.
“Enough, Trixie!” The stern voice of an older mare reached Twilight’s ears. “I’ve heard enough of your excuses. We let you play out your magician fantasy for long enough. You’re an adult, not a filly.”
“Mother! I do not want to be Ixa!” Trixie’s voice retorted, though Twilight noticed that it was slightly higher pitched. “I’m terrible at fighting! I’m meant for something else.”
“Enough!” Trixie’s mother commanded, silencing Trixie’s protests. “This is a burden you must bare. You are my only child, Beatrix, it falls on you to take up our sacred mission.”
“B-but I’ll die if I try fighting a fangire!” Trixie stated, her voice trembling. “Does my life mean nothing to you?! Am I just another part of your duty as Ixa?!”
“You’ve trained your whole life for this, Beatrix. This is what you were meant to do. I have the utmost confidence that you can fulfill your destiny.”
“I hate this!” Trixie boomed, the sound of hooves hitting hardwood floors growing closer in Twilight’s ears. A moment later, and a Trixie that couldn’t have been older than sixteen ran right by Twilight with the Ixa belt clutched tightly in one hand, seeming unable to see the armored mare.
Twilight turned to watch her run off, her posture relaxing. “No wonder she’s so boastful; her own mother turned to hijack her life.” She had no idea how she’d react if her mother tried to make her ignore her life's calling. She shuddered at the thought of her positions being reversed with Trixie. It didn’t make Twilight forgive the showmare, but it did provide some much needed clarity.
Turning on her hoof, Twilight ran after the younger version of Trixie, hoping to finally put an end to this. “Trixie! Listen to me; this isn’t real! It’s just a memory!”
“This is real!” Trixie cried, clutching the belt tighter. “I’m going to have to fight dumb monsters forever until one of them literally sucks the life out of me! I don’t want that! I just want to be on a stage and entertain ponies! Just like my hero, Jackpot!”
“I know you don’t want this, but Equestria needs you. There are other riders now, you don’t have to do this all alone.” Twilight put her hand on Trixie’s shoulder, pulling her into a hug. “It’s alright, Trixie.”
“B-but, I just want to be an entertainer,” Trixie sniffled, returning the hug. “Fighting monsters is so… daunting.”
“I know, monsters have always been scary, but ponies rely on us. Like I said, there are other riders now; let’s just take some of that worry from you alright?”
Tears slowly fell onto Twilght’s shoulder as Trixie’s deathgrip on her belt loosened somewhat. “C-can I still become a stage magician?” she asked, her voice hardly above a whisper.
“Of course you can, I’d never tell a pony to cast away their special talent.” Twilight put her hand on Trixie’s head, stroking her mane.
A long silence passed between the two, Trixie’s tears finally drying and her breath coming in as short hiccups. “O-okay, I’ll try to fight monsters.” Pulling away, she wiped at her eyes. “You’ll be with me, right?”
Undoing her transformation, Twilight flashed the other mare a smile. “Of course. And it won’t just be me; all the other riders will be right by your side no matter what.” Straightening up, Twilight held her hand out. “Are you ready to wake up?”
Taking Twilight’s hand, Trixie tilted her hand. “Wake up? What do you mean?”
“Beatrix!” Trixie’s mother roared, stomping into view. Rage had contorted her face into an awful sneer and her eyes were burning a bright red. “You cannot run from your destiny!” The shadows in the room stretched towards her, almost like she was absorbing them. Suddenly, the shadows disappeared and her form was obscured by inky darkness.
An arm shot out from the darkness, truly one with the shadows. More body parts emerged until where there was once an older unicorn mare, there was now a shadowy alicorn with glowing red eyes. After a moment, the Alicorn Amulet surfaced onto the abomination’s chest.
Twilight brandished her sword. “I was wondering where the corruption was. If you want to wake up, we have to beat it.”
“I don’t quite understand what you mean,” Trixie started, slapping the belt around her waist. “But that thing isn’t my mom.” Pulling off the knuckle, she pressed it to her palm and quickly donned her Ixa armor.
Retaking her flame form, Twilight stepped forward, slashing at the beast’s chest. “You can’t have her anymore, do you hear me?”
The beast let out an unearthly roar, shooting its arm out like a tendril towards Twilight. Trixie shot forward, using her sword to take the attack for her fellow unicorn. Cutting the tip of the tendril off, she shifted to her gun, firing into its chest.
