[guncannon109]

Episode 19: Between Comrades

Shiore took in a deep breath, then exhaled, “Henshin.”

Shiore slapped her memory into a slot at the side of her driver in the same spot as Alex’s maximum drive slot, only instead of activating a maximum drive she turned the slot ninety degrees so that the top of her memory faced away from Alex.

“Son of Hono, In the name of the wolf of snow…” Shiore said as she ran the slot on her driver along a track until it clicked into her buckle, “your end has come.”

“Yuki!” Shiore’s driver shouted as a blizzard rose around her encasing her in ice.

The ice soon cracked to pieces to reveal her donning the armor of a white samurai covered in ice. Sharp pale blue eyes and a tiara made of ice behind a Y shaped crest and a violet gemstone adorned her cold steel mask that sat in the middle of her pale white helmet.

“Well don’t just sit there,” Shiore said as she reached to sheath on her belt and drew a katana with a violet gemstone on it’s guard and aimed it at Alex, “Get up and fight… Kamen Rider.”

“Wait a minute,” Alex pleaded as he got back on his feet, “how do you-” Before Alex could finish speaking, Shiore vanished from sight as Alex felt something slice across his cheek. He placed his hand against his cheek before raising it in front of his face, “... blood?”

“Spare your pleading,” Shiore said as she reappeared behind Alex, raising her sword against his neck, “It’s useless.”

“Just tell me, what’s this all abo-” Alex turned around to face Shiore before being kicked back to the ground.

“Don’t play dumb, you know what you did,” Shiore proclaimed as she whipped her sword to her side, “and now you’re going to atone for actions. So stand and fight.”

Alex sat silent looking down to the ground, “I-I… I can’t.”

Shiore lowered her sword, “Why not?”

Alex closed his eyes and sighed, “I just can’t… not anymore.”

Shiore raised an eyebrow, “and why is that?”

“I just… can’t,” Alex returned as he began to choke up, “Not after what I allowed to happen.”

“Urusai!” Shiore shouted at Alex shutting him up, “You sure have a lot of nerve. You think after such the crimes you’ve committed that you can just hang up your sword and not be responsible for the blood on it’s blade? I’m sorry but that’s not how the world works.”

“I already know that… I’ve done some pretty stupid stuff in the past, so I guess I have no excuse,” He turned his head up to Shiore and looked her in the eye, “So… make it short.”

“I expected you to put up a more of a fight,” Shiore sighed, “One such as yourself doesn’t deserve mercy, but even so... I shall grant your final request.”

Shiore removed her memory from her driver and placed it into the hilt of her sword. “Yuki! Maximum Drive!” Her memory shouted as the blade of her sword changed from blue to white.

Shiore raised her sword high above her head as several blades made of ice formed around her, “Proceed on your way to oblivion.”

{Insert Opening Theme - Extreme Dream}

Shiore swung her sword down to the ground causing all the blades around her to fire off in Alex’s direction, Alex crossing his arms over his face bracing for the impact. However, before they made contact with him a giant whirlwind formed between him and the blades forcing them back at Shiore, Shiore jumping out of the way before they hit her.

Soon after, a yellow rider descended from the air landing in between Alex and Shiore.
“Tara?” Alex asked.

“The one and only,” The yellow rider said as she turned to face Alex, “Superstar.”

“Where’s Cole?” Alex asked.

“On his way,” Tara stated, “I figured something was up, so we went on ahead. We cut it close Looks we made it just in time.”

“A little too close if you ask me.”

“You know, it’s not a very good idea to attack someone at a place that they spend at least six hours at every single day of the week,” She quickly pulled out her slicer, “especially when said person has two super powered friends that are more than willing to kick the asses of anyone who gives him trouble.”

“Rather ironic that it’s you Tatsumaki who’s saying that in the defense of a member of the Hono Clan,” Shiore proclaimed.

“Since when does putting your hyde on the line for a friend have anything to do with iron?” Tara returned, “Superstar and I may argue from time to time but we’ve still got his back no matter what. Sure, we may no longer be partners but we’re still friends.”

“Friends?” Shiore laughed a bit, “Spare me the sentimental nonsense.”

