The Mask of Justice
"Scootaloo, wake up!" A voice shouted as the young girl's eyes snapped open as she looked up at a woman with light tan skin and pale purple hair.
Scootaloo tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes, she could tell that her mother was scared but she didn't understand why or what was going on. "What's going on?" She asked sleepily.
"Remember how I told you that if I ever told you something was wrong you needed to get to your safe area?" Her mom asked.
Scootaloo nodded and looked down at the floor. "What's going on?"
"Don't worry about that, just get under your bed, and fast," her mom said and Scootaloo nodded as she laid down and slid under the bed. "I love you Scootaloo, I promise, you're going to be just fine."
"Okay mommy," Scootaloo said, and that was the last she saw before the wood siding was closed.
She had never understood why this had been set up. Her parents had told her that if anything ever happened, she needed to hide under here until they came to tell her that everything was okay. She was just confused, but she knew that she would be safe here.
That's when she heard it, the screaming coming from somewhere outside her room. Then followed by heavy footfalls as something that she didn't recognize made its way through the hall, and opened her bedroom door.
"Come out little hunter, I can smell you!" A deep voice said from the room, she could hear his voice clearly, and she tried not to scream. "You will not get away from me. Your parents presented little challenge, perhaps you'll give me a better challenge little one."
Scootaloo let out an eep and slapped her hand over her mouth as she prayed that whoever it was hadn't heard that. For a moment nothing happened and then the bed above her was physically torn and thrown off to the side and Scootaloo screamed when she looked up.
Whatever it was above her didn't look human. It was massive and muscular, that was dressed in armor with a helmet pulled over its face with the letters V I I I on its chest in a strange symbol that looked like a circle with strange markings crossing it. Its visible mouth smiled as it showed pointed teeth and she just kept screaming.
"Not much of a challenge at all little one, oh well," the monster said as it lifted Scootaloo up, holding her by her shirt. "You will not be a problem for us I'm afraid."
Scootaloo closed her eyes, suddenly afraid of what was about to happen. She knew here parents were likely dead, she tried kicking at the monster's armored chest but it did nothing.
"HENSHIN!" A new voice shouted out that Scootaloo didn't recognize and the two stopped.
Standing in the doorway was a woman in white and gold armor with a strange beetle like-appearance. She was holding a staff in one hand and spun it around, hitting the strange monster which made him drop Scootaloo who scrambled out of the way.
"I should have known you'd be here... Kamen Rider," The monster said with a sneer as he said that last part and drew a sword out.
And with that the world around her turned black.
00000
Scootaloo woke up in her bed breathing heavily. It took her a moment to realize that she wasn't back in her old home but in the bedroom of her apartment. She fell back onto her bed and looked up at the ceiling for a long moment as she sighed a little, that dream had been more and more common lately and she had a hard time understanding why.
She sighed and looked at a picture of her with an older woman with tanned skin and long rainbow hair. She smiled a little as she brushed off the picture a little, she had been away from home for awhile, Rainbow Dash was probably back home about now, she wondered how she was doing.
"Mmm, is everything okay Scoots?" A familiar voice said from next to her and she smiled a little as she looked over to see a pale skinned girl with pink and purple hair yawning as she looked over at Scootaloo. "Did you have another nightmare?"
"Yeah, they're getting more frequent lately..." Scootaloo said with a sigh as she wrapped her arm around Sweetie Belle gently and gave her girlfriend a soft smile. "They're always coming back to that night..."
"I'm sorry, I wish I could help you," Sweetie said softly as she gently wrapped her arms around the other girl. "Maybe its because we're coming up on the anniversary of what happened?"
Scootaloo paused a moment, that was certainly possible. It had been 13 years since her parents had been killed that horrible night by some creature. No one had really believed her when she told them that a monster had attacked her home, and she was having a hard time believing it herself.
For that matter, who was that strange woman that had come to her rescue? She had come in and basically kicked the butt of the creature before carrying Scootaloo off to safety. Things weren't getting much clearer, but this time she felt she remembered a name.
"Kamen Rider," she said softly with a sigh as she leaned back again.
"Kamen Rider? I thought they were all in Japan," Sweetie said as she looked at Scootaloo confused for a moment. "I mean, I'm not really an expert on that kind of thing..."
"Neither am I," Scootaloo admitted with a shake of her head. "I've heard the name before sure, mostly in relation to events in Japan and Asia like you said. At the same time though, I think whatever attacked my family knew about them, and that the one who saved me could've been one. Do, you think it might mean something? I don't even know why I remember it now..."
"Maybe," Sweetie said with a shake of her head as she looked back at Scootaloo. "Maybe you should go see a therapist or something again."
"I don't know, it never seems to do much good," Scootaloo said with a sigh as she fell back on the bed and looked back at Sweetie. "I've been to I don't know how many therapists since Bow Hot Hoof and Windy Whistles took me in. They all seem to be unable to actually help other than your basic information. Survivor's Guilt they call it."
"Scootaloo, you can't just keep letting this get to you," Sweetie said with a shake of her head. "I think you should talk to one, my sister sent me a business card belonging to one here in Canterlot, maybe she can help you out."
"Maybe," Scootaloo said with a shake of her head as she picked up her phone and sighed. "I wish I knew more about what was going on here. It feels like something bigger is at play, but I don't know what it is..."
