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04-09-2013, 11:36 PM | #1 |
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Horseshoes and Hand-grenades
Author: Green Phantom Queen Rated: T/M Summary: After being killed by Kamen Rider Meteor, Gentaro has been resurrected. Unfortunately, he wasn't resurrected by the Cosmic Switch, but rather by an entity calling himself Ophiuchus. Now reborn as the Serpent-bearer and turning away from his friends, Gentaro wishes to enact his master's will. The Kamen Rider Club cannot fight Gentaro on their own, and they must learn to gather allies and stay strong even when everything falls around them. Note: Takes place in the middle of Kamen Rider Fourze Episode 32. I: 18-5-22-5-14-7-5 "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." -Proverb Kengo Utahoshi looked in awe. In the Kamen Rider Club's base the Rabbit Hatch, the remains of an abandoned space station that was once used by his father, Kengo could only look in amazement at what he accomplished. He did the impossible - he brought the dead back to life. He saw Gentaro Kisaragi slowly open his eyes. Gentaro, who met his demise through the dreaded one-inch punch, was alive. After all of the countless tries Kengo took in restarting his friend's heart - which involved donning a robotic hand that would also drained him of energy - and after reaching out for his friend within the realm of the afterlife through their established bond of friendship, he did it. Gentaro Kisaragi was alive. The geography teacher, and newly self-appointed faculty adviser to the Kamen Rider Club, Chuta Ohsugi, wept tears of joy. A student under his care came back to life…it was a miracle. He could just wrap his arms around the student who would befriend everyone in Amanogawa High and kiss him. How the Cosmic Switch resurrected him didn't matter; all that mattered was Gentaro was no longer a corpse. "You did it, Utahoshi!" said Ohsugi, hugging Kengo. "It's a miracle! Kisaragi's alive and well!" "I know, sensei," Kengo whispered. "I know..." Gentaro slowly sat up with a groan, his face covered with bruises from his scuffle with Ryusei Sakuta, aka Kamen Rider Meteor Storm. His gelled pompadour reverted into its original form of black hair that framed his equally black eyes. His red shirt was torn, and his black motorcycle jacket was also covered with holes made from Kamen Rider Meteor Storm ripping and tearing through him. There wasn't any blood - due to death blow being the one-inch punch to the heart - but Gentaro placed a hand on his chest as if to prevent a second punch from happening. The last conscious thought he had was how he was glad to help Ryusei, even if doing so meant his own death. Then, everything went black. But now...now he was alive. Now, he was able to finish what he started. Kengo's eyes watered with tears; he did it. The Cosmic Switch and the bonds of friendship Gentaro forged with the Kamen Rider Club was enough to bring him back to life. His father's words were correct: the connections humans had to one another become enough to do the impossible. Resurrecting a person from the afterlife could be done. "Kisa… Gentaro," Kengo corrected himself, shaking his head. "You're alive. You're here..." Gentaro shifted his gaze to the relieved teen but otherwise didn't say anything. Kengo saw those black eyes - those eyes that were usually filled with elation and mirth in making people smile - devoid of emotion. They didn't reveal anything that resembled the Gentaro of the old. Instead, he was looking into the eyes of a porcelain doll in Gentaro's likeness. "Gentaro…" Kengo repeated. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?" Gentaro still didn't say anything. He just kept staring into Kengo's eyes, tilting his head to the side. There was this feeling inside Kengo's mind that screamed that Gentaro was dangerous, but his heart would not admit that his best friend did not return as he originally was. He had to return as the "man who would befriend everyone"; it wouldn't have been the real Gentaro Kisaragi if that was true. "Kisaragi!" Ohsugi cried, wrapping his arms around the teen. He sobbed on Gentaro's shoulder and stroked the teen's hair. "You're alive! Ryusei didn't kill you! You're here and—" Gentaro's eyes narrowed as he pushed the geography teacher off of him. He then stood up and stared at his hands. He clenched them into fists before letting out a low snarl. "Ryusei Sakuta," Gentaro repeated, his voice hollow. Kengo felt chills fall down his spine—this being looked like the same Gentaro Kisaragi he knew, but that voice told him otherwise. "Where is he? And where are the others?" "I don't know," Kengo replied, shaking his head. "The last I saw him, he was with Aries Zodiarts and the unconscious members of the Kamen Rider Club. I was the only one who managed to escape. Gentaro, are you…" "Leave me be," Gentaro commanded in a swift tone. "I must do this on my own." His eyes began to glow. Kengo and Ohsugi saw that the color of these eyes resembled rubies. No, the color was darker than the shine of a ruby. It was the color of blood. Those blood red depths drew the two deeper and deeper into Gentaro's spell. Gentaro raised a hand into the air as if he was a king addressing his subjects. "Close your eyes and forget what you have just seen," he hissed, lowering his hand. With that motion, the eyes of his victims also closed. "In your eyes, I have died by the hands of both Ryusei Sakuta and the Aries Zodiarts. My corpse is lying down on the bench you see before you, and the Cosmic Switch failed to revived me. No matter what you do, I will never be revived. There is nothing that you were able to do in order to bring me back from the afterlife. Do you understand?" "Yes, master," the two replied. Gentaro smiled, although his smile was not the bright and friendly smile he usually wore on his face. "Excellent. Now, when I snap my fingers, you'll forget that this conversation ever happened." Gentaro looked at the Fourze Driver wrapped around his torso and pulled out the Cosmic Switch. He then placed it into Kengo's hands as replaced Switch 39-Stamper in the middle left slot for a brand new switch and inserting Switch 1-Rocket back to its original post on the far right. Then, with a snap of his fingers, Kengo and Ohsugi woke from their trance. Kengo's brown eyes went glassy as he saw the empty bench in front of him and then back to the Cosmic Switch in his hand. "No…" He whispered. "Kisaragi!" His hands shook over an imaginary corpse. "Wake up! Please wake up! Open your eyes!" Gentaro's eyes flickered to a shade of black as he approached the door to the Rabbit Hatch. A small smile graced his lips—a smile that showed satisfaction at what he accomplished. He then pulled the four tabs of the Fourze driver down, hearing its countdown. 3… 2… 1! "Henshin," he whispered, pulling the lever. 0-0-0-0-0- Ryusei Sakuta fell onto his knees, his whole body screaming for him to stop fighting. Surrounding him were the Dustards that Yamada Tatsumori, the self-proclaimed King of Subaruboshi High and the Aries Zodiarts, summoned to deal with him and the Kamen Rider Club. The Kamen Rider Club, the students from Amanogawa High whom Gentaro befriended, the people who helped fight against the Zodiarts, could do nothing except watch their savior stand his ground against their common foe. Yuki, JK, Tomoko, Shun and Miu, all dressed in tan clothes and bandannas from Yamada's original plan of the five killing off disobedient students, were still tied to the row of metal poles, unable to do anything but watch the man in front of him make his vows to protect them. Ryusei could not ask for their forgiveness for what he accomplished, but if protecting them could atone for his crimes, then so be it. He would not go down without a fight. He dodged the swing of a metal staff and jabbed his elbow into the gut of another Dustard. His tan school uniform was covered in dust and his short brown hair was matted with sweat. His face was covered with dirt, but his eyes showed nothing but determination to defend the captives tied to their posts. The black cloaked ninja-like Dustards continued their assault as their master looked on. Yamada Tatsumori was pleased at the spectacle, laughing as if a jester arrived at his court to entertain him. "Yes, Ryusei," he exclaimed. "Show me your pain and suffering! Give more to your king!" Yamada continued to laugh as he watched the martial arts exhibition unfold in front of his eyes. Ryusei kept silent as he gave a quick roundhouse kick to a Dustard on his left. He swiftly dodged the attack of another Dustard on his right before punching it in the gut. He rolled out the way of a third attack but couldn't react to a fourth kicking him in the face. He toppled onto the ground with a thud, his body no longer able to support him. "Ryusei!" Tomoko gasped seeing the former Kamen Rider Meteor unable to stand. Yamada laughed once more as another Dustard landed a powerful kick to Ryusei's ribs. With his curled ram horns, and gold and silver body trimmed with a wool cape, the Aries Zodiarts looked as if he was a distant relative to Satan himself. The only difference was that this devil carried no pitchfork, but rather a staff to induce a permanent sleep onto all of his subjects. "Well, Sakuta," said Aries Zodiarts. "It seems that you've surpassed both your limit and your usefulness." He raised his Coppelius scepter into the air, a hand on its rolling cylinder. "But now it's time for the curtains to fall down and for me to end this little drama once and for all. And then, I think it is time for me to enact the 'School Wars' that I have been waiting to direct for quite some time." "Not...yet..." Ryusei gasped, falling onto his knees. He felt his heart pounding in his ears. "I'm...not finished..." His arms began to tremble as he collapsed onto the gravel road once more, too tired to move. Yamada let out another laugh. "Do not lie to yourself, you peasant," he chuckled. "It's time for you to have a nice long nap where you can dream about how you wore that pretentious, little, goody-goody mask all this time while masking the true monster that was inside of you. Good night, Ryusei Sakuta. Sweet dreams." Ryusei closed his eyes, knowing the inevitable. He failed. He failed to revive Jiro, and he failed to be a hero to the Kamen Rider Club. All he could do now was be trapped in an eternal sleep so that he could spend time in his dreams to atone for everything he had done. "I'm sorry..." he whispered. "Jiro...Gentaro...everyone...I'm so sorry..." Just then, the sound of gunfire alerted him to someone entering the area. His eyes opened as he saw someone flying in the sky, a rocket attached to their right arm and gatling gun attached to their left leg. He blinked to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him—it was impossible... "Gen-chan!" Yuki cried, seeing Kamen Rider Fourze flying around and obliterating Dustards. "You're alive!" "That's Gentaro alright," said Miu. "Nothing's impossible for him." Kamen Rider Fourze descended onto the ground, the Dustards dissipating into Cosmic Energy. As the rocket and Gatling gun faded away, he turned his orange eyed stare to his immobilized friends before turning away from them. There was some silence before he spoke. "I'm not alive," he said in a solemn tone. "I'm still dead." "Eh?" "What?" "It can't be..." "Oops..." The Kamen Rider Club looked in confusion. In front of them was Gentaro Kisaragi, their leader. How could he proclaim that he was "still dead" when they saw him taking down Dustards and responding to a simple question? Yamada saw the revived Kamen Rider Fourze and snarled. "Ryusei!" he roared at the collapsed teen. "What is the meaning of this?! I thought you killed Fourze! I specifically told you to kill him!" "I died by the hands of Ryusei Sakuta," Gentaro explained, turning to Yamada. He lowered his gaze and added, "But I returned to the land of the living thanks to my master's blessing. In return, I only have to follow his commands." "And what, if I may ask, are you supposed to do?" "To start, I must kill you." Gentaro replaced the switches on the far left and right of the Driver and pulled out the N/S Magphone. He split it and insert the two halves into the slots, the Driver chanting, "N/S Magnet" in succession. The Kamen Rider pressed the buttons on top. N/S Magnet On A pair of horseshoe magnets emitted beams of electromagnetic energy that transformed Fourze into his silver, bulky Magnet States. The armor was damaged with pieces of electricity and metal sticking out. The Magnet Cannons on his shoulders spewed out clouds of black Cosmic Energy while Fourze's orange eyes were now bright red. "Your plan to have me dead and out of the way was very clever, Yamada," Gentaro noted. "And you were just so close in fulfilling your plans. Oh well, you know what they say, 'Close only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades.'" "This doesn't sound like our Gentaro," said JK, turning to his fellow Club Members. "I'm getting scared..." Yamada stared at the fractured Magnet States and shook his head. Pointing at him with the Coppelius Scepter, the Zodiarts noted, "Your form is inferior to mine in every way! How will you defeat the King of Subaruboshi High? With a wave of my hand, you'll fall into a never-ending sleep as I take the pleasure in killing you and your so-called 'friends!'" "Gentaro!" Shun exclaimed, still struggling to escape the ropes binding him. "Get out of here! You're going to get yourself killed once more! Save yourself!" Gentaro