Ride 3: Thunderstruck!
Ride 3
“... And that's all I was able to figure out from what Sunset said,” Trixie said, before taking a sip from her drink. Both she and Flash were sitting on a bench in the park. There was no one else around, so they were free to talk about whatever they wanted. Trixie had taken advantage of that, and finished explaining what Sunset had discovered during the battle with Constellar the other day.
“Geez, as if this whole thing wasn't already stressful enough,” Flash said as he took a large gulp from his own drink. “Now, not only do I have to worry about the monsters hurting people on their rampages, if I choke before I beat them, someone could lose their life,” he summarized. The boy threw his head back, and sighed.
“Well, you can just tell the girls that you, Flash Sentry, are the Great Achilles! No doubt having seven magical girls backing you up will make things much easier,” Trixie suggested.
“I can’t, for multiple reasons. Top of the list being, Sunset isn’t the biggest fan of Achilles, and honestly, I don't blame her. After everything she's been through, I’d be worried about anyone that got their hands on Equestrian Magic. Plus, I kinda don't want to ruin our friendship by saying I've been going behind her back and putting myself in danger,” Flash said.
“Flash, you are way too nice somet- No, all the time. But, I guess I can’t blame you wanting to stay friends with Shimmer. Especially with all you two have been through. But enough with that mushy junk!,” Trixie said as she stood up, and threw her soda can into the recycling bin. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“What are you up to now, Trixie?” Flash asked, suspicious. Soon, Trixie was standing in front of him, right on the table.
Trixie pointed to the sky in a proud pose. “It’s time that we work... on your branding!”
“Ummmmm, you mean with my music? If we’re talking about that, then maybe we should get Drum Roll and Ringo,” Flash suggested.
“Not your band, you dim bulb, your Achilles branding,” Trixie corrected. She put her hands on her hips and leaned into Flash’s face. “Right now, people are thinking that the Kamen Rider is just some guy that swoops in, and stops monsters.”
“Yeah, well, that is what I do,” Flash points out, confused by the conversation..
“No, no, Kamen Rider Achilles needs to be a hero. Someone the people can look upon, and have fear banished from their minds and souls,” Trixie went on dramatically. “And the best way to tell people that you have everything under control is simple: You need a catchphrase.”
“A catchphrase?” Flash asked. “Isn’t that just a thing superheroes do to be showie?”
“At first glance, yes. But think about it, when people hear those iconic words coming from you, they will know that they are in good hands. That you will be the one to keep them safe,” Trixie said triumphantly.
Flash couldn't help but smile. Trixie seemed to care, how invested she was. She was a performer at heart, and she wasn’t just limited to the stage. He was ultimately won over by her words and her zeal, and ultimately decided to hear her out. “OK, OK, I’ll give that catchphrase a try.” he agreed.” But what should it be?”
“How about…” Trixie started as she shifted, leaning into an almost crouch, throwing one hand forward and the other to the side. “I... have arrived!”
Flash considered it for a moment, before shaking his head.
Unfazed, Trixie then stood up, shifted sideways, bent one of her legs so that only her boot tip touched the table, and with a dramatic flourish of her arm, flicking her wrist, she pointed at Flash. “Now, count up your sins,” She said in a low, equally dramatic tone.
Flash tilted his head, before shaking it again.
But Trixie wasn’t done yet. She put one hand on her hip, and beat the top of her chest before pointing her fist forward. “Let’s settle this mano e mano,” She said with a cocky look.
“Those are some good ones,” Flash assured her, pulling her down from the table, “but, nothing I think really fits me.” Flash stood up, threw his can in the bin, and began to walk down the pathway.
Trixie, however, wasn’t up for giving up on any part of a show. “How about this: By the end of this battle, I'll have sent you to Tartarus.’” Trixie said as she caught up to Flash.
“Hey, that's actually pretty good. Matches my gimmick and everything,” Flash said with a smile.
The two continued to walk, discussing Flash’s pose, soon coming up to a more populated section of the park. Flash shut his eyes, trying to envision his pose- before hearing a sudden thud. Flash looked back to see that Trixie had been hit in the back of her head. Almost immediately, he noticed the soccer ball. “Who did that!?” Trixie demanded, grabbing the ball as she stood back up.
“Sorry, sorry!” Rainbow Dash yelled, running up to the two. Trixie was rather angry, and she chucked the ball back at the athlete. “Hey Flash, talk about good timing,” Rainbow remarked, catching the ball with a practiced ease, and seeming to forget what'd just happened, much to Trixie’s indignation.
“Hi, Rainbow. Um... what do you mean by good timing?” He asked.
“We have uneven teams, and mine just happens to need a goalie. I figured you could fill in,” Rainbow said, pointing to the soccer field, where several other teens were waiting.
“I didn't know the soccer team had practice today,” Flash remarked, putting a hand to his chin in thought.
“We don’t, this game is just for fun since one of my friends from middle school is visiting,” Rainbow explained.
“Well then, no problem,” Flash smiled. He removed his jacket, the driver safely nestled in the inner pocket. It was clear that there wasn't anything for Trixie to do, being a show woman rather than an athlete, so, with a huff and hair flip that slapped Dash, she took Flash’s jacket, and found a seat on the side lines. Rainbow glanced at Flash, who simply gave her a knowing shrug.
When Flash got to the field, he was greeted by the whole team. Flash knew some of the team could get pretty competitive, but it looked like they were fine with him acting as a sub, since this game was purely for fun. After saying hello to all the familiar faces, Flash saw a new one among them.