"Come on, lets just get some sleep," Sweetie said as she leaned in and kissed Scootaloo gently on the lips. "We'll see if we can get you an appointment with the Doctor tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay, if it'll make you feel better," Scootaloo said as she looked back at Sweetie with a soft smile. "I don't know what I'd do without you Sweetie."
"Probably go crazy," Sweetie said with a giggle as she kissed Scootaloo on the nose. "Come on, lets just get some sleep."
Scootaloo nodded and after a few minutes Sweetie Belle was fast asleep. Scootaloo sighed and looked at her phone for a moment as she started typing into the search engine "KAMEN RIDER."
If she was going to figure anything out, maybe that was the best place to start. After all, this was the first real clue she had gotten to what might've happened in a long time.
00000
"So, you say you've been having these dreams on and off for awhile?" Dr. Heartshine, a woman in her 20s with short blue hair tied into a ponytail asked as she looked at Scootaloo.
"Yeah," Scootaloo said with a shake of her head. "They're always of that night when my parents were killed, they keep getting more and more vivid as time goes on though, I don't know what it might mean."
Heartshine looked at her for a long moment as she took notes and sighed a little. "This is pretty classic Survivor's Guilt honestly, how old were you when your parents were killed?"
"Seven," Scootaloo said with a shake of her head as she worked on drawing the figures as Heartshine had requested. "I know it probably sounds like a child's imagination re-writing what she saw to see them as a hero and a monster..."
"Perhaps, or perhaps not," Heartshine said as she listened carefully. "Scootaloo, you say you saw something that night, but you didn't see what happened to your parents?"
"No, uh, I didn't know what happened until after the fact," Scootaloo said with a shake of her head. "The cops told me what happened, all I remember is the armored woman... or, whatever she was carrying me out of the house."
"I see," Heartshine said as she shook her head a little. "Do you remember anything else?"
"Its been coming back, most of it feels blocked out," Scootaloo admitted with a shake of her head. "The creature though, it called the woman a Kamen Rider and I think she said Henshin or something like that."
"Henshin, meaning transform," Heartshine said and narrowed her eyes a little. "Curious, I wish I could tell you more but this isn't like anything I've ever heard before. Are you absolutely certain they said Kamen Rider? Is it possible that it was just something you heard and picked it out of thin air?"
"I honestly don't know," Scootaloo admitted with a shake of her head. "I read up on the term and apparently there have been other cases of Riders or whatever, but there wasn't anything from 13 years ago."
"Scootaloo, you're suffering from a bad case of Survivor's Guilt from the death of your parents," Heartshine said with a shake of her head. "You've repressed your memories of that night but they're slowly coming back to you. That's both good and bad, but you need to know that you might not like what you learn."
"Yeah, I'm starting to figure that out," Scootaloo said with a shake of her head. "What should I do? Is there anything you can do to help me right now Doc?"
Heartshine leaned back in her chair and thought about that question for a long moment. She honestly wasn't sure what to make of what Scootaloo was telling her, she could tell that the young woman had been through this kind of conversation before and was just kind of going through the motions.
She sighed and shook her head a little. She really had no idea what to make of any of this, she was either replacing the attacker and her rescuer with a monster and a superhero, or she really did see something back then. It wouldn't be the first time this kind of thing happened either, but she still wished that she could make some sort of sense of things.
"Scootaloo, I don't pretend to understand what you went through when your parents died," she finally said as she set her pad and paper down. "You lost your family, and that's always going to stick with you. If you want my advice, you need to hold on to the good memories you have of them. It might not be enough to get rid of these nightmares, but you're going to need to try and do your best to make sure that it doesn't consume you. What happened to your parents wasn't your fault Scootaloo, and they would want you to move on with your life and keep living."
"Maybe you're right," Scootaloo said with a sigh and shook her head.
"As long as you're there to remember them, their spirits will always be with you, and forgetting them is a fate worse than death," Heartshine said with a soft smile. "Do you have a good family now?"
"Yeah, Rainbow Dash and her parents they took me in," Scootaloo said with a soft smile. "And my friends they became like my family too. Especially Sweetie Belle, I'd do anything for any of them. I don't want anyone to ever lose someone like I did again either."
"That's good," Heartshine said as she gave Scootaloo a nod. "I'm not going to lie and say this is going to be easy for you to get over. You're going to need help, and I'm willing to give it to you as long as you're willing to accept it. For now, just go see your friends, enjoy yourself, live your life like your parents would've wanted you to do. That's the best I can suggest right now."
"Okay," Scootaloo said with a nod before she looked back at Heartshine. "Doc, do you believe that I really saw and heard something back then?"
Heartshine paused a moment as she sighed and brushed her hair back a little. "I honestly don't know what to believe. I've seen and heard a lot of strange things in this world, and there are certainly monsters out there. Whether or not you saw one I don't know, I don't know why they went after you and your family if they are, but I do know something."
"What's that?"
"That you're a stronger young woman than a lot of people in your position would be," Heartshine said with a soft smile. "I heard about a police officer in Japan that lost his family to a criminal and, well it didn't go well for him at first. If you ever need to talk to me again, I'll be here for you."
"Thanks," Scootaloo said with a sigh as she shook her head a little. "That means a lot to me, thanks Doc."