didn't say anything. Instead, he just bowed his head, his hands squeezing the triggers of the Magnet switches. Yamada laughed. "That's what I thought." he noted. "Now it's time to-" The eyes of Magnet States Fourze began to glow as Gentaro lifted his head. From the cracks of the armor, a geyser of Cosmic Energy burst forth. It slowly took on a serpentine shape and flew toward the unprepared Zodiarts, coiling around its body. "W-what's happening?!" Yamada screamed. "How dare you attack your king like that!" He raised the Coppelius Scepter, ready to emit the golden mist that placed all of Subaruboshi High under his rule and freed Ryusei's friend from his irreversible coma. The mist sputtered out into a small spritz, but there was no other effect; he looked on in horror. "W-what? My powers! How...What...are you?!" The energy began to grow a serpent head and tail, its eyes a pair of red giant stars. The snake let out an evil laugh that sent shivers down everyone's spines. "We are Ophiuchus," The serpent and Fourze answered back. "And we are your grand finale." The serpent opened its mouth, revealing a pair of white, glowing fangs. Yamada looked on in horror, seeing nothing but an empty abyss about to swallow him up. "N-no!" He cried out. "Please don't kill me! I didn't mean to-" The serpent swallowed him whole. As the serpent's jaws closed in on him, the Zodiarts exploded, its Switch flying toward Gentaro. He caught it in his hands and threw it onto the ground, stomping it with a foot. The switch shattered when it made contact with his heel and Cosmic Energy escaped its confines, the energy then flying into the cracks of Fourze's shattered Magnet States. The Cosmic Energy serpent disappeared, leaving behind the unconscious form of Yamada Tatsumori. Seeing that his work was done, Gentaro flipped the tabs of the Fourze Driver up and returned to his normal form in a flash of light. Ryusei slowly stood up, limping toward the formerly deceased Kamen Rider. Gentaro Kisaragi was alive; Ryusei could apologize for being such a horrible person. He didn't mean to be so aloof to Fourze; all he wanted was to get along and be friends. He let his pride and his ambition destroy everything between them, the Kamen Rider Club, and his own best friend. "Gentaro..." he whispered, a hand trembling in the air. "I'm...sorry..." Gentaro stared into Ryusei's eyes, seeing the emotions of regret, remorse, guilt and fear in those depths. He took a good long look at them before turning heel and walking off. The Kamen Rider Club noticed this - Gentaro didn't even extend his hand of friendship to Ryusei to forgive him for what he caused. This wasn't unlike the man who made friends with everyone... "Gen-chan!" Yuki exclaimed, still wriggling around against the ropes. "What happened to you? Why are you-" "I'm not here," Gentaro replied, his eyes glowing red. He lifted his gaze so he could see the frightened expressions on the Kamen Rider Club. There was hesitation in his voice before he smiled and continued. "I'm dead. Yamada was defeated by a blast of Cosmic Energy and nothing more. Break the news to my grandfather of my death and then, move on with your lives. I died, but you should live on for my sake." "Gentaro..." Ryusei whispered, seeing the bodies of the Kamen Rider Club turn limp. "What's going on? What are you..." "And as for you..." Gentaro interrupted, turning to face the exchange student. His eyes were back to normal as he continued. "I suggest that you get this memorized: You killed me. I'm never coming back to life. I died. No amount of science or magic will fix what you have instigated. I am not allowed to find peace until I complete my mission. "If you have any sanity, you go to your friend, you tell him that you were forgiven, and you hide. You are no longer the Kamen Rider that came to save me and the Kamen Rider Club and you no longer have the means to fight. You are a target of my hatred and my vengeance, but I shall spare you. After all," Gentaro narrowed his eyes as he added, "We're friends." Ryusei watched Gentaro disappear in a cloud of Cosmic Energy. He then turned to see the Kamen Rider Club stir from the trance and look around, confused as to what happened. The former Kamen Rider Meteor returned his gaze to where Gentaro once stood, repeating those words in his mind. What have I unleashed? He thought to himself. |
04-16-2013, 12:51 PM | #2 |
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Horseshoes and Hand-grenades
II: 8-5-14-5-19-9-19 "It is best to avoid the beginnings of evil." -Henry David Thoreau In the small shop that was called Kisaragi Motors, Goro Kisaragi was boiling a pot of tea for himself when he heard the door open. Thinking that it was his grandson, he quickly opened it...only to find the sad and teary faces of Gentaro's friends staring back at him. "Yuki," said Goro, seeing the space otaku's eyes brimming with tears. "W-what happened? Where's Gentaro?" "It's Gen-chan," Yuki answered. "He...he's dead." Goro stayed quiet as Yuki and the others explained that on the way home from school, someone came and fought Gentaro in a one-on-one battle. Gentaro was winning, but then was immediately stopped when the fighter planted Bruce Lee's famous one-inch punch to the heart. The effects were instantaneous; Gentaro died within a few seconds. There was some silence as the old man's hands began to tremble. He took a deep breath and said to Yuki, "I need to be alone." Yuki nodded her head and told the other teenagers that they would be leaving. Goro slowly closed the door as he tried to take another deep breath. He couldn't; he soon broke down sobbing. "This can't be possible," he sobbed. "Everyone...everyone's gone..." It was already heartbreaking when he lost both his son and daughter-in-law that night almost ten years ago. Gentaro, in the backseat of the car after his parents took him home from playing with some of his friends, was the only survivor of the fatal car crash that took his parents' lives forever. Gentaro was sobbing loudly when he saw his parents die in front of his eyes in the hospital, blaming himself for hanging out with his friends. If he didn't, then his parents would've lived was what he reasoned. Just before his parents died, his father whispered two sentences into the boy's ear. "Go out and make lots of friends. They shall be the ones who help you when you fall." And he did so. Gentaro no longer cried for his deceased parents—he did the exact opposite. He celebrated being alive, thanking God that his parents raised him to be friends with people and to help them when they were down. He wanted to make people smile, and their happiness was all he needed to know that he had done a good deed. Whenever someone was in danger, he was there to help them out. It didn't matter how hard it was or how long it took—seeing that person be grateful and doing his special handshake of friendship was enough. In no time, Gentaro made at least a thousand friends, each of them as precious as the first one he ever made. It didn't matter who they were in the past -in Gentaro's eyes, they were always good friends. Goro looked at the pictures of Gentaro's parents. He remembered that funeral service. It was raining, and everyone felt so much pity for Gentaro. Gentaro didn't cry at all; he just smiled. "Grandpa," young Gentaro told his grandfather. "I'm going to make friends with everyone, so that no one ever has to be sad again. I want to make people smile and be happy!" The old man smiled and hugged his grandson. The two did everything together. They helped repair motorcycles, went to motor-cross shows, camped underneath the stars...every day was an adventure to the two. As long as they had each other, nothing could go wrong. But now, Goro didn't know what to do. The last remnant of his family died too young. How was he going to live with that for the rest of his days? How would he be able to smile without his grandson being there to smile with him? After some time staring into the pictures of his son and daughter-in-law, Goro Kisaragi slowly made his way to his grandson's bedroom and shook his head. The last time he saw his grandson, he was heading off to school. The last words Goro said to him was, "Come home safely." Now, he knew that Gentaro never would. Goro Kisaragi of Kisaragi Motors slowly walked toward his room and closed it shut, so that no one would hear his loud and wailing sobs. 0-0-0-0-0-0 Mitsuaki Gamou, the chairman and founder of Amanogawa High, was absolutely pissed. He lost one of the switches that he needed for the Day of Awakening and a new being calling himself Ophiuchus was responsible for this whole travesty. He knew about the constellation named Ophiuchus, but he could not figure out where this newcomer came from. Who was this serpent-bearer, and what was he up to? He saw Virgo Zodiarts enter the room in a purple and black vortex, Yamada's unconscious body in her hands. The chairman had to admit that this whole situation was mostly his fault—he let Yamada Tatsumori carry on with his "School Wars" act, and wanted to see what the king of Subaruboshi High had in store. If the chairman just reigned Yamada in with his mind-control powers, then the Aries Zodiarts Switch would be in his hands right now, rather than been destroyed by someone stomping on it. "Gamou-sama," said the pink-haired Zodiarts. "What is your plan for this fallen king?" Gamou turned to the Zodiarts form of his best friend Kunieru Emoto and stood up. He placed two fingers on Yamada's neck and waited. After a few seconds, he stood back. Tatsumori Yamada had a pulse; the student would live. "Teleport him to the front of his house with a note of his behavior at Subaruboshi High," the chairman answered. "Then, I want you to find the whereabouts of this 'Ophiuchus' and confront him. I wish to have an audience with the bearer of the serpent." "Gamou-sama, are you sure that's a wise idea-" "Emoto!" Gamou snarled. He curled his hand into a fist, his face consumed with rage as he continued. "I have worked too long and sacrificed so much to see the Presenters. I am not letting some serpent ruin my dream! Go get that serpent and do it NOW!" "...I understand," Virgo bowed as she raised the Rhodia axe and tapped the ground. She teleported in a cloud of Cosmic Energy, leaving the Chairman to be by himself. He stared at the small pedestal on his right, seeing both Scorpio and Cancer's switches in a box lined with red velvet. If he lost those switches, or if Ophiuchus knew about their whereabouts, then the Day of Awakening would never come and his plans would be ruined. He walked toward a mirror in the corner of the room, seeing the crow's eyes, and grey streaks in his hair stare back at him. Had it really been seventeen years since that day? It had, and he did not waste those seventeen years to see the fruits of his labor wither away. He growled, his eyes glowing red in anger. He did not create this school, the Cosmic Energy Hole and the Zodiarts Switches for nothing. He was going to see the Presenters and he didn't give a damn as to who got in his way. They would die beneath his feet before he'd let that childhood dream die. He could no longer sit down and watch his faithful students do whatever the hell they want; Mitsuaki Gamou had to take action. 0-0-0-0-0- That evening, Gentaro Kisaragi sat on the rooftop of the school building, seeing the stars in the sky shine brightly. In his hands was one of Yuki's old astrological books that he gave to her prior to leaving his childhood friend in the 3rd grade. He traced the small white specks on the book's pages pointing at their heavenly counterparts with a finger, memorizing their names and placement in the sky. He now had an understanding as to why his best friend had a love for space. It was a very beautiful sight to see the stars shimmer and sparkle, trying their best to communicate with the observers of the night sky. To him, it made everything seem so peaceful, as if the past few hours were nothing more than a distant memory. "Serpent-bearer..." A voice hissed in his ear. "I must speak to you..." Gentaro's black eyes turned white as he stood up, dropping the book onto the ground with a clatter. He saw the shadows swarm around him, whispering words of comfort that soothed his darkened soul and mind. It soon took the shape of the serpent from earlier, its red eyes staring at the former Kamen Rider Fourze with glee. Gentaro fell onto his knees, bowing his head. "My master," he began, his head lowered in servitude. "I thank you for giving me my new form. I shall always obey you until the day that I am of no use for you. What is your command?" "So obedient and forward," Ophiuchus chuckled. "You are a worthy Vessel to my cause. I am so glad that you decided to side with me instead of those pathetic bonds of 'friendship' that you are so fond of. Yes..."The serpent hissed as it coiled around Gentaro's body. He gently nuzzled against his Vessel's cheek like a kitten rubbing his head against its master's hand. "You are perfect, Serpent-bearer." "Thank you, Master," Gentaro lifted his gaze to the serpent. "I have done what you ordered me to do—I have severed all ties with my former club-members and family, except for the one named Ryusei Sakuta. Master, why do we not erase his memories? Why should he be the one who sees our grand resurrection when he was the one who killed me in the first place?" "Because it is his reward; he is the reason why we stand here today. He is our witness; he witnessed our rebirth! He was the reason that the two of us have become one. Is it