A Passing Through Kamen Rider

by thunderclap

Coming Up OOO x2

Trident Isle sat between the savage coast of the dragonlands and the easy sands of Equestria. Named of course for the odd shape of its shores, Trident had three points that its occupants had turned to ship docks. A few miles long, its rocky shore home to many a shipwreck. A great number of them had been hauled towards the center of the island and used in the construction of Poseidon's fortress.

A sturdy but haphazard building, it was clear to all who saw it that ships had been used in its creation. Masts and prows dotted the walls, with several sterns serving as balconies. A massive mast stood against the sky at the top of the highest point, emblazoned with Poseidon's symbol. Parts of figureheads sat atop the towers, cutting an imposing view to those that came to the island.

Spike stared up at the ceiling, counting the number of spirals in the wood. He gave up after a few minutes, unable to really concentrate on the task at hand. Sitting up, he gazed around his ‘cell’. It was a rather nice looking room, filled with fancy furniture and exotic looking trinkets. “Guess I really am one of his treasures...”

What ruined the appeal of the room was the pair of guards stationed outside the door. He was still a prisoner even if he was going to be a well treated one. “Hey! When do I get to see my dad?! I’ve been here for two days already!”

“Poseidon will decide when t’see ya, lad!” one of the guards replied through the door. “We’re just here t’keep ya safe!”

“And to make sure ya don’t go escaping,” the other said. “Not that you would anyway; unless you want another raid.”

Spike didn’t respond, snorting out a puff of smoke. Stepping over to a shelf crammed with trinkets, he picked up a golden chalice and examined it. “Wonder what’s the story behind this thing?” Shrugging, he sat it back down and picked up a jewel laden necklace. There was a veritable rainbow of gems attached to the golden chain, each one the size of a bit.

Licking his lips, Spike placed it back down; lest he devour it. “Come on, Spike, think. You don’t have your medals or your belt. You have to get out of this room and save your dad. There has to be a solution!”

There was only one obvious exit to the room, and the guards clearly weren’t going to let him stroll out of it. “This was a terrible idea...” Flopping back on the bed, Spike stared at the ceiling again. Taking a deep breath, he tried to collect his thoughts.

A sudden impact on his forehead snapped him out of it. “Geez, dad’s too cheap to maintain the place?” he grumbled, rubbing his head. Much like the wooden plank, an idea suddenly struck him. Jumping up onto the bed, he started a frantic search for loose boards. “Come on, come on! Where’d it go!?” He searched around, his claws grasping for anything that seemed like it would come loose. After a few moments, he found another board that creaked and broke loose from the ceiling.

A smile crossed his face, pulling away several more boards from the ceiling. With a heave, he pulled himself up and onto the floor above. Luckily, there was no one around to catch his little stunt, and he found himself in a hallway. Looking around, he tried to find something to cover up the hole so his escape wouldn’t be discovered.

He paused, spotting a lone cell medal laying on the floor. “Huh, looks like Dad got sloppy with his housekeeping?” Lifting it up, his breath hitched as a voice spoke in his mind. “A token...”

“To anyone that needs a helping hand, to those who fight to keep hope alive, just flip this medal and Kamen Rider OOO will come to your side, free of charge.”

Glancing around, Spike made sure he was alone. “Better do this quick. Hey, OOO, you listening? I need your help!” He flipped the coin, letting it land at his feet.

There was a bright flash of light and then-

BANG!

“Owww! Why can’t I be summoned on the ground for once!?” someone cried, having appeared inside the hole he had come up through.

“Hey! Shut up!” Spike hissed, pulling him up. He put a claw to his mouth. “Do you want an army of pirates on our flanks?”

“Sorry, sorry! Um… hi?” the human said, hushing his voice.

“How do you get used to that?” another voice asked, sounding much younger.

“You don’t,” another said.

Spike looked and saw that not one, but four beings had arrived. The first was a human male, who despite looking around his teenage years was tiny, barely even coming up to his chest. The second was Twilight, as an alicorn and not a unicorn. The third was Diamond Tiara, although she looked so different in a black biker outfit, missing her tiara, and with her hair in a ponytail that he almost didn’t recognize her. And the last was… him… but small, like he used to be. The last one looked up at his counterpart. “Aww, hay! Why don’t I get to stay big?”

“You can ask questions later,” Spike snapped, putting a claw to his mouth again. “Right now we have to be quiet and quick. We’re in the middle of a pirate hideout.”

“Pirates? Like ‘yaar, walkin’ the plank ye landlubber’ pirates?” the human asked.

“No, more like ‘I’m going to use core medals to turn into a monster under the leadership of Poseidon’ kinda pirates.”

“Poseidon? You mean like ‘Kamen Rider Poseidon’? Shark, Whale, and Wolf Fish Core Medals Poseidon?”

“Yeah, that Poseidon.” Spike started to move, not looking back at them. “He’s also my dad. He’s been looking for me for a few centuries.”

“Oh dang, maybe we should transform now… wait, ‘Dad’? ‘Centuries’?”

“Katsuo, less talky, more helpy,” Diamond Tiara snarked, reaching into her backpack and pulling out some kind of gun that was loaded with Cell Medals.

“Right, um… sorry. Katsuo, by the way. Katsuo Pollux, Kamen Rider OOO. Nice to meet you, Spike. Oh, um… Other Spike.”

“My names Spike Bahamut Sparkle,” Spike replied, stopping at an intersection. “And yeah, Poseidon’s my dad. Long story short, my grandpa Smaug created the first Core medals. My dad made some of his own and at some point during his search for my mother and I, some of those medals corrupted him.”

“Oh… Sorry. So, we need to find him and knock the corruption out of him then? That’s doable.”

“The first thing we need to do is find my driver and medals,” Spike said, debating for a moment before taking the left turn at the intersection. “If I can get UniSaPo out, I know I can free him.”

“UniSaPo? Wait, you have custom Core Medals that don’t even exist as part of the original set? Not even the movies? Jeez, how lucky can ya get?”

“Katsuo, focus!” Twilight snapped.

“My mom died protecting my egg and my dad became a pirate king,” Spike deadpanned, glancing around the hall for a door that looked promising. “I feel super lucky.”

“Sorry. That was a bit callous… Um… I was born with brittle bone disease, abandoned by my biological parents at birth, and after I was adopted I then got warped to my version of Equestria away from my foster parents who I’ll probably never see again. So yeah, I know what it’s like to have a lot of both lucks,” Katsuo explained.

“Keep an eye out, he’s got goons with medals. I dunno if you’ve seen it in your world, but Core medal possession isn’t pretty.” Stepping up to a door, he threw it open and dropped into a stance. A moment later, a mop that had been leaning on the door fell and covered his face in strands.

Twilight stifled a laugh. “That’s a good look for you.”

“Why have a broom closet if this place is just going to be a mess,” Spike grumbled, pulling the mop off his head and shoving it back into the closet. “At least that’s better than a ton of pirates.” Closing the door, he began to move down the hallway again. He kept his ears open, not wanting to be caught off guard by any pirates wandering around the building.

“So if you’re OOO… who’s the other human in this world?” the other Spike asked, making sure to whisper.

“His name's Wyatt, Kamen Rider Decade and Twilight’s boyfriend.”

“What!?” Katsuo and Twilight both exclaimed.

“Decade!?” Katsuo asked, shocked.

“Boyfriend!?” Twilight asked, just as shocked.

“Her? Dating? I don’t believe it,” Diamond Tiara and other Spike said.

“ Shhh!" Spike hushed, ushering the group against the wall. He sucked in a breath, four corrupted pirates passing along and disappearing at the next turn.

Releasing his breath, he pushed off the wall. "Okay, we need to be more quiet. Anyway, there’s also Agito, he’s been around for a while. Since Celestia and Luna were fillies actually,” Spike added, looking back at the group. “Yeah, my Twilight and Wyatt have been dating ever since Shining and Cadance’s wedding. We were on our way to the human continent, to see if we can’t use the Elements to bring back Agito’s brother, Kuuga.”

“There’s… there’s a whole continent of humans?” Katsuo asked, looking absolutely gobsmacked. “I… I don’t believe it. Other humans in the same Equestria?” he muttered, lost in thought.

“They don’t live in Equestria, they live on another continent to the west,” Spike corrected, cursing the fact that he was without his sword. “No pony has seen it in a thousand years.”

“Can… Can I come? I’d like to be around my own kind again… I mean, more than just one or two at a time.”

“Katsuo?” Twilight asked, concerned.

“I’m sorry Twilight, it’s just… I love my new family with the Apples, but… I would really like to be around something similar to what a lost for a little bit, ya know? A little taste of home.”

“... We’ll ask later,” she assured him with a smile. Then she thought for a minute. “Hey, Spike?”

“Yes?” they both answered.

She groaned. “Okay, I’m gonna call you Bahamut for now. Do you think these pirates know what Candroids are?”

“No,” ‘Bahamut’ said scratching the side. “I haven’t heard of those and I haven’t seen anything like them.

“Good. Then let’s make this simpler,” she smirked as she reached into her saddlebags. “Let’s see, a few Taka-droids should be good.” She pulled out some red soda can looking objects, popping a few of them open. The quickly converted into hawk-like robots capable of flying. “Find Bahamut’s OOO Drive, Poseidon’s location, and the exit, just to be safe.” They nodded back and flew off. “Now, let’s just find a place to lay low.”