A brown skinned girl with white hair and violet tips tied into a very short ponytail. She was wearing a dark brown tank top with matching pants and a feathery belt separating the two. She also wore feather earrings and fingerless gloves. “You must be Rainbow’s friend? Nice to meet you,” Flash said, extending a hand.
“Dweeb,” was all the girl said before she slapped Flash’s hand and walked away.
“Well, she seems friendly,” Flash scoffed, rolling his eyes.
“I swear, Gilda was a lot cooler back when we were in middle school,” Rainbow defended.
“Well, people change with time, and not always for the better,” Flash sagely stated. However, he noticed Rainbow’s discomfort with his advice. “Maybe we should just get the game started,” Flash said, attempting to change the subject, and he made his way to the goalpost. Rainbow, grateful for the shift in conversation, agreed, the opposing teams got into their positions. The soccer ball was placed in the middle of the field.
“Here, Trixie, you can be the ref,” Rainbow said, throwing a startled Trixie a whistle.
“What!? I can’t be the referee, I know next to nothing about this sport!” Trixie complained.
“You'll be fine. All you need to do is blow the whistle to start the game, or if somebody gets hurt! ” Rainbow waved off Trixie’s concern, preparing herself for the game.
Trixie took a deep breath, calming her frustration, and sighed. She gave in, and blew, signalling the start of the game. Rainbow was the first to get the ball. Even without her super speed, Rainbow still had the skills to be Canterlot High ace. She made it a few feet before passing it to one of her teammates, but it was quickly intercepted by a boy with red hair. He waved around the players, before kicking it towards the goal. Flash reacted quickly, diving at the ball and blocking it.
“Nice shot, Heath. Too bad Flash was quicker than you,” Rainbow said. When Flash got up, he spotted Gilda sporting an annoyed look, bitter at what Rainbow said. He sighed, and grabbed the ball.
“Coming at ya, Cloudkicker!” Flash warned. He kicked the ball back to the players. The periwinkle girl with teal spiky hair kicked the ball towards the other goal once it hit the ground. The other players tried to stop her, but Cloudkicker was just too fast. She was winding up to make a score at goal, but Gilda, with a speed rivaling Dash’s normal pace, quickly came up from the side. Before anyone could react, she’d planted her leg in front of the ball and slammed Cloudkicker to the ground. Everyone rushed over to make sure the periwinkle girl was ok. But they were so distracted that they didn't notice Gilda steal the ball.
“Are you alright?” One of the players asked as he helped Cloudkicker up.
Rainbow was shocked at what she had witnessed. Furious and confused, she ran off to confront Gilda. “What were you thinking there?!” She demanded. “You know that would be a red card if this was a real game! You really could have hurt her!”
“Well, it’s not an official game,” Gilda replied coolly, glaring right back at Dash.
“That’s not the point. This was supposed to be a friendly game. You had no reason to slam into Cloudkicker like that,” Rainbow said, growing frustrated.
“Friendly, shmendly, the only thing you should be focused on is winning. Doesn't matter what dweeb gets in your way,” Gilda said, crossing her arms.
“That isn’t all there is to playing sports,” Rainbow started. “Yes you need to put your all into winning, but sports are much more than that. Some of the greatest people I know I met on the playing field. Both playing with and against them. You can’t just focus on winning all the time.”
“If you’re not a winner, you're a loser!” Gilda yelled in Rainbow’s face. “If that dweeb over there can’t handle herself against someone like me, maybe she shouldn't be on your team in the first place. Same goes for that Flash guy, he basically has loser written all over his face.”
“Hey, Cloudkicker can keep up with the best of them. And that goes double for Flash,” Rainbow replied, further getting worked up herself.
“You’ve gone soft. The Rainbow I knew would have done anything to win,” Gilda said turning around to walk off.
“Well, maybe the Rainbow you knew was dumb, and didn't know what it means to be on a real team,” Rainbow shot back, “And the Gilda I knew would never have stooped this low.” Gilda said nothing but Rainbow noticed her flinch. The white-haired girl's face showed angry, tears of frustration streaming down her face. She ran off, fleeing into the wooded area in the park.
“What was that all about?” Flash asked as he ran up to Rainbow.
“I don’t know,” Dash responded, calmer, but shaken. “I knew Gilda had a rough time when I moved, but I don't think she would have ended up so mean,” Rainbow said as she turned to him. She gazed in the direction Gilda had run, a pit of concern welling in her gut.
“Should we try and go after her?” Flash followed up.
“Nah, I think it’d be better if we just let her work off some steam,” Rainbow said. She looked back to where the rest of the group was heading. “By the way, how’s Cloudkicker?”
“She looks alright, but I think she may need to sit some of the game out. Gilda hit her pretty hard. She'll be fine after some rest,” Flash answered.
“Well, that's good to hear,” Rainbow said. She gave the woods a glance, before running off to see to her other friend.
Gilda ran deep into the woods, wanting to get away from the person she'd called a friend. “Losers, all of them. Why would Rainbow Dash even hang out with them?!” Gilda yelled, kicking a tree. “I didn’t think their loser...ness would have rubbed off on her.” She leaned her head against the trunk, her tears falling onto the grass and leaves. She growled, punched the tree listlessly...
“You're an angry one.” a mysterious voice rang out. Startled, Gilda looked around, but couldn't locate the source.
“What’s it to ya, you coward!” Gilda yelled out, whirling around, her fists clenched..
“I see no reason for you to be quite so hostile,” The voice admonished. Emerging from the shadows was an older man, with snow white skin and an ominous aura. His black hair was very unkempt, and his eyes had dark bags beneath them, as if he hadn’t slept in months. He had on a black parka with a gray t-shirt, with a hexagon design on it. “I can tell your friend doesn't understand the way you’re feeling,” the man said.