not such a bad thing? Killing him now, when we are so weak and hungry for Cosmic Energy, would be such a waste. He does not even have enough energy for me to summon a human form. No, we shall spare him. We shall make him watch our rise to power." "As you wish. Were you happy in how we defeated Aries?" "I am...satisfied. He did not have enough Cosmic Energy or the Supernova like the Scorpion or Crab that you fought against, but he was enough to let me have my tangible body. I need more, Kisaragi. I need more Cosmic Energy to survive." "And I shall give it to you, Ophiuchus," said Gentaro, lifting his left hand into the air. On the back of his hand was the Astrological symbol of Aries, the symbol of his first victory as the Serpent-bearer. "Who is our next target?" "Be patient, my Serpent-bearer...we must gain followers. We must influence people to be our eyes and ears. You did not immediately gain 'friends' overnight; it took time. For now, hold out your left hand and say the words 'Serpens'." Gentaro held out his left hand and repeated the word. Soon, the form of a small, white snake appeared in a burst of Cosmic Energy, sticking its forked tongue out. The snake crawled up his arm, around his shoulder, and then settled on his neck. Gentaro smiled and kissed its scaly head. "This shall be one of your soldiers. This serpent will latch onto someone's neck and inject them with Cosmic Energy. Then, they will be under our control and obey us forever more. Such a magnificent power—better than what the Ram was capable of producing." "Who shall be our first victim?" asked Gentaro, placing his right hand near his neck. The snake latched onto the hand and slithered across his fingers. "Who shall be the first to know of your glory and power, master?" "You know exactly who I'm talking about, Serpent-bearer." Ophiuchus answered. "I seek the energy and power of the Core Child himself. He shall be our source of strength until we can obtain an untapped source of Cosmic Energy. Capture him and bring him to our side; let the Core Child become the first serpent." "Yes, master. It shall be done." "Gentaro Kisaragi..." Gentaro turned around and hissed as he saw Virgo Zodiarts appear before him, dressed in a black robe embroidered with gold. The rose-haired Zodiarts unfurled her angelic wings, spreading white feathers into the air as she said, "You are needed for an audience with my master." Gentaro stared at the Zodiarts and the axe she had in her hand. This axe, with its pink handle, the blade made to resemble white feathers, and the Astrological symbol of Virgo on the golden disk connecting axe blade and axe handle, was what gave Virgo her power. He remembered fighting her back at the School Festival; had it not been for Nadeshiko's help, he would've been unable to land a single scratch on her. But Nadeshiko was no longer here - she left him for the cold vacuum of outer space, never to set foot on the Earth's surface, nor to be with the person who had given her human emotions ever again. Some girlfriend she was... "Thanks for the invitation, but I'll drop out," Gentaro spat out, his eyes still glowing white. "I don't deal with pink-haired angels or their kin. But if you want a fight..." He smirked as he pulled out the Fourze Driver and wrapped it around his waist. "I'm willing to give you one." He flipped the driver's four tabs down and waited for the countdown to commence. 3...2...1! "Henshin!" he cried, pulling the lever. The pillar of light shone over him as usual, but Virgo saw a multitude of snake scales form a barrier around the deceased teen. When the light dimmed down, she saw Fourze's armor change significantly. Its pointed helmet became a cobra's hood, the four symbols on his arms and legs (a circle, cross, trangle and square respectively) were all colored black, and a rattlesnake tail wrapped around the Kamen Rider's legs. The orange eyes contained two black slits and the arms and legs were covered in scales. It was if Gentaro completely fused with the snake itself. "What are you?" asked Virgo. "We are Ophiuchus," Fourze hissed, his voice mixed with the voice of his master. "And we shall devour you all!" He pulled out Switch 20-Fire, a red Astroswitch em-blazed with the number 20 and topped with a yellow ring, and placed it into the far right slot. He then pulled on the circular tab. Fire On A red ring of fire encircled his feet before transforming Fourze into his Fire States. Fourze's white armor was now red with silver pauldrons and orange triangles over the shoulders. The serpent Fourze's eyes shimmered like emeralds. In his hands was the red, fire spewing Hee-Hack gun, which looked like a cross between a super soaker gun and a fire extinguisher. He immediately his new weapon pointed at Virgo. "Burn in Hell!" he screamed pulling the trigger. A gout of fire flew toward Virgo, the Zodiarts shielding it with her feathery wings. She raised her axe into the air as a multitude of blue orbs circled her. She then threw them at Fourze, the Kamen Rider dodging out of the way as they landed on the rooftop. With his hands still on the Hee-Hack Gun, he continued to fire streams of red flames at his opponent with no success. "You may have defeated Aries, but you are still weak compared to me," Virgo boasted, flying in the air. "I shall make quick work of you and take you to my master so you can pay for the destruction of the Aries Switch." "It was necessary to get rid of that blue devil," Fourze replied. "He was a giant eyesore." He pressed the tops of both blue Switch 2-Launcher and white Switch 4-Radar that were in the Fourze Driver. Launcher/Radar On The blue missile launcher and white satellite communicator appeared on his right leg and left arm respectively. He raised his arm into the air as the monitor on the Radar module locked onto Virgo Zodiarts. When it read the words "Lock On!", Gentaro stomped his right foot and five white missiles flew into the sky while he continue to shoot fire from his gun. Virgo successfully weaved through three of the missiles, but as she tried to dodge the fire, she was hit with the renaming two. She fell onto the rooftop, using her Rhodia axe to support herself. Gentaro then switched out the Launcher Switch for the powder blue Switch 32-Freeze and replaced the yellow Switch 3-Drill for cyan Switch 23-Water. He turned the tap-like top for Water and the top hat topper for Freeze. Freeze On/Water On A powder blue mini refrigerator replaced the blue launcher and a cyan faucet appeared on his left leg. He lifted his left leg as a jet of water sprayed across Virgo's face, immobilizing her. Then, with the Freeze Module on his right leg, a gust of icy wind froze the Zodiart in her place. Gentaro smirked as he pulled the Fire Switch out of the Driver and into a slot on the Hee-Hack Gun. Pulling the lever on his Fourze Driver, the siren on top of the gun began to blare. Limit Brick! "Rider Exploding Shoot!" he screamed as a large orb of fire escaped the gun. It hit Virgo dead-on, the Zodiarts summoning a shield to protect her at the last second. The Zodiarts, knowing that she was defeated, slammed her axe onto the ground, teleporting out of sight. A few feathers fell from her wings and settled onto the rooftop. Gentaro approached them, took them into his hands and crushed them in his fist. When he uncurled it, the feathers dissipated into Cosmic Energy. "This Zodiarts contains so much Cosmic Energy." Ophiuchus hissed. "Let us watch this one for a while...she will be a worthy meal when the time arises." "Yes, master," Fourze turned to the door and saw his reflection in the glass. He smiled and placed a hand to his cheek. "I am proud to be renamed the Serpent-bearer and to bear your image." Our fusion is nearly complete, Serpent-bearer; your armor reflects your loyalty to me but... "I know," Gentaro finished, lifting up the tabs of the driver. When he returned to his normal form, he continued. "If I am to be the Serpent-bearer, I must be the one who tames the serpents." He looked at the innocent snake still wrapped around his neck and smiled. "And when I do, no one will ever hurt me again." 0-0-0-0-0- Gentaro Kisaragi's funeral was held a few days later. On that cold and wet Sunday, hundreds of people that Gentaro befriended over the years—women with their children, girls in frilly skirts, old women with their cats and baskets of yarn, young boys and girls with their families—were all dressed in white as they heard Goro tell them all about his grandson's life. The Kamen Rider Club, including Chuta Ohsugi, sat at the front row, their eyes red and puffy from crying so much. Ohsugi was wailing the most, feeling guilty of giving Gentaro accusations of being a bad person just because he wished to be friends with teachers. "I'm so sorry, Kisaragi!" He sobbed, dropping to his knees. "I never meant to antagonize you! I would've let you wear your clothes instead of the traditional school uniform. Just come back to life so we could all be friends!" The rest was lost as Ohsugi began to blow his nose. Notably, Gamou himself came to the funeral. He took a glance of Gentaro's photo: a young teenage boy with black bangs covering his eyes and a big smile on his face. This was the face of the same person that threw a monkey-wrench in his plans. He had to stop the boy before it began to spread, and he needed to find another vessel for Aries Zodiarts as soon as he can. However, at the rate that Libra was handing them, Gamou might as well resign from Amanogawa High by now. If Libra Zodiarts didn't obtain new Horoscopes soon, then Gamou would have no choice but to enlist Virgo to send the Zodiarts of the Scales into the Dark Nebula for all eternity. "Gentaro Kisaragi..." The chairman snarled, seeing the mourners pay their respects to the deceased teen. His eyes began to glow red in fury. "I will have my dream come true, and you will pay for what you have caused." Ryusei stood underneath the shade of a tall tree, a far distance away from the funeral service. It was for the best: he knew that explaining what really happened to Gentaro would end with failure. The Kamen Rider Club had their minds wiped to forget that Gentaro saved their lives, and the only thing that the recalled about the whole situation was that he killed Fourze. He didn't even bother to talk to them as he came to class and seated himself in his usual spot near Kengo and Yuki for the next couple of days. Instead, the two glared at him before turning away. Ohsugi didn't antagonize him until school was over, screaming as to why he decided to kill a student under his jurisdiction. Ryusei knew that the answer he gave to the Club on the day he killed Gentaro ("Sometimes, there are things that only the devil is capable of doing") wasn't going to bite it. As he watched the funeral service finish and the hundreds of mourners—Gentaro wasn't kidding when he told Yuki that he made a thousand friends since they last met—began to walk home, Ryusei was about to do the same. A voice stopped him from going past five steps. "Sakuta," said the voice. "Why are you here?" The former Kamen Rider Meteor turned to see Kengo and the rest of the Kamen Rider Club, along with Ohsugi, walk up to him. Ryusei didn't say anything, but rather replied with a glare of his own. "What are you doing here, Ryusei?" asked Miu. "Are you going to pay your respects to Gentaro?" "I don't need to pay him anything," Ryusei replied, clenching his fists. "I owe him nothing." "You could at least tell him you're sorry," said Yuki, cradling her Hayabusa Plushie in her arms. "You didn't mean to kill Gen-chan, right?" "If he didn't mean to kill him, he wouldn't have done so in the first place!" Shun snapped. He snarled and lifted Ryusei in the air by his collar. "What do you have to say for yourself, Ryusei?" "How about 'I know you're brainwashed and you won't be able to hear anything I say, but I'm going to tell you the truth either way?'" Ryusei thought to himself. Just as he was about to open his mouth, he heard the sound of a hiss. He looked around, trying to find the source until he saw it. It was a white snake slithering across the grass and slowly approaching Kengo's leg. He wanted to say something, but he was shoved into the tree thanks to Shun. He gasped as his back slammed against the trunk before Shun pinned him down. "You sick bastard!" the former king of Amanogawa High screamed, tears falling down his eyes. "Gentaro accepted you as a friend! He let you into the Kamen Rider Club even though he knew you were hiding your true intentions from us! He opened up to you even though you never would! You helped us fight off the Zodiarts and saved students from the darkness in their hearts! And for what?! It was all for your greed, wasn't it?!" Shun was about to tackle Ryusei into the tree when he was stopped by a cry of pain. Everyone turned to see Kengo on his knees. He had a hand to his heart and his face was sweating. JK and Tomoko were immediately at his side, slowly getting him onto his feet. "We have to get him to a hospital!" said JK. "Quickly!" "Everyone, to my van!" said Ohsugi, motioning the club to follow him. "Hurry! We have no time to waste!" Shun turned to Ryusei and dropped him before he departed with his friends. Ryusei stood up and growled; he caused all of this suffering, but no one would listen to him. It just wasn't fair! Was this karma paying back for killing Gentaro? Would he fail to save the Kamen Rider Club just like he failed to save Jiro? The former Kamen Rider Meteor could constantly ask himself these questions, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. All