> Driven Spirit > by KukriRyuTsukino > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Awakening > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Earth 20191587 Nineteen year old Seth Makoto Tsukino grimaced, looking in the mirror at the outfit he wore. His outfit was a dark silver and navy jumpsuit. He had the sense it was missing a critical component, however. He just couldn't put his finger on what felt off.  He sighed softly, shaking his head as he  turned away. He left the apartment, looking at his bike yet unaware that there were others in the Omniverse that would have recognized the bike for what it was. He took a deep breath as he started the bike before pulling away from the curb. He shook his head as he accelerated, the engine letting out a purring rumble, as the engine was based upon a Harley Davidson engine. His dark crystalline aquamarine eyes narrowed as he approached the civic center before he noticed the smoke curling from a few of the windows. His hand pressed to the tank, not noticing the lacquered chains glowing blue before a blue fireball exited the bike, hovering a few feet behind him as his dark auburn-copper hair swayed as he ran into the convention before he blinked in mild surprise, seeing quite a few of the cosplayers looking on in fear and confusion. He almost missed the vendor who seemed oddly calm despite the chaos. Her table held numerous Kamen Rider items, including the Ghost Driver and numerous other items. He did notice she was a dead ringer for Kanna Mori who had played Natsumi Hikari within Kamen Rider Decade. He didn't notice as he turned, spotting the source of the chaos as the Yari Gamma, that his hair gained bright scarlet tips as it swayed from his turn. “So, another weak human in this world, eh? This world doesn’t have any Riders to protect it from us, and we have already reaped many of your kind,” the Gamma commented. Makoto’s eyes narrowed, as, unknown to him, but noticeable to the Natsumi vendor, they glowed a deep red for less than a split second. “So you’ve got blood on your blade, do you? I can all but hear the slain crying for vengeance, for justice. Even if I lack the power to fight you,” he commented slowly, his tone measured and controlled. He pushed off as he spoke. He tackled the Gamma, pushing it back a few feet before a knee caught him in the chest before he was kicked into the table the Natsumi vendor had in front of her,  smashing it. He didn’t notice the buckles for the Grateful Damashii and Ghost Driver fall onto his chest and vanish in an eruption of blue sparks, though he did notice the briefcase that had the Ghost Sigil upon it, as well as that of Specter fall into his hands. He noticed a glow before he saw nothing but silver, very aware of the case holding a ruby chess set, though some of the pieces were marbled with what appeared to be agate, which he kept hidden at the small of his back.  His eyes widened as, for a brief moment, he saw a brilliant rainbow of light as he felt energy surge through his body before he felt himself slam into something very hard before he groaned, seeing asphalt before everything went dark. EQGE-119-2018-111 A very depressed Sunset Shimmer squatted near an alleyway. "Why is it that nobody responds to me or sees me? It's like I'm a ghost or something," she mumbled, unaware the Elements of Harmony had locked her physical body in a stasis state while allowing her to astral project her essence outside her body. Unknown even to the Elements of this reality as well as that of its counterpart where most everyone was an anthropomorphic pony, there was another way to affect the physical world. Her eyes widened as a rippling silver rift opened ten feet in the air over a steel eave before the rift spat something out that slammed into the eave hard enough to leave it badly dented, the echoing clang making her cringe. The resulting thud on the asphalt made her wince before she realized it was a young man maybe four or five months younger than herself, as in her current body, she was a month or two past her sixteenth birthday whereas on the other side, she was just shy of twenty two. It was then that she noticed the case and innocently opened it before she was blinded, missing that eighteen orbs of light escaped the case, leaving four behind as they shot into the air and scattered. The youth coughed twice as he groaned as she hastily resealed the case, ignoring the fact that she'd been able to touch it unlike almost everything else. POV shift- Makoto Makoto's eyes fluttered as he winced as he groaned before coughing. "Ugh… anyone catch that bus that ran me over?" he muttered. He felt a very distinctive burning surging through his veins, unaware a reddish violet aura with black edges was surging over his body as a sigil shone beneath him, glowing brightly. Although even as he heard footfalls and tensed, he didn't see the other Sigil, this one garnet with sapphire edges and the size of a Kennedy half dollar, glowing between his shoulder blades as darkness formed cracks in the smaller Sigil.  