RIDER TIME

by WozWuzHere

Chapter 4: The Seeds of Strife

Chapter 4: The Seeds of Strife
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A trio of fillies and one griffoness were in a secluded area of Sweet Apple Acres, observing a strange zipper-shaped portal. These three were known as the "Cutie Mark Crusaders", consisting of Apple Bloom, Rarity's younger sister Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, a pegasus and fervent fangirl of Rainbow Dash. Joining them was their friend Gabby, who wanted to find her own cutie mark despite the physical impossibility.

"Wow, it really IS a giant zipper!" Gabby exclaimed "This is incredible!"
"Yeah...incredible...seriously, Apple Bloom- what even IS this thing?" Scootaloo asked, while poking at the side of the zipper.
"Ah don't rightfully know." Apple Bloom explained. "It was just here when ah found it."

"Don't you think we should probably get an adult or something?" Sweetie Belle questioned. She did have a point- this was an incredibly unusual and potentially dangerous situation.
"Aw, come on! Don't tell me you're going chicken on us?" Scootaloo teased.
"I'd rather be a chicken than a dodo!" Sweetie retorted.

Unfortunately, their argument was about to be resolved for them.
"GABBY GRIFFON, AWAY!" The naive creature pronounced as she lunged headfirst into the strange portal, knocking into the other three and dragging them with her.

The three fillies lay in a daze for a few moments, until they stood back up. As they looked around, they saw the forest they were in was much different than the Everfree Forest.

"What in tarnation...?" Apple Bloom wondered aloud. The forest around her was indescribable. It definitely looked like a forest, but not only was there vegetation she'd never seen before all around them, something about it felt...unnatural. She had a strong feeling that being here was just wrong. She shuddered as she walked along with her friends.

"Uh...ah think ah wanna turn back now." Apple Bloom confided. But Scootaloo wasn't having any of it.
"Come on, don't you start going chicken too!" The sporty pegasus complained. "It's probably just some weird part of the Everfree. And we're gonna explore it! CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS WEIRD...FLOATY...ZIPPER THINGY EXPLORERS!"
"I don't know, Scoot...even for the Everfree this place gives me the creeps." Sweetie Belle commented. "Wait, where's Gabby?"

As soon as she asked, a wail of terror echoed out, and out dashed Gabby, in utter terror.
"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!" She shrieked, bolting past the three fillies. They looked at Gabby in confusion, then turned around to see a trio of bizarre, hunchbacked bipedal monsters staring them down.
"...Cutie Mark Crusaders, RETREAT!" Apple Bloom yelped as the three fillies ran as fast as their legs could carry them. The monsters roared out and gave chase.

----------

At the Castle of Friendship, Twilight and her friends were taking care of the incapacitated Fluttershy, as well as Tom, who managed to incur new injuries from his fight with the monster that Fluttershy had been turned into. Fluttershy was still unconscious, and Tom was seated at the table, while Twilight swabbed some of the open cuts on his face with a cotton ball.

Tom hissed in pain. "Gah, that stings..." Twilight sighed.
"At least these wounds are manageable." She noted. "But at least you're not more injured, and you and Fluttershy are going to be fine."
Rainbow Dash came flying in. "And here I am to awesome things up!" She boasted. "I heard that Fluttershy was monstered like I was, is she okay!?"
"She's fine, Rainbow. Still knocked out, but otherwise fine." Twilight explained. Rainbow's eyes then locked onto Tom.
"And it sounds like you saved her." The sporty pegasus added. "I guess I should thank you...I could have done it better though."

Tom twitched slightly but whatever was about to happen was interrupted by the return of the stinging sensation of rubbing alcohol.
"Rainbow, I think the LAST thing we need is to turn this situation into a contest." Twilight added.
"Yeah! I mean, Tommy's been running himself ragged fighting those Nemak Redirs!" Pinkie Pie suddenly chimed in as she appeared randomly, catching all of them off guard.
"Pinkie Pie!? Where..." Tom was about to ask before Twilight just put her finger up to his mouth to silence him.
"No, no, we don't ask those questions here." She explained. Truly, Pinkie Pie was a total enigma. A benevolent and friendly enigma, but an enigma nonetheless. "Also, 'Nemak Redirs'?"
"Well, we have to call them SOMETHING, don't we? I tried "Unriders", "Anti Riders", even "Commandoids". " Pinkie Pie ranted. "None of them really fit."