he could do now was head back home, get himself a hot cup of tea, and empty today's events from his mind. There was nothing he could do to convince the Club that Gentaro was a zombie that came back from the dead. They'd only believe that it was just a lie, and that he spread it to make them believe in some 'false hope'. He heard Ohsugi's van drive off to the nearest hospital. Ryusei just watched the van drive off into the distance before shaking his head in disgust. "Idiots," he muttered under his breath. "That stupid snake Gentaro summoned is responsible for their memory loss. They would've remembered had it not intervene." He paused and turned toward the spot where the snake appeared. "Wait a minute..." It was if a siren blared in his ear. The snake that bit Kengo...could it have been... Ryusei raced toward the Meteostar, a customized motorcycle made to resemble an artificial satellite, and started the engine. He sped off, hoping to catch up with the Kamen Rider Club and warn them before it was too late. 0-0-0-0-0- After running some tests, the doctors were able to get Kengo some anti-venom and other medicines to help cleanse the snake venom out of his blood. He would have to stay in the hospital for a few more days, enough for his body to gain some color back from having the venom almost kill him. Kengo just nodded his head in reply; this wouldn't be the first time that he had to gain color back. Stuck in that hospital bed, Kengo Utahoshi was given a photo album by Yuki. He was looking over it, seeing all of the adventures the Kamen Rider Club had. From the picnic they held near the lake—which somehow had everyone carrying groceries and the Massiguler driving by itself—the Cultural Festival when everyone was dressed up as the Legendary Seven Kamen Riders—with costumes made from slippers, bowls and construction paper—and the Galaxy Hot Pot they had back at Kisaragi Motors, the only emotion he could feel was sadness. These were the only memories he had left of Gentaro...he lost his best friend, and he couldn't save him. Tears splashed onto the photographs of the smiling Gentaro, making him remember how he was unable to revive his best friend from death. "I'm sorry, Gentaro..." Kengo whispered, shaking his head. "I couldn't save you...I failed..." After letting out a few more tears, he closed the album and put it on his desk before lying on his pillow. All he wanted to do was close his eyes and let those memories become real, even for a short while. He thought he heard a soft hiss somewhere across the room. Maybe it was a blast of water from the bathroom, but he paid it no mind. He covered himself with some blankets and squeezed his eyes shut. Blocking out all outside distractions, the so-named 'King of the Infirmary' fell asleep. The room was quiet. No one was there except Kengo himself. The soft hissing was now a lullaby to him that lulled him to sleep. He was too absorbed in his sleep to see someone enter the room. It was Gentaro. He entered the room, his footsteps quiet and his smile wicked and cruel. Because he was dead, he had no heartbeat, no pulse, and no reason to breathe.. That was a total benefit to him; if he had any of those, Kengo would've immediately woken up and it would spoil all the fun. Once he was at his old friend's side, he brought his left hand out and whispered, "Serpens". A white snake materialized in his palm and leapt toward Kengo's neck. It opened its mouth, revealing black fangs that dove deep into the neck. Gentaro watched as the snake injected a dark substance into the Kengo's neck, waiting until the fangs were a pearly white color. Then, the serpent wrapped its tail around the neck and clamped onto it, resembling the legendary Ouroboros biting its own tail. Ouroboros represented a cycle of things being born, dying and being born anew. To Gentaro and Ophiuchus, it represented their eternal control over their lowly servants. "Master shall be pleased," said Gentaro, seeing Kengo fidget and toss in his sleep. "The Core Child shall be ours." "Not if I have anything to say about it." Gentaro turned to see a fist fly across his face. He stumbled back before turning to see Ryusei in front of him, panting for breath. Ryusei's scarf and jacket were singed, and his face was twisted with anger. Gentaro briefly rubbed his hand over where he was punched before smiling. "Ah," He said, slowly clapping his hands. "I see you've come by for a visit. What other plans do you have today, Sakuta?" "I'm going to make sure you stop hurting people," Ryusei snarled. "He's your friend! Kengo worked hard to revive you from death!" "He did work hard, but Utahoshi failed to revive me. I was saved by Ophiuchus; he gave me a better reason to live. I can do so much now that I'm dead. For example, without a limiter in my head, I don't worry about doing this!" Gentaro lifted the giant vase that stood at the corner of the room and raised it above his head. Ryusei immediately pulled out a staff with jingling rings connected to it and swatted it aside. It fell with a clatter, soil spilling everywhere and the arrangement of baby's breath landing on Ryusei's shoe. Gentaro chuckled. "I thought my warning as Fire States was enough to warn you not to mess with me...Libra Zodiarts." 'Ryusei' snarled as he was covered in a blue aura. When it died down, Gentaro was face to face with Libra Zodiarts. Libra, dressed in similar robes just like Virgo along with a pair of insect wings on the back, and antenna on top of his head, glared at Gentaro with his single eye. "I have been sent to bring you for a conversation with my master," said the Zodiarts. "You are needed for your destruction of the Aries Switch." "It was an adequate meal of Cosmic Energy, but not enough," Gentaro replied, his eyes glowing white. "My master needs more energy so it can regain his true form." "My master needs all the switches to enact the Day of Awakening, but it looks like we all aren't going to get what we desire, are we?" Libra twirled the staff into the air and said, "Fight me, Kamen Rider Fourze." "This will be too easy," Gentaro charged forward throwing a punch at his opponent. Libra blocked it easily with the staff before using it to push Gentaro away from him. Gentaro crouched down and went for a leg sweep that tripped the Zodiarts up. Whispering "Serpens", a large cobra wrapped around his left arm and hissed at his opponent before flying toward him. Libra fired a bolt of electricity from his antenna that caused the snake to dissipate into Cosmic Energy. Gentaro snarled. "You'll pay for that," he said, pulling out the Fourze Driver. "Master doesn't like it when his kin die; neither do I." He pulled the tabs down and let the countdown initiate once more, transforming into Kamen Rider Fourze in a pillar of light. Libra snarled as he looked into the eyes of the Kamen Rider Fourze snake hybrid. Fourze just pulled out two switches. The two switches, silver Switches 30-N Magnet (notable for having a large red N on the side) and 31-S Magnet (which was similar to N Magnet except it had a large blue S on the side), were inserted into the Fourze Driver. Fourze pressed the buttons on top of the switches once more. N/S Magnet On Fourze transformed into his destroyed Magnet States, two golden snakes wrapped around the Magnet Cannons mounted on his shoulders. The Kamen Rider hissed as a storm of Cosmic Energy escaped through the gaps of the armor. "If you don't leave now, I'll devour your soul," Fourze declared at the Zodiarts of the Scales. "Or better yet, I'll use you as my personal puppet and set you against whomever summoned you here. I'd like to know what made you so singed, though. I know for a fact that Ryusei Sakuta would never play with fire." "I'm not this 'Ryusei Sakuta' you keep talking about. I am-" "Rider Electromagnetic Bomber!" Gentaro cried, pulling the lever on the Fourze Driver. The Magnet Cannons on his shoulders fired, the snakes' eyes glowing in a purple light. Libra grunted as he was hit with two beams of electromagnetic energy, causing him to feel like a trash compactor had crushed his body forcefully. Fearing for his defeat, the Zodiarts of the Scales disappeared in an orb of blue light. Fourze snarled and flipped the tabs of the Fourze driver up, reverting back to his form of Gentaro Kisaragi. "Coward," he spat out, turning to Kengo. Kengo's breathing calmed down, and the snake's scales shone with the color of gold. Gentaro smiled at his handiwork. The first step of the conversion was complete. "Master," he whispered, running a finger across the golden snake. "What shall I do next? How do we make this puppet do our bidding?" Name him, and he shall be ours forever, Ophiuchus hissed. And you know what, Serpent-bearer? The necklace reminds me of an old friend of mine. "And who was that?" asked Gentaro, seeing Kengo slowly open his eyes. "He is known as Apep, the Egyptian entity of all that was evil. It was said that he fought Ra, his long-sworn enemy and god of the sun, during the night in an attempt to make sure day never came. Sometimes Apep was successful and that was when he created the solar eclipse and the storms that covered Ra's power. It was only temporary, however; Ra always managed to cast Apep back into the Underworld and their fights would continue forever. Good always triumphed over evil. Pathetic." Kengo's eyes opened all the way, the pupils contracted into small slits. He sat up, his face empty and devoid of emotion. Gentaro hissed in delight, his teeth a set of venomous fangs. "Arise and awaken anew, Apep," he said, a hand cupping Kengo's face. He turned his ex-friend's face toward him, his eyes glowing red as he whispered, "Trust in me." Kengo, having the venom seep into his blood and brain, just lifted his gaze toward the red depths of Gentaro's eyes. Just like before, he was completely drawn in. He heard voices in his head, telling him to obey and submit. He couldn't fight it, still drowsy from the venom and sleep. All he could do was nod his head. "Excellent," Gentaro whispered. "Now, Apep, my little fledgling of shadows...what say you come with me and I shall tell you more about Master's work?" "Yes..." Kengo replied in a sleepy tone. He slowly got out of bed, wobbling and swaying a bit and collapsed into Gentaro's arms. Gentaro smiled, sensing the Cosmic Energy wafting through the boy. Master was right in choosing Kengo as the first Serpent. This Core Child, as Ophiuchus affectionately called him, would be the key to unlocking Ophiuchus from his seal. Gentaro licked his lips and opened his mouth, revealing a set of snake fangs. Without hesitation, he plunged the fangs deep into Kengo's neck, draining his former friend of all the Cosmic Energy within him. Kengo didn't react to it at all; all he knew was that he could trust in his former friend's actions and fall into a deep, dark sleep that he would never wake out of. 0-0-0-0-0- Ryusei Sakuta, the real one and not Libra Zodiarts disguised as him, was supposed to catch up to Ohsugi and the Kamen Rider Club. The only thing standing in his way was a figure in a blue spacesuit, black gloves, shoes and a silver helmet covering its head who teleported in front of his path toward the hospital. Its yellow eyes gazed into Ryusei's soul as Ryusei pressed on the brakes of the Meteostar. The motorcycle slowly came to a stop just inches away from the mysterious person. "Ryusei Sakuta," the man began. "At last we meet, face to face. I am Tachibana, your benefactor." Ryusei dismounted from the Meteorstar and approached Tachibana. He snarled, rolling the sleeve of his left arm up to his elbow. "Get out of my way!" he yelled. "I need to see Kengo and warn the Kamen Rider Club about Gentaro!" "You will see Kengo, but you will not 'see' him as you thought you would. I am here to tell you something; something that will help you on your mission." "Like how you said I was supposed to hand you Aries Switch so that Jiro wouldn't make it?! Or how about Gentaro dying and being resurrected by Ophiuchus? I-" "That was your fault," Tachibana interrupted, his voice stern. "You sided with Aries Zodiart and you made that deal to save Jiro Inseki. You made the choice to kill Gentaro Kisaragi, not me. You decided to turn your back on the Kamen Rider Club and it is you who must pay the price of your actions! I know the punishment you must endure...I shall send you into the Dark Nebula where you can waste away for all eternity!" Ryusei's eyes widened as his benefactor pulled out something from his pocket: it was a red and black cone-like switch marked with the Astrological symbol of Virgo on top. With a press of a button, a cloud of Cosmic Energy marked with the constellation of Virgo came forth and the former Kamen Rider Meteor was face to face with Virgo Zodiarts. "You!" Ryusei gasped. "Virgo?! Y-you're..." "Taking you on a one way trip to the Dark Nebula," Virgo Zodiarts replied, raising the Rhodia Axe into the air. A dark and purple vortex appeared above Ryusei's head. Ryusei had no time to react as a powerful force sucked him into the sky. All he could do was scream in terror as the portal vanished into thin air, taking him into the cold and dark prison that was the Dark Nebula. Virgo Zodiarts looked up, seeing the empty sky looking down at her. "Ryusei Sakuta," she whispered. "You are our only hope." |
04-17-2013, 02:59 PM | #3 |
Warrior of Delusions!
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Wait, you dont know either?
Posts: 5,812
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Wow, this is dark. It is great, but dark as heck.