Seconds later, however, the binding Sigil shattered, consumed by the power within him. An almost feral growl escaped him as his nails darkened to a deep bluish teal just shy of black before he lurched to his feet as he focused, reining in the rampant power before his fist clenched as his eyes snapped open, the glowing Sigil beneath his feet fading away. "Dunno what this power is, but I won't let it consume me nor will I rely upon it unnecessarily… eh?" he commented before he noticed the young woman standing a few yards away. He noticed she was squirming slightly with a hint of a blush on her cheeks. He glanced down before he blinked, noticing something off with his shadow: that there were two sets of angelic wings that flapped even as he noticed them before retreating into his back, only a slight burning resulting from it. He didn't realize the wings were a deep scarlet fading to a pale orange as well as a deep burgundy fading to a burnt orange. He took a deep breath as he exhaled slowly. "Is something wrong?" he said gently, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. He didn't expect her to step closer to him before tentatively reaching out before her fingers touched his chest before she jerked them back as if the contact burned her, tears gathering in her eyes before he grunted as she tackled him in a tight hug. He could hear the muffled crying from her face buried in his chest. His eyes drifted half-lidded as he could hear her speaking, though it was muffled. A boom separated them, however, his eyes narrowing. His eyes narrowed as his teeth bared, unaware his irises glowed a faint crimson for a moment. A low growl escaped him as he saw the same creature. "Ah… still alive, are you? Now I get to kill you and that little bitch," the Yari Gamma commented.  He dropped to one knee, opening the suitcase before he frowned, noticing the Luminary Eyecons had scattered. We'll just have to find them, he noted as he grabbed the Ghost Driver, flicking it at Sunset before he flicked the Ghost Eyecon even as he scooped up Specter's.  His gaze shifted to the Gamma. "Ready?" he muttered as his hand shifted, tendrils of reddish orange flames revealing his own Ghost Driver as he heard the soft click of hers locking in. He could feel something guiding his movements, a Power he couldn't describe or name. "Hmm mmm," he heard her murmur. > Fight > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'We'll just have to find them,' he noted as he grabbed the Ghost Driver, flicking it at Sunset before he flicked the Ghost Eyecon even as he scooped up Specter's.  His gaze shifted to the Gamma. "Ready?" he muttered as his hand shifted across his waist, tendrils of reddish orange flames revealing his own Ghost Driver as he heard the soft click of hers locking in. "Hmm mmm," he heard her murmur. Now… "Henshin!" "Henshin!" Both of them moved at the same moment, transforming as the Parka Ghosts settled onto their shoulders as their armor formed in a surge of golden red and deep navy flames. "We don't need your damned kind, Kamen Riders!" the Yari Gamma snarled. “You may not need us… but you’re kinda stuck with us now… like a bad rash. So hope you enjoy getting fucked hard…” Sunset quipped as she pushed off as the new Kamen Rider Ghost slid beneath a hasty stab from the spear wielding Gamma even as the new Kamen Rider Specter grabbed the spear and yanked him off balance, spinning and tearing the spear from its grasp before slapping him twice across the face with rapid spinning swipes of his own weapon, sparks flying from the impacts, steel meeting dense spiritual energy charged flesh before the spear was thrust deep into its side, opening a slash that erupted a burst of sparks before Sunset threw a quartet of hard body punches before her fist ignited in bright golden red tipped light sea green flames as she punched a fifth time, a small detonation throwing the Gamma back hard, tumbling him off balance. Specter snorted a laugh. “Oh, he’s gonna get pounded, and not in the fun way,” he drawled as he pulled out, then pushed in the handle of the Ghost Driver, his Sigil igniting in bluish violet flames before streaming into his leg as he pushed off with inhuman speed. "What was that? You didn't call for the teabagging service?" Specter taunted. Ghost coughed in surprise at the taunt. "You call us damned? What does that make you, murderer? Don't think I couldn't smell that rancid copper stench," she said icily. "So what if I'm a killer? Not like you can do anything about it," the Yari Gamma said arrogantly. "Nothing like a good heart beating its last few beats in my grip," he sneered.  