“We would but it isn’t nonsense,” Tara retorted, “You might not know this but being friends means that you look out for one another eve- no,” She looked back to Alex, “especially when times aren’t looking so good.”

“Well aren’t you the optimist,” Shiore said as she gripped her sword with both of her hands, “let’s see if you’re able to back up those words.”

“Gladly,” Tara returned raising her slicer to Shiore.

Without a second’s delay Tara charged at Shiore with a swing of her slicer, Shiore parrying the wind rider’s swing with her sword. Shiore broke the parry before returning with a swing of her sword. Tara jumped up out of the blade’s path before flipping herself over Shiore’s shoulder. As Tara jumped over her, Shiore jabbed her sword at her which Tara blocked with one of her slicer’s four blades before landing on the other side of Shiore.

The two rider’s glared at each other eye to eye as Shiore reached to her belt and pulled out two kunai knives before hurling them at Tara. Tara twirled her slicer around in front of her batting the knives off course to either side of her before charging at Shiore again as Shiore pulled out another kunai with her left hand and raised her arm to throw it at Tara once again. However, before the knife left the grip of her hand, Tara grabbed Shiore by the wrist and yanked the knife out of her hand.

Shiore then balled her left hand into a fist and punched Tara in her gut. Tara grunted as her slicer fell from her hand and down to the ground. She gritted her teeth before grabbing Shiore’s wrist again, this time with both her hands as she jumped into the air and flipped herself over Shiore. As she landed on the ground on the other side of Shiore, she pulled the ice rider’s arm and threw her to the ground.

“Now,” Tara shouted holding Shiore’s kunai up in the air with both her hands, “Your rampage… ends here!” Without a second thought Tara rammed the kunai right into Shiore’s chest forcing it right through to the other side.

“So you think…” Shiore whispered as cracks began to form where Tara stabbed her. She tilted her head back to face Alex who knelt on the ground behind her, “Consider yourself lucky this time Hono… but I shall not rest until your blood stains my sword.”

At that moment Shiore shattered into several shards of ice which quickly melted into a giant puddle of water.

“Okay, that trick is really starting to get on my nerves,” Tara shouted as she threw Shiore kunai to the ground before removing her gaia memory from her driver, reverting her to her civilian form. She jumped back to her feet, “What the hell is that guy’s deal anyway?”

“You mean girl,” Alex sighed.

Tara blinked, “Come again?”

“That rider is actually a girl, not a guy,” Alex explained, “The same one that just transferred into pretty much all of my classes.”

“Ouch, talk about dramatic irony.” Tara said grabbing her shoulder. “Speaking of…” She added poking Alex in the cheek that Shiore sliced, “You hurt anywhere?”

“I’ll live,” Alex rubbed his cut cheek. He picked himself up from the ground and began to make his way down the hill, “I’ll see you around… alright.”

“Hey!” Tara shouted, “Where are you going?”

“Home,” Alex returned keeping his back turned to Tara, “Where else would I go?”

“Hold up there bucko!” Tara shouted running past Alex and snatching his backpack away from him, “You aren’t going anywhere!”

“Tara!” Alex grunted making several attempts to take his bag back from her, “Give that back!”

“No!” Tara returned, playing keep away with Alex’s bag, “Not until Cole gets here… We still need to figure out what we’re going to do about the snow girl.”

“Fine,” Alex pouted, “but as soon as Cole gets here I’m leaving.”

Tara let out a small sigh, “thank you… Alex.”

---

“Was this one of the complications you spoke of?” Vainglory asked to Rylee who knelt before him.

“Yes my commander,” Rylee returned, “It seems that, despite my efforts, Ryu-O’s activation test and immediate feral state caused a few civilian casualties… One, I believe, is the white rider that has just appeared.”

“So all four have been gathered,” Vainglory sighed.

“It would appear so,” Rylee returned, “What do you plan to do?”

“No point in worrying about it,” Vainglory proclaimed “so long as there at odds with one another. After all, we have more important matters to attend to and I won’t allow anyone to get in the way of the birth of my perfect world.”

“Yes, of course...” Rylee said bowing her head to Vainglory, “and… what about Fury?”