The beast cried out, staggering backwards a step. Twilight followed up with a horizontal slash going up from the alicorn’s side, only to be stopped by a sudden red barrier. “This mare is mine! She is my host, I’ll never give her up, not to anyone!!!”
“You’re not going to keep her!” Twilight retorted, slipping her Connect ring onto her finger and adjusting the hand on her belt. A magic circle appeared within the barrier and she stabbed at the monster’s horn. “You’re nothing but a bad dream!”
The monster bellowed in pain, the barrier around it flickering for a moment. Trixie reacted quickly, taking aim and firing at it while the barrier flickered. “What is this thing? It doesn’t look like a fangire.”
“It’s a magical artifact that you found,” Twilight explained, continuing to use her Connect ring to strike at the shadow beast from several angles. “An avatar of it anyway. It increased your magical and rider abilities, but at the cost of your sanity.”
Trixie frowned looking between Twilight and the beast. “I-I don’t remember that. When did I put that on?”
“Later in your life,” Twilight answered, rolling out of the way of a blast from the shadow alicorn’s horn. “We’re in your memories and it seems to have taken a liking to this one.” Pulling the thumb on her sword’s hand, the fingers unfurled, revealing a magic circle on the palm that she tapped her red ring to to make the blade erupt into flames. “Try and remember.”
Trixie’s eyes closed beneath her helmet and a deluge of memories came flooding back to her. She staggered to a knee, overwhelmed by the sudden information. “Y-yes, I remember now. I was angry, jealous and desperate. I thought taking you down would get my life back on track. Would make it so I could continue performing without getting booed out of towns before I had even set up my stage. I thought you had taken my dream from me.”
“I would never take a pony’s dream from them,” Twilight responded, her flaming blade filling the hall with searing heat with every slash. “I’m sorry all of those things happened but it wasn’t my fault.”
Trixie was silent for a while, making sense of her memories. The night the Ursa Minor attacked replayed and she combed over every detail that she could recall. Twilight’s actions stuck out the most, especially the way she quickly handled the beast. But then her demeanor afterwards came into the forefront of her thoughts. While her friends had heaped praise on her, Twilight herself had never boasted about her deed. “I-I think I believe you now,” Trixie finally said, rising to her hooves once more. “I just wanted somepony to blame.”
Jumping back, Twilight landed next to Trixie. “You ready to take this thing out then?” Holding her hand out, she snuck a place at the mare. “You won’t be you until you do.”
Lifting her gun up, Trixie nodded at Twilight. “Yes, I’m ready to get this thing out of me. We might be in for a Tartarus of a fight though.”
“I’m fine with that.” Twilight went in low, slashing at the alicorn’s legs. “Let’s send this thing back to where it belongs!”
Trixie fired at the barrier before rolling away from a tendril the shadow alicorn sent after her. “I’m thinking you hit it low, I hit it high. This thing can’t last forever trying to fend us both off.” Adjusting her aim, Trixie concentrated on the area right in front of its face.
The monster cried out again, its form falling into a pool of an eerie ink-like substance onto the floor. Before either of the unicorns could celebrate, a trunk-like tendril rocketed from the pool and struck Trixie with enough force to send her flying into a wall. Leaving an indent in the wall, Trixie slowly slid down to the floor in a slight daze.
“That thing hits hard...” Trixie muttered, trying to focus her eyes. “No wonder it wanted to be my mom...”
Twilight ignored the implications of that statement for a moment, going to the unicorn’s side and helping her to her hooves. “Are you okay, Trixie?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.” Trixie nodded, pushing Twilight to the side to avoid a blood red beam. “It just doesn’t quit, does it?”
“In my experience, evil things rarely lack perseverance,” Twilight offered, her eyes widening as a trunk-like tendril shot out towards her. She fell to her stomach to avoid the attack, only for the tendril to slam down on her back. “Villains are always annoyingly persistent...”
Trixie fired at the inky tentacle, hoping to get it off Twilight. “Hey ugly! I thought I was the one you want!” Her wish was granted; the beast stretching its arm out, almost swiping her helmet.
Trixie avoided the swipe, wrapping her arm around the tendril and using all her strength trying to pull it away from Twilight. It took a moment, her strength slowly overpowering the tendril. “Get off my friend!”
Twilight didn’t have time to acknowledge what the other unicorn had said; as soon as the pressure on her back had lessened she rose to her hooves and slashed at the shadow alicorn’s chest. Each slash burned away at its being, lingering flames licking at its body.
Slipping the flaming hoof ring onto her finger and flipping the direction of the hand on her belt, Twilight turned to Trixie. “Ready for the grand finale?”