"Of course Scootaloo," Heartshine said with a nod. "You've got some good friends out there who are worried about you, take care of yourself and of them and I'm sure everything will be okay."
Scootaloo nodded as she got up and shook hands with Heartshine for a moment. She smiled as she looked the woman over, somehow that made her feel better than she ever had before even if she still wasn't really sure what to do.
She just hoped that everything really was going to be okay.
00000
"So, are yah okay?" Apple Bloom asked as the three friends headed out of the office together.
"Yeah, I think so," Scootaloo said with a shake of her head. "She mostly told me what I'd been told before, but she gave me some stuff to think on. I, don't really know what to do now to be honest."
"Well, we're always going to be here for you," Sweetie said with a smile as she gave her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek. "Come on, lets grab lunch while we're out. I heard there's this great new place over there that..."
Scootaloo barely paid attention to what they were talking about as she looked around. It was weird, but it felt like something was watching them, it was probably just her imagination though. Things were just getting weirder ever since she had been having those dreams, but with luck she was going to be fine.
She sighed as she looked back at Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. They were the best friends she had ever had, and she knew that they were going to be there for her no matter what happened. She smiled a little when she felt Sweetie Belle wrap her arms around her gently.
"Hey Sweetie," Scootaloo said softly as she looked back at her girlfriend.
"Is everything okay Scoots? You're not usually this distracted," Sweetie said as she held the shorter girl closer to her. "You're usually more enthusiastic than this."
"Yeah, I'm just thinking about everything is all," Scootaloo said with a shake of her head as she closed her eyes and placed her hands on Sweetie's hands. "I love you so much Sweetie Belle, I'm glad I have you as my girlfriend."
"Me too," Sweetie said as she closed her eyes and swayed a little with Scootaloo in her arms.
"Get a room ya'll, we need ta get lunch already," Apple Bloom said with a giggle as Scootaloo and Sweetie rolled their eyes. "Ah'm glad yer okay Scoots."
"Yeah, for now at least," Scootaloo said with a shake of her head. "Come on, what's this place you were talking about Sweetie?"
"Oh its this way, Rarity said she and Applejack went there the other day," Sweetie said as they started down the street towards a series of buildings. "She said it was really good, so lets go check it out."
"Yeah, sounds..." Scootaloo started to say when there was a sudden loud scream from somewhere up ahead. "What the..."
Before she could finish that thought a creature came lumbering into view. It looked vaguely humanoid only taller and with ragged looking robes, its face was blank and inhuman looking and it had a strange symbol of two crossed staves on its chest.
Scootaloo froze as she saw the strange creature. It wasn't the same thing that was in her memories, but there was something about it that reminded her so much of it. She couldn't hear as Sweetie and Apple Bloom tried to call out to her, she just stood there frozen as the monster started making its way towards the three young women.
She was back at home, terrified as a monster was breaking into her room and grabbing her. This wasn't a dream, this was real, this was really happening and it wasn't about to end because someone in armor came and saved her.
"SCOOTALOO!" Sweetie said as she grabbed her girlfriend's hand and pulled her away just as a fireball hit the ground where Scootaloo had once been standing. "Come on, we need to get going!"
Scootaloo blinked as she snapped out of the trance. She looked back at her friends as they started to run together down the road from the creature. She looked back at the creature, not noticing as she tripped and managed to catch herself on the ground, her hand brushing against a strange card.
"What the..." She said as she picked it up and looked at it, it showed a woman dressed in robes with a scale in one hand and a sword in the other. The card glowed briefly in her hand and she looked at it confused for a long moment.
"Come on, we have ta go!" Apple Bloom said as she helped Scootaloo up.
"Right," Scootaloo said as she unconsciously pocketed the card and they ran off together again.
From a nearby doorway a woman with pink and blue hair pressed against a communicator on her ear. "This is Agent Drops, we've got a Situation Beta. What's my orders?"
"Follow the subject," the voice on the other end said into her ear. "If she's a possible user we have to make sure that she makes it home okay."
"What about the creature?" The woman asked as she looked back at the strange creature.
"What is it?" The voice asked.
"It looks like the Two of Wands," she replied as she narrowed her eyes a little at the symbol on the creature's chest. "We can't just leave it alone out here."
"Don't worry, we'll deal with them, just make sure that you finish your part of the job," the male voice said on the other end. "We're going to need more help than this if we're going to stop the rest of them."
"Sir, I can start to try and search harder for..." The Woman said with a shake of her head. "We need to fight like you said, and if I can get the other half I can do better, we don't need their help."
"You're going to have to be careful," the man said. "You're not ready for that yet, and you don't have the right partner. Just give it time. Go try and talk to the subject, but be careful, you don't want to worry them."
"How much do you want me to tell her?"
"Tell her everything that you need to," the male voice said on the other end. "We're going to need her help, make sure she's on board."
"Understood," the woman said as she started down the road, looking back at where the creature was after it had already ran off.
She hoped she wasn't about to put those three young women in danger, this was not a good situation on its own without putting more people at risk.
She just hoped that her boss was doing the right thing.
00000
"Scootaloo, what happened back there?" Sweetie asked as Scootaloo sat down on the couch and took a drink of water. "You froze up back there, why?"