“What are you, some kind of psychic?” Gilda guessed.
“I do possess unique powers if that’s what you're asking,” the man said, taking a few steps closer. “Such as the ability to make your feelings known to everyone. To show your friend how much you're upset with how she has changed,” the man assured her. From his park, he pulled out a card with the image of a griffin on it.
“And how do you do that, with a children's game card?” Gilda asked rudely.
“Just watch,” The man instructed patiently. He took Gilda’s hand and placed the card on it. After he released it, the card transformed into an aura that floated behind the girl.
The aura began to take the physical form of a monster. The monster was bird-like, with yellow claws, and sharp wing blades on its arms. Its legs were covered in fur instead of feathers. It had a white feather collar around its neck, that draped down to its chest with wings coming off it’s back. The monster’s head was covered with feathers, leading to his beak and a red crest in the middle of his head. “I am Grifter, the personification of your anger,” The monster said, bowing respectfully.
Gilda was freaked out by the monster that had formed. She soon calmed when she realized that it wasn't attacking her.”Th-that thing came from me?” she asked.
“Yes.” the man affirmed. "Grifter here can show all your friends your feelings. That a person needs to do anything to win,” The man said, keeping a rather emotionless face.
“Really, now?” Gilda said with a sinister smile.“He-he, I think this may be just what I needed.”
The game carried on without Gilda. After her fall, Cloudkicker was sitting on the side lines with Trixie which evened out the teams. Flash was holding his own as goalie. He was up against the Canterlot high soccer team, so keeping up wasn't easy. But they were up against Achilles. Flash’s recent fights gave him a leg up in physical experience.
Rainbow continued to play pretty well, but what Gilda said still weighed on her. She didn't want to face the fact that her childhood friend had changed for the worse. Was it because she’d moved away? Or was it something else Gilda wanted help with? Why was Gilda so...so callous? These questions rested on her mind, but she shook her head. Trying not to let the thoughts get in the way of her performance was all she could do. She was in the middle of a game. Games were good to win, but you have to have fun playing. Couldn’t do that if you didn’t focus.
One of the opposing teams tried to block her, but Rainbow wasn't stopping for anything. She kicked the ball between her opponent's leg, before performing a slide, following it. This left the boy surprised as Rainbow jumped back up to kick the ball to a blond haired girl. The girl caught it before dashing right to the goal. The opposing team tried to stop her, but the blond girl kicked the ball before anyone could stop her. The Goalie tried to stop the sphere, but he reacted too late and the ball hit the net.
“GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!” Rainbow roared at the top of her lungs.
At that moment, the alarm on Trixie’s phone went off. This caused Trixie to blow her whistle to get everyone attention. “Hey, that was the timer going off! The game is over! Rainbow’s team wins,” Trixie announced.
This not only made Rainbow cheer, but her team as well, including Flash.
“That was a great game, everyone. I hope you guys picked some stuff up, you can use in the match next week,” Rainbow loudly spoke to everyone present. “Also, a huge thanks to Flash for being our sub.”
Everyone cheered for Flash, even if his performance was probably the worst out of all of them- rather- he'd hardly been involved. “It was nothing. It was fun playing with you guys.”
“Now then, how about Victory Nachos at the diner, on me,” Rainbow offered. Now that's something everyone went wild for.
As they were celebrating, Flash noticed a glint of silver from the corner of his eye. “LOOK OUT!” Flash yelled. Moving fast, he tackled Rainbow to the ground. Right at that moment, the two narrowly avoided a blade of air that tore up the ground it hit.
Everyone looked up to see Grifter hovering in the sky. He raised his arm to catch a wing shaped boomerang that was returning, and attached it back to his arm. “Prepare yourselves, for I shall teach you all what it truly means to play,” Grifter said as he threw another boomerang. This caused everyone to scatter almost instantly. The weapon brutally destroyed more of the field.
“Quick, I need my bag!” Rainbow called. One of her teammates noticed such, and threw her the bag as they ran. Quickly, Rainbow took out her necklace and put it on. When she did her pony ears and wings appeared, and she zoomed right to the monster “Eat this!” Rainbow shouted as she wound up for a punch.
“Head’s up~” Grifter said, a small smirk on his beak. The comment came out of nowhere, so surprising that it caused Rainbow to stop and look around apprehensively. She turned to see the boomerang he’d launched coming right towards her. She ducked down as the blade flew over her head to return to its sender. “I guess I should have warned you from the start; I like to play with very dangerous toys.”
“Yeah, well, I’m the one that’s going to break them!” Rainbow declared, trying again to regain speed. However when Rainbow started to fly again, Grifter had already thrown another boomerang and it was heading right towards her. Rainbow had to move to the side to avoid the attack. In doing so a few strands of Rainbow’s red hair were cut off. “OK, so you're not just messing around,” Rainbow said, concerned. She glared at the bird man regardless. "Well, neither am I, feather-head!"
As Rainbow was busy avoiding the monster’s attacks, everyone else was running to safety. Flash was trying to find Trixie in the mix. He found her running, supporting the limping Cloudkicker. “Trixie, I need my jacket,” Flash said as he caught up to them.
“Don’t you have bigger things to worry about than your jacket?!” Trixie asked, incredulous.
“I know, I do,” Flash said as he took his jacket and pulled out the Legend Driver, letting only Trixie catch a glimpse. Her eyes widened with understanding. “Stay safe till I get back,” He said, before running off.