“The room that I was locked in would probably be best,” Bahamut relented, turning on his heel. “If they think I’m missing, they wouldn’t look there and those treasure piles can be used to hide us.”

“... Kinda makes your daring escape seem a bit pointless, huh?” Diamond Tiara smirked.

Sighing, Bahamut hung his head and returned to the front of the group. “Ow, I don’t know how you got a knife past my scales, Di, but you didn’t have to twist it.”

“Di? Huh, never thought of that before. I go by DT, myself. Are you actually friends with me in this world?”

“Friends and family,” Bahamut replied. “The DT of my world is descended from my dad’s sister.”

“... Dude,” Spike said.

“Wait… so does that make me, uh… her part dragon?”

Bahamut laughed, shaking his head. “No… well kinda but not because of my dad’s sister. See, I’m actually half-pony.”

“... Huh?” all four of them asked dumbly.

“My dad’s an earth pony named Star Dust and my mom was a dragoness named Peridot.”

---

“... That is some story,” DT said, her eyes still wide in shock.

“... Breathing fire sounds cool,” Twilight muttered, lost in her own imagination.

Spike was also lost in his thoughts, but the name “Rarity” was muttered once or twice.

Katsuo, meanwhile, had something more relevant to add. “We’ll get your dad back. I swear we’re not leaving until we do,” he assured him.

“That was already my plan,” Bahamut replied, giving the young man a weak grin. “But thanks for that, makes the weight on my shoulders a bit lighter. I just wish I had my driver, it’d make this all so much easier.”

As if on cue, one of the Taka candroids returned. “You’re back! So, what did you find?” Twilight asked. The robot flew down to Bahamut’s waist, hovering there for a moment, before flying back to her. “The Driver? Perfect! Show us the way.” The bird flew out through the hole and the rest followed.

“How useful are those things?” Bahamut asked, keeping the little bird in his gaze. “I need my driver.”

“Different models have different functions, but they can attack, scout, collect and carry Cell and Core Medals, and act as communicators. We’ll give you some blueprints when this is all over,” Twilight replied.

“My Twilight will have a field day with that,” Bahamut noted, watching the bird robot fly down the halls. “Probably gonna spend a month going over them."

“... You know, we have this things back home called the ‘Rider Patrol’. Armored suits, blasters, the works. Not as powerful as a Kamen Rider, but they can take on your basic Yummy’s. I think our Equestria’s are gonna be in contact for a while,” Katsuo smirked.

“We have something like that; the Guardian’s of Harmony,” Bahamut explained. “The princesses and Queen Chrysalis have funded weapons and new Rider suits. We're on G-2 now."

“... Queen Chrysalis?” all four of them asked, sounding equally shocked.

“She’s been helping us for a while; her changelings helped get a lot of the G-Project’s bases up super quick. Maybe they can give you the data for the G suits?”

“Jeez, this alternate dimension stuff, am I right?” Spike muttered.

“No kidding. One of our biggest threats is one of their biggest allies,” DT agreed.

“Our biggest threat is Dai-Shocker,” Bahamut replied. “And it’s being led by an alternate dimension Sombra that possessed his universe’s Shining Armor.”

“Sh-Shiny? Possessed?” Twilight asked, shocked.

“Yeah,” Bahamut replied, looking down at the floor. “It wasn’t something my Twilight and I took well when we first found out either.”

“What… happened to everything else?” she asked, afraid of the answer.

“Somber conquered that Equestria from what he tells,” Bahamut answered. “And given how strong he and Dai-Shocker are, I’m inclined to believe him.”

Awkward silence dominated the group, only broken by the occasional cry from the candroid. While they were all busy thinking of what Bahamut had described, the Taka started to hover in front of a door and cry out repeatedly.

“This looks like it,” Twilight said, the candroid landing in her open palm before powering down. “There’s probably some kind of spell or security, let me check,” she pocketed the candroid before using her magic to scan the door.

The door became translucent, revealing several Trash Yummies and a few pirates milling among the piles of treasure.

“Hay, we can handle that easy!” DT boasted.

“It needs to be mostly silent too, though,” Twilight reasoned. “Or at least quick.”

“I’ll be able to help once I’ve got my stuff back,” Bahamut grumbled, looking between the four. “So, what’s your plan?”

“... Blitz hard?” Spike suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

“Not bad, but with one addition. Twilight, Lion, Tora, Batta please,” Katsuo said, cracking his neck and his knuckles while Twilight handed him the medals, DT readying her weapon as she did. Bahamut saw his smaller counterpart close his eyes and focus, then quickly grow to be his equal in size. Katsuo placed his Driver around his waist and inserted the Medals. “Henshin!” he announced as he ran the scanner across it.

“RION! TORA! BATTA!”

Before the transformation even finished he rushed into the room. “Smile, guys!” he announced, attracting their attention before releasing the blinding flash, causing them all the groan with pain.

“Really?” Bahamut rolled his eyes, moving in behind him. Juking to the side, he avoided the blind swing of a pirate’s cutlass. “You guys are a joke.” He bobbed and weaved through the crowd, diving for the closest pile of treasure. Combing through the gold and trinkets, he hoped that his things were still close to the top.

Spike barreled through any opponent near him, overwhelming them with powerful stikes to their joints and finishing them off when they were down, while Katsuo expertly dodged every blow sung at him, his hits doing decent damage thanks to his transformation. DT hung back and fired her weapon, easily blasting back anyone that got near her and Twilight. Her gun obviously had a lot of force to it, and she had to plant herself firmly to keep from falling over. Twilight meanwhile gathered a spell in her hands, her horn glowing along with the ball of magic between her palms, before finally firing it, unleashing a wave the destroyed the trash Yummies and knocked out the pirates.

There was a sharp creaking sound, drawing everyone's attention towards the back of the room. A moment later, the wall exploded into splinters with the behemoth using the SaGoZou medals barreling towards them.

“Crush!” it roared, the floor buckling under its weight. Its horn gouged the ceiling, tearing through the wood as it stepped forward.

“I’m noticing this is becoming significantly less stealthy,” Twilight snarked as she tried gathering magic for a powerful blast.

"Twi! Monsters like him are basically immune to magic!" Bahamut warned, looking up from his search.

“Damnit,” she muttered, changing the nature of her magic into a wall blocking the mutated pirate’s path. As she struggled to hold it back DT loaded the magazine to the front of the Birth Buster.

“This is gonna hurt,” she muttered.

“CELL BURST” the weapon announced right before she fired, unleashing a mighty blast that sent her flying backwards. It exploded against the monster’s upper torso as she slammed into the back wall, leaving her gasping for breath as the wind was knocked out of her.

"Crush!" the behemoth repeated, slamming both its fists down on the barrier. It followed up by ramming its horn against the magical wall, its roars rattling the walls.

“Wait… Bahamut, do Core Medal weaknesses still apply to the transformed ones?” Katsuo asked.

"Um, what do you mean?" Bahamut questioned, his voice muffled by the treasure pile his head was in.

“Never mind, time to find out!” he said as he grabbed the scanning disc and ran it over the belt. “SCANNING CHARGE!” it announced. Katsuo yelled as light shined brilliantly from his head, causing the beast to cover its eyes and flinch backwards. His claws also radiated with power, as did his legs as he crouched down. “Seiya!” he shouted as he launched himself at the beast, swinging his claws just as they collided. The hulking brute was knocked off its feet and onto it’s back, smashing through the wall behind it.

The behemoth cried out, thrashing its limbs and causing the floor around it to burst apart into splinters. Its leg managed to find Katsuo, sending the young man flying backwards.

“Damn it, go down already!” Spike shouted, pulling out his own belt and wrapping it around his waist. He then inserted a Cell Medal and twisted the knob. “Henshin!” he announced as the armor appeared on him. He then inserted one more medal, turning the knob again. “DRILL ARM” it announced. “If you’re gonna give us such a hard time, then at least make it worth our while!” he yelled, jumping onto the flailing monster’s torso and stabbing the spinning drill into its chest. Cell Medals began to spray out of the beast like blood, some going flying while others seemed magnetized to the drill.

Bahamut stopped digging, a sudden realization hitting him. "Twi, is there a reason why I don't have some of those candroids helping me find my belt?!"

“... Being caught up in the moment?” she sarcastically chuckled before pulling out some Sai cans, small rhino candroids on treads that easily buried themselves into the pile of treasure.

“No prob… Don’t mind me… Just gonna rest here,” DT wheezed out, struggling to catch her breath as she was slumped against the wall.

Bahamut jumped out of the pile he was in, letting the little rhinos do their thing. In a matter of moments, the treasure was cleared away to reveal his driver and medal case. He quickly grabbed them, slapping his belt around his waist.

"Twi, use some healing magic on Di and stick close to the wall, it's about to get crowded in here." Bahamut called out to Twilight, who nodded and ran over the the filly while he pulled out three green medals and scanned them.

"Kuwagata! Kamakiri! Batta! Ga, Ga! GataKiriBa!" The instant the familiar green armor formed, Bahamut split into a crowd of clones.

"Katsuo, light him up again!" The crowd shouted in unison.

“Gotcha!” he replied, running the disc along his belt again. “SCANNING CHARGE!” it shouted. His head lit up again as he crouched down, ready to launch himself directly at the Yummy. Spike, seeing this, jumped out of the way.

Grabbing their scanners, the crowd of Bahamuts ran them over their belts. "Scanning Charge!" In unison, they leapt into the air and hurled themselves at the monster, Katsuo spinning like a drill with his claws extended as he did while the crowd kicked nearly every inch of the beast.