Specter's eyes narrowed as, for an instant, he could see the arrogant smirk of a blond in a blue edged white gi and striking gloves. "Kobra… of the Black Dragon," his voice was a low growl, to which the Yari Gamma snarled. "So what if you know who I once was? It doesn't matter worth a damn!" the Gamma snarled as he charged.  Specter tilted his head as, in sync, he and Sunset pushed in the handles of their Ghost Drivers.  "Ore no iki-zama, misete yaru!" "Inochi, moyasu ze!" Both of them spoke as the Ghost Drivers invoked three words simultaneously. "Ore! Omega Drive!" as deep cornflower blue and bright reddish orange energy formed Sigils that streamed into their right and left legs before they pushed off into synchronized jumping back kicks that caught the Gamma in the chest. The armored vest shot off as Kobra's form resolved visibly, shock on his face. Unfortunately for the gangster, his body began to smolder and crack in tendrils of red edged darkness before both his 'body' as well as his armored vest were incinerated in a fireball that detonated as the energy escaped. As the flames faded into smoldering char, Kobra's body was visible… but as a dark blue quartz statue that even as they watched gained fine cracks as red edged make curled out from the cracks. "Sā, omae no tsumi o kazoero!" Specter deadpanned as the statue shattered into shards with a masculine cry of agony that fractured into finer and finer shards until it was dust. He sighed as he turned away, shaking his head. "Do you remember anything between being… 'ejected' from your body and wandering around?" he sighed as he pulled the Eyecon out, his armor dispelling in tendrils of reddish black tipped sapphire flames. His companion winced as she did the same before she blinked, noticing that her body was more solid. "Unfortunately not. I don't even know how I did it. Supposedly, Astral Projection is a Lost Gift," she replied before holding out the Ghost Eyecon to him before he curled her fingers around it.  "Keep it… and we will find your body," he commented wryly. He saw her blink before she pocketed it. "Hmmm. I have to wonder if the Luminary Eyecons gained their… Gift," he muttered in thought.  "Gift?" Sunset echoed, blinking as he stepped closer before whispering in her ear. "Supposedly, if one with a Ghost Driver successfully gathers all fifteen Luminary Eyecons within a certain period of time, they are granted a wish… of any sort," he murmured, "though being that the series that they came from… and the Gamma… for that matter… is a 'fantasy series', I can’t be certain. Between you and me, using an unfettered wish to find your body seems… a weak reason to seek them out. I'd say finding them to keep them out of the hands of the Gamma is good… could be we'd find a reason to use a wish as we go," he commented wryly. He didn't say that the world he appeared to be in was also a 'fantasy series'. His gaze shifted before scanning around thoughtfully. "I don't know anywhere around here, honestly," he sighed. He took a deep breath as his shoulders tensed, his wings emerging for a moment before retreating, golden scarlet feathers drifting in the air for several seconds before igniting in ebony edged scarlet flames, dissolving into prismatic, glittering ashes.  He missed how her eyes widened in surprise. "You know, you could try focusing on drawing energy to yourself to manifest an 'energy shell' that would resemble your body, thus, it would only take time and practice… and finding your body…" he commented wryly.  "But if I wait too long… wouldn't the link between body and spirit weaken?" Sunset questioned.  Makoto shrugged. "I don't know. Logically? Most likely. But call it a hunch… whoever has your body has a reason behind taking it," he commented.  Sunset grimaced at that. "I won't be anyone's puppet," she muttered. He chuckles in amusement. That didn't surprise him at all.