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Check out my occasional ramblings! https://akibamusings.blogspot.com/
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04-23-2013, 02:04 PM | #4 |
New Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 6
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Horseshoes and Hand-grenades
III: 19-25-19-20-5-13 19-8-15-3-11 "Who should I trust less? An impostor claiming to be that monster, or the monster herself?" —Dr. Marie Delacroix, System Shock 2 "Mother...Father..." Gentaro saw the white silhouettes of his parents waiting for him at the end of the Cosmic Energy Tunnel. He hadn't seen them for so long—he knew that they were waiting to see him again. Tears fell down his face as he slowly approached them. "Gentaro..." That was his mother. He remembered all of the times she read him stories at night, or how the two would go for ramen at the noodle stands during the winter. Everyone always commented that he had his mother's smile, and it was true. His smile was very uplifting. "My son..." That was his father. Gentaro recalled all the times that the two would play "Rocket and Meteor Shower", with the father being the meteor shower of pillows as Gentaro would run around in a giant cardboard box with Yuki along for the ride. There was also that time where Gentaro fell down a tree and his father caught him just in time, joking that Gentaro was an alien who crashed his spaceship into the tree. These memories...Gentaro hadn't recalled them in so long. "Wait for me!" said Gentaro, running toward them. "Wait for me! I'm coming!" With each step down the tunnel, he could see more and more features of his parents. Their faces, their state of dress, the injuries...the blood...His feet continued to move as more and more of his parents were seen. Gentaro was so close. He was going to see them once more! "Do you really want to see them as they are?" a voice hissed in his ear. Gentaro stopped running when he heard that question. The Cosmic Energy tunnel faded to black, and he was alone in a featureless void. "Who's there?" He asked, looking around. "What do you want? Where are you?!" "Here I am..."The voice hissed behind Gentaro. He turned around and gasped when he saw who answered his question. It was him, with red eyes and black slit pupils, a wicked and cruel smile gracing the doppleganger's lips. The doppelganger dispersed and a giant black serpent stared at Gentaro eye to eye. "Who are you?" asked Gentaro. He then shook his head. "No...what are you?" "I am a guardian of lost souls," The voice replied. "I am Ophiuchus, the Serpent-bearer. I only appear for those who have destinies and for those who have lost their way." "Lost their way? But I haven't..." "You have. You died...you didn't live up to your parents' expectations. You were supposed to make friends that would help you when you fell. They would be the one to save you...correct?" "And I did make friends." Gentaro stared into the serpent's giant red eyes, a hand on his heart. "I found the Kamen Rider Club where my friends and I could fight off the Zodiarts and save Amanogawa High from monsters that our fellow students would become. We saved so many people from themselves, and we befriended them. What we did was right, and I never lost my way in doing the right thing." "You did the right thing, but you also made a fatal error. You did not realize that you were being deceived. The mortal known as Ryusei Sakuta betrayed you and your friends did not save you in time. They stood there so you could die. If they were your friends, they would've made sure to stop Ryusei from landing the killing blow. "Take your psychic friend for example...Tomoko, was it? She had the sixth sense to note that something was up with Ryusei. You put so much faith in her abilities when it came to transforming into a Roman Candle or a living paintbrush, but why did you ignore her instincts when it came to Ryusei?" Ophiuchus stuck his tongue out at Gentaro. "I know why...you wanted to show that you could befriend everyone. But you couldn't see Ryusei for who he truly was, and it has landed you in the afterlife. Such a shame too-now you won't be able to fulfill your promise to your parents. You made them very, very disappointed." "I...disappointed them?" Gentaro's voice fell into a whisper, his eyes still deep within the stare of the serpent's own. "I...no...I didn't..." "You did, Kisaragi. And besides, you haven't been fulfilling your promise. 'I shall be the one to befriend everyone in Amanogawa High.' You didn't extend your hand of friendship to Makise, Toriizaki or Kijima. I didn't see you help Nonomura from the supply closet you dumped him in...no, you only choose the people you want to befriend and everyone else gets cast aside. Do you truly befriend everyone? Or are there just some people that aren't worthy of your time? "No!" Gentaro's eyes began to water. He placed a hand close to his no longer beating heart. "I befriended everyone...I promised Mom and Dad...and...and..." "Who did you promise more? You or your parents? Did you ever think that maybe you didn't want to befriends everyone? What do you want? Who do you choose to be? Think Kisaragi, you know it's true. You can create an army to fight for you, or use your knowledge of the human mind to bend people to your will. Instead, you waste it on meaningless connections and bonds. If you side with me, I can help you where your friends did not." "Like I'd do that!" Gentaro screamed. "My friends will come for me...I trust them! They'd never let me down! They'll stop Aries Zodiarts!" "I sense doubt in your mind, little one. Perhaps I should show you what happens after Ryusei gets his way...your little club can't function without you now, can it?" The scene changed. Gentaro found himself in the Rabbit Hatch. He wanted to say hello to everyone and to tell them that he was alright...instead, he found everyone arguing against one another. There were no signs of the group comforting one another after the trauma of seeing him die; there was nothing but fear, anger and hatred. "You were supposed to use your sixth sense to sense something wrong!" Miu screamed at a shivering Tomoko. "What happened to that, huh?!" "Why the hell didn't you use that gossip broker skill of yours to dig up dirt on Sakuta, JK?!" Shun screamed. He tackled the gossip broker against the wall of the Rabbit Hatch. JK could only gasp in pain before Shun grabbed onto his hair. "I thought you knew everyone in the entire school!" "You think saying 'Stop!' was going to prevent Sakuta from killing him, Jojima?!" Kengo screeched at Yuki, grabbing onto her arms. The space otaku's eyes were filled with tears as Kengo started to shake her. "What kind of friend are you?!" Gentaro could only watch as Miu trashed Tomoko's small corner in the Rabbit Hatch, gasp as Shun prepared to smash JK's guitar over the party-goer's head, and nearly cried at seeing Kengo ripping apart Yuki's books about space. Everything escalated into madness. He saw Ohsugi screaming and disbanding the club before confronting Gamou about the Kamen Rider Club. He saw his friends acting as they were back when he arrived Amanogawa. Shun was the jerk jock, Miu was the Queen Bee, JK was a dirty coward backstabbing his friends. All of his work was for nothing, and he hated it. "Stop it!" Gentaro yelled, grabbing onto his head. "I CAN'T TAKE IT! STOP IT NOW!" He fell onto his knees and began to sob, tears falling down his face and splashing onto the ground. Ophiuchus sighed and coiled his body around the dead teen. The scenery faded away into darkness, the only sounds that could be heard were Gentaro's cries of pain and agony. "There, there..." The serpent hissed. "I know that it looks painful, but it doesn't have to be." Flicking his tongue out, Ophiuchus caught the tears falling down Gentaro's face."I know how to prevent this tragedy. I know how to take away your pain." "Y-you do?" Gentaro sniffled. He had never felt so alone until now...was this what it felt like? And here was someone who could help him...deep down, he knew the truth. He was glad to be of help for Ryusei, but at what cost? How far did he have to go in order to make people happy? How much pain did he have to endure for people's happiness? In fact, what constituted a smile? A smile on someone evil and sadistic...are they happy because of that? His mind ran in circles, trying to understand his actions and what he had done. Ophiuchus nuzzled against Gentaro and hissed once more. "You can't make everyone happy without making you happy first. To make yourself happy, you need to focus on stuff that will make you smile." "Me...?" asked Gentaro, staring into Ophiuchus's red eyes. "But...I'm happy when I help people..." "Is that so? But you can't do that if you're in this state right?" "N-no...what do I do?" "Well...I have been feeling so sad and lonely without something to eat...If you can give me that, I'll give you your heart's desire..." "My heart's...desire?" Gentaro repeated, his mind drifting away and falling deep into Ophiuchus's stare. His eyes were tinted red as he nodded. "I...I..." "Yes? What do you need, Gentaro Kisaragi?" "I...need you." If Ophiuchus had lips, they would be in a smile stretching from ear to ear. He slithered around Gentaro and continued to whisper words of deceit into his mind. "I am the only one that can make you happy and fill your empty soul with what you truly desire...I'll make your parents proud of you and the error of your friend's ways. These 'friends' should've helped you, but they failed. And you failed in your promise to make friends with everyone at Amanogawa High..." As Gentaro continue to hear the words, his whole body began to relax. His eyes were as empty as his soul, no longer filled with the optimism and hope he carried in the past. Now, there was just desire-a desire for darkness and hatred. "As long as you listen to my words, you will no longer have to think about such trivial matters. These thoughts have caused you so much pain and made you cry, and men like you should not cry over petty subjects.¨Ophiuchus saw Gentaro slowly nodding his head in reply. "By obeying me, you and I shall become one. My body is yours, and your body is mine. My thoughts become your thoughts. You will never be betrayed by the ones you have put your utmost faith into. All you must focus on is being with me, Gentaro Kisaragi. No, my Serpent-bearer." "Serpent-bearer..." Gentaro repeated, his mind and eyes falling into slumber. "Your thoughts...my thoughts..." "That is correct. The Serpent-bearer is the one who lives longer than all of the mortals, for he has obtained immortality. The Serpent-bearer is the entity who tames the serpents and controls them. The Serpent-bearer is the one who breeds sin and darkness into the hearts of innocent people. And who exactly is this being? That is you, Gentaro Kisaragi. You are the Serpent-bearer." "I am the Serpent-bearer. I am the Serpent-bearer..." The routine continued for an indefinite amount of time. Time was meaningless for one who was no longer living. Ophiuchus continued to bombard Gentaro with his commands ("The Serpent-bearer is the one who lays hands on the lost serpents. The Serpent-bearer does not think thoughts that would hurt him; he only relishes for the safety and comfort of the darkness.). Gentaro repeated everything that he was told, losing himself more and more into this strange entity. Then, after Ophiuchus finished his mind-control mantra, Gentaro Kisaragi spoke. "...master," He whispered, placing a hand on his heart. He lightly tapped his chest and then extended his hand out. "I give my heart to you as sacrifice." Ophiuchus grinned once more. "Excellent." The serpent hissed. "In return, I shall give you my power so you can walk among humans once more. You shall be bound to me forever more, my Serpent-bearer." Ophiuchus opened his mouth, revealing his large, poisonous fangs. He drew back before diving straight into Gentaro's chest. Gentaro didn't feel any pain—he was dead, after all—but just placed his fingers near the hole where his heart used to be. He didn't feel pain, nor did he feel worried about giving his heart to this monster. It didn't matter anymore; it was necessary to banish all thoughts about human emotions out of his mind. The Serpent-bearer did not care for such things, after all. Ophiuchus bit deep into Gentaro's bleeding heart, swallowing it whole. The serpent let out a deep laugh as the heart was slowly digested inside him. "This heart contains so much potential...it is delicious," He said to Gentaro. "And now it's time for me to complete my end of the bargain. Open your mouth as wide as possible and keep still, Serpent-bearer. This might hurt just a bit." The snake transformed into a cloud of Cosmic Energy. It swirled around Gentaro's heartless body and entered through his mouth. Gentaro stayed perfectly still, feeling the snake forcing himself through his lips. The hole in his heart began to heal, the blood flowing backward from his veins and bleaching his skin into the color of alabaster. He fell onto his hands and knees as Ophiuchus forced himself down more and more, his serpentine body widening the boy's throat and esophagus until the tail was no longer flailing around outside of the Serpent-bearer's mouth. Gentaro kept quiet. The Serpent-bearer was not given any thought, command or reason, to be alarmed at its master becoming one with him. He stayed still and let his master's words soothe his soul and wash away all of the sadness that he went through in the last hour (hour? was it really that long since he died? The Serpent-bearer only knew that he was going to awaken soon) until all that was left was a being with a sense of purpose. Gentaro collapsed onto the ground, hands close to his neck as he swallowed the last of the snake into his stomach. Once he felt the Ophiuchus was one with him, he smiled. He could feel his master deep within his mind and around his body, calming him and soothing his soul with those sweet words. All of the pain that he suffered washed away; he would be reborn. "Wake up, my little Serpent-bearer..." said Ophiuchus. "A new day awaits us. But first, let us kill the one that instigated our death..." "Yes, Master," Gentaro replied, closing his eyes. He smiled, a pair of fangs clamped onto his lower lip. "Yamada Tatsumori shall die by our hands." 