Unexpected Meetings
The days had passed far too slowly for the liking of those aboard The Invincible. Rainbow Dash was feeling the most cooped up, taking any instance as an excuse to stretch her wings. Spike and his father had opted to stay in Equestria, leaving just a bit more room on the ship.
Wyatt had used the time to practice his swordsmanship with Ninjor's sword. He made sure to do it on the main deck, the last thing he needed was to accidentally cut up something important. Every so often, either Celaeno or Tsukiya would join him, offering a few tips here and there.
He would never tell Tsukiya, but he was glad for the tips. The last thing he needed was for the old timer's head to swell up more. Between the two of them, he felt far more comfortable with the blade.
Swinging the blade in front of him, it gleamed in the early morning sun. Spread out in every direction before them, the sea churned slowly as it had for the last few weeks.
"Good form, boy!" Celaeno praised, leaning in some nearby shade. "Don't forget to avoid locking your elbows! Doing that makes ya easy to disarm!"
Celaeno’s coaching was far less brutal than Flash Fire’s. It mostly consisted of her standing off to the side and offering encouragements. He wouldn’t complain though, it definitely gave him far less welts to the top of his head. Though it did sometimes feel like the good admiral was sizing him up while she watched him. Whenever she did deign for a hands-on lesson, she easily disarmed him in most of their engagements. Celeano clearly had the skills to back up her attitude.
Wiping his brow, Wyatt stopped to catch his breath. “Thanks. Wanna come and kick my ass some more to see if the lessons have stuck?”
Celaeno clicked her beak, waving hm off. “I'm fine here. I'm an admiral now. I deserve to relax every now and then.”
Wyatt chuckled, sheathing Ninjor’s sword, a chuckle escaping his lips. “Wait, you do things beside relax?”
Huffing in indignance, the green crest feathers on Celaeno's head began to rise. “Keep that up and I'll have you swabbing the deck.”
“Admiral! Land ho!”
The cry came from on high, the Invincible's crow’s nest. The crew took the news with a familiar acknowledgement, the ponies rushing to the bow. Even the group’s pegasi had grown restless from the endless seas of water and clouds. They all relished in the sight of the rolling hills of green in the distance. It would still be some time before they’d be able to land, but seeing it was more than enough for the moment.
They didn't have long to relish the sight as the sudden sound of roaring engines caught them off guard. Wyatt caught sight of something off the sides of their ship that he instantly recognized as fighter jets.
“All hands to their posts!” Celaeno barked, making to the ship's wheel. “Arm the cannons! I want this bird showing her talons!”
Working with practiced ease, the crew of the Invincible worked to bring its might to bear. Gun ports opened wide, and shining cannons rolled into place. Each was loaded with the finest ammunition Equestria had ever manufactured.
It occurred to Wyatt that among the world he had come to know, the Invincible was a master of the sky. Against any vessel of her kind, she would no doubt send them hurtling towards the ground. Here, in a place so close to the one he left, she was outmatched and outclassed in every conceivable way.
"Unidentified aircraft!" A voice blared over speakers from below them. "You have entered Lintus airspace! Drop altitude and land aboard the S.S. Kuuga or else we will be forced to open fire!"
“Now that, is something.” Tsukiya leaned over the railing, peering down into the clouds. “Lucky bastards, guess they never had a dark age to slow em down.” Pushing away, he called to Celaeno. “We’re best off doing what they say. Take us down but don't bother landing on their ship, no way in hell they have a carrier designed to hold an airship.”
"Sounds good to me." Celeano motioned to her crew.
The engines hummed with life, the output of its magic shifting. With a slight dip, the Invincible began to descend. Despite the relatively smooth drop, Wyatt still found his stomach falling. Tense minutes passed before they finally dropped out of the clouds.
They could finally see the carrier properly. It was easily three-hundred meters long and atop its tower flew a red and black flag.
“Take us abreast and stay in the air,” Tsukiya instructed, watching the carrier with a keen eye. Vague shapes scurried over its deck, at least one helicopter beginning to turn its blades. “Don't panic when that comes close. They most likely tried to get on us a radio and with that out the window, we're getting visitors.”
"I'd clap you upside the head for barking orders," Celaeno started, watching the copter closely. "But you're being helpful so keep it up."
“Wyatt, what is that?!” Twilight gripped his arm, speaking in a harsh whisper.
"Do you mean the aircraft carrier, the jets or the helicopter?" he asked in return.
“All of them!” Came her hurried response.
"Oh, well then…" Wyatt quickly told her what he could about each of the vehicles. Granted, he didn't know much but it was better than nothing.
The helicopter's approach brought a mix of reactions from those present on deck. The crew waited with hands on their swords. Those more confrontational amongst the ponies shared a similar state of mind, leaving the rest to panic or hide. The two humans merely waited.
"Guys, let's keep cool heads here," Wyatt stated, trying to get between Applejack, Rainbow Dash and the helicopter. “We are violating their airspace. Equestria would do the same thing if it could.”
Applejack relaxed her shoulders, nodding at Wyatt. "Ya got a point, Sugarcube. But Ah don't like these confounded things they got."
“Any pegasus could fly circles around that tin can,” Dash boasted, her wings flared out.
