A Hint at What is to Come
Gary really didn’t like working night shift.
That wasn’t an uncommon complaint, but he felt like it carried a little more weight in Silver Hills. There was a lot of complicated equipment in storage from when the Silver Guardians migrated to a larger city, and a good portion of it struck him as dangerous. Not just ordinary, ‘don’t touch that’ dangerous, but as ‘entire sci-fi movie built around obtaining this’ dangerous. And to be perfectly honest, he didn’t want to be that one guard at the beginning of the movie who tries to take on some kind of mutant creature with his ordinary pistol, because really, haven’t bullets been obsolete for a while now?
Clang!
“Be careful, you dolts!”
And that could be a couple of employees, returning after hours. He thought to himself. Nothing to worry about.
“If we get caught, who knows what’ll happen?”
And they’re embarrassed about having to return late. Nothing-
“It’s not like we’re allowed to be in here!”
Nuts.
Officially out of excuses, Gary approached the door with caution. Mutated animals can’t talk, can they? He wondered. I mean, it's not like they can think or anything. It's not mutants. He carefully grabbed the door handle, then stopped. Breathing in, he mustered up all the courage he had and pulled it open.
It wasn't mutants.
He didn’t recognize these people. They weren’t dressed like burglars; they were wearing normal clothes. One of them even had a business suit on, for Pete's’ sake! They were moving methodically through the building, crating up the equipment and loading it onto a truck. More disconcertingly, they were completely ignoring him. The security guard grabbed on of them, spinning him around to look at his face. The man’s eye’s were flat, and white. He didn’t react when Gary shook him, trying to wake him up.
“Oh, do you like them?”
He turned around to face the voice, and screamed. The creature before him was almost seven feet tall, and clearly inhuman. It's skin was bright red, and shimmered like it was on fire. Gary could feel the heat coming from its body in waves. Its eyes were somehow glowing a supernatural shade of black, and it had bat-like wings it was using to fly. Her mouth moved into a cruel smile. “It's one of my favorite spells.” It said. “They won’t remember a thing that happens to them, and I can let them take the fall for whatever crimes I commit. It’s perfect.” It turned back to face Gary. “Now,” She said, musing, “Shall I demonstrate it for you, or simply kill you outright?”
Gary grabbed the gun in his holster, fumbling a little. The demon laughed as he brought the weapon around to bear on her. “Freeze!” He cried desperately. “D-Don’t make me use this!”
“Oh dear. You're going to throw rocks at me. The horror.” The monster said in the driest of tones. Gary desperately squeezed the trigger, only to watch as the bullets ricocheted off. It was something so common he only rarely thought about it when he saw it on movies, but that changed when it was staring him in the face. Whatever this monster was, not only did it want to use him as a puppet, but there was nothing at all he could do to stop it. Seizing the only sensible option, he turned and ran. Gary didn’t get more than five feet when the monster tackled him, pinning him to the far wall.
“Well, you know what they say. Waste not, want not.” Her irises began to glow a sickly green. He couldn’t look away, even though it made him sick, and he could feel her in his head, and hurt so much why wouldn't it stopyesokayI’lldowhatyousayjuststophurtingme-
In a flash of light, a new figure was teleported into the scene. She roared onto the scene, sitting astride an ATV. Gary caught a glimpse of a figure was dressed in emerald green armor, with glowing blue eyes. She faced the demon head-on, firing bolts of pure energy at the creature from her vehicle. They exploded, staggering the monster and breaking its concentration.
“Of course it would be you.” It said, in a tone the radiated loathing. Gary wasn’t paying attention. He could feel the things spell leaking out of his head, but it wasn’t all gone, and it still hurt to think, why couldn’t she just leave him alone-
And suddenly, it was over. He gasped feeling like he’d just woken up. The sensation of having a live snake rattling inside his head was gone, like it had never been there in the first place. However, now he was trapped in a warehouse full of mindless slaves that could turn on him at any moment.
EARTH PONY: ROCK ON!