"Honestly, the only thing I want to call them is abominations." Tom replied. "Those...things are a twisted mockery of everything Kamen Riders are meant to stand for!" He slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
"I can completely understand your indignation, darling." Rarity said as she walked into the room. "Those...Kamen Riders, that you talk about; they're important to you and your culture."
"But they're not Kamen Riders!" Tom cried out. "A real, heroic Kamen Rider would never do any of those horrible things! The only thing those things and the Riders have in common are their plagarized powers!" He hung his head low. "They're exactly like if the Kamen Riders became monsters themselves." It was then that a realization struck Rarity.
"They're... they're like other versions of those heroes. Horribly twisted things from a nightmare sure, but they're another type of Rider," Rarity pauses as it comes to her. "Another Riders."

"Another Riders...it fits, I guess." Tom replied. "So, by that logic..."
The Rider stood up and rooted through his pockets, producing the four watches he had retrieved from the previous Another Riders he had fought, and placing them on the table in front of him.
"Another Build," he gestured to Dash, "Another OOO," then to Rarity, "Another Kiva", then to Pinkie, "and most recently, Another Kabuto."
Spike walked out of the room Fluttershy was sleeping in, carrying a first aid kit. "I finished patching her up, Twi." He replied. The dragon child then noticed the somber mood.
"Um...did I miss something?"

-----------

"Ugh, this place is HUGE!" Scootaloo groaned.
"Hey, you're the one who wanted to explore, Scoot." Sweetie Belle reminded her companion.
"Uh, girls...where's Gabby gotten off to?" Apple Bloom looked around. Their griffon companion was nowhere to be seen. But she then noticed Gabby staring at a strange purpleish fruit.

"Gabby!" Apple Bloom yelled out, seemingly shaking her out of a trance.
"Buh?" The griffon girl shook her head quickly. "Oh, hey girls! I found this weird fruit and it looks...really tasty." She reached out for it but Apple Bloom smacked her claw away.
"No! Don't you know you never, ever, EVER eat random stuff from trees and bushes!?" She barked. "Mah big bro taught me that, he says you get real sick if you do!"
"But...it looks so tasty..." Gabby whined, until the sound of a sword being unsheathed was heard.

"Did...did you hear something?" Scootaloo nervously asked. As if to answer her question, the tree that held the fruit Gabby was staring at fell over, just narrowly missing the girls. Standing behind the remaining stump was a large, bipedal figure wearing rusted armor, a strange helmet with an orange-ish visor, and a large, rusted sword.
"Grrr...." It growled.
"Uh...sorry for intrudin', we'll just go now." Apple Bloom said nervously, backing away. The beast sniffed the air.
"A...pple..." It droned. It then started coming towards the fillies menacingly.

"RUN FOR IT!" Scootaloo yelled as the girls ran from the mysterious monster, said monster giving pursuit.
The four of them ran, ducking and darting around trees in an attempt to stall the monster. Eventually, it seemed like they were in the clear. They were all gasping for breath.
"I think...I think we lost it." Sweetie Belle panted.
The others nodded, but then froze and stared at Sweetie Belle in horror. The young unicorn just looked at them, confused.

"What? What's with the looks?" She asked, but then heard a snarling behind her. "There's another monster right behind me, isn't there?" Sweetie whimpered. The terrified filly turned around slowly.
The monster she witnessed was similar in build to the first one they encountered, but it also seemed to resemble a twisted version of a knight. It had a large, yellow spearhead attached to its right arm, and its helmet had a pair of yellow horns that blackened near the end.

"...grrr...I...find...her..." The new monster growled. It started to approach Apple Bloom menacingly. But at that point, the previous monster came back and swung its sword at the other.
"Br...Bri...B-B-BARON!" The first monster roared.
"GAIIIIM!" The second one returned the roar as they began clashing against each other.
"Let's get out of here!" Sweetie cried out as the four of them took advantage of the clash to escape once again.

----------

"Another Riders...?" Spike asked. "I mean, it kind of fits, but..."
"Well, I'm certain I could come up with something better with more time." Rarity replied.
"No no, it's fine! Perfect even!" The dragon quickly backpedaled, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash snickering a bit.

"Ooooh...." A low groan came from the nearby room where Fluttershy was sleeping.
"Sounds like she's coming to!" Pinkie cheered.
"Easy, Pinkie...she's had a rough time, so let's not cause her any more stress." Twilight reminded her.
"Okie dokie lokie!" The pink one replied, Twilight rolling her eyes.

The girls, Spike and Tom all went in to see to their friend.
"Oooof...owww..." The yellow pegasus groaned. "What happened to me?" She looked around to see that she was in Twilight's castle, surrounded by her friends...and a human, for some reason. Then she looked at herself to find that she was not only bandaged in several places, but was in a very provocative cheongsam...
"EEEEP!" Fluttershy squeaked as she hid under a blanket.
"...ah, I think I know the problem." Twilight stated. "Spike, I think we should find Fluttershy a change of clothes."