Rainbow continued to fly all over the place, avoiding air blades left and right. She couldn’t tell if an attack was coming from the front or behind her. “This is what victory really is- crushing your opponent so they will never oppose you again,” Grifter gloated. The monster let out a laugh, prepared to finish the girl. But without warning, he was struck by several energy shots.
After Grifter recovered, both he and Rainbow looked to the ground, to see Achilles standing there with his blaster in hand. “Hey feather brain, no one likes a sore winner,” Achilles said, continuing to fire at the Magi-Beast.
“Ah, Rider, come to join the fun I see,” Grifter said as he threw one of his boomerangs at the rider. Achilles tried to shoot down the weapon, but he wasn’t able to hit it- the blade whirled far to erraticaly.
“That thing isn’t like Constellar’s swords. The curve in its flight makes it hard to track,” the Rider thought to himself, noting the motions when it got too close. He tried to block the attack, but Rainbow quickly swooped to get him out of the way.
“Glad you could drop in,” Rainbow said once she let the Rider down.
“Thanks,” Achilles said. “Those boomerangs aren't the only problem. As long as he’s still in the air, there's not much I can do.”
“You want me to fly you up there?” Rainbow asked.
“No. I’ll just weigh you down and kill your speed. Make it harder for you to dodge his attacks. I am wearing armor,” the Rider remarked, before grabbing Rainbow, pulling out of the way of another attack.
“Then maybe we should flank him,” Rainbow suggested.
“Does that mean you have a plan?” Achilles asked.
Rainbow just smiled and nodded. “Just get his attention,” She said.
The two both separated as another boomerang flew between the two. Achilles rolled out of the way, opening fire on the monster as he did. “Hey, why don’t you come down here and face me if you're such a big shot?!” he yelled, continuing to shoot.
“And give up my advantage? No way!” the monster snarked as he threw a boomerang right at the Rider. Achilles was ready to block, but a rainbow streak rushed by and took the Rider to the skies. The boomerang flew and hit the area the Rider had been before going back to its owner, who caught it effortlessly. “Oh, you thought you could get me to hit myself with my own weapon? How dumb do you think I-”
Before Grifter could finish his gloating, he was hit with several shots from behind. Rainbow had carried the Rider in the sky to flank the beast. “Haha, I knew you needed to keep an eye on those things,” Rainbow snarked. Achilles took aim at the monster's wings. One of the shots hit, and Grifter fell to the ground.
Once the monster was grounded, Rainbow set the Rider nearby. “Now, I can end this before anyone gets hurt,” Achilles said. He placed the Rider card into the slot on his blaster.
“CHARGING!”
Grifter tried to get up, and once he did, his eye began to glow. “Yes, give me your anger,’ he said, oddly calm, as he crossed his arms to his shoulders. Before the Rider could pull the trigger, the monster performed an X shaped air slash that tore up the whole field. While Achilles and Rainbow were knocked down, Grifter took the opportunity to escape back into the air.
“What was that?” Rainbow asked, flabergasted, as she got up.
“I guess there was a spike in emotions with the Magi-beast’s host,” Achilles answered. “Now, the question is, who's the host?”
“I hope Gilda's alright,” Rainbow sighed, downtrodden and worried.
“You should go back, make sure your team is alright,” Achilles said. Rainbow nodded in agreement, and she used her speed to run to find them. When she was out of sight, Achilles took out the card, and reverted to normal.
Once it was all clear, Trixie popped up from the bushes she was hiding in. “So, any thoughts as to the host of the Magi-Beast?” Trixie asked.
“I do, but I don’t think Rainbow would like it,” Flash said, a little upset.
“You don't mean... Gilda?” Trixie asked.
“It makes sense. She was mad, the monster tried to attack Rainbow, and she doesn't even know what a Magi-Beast is. I think with all those negative thoughts going through her head when she left, she would be the perfect target,” Flash explained.
“If that's true, then Gilda has way less time then I did, with that short fuse she has,” Trixie said.
“I'm going to catch up with Rainbow,” Flash said before walking away.
“Wait, shouldn't we be looking for Gilda? She’s the one with the anger problem, and the emotion parasite,” Trixie asked.
“Rainbow Dash knows Gilda better than both of us. If that monster gets another power up from an emotional spike, maybe Rainbow will know how to calm her down,” Flash explained.
“Oh I get it, trying to get a tactical advantage,” Trixie said with a grin, understanding the plan.
“Well, kinda,” Flash said, turning back to Trixie. “I want to help Rainbow and Gilda out. Rainbow said they used to be best friends, and I want to see if they can be friends again. I can see Rainbow isn’t taking Gilda’s running off too well.”
“So, in your mind, fixing someone’s old friendship is more important than beating a monster?” Trixie asked incredulously.
“No, I’m going to beat a monster by fixing someone’s old friendship,'' Flash said smirking confidently.
In the midst of the chaos, the strange man that met with Gilda was sitting on a bench. Totally unphased by the destruction that had taken place before him. While everyone was running away, a single young man walked to meet with him. “Now, I didn’t expect to see that ugly mug,” Terra snarked as he walked up behind the quiet man.
“This form makes it easier to gather data,” the man said.
“Ah, and where is that pride you had for the Doc’s work, Cypher?” Terra asked.
“And what about your job?” Cypher asked.
“I’m just passing through,” Terra said with a smile. “Come on, we both know I’m your best friend.”
“Cram a burger in it Terra. We need this data,” Cypher snapped.
“Yeah, watching a Magi-Beast get his butt kicked,” Terra mocked.
“I assure you, Grifter is the best Magi-Beast so far to combat the Rider. He has the advantage of being in the air, and his host is consumed by anger. With that combination the only thing that saved the Rider was that wild card girl,” Cypher said.