0-0-0-0-0-0- When Ryusei opened his eyes, he thought he would find himself in a dark and cold prison where he would be trapped for all eternity. Instead, he found himself floating around in space. This wasn't the Dark Nebula that Virgo promised to send him to. And if so, why was he sent here in the first place? Something didn't add up... Turning to his left, he saw a chain of letters that read M-BUS. Something clicked in his mind. He was the M-BUS Station where Tachibana and the one thatgave him 'permission' to transform into Kamen Rider Meteor. That feeling of deja vu became strong just by seeing the four letters in front of him. He looked around and noticed two figures asleep in some sort of capsule. He proceeded to 'swim' toward them so he could get a better look. When he got close, he gasped. One of them was a woman with long brown hair tucked behind a hairband and dressed in a white blouse, coat and brown pencil skirt. The other was a boy his age, with black hair and dressed in a black coat. Realization hit. In front of him were the sleeping forms of Sarina Sonada and Natsuji Kijima. "What the-?" he didn't finish his question as he saw someone teleport behind him. He turned around, seeing Virgo Zodiarts—no, Tachibana—approaching him. "I have placed Sarina Sonada, the Scorpion Zodiarts and Natsuji Kijima, the Cancer Zodiarts, here to protect them from his intentions," the benefactor explained. "Ryusei, I have been keeping something from you ever since I handed you the Meteor Driver. I believe it is time that you learn the truth."" "Like what?!" Ryusei growled. "You tricked me! You've been using me to fulfill your own dirty agenda this whole time!" "If you would let me explain, then you will understand why I brought you here. Please, Ryusei," Tachibana lifted his gaze toward Ryusei. "Trust in me." Ryusei wanted to punch Tachibana in the face for all that he's done. Then, he stopped. Tachibana had a point - the only one who invoked the deal with Aries Zodiarts to kill Gentaro was Ryusei. The former Kamen Rider could do nothing but sigh in defeat. "All right," he said. "I'll play along. What do you have to say?" "This is something I wanted to hold back on for quite some time," Tachibana began. "I don't want you to ask anything until I explain in detail what I know." "And what's that?" Tachibana stayed quiet for a moment or two, trying to find the right words. Then, he finally spoke." "Ryusei Sakuta," he said. "You were not born of this Earth. You are a Core Child." 0-0-0-0-0- Back on the rooftop once more, Gentaro stood in front of his first slave with delight. The employees of the hospital didn't pay heed to the sleeping 'form' that was substituting for the sick and resting Kengo Utahoshi, and were already busy with the sick and elderly patients. Instead, Kengo Utahoshi knelt in front of his master, dressed as if he was a slave in the deserts of Egypt. Black markings circled his eyes, golden jewelry decorated his arms, and the only articles of clothing on him was a starched linen tunic going down to his knees and a pair of sandals. A "fitting uniform" for one who served the Gods, as Ophiuchus stated. Kengo was oblivious to the outfit that was forced upon him. His mind was filled with the soothing voice of the serpent telling him to kneel in front of his masters to ensure absolute loyalty. Gentaro, having his fill of Cosmic Energy, fiddled with the light yellow Switch 24-Medical that he had in his hand. He tossed it into the air and laughed, seeing how the switch became useless now that he had Ophiuchus to heal him. The Medical switch, with its Cosmic Energy based medicine, was now designed for emergency rations of Cosmic Energy. It other words, was basically nothing more than a goblet of ambrosia for him alone. He caught the descending switch in his hands before approaching Kengo. Kengo still did not reply, still stuck in his trance-like state. "Master would not choose you to become a serpent unless you were of some importance," he said to his former friend. "He calls you the 'Core Child'; do you have any understanding of what that means?" "..." Kengo didn't say anything, his lips sealed shut. This made Gentaro frown. "Well?" he approached the kneeling slave and pushed him onto his back with a foot. He placed his foot over Kengo's chest and snarled. "You have permission to talk, Utahoshi." "..I have no understanding, my Master." Kengo replied, his voice empty and hollow. "Please forgive me for my lack of data involving the information that you ask. I promise to make myself more useful and gather data for next time. Command me and I shall obey." He tells the truth, Serpent-bearer, Ophiuchus whispered in Gentaro's mind. He has no idea on who he truly is. This is good. This is very, very good. Gentaro removed his foot and helped Kengo stand up. Kengo, still dizzy and drowsy from the venom, dropped to his knees and bowed his head in an act of fealty. "It's alright, Utahoshi," said Gentaro, a hand on his friend's shoulder. "If you do not know, you do not know. You are forgiven...for now." "Thank you, Master Ophiuchus and Serpent-bearer," Kengo replied, his voice filled with happiness in hearing his masters forgive him. "What is your next command? What is your will, my masters?" Rest for now, Apep. Ophiuchus answered back. Let the mortal doctors do their check-ups on you. Once everything has been squared away, meet up with us after school has ended for the day for your next assignment. "As you wish, Master Ophiuchus," Kengo replied. "I shall leave post haste." A black rune circle appeared beneath his feet, teleporting him out of sight. Once they were alone, Ophiuchus materialized near his Serpent-bearer, sticking his forked tongue to the teen. Our plan is starting to progress...he said. For now, let us rest. "This body must obtain nourishment of the human kind or we shall waste away," Gentaro replied. He licked his lips in hunger. "Shall we head off to find something to eat?" "If we are to do that, we must disguise ourselves. Your tendency to make a multitude of friends will backfire on us should someone recognize who we are. It is time we learn another spell to use. Stand up and repeat the word." Gentaro stood up and crossed his hands over his stomach. His eyes began to glow, his body covered in a multitude of prismatic scales. "Pictor," he said, watching as the scales began to fuse with his body. 0-0-0-0-0-0- Ryusei stayed silent. He wanted to comment on him being this 'Core Child', but he promised Tachibana that he'd listen all the way to the end. Taking a deep breath, he sealed his lips shut and nodded his head. Tachibana took that as his cuee to continue. "Seventeen years ago, I found the item known as the Core Switch on the Moon's surface," Tachibana explained. "It was unlike anything I had ever seen. My partners and I learned that it was gift from a race of beings unlike our own. It was crafted to test us, to see if we were ready to meet them." "Is that when you created the Anti-Zodiarts Federation?" asked Ryusei. "I am getting there. One of my partners tried to duplicate the Core Switch by using Cosmic Energy. Unfortunately, he became corrupted by the Switch's powers and soon created the beings known as the Zodiarts. Realizing that my friend was long gone, I escaped with my research notes and became what you see now. It was at that time that I found something astounding: when I touched the Core Switch, it created you." "Me?" Ryusei gasped, placing a hand over his heart. "How is that possible?" "I still have no understanding as to how that happened," Tachibana answered. "However, that did not make me want to take care of you any less. I raised you in secret for all of those years before sending you off to Subaruboshi High." "Where I became friends with Jiro, and then you gave me the Meteor Driver." said Ryusei, slowly piecing things together. "That leaves me with one important question, though - who gave Jiro the Zodiarts Switch?" "I'm not sure myself, but I do know that you are in serious danger. With your identity exposed, the Horoscope Generals now know who Meteor truly is. What will you do now?" Ryusei looked at the Meteorswitch in his hand and closed his eyes. This was all his fault, that much he knew. The only thing he didn't know was how to make everything right again. He let out a deep sigh. "I'll do what ever it takes to fix this," he answered. "Tachibana, give me another chance." The masked man stared into Ryusei's eyes as he contemplated the situation. There was still a chance to fix things if they acted fast, and there was no use dwelling in the past. The only thing they could do now was move forward. He nodded his head. "Very well, Ryusei," he said. "I need you to do something for me." "What's that?" asked Ryusei, seeing Tachibana remove his helmet. "I said I'd do anything." "Look deep into my eyes and fall into a never-ending sleep." From underneath the helmet, Ryusei saw two reds orbs staring at him. He swallowed a lump in his throat and began to stare back. Tachibana continued to whisper some strange words that made him calm down, and slow his breathing. His eyelids became heavy and it was getting hard to keep them up. "That's right," Tachibana whispered. "Just let everything go. Keep listening to my voice and find yourself in your happy place. Everything will be fine." "Everything will be fine," Ryusei repeated, finally letting his eyes close. The last image he saw before everything went back was Gentaro Kisaragi extending his hand out in friendship. 0-0-0-0-0- "Hayami!" Kouhei Hayami was thrown back against the wall in pain. Standing in front of him was Gamou's personal assistant, Ko Tatsugami. The tall man was currently manipulating walnuts in his hand, a proud smirk on his face. "You failed in completing a simple task," he began. "All you had to do was to bring Ophiuchus to him and you'd be forgiven for your failures. Too bad..." Tatsugami crushed the walnuts in his hand, blowing the remains in front of the principal's face. Hayami spat out the walnut chunks in disgust. "You try fighting him without any prior knowledge of his skills," the principal said sarcastically. "I'm sure you'll be able to win, no problem." "Having some lip, are we? Well, maybe you should listen to this. You have one more chance in being useful to Gamou. Should you fail, you'll be-" "What? Sent to the Dark Nebula?" Hayami scoffed. "At least Sonada will keep me company in that cold, empty abyss." "You will die by Master Gamou's hands," Tatsugami chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm sure you know about how he brainwashes meddling detectives, but..." "But what?" "Have you ever thought to yourself that Master Gamou could use it besides erasing memories? Maybe he'll make you kill yourself with a gun to the temple. Or maybe he'll force you to drop in front of the school and die when you hit the ground. If you don't shape up now, I can imagine you taking that fancy letter opener on your desk to commit seppuku for all to see. Just remember, you can easily be replaced at any time. "Do take care, Hayami...you only have a few days left in this world." Tatsugami dumped the remains of the cracked walnuts onto the principal's head before walking off, pulling out a few more walnuts from his pocket. Hayami groaned as he slid up against the wall. He slammed his fists in anger; this was that stupid Kamen Rider's fault! If if wasn't for Fourze butting in allthe times, things would progress smoothly! No matter what he did, that stupid boy and those stupid friendship speeches always stopped him from completing his job! Damn it...He thought to himself. If only I was stronger...if only I had that power! I'd show that stupid lion who's better! I'd show Gamou what I could really do! I would NEVER be the butt of everyone's jokes ever again! They'd be bowing at my feet before I'd bow down to theirs! You want power...? A voice hissed in his ear. I can give you that power...if you're willing to bargain... Hayami saw the shadows closing up on him, wrapping him in a tight embrace before suffocating him in an inky smog of darkness. 0-0-0-0-0- Ryusei was fast asleep, his wrists and ankles strapped to an operating table. Injected into his arm was an IV Line with black energy coursing through his veins. Covering his ears was a set of earphones shaped like large blue spikes. An oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth, but otherwise he looked fine. Tachibana stared at the monitors carefully. He could not mess this up now. What Ryusei did was unforgivable, but there was no chance in fixing it. Gentaro was alive now, and he was now a bigger threat than the Zodiarts combined. Ryusei listened to the words drilling into his subconscious, softly repeating the commands in his sleep. As he did, he slowly opened his eyes. Instead of their usual shade of blue, they were now the color of coal. He smiled. I am Ryusei Sakuta. He thought to himself. I am the Core Child. |
04-26-2013, 02:56 PM | #5 |
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Horseshoes and Hand-grenades