“Fury is a lost cause,” Vainglory stated, “My new world has no place for vermin like him. It’s what’s best for the dream we both share.” Vainglory raised an eyebrow, “Unless of course... you have your doubts Spite.”

Rylee shook her head, “No, of course not.”

“Very good,” Vainglory said with a warm grin. “Now then,” He added as he rose from his seat, “we must carry on with appointing a commander to take Fury’s place at my side… Now.”

“Are you sure he’s strong enough to handle it?” Rylee asked.

“Carter is one of your children,” Vainglory stated, “surely one with your blood coursing through their veins holds the strength necessary to wield the power of a dragon’s flame.”

“I-I… I understand my lord,” Rylee returned, “I shall send for him immediately.”

Rylee quickly rose to her feet and excused herself from her commander’s chamber before heading out the two large doors at the front. Vainglory sat back down in his throne.

He took in a deep breath, then exhaled, “It’s good to know that you remain loyal to me Spite,” he pulled out a silver gaia memory marked with a golden F and held it gently in the open palm of his right hand, “unlike some.”

---

Shiore stood perched atop the roof of a tall building looking down to the street below. She held her gaia memory in her hand gripping it tightly.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Shiore proclaimed, “why would the heirs of the Iwa and Tatsumaki clans side with a Hono clan member?” she sighed as she let her arm fall to her side, “and why wouldn't Hono fight back?... Ni-san,” She sighed, “this is all very confusing.”

“Make sense? Oh, what fun is there in making sense?” a voice called out. Shiore pulled out a kunai knife and threw it behind her in the direction of the voice. She turned around to see Derek standing behind her twirling the knife in his hand, “now now, there’s no need for such violent behavior… yet.”

“Who are you?” Shiore demanded.

“Who am I isn't important,” Derek stated, “though what I am… is the same as you.”

Shiore raised an eyebrow, “How exactly?”

“We are people that act for own our desire,” Derek proclaimed, “Mine is for power, and yours is for blood. We take action based on what we crave, though left unchecked… our desire might consume us.”

“Where are you going with this?” Shiore asked.

“We both could use someone to keep us in line, and someone to aid in our efforts. A brother, or sister if you’d rather, in arms is one way you could look at it,” Derek suggested, “So how about it Yuki… do we have a deal?”

{End of Part A}
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{Start of Part B}

“So let me see if I’ve got this right,” Cole said scratching his head a bit, “so that blue haired girl that transferred into our class this afternoon is the rider that attacked us at the construction site?”

“That’s pretty much how it is,” Tara returned, swinging Alex’s backpack over her shoulder. “Though we’re still confused over one thing… what exactly was with those names she kept bringing up? Iwa, Hono and… Uzumaki?”

“Tatsumaki,” Alex interjected.

“Oh yeah,” Tara shouted back with a smirk and the snap of her finger, “that’s the one. Thanks Superstar, knew we could count on you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Alex grunted, “Now will you give me back my bag so I can leave already?”

Tara smacked Alex over the top of his head and swung it back over her shoulder, “NO!”

“Ugh!” Alex sighed, “Why not?”

“Because,” Tara pouted, “You might not be a rider no more but you still need to hear this stuff.”

“You know what?” Alex sighed, “Keep the bag, I’m leaving.” Alex walked, passed Tara and began to make his way down the hill to the street below the school, though he did not get far as Cole stuck his arm out in front of Alex preventing him from moving any further. He looked Cole in the eye, “What are you doing?”

“I was just about to ask you the same thing,” Cole returned.

“Just get out of the way,” Alex demanded.

Cole raised an eyebrow, “Do you think Fury would move if you asked him?”

“I’m not having this conversation right now,” Alex said as he lifted Cole’s arm and inched his way under it.

“You might not be,” Cole said as he grabbed Alex by the wrist and twisted Alex around to face him, “but I am.” Alex turned his head away from Cole, “Look at me!” Cole shouted as he grabbed Alex’s chin and looked him dead in the eye, “I know you’re torn up about what happened, but you can’t just run away from your problems… because I won’t let you.”

“But, I-I…” Alex hung his head, “All I just keep screwing up, then others pay the price… That’s why I’m better off alone.”