A few minutes later, Fluttershy was dressed in her normal outfit, a long beige skirt that covered her shins and a green turtleneck sweater. She took a seat at the table next to Twilight.
"Are you feeling okay, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked. Fluttershy just nodded meekly.
"...do you remember anything?" The purple alicorn continued.

"I...I remember I was having tea with Discord...or I thought I was...but it wasn't him!" Fluttershy explained, tears growing in her eyes when she recalled the event.
"What do you mean, 'wasn't him' exactly?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well, when he-he used that watch on me, he started having a weird purple shell forming around him..." She elaborated. "That, and Discord was supposed to be away from Equestria for a while."

"Discord's gone?" Pinkie asked. "Where'd he go?"
"He said he was meeting with a friend of his...but after all that, I woke up here..." Fluttershy finished. "Oh wait, there was one other thing...I remember that before I woke up here, I was being carried by a knight." Rarity grinned at hearing this.
"Oh? And what did this 'knight' look like?" The fashion-minded pony continued, her tone growing more mischevious.
"Well, I don't remember too many of the details...but he had such strong arms...and he was warm..." She explained, blushing and sighing longfully.

Tom's face also turned red, and moments later fell out of his chair.
"...was it something I said?" Fluttershy asked.
"Well, Fluttershy...allow us to fill you in on the details." Rarity replied.

------------

Meanwhile at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was running around the entire farm in panic.
"Apple Bloom!? Apple Bloom, where are ya!?" She yelled out. "Come on, this ain't funny no more!"

She ran through all the trees, darting and weaving to find her sister. But she eventually came across some hoofprints, and a set of pawprints. "The girls went this-a-way. Ah know it." She followed the prints, but at one point the prints disappeared. Applejack scratched her head, but the found the answer when she bumped her face into a large zipper tag.

"What in-" She looked up and saw the zipper attached to what appeared to be a portal to another forest.
"Oh...oh no...no no no!" She was about to dive into the portal herself, but was stopped by an arm grabbing her. The arm belonged to a very large, muscular red stallion wearing a plaid flannel shirt and denim overalls. This was Applejack and Apple Bloom's older brother, Big Macintosh.

"Rrrrgh! You lemme go right this instant, Mac!" AJ complained.
"Nope." The elder Apple replied. He was not one for long conversations. But he did manage to sling his sister over his shoulder and carry her back to their farm, despite her resistance.

---------

Fluttershy just stared at the human, a blush adorning her face. He was the knight that saved her! And she was overwhelmed with feelings.
Tom, too, was overwhelmed...with embarrassment. Even now, he was still very unaccustomed to praise. Neither side was speaking, until...

"ARGH! Say something, one of you!" Dash yelled out in frustration. Everyone snapped to attention.
"Well...Tom, um...that is your name, right?" Fluttershy meekly asked.
"Yeah...and you're Fluttershy..." Tom responded in an equally meek manner.
"Um...and you're a human?" Fluttershy asked. "I mean, you don't have to answer me if you don't want..."
"No, that's fine. To answer your question, I'm a human." Tom explained. "I'm also a Kamen Rider!" He continued, his tone becoming more confident and cheerful.

"...a...Camel Rider?" Fluttershy asked. Tom's eye twitched, but he took a deep breath.
"KAMEN Rider...it's a legacy of heroes that exceeds space and time." Tom started. "No matter what, we, as Kamen Riders will fight for the people they believe in, and the happiness of the world!" He continued, standing on the chair and putting his arms to his sides in a triumphant-looking stance.
"It seems like every time Tom talks about Kamen Riders, he becomes more confident. " Twilight thought to herself.
Fluttershy was in awe. It wasn't just a knight that saved her-but a genuine hero, like something ripped right out of a comic book-no, a manga!

"...I did it again." Tom mumbled as he sat back down, mortified.
"No, Tom, that's a good thing. It means your culture is important to you." Fluttershy replied. "And...I would like to learn more...about Kamen Riders...and you." She continued, her voice growing increasingly high pitched and faint.
But before the awkwardness could resume, Big Mac came rushing into the room.

"Ah need yer help, girls...and, uh..." Big Mac started but realized that he didn't actually know the human's name.
"Tom." Tom replied.
"Right, Tom..." He started. "Aw, ain't time for this! Apple Bloom and her friends wandered into some Celestia-forsaken zipper and now mah sis is going crazy preparin' to go in herself!"
"Wait...zipper?" Twilight asked, but Tom's eyes were wide.
"This zipper was in midair and led to a forest!?" Tom asked.
"Eeyup." Big Mac replied.
"Twilight, we have to go NOW!" Tom commanded, already bolting out the door.
"Wait, what's going on?" Twilight asked.
"Explain later, bad thing happened!" He yelled back. The girls, Spike and Big Mac all ran in pursuit.