"True, but those," Wyatt started, pointing to the jets as they returned to the carrier, "can probably break the sound barrier, so you're the only one alive who could keep up with them."
Any further conversation was drowned out as the helicopter came to a hover besides the Invincible. The pilot, visible through the windows moved about the controls, keeping the blades from getting too close to the ship's riggings. A moment passed before a door on the side opened and a small group of humans made the leap between vehicles.
Celaeno motioned for her first mate to take the wheel and stepped out to greet the new arrivals. "Welcome aboard The Invincible. I'm Celaeno, Admiral of the Equestrian air fleet and Captain of this fine ship.”
"We're from the Lintus Navy," one of the humans said, stepping forward. "We tried hailing you on our radios but it seems you're not on any frequencies. So, state your business for entering our airspace."
“Sir, I thought Equestria was a myth,” a young woman commented in a hushed tone.
“We don't have radios,” Tsukiya responded, closing the distance to meet the man. “We’re here for diplomatic and personal reasons.” It wasn't a lie, just not the whole truth. Something he had long grown used to speaking. “I don't know who you have to call to let us in but it’s important.”
The leader quirked a brow, looking between Tsukiya and Wyatt. “Sir, what are you doing with these Equestrians?”
“Travelling,” Tsukiya replied curtly. Reaching out, he grasped Pinkie's arm and pulled her over. “This is Pinkamena Diane Pie, descended from Kuuga's vassal Holder Cobblestone. She's on a pilgrimage to his tomb.”
Pinkie smiled and nodded, instantly playing along. “Yuppers, it was always something my family meant to do, but we lacked the means to do it. Now with the new airship, we can start a new tradition to visit the tomb, adorn it with flowers and to maintain it.” Reaching into her blouse, she held up the symbol of Kuuga hanging around her neck.
The group of human’s all gaped, their eyes locking onto the symbol. “She has the mark of Lord Kuuga,” one of the human males muttered.
“They could have faked it,” the lone woman hissed in a sharp whisper.
“Faked it? That’s the mark to the last detail,” the man from before shot back.
Wyatt cleared his throat. “So uh.. what happens now? We'd like to get to the tomb as quickly as possible. Lots of stuff going on back home, don't want to be away for too long.”
“Fast is gonna have to be subjective, son,” the leader said, motioning with his hand to get his subordinates in line. “Red tape and all that. We’ll get on the horn with HQ and see if we can get you cleared to land. Who here is the diplomat that will lead up the talks?”
Bearing what confidence she could muster, Twilight held her hand out. “That would be me. Hi. I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's personal student. Here to do...talks.”
The one young man snickered among the trio of humans. “They still have a monarchy, cute.” This earned him an elbow to the ribs from the woman and a cross look from his commanding officer.
“Commander Riki Janus,” the lead male introduced, shaking her hand. “A pleasure.”
Tsukiya stepped back to the railing, his eyes latching onto the carrier. It didn’t matter that two races were reconnecting. It didn’t matter that the entire journey hinged on Twilight making things up as she went along. All that mattered was his brother. He would do anything to make sure he saw another day.
King sat in his office, looking over his plans for the day. Flipping it open, he found the usual tedium of an orphanage opening ceremony, an appearance to present a check to a local hospital and repairing damages from the kaiju attack the week prior. He clicked his tongue and closed his schedule, disgusted by it all. He’d sooner drain the life from all the humans of Linto than help them. However, Dai-Shocker had its plans and his part in them was to play the philanthropist.
If it weren't for the fact that the other generals were about as charismatic as chunks of sulphur, he'd gladly let them handle his station. “I have no idea why the Great Leader keeps those idiots around,” he muttered to himself.
But here he was, playing a role he hated. As a native to this world, it made the most sense for him to be here, overseeing the human herd. He was the king, it was his duty to secure his people's food source. Even if it meant putting on airs.
So he'd keep the humans healthy with advanced medicine and docile with the latest tech to entertain them. They did taste best when they had no idea they were merely cattle.
The ringing of his phone snapped King out of his train of thoughts. "What is it, Ragah? Is this about the upcoming merger with Wireframe Communications?”
“No sir, General Magdah is here to see you.”
“Send him in right away,” King replied, hanging up the phone and standing up. Smoothing his suit out, he was greeted by the sight of the General stepping into the room. “General, what brings you to my office today?” Walking around his desk, he moved to shake the older man’s hand.
General Magdah regarded him simply, ignoring the offered hand. “Is the next event proceeding as scheduled?” Magdah appeared to be in his fifties with what little of his gray hair that was left cut incredibly short. He was dressed in full uniform, the black cloth displaying every one of his achievements.
“Everything’s going without a hitch,” King answered, dropping his hand. “All the pieces are in place.”
Pushing past King, Magdah took a spot in front of the window. Staring down at the city, he watched the hustle and bustle going about their day. “A report came in from the coast. An airship was intercepted several hours ago.”
“From Equestria I take it?” King asked, growing annoyed by the general’s actions. A smile worked its way onto his face and he signaled for his Sagarc. “The Decade brat and those ponies must be here for some inane reason.”