Cell medals exploded up into the air, the monster vanishing from sight... and in its place was a complete naked pony. DT covered her eyes and blushed, Twilight intently focusing on gathering the Cell Medals and not looking in that direction.

“Does that happen every time?” Spike asked, looking away.

"Without fail," Bahamut answered, undoing his transformation.

“Um, hello? Little help?” Katsuo asked, his legs sticking out of the floor, imbedded inside. Spike chuckled and pulled his friend out of the floor. “Thanks.” He then looked around at the destruction the battle had caused. “... Something tells me we just lost the stealth option.”

Bahamut grunted, looked towards the exit. “It was bound to get out at some point, We better find my dad before we get overwhelmed.” Leaning down, he gathered up the now exposed Core Medals off the pirates body.

“Ok then. Let’s get a move on,” Katsuo said while DT reloaded her weapon, discarding the spent Cell Medals.

“So, do we want to go for your dad, or escape to get some back up first?” Spike asked, cracking his knuckles. “I’m sure your friends and family are worried about you.”

“I let myself get captured so I could purge my dad of what his medals have done to him,” Bahamut answered, grinning as he held let a hand rest on his belt. “And I’m not leaving until I do. By the way, that’s some nice armor, other me,” he added, inspecting his counterpart.

“Glad you think so. Kamen Rider Birth, at your service,” he replied, giving a quick salute. “Now let’s go save your dad. Ready DT?”

The filly hefted her weapon. “Always,” she smirked, Spike nodding back in approval.

“Well I can’t save my dad looking like this,” Bahamut joked, tugging at his shirt. “I’m not properly dressed. Pulling out the three medals, he slotted in pink ones and ran the scanner along them.

“Unicorn! Pegasus! Earth Pony!” Bahamut’s belt called out, three pink rings converging on him. “UniSaPo~! UniSaPo~!”

“... Wow. And I thought Decade was the only person that could look cool in pink,” Katsuo chuckled, looking honestly impressed by the combo.

“The wings help,” Bahamut agreed, spreading his wings for effect. “That and all the harmony power this combo packs.”

“Alright, so we’re all set up. We got a game plan?” Spike asked, cracking his neck.

“Well, none of the Taka droids have found Poseidon yet, so unless you have an idea of where he is,” Twilight motioned to Bahamut.

“He’s got a throne room that I was in briefly,” Bahamut explained, resting his wings on his back. “It’s pretty high up and towards the center of the floor it’s on. If he isn’t there then his own bedroom would be my next guess.”

“Alright then! Move out, troops!” Katsuo joked, trying his best drill sergeant voice.

“Whatever you say, mini-me,” Bahamut teased his younger Kamen Rider counterpart.

“Hey!” Katsuo complained, everyone else laughing.

“I think I can retrace my steps to the throne room, follow me,” Bahamut stated, moving to the front of the group. Turning a corner, he was greeted by a pony corrupted by a black medal set. “Yup, that was way too easy.” Reacting quickly, he punched the corrupted pony in the face.

As it stumbled back Katsuo sprinted at it, launching into a jump kick. “Seiya!” he shouted, sending it flying with the Batta powers before unfolding his claws and immediately following up with a Tora air slash.

Charging his horn, Bahamut fired a ray of frost at the corrupted pony and caused a thin layer of ice forming on their armored parts. Birth inserted a Cell Medal into his belt and twisted the knob. “SHOVEL ARM” a deep robotic voice proclaimed, a backhoe-like shovel appearing on his left arm. Birth charged forward and with a grunt of effort slammed his weapon into the helpless combatant.

The corrupted pirate growled, its armor soaking up the damage. It sucked in a gulf of air, filling the room with a wave of toxic looking bubbles. Twilight stepped forwards and gathered her magic before sweeping her arms out in front of her, sending out a spray of violet needles, causing the bubbles to explode violently.

DT meanwhile adjusted her weapon, putting the magazine on the end of the barrel. “CELL BURST” her weapon declared before firing a powerful blast right at the corrupted creature, the force great enough to send her flying backwards. She twisted herself in mid-air and landed on her feet, crouching for support. A smile lit her face as the blast exploded. “Hey! I finally didn’t land on my flank for once!”

“Not bad.” Bahamut gave her a thumbs up. He leaned back, avoiding a jab from the pirate’s tail leg. “I’d suggest not getting hit by that.”

Birth swiped at the pirate, causing Cell Medals to fly out, some of them latching onto his weapon. “Generally a good idea, but I still don’t mind some farming,” he joked, ducking under another stinger stab before attacking again.

“I guess I can let you guys take some Cell Medals,” Bahamut joked, ducking and weaving away from a series of swipes from the pirate’s crab claw. Getting in close, he uppercutted the corrupted pony’s jaw. “I do owe you for helping me get my belt back.”

“Sorry, don’t mean to be too greedy, but this suit does run on Cell Medals after all,” Birth said, dodging a stab before spinning to backhand the pirate in the head.

Chuckling, Spike fired an arc of electricity from his horn while the beast staggered. “Dude, we’re dragons, we’re supposed to be a little greedy.”

“Enough casual danger dialogue, let’s finish this one off!” Katsuo chided as he rushed in with his Medajalibur, cutting the pirate along the chest before quickly inserting three Cell Medals before grabbing the scanner and running it across the blade. “TRIPLE SCANNING CHARGE!” it announced before he slashed at the corrupted pirate, slicing it and reality in half before the latter realigned.

Crying out in pain, energy erupted from the pirate before a small explosion obscured them. When the smoke cleared away, the pirate had returned to normal with tattered bits of clothing hanging off of him and three Core Medals sitting in front of his face.

“Oh jeez, that really does happen every time,” DT said, covering her eyes.

“Every. Single. Time.” Bahamut stepped over to the unconscious pirate and quickly grabbed the three medals. He casually flipped one on his claw before stashing them in his coin case.

“Okay then, so what’s-?” Twilight began to ask, only for one of the other Taka Candroids to arrive back. “Okay then. Exit?” she asked. The robot shook its head. “Throne room?” it nodded. “Well, I know we were going to go there anyway, but I don’t like not knowing our exit.”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Bahamut assured, spreading the wings on his armor. “We can always make an exit and fly our way to freedom if all else fails.”

“True enough. Okay then, lead the way!” she ordered as the Taka Candroid flew off, all of them in hot pursuit.

“I love these can things!” Bahamut beamed, racing after the little robot.

The group ran through the twisting halls of the fortress, letting nothing slow them down. Higher and higher they climbed with Bahamut’s mind swimming with the possibilities of how his confrontation with his father would go. He could only hope that he and the visitors at his side would be enough to confront the pirate king.

“A so called pirate king, huh? This should be fun…” Katsuo muttered under his breath with an almost evil sounding chuckle, the eyes on his helmet glowing blue for a moment.

Bahamut cut through a yummy, tossing its dissolving body at a trio of pirates. “We’re going to save him, not hurt him. Got it?”

“Huh… Yeah, I know. Why bring that up?” Katsuo asked, cutting a Yummy with his sword.

“Uh oh,” Twilight muttered, sparing a concerned glance with her other two companions, all of them looking equally concerned.

“Uh oh?” Bahamut repeated, looking between the group. “Why did she just say uh oh?”

“Um… Katsuo’s full combos have… side-effects,” Twilight began to explain.

“If that’s what you call each one being its own flavor of berserk mode,” DT snarked.

“And, as each one has been used, the ones that haven’t have been getting… anxious to have their turn. And right now there’s only one left,” Twilight continued.

“Okay, I’m gonna ignore the fact that none of my combos do that for a quick second,” Bahamut started, glancing at Katsuo. “The more important question right now is what kind of personality is the one that hasn’t been used?”

“Well, judging by the few times it’s come out, it seems to… particularly enjoy taking anyone with an inflated ego down a peg… painfully. As Suri Polomare found out the hard way.”

“Not that she didn’t deserve it,” Birth muttered.

Bahamut stood in front of Katsuo, blocking the other rider’s path. “Can I trust you to control yourself and let me handle my dad without you trying to, ‘take him down a peg for being haughty’?”

Katsuo stopped and sighed. “... The only thing I’m sure I can promise you, is that by the end of today you’ll have your dad back safe and sound. I’m not really going to be conscious if I use a full combo, but from what the girls have told me more than a few them are willing to listen to reason.”

Bahamut nodded and relaxed his posture. “Alright, then please use one of those reasonable personalities if you use a full combo.” Looking down at his chest for a moment, he added, “I wish I had an extra set of these. Can’t imagine you’d get a bad personality out of Core Medals that run on harmony power.”

“That… would certainly be an interesting option. Anyway, let’s get this family reunion under way!”

“Right.” Bahamut approached a set of double doors that the Taka was hovering in front of and kicked them in.

Waiting for the group beyond the door was a long throne room with pilfered banners from various nations lining the walls. At the end, was a grand throne containing a stallion in a shirt, basic trousers, and the Poseidon Driver around his waist.

Rising to his hooves, his eyes moved from person to person. “You came quicker than I thought you would, Bahamut. Though I suppose that’s why you’re such a precious treasure.” Summoning his harpoon, he aimed it at Katsuo. “If you return to your room, I’ll allow your companions to leave unharmed.”