----------

Meanwhile, the Cutie Mark Crusaders (and Gabby) were still trying to evade the pair of mysterious monsters out for their heads. They had found themselves in a secluded cave, keeping an eye out for any other monsters.
"No sign of 'em." Gabby noted. "I think we gave them the slip!" She cheered, but the CMCs shushed her.
"Keep your voice down!" Sweetie Belle whispered. "You want them to find us?"
"...I don't hear them anymore." Scootaloo spoke. "I think it's safe."

The group peeked out of the cave, and noticed a rabbit was sniffing at one of the weird fruits that Gabby was about to eat earlier. Gabby stared daggers at the fruit...she only got a small whiff but the scent alone was...incredibly powerful. Intoxicating to an immense degree. She only imagined how utterly delicious it must be...

The rabbit bopped the fruit with its legs to open it up, and consumed the flesh. As it patted its belly, it suddenly started yowling in pain as its body quickly mutated into a rabbit-sized version of the bizarre shelled monsters that the four of them encounted earlier. The CMCs could only gape in horror at the sight, while Gabby was alarmed as she almost shared the poor bunny's fate. Her mind raced with thoughts of fear, paranoia and betrayal. The fruit smelled so sweet and looked so tantalizing...but behind that allure was a horrifying fate.

Apple Bloom looked especially horrified. What she saw was utter anathema to everything she'd ever known. She was always taught that the Earth gave its blessings to ponies in the form of fruits, but this fruit turned an innocent little bunny rabbit into a monster!
The monster that had formed started consuming more of the sinister snack, growing in size! It then turned in the direction of the CMC...and charged them!

"Eeeeek!" Sweetie Belle screeched, but the monster stopped...and then split in half. Behind it was another bipedal being, but this one looked a lot like Zi-O, except with red armor and a yellow visor. He was holding an axe-like weapon.
"...kids? Here?" The strange Rider asked. But his thoughts were interrupted by a large group of those same monsters, surrounding the lot of them. The mysterious Rider prepped his axe.

"Come on, then! I'll show you what real pain feels like!" He proclaimed angrily as he charged at the monsters, weaving between them as he delivered a series of savage swings. The CMC looked on in a mix of awe and horror as the red Rider brutally cleaved through each monster.

"Hey, you kids!" He yelled. "You need to get out of here, right now!"
Apple Bloom wasn't moving. She was utterly paralyzed with fear.
"Apple Bloom, snap out of it!" Scootaloo shouted, shaking her friend. She just fell to her knees, a look of pure despair on her face.

The mysterious red Rider just scoffed, walked over to her, and lifted her over his shoulder. This seemed to snap the little Apple out of her fugue.
"H-hey! What do ya think yer doin'!?" She complained.
"I'll say it again; you need to get out of here, NOW. So if you aren't going to start walking yourself, I'm going to do the walking for you." He replied. "Show me to where you came in."
The others just nodded and started walking, the red Rider still holding a now pouting Apple Bloom over his shoulder.

----------

The girls, Spike and Tom were all in front of the strange zipper.
"So, you know what this thing is?" Twilight asked.
"It's a 'Crack' that leads to the Helheim Forest." Tom explained. "And if the kids actually DID travel there, they're in incredible danger!"
"Then what are we waiting for!? Let's go in and get them out before something bad actually does happen!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Nah, ah'm goin' in." A voice came from behind them. It was Applejack...but she was wearing what appeared to be makeshift armor, that gave off the impression of some sort of barnyard warrior princess. Her hat was now equipped with a pair of goggles, and she had green war paint smeared under her eyes. Rainbow Dash's wings suddenly shot out.
"Gah! Stupid sexy Applejack!" She thought to herself as she tried to loosen her wings.

"Applejack...what is all this?" Rarity asked. "I mean, it shows off your physique well, but..."
"The girls're in that Celestia-forsaken zipper, ah'm gonna go corral them!" She growled. "I WILL PROTECT MAH FAMILY!" She shoved past all of them and ran headfirst into the Crack, letting out a war cry.
"Wait!" Tom cried as he gave chase, pulling out his driver mid-run. The rest of the girls started going in.
"Spike, we need you to stay here and make sure nothing else gets in here, understand?" Twilight commanded. Spike gave a salute as they vanished into the ominous portal.