IV: 19-8-15-3-11-23-1-22-5 "I'm myself, not a label." -John Brunner, The Shockwave Rider After Gentaro's funeral service, Chuta Ohsugi rallied the remaining members of the Kamen Rider Club to the Rabbit Hatch for a 'Study Party'. In reality, it was all just an elaborate excuse for the group to sit in an abandoned space base on the moon and figure out what to do next. There were no Kamen Riders to stop the Zodiarts, their mission control was in the hospital, and more importantly, they lost a good friend. It was hopeless; without a Kamen Rider, the group couldn't even call themselves the Kamen Rider Club anymore. All that was left were five students and a lowly geography teacher on the moon. There was also lots of finger pointing between the five teens, but the fingers were all pointed at themselves; the Kamen Rider Club knew that they didn't do anything to stop Ryusei from killing Gentaro, and the five teens all paid a heavy price for being witnesses. The main reason that they didn't do anything was mostly from over-confidence and disbelief. They thought that Gentaro would easily power over Tatsumori and his powers over sleep, but they never believed or even questioned Meteor's alliance with them. They were blind to Ryusei Sakuta's true motives this whole time. "I knew something was wrong with Ryusei," Tomoko sobbed, black mascara and eyeliner falling down her face. "I just knew it! I sensed something wrong with him, but I didn't figure out the truth in time!" "I should've gathered information about his past at Subaruboshi High," JK noted, playing a few notes on his guitar. He shook his head and added, "Some gossip broker I am." "I was in the Power Dizer throwing Dustards everywhere," Shun added, slamming his hands on the table. "I should've separated those two the minute that stupid top got in the way! Damn it!" "I didn't say anything at all," Miu shook her head as she held the Potechokin Foodroid in her hand. "I could've rallied the other members of the Club to put a stop to the fighting, but instead stayed silent. Oops..." "I just told Ryusei to stop," Yuki's eyes were red and puffy as she blew into a tissue. "I let my best friend die! I failed to save Gen-chan!" Ohusgi was the only who wasn't crying. He knew what happened—he willingly let his students go to Subaruboshi High after begging and pleading to the principal. He unknowingly let Gentaro die by the hands of Ryusei Sakuta. He knew something was wrong with Hayami ever since Ran told about the teachers involved in this situation. No, he should've suspected the times Hayami would quietly chat with fellow teacher Sarina Sonada. There was something evil beneath that sweet smile of hers, and he now knew what was going on: Sonada-sensei was in league with the Zodiarts. He now understood the meaning to that phrase, "Love is blind" and shook his head in disdain. He was so consumed on his belief that Gentaro caused Sonada to leave on that sabbatical that he should've realized that the teen had nothing to do with her disappearance. What a horrible teacher he was. How could he have known that Gentaro and his friends were hiding something from him, yet be completely oblivious to his crush's cruel intentions? The question just made him want to smack himself across the face. Chuta Ohsugi looked to the five teens, all depressed and moody. No one had said anything else aside from blaming themselves for not jumping into action. He couldn't let them be like this: he was their teacher, and teachers helped their students. That was the reason he became their faculty adviser. No, this was the reason why he became a teacher in the first place. It was time to let go of his prejudice against the two factions being friends and unite them. He didn't have any of Gentaro's fancy gadgets nor did he have any superpowers, but he had to do what Gentaro would do in a situation like this: make these teens smile again. "Everyone!" he cried, getting everyone out of their crying and moping states. "Kisaragi wouldn't want us to mope around. He'd want us to do something about this! I don't know about you, but I think it's about time for us to uncover the people behind these Horoscopes." "And you're saying that you know?" asked JK, raising an eyebrow. "No offense sensei, but it doesn't look like you'd be capable of knowing who's working behind the scenes of these Zodiarts attacks." "I didn't, but when I was leaving the Rabbit Hatch with the Net Switch, I bumped into Ran and she told me the whole story. She said that when Haru received his Zodiarts switch, he heard a few students saying goodbye to a teacher. I put two and two together, noting how the first sightings of the Zodiarts and their rampages originate on school ground, and came to a simple conclusion," Chuta Ohsugi narrowed his eyes and said, "The people who are making students into Zodiarts and those Horoscope guys you're facing work in Amanogawa High." That got everyone's attention. They looked toward their teacher, this teacher who at first wanted nothing more to abolish their secret club, who had a look of determination and hope that they had never seen before. "I may not be a Kamen Rider, and I may not know any martial arts," Ohsugi continued. "But I have one thing: determination. I'm going to help you guys out, because that's my job. We can't let Gentaro's death slow us down. He died, but he brought us together and we must respect his wishes. He would want us to continue fighting to help people and make them smile. Amanogawa High wasn't just his home, it was ours also! And I'm not going to sit around and do nothing while monsters are threatening my students! I'm going to fight! Who's with me?!" No one said a word. They stared at this man, this suspender-wearing man who got tossed around like a rag doll against other students, faculty members and parents alike, and saw him rallying a troop of soldiers to fight a war. But this wasn't imaginary playtime, this was reality. Chuta Ohsugi, in all his suspender wearing glory, was not a superhero; he wasn't even super period. "Um," JK began. "Well, that's nice and all, but I definitely know that's not me." He slowly started to slide toward the entrance to the Rabbit Hatch. "I've got some songs and a radio show to produce so I better get cracking on them and-" "JK," said Ohsugi, interrupting the Gossip Broker. "Stop hiding behind your party persona and be more honest with what you're feeling. You're trying to run away from the problem, aren't you?" "Of course not!" JK laughed. His eyes darted back and forth as he added, "What makes you say that?" "You're afraid because you don't know what's going to happen. You don't now whether or not things will look good and you run off with that smile to prove that. I know you're afraid, but you're not alone." Ohsugi spread his arms out to show the other members of the Kamen Rider Club. "We're all with you; Gentaro would've said those same words. He saved you when you were down, am I right?" "Y-yeah," JK ran a hand through his hair. "I used him so I could get his Elec Switch to defend me against Nitta, and then I got tied up and was about to die. He gave me the chance to call everyone on my cellphone -my 'friend list', if you will - but no one responded or rushed to my safety. Just as Nitta was about to slice my head off, Gentaro came. Gentaro forgave me; he was going to befriend me even after I betrayed him by accepting me just the way I was." Tears welled up as he continued. "I never had a friend like that in years. To me, all I wanted was to be the center of attention. I had phone numbers but no people to connect to; I had parties, but no person who truly understood me. I was...alone until Gentaro came. Thans to him, I can be a better person. No. Thanks to him, I will be a better person." "JK is right," said Miu, placing a hand near her heart. "All I thought about was myself, but now I realize there are people who need leaders to point them in the right direction. People should do acts of kindness to make themselves betterr, and that's why we're here. We're stopping these Zodiarts and rescuing our fellow classmates from the darkness in their hearts!" "I'm with Miu!" said Shun, standing up. "I went along blindly with my father's wishes, and I never thought about how I need to do things to benefit others and myself. I'm doing good because I don't need rewards. Even if my body breaks down and I'm on my knees, I won't stop! I'll keep fighting till the very end!" "Gen-chan was my friend for as long as I can remember," said Yuki, placing a hand close to her heart. "It's the Kamen Rider Club's duty to ensure people are safe, and to stop the Zodiarts in their tracks. Now that we know who we're fighting, and we won't let that stop us!" Tomoko didn't say anything, but rather withdrew to her tablet, typing away at something. "Kamen Riders are supposed to be heroes"; that's what she told Meteor back when he deliberately let Lynx Zodiarts get away. Now that Ryusei betrayed them by killing off Gentaro, she was beginning to have second thoughts. "Everyone," said Ohsugi. "Get a good night's sleep. I'm going to go start poking around the school and see if I can get my hands on anything. Hayami must have some sort of hint as to what's going on. And as long as I'm me-" He snapped his suspenders, the sound echoing across the empty Rabbit Hatch. "Then, the better for all of us." "All right, sensei," said Miu, standing up. "Let's go meet up with Kengo tomorrow afternoon and then plan our next step. Gentaro would want that." Everyone else nodded their heads and began to pack up. All except for Tomoko, who just kept looking at her tablet. Ohsugi noticed this. "Are you alright, Nozama?" he asked. "Is anything wrong?" "I-I'm fine," Tomoko replied, standing up. She placed her tablet into her bag and began to walk off. 0-0-0-0-0- Kouhei Hayami coughed and gasped for air once more as he tried to figure out where he was. All he remembered was a voice whispering in his ear, and then there was the darkness appearing out of nowhere. He turned around, seeing himself near a noodle cart. Sitting at a table was a teenage boy with short brown hair and brown eyes, dressed in a black hooded jacket marked with a circle of Astrological Signs. Most notably, the symbol for Aries was red and the others were white. He was currently enjoying some tonkatsu ramen before he noticed the person on the ground. "Ah, principal," the teen noted. "You're the one that master sensed." "You," Hayami snarled, standing up from the dirty floor. "Who are you? Why am I here?" "All of that will be revealed in time. Come," The teen passed a bowl of miso ramen to his principal. "Eat." Hayami sat himself down and placed his hands together. Instead, he just stared at the boy eating a deep fried pork cutlet. The teen took small bites, his fangs delving deep into his meal. When he finished the pork, his forked tongue licked off any meat near his mouth. The teen noticed the principal staying silent and lowered his gaze. "I paid for the food, you know," he added, hand sweeping over the ramen. "Go on. Eat. I promised that there isn't any poison or anything of the like." "Who are you?" asked Hayami, using his chopsticks to pick out a fish cake. He took it into his mouth, chewed and then swallowed before continuing. "And why did you call me 'Principal'?" "Isn't that who you are? Oh," the boy shook his head and smiled. "I forgot to tell you who I am, or rather who I was. I am the Serpent-bearer, but you know me as Gentaro Kisaragi." "Fourze," Hayami answered calmly, his face never showing an ounce of shock or surprise. He just narrowed his eyes and asked, "Tell me then, how exactly did you manage to transport me here? Better yet, how did you know that you could teleport me to you?" "Simple. That Limit Break I did back at the hospital blasted Cosmic Energy at you. Master sensed the traces of Cosmic Energy that you left and used that to bring you here. We've brought you here so we can all...negotiate with one another." Hayami nearly smacked himself across the forehead. So that's why Fourze did that attack on him earlier. He should've seen that a mile coming. "And why should I negotiate with a student who can't even get a ten on a test? I doubt someone with your intellect can be of some use to me. You're not worth my time," he placed the chopsticks across the bowl, stood up and began to walk away. Just as he made it past five steps, he stopped, turned around and added, "By the way, I don't like miso ramen." The principal began to walk off once more. Gentaro frowned, took a bite out of the tonkatsu, swallowed, and then opened his mouth. "You're not worth the time to your master, are you?" he asked. Hayami turned around, seeing Gentaro calmly sipping his ramen before speaking once more. "Seeing as you've become such a failure in his eyes, it's amazing how you've managed to come this far." "How dare you say that?!" Hayami's hands curled into fists as he stomped toward the Serpent-bearer. "What would you know?! You're just a child!" "I may be a child, but I understand more about people's emotions and psyche more than you," Gentaro stood up, his face close to the principal's as he whispered, "I also know you're Libra Zodiarts, and I know you want something more." "You do know that I can kill you right now," Hayami snarled, pulling out the Libra Switch from his coat. "Make one false wisecrack around me and-" "You'll what?" said Ophiuchus, taking over Gentaro's mind and body. Hayami didn't flinch as he stared into the red eyes of the entity possessing Gentaro. Ophiuchus smirked as he hissed, "In case you forgot, I let you get away as a bit of a warning. And if it hadn't been for that teleporting technique, your pink angel friend would've been roast goose by the time I was finished roasting her on a spit. You, a Master of One, cannot defeat me." "Master of-" Hayami's hand trembled; he wanted to just clock this cheeky boy in the face. "A Master of ONE?!" The chef, a far distance away from the noise, lifted his head after hearing the shout. Gentaro turned around and just replied, "It's alright." in his regular voice before he let Ophiuchus take control again. "'Jack of all trades, master of none. Better than being a Master of One.' Scorpio was excellent in a hand to hand fight, gained that poison stinger and her Supernova form could put up quite a fight. Cancer had his sharp claw, sturdy armor and the ability to steal souls along with his crafty sociopathic mind. Virgo has her shields, wings and teleportation powers as the ultimate defense against her enemies. Aries could seal away vessels of Cosmic Energy and put people to sleep to ensure his reign amongst the masses. But you? You just do parlor tricks." That was pretty much the last straw for Kouhei Hayami. He, who had worked hard in astronomy and to fulfill Gamou's dream, gaining a Ph.D in Physics, and his relationship with Sonada taken away for her failures in capturing Kamen Rider Fourze...and there was this serpent spilling lies and false truths. He wasn't going to take it. "DIE, KISARAGI!" he yelled. "Die and never come back to