“I’m not gonna go to my room, dad,” Bahamut said, taking a step towards the throne. “I want us to go back to Equestria together.” He took another step forward. “Didn’t you start looking for me so I could live my life, not spend it atop a pile of your other baubles?”

“Wait… so you were grounded?” DT asked, desperately trying to keep the smirk from her face.

“Not now, DT,” Twilight chided, though she herself struggled not to laugh.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes. “I do not repeat myself, Bahamut. Either do as I command, or their lives are forfeit.”

“Dad, please just take off that driver,” Bahamut pleaded, stopping a few feet away from the throne. “It’s gotten inside your head.”

Poseidon lowered the harpoon, moving his hand to his belt. “I see you’ve been raised by soft-hearted ponies. Spare the rod, spoil the child; a mistake I will not be making.”

“Same! Kujira! Ookamiou!”

Poseidon’s armor formed around him in a splash of water, obscuring him as he leapt into the air. Falling harpoon first, the blade of his weapon cut along Twilight’s back before plunging into the floor. Thrusting his hand out, a jet of water blasted the unicorn into Birth, who did what he could to catch her gently.

Bahamut clenched his fists at his side, a flood of emotions coursing through him and threatening to wash away his sense of reason. Charging up his horn, he picked up the attacking rider and sent him on a collision course with a pink armored fist. “Do you even listen to yourself?! What do you think Mom would say if she heard you talking like that?!”

Breaking out of Bahamut’s magic, Poseidon raised his arms up. “She’s not here is she?! I am, and I will do with my treasure as I wish!” Slamming the end of his harpoon into Bahamut’s helmet, he swept the drake’s legs out from under him. “Know your place, child.”

Katsuo jumped in, sending a wind slash at Poseidon from his claws before leaping in for a sword slash, which Poseidon managed to deflect. Katsuo twisted in mid-air before landing gently. “A parent should be an example of what their child should be, not a tyrant to rule over them. He is your son, do you not love him as more than an object? Surely you can remember doing so once. Either as an egg or hatchling, you must’ve wished for him a bright future,” he said before rising and taking a defensive stance.

Poseidon's eyes glowed, water dancing at his hooves. “You presume to tell me how to treat my son? Keep your asinine opinions to yourself.” A wave of water shot towards Katsuo, which he dodged by leaping up high enough to touch the ceiling before leaping over Poseidon, sending more wind slashes at him.

“Twilight! Kuwagata! Kujaku!” he shouted. Twilight pulled out the case and teleported over to where Katsuo landed while DT fired her busted and Birth charged forwards, activating his Drill Arm. She quickly handed him the medals that he switched them out.

“KUWAGATA! KUJAKU! BATTA!” his belt announced, giving him a green, red, green combo.

“Stay back, Twi. Don’t let him hit you,” he warned, leaping at the wall and firing lightning from his head as he did.

Poseidon slammed the butt of his harpoon down, creating a wall of water that stopped the lightning and the drill arm in their tracks. “I control the nine seas; sailors whisper my name in fear. You will respect me, drake.”

“I respect no one who demands my respect,” Birth spat back, leaping back before inserting another Cell Medal, adding the Crane Arm function to his Drill Arm, revving up the weapon before extending it at Poseidon. Meanwhile Twilight had sent some Cobura and Ptera Candroids to distract him with acid spit and sonic screeches, respectively.

Bahamut returned to the fray, firing icy bolts of magic to freeze any water that Poseidon created. With a few kicks, the ice shattered and Bahamut used his magic to create a storm of icy shards. “Will you please stop being so pigheaded, Star Dust?!”

Poseidon faltered for a moment, lowering his harpoon. Before anyone could relax, the eyes on his helmet glowed again and he charged at Bahamut. “You are under the delusion that Star Dust and I are one and the same!” Stabbing at Bahamut’s chest, he snarled. “It seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Staggering for a moment, Bahamut felt his anger building. Planting his feet firmly he yelled, “Fine! I’ll kill Poseidon so that Star Dust can live once more!” Bahamut charged at Poseidon and let loose a flurry of blows, his limbs moving in a blur. The others got into position, ready to attack as soon as the two combatants were further apart so as not to get Bahamut caught in the crossfire. “Get the hell out of my dad!”

Poseidon blocked nearly all the strikes that Bahamut threw at him. Those that did land didn’t even seem to make the pirate king flinch. “Bahamut, just keep him busy for a bit longer!” Birth called before inserting another Cell Medal into the slot. “BREAST CANNON,” the voice from his belt announced, a massive barrell appearing on his chest. He kept inserting two Cell Medals and then twisting, getting “CELL BURST” in response from the belt. Meanwhile, Twilight gathered power for a spell, DT prepared to fire her own Cell Burst, and Katsuo placed the three Core Medals on his belt into the Taja Spinner on his arm before touching the scanner to it.

“KUWAGATA! KUJAKU! BATTA! GI-GI-GI-GIGA SCAN!” it announced.

“Ready when you are, Birth!” Katsuo called. A moment later Birth activated the final Cell Burst, getting an announcement of “FULL CHARGE.”

“BAHAMUT, MOVE!” Birth shouted, his barrel already glowing with power.

Flapping his wings, Bahamut flew up and disengaged from Poseidon while narrowly avoiding a stab from the harpoon. At that moment all of the attacks; Twilight firing a blast of magic, DT another blast of Cell Medal energy, Birth a massive laser, and Katsuo a spinning disk of energy, all of them collided with Poseidon in an earth-shaking explosion, annihilating most of the room and leaving a cloud of smoke, hiding the results.

“Keep your wits up! We’ve done this before!” DT shouted, changing out her magazine for a new one.

Flapping his wings, Bahamut created a gust that cleared away the smoke to reveal Poseidon, still in his armor. Bahamut was about to curse under his breath, but after a moment he noticed something. The pirate king’s shoulders rose up and down, seeming to indicate that the attacks had strained him somewhat.

The fort shook, bringing everyone but Poseidon to their knees. Water tentacles ripped through the remaining portions of the floor; each clutching a medal corrupted pirate. Their anguished cries pierced the air, the tentacles crushing their armor. Dropping the limp pirates, the tentacles brought Poseidon their medals.

“You will not take my treasure from me!” Poseidon snarled, absorbing the newly acquired medals into himself.

“Oh, that can’t be good,” Bahamut muttered, watching the last medal slip into Poseidon’s armor. Hoping to catch the pirate king off guard, he swooped down and punched the other rider in the face.

Poseidon ignored Bahamut, gripping onto his harpoon. The weapon glowed, reforming into a trident. Rising into the air, cell medals began to coalesce around his lower half. With a roar, Poseidon’s lower half transformed into the head of a wolf fish.

“Oh great, body horror. My favorite,” Katsuo groaned, taking a defensive stance before firing lightning, making sure to leap around the edges of the room to keep distance.

“Don’t let up!” Bahamut called, flying around Poseidon and creating a tornado around the corrupted king. “If he’s doing something like this then he’s gotta be on the ropes!”

Twilight didn’t even bother with the Candroids now, just making sure to keep distance and try to cast the occasional spell to distract Poseidon and keep the others from being hit, while DT took careful shots at his head head, also trying to provide some form of distraction for the bigger hits to land.

Riding the wind of the tornado he created, Bahamut began to kick Poseidon from all sides. In response, Poseidon let out a roar and swatted at Bahamut in an attempt to stop the assault. Once the tornado finally dissipated and Bahamut’s attack ended, Poseidon turned his attention towards a new target. Unfortunately for Katsuo, he was the target. With a swing from Poseidon’s trident, Katsuo was sent flying into a wall across the room. He slammed hard into the wall before slumping to floor, motionless.

“KATSUO, NO!” Twilight cried. As she did the case with the Core Medals burst open and the three blue medals flew towards him, inserting themselves into the slots. “Oh no,” she muttered as the scanner moved itself and ran along the belt.

"SHACHI! UNAGI! TAKO! ~Sha-Sha-ShaUTa! Sha-Sha-ShaUTa!"

As the transformation occurred Katsuo rose to his feet, almost as if being pulled up by a string like a puppet, before lifting his head. The helmet’s eyes flashed blue for a moment, the sound of water splashing accompanying it. Then he chuckled darkly. “~Oh my, look at all that power. No wonder you think of yourself as ‘King of the Seas.’” He twiddled his fingers together as he chuckled again. “So strong, so boastful, so full of yourself… I CAN’T WAIT TO BREAK YOU!” he screeched, a blast of power filling the room with a watery mist as Katsuo burst out into a maniacal laughter.

The wolf fish head roared in response, its eyes shining like jewels. “What’s mine is mine, you filthy parasites!” Stabbing his trident forward, spears of water shoots from its prongs. Katsuo responded by quickly turning into water himself, his arms launching him forwards like jets as he easily weaved through the attacks. He turned solid just before brandishing his whips and striking Poseidon, the crackle of electricity letting out a thunder-like crack as the struck, pushing the other rider back a few feet.

“Oh, ‘filthy parasites’? My, what an extensive vocabulary you have! What’s next, insignificant gnats? ‘Flies to be swatted away’? Tell me, how much time did you spend reading comic books for reference-” Katsuo’s tirade ended when Poseidon surged forward, the wolf fish clamping down on his arm.

Raising his trident, Poseidon used the same green lightning as kuwagata on the trapped rider. Holding his other hand out, he summoned up the kame shield against DT and Birth’s shots.