At that moment Cole punched Alex square in the face knocking him to the ground, “Don’t you dare say that about yourself!” He cracked his knuckles, “You ever do, let’s just say you’ll think that punch was a little pat on the back compared to what I’ll do to you.”

“Sorry,” Alex whispered.

“Sorry is right,” Cole said, “You think Sarah or Madison would like to see you like this? You think they’d be happy seeing you the way you are now?”

“Cole that’s enough,” Tara said placing her hand on Cole’s shoulder, “We still have that other rider to attend to. ”

Cole nodded, “I guess you’re right,” he said as he took Alex’s bag from Tara. He threw the bag to the ground by Alex’s feet, “I guess I’ll see you around then.” He hopped onto his bike and revved the engine, “Mope all you need to, just don’t put all the blame on yourself while you do it. Otherwise... I’ll never forgive you.”

Cole kicked off from the curb and drove his bike down the hill.

Tara walked up to Alex and placed her hand on his shoulder before pulling out her glider and taking off into the skies.

Alex looked up to the sky and watched as Tara vanished behind the cloud layer. He rose to his feet and picked up his bag. “GAH!” He shouted as he threw his bag to the ground, “What the hell am I supposed to do!”

He buried his face into the palms of his hands and sat back down on the side of the road. As he did, he caught a glimmer of light bounce into his eye that came from his bag. He looked over to his bag to see something familiar… and black gaia memory marked with an S.

Alex scurried along the ground and grabbed the memory and held it in the palm of his hand, “Tara you sneaking bitch,” he said inspecting the memory, he then placed it back on the ground, “but what do you expect me to do with it?”

“Isn’t that part obvious?” A voice called out.

Alex turned around to see a blond haired girl in black leather standing behind him, “... Ashley?”

“It’s been a while,” The girl said with a grin, “hasn’t it Alex?”

---

“I can tell by the look in your eye that you’re a rather smart child, as was I when I was your age,” Derek proclaimed stepping towards Shiore, “All I needed was someone to help me polish my raw talents, as does everyone.” He raised his hand to Shiore’s face and ran his fingers down her cheek, “I could be that polish… if you’d like.”

“I… I,” Shiore said looking Derek straight in the eye. She then slapped his hand away,“... I’d rather die.”

Derek’s smirk turned to a somber frown, “Fine,” he said as he slipped the black and blue gaia memories back into his pocket and holding the red one up to Shiore as he slapped his driver onto his waist, “have it your way then.”

“RUTHLESS!” Derek’s gaia memory shouted as Derek rammed it into his driver, "RUTHLESS! FURY!" Crimson red flames engulfed Derek as the armor of his Ruthless form was forged onto his skin.

“I shall warn you though,” Fury cackled, “I won’t hold back.”

“Good,” Shiore returned pulling out her own gaia memory before unzipping her sweater unveiling her own driver with the wolf head buckle, “because neither will I.”

Shiore slammed her gaia memory into the slot on the side of her belt and ran it along the strap to the buckle at the front, “Yuki!” her driver shouted as a layer of ice formed around her which quickly shattered to bits revealing her in her white samurai armor.

She drew her sword from the sheath on her belt and aimed it at Fury, “Count your sins… for now you shall atone for them.”

“How can I?” Fury said with a smirk, “There are too many to count them all.”

“HOLD IT!!!” A voice called out from above.

Shiore and Fury looked up to the sky to see Cole in his rider form fall down from the sky and smack the ground in front of Shiore, a fully armored Tara gracefully descending shortly after.

“Warn me next time before you do that!” Cole shouted at Tara as he jumped to his feet.

“He he sorry about that,” Tara laughed awkwardly scratching the back of her head, “wasn’t enough time to. Besides at least you landed on your… face?”

“Remind me why I agreed to work with you again?” Cole asked.

“Ah that doesn’t matter right now,” Tara proclaimed patting Cole on the back, “we’ve got…” Tara quickly noticed Shiore standing behind Cole, “Oh crap not you again!”

“I was just thinking the exact same thing,” Shiore’s proclaimed, “only far less aggravatingly loud.”

“GRRR!” Tara growled, “Why I outta!”

“Are you two going to finish bickering soon?” Derek asked, “because I’ll just kill you right now so you can argue in hell.”