Gary glanced over to see the masked rider’s armor glow, and morph into a different shape. Instead of green with a pink scarf, it was now black and reddish brown, with what looked like vines and wooden armor growing over top it. Without hesitating, the figure casually kicked a six-thousand-pound forklift at the demonic creature. Gary gaped in astonishment. The monster was nonplussed, simply diving underneath the arch of the machine and tackling the hero into the far wall hard enough to leave a dent. The rider grabbed its arms and began to push her back, taking two steps easily. The demon’s eye’s widened.
“You’ve been practicing since the last time we met.” It noted. “It’ll just make it more satisfying to beat you!” It's hands burst into flame, causing the armored figure to gasp in pain. The creature threw her across the building, and Gary could hear the concrete crack. It barely staggered the masked rider. The fiery creature pointed at the hero, and spoke to its mesmerized slaves.
“Get her!” It cried in the voice of a legion. “Bring me her body in pieces!”
Every thrall in the building began to stumble towards the rider, who looked unconcerned. Without panicking or fumbling, she swung the staff from around her back and spun it over her head a few times. It began to glow, a green pulse emanating from each end. She stabbed it through the concrete in a loud crack! After a few moments, it became apparent that the cracking noise wasn’t fading. Vines began to push their way up and out, breaking the concrete floor apart. They slithered around the slaves, restraining them without causing harm. The masked rider touched the dial on her belt, creating a cloud of sparks and a boom of thunder.
UNICORN: LIGHT IT UP!
Her suit began to shift again. The scarf disappeared, and new armored plates appeared and covered the shoulders and back. The colors shifted, turning to shades of purple and black. An elegant cape flowed from her shoulder. In a flash of light, a saber appeared in her hands. She twirled it experimentally, before settling into a defensive stance.
The demon sent a stream of fire roaring at the hero, the flames hot enough for Gary to feel from across the room. The hero gave no sign of panic and casually spun her sword in a circle. A shield of magical energy transposed itself between her and the flames. Gary staggered back from the sparks.
The rider swung her sword at the monster, sending arcs of blue energy at the creature. The monster dropped below to evade the bursts, came to rest on the floor, hissing at the rider. The two of them circled one another, searching for an opening. The demon’s tail twitched, betraying her decision moments before it struck. The creature dove forwards, with teeth bared. But the rider was ready, and in one smooth motion she leapt over-top the monster and struck it twice with her sword.
The demon went cascading into the far wall, leaving a gigantic crack in it. It groaned, its wings glowing red as it healed itself. The rider slapped her belt again.
PEGASUS: LET’S FLY!
Her new costume, a slim blue suit with some lightening details down the arms and legs, seemed to glow more than the others did. Two rods on her back sprang up, and a crackling field of energy shaped like wings sprang to life between them. She jumped into the air and hovered over the demon, holding a bolt of lightning between two hands.
“I’m giving you a chance: Surrender... or face the consequences.”
The riders voice was soft, quieter than Gary would have expected. The tone however, was cold and focused, betraying no fears or hesitation. The demon scoffed. “Please. Don’t tell me you think you can win.”
“I’m about too.”
Her four-wheeler spun around, firing bolts of energy at the demon from behind. Cursing, the creature flew into the air to try and avoid them, only to be struck with lightning from the masked rider. The energies cascaded around one another and in a massive boom, an explosion sent the monster crashing back to the ground. The rider dove at her, feet first, and caught in a painful kick that created a gigantic crater in the middle of the floor and left the demon bundled up in pain. The force of it actually knocked Gary off of his feet. The rider watched as the monster began to glow red, healing itself from the blow, before stalking over to it and kneeling on her back.
The demon twisted its head around to stare at the faceless mask of her opponent. She tried to set herself on fire, but the rider flexed her wings and the flames dissipated before they could get started. If Gary didn’t know better, he’d say there was frost forming on the demon's skin. The rider slugged it, hard, right in the face. The monster's head snapped forwards, breaking yet more of the concrete. It stopped moving.