Katsuo roared in pain… which soon changed to laughter. “Touchy, are we!?” he yelled before wrapping the whip from his free arm around Poseidon’s neck. His legs then turned into octopus tentacles which he used to rapidly kick the pirate king in the chest, but the wolf fish’s grip still held firm.

Bahamut summoned up a burst of speed, punching the wolf fish head in an attempt to free Katsuo. Poseidon blocked Bahamut’s attack with his harpoon, shoving the drake away. “This isn’t getting us anywhere!”

“Hm, good point,” Katsuo said, still not sounding the least bit concerned as he shifted into water and jetted away. “All of you get closer together, would you? And Twilight, you’ll know what to do.” He then cracked his neck. “‘Now my dear King of the Seas’, let’s see how aquatic you really are,” he boasted, jetting right at Poseidon again.

“I command the very waters of the seas as well as a fleet of ships,” Poseidon retorted, slamming the butt of his harpoon on the floor. “I am quite aquatic.”

“Then let’s see you dance like the waves!” Katsuo cackled back, jetting himself over Poseidon before launching himself down at him from above. Poseidon swung his trident at him, only for Katsuo to jet himself to the side, then back at his opponent, turning solid just at the last moment for a kick.

In response, Poseidon grabbed Katsuo’s foot and tossed him into a wall. “I am tired of your useless prattle, boy,” he growled.

“But we’re forming such a connection!” he teased back, jetting himself right back. He then propelled himself to the side, then right at Poseidon, only to fake-out up and then straight back down. This routine only continued, Katsuo propelling himself all over the room, only for Poseidon to smack his paltry attempts away, not that Katsuo seemed to really care if his insane laughter was any indication.

“What is he doing?” Twilight asked aloud, using her her arms to shield herself from the water being flung around by Katsuo’s propulsion. “All he’s doing is completely soaking the… oh,” her eyes widened in realization. “Everypony, over here! Quick!” she called.

Bahamut moved back, gritting his teeth. “I’ll be fine, I’m lightning proof.”

“Wait, what does he mean by that?” DT asked, running over along with Birth.

“Just trust me,” Twilight said, casting a quick drying spell on the three before summoning a barrier and levitating them all into the air.

“What do you hope to gain from these pitiful attacks?” Poseidon taunted, swatting Katsuo away again. “This has ceased to be amusing and has just become sad.”

“Well, I can agree that it is a little repetitive. ~But hey, I was just setting up the stage for you!” Katsuo replied with a sadistic giggle, spreading his arms and motioning to the room. Poseidon looked, annoyed with how his trophies and treasures had been tarnished by the water… and then he heard the crackle of Katsuo electric whips, realizing what had happened. “I’ve already danced, now… LET’S HEAR YOU SING!” he screamed before slamming his weapons into the ground. The whole room lit up like a fireworks display, the humming of electric energy accompanied Katsuo’s maniacal laughter.

Poseidon took the shock, the wolf fish head snarling at Katsuo. Tossing his harpoon at the crazed rider, Poseidon charged with a burst of water. “I’m tired of your inane banter, troglodyte!” The weapon hit Katsuo and pinned him to the wall before Poseidon closed the distance, grabbed the weapon, and twisted. “Any last words before I toss your carcass into the seas for the sharks to feast on?”

“Well, I guess it is time for me to bow out. After all,” Katsuo chuckled. “~I never was the grand finale!”

Before Poseidon could process Katsuo’s statement, burning pain erupted from his side. Looking down, he saw the symbol of magic glowing on his armor. This was quickly followed by the other element symbols.

“Harmony Punch!” Bahamut called out, his hand radiating energy. With a flap of his wings, Bahamut moved towards Poseidon, catching him in the chest with a rainbow glowing fist.

The wolf fish head screeched in pain, dissolving into cell medals under the strain. Poseidon slumped to his knees, though remained in his rider form.

Bahamut braced himself for the fight to continue, but approached Poseidon slowly. “Dad? Did I break through to you?”

Poseidon laughed, softly at first before breaking into a full on crackle. “You think you can reach him? He’s off in his perfect little world, all his fantasies come true. That pathetic wretch didn’t even put up a fight when I took control.”

“You’re in no position to be laughing,” Bahamut growled, charging his horn up. “Tell me, what do you think would happen if I broke your belt?”

“You think I need a belt?” Poseidon removed the medals from his belt, absorbing them into his hand. “It’s nothing but a showpiece. But be my guest, show me just how unintelligent you really are.”

“You bastard.” Clenching his fists at his side, Bahamut considered his options. A second scanning charge might forcefully remove the medals. But could he withstand all the harmony energy given his draconic greed? After only thinking on the matter for a second, he pulled his scanner off his belt and ran them over his medals. “I may not be as smart as my sister, but I promised not to leave here without my dad, so I’m going to knock you out of his head no matter what!”

“His head?” Poseidon stood up, matching Bahamut’s gaze. “It’s been mine for a long while, kid. He’s nothing more than a memory, replaying his little made up world over and over again. Do you really have the heart to tear him away from that? From Peridot?”

“A Kamen Rider… brings hope,” Katsuo groaned, his voice sounding normal instead of the crazed tone of his berserker. “Through our will… we can make miracles… including overcoming great loss.” He turned to Bahamut. “Show him what a Rider can really do.”

The rainbow energy collected around Bahamut’s fist once more, the rider unflinchingly staring Poseidon down. “Mom and Dad left me a memory stone. They wanted to meet me, the real me. So I’ll knock down your illusion so Dad can finally do just that!” Summoning the harmonic energy to his hands, he grabbed Poseidon’s helmet. “This is your eviction notice!”

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Poseidon roared, his eyes rolling into the back of his head beneath his helmet. “No! This is my body, mine! Do you hear me!? Mine!!!!!”

“Not anymore,” Bahamut retorted, the pair collapsing to the floor.

---

Spike blinked, finding himself standing at the mouth of a cave. While the world around him seemed right, his senses told him otherwise. Sounds lingered for far longer than they should, a strange haze clung to the environment, muting textures and colors. He had somehow found himself in the dragonlands, near the lava pools.

With no other options, Spike started searching the area for any signs of his father. Eventually, he found him and had to stop dead in his tracks. With the stallion was his mother, alive and lounging in one of the pools. And between the two was an infant version of him, struggling to walk for the first time.

“So this is what Dad fantasizes about?” Spike muttered, taking a shaky step towards his father. His mind was racing with possible ways he could approach this. Throughout his life, he had always imagined what he’d say to his real parents if he ever met them. But now? His mind was completely on anything coherent.

“Dad, I need you to listen to me.” straightening his back, Spike made himself as presentable as possible. “I know this feels right and I know you’re happy here, but you need to listen to me.”

Star Dust turned around, regarding Spike with shock and curiosity. “Are those Smaug’s medals? What are you doing with those?”

“Because… Because Grandpa trusted me to get them all. To make sure that nopony misused them. He said it’s what you’d want me to do.”

“Get them all?” Star Dust repeated. “Why would anyone need to find them? Kalameet currently has them in his possession.”

Reaching up, Spike removed his helmet. “Because it’s centuries later than you think it is. Kalameet is gone and the medals were scattered around. I’ve been collecting them.”

The images of Peridot and his younger self wavered for a moment as Star Dust silently took in Spike’s face. He walked over to Spike and put a hand on his shoulder. “Bahamut? I-is that really you? How could I have missed so much of your life?”

“Star Dust, who is this drake?” Peridot asked, raising her head. “How do you know him?”

“Peri, look at him,” Star Dust said, moving out of the way to give her a clear view. “He’s clearly Bahamut.”

“What are you talking about? Bahamut’s right here,” she said, pointing to the small hatchling.

Pausing, Star Dust looked between Spike and his illusory counterpart. “I mean, you’re right, but this is Bahamut too. He has your father’s medals. Smaug wouldn’t give those to just any dragon.”

Frowning, Spike grabbed Star’s shoulders. “Don’t listen to them! You’ve been dreaming for over a century. Do you have any idea what's been going on out there?”

Grunting, Star put his hands on either side of his head. “I-I think I remember.” His legs went out from under him and he fell to his knees.

“Leave my mate alone!” Peridot snarled, sending a cone of green flame at Spike. “I don’t know who you are, but I won’t let you screw with his head!”

Placing his helmet back on his head, Spike let the flames wash over him. “Woulda figured you’d know that dragons are fire proof,” he commented, balling his hands into fists. Steeling his resolve, he launched himself into the air with his wings and rocketed into the illusion’s jaw.

“What are you doing!?” Star Dust shouted. “You… You can’t be Bahamut! He’d never attack his mother!”

“This isn’t Mom!” Spike retorted, letting himself drop to avoid a swipe of the dragoness’s claw. Guilt welled up inside his chest despite his best efforts to remind himself of that fact. “This is all Poseidon! He wants you here so he can control you! You have to remember everything!”

The false Peridot let out a roar, drowning out any response that Star could make. Pivoting her body, she whipped her tail into Spike’s back. He barely managed to keep from smashing into the cave wall by flapping his wings. “Dad, please listen to me! You remember the memory gem you and mom left me?” He didn’t bother to wait for an answer, dodging a claw and continuing.

“Don’t listen to him, Star! He’s some kind of demon, trying to steal you away from us!” Peridot swatted Spike into the wall with her tail, roaring at the drake.