"It, was the creature back there, it reminded me of the one that was in my nightmares..." Scootaloo said shakily. "It wasn't the same creature, but it... had the same feeling to it. The same kind of feeling of helplessness I felt back then..."
"Scootaloo, its okay," Sweetie said as she put her arm around the other girl a little. "Do you think it might be connected to what happened to your parents?"
"Maybe, though I don't really know for sure," Scootaloo admitted as she brushed her hair back a little. "Like I said it looked differently than what I saw, but at least now I know for sure that I didn't just dream this kind of thing up. Still, I kind of wish I knew what was going on."
"Don't worry Scootaloo, we'll figure it out," Sweetie said as she looked at Apple Bloom for a moment. "You said you found some information right?"
"Just on what the monster said in my dream, and a strange amount of references to something called Shocker," Scootaloo said with a shake of her head as she laid back against Sweetie Belle. "I wish this all made sense, there aren't any reports going back to what happened before."
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure everything will make sense in time," Sweetie said.
"Maybe, but I don't think answers are going to just fall into our lap," Scootaloo said as there was a knock on the door to their apartment.
"Ah'll get it," Apple Bloom said as she got up and headed over to the door and opened it to reveal the woman from the street at the door and looking down at her. "Can Ah help yah? We're kind of in tha middle of a thing."
"I won't take up too much of your time, I would like to speak to you and your friends about what you saw earlier," the woman said as Apple Bloom's eyes went wide.
"Look, we didn't see anythin' anyone else didn't and we'll keep it ta ourselves if..." Apple Bloom started to say, she was suddenly very worried about what this strange woman might want.
"Its already all over the internet, its not like we can keep it hidden, that's not why I'm here," the woman said and looked past Apple Bloom at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle who were looking at the woman curiously for a moment. "Its, complicated, may I come inside? Its important that I talk to your friend."
"How can we trust..." Apple Bloom started to say when the woman reached into her pocket and took out an ID badge.
"Agent Sweetie Drops with S.M.I.L.E's Fortune Division," she said and Apple Bloom's eyes went wide when she saw the information on it. "Look, I know this isn't an easy time for you and your friends, but I think I can help shed some light on what's going on if you are willing."
"You, really can help?" Scootaloo asked as she finally spoke up and Sweetie Drops nodded. "Alright, you can come in I guess."
"Thank you," Sweetie Drops said with a smile as she walked into the apartment after Apple Bloom let her in. She pulled up one of the kitchen chairs and took a seat as she gave them a reassuring smile. "What I am about to tell you is not to leave these walls unless I say otherwise, do you understand?"
The three friends exchanged a look and then nodded a little.
"Okay, I know this is going to sound crazy, you remember that creature from before right?"
"Right, its kind of hard to forget," Scootaloo said with a groan.
"That was part of what's called the Order of the High Arcana," Sweetie Drops said with a sigh as she brushed her hair back a little. "They're creatures that have taken on the form of the Major and Minor Arcana cards from Tarot. The cards are enchanted, they'll possess people and turn them into, well, what you saw tonight."
"What? That's horrible!" Sweetie Belle said and blinked in shock. "Why would anyone want to do something like that?"
"Sometimes it was involuntary, other times they do it for power," Sweetie Drops said and shook her head a little. "The sad fact is that a lot of people want power and they'll do anything to get it. The Order is, well they're complicated, but we believe they're extra-dimensional beings or even demons that need to use the cards as a medium to enter this world."
Scootaloo blinked a little and reached into her pocket as she took out the card that she had found earlier and held it up. "You mean, like this card?"
"The Justice Card, yes that is one of the cards, but the Major Arcana are different," Sweetie Drops said with a shake of her head. "They have physical bodies that come into this world as far as we can tell. Sometimes they are willing to change their ways, to be better, Justice is one of them. The thing though is that they need someone who is capable of using them to be able to actually work right. Did that card react to you in any way?"
"Yeah, it glowed when I picked it up," Scootaloo replied as she looked at her confused. "What does that even mean? What is this going to mean for me?"
"You've awakened Justice's power," Sweetie Drops said as she pressed her ear communicator to make sure that the conversation was being transmitted. "Sir, I'm here talking to the subject now."
"Understood," the male voice from before said and then paused a moment as he seemed to be looking over some information. "You're sure this is the one that found it?"
"Yes, I'm positive," Sweetie Drops said and looked confused. "What do you mean? What's going on?"
"Take them back to headquarters if you can, we need to talk to them soon," the male voice said with a strange tone in his voice. "She's their daughter."
Sweetie Drops paused a moment and then her eyes went wide when she realized just what that meant. She nodded a little and looked back at Scootaloo and her friends.
"Your name is Scootaloo right?" She asked and Scootaloo nodded. "Your birth name was Scootaloo Twister?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Scootaloo asked.
"I need to get the three of you to headquarters, you need to be completely briefed on the situation," Sweetie Drops said and shook her head a little.
"Wait, why do we have to go?" Sweetie Belle asked as they all looked at her confused. "We're not going anywhere until we know what's going on."
"Scootaloo, your parents were killed 13 years ago right?" Sweetie Drops asked as she looked at Scootaloo more worried than ever.
"Yeah, why?" Scootaloo asked as she looked at the older woman confused for a moment. "I've been having nightmares about the night it happened more and more lately, but you're not really a therapist."