The sudden silence was startling. The mysterious hero stood up, slowly. She slowly stumbled over to her transport, and mounted it in an exhausted manner. Her costume faded away, the simple green and yellow replacing the flashier designs. Her armor did not appear to be elaborate; it was a very simple with green plates over-top the yellow suit. The only flourishes were the pink touches connecting the armor, and the flowing pink scarf. The lenses in her helmet were perfectly circular, and glowed a bright teal blue.
“Wait!” Gary cried. The figure looked up, clearly startled. “What am I going to tell the police? Or Mr. Collins?”
The hero shrugged rather unhelpfully.
“At least tell me your name!” Gary demanded in a somewhat ungrateful manner. It occurred to him later, as a great deal of things did, that demanding and startling someone like this was incredibly stupid and dangerous. Still, the masked rider appeared to be considering the question for a long moment.
“Kamen Rider.”
Gary blinked. “Uh- What?” He asked in his typically clear manner.
“I’m the Kamen Rider.” The hero stated again, sounding more sure of herself. Before Gary could ask anything else, she gunned the engine and began to move forwards, before teleporting away in a bright flash of light.
“What the heck does Kamen Rider mean?” He muttered to himself.
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Almost a state away, Sarah Hassett sipped tea and waited for her daughter to return home.
She didn’t do this very often; her daughter usually wasn’t out late. At least, she never said she was out late. Grace wouldn’t lie, but Sarah could understand her leaving out certain facts if it meant sparing someone worry. And considering the kind of monsters she had to worry about...
Sarah sipped her tea again, trying not think of it. She perked up. There the odd noise that was something of a combination of a whirl and a bell, and then she saw a flash of light and heard the rising growl of an engine. The vehicle drove up to the house before cutting out, leaving everything disquietingly silent. A few moments more, and her daughter entered the room.
She was fiddling with her belt as she came in, transforming from a powerful warrior to her little girl. It was something Sarah always found uncomfortable; seeing her daughter in armor, gleaming even in the limited light. Even after it had faded to reveal the girl, she could see toned muscles and scars that bespoke of power and strength despite her small stature.
“Grace?”
The girl froze, not having noticed her mother as she came in. There were so many things Sarah wanted to say. About how she was terrified for her, or how she was proud of the lives Grace had saved. How angry she was at this new danger being forced upon them, and how guilty she felt whenever she felt angry at Grace risking her life like this.
Instead, Sarah simply slid a second cup forwards. “I made you some tea.” She said in what she hoped was a calm voice. Why couldn’t Danny be here with her, instead of in Japan? She felt so many things all at once, and her mind couldn’t settle on just one.
Grace smiled, stretching out her arm to take the cup. Sarah noticed several burns on her forearm. “Are those new?” She asked in a troubled voice. Grace nodded.
“I almost forgot about those.” She noted, looking at her hand. “I’m sorry, I should have been more careful.”
Sarah was already bringing out the first aid kit. “You don’t need to apologize, Grace.” She said in a voice that actually sounded rather calm. “You didn’t intend to get hurt.”
“It's not that bad. It's already started to heal-”
“Give me your arm.” Sarah’s voice did not broke argument. Grace extended her arm, and Sarah began to examine it. Sure enough, the wounds were closing on their own at a rate far faster than was human. Sarah swallowed. “Are these from the same woman you fought… that tried to steal the Morpher?” Her voice did shake, that time
The day Grace had used the Morpher for the first time had been the most terrifying day of Sarah’s life. It had started out so normally, even quietly. Danny had been able to talk his boss into letting Grace’s class attend a tour of the facility where he worked, a technological company called Alphabet Soup. Director Roxanne had been more cheerful than Sarah had ever seen her before. Despite her rather serious demeanor, the Director has a soft spot for children. The day was almost over, and the Director was demonstrating some of the technology that would be incorporated into their more secret Ranger projects. Nothing too groundbreaking; teleporting inanimate objects, some more advanced laser weapons, and a few artifacts they had found excavating an old tomb in Japan. All of it was fairly common nowadays.