Tom was already transformed when the girls were done entering the sinister forest. Rainbow Dash just shuddered.
"Ugh...something about this place gives me the creeps." She stated.
"I must concur..." Rarity added. She noticed that Fluttershy was rather unnerved as well.
"What's wrong, darling? I thought that you'd be elated to see new animals and plants." She asked.

Fluttershy just shook her head. "I love nature, that's true...but this place just feels wrong."
"Then let's find those three and get out of here so we don't have to stay longer than needed!" Twilight suggested.
"Hey, where's Applejack?" Pinkie asked. Sure enough, their farmer friend seemed to have separated from them.

Zi-O looked around. "We need to find her, fast- no matter how strong she thinks she is, she wouldn't be able to handle Helheim on her own!" He beckoned the others to him. "Stay close to me."
The girls all nodded, and began their search.

-----------

Meanwhile, Applejack was running full tilt through the forest, trying to find any signs of Apple Bloom or her friends.
A gang of monsters were gathered, trying to intercept the rampaging farmpony.
"GIT OUTTA MAH WAY!" She yelled as she barged right through them, knocking most of them on their backs. Her thoughts were laser focused on finding her sister, and nothing was going to stop her.

She eventually slowed down a bit when she heard children's voices.
"...ah can walk now, ya know." It was Apple Bloom's voice.
"Not taking any chances." An unfamiliar male voice replied. It sounded like an adult's...
"So, you're a Kamen Rider too?" Sweetie Belle's voice was next. But as she heard that title, she rushed out there.
"APPLE BLOOOOOM!" She roared. She saw that Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and their griffon friend were walking beside a red armored figure, who was carrying Apple Bloom over his shoulder.

"You put mah sister down right now ya varmint!" She commanded.
"Sis? What're ya..." Apple Bloom started, but was cut off.
"Don't say another word! Ah'm gettin' you outta here, and back to where it's safe!" The elder Apple sister proclaimed, an edge to her voice.

The red Rider was observing the newcomer, and noted that she was overcome by rage.
"Talking isn't gonna do much good, huh?" He sighed, as he put Apple Bloom down next to her friends. "Apple Bloom, right?" He asked the little pony he had placed on the ground.
"Yes sir." She replied instantly.
"Listen, your...I want to say sister?" The red rider asked. Apple Bloom just nodded.
"Your sister and I are going to fight. But I swear I won't do anything that can't be fixed." He said, as he turned back to the raging farmer.
"Wait, please!" Apple Bloom pleaded. But her pleas fell on deaf ears, as Applejack charged at the Rider!

Applejack's charge was heavily telegraphed, so the red warrior was easily able to sidestep her and send her careening into a nearby tree. After briefly recollecting herself, she tried charging again, and the Rider dodged, but this time, delivered a roundhouse kick to the back of her head! She fell to the ground with a thud.
"I can keep this up all day, lady." The red Rider snarked. Applejack changed tactics, and threw a series of punches at the Rider. He ducked most of them, and grabbed his opponent's arm in the last, turning her around and putting her in a hold.

"Are you gonna behave yourself or-" The red Rider started but felt an elbow in his gut. While his suit protected him, he still felt an impact and released the enraged farmer.
"Stop..." Apple Bloom whimpered. Applejack then did a roundhouse kick, which the Rider narrowly ducked under and used the opportunity to trip her.
"Please..." Apple Bloom asked louder, but to no avail, as the two were locked in a struggle. Both of them grunted as they tried to overpower the other.
"Ah said STOOOOOP!" Apple Bloom yelled at the top of her lungs, as the pair of them stopped to look at the upset child.
"Sis...this fella saved us. He fought monsters." Apple Bloom explained, in between sobs. "This isn't the sister ah know. Y'all have lost yer mind!"

"Bloom, ah'm tryin to-" Applejack started.
"Protect me!? Is that what y'all are thinkin' yer doin'?" The younger Apple snapped back. "Ah came here because ah was tryin' to get away from you actin' all ornery! Because I was SCARED of y'all! Ma and Pa would be real ashamed if they saw all this!" The little Apple fell to her knees, sobbing as her friends all gathered around her to support her.
Apple Bloom's words gave Applejack pause. "...ah...ah just wanted ta..." She mumbled before falling to her knees in shock.
The red Rider just looked around.

"Alright, you two can have your existential crises later...we've got company!" He said, pulling out his axe as one of the monsters pursuing Apple Bloom, the one who appeared to be a viking, appeared before them.
"So, this time it's Baron...how fitting." The red warrior commented. "Get ready for pain!"

-----------

"Hello? Applejack!? Apple Bloom? Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo!?" Twilight called out.
Rarity was trudging through the forest, quietly whining to herself, while Rainbow Dash was flying over the trees to see if she could see anything. Pinkie was taking in the sights, but Fluttershy was clutching Zi-O.
"This place...it's terrifying." Fluttershy whimpered.
"Once we find the kids, you won't have to come in here again." Zi-O replied.