"Right, of course... if they're back you'd be more susceptible to their magic," Sweetie Drops said with a shake of her head. "Look, I don't know what you remember, but I promise you this. If the three of you come with me, we can give you answers about what happened to your parents, and a way to stop it from ever happening again."
Scootaloo blinked in surprise and looked at her friends who gave her a nod and she looked back at Sweetie Drops for a moment and sighed a little. "Alright, if they agree to it, I'll come with you."
"Same with me," Sweetie Belle said without a moment of hesitation.
"Yeah, wherever Scoots goes, we go!" Apple Bloom said and Scootaloo nodded. "We're ready ta go wherever yah want ta take us."
"Alright, good, but remember, this is all top secret, I shouldn't even be talking to you about this, but there are, extenuating circumstances, come with me," Sweetie Drops said and they headed out of the apartment together.
00000
The three friends weren't sure exactly what to expect when the woman took them on a car ride through Canterlot. They were half afraid that this was some sort of trick and they were about to be taken away to have horrible things done to them, but eventually they came to a stop.
In front of a nondescript building that looked like it was an old storefront. Sweetie Drops got out of the car and opened the doors as she lead them inside.
"This, isn't really what I was expecting," Scootaloo said as she looked at the old dusty building around them. "What exactly are we doing here?"
"You'll see," Sweetie Drops said before speaking out loud as if into thin air. "Agent Sweetie Drops and guests reporting in. Password, stacking the deck in our favor."
The wall opened up to reveal an elevator that was hidden away. Sweetie Drops gestured towards the three friends and gave them a nod. "All the answers to what's going on are down there, this is your last chance to back out. Once you go down there, your whole life is going to change."
"What do ya'll think we should do?" Apple Bloom asked as she looked over at her friends. "Ah ain't sure what ta think of this ta be honest."
"Scootaloo, you're the one who found the card and its about your family," Sweetie Belle said as she looked at the purple haired young woman. "If you want to go down there, we'll be behind you all the way."
"I can't promise you'll like everything you'll learn down there Scootaloo," Sweetie Drops said as she shook her head a little. "There are a lot of things you have to understand, and your parents tie into a lot of it. Are you willing to come?"
She held her hand out to Scootaloo and she thought for a moment before she took it. "If you really think I should do this, then I'll go, I just want answers at this point."
"Of course, then come with me," Sweetie Drops said and lead the three into the elevator which started up. "We're going to Fortune Division HQ."
"What's Fortune Division?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Our special division built for fighting against the Order," Sweetie Drops answered as the elevator started to descend. "We've been doing this for almost 15 years now. And Scootaloo, your parents were part of it."
Scootaloo blinked a little, she was starting to feel like she was getting in over her head. Sweetie Belle gave her a reassuring smile and took her hand and gave it a light squeeze.
"Everything's going to be okay Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle said reassuringly as she shot the agent a look that said she better not make her a liar.
"Of course," Sweetie Drops said as she looked back at the elevator door. "Everything will be just fine, you can trust me."
The three friends just hoped that she really could be trusted. Right now, there was a lot of unanswered questions and they were afraid that the answers may not be good ones.
00000
"Welcome to Fortune Division," Sweetie Drops said as the doors to the elevator finally opened and they found themselves in a large room.
The entry area looked pretty much unremarkable, it had a desk with a receptionist on it and several doors and corridors leading off from it. On the far wall there was a series of pictures with the words "Remembering Those Who Gave their Lives" above them.
Scootaloo paused when she saw two pictures that were familiar to her, a woman with lighter purple hair and a man with red hair. She looked back at Sweetie Drops who gave her a nod, they were her parents, there was no doubt about it, they really had worked with Fortune Division.
"The boss is waiting for you in his office," the receptionist said barely looking up at the four of them and briefly glanced at Scootaloo. "This is the new Rider huh?"
"That's the hope, yes," Sweetie Drops said with a shake of her head as she looked back at Scootaloo. "Come, all of you, we don't want to keep the boss waiting."
They headed down one of the corridors towards their destination. On the far end was a door that read "Fancy Pants, Division Chief." And after a brief knock on the door a male voice told them to come in.
"Ah, welcome, welcome," a tall man with tanned skin and blue hair said as he got up, a monocle was in one eye and he was dressed impeccably in a suit. He looked at Scootaloo and his face turned solemn. "I must say, I wasn't expecting you to be the one we found. I'm sorry about what happened to your parents, it happened on my watch and I should have been more careful."
"What, exactly did my parents do for this place?" Scootaloo asked as she looked at Fancy Pants confused for a moment. "They never told me anything about this."
"In short, your parents were what we in the business call Monster Hunters," Fancy Pants said with a sigh as he shook his head a little. "S.M.I.L.E. started up after the invasions in Japan from various monster factions. For the most part however, this part of the world has been quiet save for the Order."
"I'm still confused as to exactly what the order is," Sweetie Belle said with a shake of her head. "Where did they come from? Why are they attacking now?"
"There's not a lot known about them to be honest," Fancy Pants said with a sigh as he looked back at Sweetie Drops. "They're inter-dimensional beings that much we know for sure, and as I'm sure my agent told you they've been a threat because of those who would use them to gain power."