“So next time, with more emotional power, your monster will beat the Rider?” Terra asked
“I’m positive my assistance won’t be needed,” Cypher declared.
“There he is, Mr. Man with the Plan,” Terra laughed as he put his arm over Cypher’s shoulder. “And when the Rider is gone, I’m gonna buy everyone burgers to celebrate. You, me, Doc, even her when she wakes up.”
“Speaking of her waking up, I'm sure the job The Doctor is making you do is to contribute to that effort,” Cypher said.
“There it is. That 'all business” attitude. Try to lighten up before Sleeping Beauty opens her eyes, k? ” Terra said, before walking off.
When he was finally alone in the park, Cypher stood up, and walked away as well. ”I don't care what you think of my demeanor, Terra. All I care about is fulfilling the doctor’s wishes. Starting with the Rider's destruction.”
Gilda paced back and forth in the forest, teeming with anger. Grifter was close by and tending to his wing. “Who the heck was that gold guy?” Gilda demanded.
“He is a Kamen Rider. Someone who has been fighting my kind,” Grifter explained simply.
“Well, he’s annoying too!” Gilda yelled as she kicked a rock. As Gilda got more worked up, Grifter’s wing healed itself even more rapidly. “I-I just…” she paused to try and gather her thoughts. “I want things to go back to how they were before. Before Rainbow had to move away…”
For a moment, her voice broke...
“But I had no choice in the matter. My dad was being transferred to Canterlot and he wasn't going to give up a good paying job, just so I could be with my friends,” Rainbow Dash said. Flash and Trixie managed to catch up to Rainbow, who had been diligently standing guard in front of Sugarcube Corner. The athlete was telling the two about the last time she saw Gilda. “I could see she was just as upset as I was when I gave her the news, but I also knew she was tough. I left believing she was going to bounce right back up on her feet, and make some new friends.”
“So you never tried to call each other or write? You’d think best friends would keep in touch.” Trixie stated.
“Oh, I called her house, every chance I got. Gilda’s mom always said she was too busy, and every letter I got back didn’t paint a clear picture of what was going on,” Rainbow explained.
“I guess Gilda wasn’t as tough as you thought,” Flash said.
“I wanted her to make new friends, but I guess she thought I was the only friend she ever needed...” Rainbow Dash trailed off, upset.
“And she must have felt betrayed when she saw how happy you were without her. She got angry when she saw that you didn't need her as much as she needed you,” Flash realized. “That would also explain why she decided to take some of her anger out on Cloudkicker's shin.”
“But I would never leave a friend like Gilda behind,” Rainbow insisted .
“Well, we need to let Gilda know that,” Flash said.
“Right, right, I’ll call so see where she is, so we can talk, face to face,” Rainbow agreed. She pulled out her phone, and made the call.
After a few rings Gilda picked. “Hey,” she answered briefly.
"Hey Gilda, you alright since you left?” Rainbow asked. "There was a monster attack, and all..."
“Of course I am,” Gilda replied coolly.
“Anyway, do you think we can meet up at the school? We need to talk,” Rainbow said.
“Sounds great, I have something I need to let you know too,”Gilda said, before hanging up abrutly.
“I hope things go well,” Rainbow said, worried as she looked at her phone.
“Well, we’ll be there to support you,” Flash said as he put his hand on Rainbow's shoulder. Even if Flash meant every word he said, supporting Rainbow Dash wouldn’t be the main reason why he and Trixie were coming. If Gilda still held anger towards Rainbow, then Grifter would be there, and stronger than ever before. The speedster would need Achilles's help
Rainbow, Flash, and Trixie all waited for Gilda on the stairs of the school. After half an hour, Gilda arrived with a dark grin on her face. “Gilda!” Rainbow yelled as she ran up to her old friend.
“Yeah, I’m here. What's this thing you want to talk about already?” Gilda said with a hint of annoyance.
“I didn't realize how much I hurt you when I left. I thought you were tougher, and that you could handle yourself on your own. I never wanted you to think I was better off without you. You were my best friend back then, and we can still be friends now. I can even help you meet some new people,” Rainbow offered her hand to the other girl, her eyes hopefull.
But Rainbow’s words seemed to have the opposite effect of what she’d hoped. Gilda's eyes flared, and she slapped Rainbow Dash's hand away. “What, you think I’m so pathetic that I need your charity?!” She barked “That I couldn't make it on my own? You got it right that I was mad when you left, but that just proved that I didn't need anyone! I was better off alone! What ticked me off is that the girl I used to call my best friend apparently can’t do the same. You’ve gotten soft Rainbow,” Gilda said as she pushed Rainbow away. “If you can’t see that much, then I’ll just have to show you!”
“Gilda!” Flash yelled, before he had to use his arm to guard against the sudden blast of wind.
Looking up, everyone watched Grifter, out of nowhere, appeared above Gilda. “Yes, let your anger run wild,” He said, before launching a boomerang at Rainbow and the others. The air blade created was much bigger than the ones he had made before. Rainbow acted quickly, and used her speed to grab Flash and Trixie, rushing them to safety.
“So, I guess we can safely say Gilda is that thing’s host,” Flash affirmed.
“Yeah, and I really don't like how that feather brain is feeding off of my friend,” Rainbow said, before grabbing her necklace. Her wings appeared and flared strongly.
“I don’t think Gilda has a problem with that,” Trixie said, concerned.
“Yeah, well I’m going to beat that thing down, whether she likes it or not. I'll knock some sense into her afterwards!” Rainbow declared before flying off to battle.