Pinkie sniffed the air. "I smell something...over there!" She ran over to a tree that had strange purple fruit on it. Pinkie plucked one...
"NO!" Zi-O ran over to her and slapped it out of her hand, then picked it up and tossed it as hard as he could away from them.
"Safe..." He panted. Pinkie huffed in frustration.
"What was that for!? You threw away my yummy fruit!" She complained.
"These fruits are dangerous! If you did eat one, you'd be forcibly and PERMANENTLY mutated into a monster!" Zi-O explained angrily. "No matter what, you must never, ever, EVER eat a Helheim fruit!"

The others just stared at the fruits in fear...what sort of twisted place was this!? Even the Everfree was never this bad.
"Grrrr..." A growling sensation came from behind the fruit tree. Just then, the tree was suddenly split in two!
"Whoa!" The group backed off, Zi-O readying his sword after. When they got a look at the attacker...
"A monsterous samurai in Helheim...so this is a Gaim-based monster. I guess we call you Another Gaim."
"Grrr...A...pp...rrrgh!" The monster growled as it lunged at Pinkie, Zi-O barely getting in the way with his sword.
"Pinkie, move!" Zi-O commanded, the pink pony complying as she, Rarity and Fluttershy backed away while Twilight and Rainbow Dash took aerial positions above the monster.

Another Gaim recklessly swung its sword at Zi-O, but the Rider was able to dodge the strikes, meanwhile Twilight was casting a shield spell for her friends and Rainbow Dash was picking up speed, she was about to try to dive-bomb the beast!
However, when she tried, Another Gaim simply tilted its head and a series of vines shot up from the ground, ensnaring the two airborne ponies and pulling them to the ground.
"Aaagh!" Twilight screamed out as she was yanked out of the air. Rainbow Dash struggled against the vines, but it was no good.
"Twilight! Rainbow!" Zi-O cried out, as Another Gaim took another swing at the Rider while he was distracted. Thankfully, he was able to barely roll out of the way.

"Not good...I think this situation calls for a speed boost." Zi-O quipped as he pulled out his latest RideWatch acquisition. He turned the bezel and pressed the button.
"KABUTO!" The watch sounded as the Rider inserted it into his belt and span the belt around.
"ARMOR TIME!" With that announcement, a red and silver armor with prominent horn-shaped shoulderpads and a tri-horned helmet appeared, and broke apart as its individual components latched onto Zi-O.
"CHANGE BEETLE! KAAABUUUTOOO~!" The belt continued.
"Alright, Clock Up!" The Rider pressed the button on the KabutoWatch.
"CLOCK UP TIME!" The belt announced, as Zi-O seemed to disappear out of view.
"Huh!?" The ponies all cried, but then Another Gaim went flying into one of the trees as Zi-O remanifested...also having collided into the tree.

"Ugh...it's really hard to control." He grunted, as he rose back to his feet. "Kabuto made it look easy." Zi-O looked down at the now unconscious monster.
The vines binding Twilight and Rainbow Dash seemed to back off, and they got back up and dusted themselves off.
"Alright, now we need to go find Applejack and the kids!" Twilight proclaimed. But, at the mention of Applejack's name, Another Gaim seemed to reawaken and jumped up.
"A...app....AAAAAPPPPLLLLEEEEEEJAAAAAACK!" It roared, running deeper into the forest.
"After it!" Zi-O ordered as they all ran in pursuit of the mysterious monster.

----------

Meanwhile, the kids were trying to escort the borderline catatonic Applejack out of the forest, while the mysterious red Kamen Rider was aggressively attacking the monster every time it got too close to them.
"Come on Banana boy, your target's right here!" The Rider taunted. The monster tried to bum-rush him but was met with a knee in his stomach, followed by an elbow to the face. It staggered back, giving the group a window to continue retreating.
"You're sure the exit's this way?" The red Rider asked.
"I'm good at remembering this stuff!" Gabby boasted. The red warrior just sighed.
"Well, first thing is getting you out of here."

But their conversation was cut short by the other monster from earlier reappearing and lunging at the kids! Each of them braced for the worst, only for Zi-O to shoulder-tackle Another Gaim away from them.
"...the Cutie Mark Crusaders, I presume?" Zi-O asked. They just nodded. Zi-O then turned his attention to both of the monsters.
"Another Gaim AND Another Baron?" He noted. "Well this is turning out just freaking wonderful." He summoned his sword and was readying to fight, but noticed the red Rider going on the offensive against Another Baron.
"Hey! I'll deal with the moldy banana- you get the rotten orange!" The red Kamen Rider ordered.
"Who...?" Zi-O wondered, but stopped. "Now's not the time for this." He took a swing at Another Gaim, locking swords with it.