"But, this card I found, its connected to them too isn't it?" Scootaloo asked as she held up the card. "Why isn't it affecting me the same way it is other people?"
"Because you awakened it," another woman's voice said and a tall pale woman with long pink hair entered the office with a soft smile. "The Major Arcana cards can be used safely by those that they deem worthy of their power and without any major consequences usually. The problem is that most of their spirits are, well, corrupted in one way or another. And that's where you get the real threat to the city."
"One of them killed my parents didn't they?" Scootaloo asked as she looked down at her feet. "I remember them, in a dream at least, it tried to kill me too."
"Scootaloo, your parents were targeted by one of the Order's top enforcers, I'm not going to lie," the woman said with a sigh. "They wanted to stop them from defeating any more of their agents. I'm, sorry that I couldn't have been there faster to save them."
"You..." Scootaloo said and then blinked a little as she looked at the woman shocked. "You were the one that stopped the monster from hurting me?"
"Fleur de Lis at your service, former Kamen Rider Magician," the woman said with a smile and a polite bow.
"Wait, former Kamen Rider Magician?" Scootaloo asked as she looked at the woman confused for a moment. "Why only former?"
"After I saved you, I pursued the creature in hopes of stopping them," Fleur said and sighed a little. "We got into a fight, but he was able to overpower me and took my card. The cards are the means by which we transform, so if it is taken from us, then we can't do anything more than fight on our own. And, well, some enemies are too strong for that option, which is why we've been trying to find other people capable of being Riders."
"And, yah think Scootaloo is one of them just because she picked up a card?" Apple Bloom asked as she looked at them confused for a moment. "Ah gotta say, that sounds pretty crazy ta me."
"Its not that she picked it up, its that it appeared to her and responded to her picking it up. I know it sounds unlikely, but if you can truly tap into the power of the Justice card, then it will be enough."
"I see," Scootaloo said as she looked at the card strangely for a moment. "I don't really know what to make of any of this to be honest. I'm not much of a superhero or whatever you want to call it. I lost my parents to one of these creatures though, and I want to be able to stop them before anyone else suffers the same fate."
"So, are you going to at least try?" Fancy Pants asked. "We aren't going to force you into anything."
"I will try," Scootaloo finally said. "If this Order really is a threat, then I will do everything in my power to make sure that they're stopped once and for all."
"Excellent, I'm glad we could reach an agreement," Fleur said with a smile. "We wouldn't want to have to kill you now would we?"
"What?" Scootaloo asked as her friends' eyes went wide.
"Just a bit of spy humor," Fleur said with a chuckle as she shook her head before she leaned over and kissed Fancy Pants on the cheek. "Come on girls, I'll show you to the lab."
She came around the desk and gave the girls a nod. Scootaloo just looked confused for a long moment as she tried to figure out what was going on here, there was still a lot she didn't understand but she was starting to piece things together.
She knew what she had to do, she had to make sure that no one else lost a family again because of these monsters. If she was going to stop them, she was going to protect this city no matter what.
She just hoped that she was doing the right thing.
00000
"Flim? Flam? We've got a new subject for you to test your equipment out on," Fleur said as they opened the door to the lab.
"Flim and Flam?" Apple Bloom asked confused. "Ah know those names from somewhere, didn't they used ta be con artists or somethin' that vanished off tha radar?"
"Yes my dear, but that was a long time ago!" A male voice said as two men entered. They looked almost identical with red and white hair and dressed in lab coats and suits under them, though one of them had a mustache and the other one didn't.
"These days, we're doing work for the government," the other said with a tip of his hat before he looked at the others. "I'm Flam, and this is my brother Flim. So, which one of you is getting the Driver?"
"The what?" Sweetie Belle asked as she looked confused for a moment.
"Oh, of course, you're not completely in the know are you?" Flim said with a chuckle as he looked at his brother. "So, shall we tell them everything needed then brother?"
"I'd say so brother," Flam said as he took out a strange looking device that was in a nearby drawer. "Its a shame that we haven't gotten to use these things in so long. Perhaps this will be a chance to change that."
Scootaloo blinked as she looked at the device confused. It was square shaped and elongated, it slightly resembled a belt buckle or something only larger and with elaborate designs across it. She noticed that there was a slot and two parts of it that looked like it was supposed to be part of a larger piece but it wasn't for some reason.
"What is this thing?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Its called the Tarot Driver, our own design of course," Flim said with a chuckle as Flam held it out to Scootaloo. "Its based on some technology scans that we've seen before, very fascinating devices."
"Should I try it out?" Scootaloo asked as she took the Driver and examined it carefully. It was surprisingly light in her hand as she held it. "How does this thing work anyway?"
"Its simple, just put it on and say "Henshin" as you slide your transformation card into the slot," Fleur said and Scootaloo looked at her confused.
"Henshin?" She asked. "Why that of all things?"
"Eh, its pretty standard honestly, I thought maybe we should change it to Transform but these two thought it should stay that," Fleur said as she looked at the brothers with a roll of her eyes. "Just try it out for now, lets make sure that this works."
"You might want to back up," Flam said to the other two young women. "This can be a bit of a doozy, we don't want anything happening."
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom nodded as they backed up and Scootaloo fit the device onto her stomach. She was a bit surprised when she felt a belt wrapping around her waist and she looked down at it confused for a moment and then took out the Justice card.