He had never liked Rook, while strong, the man never used it intelligently. Even so, he had been one of the checkmate four and that meant he deserved respect. Confronting the upstart would be vengeance enough. He wouldn’t be able to kill the Decade brat, the Great Leader had made that very clear to all his generals, but half-dead wasn’t dead, now was it?
“We have to move up the timetable.” Magdah turned, reaching up to pull his sunglasses off. “Start the next attack.”
King smiled, chuckling. “Tell your men to release the Equestrians from holding first. I just had a wonderful idea.”
“Explain.”
“Decade is among those ponies, I’m sure of it. Tell me general, what does the average person in Linto believe about Decade?” King questioned, waving his hand airily.
“They view him like a demon,” Magdah answered slowly, unsure what the other man was getting at. “You should know, you helped provide the means to spread that message.”
“It’s simple, even if he tries to interfere with our plans, the populace is already against him,” King explained, gesturing to the other man. “You my friend counter any advantage they may have if they brought the actual Agito with them. And if we wait to start the attack when they’re free to roam, what do you think the response of our little hero would be?”
Magdah chuckled, nodding at the other man. "I see what you're saying. They'll be free to go in a few moments. Be ready to start the attack."
“Of course, of course.” King nodded, motioning for Magdah to leave. Fortune was turning in his favor, all their enemies were serving themselves up on a platter. It would be foolish of him not to take advantage of this turn of fortune.
Wyatt tapped his heel repeatedly while he sat in a common area of the military base that Riki and his subordinates had taken them to. Because they were unsure of the threat the group posed, all their weapons were confiscated. So now Ninjor's sword was locked up and out of his reach.
"This better not take long," he muttered, his gaze locked on the door Riki had left through.
“We just have to sit and wait,” Tsukiya said, lounging on a couch. “So, just do that.”
"I am waiting," Wyatt retorted, his eyes drifting over to the other man. "But I don't have to be happy about it."
“I’d rather you quit complaining.”
"Can you two both behave?" Daring questioned, looking between the two. "You sound like an old married couple."
Tsukiya lifted his head, giving her a light smirk. “I had no idea you were into slash fiction. Unfortunately for you, I don’t swing that way.”
"Same," Wyatt said, managing his own smirk. "And even if I did, I'm out of the old man's league."
Twilight frowned, looking between the two humans. “This conversation got very weird, very quickly. Can we talk about something else please?”
Wyatt chuckled, putting an arm around Twilight's shoulders. "Sorry Twi, didn't mean to weird you out.”
A few hours ago, Twilight had been brimming with questions. There wasn’t a thing she didn’t want to know about. Now that her curiosity had settled, she found it rather unnerving to be here. Perhaps it was being a pony among humans, something she realized that Wyatt must've dealt with. Maybe he was still dealing with it? If that was the case, she had to give him credit for hiding it so well.
And yet, she also had to kick herself for not thinking of it sooner. What kind of marefriend was she if she was oblivious to something so obvious?
“These other humans don’t have much of a fashion sense,” Rarity spoke, sensing the awkwardness in the air. “Just look at those uniforms, so drab!”
"Uh Rarity, military fatigues aren't meant to be a fashion statement," Rainbow stated, regarding her friend like the mare had grown a second head. "It's not like they're going to invade a beauty pageant."
“Just because they need to be functional doesn’t mean they have to be a fashion nightmare,” Rarity huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
The door opened, revealing a confused looking Riki. “Am I interrupting anything?”
“No, we were just passing the time,” Wyatt assured, perking up. “So, is this where you tell us we can leave the base and give us our stuff back?”
Riki shut the door, offering them a smile. “You've all been cleared to head to the capital. Your airship and her crew will remain here and you'll be given a military escort.”
“And our stuff?” Wyatt repeated, looking at the older man with a serious expression. “Are we getting them back or not?”
“Yes, you’ll be getting it all back,” Riki answered, his eyes boring into Wyatt’s. “But that sword stays in its sheath.”
Wyatt bit back a scathing remark. A thousand comebacks danced along his tongue but he held them back. “That's reasonable,” he said, conceding the point. “I'd just like it back.”
"Then follow me and we can get it on our way out," Riki assured, completely oblivious to the other man's struggle. Turning on his heel, he led the group out the door he had come through. “I was told to inform all of you to be on your best behavior and stay with your escorts. With the recent creature attacks, some of the more paranoid might start blaming you.”
"Creature attacks?" Applejack repeated, tilting her hat back. "What kinda creature attacks?"
“The city leveling kind.”
Everyone that had come from Equestria shared a knowing look and went deathly quiet. Wyatt opted to be the one to break the silence. "How long have these attacks been going on? Do they happen often?" A pang of guilt shot through him as another question suddenly occurred to him. “Has it been longer than a year?”
“Hasn’t been more than a month,” Riki responded, eyeing them suspiciously. “Why so curious about our problems?”
"Because Equestria has been having similar problems," Twilight chimed in, shooting Wyatt a nervous look. "For a while now, creatures unlike anything we've seen before have been attacking citizens. We've taken to calling them Unknown Lifeforms."
Riki's brow knit in thought, looking away from the others. "Your country is experiencing this as well? How could that be?"