Rainbow flew right towards the monster before she had to duck down to avoid an incoming boomerang. “Gilda, are you really OK with hurting people like this!? I get it, you're mad. But taking it out on other's isn't a good way to show it!” she asked.
“This is how I choose to show my anger,” Gilda declared. “If any dweebs get in my way then it’s their own fault!”
“Yes!” Grifter yelled as he felt Gilda’s anger making him stronger.
While Rainbow was fighting, Flash and Trixie looked at each other. “Well, aren't you going to help her?” Trixie asked after a moment.
“I will,” Flash said defensively. “I’m just figuring out how. I can't get close to him when he's in the air and even if she can, I don't think Rainbow can hit hard enough.”
“Then work together, that’s what worked last time,” Trixie pointed out.
Flash observed Rainbow flying around, avoiding the boomerangs before seeing an opening he could take advantage of. He then pulled out his driver and put it around his waist. “Alright, I’m going in. Henshin!”
“OK!”
“A HERO’S STORY YET TO BE TOLD! FIGHTING TO PROTECT ALL!”
“R-R-R-RIDER!”
Flash ran through the magical circle, and transformed into Achilles. The Rider jumped, and nimbly landed on top of the horse statue. He used the statue as a jumping point, gaining the height he needed. He pulled out his spear midair, and performed a vicious slash on Grifter’s back. This took the monster by surprise, and he was slammed out of the air, onto the ground. “Hey, welcome back to earth,” he snarked, "Hope the landing wasn't too rough.” Achilles skillfully landed in front of Rainbow. He then spun his spear around, before pointing it at the monster.
“Great, now this bucket head is going to get in my way,” Gilda grumbled.
“Hey, I/he looks awesome!” both Achilles and Rainbow declared at the same time.
“Don’t worry, the Rider is no challenge for me,” Grifter said, arrogantly. He then raised both his arms as the boomerangs returned to their mounted position on his arms. He then lunged forward to slash Achilles with his arm mounted blades. Achilles did his best to block the attack with his spear. The two went back and forth with their attacks. Soon, the Rider found the strength to begin pushing the monster back. “Your efforts are useless compared to my full power!” Grifter snarled.
“I find that hard to believe,” Achilles said, attacking again.
“You clearly haven't learned from our last encounter,” Grifter said as he crossed his arms and charged up his energy. His eyes flashed with light, just like before.
“Yeah! Rip the bucket head to shreds!” Gilda yelled, cheering her monster on.
Once the attack was fully charged, Grifter launched both his boomerangs in an X formation like before. Achilles knew he wasn't going to be able to block this attack, so he instinctively jumped out of the way to avoid it. Unfortunately, the Rider noticed too late that Gilda was standing right behind him. There was no way that the Rider could save her from this distance, while he was moving already. Fortunately for Gilda, Achilles wasn't fighting alone. Rainbow swooped in to save her, moving as fast as her body would allow. The attack only destroyed the pavement Gilda had been standing on.
“What is wrong with you?! Don't you Magi-Beast need your host alive to survive?!” Achilles asked, horrified by what almost happened.
“What about you? I thought you Riders were supposed to be the protectors of all?” Grifter responded.
“I couldn't keep track of where she was with all your random attacking,” Achilles followed.
“Will you two shut up!” Rainbow yelled, dazed and exhausted.
“You-you saved me?” Gilda asked as everything that just happened caught up with her. “After everything I’ve done... you still helped me?”
“Of course, why wouldn't I?” Rainbow asked. Before Gilda could answer she doubled over in pain. Rainbow caught as she fell, cradling her, looking over her form. She was already starting to fade away. “Oh no, it looks like you're on your last leg!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this guy before she’s gone for good,” Achilles promised, spinning around his spear.
“Please, you can't even touch me with that thing,” Grifter said, taking to the sky once more. He threw one of his boomerangs, which Achilles knocked down before he could follow.
“Could use some help here,” Achilles called, forced onto the defensive.
“What do you want me to do? I can’t leave Gilda on her own!” Rainbow said. Soon her necklace began to glow before a red orb of light came out. The red orb floated in the air towards The Legends Driver on Achilles, before being absorbed into it. A large flash came out of the driver, forcing the Rider to shield his eyes.
When the light died down, Achilles felt something in his hand. The rider then found he was holding a new card. The card was light blue with a darker blue lighting bolt down the middle. On the bottom corner was a spark carved with the word “Storm” into the card.
“Where did this come from?” Achilles asked.
“How should I know? I don't pay attention when Twilight or Sunset explains this stuff!” Rainbow answered.
“I hope it's something useful,” Achilles said as he pressed the button on his driver.
“READY!”
He then put the new card into the driver. At the same time Grifter launched another cross attack at the rider.
“OK”
A new magical circle, this one blue, appeared in front of the Rider, blocking the attack before passing over him. When it did, Achilles armor changed to a cyan and dark blue color scheme. He now had two shoulder pads instead of one, giving him an aerodynamic look. Several parts of his armor were changed, making the Rider built for speed. His eye plates were now red rather than blue, and his V shaped crest looked to now have a lighting bolt design. The only thing that stayed the same was the driver around his waist and the muffler around his neck.
“KNIGHT OF THE WIND! A SWIFT VICTORY IS AT HAND!”
“[b]S-S-S-STORM!!”
The Rider looked at himself, amazed at this new form. It felt... different then how his other form felt. He felt faster and more agile. He wondered if this is what Rainbow felt like with her magic power. He looked over his hand in new armor, as a bolt of lighting jumped across his fingers. “Did the driver create a new ability from Rainbow’s Magic? Is that this thing's true power?” Achilles asked himself. Deciding to use this now, question it later, he turned back to Grifter. “Alright, bird brain…” Achilles announced. He clenched his hand into a fist, before swinging it out to the side as an open palm. “By the end of this battle, I'll have sent you to Tartarus!”