"Are you sure about this? This isn't going to hurt me is it?" She asked as she looked at Fleur.
"Trust me, it won't hurt you," Fleur said with a shake of her head. "This is just a trial run anyway, you need to make sure that everything works before you can do anything with it."
Scootaloo nodded a little and she slid the card into the slot before calling out, "Henshin!"
"TIME TO TIP THE SCALES!" A voice said from her Driver and she blinked as a form of energy appeared in front of her and flew into her.
She felt armor forming over her body as she looked at a mirrored surface confused for a long moment. Black and green armor appeared over her body and a helmet formed that was mostly black with green highlights and two large red eyes along with antennae sticking out of it. Her shoulder pads were strangely flat and circular, as if holding something Finally a symbol appeared on her chest of a scale with the number XI on them.
"What the..." she said as she looked at herself in the mirror.
"You're looking good, almost as good as I did," Fleur said but her tone suggested that she was kidding about that part. "You're not quite ready to bear the title of Kamen Rider yet though."
"Why's that?" Apple Bloom asked as she look at Fleur curiously. "Ah mean, she's got tha suit and tha ability ta transform right? How is she not ready yet?"
"You don't get given the title of Kamen Rider, you earn it, I know it sounds weird but its how it's always worked," Fleur said with a shake of her head. "Its weird I know, heck we didn't even know most of this stuff right away. But, that's not important, for now you just have to know that we have faith in you and your ability to do what you can to protect this city."
"But no pressure right?" Scootaloo asked as she looked at herself in the mirror. She really had no idea what she was doing here and there was a lot she felt like she needed to learn before she was really ready to do this, she barely recognized herself in this armor.
She sighed, what was she getting herself into?
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"And, is she under the bed?"
"Yes."
"Great, so let's go and never look back."
"You take the words out of my mouth honey."
... I have no idea where this even came from...
Wheel of fortune?
To quote my favorite Kamen Rider: "Whenever evil wields power a Kamen Rider will appear. Every single time!"
At least not in your country
"How did he deal with it?"
"Well, that is the strange part, he just told me: 'Don't question me!'"
And Justice has picked his champion!
Ah, the cockroaches of the Kamen Rider universe
Cute
Definitely an interesting choice, most people would connect magician with Trixi.
Coincidincs
Oh, really now. BOARD will not be amused
What kind of voice does the Driver have anyway? More robotic or recorded?
Ah, I like this, I very much like this, but this nothing new now is it
9183183
You disturb me sometimes.
Maaaaybe.
Indeed, as it should be, unless they have to fight five or more people in multi-colored spandex, it depends on the show really.
Yeah, continuity is great isn't it? But yeah, I meant in this country.
Oh good, you got the reference!
Yeah, even in the dark future where Oma Zi-O has taken over and destroyed most everything, Shocker is still scurrying around I'm sure.
What, I got caught up on Zi-O yesterday.
Yeah, originally it was just going to be called Fortune or whatever, but when it was suggested to include SMILE I kinda blended the two.
I enjoy not going with the obvious.
Well I needed someone to develop the Drivers.
No, no they will not... kinda funny actually since this was originally supposed to be a re-imagining of Blade.
Given how much of a nerd I am and based on Rails of Reality, it probably sounds like Majel Barrett.
Glad you like it, hopefully chapter 2 will be done soon.
9183209
But all in all, jokes aside, solid chapter. And if this is in the human world, maybe there's potential for crossing over with other Kamen Rider series, like Wizard. I'd pay to see Haruto Soma, AKA the Last Hope appear.
So is this a original Kamen Rider concept within Equestria Girls universe?
9183215 More like a modified Kamen Rider universe where human versions of the characters from MLP exists.
9183214 Stop reading ahead Brick!
9183221
Whistles innocently
9183209
Happy to oblige
True indeed.
Of course, I did, I have a doctor in Nerdology
Yeah, about that nihonhero.weebly.com/uploads/5/5/5/3/55538907/dmkpyhkuyaadcuu_orig.jpg some people say it looks similar to the eagle of Shocker, so maybe? nihonhero.weebly.com/uploads/5/5/5/3/55538907/3_82_orig.jpg
Well, at least it is a reimagining of the Driver
Well, I learned something new today
Tarot, huh? Now that's an interesting theme. I look forward to seeing more.
9183214
Well, my friend, you just made yourself even more likable
by the way I second that
This is very interesting, I will definitely be keeping an eye on this
9183245
*backs away slowly*
Or people dressed in magical armor modeled on wolves, again, it varies.
Good, keep an eye out for any other references.
Darn it Toei, bring back Foundation X already!
I mean seriously, its kinda similar, please be a coincidence, or at least do it well.
Yeah, the concept is very similar.
Yeah, its not really come up yet, but the morphers in Rails of Reality sound like her.
9183250 Yeah, originally it was going to be a re-imagining of Kamen Rider Blade, only you know, good, but I decided Tarot cards would be better.
9183271 Glad you like it so far.
9183286
Oh, I have an idea for the next chapter
With these people behind the series? Yeah, I gave up hope on that a long time ago.
Huh, interesting.
9183289
What's wrong with Blade? Keep in mind I haven't seen any of the 10 first Heisei except for Den-O and Kiva, only of which I really liked (Guess which) so I'm asking out of pure curiosity.