“A dark force seeks to conquer all,” Tsukiya elaborated, putting his hands in his pockets.
This didn't improve Riki's mood, but it did stop his train of thought before it could go too far. "My superiors will have to hear about this. Come on, not too much farther until the exit."
The entire mood of the group had changed. Nervous energy had morphed into grim resolution. The idea that Dai-Shocker hadn’t just been bothering with Equestria began to sink in.
Wyatt thought it over, what could Dai-Shocker possibly want with the humans? Their tech was less advanced than Dai-Shocker’s and they didn’t have Daguva’s belt like Equestria did. So what was their angle? He knew they wanted to take over the entire planet, but with the tech difference and the monsters at their disposal, what kept them from conquering Linto freely?
As Riki led them out of the base and onto a bus, Wyatt decided he’d have to discuss it with the others once they were alone. The bus itself resembled a Volkswagen van, only stretched out more.
“Your things are in the back,” Riki commented as he sat behind the driver. “And remember, don’t draw the sword.”
“I wasn’t planning on it,” Wyatt assured, getting a seat next to Twilight. “I make it a point not to start fights. And I definitely don’t kill people. The sword is a… keepsake of someone. I’ve promised to take good care of it.”
“Makes a guy suspicious when you say things like that,” Riki commented, signalling for the driver to pull off.
“Well, I wanted to find the right word,” Wyatt said, chuckling and rubbing the back of his head. “If I had said responsibility there, I would’ve sounded like a tool.”
“I think he meant the ‘I don’t kill people line’, kid,’ Daring said, sitting by a window.
“Huh, how is that suspicious?” Wyatt asked, looking at Daring oddly. “What else would someone worry about when someone has a sword? Would they be worried that I’d go around and cut vegetables overdramatically?”
Riki pinched his brow, shaking his head. There was no way he'd go through what was essentially babysitting duty without a headache. It was almost enough to make him start questioning orders. Almost.
The drive from the base to the city of Cel’Tras took the better part of the afternoon. Picturesque scenery passed them by; light hills and a few forests. These sights soon gave away to cliff faces overlooking the ocean.
They all had to admit that the country was beautiful. Wyatt turned to Twilight and smiled. "If things go well, we might want to plan a vacation to here."
“Sadly, I don’t think we’ll be able to have a vacation for a very long time.” Reaching her hand out, Twilight took Wyatt’s. “We have too much responsibility.”
Wyatt smiled softly and gave her hand a squeeze. "We'll have free time some day, I know it."
Riki turned his head. “You think this is nice? Wait til you see the city.’
“I was born and raised in my nation’s capital,” Twilight started, glancing towards the commander. “So it’ll take a lot to impress me with a city.”
“We’re about to see if you’ll eat those words.”
The van turned a corner, a sprawling harbor came into view. Nestled at the base of a canyon, the harbor was split in two, like the awaiting jaws of a shark. The canyon itself, extending into land a few hundred feet like winding body of a snake before opening up into a massive circular formation. Floating along the surface of the lake, the city of Cel’Tras gleamed in the midday sun. Anchored into the sides of the cliffs were older stone structures, lining the city like a crown. These structures were connected to the bulk of the city by thin lines that Wyatt assumed were gondola cables.
Twilight’s eyes drank in the ingenuity on display eagerly. Her mind raced with possible ways that they had achieved such a feat. Everything from pillars or even structures that could possibly allow such a city to float.
“That’s...certainly an impressive start.”
“Cel’Tras is the shining jewel of Linto,” Riki said, pride swelling in his voice. “It leads the country in new technology while taking great pains to maintain her historic buildings to look just as good as the day they were built.”
Just as they pulled into the city proper, an explosion wracked a building in the distance. The van screeched to a halt, narrowly avoiding an oncoming car as it fled from the scene. A monstrous spider skittered up the building’s side, eight spear-like legs stabbing into the structure. Though its back was to them, they could make out horns not unlike a bull’s on the spider as well.
Wyatt’s heart sank, he needed to act quick. He couldn’t transform, not with Riki and their driver watching. With some hasty thinking, he scrambled for the door with a scream tearing from his throat. “Gah! Monster!” Tearing open the door, he tried to find a place where he could become Decade.
"Mathews! Get your ass back here!" Riki shouted over the piercing screech of the creature. Swearing under his breath, he ordered the driver to drive somewhere safe. Gritting his teeth, he looked back to where Wyatt had run off to. "Pull over, I need to get the damn kid." The van screeched to a halt at the side of the street, Riki rushing to open the door. "Keep driving, I'll rendezvous with you at one of the evac sites." Weaving through the maelstrom of panicked citizens, he made his way to Wyatt's last position.
He grit his teeth like a vice, hard enough that he swore one of them cracked. If Wyatt died on his watch, not only would his career be over, there was a good chance he'd cause an international incident. There was no sign of the damned fool, even when he checked the flow of the crowd.
'Where is he? With how thick the crowd is, there's no way he's gotten far. How hard could it be to find a brat with a sword?' Riki continued to look through the crowd, pushing through the throng of bodies. 'Why would he run away from safety in the first place?' Nothing was adding up, no matter what angle he tried to tackle it from. Suddenly, his train of thought came to a screeching halt by a sudden pink blur flying towards the monster.