“Yeah, I am.” Trixie slipped a clear object off her belt, nodding at Twilight. “On three?”
“Excellent idea,” Twilight agreed, putting her hand over her belt. “1!” A magic circle appeared beneath her and flames danced along her leg.
“2.” Trixie inserted the object into a slot on her buckle.
“Ixa Knuckle Rise Up!” Trixie’s belt called out in a heavily mechanical voice. Removing the knuckle from its slot, she brandished it like a knuckle duster.
“3!” the two unicorns shouted in unison, Twilight jumping into the air and positioning herself to kick the alicorn in the head.
Trixie extended her hand back, orange energy gathering at the knuckle with blue electricity occasionally arcing around it. Rushing forward, she thrust the knuckle out to the beast’s chest and an orange cone of flames shot out.
Once more, the magic circles formed in front of Twilight and she raced through them to deliver a devastating kick on the beast’s head that resulted in a burst of flames.
The monster released a twisted squeal; beginning to disintegrate under the onslaught. “Curse you, Twilight Sparkle! I’ll haunt you until your dying days, you meddlesome wretch!” It howled, it’s final cry ending as it vanished from Trixie’s mind.
“I doubt it,” Twilight replied, flourishing the bottom of her coat. “That was your curtain call.” Turning back to Trixie, she smiled beneath her helmet. “Thank you for the help, Trixie. Ready to wake up?”
Trixie stood for a moment, staring at where the manifestation had been. “Ya, I think I am.” Turning back to Twilight, she cancelled her transformation. “You meant that right? Sharing the burden?”
Twilight undid her own transformation and held a fist out towards Trixie. “Every word of it. I may not be the Element of Honesty, but I’m a pretty terrible liar.”
Glancing from Twilight’s face to her fist, a smile wormed its way onto Trixie’s face. “I believe you. Let’s get out of here, I’m tired of memory lane.” She bumped Twilight’s fist, determination welling in her chest.
A swirling tunnel appeared above the pair and Twilight couldn’t help but tease her by saying, “Are you sure you don’t want to give me a tour? Maybe show me the memory equivalent of baby pictures and the like?”
Rolling her eyes, Trixie gave Twilight a bit of a shove. “Not gonna happen, Sparkle. Not even after saving my life.”
Giggling, Twilight hopped up to the portal with Trixie following suit.
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Okay, aside from getting Gaim flashbacks of two riders kicking each other's asses to defend each other's ideals... Well, one thing to say. Or sing, rather.
It's showtime.
That explains a lot of why Trixie is the way she is. Poor girl. I can’t exactly forgive her, but, she has my sympathy. A pretty harsh life she had to grow up, and that damned Amulet made it worse.
(see's the new chapter's title) YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!
Excellently done. Can't wait to see what's next.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
YES KAMEN RIDER WIZARD THIS IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER PLEASE TELL ME FOURZE WILL MAKE AN APPERANCE OR EX-AID OR BUILD
Oh yeah, that will help, say that you are part dragon, a being that can breathe fire
Oh sure that idiot will help
Ok, that one got a chuckle out of me
Well, it's not like there are ways that could have gone another way, like, oh I don't know with Kabuto, seriously Kabuto is so useful
Frankenstein was the doctor, not the monster
Hmh, apparently Hypogriffs exist
Ok, this is my favorite Rider and I feel absolutely nothing... Why?
... What?
It's her choice, she can do whatever she wants if she doesn't want to be a Rider than that is her choice. Don't guilt-trip her into this, being a Rider is something someone chooses, not something you are forced into, even if you are no longer human there is always the chance to ignore it for the most part, but she has every chance to not be a Rider.
No, no, no, no, no! This is not how the Underworld works, at all. No, this is complete and utter bollox!
And with that, I finally caught up. And it was certainly sometihing.
9061613
On the topic of things like the underworld and characters not being 100% accurate to their show versions; this is an AU story, even if we didn't have enough room to tag it as such.
9061785
Well, while that is true until now all Rider powers have been shown to be at least somewhat show accurate. W is still a two in one Kamen Rider that is powered by the memories of the planet, OOO is still a Rider that was powered by medals and these were connected to greed and nothingness. From what we know of Kugga he was also powered by the magic belt he wore and his enemies, also use their belts.