But then there was an explosion, and normal became a thing of the past.
She’d seen monsters on the news before; everybody had. It hadn’t prepared her for seeing them up close. The demon had attacked relentlessly, fighting her way through security by the skin of her teeth. That thing didn’t care about collateral damage, or human life. It just came forwards, like a wrecking ball.
Until her daughter got in its way.
She was saving one of the other kids. Sarah didn’t know her name. The demon had sent her flying through a display case. There were a lot of different kinds of pain Sarah had felt over the years, but none of them compared to the sight of her daughter broken and bleeding. She ran towards her daughter, but before she or Danny could reach her there was an explosion of light. She could see Grace suspended in the air, energy cascading around her, her body twitching as the magic flowed through her, changing her and-
Grace reached out and took her mother’s hand, breaking her concentration. “I’m fine.” She reassured her mother. “I caught her. She was breaking into a warehouse over in Silver Hills. I stopped her.” There was pride in her daughter's tone, something she didn’t hear often. Grace thought very little of herself, and tended to downplay her accomplishments. Fighting wasn’t something she had hoped her daughter would enjoy. Sarah forced herself to breath in a shaky breath. “Grace… are you sure you want to do this job?”
She regretted the question as soon as she said it aloud. Grace looked up from the table sharply. “Of course I am.” Grace insisted, more firmly and a lot louder than most would have thought she could. “I’m helping people. I can make a difference. And it’s not like there’s anyone else.”
“What about the Power Rangers?” Sarah said desperately. “This is their job. Why not ask them?”
“There aren’t nearly as many Power Ranger teams as you’d think, and any that are active are busy defending their own city.” Grace argued. “Besides, I’m older than most of them.”
“But they have a team.” Sarah shot back, wishing she could stop but unable to. “You’re all alone, Grace! If anything-”
She couldn’t even finish the sentence. Grace walked around the table and pulled her mother into a hug. Sarah closed her eyes. It wasn’t normally this bad. Most of the time, Grace was here instead of running off in the middle of the night. Most of the time, Danny was right there beside her, helping her through this. But the company had sent Danny to Japan to research the earliest Power Ranger teams, leaving the house cold and empty.
Grace knew it was hard. She didn’t know how hard; she wouldn’t really know until she had a daughter herself. But she tried to make things easier, whenever she could. They sat there, together for a while, just sitting.
Eventually, Grace was the one to break the silence. “Someone asked who I was today.”
Sarah was happy for any change in topic. “Oh?”
“I told him I was the Kamen Rider.”
Sarah almost burst out laughing. “Did you really?” She laughed aloud and Grace giggled. “I see your father has finally got you to accept his choice in entertainment.”
“It’s not… that bad.” Grace said, rather defensively.
“Wasn’t there a cake-themed monster in one story?”
Grace whacked her mother shoulder with an expression of mock annoyance. “I thought you liked that one!”
“Do you think I like everything just because it has cake in it somewhere?”
“...No? Is ‘no’ the right answer? I think ‘no’ is the right answer, but-”
Sarah laughed as she stood up. “Alright, that’s enough.” She pulled her daughter close again. “It's well past time for bed, for the both of us. We have to organize the School Library tomorrow, don't forget."
Grace nodded. “Oh, I might be late to the library. Miss Roxanne wanted me to take some people to the abandoned quarry to search for a dimensional rupture. We’re still trying to find out how these magical creatures keep getting in.”
And just like that, the warm, normal feeling was gone. In its place was a mixture of terror and...no, it was all terror. “Alright.” Sarah said, in a level voice. “Just be careful.”
“Don’t worry mom.” Grace said lightly as she headed upstairs. “You won’t lose me.”
It almost feels like I already have...
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Inside a cell, sat a monster.
She didn’t feel like a monster. Few did. But even she had to admit she could see where others were coming from right now. She’d hurt others. She hadn’t started out wanting to hurt anything, but things kept getting harder and more complicated, and before she knew it she’d hardened as well.