Even as he entered the fray of battle, Wyatt understood the serenity Spike had always talked about. Each beat of UniSaPo's wings brought a new sense of peace. Not even roundhouse kicking the spider’s head broke the form’s hold over him.
The head being that of a giant ox with eyes like burning hot coals. He didn’t take long to dwell on the nature of the monster, instead thinking about how to go about fighting it. He’d need to coax it to the ground, otherwise it would cause massive property damage and potentially kill people if it fell.
"Come on, you ugly bastard," Wyatt calmly taunted. "I'm a pretty tasty lookin' fly, aren't I?" He zipped around the monster, jabbing at it with his fists and moving towards the bottom of the building.
The spider monster roared out in annoyance and swung a leg down at Wyatt’s head. Its spindly leg sliced through the air Wyatt had occupied and stabbed into the street below. Charging the horn on his helmet, Wyatt fired a beam of ice at the limb before the monstrosity could pry it free from the hole it had made in the pavement.
“Escape that, asshole,” Wyatt growled, drawing his leg back. With a beat of his wings, he swung his leg into the frozen appendage, fracturing it.
The monster’s balance faltered for a moment while it screamed out in pain. Spinning around, it fired a string of web from its spinneret. Spiraling through the air like a guided string, the sticky rope grabbed onto Wyatt’s leg.
Charging his horn again, Wyatt froze the web and let it snap off with a slight movement. “Nice try, but you’re not gonna ground me like that.” Flapping his wings, he edged towards the street. “Now come on, get off the building and fight me.”
A desperate roar left the beast’s mouth and it leapt from the building with its jaws open wide. Hot breath like a summer heat wave rolled over Wyatt, the massive maw clamping down on one of his wings. He thanked his lucky stars that his wings didn’t feel pain and reared his fist back for a powerful punch in the beast’s skull.
“Shoulda aimed for the head,” Wyatt noted, creating a blinding light with his horn.
Wrenching himself free as the beast thrashed its monstrous skull, Wyatt rose into the sky. “I’m about done playing rodeo, so how’s about we wrap up?” Drawing Medajalibur, Wyatt slotted a card into his belt.
Before Wyatt could press in the handles of his belt, a foot collided with the beast's neck. A sickening crunch filled the air and the beast collapsed to the ground in a heap. Looking down, his blood ran cold at what he saw. The sneering visage of Another Agito was cooly observing the corpse of the spider.
Regarding the new rider hesitantly, Wyatt lowered himself to the ground. He allowed UniSaPo to fade, leaving him in his default state. Minutes passed in his mind, each an attempt to form out a sentence. Finally, he spoke. “Good timing, you got it faster than I did.”
Another Agito didn't speak, opting instead to backhand Wyatt in the helmet.
Reeling from the strike, Wyatt dug his heels into the ground. Falling into Fire’s training, he brought his fists up. “That how you thank people for trying to help? Not a great custom if you ask me.”
Bouncing on his heels, Wyatt zigzagged toward the other Rider and launched a straight punch at his chin. Another Agito merely batted his hand away as one would a bothersome fly, then drilled his fist into Wyatt’s stomach.
Jumping back, Wyatt nearly felt his breath escape his lungs. Drawing his blaster, he opened fire on the corrupted Agito. Most shots went wide, and those that hit glanced off Another Agito’s chitin like armor.
Wyatt grunted, thinking over his options. Pulling out two cards, he slotted one in. He quickly entered Den-O form, only just letting the transformation finish before putting in the second card.
"Form Ride: Ax Form!" Wyatt's armor shifted, the base color of the chest becoming black. The shoulders, helmet and kneepads were golden while the boots and gauntlets were silver. The visor on the helmet was shaped like a rhombus laid on its side and the top of the helmet had a horn like an axe head.
Wyatt opted not to say the catchphrase of this particular form, not wanting to eat his words as he swung his weapon at Another Agito. When the other Rider brought up his arm to block, Wyatt used his free hand to deliver an open palmed strike to Another Agito’s stomach.
Shifting his body, Another Agito snatched Wyatt's wrist. Hand like a vice, he brought Wyatt's head down to his knee, shattering the eyes of his helmet like glass. Heaving Wyatt's dazed form to the ground, he planted a solid boot on his back.
"Citizens of Linto, look up with your own eyes the Trickster! Taking the forms of others to gain your favor. What has his 'help' brought you?"
Wyatt grunted, the pieces finally falling into place. ‘That’s why Dai-Shocker hasn’t gone all out on them, they’re already in charge. There’s no way a normal Rider would know about me if he wasn’t in league with them.’
The slicing of helicopter blades took over, several of the machines appearing above them. If the camera men leaning out the sides were any indication, the two of them were in every home in the country.
Digging his heel into Wyatt's armor, Another Agito swept his arm out. He had no trouble making his voice heard over the cacophony of noise. "The Trickster has come from across the sea, allied with those whom deserted great Kuuga in his time of need!"
“Bet calling Kuuga great just made you wanna vomit, eh Dai-Shocker boy?” Wyatt said, smirking beneath his helmet while he slowly gathered his strength to throw Another Agito off of him.