9183299
Oh?
I like Zi-O so far, but it is only on episode 3...
Yes, I am a colossal nerd.
9183300 The characters are poorly written, the concept is good but not well executed, and while the ending was really good getting there is a problem because its just not easy to get through.
If you want a better idea, look up the reviewer ShintaReviews, he reviewed Blade recently.
9183301
I won't spoil the surprise, but if you ask Brick he might be able to give you a hint
I already see some major problems. If it actually will happen like I'm expecting, this might actually rival my most hated Rider season...
9183312
Okay.
Well, I'm still gonna give it a chance, its still too early to judge it honestly.
9183209
To quote one of my personal favourites...
BAKURYŪ CHANGE!
9183305
9183314
9183312
I'm a little concerned about Zi-O myself, honestly. I know it's still early, but so far I'm not that enthused. It feels like a significant step down from Ex-Aid and Build. It'll take a lot for me to quit it, granted (I stuck with Kyuranger after the uneven first episodes, after all), but still.
And what's your least favorite Rider, Layton13?
9183340
Oh boy, unpopular Opinion: Kamen Rider Gaim.
I nearly hate the entire cast and the story is too fast and doesn't really delve into interesting parts enough in my opinion. I know that this is something that is very much tied to what I enjoy and Gaim really didn't play to these strengths.
My personal favorite episodes in most Rider seasons are mostly completely removed from the overarching plot and deal with small stories about random victims of the week. I generally care more about character than story anyway and Gaim was just not the series for me on that front.
Give me a by the book monster of the week show and I'll be happy if the filler episodes are interesting and give equal time to the victim and the heroes. Again, personal opinion.
9183360
All right. I disagree with your opinion, but respect that you feel that way.
9183372
Didn't expect anything else. It's an unpopular opinion. But hey, would be boring if we all liked the same thing.
9183375
All of us reading this story like Kamen Rider. And there's nothing boring about that!
9183380
You know what I mean. If everyone would just agree with everyone else stuff would get quite boring. I love discussion, it helps to figure out why we like the things we do and if you are only surrounded by people who agree with you will never learn that about yourself.
9183375
Also in my own Kamen Rider story (ACTUAL Rider, not pony or EQG) I got the weird idea to create a religion based around Gaim since he's, you know, a space god now. So, guessing that's a turnoff for you.
9183387
Oh, totally. Was just being tongue in cheek.
9183388
Oh no, why would it? Kouta was actually one of the few people I liked in the story and the idea is great so why would I be against it? If they would have a religion based on Baron I would question why would anyone worship that idiot but if it gives something good for the story why should I complain?
9183393
The religion is basically something I created as a one-off joke...and then it started building and building in my head and now I have this whole massive pantheon featuring all the Armored Riders, all of whom are worshipped in some capacity (except for Sid, because nobody likes him), Zawame's more or less become a holy city like Rome or Jerusalem people go on pilgrimmages to, a complex mythology, dancing is seen as a way of performing rites, it's growing increasingly popular on the world stage since Gaimists can say with complete accuracy that their gods are provably real...I'm going to have to write a story about this someday, aren't I?
9183405
Probably, by the way, I love the idea. This is just gold.
Other things include fruit and fruit juice being popular food for Gaimists, Drupers becoming a sacred site, Takatora as the increasingly harried and tired prophet/Pope/CEO/guy in charge of everything and longing for sleep and/or death, the living Riders struggling to deal with their fame and worship and the knowledge that they're going to ascend to divinity one day since Kouta used his space god magic to bring back the deceased as space gods because why the hell not, Saver and Mars/Jam viewed as false gods, Kurokage troopers become standard law enforcement, Kouta's sister had to go into hiding since people keep harassing her to bless their children, some idiots trying to summon Inves because they think they're angels or dead loved ones and...not always being wrong...a part of me wants Evolt to be the devil even though he's from a different series since he more or less IS Space Satan.
9183254
What's not to like about the guy? People who say he's boring, clearly they haven't heard of or see the signs of Survivor's Guilt.
As for that hint you mentioned to Ruin that I might know about... I legitimately don't have a clue as to what you're on about or have probably forgotten. Mind PMing me as to what it was?
9183429
I would pay to see this AU.
9183411
Agreed.
9183393
Funnily enough, some guy (Named Shura) in one of the Gaidens, namely, Zack's did start a religion of sorts relating to Kaito. Shura even became Kamen Rider Black Baron till Zack beat his ass to a pulp with Jimber Marron arms. I kid you not.
9183614
I remember. Part of Zack’s job in Gaimism is to punch people in the face and yell “THAT’S NOT WHAT KAITO WANTED YOU IDIOT!”
9183704
Yeah, seeing Zack use a Jimber Arms and beat a Baron faker with so many delusions that it wasn't even funny to a pulp was so awesome in so many ways.
9183718
He also goes around beating up other poseurs who misinterpret the words of the pantheon to justify doing awful shit, but mainly Baron fakers. (Though to be fair, Kaito's philosophy IS difficult to parse.) Many view him as the mortal voice of Baron, though as he has said on many times, "I may speak for Kaito, but he doesn't necessarily speak to me."
9183318
Here's mine. GOKAI CHANGE!