“Make all the threats you want, you will never be able to touch me rider,” Grifter said. He let out a hearty laugh, before a bolt of lighting flew by, cutting him off while he dodged narrowly. Looking back at Achilles, the monster saw the Rider’s arms were covered with blue lighting.
“You were saying? No, please, do go on. I found it riveting!” Achilles snarked as he started to throw more lighting at the Magi-Beast. This forced Grifter to start flying around, trying to avoid the attacks.
Rainbow continued to watch as the tides seemed to change for the Rider. Looking down, she saw Gilda was getting weaker. She bit her lip in concern, not knowing what to do…
“What are you doing just sitting around?!” Trixie’s voice rang out. Rainbow turned, and saw her friend running up. “I can stay with Gilda. You need to get in there, and help Achilles. This is the perfect time to get some hits in, while that monster is distracted.”
After a moment, Rainbow nodded before spreading her wings. She took off at top speeds towards Grifter, and before the monster knew it he was already on the receiving end of a full force supersonic kick. The impact caused Grifter to be thrown back a good ten feet before recovering in the air. “That's for messing with my friend,” Rainbow said as she crossed her arms.
“And she’s not the only one that wants a piece of you!” Achilles yelled out as he jumped into the air. He seemed to jump much higher than he normally would, which was already a surprise to everyone, but that wasn't all. The wind began to form a small cyclone around his body, carrying him even higher. This boost was enough to let the Rider meet the monster face to face, and he delivered a powerful uppercut. When Grifter recovered, he was shocked to see that Achilles was still floating in the air. The Rider looked to be suspended in place by the cyclone. “Holy crap, I'm flying!” he shouted joyfully, looking down at the twister.
“So cool,” Rainbow laughed, following and flying up next to him.
“So you think just because you guys are in the sky you can beat me? Not a chance!” Grifter growled as he threw his boomerangs.
Achilles and Rainbow scattered, avoiding the attack. The two flew all over to dodge, avoiding every strike. Rainbow took advantage of his recklessness, quickly turning around and kicked one boomerang out of the sky. Meanwhile, Achilles flew right towards Grifter, delivering several brutal punches supercharged with lightning.
The second boomerang attached back onto Grifter’s arm, and he tried to slash the Rider with it. The Rider dropped down in the air to avoid the attack, before flying up to the side and countering with a lighting kick. “I think I’m starting to get used to this flying thing,” Achilles said, excited.
“I know, it’s a lot easier than it looks,” Rainbow said, before she took off higher. Grifter tried to keep her in sight, before he was blinded by the sun. Stunned by this, the monster didn’t see Rainbow performing an axe kick, landing right on his head. The impact was so hard that Grifter was just barely floating above the ground. “Care to finish him off?” She offered the Rider.
“Oh, don't mind if I do!” Achilles said as he pressed the button on his driver.
“STORM FEEDBACK!”
The skies turned black, and the wind funnel helping Achilles fly expanded into a twister, forming and expanding around the Rider. Rainbow, reacting quickly, flew away as Achilles flew with the wind. The Rider began to pick up speed, and the tornado began to shrink around him. Achilles positioned himself for a kick, and the wind then threw him towards the monster like a spinning disc. A magical circle appeared, following his foot. When Grifter realized what was happening he was hit by the spinning kick. The wind surrounding the rider’s body pushed his leg, giving his impact much more power. Even after the first hit, Achilles kept spinning and kicking the monster back. Soon, Achilles began to fly skyward, before throwing the monster into the sky. “No, no, no, you can’t do this!” Grifter yelled, as he flew high into the sky, before exploding. The explosion was so strong that it blew away the dark clouds, and a rainbow appeared. Achilles and Rainbow Dash both landed on the ground, before performing victory poses.
"FEEDBACK END!"
Once the monster was destroyed, Gilda began to look solid again. “I-I feel better,” Gilda said as she got to her feet. Rainbow and Achilles ran up to the two girls to check on the former host. “Rainbow,” Gilda looked at the girl, “I still can't believe you would have done all that for me.”
“Gilda, how many times do I have to say it? We’re still friends, even if I had to move away. Yes, you were mean to, well, everyone, but that's still no reason for me to let you be drained of your life force. You’ll always be my friend,” Rainbow assured her.
“I can tell you’ve been alone for a long time. That’s enough to cause anyone to grow mean spirited,” Achilles chimed in. “You need to open up a bit or you're going to keep feeling that way. I understand wanting to keep your old friends close, but there’s no reason why you can’t make new ones.”
Gilda let out a groan. “Great, I must be pathetic if someone as lame as you is lecturing me,” She said.
“It’s not pathetic to lose your way. We all get lost from time to time. You just took a bit longer to find it again. And I think Rainbow here can teach you a lot on where to go from here,” the Rider said.
“Don’t sell yourself short. Without you, Gilda would be nothing by now,” Rainbow said before lightly jabing Achilles’ arm. Rainbow then glared at Gilda sternly. “Gil, he just saved your life. A little gratitude?” she scolded.
Gilda huffed, and averted her eyes. “Sorry,” she begrudgingly said to the Rider, to which he nodded, and patted her on the shoulder. Sighing, he then stood up. "It's a start."
“Anyway, it looks like everything is alright now, so I should be going,” Achilles said, before a cyclone formed around him, and he floated into the air. “Oh, and thanks for the power up. I promise I’ll put it to good use,” the Rider assured Rainbow. He gave her a two fingered salute, and flew away.