Another Agito cocked his arm back, striking the back of Wyatt's head like a sledgehammer. Wyatt's helmet shattered, the rest of his armor fading out. An armored hand yanked the back of his shirt, lifting him into the air.
"Look upon the face of the Trickster! Memorize it, so that he may never deceive you again!"
Wyatt was dazed, one of his eyes closed due to blood dripping down from his forehead. His thoughts were swimming, no real one coming into focus. Despite that, his survival instinct fueled his next desperate move. With a silent prayer that his gambit would work, Wyatt drew his sword and attempted to stab it through the hand hoisting him in the air.
Another Agito flicked his arm up, releasing his hold on Wyatt, sending the injured man crashing to the broken street. "See the Trickster’s weakness. See how he grovels at the feet of Kuuga's blood brother."
Wyatt grit his teeth, anger rising up through him. ‘Why? Why is it that Dai-Shocker beats me at every turn?’
Standing on shaky feet, Wyatt drew his Decade card. “Kuuga’s brother? Don’t make me laugh. You’re just some imposter working for Dai-Shocker.”
A hand gripped his shoulder, a cold touch that made him shiver. "Not here kid," Daring whispered harshly. Her other hand locked onto his bicep and pulled backwards.
An empty feeling fell over Wyatt as Daring phased him through broken walls and toppled cars. The errant knowledge of being intangible prickled at his thoughts, but his focus stayed on Another Agito's voice and his words of Wyatt's cowardice. This only made Wyatt’s anger grow, but a part of him had to begrudgingly admit that Daring had made the right call.
Daring didn't release him from her ghostly embrace until they were at least a half dozen streets away. "Guy did a number on you," she stated plainly. Ripping a strip of cloth from her sleeve, she dabbed at Wyatt's face. "We'll be lucky if he didn't give you a concussion."
“I should’ve realized he was gonna suckerpunch me like that, Another Agito was a villain in the series too,” Wyatt grumbled, his body screaming in pain as the adrenaline slowly left his bloodstream.
"And now your face is plastered across the airwaves." Pressing the strip against his head, she grunted. "Hold this. Keep it pressed against the wound."
Wyatt did as he was asked, his anger morphing into guilt. “I messed up, I should’ve gotten out of there the instant he cracked my helmet. Now you guys are guilty by association.”
"They would have just concocted something else to make us fugitives," Daring countered. "So stow it. Self-pity isn't the best emotion to dwell on."
Wyatt grunted, keeping his hand against his wound. “Where are the others?”
"Still on the bus, I'm really the only one that can move about undetected."
“We should follow the bus, they’re probably gonna get the third degree as soon as the word gets to the driver about me.”
"Not as bad as what I'm going to give you." Brandishing a weapon similar to a pistol, Riki appeared around a corner. "Both of you, hands where I can see them."
Wyatt cursed at his bad luck, turning to face the man brandishing a weapon with his free hand in the air. “Hi Riki.”
Daring tensed, her wings ruffling. "You know, pointing a weapon at me isn't the brightest idea. Especially since the Pegasus in question is the niece of your national hero."
“What the hell are you babbling about?” Riki questioned, keeping his gun trained on them. “Kuuga and Agito had no children.”
"I'm adopted, genius."
“And Agito has never adopted a pony,” Riki countered, narrowing his eyes at Daring.
A prick of metal touched the back of Riki's neck. "And what would you know about what 'Agito' would do? See, I know a lot about him and I can tell you, he hasn't been on this continent for a very long time."
“Tsukiya, where are the others?” Wyatt asked, breathing a sigh of relief as Riki was forced to lower his weapon.
"Out of the city," Tsukiya responded, keeping his saber at Riki's neck. It was obvious to all present that he wasn't happy. A death grip kept his weapon steady as hard eyes glared at Riki's form. "When did he show up?"
“A long time ago, before I was born,” Riki answered, glancing over his shoulder at the man threatening him.
"Then you believed a liar."
“And I should believe someone threatening me with a weapon?” Riki asked flatly.
Lowering his sword, Tsukiya spun Riki around. "When that person is the one being impersonated? Yes you should." Leaning into Riki's face, he made a show of bearing his teeth. "Not if you want to piss him off more."
“You’re Agito? I don’t buy it,” Riki said, not flinching from Tsukiya’s sharp gaze.
Tsukiya stared at him, his anger melding with confusion. "You all but worship Ke’alohi, and you can't recognize his twin?"
“All we have of Lord Kuuga are artistic drawings,” Riki answered. “Only a very small number of people who maintain the tomb would know his face. And for religious purposes, they swear not to divulge that info.”
A long moment passed before Tsukiya spoke. "At this point, it doesn't really matter. You know where the tomb is, you’re taking us there." He brokered no protest from Riki, his gaze killing off any complaints.
“Fine, I’ll take you there,” Riki grumbled, slowly holstering his weapon. “Not like you’ll get far.” Before Tsukiya could prod him into action, he started walking out of the alley.
Tsukiya grunted, dismissing his sword. He let his emotions simmer, acting on them now wouldn't do them any good. With a wave of his hand, he began to follow Riki, eyes anchored to his back. Riki would take him to Ke’alohi, or he'd need a tomb himself.