“No! I’m your son and I can prove it!” Spike called out, slowly prying himself out of the wall. “You and mom warned me that ponies and dragons would mock me for being different. You were right! There have been ponies and dragons that have mocked me! But I have friends and family that care about me for who I am!” Creating a shield around himself with his magic, he pushed back an attack from Peridot’s jaws. “You also told me to hold my head high because you knew I’d do great things!”

“Stop filling his head with lies!” Gripping Spike’s shield in her jaws, she tossed it into a lava pool. “I will not let my mate lose himself to such falsehoods!”

Inspiration suddenly struck Spike, several memories flashing before his eyes as he turned to his father with a grin beneath his helmet. “I can prove she’s the fake. If this was the real Peridot, then why hasn’t she called me a clod yet?” he questioned, pointing a finger at the dragoness.

Star frowned, turning his attention towards the dragoness. “Come to think of it, I haven’t heard you call anyone a clod...”

Spike’s grin widened while he waded out of the pool. “Exactly, this is supposed to be the dragoness that called Torch a clod to his face, and yet she called me a demon before that? Does that really sound like her?”

“Are you really going to believe that I’m not me because I stopped using a word?” Peridot snorted, flaring her wings out. “If you must know, I stopped using that word when Bahamut hatched; I don’t want him picking it up.”

“And yet she used it in the message she and Dad left for me,” Spike pressed, flaring his own wings out. “Face it, Poseidon, you neglected to learn how to make the act convincing.”

Peridot sneered, parts of her body corrupting into Poseidon's armor. “Just as well, I was growing tired of this charade. I’ll simply devour your father’s mind, a simple; if inelegant solution.”

Star Dust gaped, looking between his ‘mate’ and the hatchling, only for the little drake to fade away. He collapsed to his knees, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. “I can’t believe it, I’ve been living a lie.”

With a flap of his wings, Spike stood protectively in front of the deflated stallion. “I know it hurts; I spent my whole life wondering where I came from, only to find out that my mom died centuries before I hatched. You have to face it, look at reality without flinching. I need you, dad.”

At first it seemed like Star Dust wasn’t listening; he simply stared blankly at the cave floor. Eventually, he managed to pull himself to his hooves and put a hand on Spike’s shoulder. “Of course, it’s about time I stop dreaming and start being a parent to my son.”

“How touching.” Poseidon rumbled, glaring down at them with unblinking eyes. “I’ll devour you both; two bodies for the price of one. Quite a steal.”

“Not gonna happen,” Spike said, charging his horn up. “You’re getting nothing!” With a flap of his wings, he flew up and fired a massive beam at Poseidon. “You’re just an errant thought that got too big!”

“Arrogant drake! I am Poseidon! Pirate King, ruler of the seas! You will not be rid of me!” he shouted, trying to force the beam back.

Spike didn’t answer, summoning all the speed his combo could give him to keep the beam moving forward. Once he was within reach of Poseidon, he ran his scanner over his medals. “Harmony Punch!” he roared, uppercutting Poseidon in the jaw with a rainbow covered fist.

Poseidon went flying into the air before landing on the ground, hard. He struggled to stand up, every shift of weight making it looking like he’d fall over. In the next moment he lit up, a rainbow light emanating from his body, seeming to rip through him. As it grew brighter more and more of his body broke until, in one final flash and a shout of rage, he exploded, leaving nothing behind.

Chest heaving, Spike allowed himself to take a seat. “I’m sorry, I really am. I know you were happy here; I suppose you could call it selfishness. I just wanted you back above everything else.”

Star Dust chuckled and pulled Spike into a hug. “I should be thanking you. My happiness was fake just like everything else here. I’ll take my real, flawed son over the idealized image I concocted in my head anyday.”

Spiked hugged him back, enjoying being in his father’s embrace for the first time. “... So, ready to meet the rest of the family? It’s not just me and grandpa, you know.”

“I think I’d like that,” Star replied, patting Spike’s back. “I owe quite a few thank yous to the ones that hatched you.”

Spike nodded his head, lighting his horn up. “Let’s go then, I want to see you in person.”

---

As Spike woke in the real world there wasn’t much different except for a few noticeable changes. His father was back to normal, even if the driver was still around his waist. Katsuo was also demorphed and appeared to be sleeping, Twilight looking over him. His counterpart had also demorphed and returned to his normal size, both him and DT waiting for him to come back. They smiled as they saw him return to the waking world.

“So, all’s well that ends well, huh?” his other asked.

“Seems like it.” Spike cancelled his transformation, shaking his head. “Is Katsuo okay?”

“His constitution is still a little weak,” Twilight explained. “Don’t worry, he should be up anytime-” Katsuo groaned and sat up shakily. “Yeah, there it is. Used to be worse, a full combo could have him out for hours.”

“Glad to hear it,” Spike said, kneeling down by his father’s slowly rousing body. “Combos usually just leave me hungry and tired.” As if on cue, his stomach growled.

“So, um… Mr. Star Dust, is it? Nice to me meet you,” DT said, giving a short bow in respect.

“Yes, that is my name,” Star Dust replied, groggily sitting up. Blinking, he took in the group with confusion. “Why are there two Bahamuts?”

“Oh, sorry, um… I’m from another reality. In fact, you and your son are the only ones here from this reality,” the smaller Spike explained. “We just came to lend a hand.”

“Happens every so often,” Spike explained, sitting back on the remaining sections of floor. “I guess we just wait until the Invincible arrives. They shouldn’t be too long.”

“What’s the Invincible?” Star questioned, pulling himself to his hooves. “Is that a boat of some kind?”

“Heh… something like that,” Spike chuckled, laughing at the idea of calling the Invincible a ‘boat.’

“Young drake, are you hiding something from your father?” Star Dust teased, walking over to Spike and pulling him into a light headlock. “Come on, spill it!”

“Come on dad, I want to have the fun of seeing you surprised! Let me have this.” Spike pulled himself away, jumping to his feet. “Crap! I forgot, we have to collect all those medals!” Taking his father’s arm, he began a frantic search of what was left of the room.

With some help from his father and the group of otherworldly visitors, Spike found the trio of Poseidon’s original medals under some wooden rubble. Turning over the coins in his hands, a sense of calm filled the drake.

“So, which ones?” Katsuo asked, Twilight helping him up to his feet.

“The turtle medal is among them,” Spike answered, holding up the orange medal in question. “And the beetle one but I’ve already got a copy of that one.” Picking up the other medals, he placed them into his case. “And I can sort through the rest later.”

“I’ll tell you what they do if you don’t know. Though, to be honest, it looks like you’ve got a few I don’t recognize. They didn’t even appear in the movies.”

“Well, if you’re sticking around to visit the human country, I can show you what these do,” Spike offered, putting away his coin case. Stretching his arms above his head, he let himself relax.

“Well, so long as we’re not waiting for days, at least. I mean, we do have to be the Riders of our Equestria after all. But I think we can at least share data so we can help each other out. You guys don’t have Candroids for one, and it sounds like the Rider Patrol could really use that G tech you were talking about.”

Spike grinned, tapping his medal case from within his pocket. "My Twilight will flip at the chance to look over those cans of yours.”

“... Wait, you said the humans here are Decade, Agito, and Kuuga right? You’re not the only non-human Rider, are you?” Katsuo asked.

Spike’s grin grew, threatening to overtake his face. “That’s correct, there are a few other Riders too.”

“Oh, this is gonna be fun. No spoilers!” Katsuo said quickly, a grin on his face.

Spike and Katsuo snickered to themselves, the drake moving to his father’s side in order to avoid ruining the surprise.

After a while, a loud horn coming from outside caught their attention. Spike shot up to his feet, looking out the nearest hole in the wall. “And the Invincible has arrived!” Waving them over, he continued. “Behold! The pride of Equestria’s aerial navy!”

Star Dust’s jaw dropped to the floor as his eyes frantically scanned over the massive airship. “Wh-what is that flying monstrosity? How long have I been asleep?!”

“OOOOOOOOH! That’s some Final Fantasy level stuff there!” Katsuo cheered.

“Blueprints… I need blueprints,” Twilight muttered.

“Yup, she’s gone,” the smaller Spike chuckled.

“Come on, we’ve got more copies to introduce ourselves to,” DT said, putting her weapon away in her bag.

A rope ladder dropped over the side of the ship, letting the group climb aboard. Star Dust needed some coaxing, but Spike assured him that it was safe. As soon as Spike made it onto the deck, he was grabbed up in his Twilight’s magic and pulled into a tight hug.

“Gack!” Spike croaked out, his vertebrae audibly popping. “Twilight… can’t breathe,” he wheezed, feebly patting her on the back.

“Be quiet, you. Let me have this,” she muttered, not letting up in the slightest.

“Looks like what she did to you after your first fight as Birth,” DT joked to the other Spike.

“I wasn’t that bad…” the other Twilight muttered, pouting as she crossed her arms.

Twilight blinked, taken aback by the sounds of familiar voices that shouldn’t have been there. Looking up, her eyes widened for a moment before she settled down. “Oh, you must be counterparts from a Displaced world.”

“Yup! Katsuo Pollux, at your service,” Katsuo bowed. “I’m also Kamen Rider OOO… Or maybe I should say a Kamen Rider OOO.”

“... Um, is it just me or do her eyes look kinda… different?” DT asked.

“Yeah, they look kinda like mine,” the other Spike noted.

“That’s because I took part in a ritual conducted by Spike’s grandpa to join my family to his,” Twilight explained, tapping the corner of her eye with her pinkie. “It had some interesting results.” She blew a ring of smoke out of her mouth for emphasis.