The Silver Guardians had been cuffing her when she woke up. They had collared her, as if she were the animal and not them. It rankled her, being made powerless by their machines. She was a mage! She had been a unicorn! She could control the fundamental forces of the universe with but a thought! All of their toys were something anypony could build with the right pieces. Even humans that did use magic had to rely on toys and trinkets to transform themselves into something greater.
She huddled a little closer to herself. There had been monsters, back in Equestria. They’d been common. But here, for the longest time, she hadn’t been able to defend herself from them. No magic, no power. It had taken so long to find something she could use, and by the time she did, she didn’t care what it did to her. So long as she wasn’t helpless anymore. She remembered the rush of power she had felt after re-discovering the Element of Magic on this magic-forsaken world, and how much it had made her want more.
And now here she was, being transported in what she felt certain as the most dangerous invention ever facing an unknown future with no idea what could happen. She couldn’t even remember why she came to Earth in the first place.
Bang!
All of the sudden, the truck stopped moving forwards and began to move left. Actually, it began to swing left and move up. And then over. And then just for measure it flipped twice more and rolled for emphasis. By the time it was over, Sunset Shimmer, former apprentice to Queen Celestia, was wishing she would hurry up and die already. Unfortunately, someone worse than death showed up instead.
A glowing green field of magic (Equestrian Magic! Her mind squealed.) surrounded the thick door. Instead of futily tugging at it and hoping that strength would be enough, the mage moved the field to the edges of the door and reached for the hinges. It twinkling glow increased as it pulled against them, and the whirring noise magic made sped up, until the force exerted was too great. The hinges shrieked as they came apart, and the door fell.
Outside stood a unicorn.
This was notable outside the normal reasons seeing a unicorn would be notable. Provided the right spells, a highly trained unicorn like Sunset Shimmer could travel between realms with ease, but there was no way to keep the realm from exerting its will over you. You would automatically assume whatever form was most common in that land, and any foreign magic would be dispelled.
Except whomever this was had a way around an inescapable law of the universe.
The mare smiled. “Wow!” She exclaimed. “That must have taken some getting used to, Miss Shimmer.”
Name. She knows my name. Who is she? Why is she here? Betraying none of her inner thoughts, Sunset glared at the unicorn. “You appear to have me at a disadvantage.” She commented in the driest of tones.
"Of course. I’m so sorry, Miss Shimmer. I just got caught up in the moment.” Her horn glowed lime green and its magic flowed over the restraints, popping them with ease. Sunset flexed her claws, before glancing at her new friends hooves.
No! Don’t stare. I can’t let her know how much she’s bothering me. She crossed her forelegs (Arms! she scolded herself) and frowned. “How did you find me?” She demanded. “Do you work for-”
“The Queen?” The mare dismissed the thought with a wave. “Don’t be ridiculous. I represent a different, smaller group. One that’s had enough of her small minded ways.”
Sunset did a double take. She couldn’t help it, nopony described Queen Celestia like that. She’d probably take it, mind you, and she wasn’t the type to through ponies in jail for saying the wrong thing. She was simply respected, her and Luna both. They always had been, since as long as history could remember. “What is it you want?”
“Nothing to major. I-” She coughed slightly. “That is to say, we want to effect change. For too long, Equestria has been allowed to stew without making any real progress in anything. We are behind everything in terms of land, revenue, and it all stems from Celestia’s ruler-ship. Recently, she even struck out against her sister, casting her into eternal sleep.”
Sunset took a step back. Something happened to Luna? She doubted that Celestia would ever raise hoof, wing or horn against her beloved sister. Under the other hoof (In the other hand, she corrected herself) the rest of her speech made sense. Celestia was far too generous, too timid. And whoever this mare was, she clearly had access to knowledge Sunset didn’t. It couldn’t hurt to listen more, could it? “Who are you?” Sunset asked. The unicorn smiled.
“My name is Starlight Glimmer. I’m here on behalf of Luna’s apprentice Twilight Sparkle. I want you to conquer the Earth.