What I want to say is that for the most part Riders powersets and origins are at least similar to their show counterparts, well besides Wizard. This Wizard has nearly nothing to do with the show version, nothing origin wise, nothing philosophy-wise, the only thing this Wizard is similar to the original is in his weapons, magic, and design. I personally think at least the core of the character should be at least translated into the new successor, like with OOO and Spike, he fits. Spike is generous, wants to help others, he is a good fit for OOO since Eiji was very similar, but Wizard? She is Wizard because she is the element of magic, that is it. That is hollow and lacks any kind of depth, misses the point of both characters and just feels wrong.
And if you invoke the terminology you should stick to the rules or offer a good explanation why not.
9061805
I have to disagree, I think Twilight is a great successor to Soma. We just haven't been with her long enough as Wizard to show it. As for terminology, we never referred to what Twilight went into as being an underworld
9061825
She used the Engage Ring, I think this is the Underworld. Or at least that is the first thing you will think of.
Maybe it's my bias for Haruto since he is my favorite Rider, but I don't see anything of him in Twilight. Not his mask he puts up so people don't worry about him, not his borderline suicidal drive to save anyone he can, even if it means giving up his own life in the process, not his survivor's guilt nor his determination to be the hope for people, granted I can see that one at least a bit for Twilight, but it never was a huge part of her character.
But hey, different opinions and so. And I like a good discussion.
9061839
It's less underworlds in this universe and more mindscapes
9061842
As long as it is explained later I'm ok with it, but right now it feels like an error
9061846
Overall, I'm just glad your enjoying the story.
9061860
Hmh, enjoying? I'm not sure, I have a lot of grievances with the story and its recent developments. Probably going to say at one point what these are as a form of "caught-up" review of the story, but not right now since I'm currently writing myself and wanted to get finished today, so probably tomorrow. And I'm going to try to be as constructive as possible, you have been warned from the Toku fan an opinion.
9061879
I'm happy to discuss those grievances in a pm or something. Don't wanna spam the chat
9061927
Too late.
9061805
This is where I have to disagree.
I'm sorry, but what's wrong with taking a bit of originality? If you wanted to see Haruto, go watch the original show!
9076624
Ok, let me explain what I meant in more detail. Every Rider has his own set of morals and philosophy. I think if someone is taking up the mantle of an existing Rider they should also pick up their philosophy, at least to a certain extent. Eiji is generous and is only interested in helping others, to a certain extent their successors should mirror that, but also allowed to diverge from that path and forge their own legacy. Or Kuota, he fought against the rules of the "game", it would seem wrong if a successor to him would work within the system and bow down to authority.
I think comic books are a good example. Comicbookheros have switched mantels relatively often. When Batman "died" and Dick Grayson took over for him, the no-kill policy still stayed in place, a fundamental part of Batman's philosophy. Or Wolverine and X-23, both have a hard past that defines them, so keeping the core of the hero.
A Rider is more than just his armor and Driver, he stands for something and if you link another character with them, you are automatically linking them to what they stand for and if you don't follow throw with it, it feels like the mantle of a Rider is just the armor and I think you are missing their true value.
Granted, all my personal opinion and I'm a massive fan of taking something already existing and giving it a new spin, but you have to at least show acknowledgment what that thing stood for.
9076658
True, but with Twilight here, like Shago said, we haven't seen enough of Twilight as a Rider just yet. Plus, she's more than earned it, I'd say. Granted, Twilight's personality is more like Gentaro's and I could see her saying "Our Friendship will take on the universe!" than Haruto's, but I honestly think this is a rather faithful adaption of the Wizard powerset.
I'm actually enjoying this story, taking a new spin on everything Wizard did. The ideals, they're still the same as Haruto's at their core, protect everyone you can with the powers you've been given. That's the core idea of a Kamen Rider, no matter the series. Fight to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
9076674
Fair enough.
Yeah, I think she would make a great Fourze and the powerset is good, I don't take issue with that.
True, but Haruto took them to a suicidal level thanks to his survivor's guilt and the fact that he saw his life only worth living for others and not for himself.
On a side note, I think Rainbow Dash would make a great Wizard, ok, hear me out I can explain this. First something relatively minor, her fighting style would probably be extremely stylish and full of herself, similar to Wizard. Second, she has always shown to give massive sacrifices for her friends, just like Wizard. She shares the same fundamental values as Haruto but is still different enough to be her own hero.
The Ixa Knuckle stutters when it's voice is heard. Make it more noticeable, like writing it like this: "I-X-A KN-U-CK-L-E R-I-S-E U-P!"
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More like I-KU-SA NA-CU-RU RAI-SU APU~!