life! Drown in the Sanzu River and never return!" Hayami laid a punch across the serpent's face, just like before. When the serpent brought his gaze back to the principal, it revealed the black, empty eyes of Gentaro Kisaragi. "If I die, I can't give you a little taste of power," Gentaro replied, wiping the corners of his lips with a napkin. "And besides, I'm already dead. I gave my heart to my Master in order to come back here and claim vengeance on all who have wronged me. It's a wondrous feeling. I have no need for sleep or oxygen. I never feel tired. I don't have a limit as to how much I can lift or how far I can jump. I do need to eat in order to maintain this body's proper form, however. "Also, have you noticed that you never reached Supernova status, despite being loyal to your master for so long? Why is that? Is it because..." He leaned close to Hayami's ear and whispered, "You're weak?" Hayami grabbed onto Gentaro's neck and snarled, hoping to strangle the smug teen to unconsciousness. Gentaro didn't budge; since he was dead, oxygen was no longer necessary. Instead, he opened his mouth, showing his pearly fangs, and bit down deep into Hayami's hand. The principal felt the venom burning his blood and his mind to spin. He was going to to die, wasn't he? What a pathetic way to go... His arm released his grip on Gentaro's neck as he slumped onto his knees. Gentaro went back to his ramen and began to eat as he saw his principal fall to unconsciousness. He then heard a voice in his mind. "Exactly as we planned," said Ophiuchus. "The venom we gave him shall boost his powers significantly over the next couple of days. We won't make him our slave just yet, though. Let him have his way and stew in his thoughts. When he comes for us, it'll be under his own free will. But for now, let us eat. We are hungry after today's long events." "Yes, master," said Gentaro, returning to his ramen. Seeing that his principal barely touched his own, he began to pick out slices of barbecued pork and hard-boiled egg and began to eat. 0-0-0-0-0- In the Amazon Rainforest, a lengthy distance away from Japan, a shooting star streaked across the sky. It caught the eye of a man; a man named Daisuke Yamamoto. Daisuke Yamamoto, otherwise known as Kamen Rider Amazon, remembered how his friend Masahiko would explain their purpose. Seeing a shooting star means that you could grant a wish. He made many wishes since leaving Japan, many of them granting protection for his friend and his older sister. He hadn't seen the two in so long; he hoped that Masahiko grew up to be a successful scientist. "I wish Masahiko is alright," Daisuke whispered. "I miss him so much..." He heard a 'boom' not too far into the distance. He ran toward it, pulling out the special rope from his belt and tossed it over a branch. He began to swing across the tree before putting the rope back. Crouching on all fours, he began to chase after the special item that shone in the night sky. It didn't take him long to eventually reach the smoldering crater that held the item. It shimmered and shone with a golden light. He took the item into his hands and inspected it. It was a switch with the number 3 on it. A memory came into his head. Switch 3...Drill. He remembered the Kamen Rider who saved him and the other Kamen Riders when they were trapped as Switches and Core Medals, the one that would befriend all the Kamen Riders...Fourze, was it? Yes! He had a switch with the same number on him when they fought Foundation X! This was definitely something that Fourze would be able to use. The only problem Kamen Rider Amazon had was delivering it. Daisuke Yamamoto thought hard. Ever since he left Japan, he started to learn more about his environment and of the humans in the rain forest so he could protect his native habitat. He barely left the Amazon unless it was to team up with other Kamen Riders to fight evil, but he kept in touch with them from time to time. Reaching them was a bit of a hassle, seeing as it would be a bit difficult to sneak upon a ship toward his destination these days. If only he could get to Japan in a short amount of time. Time...time! He remembered when a train appeared out of nowhere to pick him up. There was a woman who gave him coffee and a man who explained what was going on involving the evil organization Shocker. Then, he found himself back in Japan—well, one from the future at any rate—where he helped fight off against some Beastmen. If he could find that train, then maybe he would be able to deliver the switch to Fourze! Daisuke looked at the switch in hand and stared at it more. Now that he thought about it, maybe he should have this looked after. He remembered that his fellow Kamen Rider Riderman, the former Deathtron scientist known as Yuki Joji, was working with some people in Tahiti. Perhaps he could also have a look-see. "Amazon see Riderman and Fourze," Daisuke said to himself. "Amazon see good friends once more!" He let out a "Ki! Ki! Ki!" as he raced back to the village he was currently staying at. With enough time and effort, he would be able to find a way to board the magic train that would take him to see Riderman and Fourze. It would be nice to see his friends again after such a long time. 0-0-0-0-0- The following morning, Yuki Jojima entered the classroom with a sigh. Ohsugi was writing something on the chalkboard while other students talked to themselves, just like any other day at school. One student approached Yuki, a girl with a bob-cut and a smile on her face - a smile similar to Gentaro's. In fact, if Yuki had to be completely honest to herself, the girl in front of her could've been mistaken for Gentaro's younger sister. "You're Yuki Jojima, right?" asked the girl, bringing her hand out. "I'm Yukina Takamura! Nice to meet you!" "N-nice to meet you too, Yukina," Yuki replied. She took the hand, but was quickly surprised at what happened next. Yukina grabbed it, curled her hand into a fist, wrapped Yuki's hand into another fist before tapping it from the top and bottom, and ended it with a fist bump. The feeling of sadness began to swell inside Yuki once more-this was Gentaro's handshake that he gave to everyone that became friends with him. "I plan on continuing Gentaro's legacy of making friends with everyone!" Yukina explained, tapping a fist to her heart twice before extending her arm out. "And what better way than to befriend someone who knew him the most? I also need to find the university Miu and Shun are attending after class is over and-" She stopped as she saw Yuki's eyes brimming with tears. "Are you okay?" "I-I'm fine," Yuki answered, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I-if you'll excuse me, I have to sit down and prepare for class." The Space Otaku sat herself down at the desk near the window. Now that Ohsugi was on the side of the Kamen Rider Club, he had no need to antagonize them and immediately re-arranged the seating formations so that Gentaro and his friends could relax and discuss about the Zodiarts situation without anyone butting in. But seeing Kengo all alone without Gentaro made her feel sad inside. While she was glad that Kengo was out of the hospital, the loss of her best friend made the news slightly bittersweet. Just as the bell began to ring, Ryusei rushed in, panting for breath. Ohsugi just pointed to his new seat and Ryusei sat down, covering his eyes with his hands. Yuki took a glance at him and noticed something weird. When Ryusei lowered his hands, he revealed his eyes. They were as black as sin and held of look filled with murderous intent. Just as Yuki was about to say something, she heard the loud SNAP! of Ohsugi's suspenders. "Now," said the geography teacher, pointing to the words written on the chalkboard. "Instead of our usual trip to NASA, we're heading off to a two-day trip Kyoto!" "EHH?!" Was the reaction of all the students. Yuki's was the worst. "Why aren't we going to NASA?!" She exclaimed. "All 3rd year students go to NASA!" "Don't ask me," Ohsugi replied, staring at the chalkboard. "It was our principal's idea. Now," He clapped his hands to get everyone's attention before continuing. "Everyone can explore together in groups of four, but remember that you're looking at places related to your assignment. You're doing a report about the trip, after all!" Yuki sighed, knowing that the trip wasn't going to be as much fun without Gentaro. "Yuki," asked Kengo, lightly nudging her. "Are you going to be all right?" "I don't know, Kengo," Yuki answered back. "But right now, I just want to be left alone." 0-0-0-0-0- In the end, Yuki was teamed up with Kengo Utahoshi, Ryusei Sakuta, much to her displeasure, Yukina Takamura, who was pretty much a female version of Gentaro, and Soushi Motoyama, who was the Zodiarts who once tried to turned her into a stone statue during Christmas. This was going to be such a fine trip... The field trip wasn't going to happen for a few more days, but something just bugged the otaku. The reason Ryusei killed Gentaro was to revive his best friend. But why did he have to team up with Aries Zodiarts in the first place? If Ryusei needed so much help, all he had to do was ask her and the Kamen Rider Club. They would've been able to come up with an alternate solution to save his best friend that didn't have to be resolved with death. Yuki shook her head and sighed. Along with the multitude of questions in her head, the space otaku had to contend with these three students in her group for the two day trip to Kyoto. The only things that comforted her was that at least none of them were Zodiarts, and at least she wasn't going to be anywhere near Hiroki Makise and his stalker-like tendencies. As she left the campus, something caught her eye. It was Kengo, dressed in golden jewelry and a linen skirt. He was hidden behind some bushes, talking to someone dressed in a black hooded jacket and red pants. Something didn't add up; Kengo was all dressed up in his school uniform when the bell rang and he said that he was going to home early. If that was the case, what was he doing, and who was he talk to? Yuki saw Kengo walk off and began to follow him. This was her chance to figure out what's going on; this was her chance to help her friend... "JOJIMA!" But just as she was about to do so, she was interrupted by Yukina running toward her. The space otaku began to run while Yukina kept telling her to stop. "Come back!" Yukina cried. "I need to ask you some things about Gentaro! Jojima!" I don't want anything to do with Gentaro right now! Yuki thought in her head. I just want to be alone! No one heard Yuki's silent plea as they watched both students chasing each other. They just shrugged it off and continued to mind their own business. 0-0-0-0-0- Daisuke Yamamoto was in his small hut, mixing egg whites, sugar, vanilla and other ingredients together. A fire started to burn, and the cauldron was filled with bubbling milk. He poured the egg-white mixture into the milk and stirred until the pudding thickened. He remembered about how the woman serving coffee also mentioned a 'pudding shortage' as the train picked up more and more Kamen Riders. If he made a delicious pudding recipe, then maybe he would instant access to the train. It was worth a shot; perhaps he could even befriend the woman. The young kids in the village also watched their protector cook up something delicious to eat. They took turns using the wooden spoon in mixing the concoction into a thicker consistency. Once it was thick, Daisuke started to ladle the hot milk into a few metal bowls resting in a container of ice from a nearby city. The children also followed suite as he looked up at the clock—hopefully, the pudding would cool just in time for him to catch the train. The children were giggling and waiting impatiently for their pudding to finish cooling, so Daisuke began to tell him stories about his time in Japan. One of the most well known tales was his friendship with the Mole Beastman, and how the monster stood by his side until his dying days. The children would look in awe as Daisuke would cry out, "A-MA-ZON!" as if to initiate his transformation, or how he would pretend to nibble on a young girl's arm to replicate how he tore into a monster's flesh with his own teeth. These were the special times that he shared with the village, as if to repay them for the kindness they gave him when he was young. "Daisetsudan!" Daisuke exclaimed, slicing the air with his hands. The children cheered as Daisuke imitated the 'Daisetsudan' (or 'Big Slash' as it was usually called) amongst some of the kids, pretending that they were the Beastmen he fought so long ago. Soon enough, the whole hut was filled with nothing but laughter, joy and other positive emotions. Eventually, the pudding cooled down. Daisuke took a burlap bag and placed a few of the cooled puddings inside. He waved goodbye to the children as he held one of the puddings up into the air. He waited for the train to come, his sense of time coming only from the sun setting for the night. He hoped this would work. It would have to work somehow. The children crowded around their hero as they heard the sound of a train whistle over head. A set of train tracks formed in thin air and the form of a train flew by. It began to slow down with a hiss and the door opened. Standing behind the door was a woman with a beaming smile on her face, dressed in a white buttoned top, black pants with white arrows, and many wristwatches on both arms. In her hands was a clipboard. "Are you Daisuke Yamamoto?" the woman asked Daisuke. The Kamen Rider nodded his head. "Perfect! You're just the guy we're looking for. Come in and bring those puddings with you!" Daisuke nodded his head and entered the train. The children began to wave a goodbye, sad to see their friend go for now. Daisuke replied with a wave and his special signal for friendship—his fingers intertwined and the pinkies raised into the air. The door to the train began to close, and the train disappeared into the sky with a wail. The children didn't stop waving goodbye until the sun completely disappeared and gave way to night. |
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