The trees and other plant life were annoyingly thick for someone trying to just get through the jungle and make their way out. The insects were of various sizes, from normal to ‘how the hell does that thing even move,’ and Blud was frankly quite sick of everything around him at this point. He’d landed in the middle of a whole lot of nature, and nothing else had even been seen in the last few days except the occasional glimpse of the sun through spaces in the leafy canopy. If it weren’t for his mission, he’d have left this forsaken place ages ago. For that matter, his pride was on the line. He couldn’t let a target escape him before he’d even laid eyes on it!
One more swipe of his Lupin Gunner caused a shift in the light as undergrowth and vines fell to the ground, and he could finally see something other than plants through the thick leaves still in front of him. Something bright and yellow...maybe he’d stumbled across civilization out here?
"About Faust damned time," Lupin muttered to himself. Ignoring the ache in his arm, he hacked through the remaining foliage, desperate to find his prize. The hacking and cutting of the various foliage around him, however, revealed that the yellow glow was the sunlight being reflected off of some kind of huge crystal formation out in the middle of a vast desert, one that ran right up next to the jungle with only a cliff face and some open space between them. Clicking his tongue, he pressed the button on the front of his gunner, starting his transformation. Once the armor was formed, he hopped down the cliff face until he was standing on sand.
Despite the fact that the desert ran right up against the cliffs of the jungle, other than a few thin blades of sickly-looking grass there weren’t really any plants clinging to life at the bottom of the cliff. The sand was strangely fine as well, and glittered as it rolled down the side of the dune and away from his landing point.
Curious, he reached down and scooped up a bit of the sand to examine it. “Hmm, what mineral is this sand made of to shine like this?” He wondered aloud, letting the grains fall back down. Somehow, some of the fine grains were sticking to the armor on his hand; almost making it look like he’d picked up a bunch of glitter. A brow quirked beneath his helmet and he shook his hand in an attempt to get the rest of the sand off.
The majority of the glittery sand eventually gave up after a few seconds of shaking, leaving only a few specks of the substance here and there still clinging to his armor. There wasn’t much time given for him to ponder this phenomenon, though, as the ground beneath him began to shake, and the sand dune he was standing on began to shift beneath him. He leapt back, landing on a nearby rock while he kept his weapon at the ready.
After only a few seconds of the sand dune shifting, a huge monster pulled itself free of the fine sand. The head looked vaguely shark-like, as did the body in some ways, but the beast had four powerful-looking limbs where a shark wouldn’t have anything other than fins and flippers. This creature lacked a dorsal fin, but the tail was tipped with an obvious shark fin. Whatever the beast was, it was covered in the glittering sand, and it bellowed out a roar at him as it looked up.
Blud switched his gunner back to its normal mode and fired a few test shots at the creature to check its hide. The shot cleared an area of sand away from the hide of the monster, but the sound it made was that of having ricocheted off of a metal surface. It also didn’t seem to deter the beast at all, as it began to claw its way up the sand dune towards his perch.
“Is this what I was looking for?” Blud mused, readying himself to jump again.
The beast came to a stop about five feet away from Blud, growling loudly as it stared at him. After nearly a minute of near-silence, the beast’s mouth opened and it began to speak. “Interesting. Even in minotaurs one rarely sees such a complete lack of fear. Unless I’ve just scared you completely and utterly witless?” The voice simply seemed utterly infuriated despite the beast now appearing to be calm.
“Oh, I still have my wits,” Blud assured, glad his debriefing included the fact his targets were capable of speech. “I just wanted to make sure my timing was perfect.”
“Huh...you’re no minotaur. Even I know a male voice coming from an organic when I can hear it. You’re also not trying to shoot me again, which means you’re not part of those new aliens that arrived a few dozen local years ago. I may have a use for you if you have some resources and are willing to listen to an old mech ramble for a bit?”
“I’m part of a multiversal organization,” Blud commented, relaxing his stance. “I think we can come to an understanding.”
“Multiversal...heh. Galvatron wouldn’t even have dreamed of going that far.” It moved off to the side and began to claw at the cliff face, quickly creating gouges in the surface, then a small cave, and finally breaking through into an existing tunnel. “Let’s get you somewhere you can get out of that armor without breathing in any of this sand. It shreds the lungs of organics, which is why I stay in this area. Far enough away from the city of undead for them to not bother me much, since they’d have to come south down nearly the entire continent just to get here.”
“How thoughtful of you. But I’ll warn you, I can don this armor again in an instant if this is a trap,” Blud warned, hopping up to the newfound cave.
“You’re the first potential ally I’ve had in over a millennium. I’d have to have slag for brains to actually attack you instead of just trying to scare you off if you were a local of some kind.” It slid into the opening and moved with a fluidity that was impressive for something so large and mechanical. “Follow me, it’s pretty much an easy walk to get to a place where I can get myself changed without stressing my servos breaking a bunch of stone around me.”
Blud nodded in understanding, following the robot. “I’ve spent quite some time walking, a little more won’t hurt me.”