“Oh, that’s right! Spike mentioned that!” the other Twilight said. “I mean, your Spike said that. Wow, I guess with sneaking around the the Pirate base and fighting Poseidon, it kinda slipped our minds.”

“Uh, this is gonna get confusing with two Spikes and two Twilights,” the smaller Spike said. “I guess we can start with me then. I’m Spike, but I’m also Kamen Rider Birth, so… I guess you can call me Birth for now?”

“I already go by DT now, so that shouldn’t be a problem. So that just leaves our newest Princesses,” DT smirked, folding her arms. “How about ‘your majesty?’”

“DT, you know I hate that!” the visiting Twilight huffed in annoyance. She took a moment to think before giving her own suggestion. “Well… I guess I can go by Twily like Shining calls me.”

Twilight nodded, letting go of Spike who took in a large gulp of air. “That should be fine seeing as my Shining Armor isn’t here. Though Wyatt and Spike call me Twi so that could lead to some confusion if we don’t pay attention.” She tilted her head, suddenly realizing something. "Wait, princesses? There aren't any princesses aboard The Invincible."

“Yeah, and let’s not forget that Spike’s dad still calls him Bahamut,” Birth chuckled. “Oh, this is gonna get so confusing so fast. By the way, got any gems? I really worked up an appetite.”

“Hey, just point me to the kitchen! I’ll make you something!” Katsuo declared. “I mean, I’m just kinda assuming a ship this big has some kind of kitchen on it.”

Twilight giggled, brushing off her dress. “Of course this ship has a kitchen. Though you might have to fight off the staff if you want to use it.” Motioning with her hand, she led the group into the halls towards the mess. They passed by several members of the ship’s crew, the ponies all doing a double take upon seeing literal doubles.

“Don’t worry, you’re not hallucinating,” DT joked, thoroughly enjoying the range of expressions the group was getting. “We need to do this more often if this is the kind of reaction we get.”

“I’d hope not. We’ve had about enough of that nonsense.” Admiral Celaeno stepped into view, eyeing Star closely. “I’d like to greet you properly, but I’m afraid I don’t know your rightful name.”

“I’m Star Dust,” the stallion replied, extending his hand towards the parrot woman. “Thank you for getting us off that awful fortress.”

Celaeno nodded her head, taking her hat off. “We’ve met before, me and your other half. I’m Admiral Celaeno, captain of this here fine ship. We’ll be sticking around a bit longer; need to clear out the place.”

“Do you mean that Poseidon that I somehow got overtaken by?” Star questioned, letting his hand drop. “The only other person I’d ever call that is my mate but I don’t think you’re nearly old enough to have met her.”

“I’d assume so,” Celaeno chuckled, putting her hat back on. “Now, who are the rest?” she asked, looking over the alternate arrivals. “You got names, or should I just put numbers at the end your names?”

“DT. Don’t call me anything else, okay? I’m… working through a few things,” the filly said, managing to put on a smile.

“I’m Kamen Rider Birth, so I’m going by Birth for the moment, just to keep things from getting too confusing,” the smaller Spike said, scratching the back of his head.

“I’ll be going by Twily for as long as I’m here,” the other Twilight explained. “And last, the one that doesn’t need a name change is… where’d Katsuo go?” Twily asked, nothing the human was gone.

“Don’t mind me, just checking the ingredients you have!” Katsuo called from the kitchen.

Twily just sighed but chuckled all the same. “Sorry, he wants to make celebratory cake or something. I hope you don’t mind.”

“If the cake he makes is good, I won’t mind a thing,” Celaeno told her with a chuckle. Turning to Katsuo she added, “I’ll be happy with a pineapple cake; if Lix doesn’t kick you out of the kitchen first.”

“Request noted!” Katsuo called. “Anyone else!? I’ve got gem recipes, too!”

“Oh!” Spike started, perking up at the mention of gems. “I’m not opposed to some sapphire cupcakes!”

“Surprise me, Katsuo! You know I’ll love anything you make!” Twily called. “He was going to culinary school before he came to Equestria. He works at Sugarcube Corner with Pinkie.”

“So, not to sound insensitive, but… how’s Equestria end up with a crew of parrot griffons?” DT asked, trying to take extra care not to ruffle any feathers… metaphorically speaking.

Celanoe laughed, slapping her knee. “You see any cat parts on me, girly? I’m a parrot, have been since the day I hatched. We were working under the Storm King before Poseidon sent us after the drake. Afterwards, Celestia made an offer I couldn’t turn down.” Tapping her chin in thought, she paused. “Well, not literally; she made it pretty clear there were no penalties for refusing the job.”

DT smiled sympathetically. “Yeah, I know a bit of what it’s like trying to turn over a new leaf. Hasn’t been easy, some old habits just don’t want to die.”

Celaeno clicked her beak. “Iffin’ our worlds are similar, you should warn Celestia about the Storm King. That cloven hooved cretin’s been knocking off countries all over the place. Last I heard, he was sacking Abssyinia.”

“Thanks for the suggestion,” Twily nodded. “We’ve got enough to deal with with the Greeds, and he sounds like a prime host for a Yummy.”

“Aye, he’s a mite crazy one. The one you gotta worry about is his enforcer. Monster of a mare; I’ve seen her toss around those yetis like they were pillows. That horn of hers...” Celaeno shivered. “Even shattered it’ll tear a ship a part.”

“Well, if you don’t mind moving onto lighter subjects, I’ll probably nab one of those cupcakes when they’re done,” Twilight chimed in, patting Spike’s shoulder. “But I’ve gotta go grab Wyatt and Agito, I’m sure they’d love to meet you all.” With a wave, she exited the room.

Star Dust had been ignoring most of the conversation, instead looking at everything with wide eyed amazement. He stared into the kitchen, his eyes roving over all the unfamiliar equipment. “I’ve never seen things like this. Never even dreamed of it...”

“If you think the kitchen appliances are cool, wait until I show you an arcade, Dad,” Spike said with a grin. “That’d probably blow your mind.” His smiling falling, Spike put his hand on Star’s shoulder. “Mom isn’t around anymore.”

Rubbing the side of his head, Star’s own smile fell slightly. “I had a feeling. My memory has been fuzzy, but I do recall that Peri had passed somehow.”

“Celestia found her in the Everfree. She gave the princess my egg and asked her to keep me safe. I didn’t hatch until Twilight’s exam.” Spike reached down, holding up his tatoba medals. “These are the only things I had of her.”

“There was a lot more to Peridot than those medals,” Star commented, blankly staring at the trio of coins. “You saw a bit of her personality in that crystal, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. You’ve gotten her strength in more ways than one.” Reaching out, he put a hand on top of his son’s head. “Not only can you throw a mean punch, but you’ve got just as much drive as her.”

“Yeah, I heard something like that. First time I met other dragons, even the younger dragonesses talked about how she stood up to Torch.” Spike chuckled, purring softly as he recalled the lava baths.

Star’s smile returned a bit and he nodded. “Peridot was a believer in the old ways of what a dragon should be much like your grandfather. Suffice it to say, Torch is about as far from those standards as a living being can get.”

“What exactly are those old ways? I mean, I’ve gotten stuff her and there from grandpa Smaug and Sapphira, but I think it’d be cool to hear about it from a pony who researched and lived it.”

“I’d be happy to teach you, son,” Star said, ruffling the spine’s on Spike’s head. “The old ways can simply be put as a code of honor; varying slightly between individuals but all following core principles. There’s also a big emphasis that one’s physical might should never greatly surpass one’s brain power. Temperance is one of the core values handed down by your namesake.”

“Wow… I would’ve never guessed, judging by how the dragons I met in my dimension were like,” Birth said, having taken a seat when they weren’t looking. “I wonder if there’s any way my kind back home could be more like that. Certainly would make getting along with ponies easier.”

“I suppose anything’s possible,” Star offered, looking at Birth curiously. “Though, even when the old ways were practiced, dragons never had the best relations with ponies.”

“Orders up!” Katsuo called, bringing out the dishes. On the tray were at least two dozen green and purple cupcakes with sapphires, the frosting styled to look like flames. There was also a large amount of tropical themed desserts… and drinks.

“What’s that?” Celaeno asked, pointing to what looked like yellow discs.

“Pineapple cake. I thought that’s what you wanted,” Katsuo replied matter-of-factly.

“You mean there’s a specific kind of dessert called pineapple cake? I just meant a cake that was pineapple flavored,” she said, picking one up.

“Well, give it try, I bet you’ll like it. Since we’re out at sea, I kinda went with an anti-scurvy tropical theme. I’ve also got some greek yogurt with orange slices and mint for those of you trying to eat a little healthier, some coconut and chocolate cheesecake, and for those of you who are old enough some key lime pie flavored vodka martinis. Monsieurs, Mademoiselles, bon appetite,” he finished in a thick, fake Prench accent before bowing.

Celeano took a bite of hers and her eyes shot open before practically squealing with her beak closed, falling into a chair with a goofy smile on her face. “How? Oh, how can this be so good?” Katsuo simply beamed with pride, more content to let his dishes do the talking.

Star took a martini off the tray, sipping at it. “I’ll be needing a few of these with the day I’ve had.”

“This isn’t right… a cook shouldn’t be shown up in her own kitchen,” Lix sobbed, crying in the corner… while also eating a slice of the coconut cheesecake. “Damn it, it’s so good.”