"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity called out. Sure enough, the fashion-forward unicorn grasped her sister in a tight hug.
"Oh thank goodness you aren't hurt!" She said, tears of joy and relief streaming down her face.
"R...Rarity...can't...breathe..." The unicorn filly wheezed.
"Looks like the girls are okay." Rainbow said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Hey, Rider guys! Take down those freaks and let's get outta here!"
The red Rider growled a bit at that, but swung a hit before pressing a button on his belt.

"FINISH TIME! GEIZ!" The other Rider's belt announced.
"Geiz?" Zi-O questioned, but immediately his attention went back to Another Gaim. The Rider pushed the monster's swing back, and removed his main watch from his belt, inserting it into the slot on his sword.
"FINISH TIME! ZI-O" Zi-O's sword began to spark with energy.
"GEIZ! TIME BURST!" The red Rider's belt announced as he leapt up into the air, and a series of neon yellow projections bridging the space between him and Another Baron appeared. He descended upon the beast and delivered a powerful kick!
"ZI-O! CRUNCH TIME SLASH!" Zi-O's sword announced as it extended into a large energy blade with similar pink characters formed as energy surrounding it. He swung the sword down on Another Gaim!

Both monsters growled and howled in pain, as their bodies began to spark and break down.
"A...Applejack... Apple...Bloom..." Another Gaim groaned, its voice sounding more feminine than before.
"...our...children..." Another Baron wheezed in a deeper, masculine voice affected with a slight Southern accent. But before anymore was said, both monsters exploded, only leaving their watches behind.

"...huh?" Zi-O looked around. "Where's the hosts?"
Twilight and the others looked around, but nothing. "Don't the Another Riders usually have someone they've possessed?" The bookish princess asked. Zi-O nodded in reply.
"This is weird." He noted as he walked over to claim the watches...but the red Rider kicked him away.

"OWWW!" Zi-O groaned. "What was that for!?" But the red Rider ignored him, and picked up both watches, examining them. He then looked at the GaimWatch, and threw it to Zi-O.
"I don't need this one." He bluntly stated, as he started walking away with the BaronWatch.
"Hey! You can't just-" Twilight started, but was cut off by an energy blast whizzing past her ear...which struck a monster behind her.
"Take those kids and get out of here." He commanded, and while the others were reluctant to admit it, he was right- they needed to leave.
"...fine." Zi-O sighed, as he walked back over to his friends.

"Oh yeah, one more thing." The red Rider continued.
"I'm Kamen Rider Geiz." The Rider introduced himself.
"Kamen Rider...Geiz?" Zi-O asked.
"You better watch your back. And...be careful of who you trust." Geiz finished, walking away from the others.
"...Geiz, huh?" Pinkie noted. "A rival Rider appears-just like those Neighponese comics Fluttershy likes so much!"
"L-let's save this conversation for when we're somewhere safe...I mean, if you don't mind..." The timid pegasus requested, as Rainbow Dash picked up Applejack and carried her on her back as they made their way out of the forest.

--------

Geiz continued his trek through Helheim, stopping only after he was sure he had gained enough distance from Zi-O.
"...I'm not much closer to the truth than I was." He lamented. "Even if there is another Rider still out there...it doesn't really change much. I'm still more or less on my own."

As he continued, he saw something unusual. It was another of those pony-esque creatures...but this one looked less like a cute cartoon pony and more like some sort of twisted bug-horse monster. He stealthily got closer to it...
"...such a shame, that you two weren't able to do anything." It spoke, the voice clearly belonging to a female. She seemed to be talking to a pair of exhumed corpses.

"At the very least, I was able to find a weakness in their little group." The sinister creature laughed. "I guess I really should be thankful for that little 'backdoor' that was left for us. Otherwise..." She trailed off as she was engulfed in a green flame before reappearing as an elderly looking pony.
"...I wouldn't be able to have so much fun with this..." She cackled, as a Helheim crack appeared beside her, and she stepped through it.

"...she knows something." Geiz muttered to himself. "It looks like the answers I've been looking for are in that other world after all."

----------

It had become nighttime by the time the group had made its way back to Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash had brought Applejack to her bedroom, while the rest were scolding the wayward children.

"...just what compelled you to go into such an obviously dangerous place!?" Twilight yelled. "You could have been seriously hurt or even dead if it weren't for us and Tom!" Tom just nodded, staying quiet but still glaring with disappointment at the kids.
"...ah was tryin' to get away from Applejack." Apple Bloom finally spoke. "Ah only found that darn zipper when I was runnin'!"