The walk was indeed short by certain standards, lasting just under ten minutes before the small tunnel expanded into a rather large cavern filled with small formations of a glowing purple crystal. An odd-five-tone cadence was heard as the beast’s body split and shifted, with its tail raising to lay along its back while the rear half of its body split into two legs. The entire head of the creature flipped onto its back as the grey mechanical entity stood up to its full height, easily at least four times as tall as Blud himself. “Welcome to the place I’ve been forced to call home for many centuries. Now, I assume you have questions that you want answered. So do I. For starters, what kind of help would you be able to give me in freeing and reviving my brothers?”
“Dai-Shocker has advanced tech and a military force,” Blud answered, cancelling his transformation. “Wherever your brothers are, we can get them out and administer repairs given enough time.”
“All they’d really need is an injection of fresh energon right now. Stasis lock would have repaired them over time unless they had absolutely no energy left. I also know where all of them are, and you’re nowhere near any of them...wait, right, names. Sorry, it’s been a long time since I’ve actually had to deal with a conversation. Name’s Rippersnapper, but legends here only call me ‘the Steel Bulette.’”
“I am Blud, but my foes know me as the Phantom Thief Lupin,” Blud introduced, giving a theatrical bow.
“Interesting. So, tell me, thief, how would you go about besieging a city of undead that is the seat of power for a goddess of death and the undead? How would you go about stealing the clan treasure from a group of chromatic dragons? Cutthroat and Hun-Gurrr are the most well-defended brothers of mine, and compared to them it would be trivial to rescue Sinnertwin from the griffons and Blot from the diamond dogs.” Rippersnapper bent down to pick up a piece of glowing crystal off the floor. The piece in his hand began to lose its glow as it was held by the robot.
Blud reigned in a frown, not wanting to show any negative emotion. "To steal from a goddess is not a trivial matter. Dai-Shocker boasts many things but god slayers we are not. However!" Reaching into his lavish coat, he produced a small data pad. "I have a few... Creative ideas on how to deal with such a being."
“Whatever the plan is, we probably need to go after Cutthroat first, and he’s the one buried beneath the city of undead. If we go after any other target before that and word gets to any of the major powers, the defenses will become that much harder to breach for another century. Maybe with some reconnaissance we can determine how vulnerable Sinnertwin would be to being recovered without being noticed. In any case, soon the world will tremble at the renewed might of Abominus.” Rippersnapper offered up his opinion on the situation as a whole, and his face twisted into a smile as he crushed the drained energon crystal like a fragile glass trinket.
The G-1 armor hung limp in its repair station, its steel skin still scarred from the battle in the Crystal Empire. Its left forearm had been removed, along with several of the more damaged pieces. Given the progress on G-3, restoring it had fallen down on the priority list.
With its old operator, Spearhead, in the G-2 suit a new one was needed anyway. And as it stood, not many had the endurance to use G1 for extended periods of time. G-1 was likely to be classified as a successful prototype and retired from operation to make way for newer and easier to handle models. Celestia had been toying with the idea of making a Rider museum, and that seemed a fitting enough exhibit.
Standing alone in the dim lights of the maintenance lab, a strange semblance of life settled over the suit. Purple smoke bellowed out of the left arm, solidifying into a black crystal forearm. Joints began to move, pulling away from the struts and wires holding it in place. The armor slowly stepped forward, heading straight for the sealed door. When it reached the portal it used the crystal arm to punch it right off its frame. With the task done, the armor kept plodding forward.
The facility staff opposed it; engaging in brief conflicts that lasted no more than a minute each. Ailing and broken bodies lay in its wake as it moved with unbound purpose. Like a magnet it moved, towards Ponyville. Towards wholeness. Towards renewal.
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Well that could have been far worse but I feel the frying pan is going to be getting very hot soon.
Well, shit.
Question: will kamen rider zi-o make an appearance either Sougo or oc?
9658060
No.
9662381
Pretty sure someone else already pointed this out to me, but ok.
Well that was a relatively short chapter compared to the past several.
I can't wait for the next one, as always.
Looks like things are really moving forward.
9727130
🤷
9728524
Dude, you took the words right out of my mouth.
Or as some toku characters put it, "that's my line!"
I definitely agree there. I love this story to death, but like you I didn't think bullying was handled well.
Plus, it's nice to see someone who responds gracefully and politely on the internet. That's quite.... 😎 a Rarity.
9728552
Yeah, I remember not feeling that bit when we wrote it, which is why I made sure Spike called out that stupidity later on.
9728554
Where did he call that out?
Been a while since I read that chapter so my memory ain't fresh.
9728564
Within a chapter or two, I don't remember specifically.
9728567
Ah, alright.
Well in any case, glad ya called it out, and I look forward to the next chapter of this story, whenever it may come.
9728568
Well, you could check out the spin off! We could really use the feedback.
9728568
You can find it here https://www.fimfiction.net/story/443413/kamen-rider-fire-and-steel
9728576
Saw that. Will check it out ASAP.
9822872
Whatever.
9823892
No, no she is not. She's from a Cyber-Punk version of EQG, where he brother got a mechanical arm due to a shoot out she and Spike were in. She needs the pills/ampule because she has nerve damage.
9823933
Well that's dumb. They should've at least given him a proper conclusion in his own series.
Is it just me or has this not been updated for a couple months.