A few moments later Twilight returned with both humans in tow. “Hey everybody!” Twilight called out, getting the group’s attention. “I brought Wyatt and Tsukiya like I promised.”

Katsuo and Birth perked up at that, the former moving over to both of them. He looked between the two for a moment. “So… which one of you is Decade?” he asked.

“That’d be the kid here,” Tsukiya spoke up, jabbing a thumb at the other human.

“I see… Well, I haven’t heard anything about multiple dimensions messing up, so I guess you’re already an improvement over the original Decade,” Katsuo joked, offering his hand for a shake. “Katsuo Pollux, Kamen Rider OOO of another Equestria.”

“Wyatt Matthews,” Wyatt replied, taking the offered handshake. He grinned, letting his card case appear in his hand. “I’ve also got a trick that the original Decade didn’t. I get cards for all the Displaced I meet.”

“Pretty neat, happy to help!” Katsuo smiled back. He then turned to face Tsukiya, his expression serious before going stiff and bowing deeply. “Domo, Agito-san. Thank you for meeting me, senpai.”

Tsukiya sighed, pinching his nose. “You know I grew up in Hawaii right? Knock off the weeaboo stuff, ya? It’s embarrassing.”

“S-Sorry. Just, not often I meet someone of higher standing,” Katsuo apologized, still giving a short bow of respect.

“Hey, why don’t I get the formal greeting? I’m basically your senpai too,” Wyatt complained. “It was actually kinda appropriate, considering Tsukiya is half-Japanese.”

“Because, from what Spike told me, you don’t have 1000 years of experience under your belt… er, Driver.” he smirked back. “You’re more on my level.”

“Hey, most of that millenia was spent doing the lone wanderer schtick,” Wyatt explained, frowning slightly. “I’ve been fighting monsters non-stop for over a year.”

“Ditto. But enough about that, help yourself to some treats before they’re gone. Watch out for the cupcakes though, those have sapphires in them,” Katsuo said before heading back to the table. “Oh, and the drinks are alcoholic, so watch it.”

"Oh yeah! Now that we're all settled in, we can check out all the new medals I got." Grabbing a cupcake, Spike sat his case on the table and spread out his acquisitions. There were the trio of grey medals, the orange turtle and the three black coins.

“The whole SaGoZou set, and the Kame medal. Nice! But the black ones were from one of the movies and were never used by OOO. No idea what they do.” Katsuo noted. “By the way, have you used all the Combos yet? Do you know what they all do?”

"Uh no, I haven't," Spike admitted. "I haven't found certain ones yet."

“No prob, I can give you a heads up! What ones have you used already?”

Spike slid his case over to Katsuo, letting him examine his collection. "Though, Wyatt's filled me in on what they all do."

“Ah, ok then. Well, maybe you can tell me about some of the ones you have? I don’t recognize some of these, even from sources other than the movies.”

"Sure, I can do that." Spike picked out his medals and gave a brief rundown of their abilities. The stinger and shield of Hachi, the hallucinogenic venom of Mukade, the wall climbing of Ari, the drill of hermit crab, the claws of panda, the boxing gloves of kangaroo, the plant control of Shika and an in-depth explanation of unisapo.

“I have a few of my own,” Star spoke, placing a few more medals onto the table. The medals that once made up Poseidon gleamed up at them, accompanied by what looked like medals of a gazelle, cow, polar bear, walrus and penguin. “I kept most of the one of a kind medals to myself, it seems.”

“Wow… wish I had some of these,” Katsuo said, slightly jealous.

"I might be able to help with that," Twi chimed in, bits of sapphire shining around her muzzle like glitter. Placing a ring on her finger, she looked over the medals. "I recently made a new ring, but I haven't had a chance to test it out." Picking up one set of medals, she tapped the ring to her belt.

"Copy!" a voice called out, a magic circle appearing besides Twi. Putting her hand through it, a copy of the medals clattered onto the table.

“Now that, is something!” Star picked up a copy of the panda medal. “A perfect copy, down to the last detail. I don’t think even I could do something like that.”

“Oh… My… GOODNESS! Even with the belt and the rings I can tell it’s powered by magic, not some other form of energy! But how? Where did you get it? Do you have any formulae or specs or-!” Twily ranted, practically muzzle to muzzle with her counterpart.

“DOWN, GIRL!” Birth shouted as he tugged her back. She realized what she had just done and blushed sheepishly.

"Huh, so that's what it's like to be on the receiving end of that. Weird," Twi commented, scratching her cheek and chuckling. "But yes, I do have formulae. It was all written down in Clover the Clever's journal. If you can get it to work, then you should be able to do a lot more than make copies." She pulled out a red ring for everyone to see.

“Yes please,” Twily said, smiling like a filly about to get a Hearth’s Warming gift.

Teleporting out of the room, Twi returned a minute later to make a copy of an old journal. She then went about copying the rest of the medals. She wiped her brow and handed everything out. "There we go, that should do it."

Twily just poured over the journal, devouring the notes with her eyes.

“And she’s gone,” DT rolled her eyes.

“... Uh, hey Twi. Can you do one more? I’d like to give you something in return,” Birth said, holding out his belt.

"I might be able to do one more." Taking the belt, Twi successfully made a copy of it before slumping over in her chair. "Ugh, that took more mana than I thought it would."

“Sorry. Would’ve done it myself if I could.”

Twi waved him off, swiping up a cupcake. "It's fine, just need calories to replenish."

“Ok, so where we off to next? We making a stop before the Human Continent you were talking about?” Katsuo asked.

"No, we're heading right there," Tsukiya stated. "Even by airship it'll take a couple weeks."

Twily managed to lift her face from the journal. “Weeks?”

“What’s wrong?” DT asked.

“Well, I know the time between dimensions is inconsistent, but… I don’t think we can afford to spend weeks here. For all we know, years could pass back home. And even with the Rider Patrol, they need us.”

“B-But… But-” Katsuo started, looking heartbroken.

“She’s got a point, Katsuo,” DT said somberly.

"Maybe the next time we go, we can summon you?" Wyatt offered with a sympathetic smile.

Katsuo sighed, but nodded. “You’re right. Riders have a responsibility,” he then turned and smiled to Wyatt. “Either way, Spike told me about your Dai-Shocker problem. Don’t forget you’ve got other allies to call on.” He then extended his head. “Besides, all the Riders need to show up for the annual special, right?” he chuckled.

"Heh, that they do," Wyatt agreed. "Though, we're lacking a DiEnd to turn me into a kaiju."

“We’ll figure something out,” he then turned to Lix and smiled. “And next time, I’ll bring some recipes for us to work on together.”

"Damn ye, boy! Let an old bird have her pride!" Lix sobbed, sulking in the corner.

“Sorry,” he then turned to Spike. “So, I’m assuming you know how to end one of these thing?”

"Yup," Spike assured with a thumbs up. "Katsuo, our contract is complete."

A portal opened behind Katsuo, and all the arrivals headed to it. With one last smile Katsuo turned to Spike and said “Have fun catching up with your dad.” And in a flash they were all gone.

Author's Note:

This chap is a crossover with Shinigamisparda's and his story Coming Up OOO. Also, there are only about 5 chapters left of this story. After that, we're making a volume 2.

Comments

[InfernoRage008]

A volume 2? Then again, this one has been going on for awhile. Other than that, great chapter and congrats to Spike for getting his father back.

[thunderclap]

9590369 Thanks for catching those. Fixed 'em.

[Flame1hedgehog]

You Know if you don't already have a plan for Diend
I have an idea that can work if you want but in other news awesome chapter and keep up with the good work 👍

[Grey Ghost]

9603967
What's the idea?

[Flame1hedgehog]

9604434
Basically the idea was an alt. Twilight from an old idea I had for a story ( a persona crossover if you where curious) finds the Diend driver and she ends up into this Equestria and trolls Wyatt because this twilight is a smartass (thunderclap if your reading this I give more specific facts if you want just pm me later)

[Shifter489]

Twily just sighed but chuckled all the same. “Sorry, he wants to make celebratory cake or something. I hope you don’t mind.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hey, Kougami's not around, so someone had to do it.

[Spidey Viewer]

"Keep your asinine opinions to yourself.”

......Too easy.

[Spidey Viewer]

Bahamut returned to the fray, firing icy bolts of magic to freeze any water that Poseidon created. With a few kicks, the ice shattered and Bahamut used his magic to create a storm of icy shards. “Will you please stop being so pigheaded, Star Dust?!”

Eh, ya can't really stop Star Dust from his Crusade.

I'll shoot myself now.

[Spidey Viewer]

Staggering for a moment, Bahamut felt his anger building. Planting his feet firmly he yelled, “Fine! I’ll kill Poseidon so that Star Dust can live once more!” Bahamut charged at Poseidon and let loose a flurry of blows, his limbs moving in a blur. The others got into position, ready to attack as soon as the two combatants were further apart so as not to get Bahamut caught in the crossfire. “Get the hell out of my dad!”

Eh, sorry Spike, but your efforts are all....

[Spidey Viewer]

Poseidon went flying into the air before landing on the ground, hard. He struggled to stand up, every shift of weight making it looking like he’d fall over. In the next moment he lit up, a rainbow light emanating from his body, seeming to rip through him. As it grew brighter more and more of his body broke until, in one final flash and a shout of rage, he exploded, leaving nothing behind.

What else can I reference but....this:

[Spidey Viewer]

Volume 2?
Eh, understandable. This has been going on for a long time. I can understand the need to separate them.