"It was still an unbelievably foolish decision." Rarity interjected. "And you four are in very deep trouble for causing so much worry!" The fillies (and griffon) winced.
Tom shook his head. "I can only support what your sister's saying. Helheim is an incredibly dangerous place, and you're absolutely lucky that we found you before you either got killed by or were turned into an Inves." Everyone was about to ask what he meant.
"Inves are the name of those monsters." He explained, as everyone nodded. "Still, one thing's bothering me."

"You mean that Geiz guy?" Rainbow Dash asked, having just returned downstairs. "What was his problem, anyway?"
"...make that two things." Tom noted. "No, I'm talking about the Another Riders."
"What about them?" Twilight asked.
"Why did they know Applejack and Apple Bloom's names?" Tom wondered. "And for that matter, who were their hosts?"
"...it doesn't look like we're gonna get any answers right now." Twilight lamented. "It's really late, we should get back home."
The group said their goodbyes to each other and parted ways.

----------

"...ah'm a plum fool to think ah could fill yer shoes, Pa....you and Ma were way better than ah ever could have been at raisin' a young'un." Applejack sobbed to herself. It was very rare that she lost her composure this deeply, but the events of the day had left a toll on her.

"...those Kamen Riders were somethin'. Even Twahlight and the girls and me weren't that strong." She lamented. "...ah want to be stronger. Ah want to protect mah family."

Applejack heard a knock at her door. She got up and answered the door. It was Granny Smith.
"G-granny..." Applejack sobbed, but her grandmother just gave her a kind smile and pulled her in for a hug. The younger farmer gladly returned the gesture...only for something to have been stabbed into her shoulder!
"W-wha!?" She recoiled, as she saw a RideWatch slowly entering her body! Then "Granny Smith" morphed back into a very familiar enemy...

"Y...yer that Changeling Queen!" She growled. The queen just scoffed and disappeared into another zipper.
"A...agh!!" Applejack grunted. "Ah...ah guess this is mah punishment. For all mah sins..." She fell to the floor.
"Granny, Big Mac, Ma, Pa, Apple Bloom...ah'm sorry." She whimpered out as she lost consciousness...

Comments

[The Bricklayer]

Okay, yep, I *really* hate Bug Bitch. Like... ooooooh dear. Just... everything about this chapter.

[nightshroud96]

So Another Gaim and Another Baron were Applejack's dead parents?
Even the dead isn't safe from turning into Another Riders it seems.

"Applejack...what is all this?" Rarity asked. "I mean, it shows off your physique well, but..." "The girls're in that Celestia-forsaken zipper, ah'm gonna go corral them!" She growled. "I WILL PROTECT MAH FAMILY!" She shoved past all of them and ran headfirst into the Crack, letting out a war cry. "Wait!" Tom cried as he gave chase, pulling out his driver mid-run. The rest of the girls started going in. "Spike, we need you to stay here and make sure nothing else gets in here, understand?" Twilight commanded. Spike gave a salute as they vanished into the ominous portal.

Really disappointing this is another case of "Spike misses out hard due to the girls making him stay behind to watch something.. AGAIN"..
It bothered me so much when it happened in the show alot..
it bums me out that he missed out on the fight with Another Gaim/Baron and missing out on seeing Kamen Rider Geiz's debut there due to that.
Doesn't help that it was essentially pointless in making Spike stay behind since nothing tried to come out of the portal or anything happened..

[WozWuzHere]

10924405
In this case, Spike staying behind was justified- they were going into one of the most dangerous places in KR history.

[nightshroud96]

10924963
The thing is, nothing DID tried to come out.
So Spike staying behind was basically pointless since nothing happened, which makes it hurt worse.
In fact why not have Big Mac watch it instead? It just really bothers me Spike missed out on Geiz's debut all due to this is another case of "The girls made Spike stay behind to watch something and he misses out hard due to it". That problem happened too much in the show, a major example is Rainbow Road trip where he was forced to miss out on the special trip due to they made him watch the school(even though that's STARLIGHT'S job).

[Bluebottle27]

Both monsters growled and howled in pain, as their bodies began to spark and break down.
"A...Applejack... Apple...Bloom..." Another Gaim groaned, its voice sounding more feminine than before.
"...our...children..." Another Baron wheezed in a deeper, masculine voice affected with a slight Southern accent. But before anymore was said, both monsters exploded, only leaving their watches behind.

"...huh?" Zi-O looked around. "Where's the hosts?"

Hoo boy, I think we've just found out that Bright Mac and Pear Butter weren't quite as dead as everyone believed them to be.