The girls looked on as the Rider soon vanished from their view. “So, Rainbow. You heard the guy, any advice on what I should do next?” Gilda asked.
“Ya know what, I know the perfect place to start,” Rainbow said.
“Here you go everyone, one order of Victory Nachos,” Pinkie said as she delivered a huge plate of chips, cheese, meat, and jalapenos.
“Thanks Pinkie, that'll be all for now,” Rainbow told her. The whole soccer team had met up at the diner. This was the celebration Rainbow promised the team before Grifter attacked. Even Flash and Trixie were invited. “Dig in everyone. When I promised nachos, I deliver.”
Gilda was uneasy. Being around all the people she was mean to, especially Cloudkicker was not easy. But the white haired girl took a breath before making her move. “Um, hey,” Gilda spoke up to get Cloudkicker’s attention. “I-I'm sorry for tripping you up on the field,” She said.
“Oh, thank you, but it’s no big deal. I didn't get seriously hurt or anything.” Cloudkicker said cheerfully.
Gilda was shocked by how nicely Cloudkicker seemed to act. Between her and Rainbow Gilda was learning that, maybe, making new friends wasn’t as hard as she’d thought. “Yeah, well, maybe next time you won't make it so easy to do it ya, dweeb,” She said, showing she still had a ways to go.
Flash was enjoying his share of the snacks till Rainbow got his attention, sitting down at his side. “Hey, I can't thank you enough for what you did today,” she said. This caused Flash to choke on a nacho, before managing to swallow, with Trixie slapping him on the back. He was afraid Rainbow had discovered his secret, and she was thanking him for stopping the monster. “Without you, we wouldn't have a goalie and I wouldn't have been able to reconnect with Gilda.”
“Oh” Flash said, somewhat dumbly. He worked to stop coughing, and exhaled in relief. A huge load was lifted from his shoulders. He’d been worried when Rainbow was thanking him for something his secret identity. “Anything for a friend,” He smiled, and Rainbow let out a laugh. Soon, both teams started partying at the diner.
To be continued...
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Is it Kamen Rider Achillis or Achilles?
9360478
the first one
9360478 9360480 Sorry, that might be me. British computer, so it doesn't recognise a few American words. My bad.
Question. Is there gonna be a chapter similar to the Ben 10 episode Grounded? I feel it would really fit in this dynamic, given what we've learned about Flash's mother in this and Shining Lucky Stars. Just curious.
9361115
I don't think so. as amusing as that is I don't believe flash's mom would disapprove of what flash is doing.
9361307 Maybe not, but she would become frightened of having her son be hurt. Most parents worry when their adult kids join the army of police force, imagine how they'd feel if they learned their underage kid was fighting magical monsters that can breath fire of shot air blades.
The chapter actually feels better than the episode is based on. Not gonna lie episodes like Boast Busters, Griffon the Brushoff and Dragon Quest are some of my most disliked episodes mostly because how hypocrite the mane 6 come out of those as well as being speciest.
So first power up. That's really cool.
Actually, the thing I liked the most was the interaction between Flash and Trixie and how casual it was, both acting just normal.
9363268
I knew I couldn't just have Gilda be a bully just for the sake of being a bully. I know the episode was about how you should cut people from your life if there not being a good person and Gilda was made to just be a bully with no reason why other then "she is the coolest". this chapter also kinda creeps on being that kind of insted problem solving that I tend to hate in the show's later season but i like to think its believable that she would be forgiven if I underplayed just how much of a bully she is and gave her a more plausible reason why she acts the way she dose.
I'm glad you like it
9363404
I feel the same. Gilda, Trixie, and even Garble got a horrible introduction. If you go and see Dragon Quest when Spike is accepted by the dragons Garble has this older brother vibe but they had to ruin him so they could just give the ponies the point and put dragons as jerks(it upsets me because dragons are my favorite fictional species and well as the show moved on I became less fond of spike. Specially fandom spike).
Catchphrase incoming. By the way, walking the path of heaven I see.
I actually agree. BY the way, really like this version of Trixi.
Already taken.
Also taken.
Next.
That one sounded familare
This whole thing sounded familare...
Oh, hey Gilda, how is Gabby doing?
ANd you can get all of that if you just sign this contract. We do not cover for the loss of live conected to our products.
Mhm, an apparently subserviant monster, interesting.
Clever.
Cute.
Interesting.
Maybe think about that before making a deal with the metaphorical devil.
Have to agree, I really like his design.
Oh, new toys, I mean form.
Nice, like the catchphrase.
Interesting Finisher.
Characterdevelopement, nice.
Nice chapter. All in all, I like have to say, this has been a realy fun ride until now and I think the way Flash gets his power ups is a good way how to do it. We got a few hints for the furture. Yeah, keep it up man, I veryl much like where this is going.
9384762
Thanks. When it's finish, I'll have a YouTube video that will explain what Kamen Rider U.N, is about.
You watch Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged, don't you? The only reason why I would know what that is is because I have younger brothers.
I think my heart just exploded.
Okay, my heart exploded and then exploded again!
Really liking the music titles. Hey, what song would have this stories opening title play too?
9687848
I would actually use “Make My Story” The forth opening to My Hero Academia
I think my favorite parts of this chapter were Trixie giving Flash the idea to make a catchphrase and Flash getting the “Storm” card and his “Knight of the Wind” form. I really like that Sonic reference.
I understand that reference, but have always hated that term. It feels insulting to any older fans of card games.
It’s been a while since I Last even thought about about sonic and the black knight I had forgotten how good the music is for the game
Lol
9360478
It was the second.