“You shut up!” Tara shouted, “If you’re that eager to fight let’s just do that right now!”

Fury smirked, “If you insist.”

---
“So, you just got out of prison then?” Alex asked to Ashley who sat next to him on a bench not far from where Tara and Shiore fought only moments ago.

“Well, not exactly,” Ashley returned, “I’m on parole at the moment and I’ve still got a few loose ends I need to tie up. However, that by the book hard ass Marcoh says that if I can walk the straight and narrow for the rest of high school I should be good. But hey all I need to do is not steal, I mean how hard can that be?”

“I see,” Alex said, “so… how have things at home been then?”

“Well…You see, I-I mean…” Ashley tried to find the right words to say but then hung her head, “Look Alex there was one thing that’s been on my mind since I got back on the streets. You see, I’ve really wanted to thank you.” She bowed down in front of Alex, “You helped me get my life in order and I’m forever in your debt… so if there is anything that I can do for you, all you need to do is ask and I’ll do my best to make it happen.”

“Can you wind back time to a couple months ago and have me stay home on the day that we met at the waterpark?” Alex asked, “Because that’s the only thing that would help me at the moment.”

Ashley raised an eyebrow, “Why would that help?”

“If I had never gone to the waterpark that day, I would have never met Madison, she would have never developed a crush on me,” Alex buried his face in the palms on his hand, “and then maybe she could’ve gone out with someone else and Sarah would still be here.”

“Oh… sorry,” Ashley said quietly. She thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers together, “you know… I went to see Madison in the hospital before coming over here.”

“How is she?” Alex asked.

“She seems to be doing pretty well all things considered.” Ashley stated, “I mean she’s awake so that’s a plus. Though according to the doctors she hasn’t been able to remember anything of this past year… So, I can’t say for sure.”

“I guess that’s for the best,” Alex said hanging his head, “She’s better off not remembering someone as pathetic as me. I set out to protect this city, but I couldn’t protect Madison, Sarah or even my mother when it mattered… what good am I if I can’t even protect the people I care about the most from my enemies?”

“But you did... more than you realize.” Ashley said wrapping her arms around Alex, “What happened to Sarah sucks but it wasn’t your fault, so you shouldn’t blame yourself for it.”

Alex turned to Ashley, “then why do I feel this way?”

“Because you’re human,” Ashley said with a grin, “Do you know why people wish are stars Alex?”

“No,” Alex returned, “why?”

“Because even when the night is cold and dark, the stars remain to light the way. They see what people going through hard times can’t,” Ashley proclaimed, “I find it rather amazing that even after so many centuries of war and heartache, the stars remain as bright and full of warmth as they did when they were first born.”

“What’s your point exactly?” Alex asked.

“Well, put simply,” Ashley said holding up Alex’s Star gaia memory to Alex, “With their age comes wisdom, and people hope that if they wish upon a star that some of their wisdom shall be granted to them.” She handed the memory over to Alex, “But that wisdom can only be given to one who is willing to listen.”

“What would you wish for?” Alex asked.

“Me? I’m not really into that kind of stuff,” Ashley said as she leaned back on the bench, “Although… if I had to make one wish. It be for you to help others in the same way that you helped me,” Ashley placed the memory into Alex and closed his hands around it, “I’m asking you not as Ashley Haze, but as Shift. Use this to help others like me, that’s all I want.”

“But, what if I screw up again?” Alex asked.

“If you say you’ll fail then you will, if you say you’ll succeed then you will,” Ashley proclaimed, “One more thing,” in a mere instant Ashley grabbed Alex by the chin and brought her lips to his, held it for a few moments, then pulled away.

“What was that for!” Alex shouted.

“That kiss was from Madison,” Ashley said with a grin.

Alex blinked, “... come again?”

“My guess is that with your reserved attitude that you were never able to gather the courage to plant one on old Maddy Paddy were you?” Ashley asked.

“Uh… no,” Alex returned, “Guess I was a pretty shit boyfriend wasn’t I?”

“Seems so. But hey, you got Maddy to like you so you must have been doing something right. You be sure to remember that alright?”

“Yeah sure I will,” Alex pouted.

“and remember this as well,” Ashley said as she grabbed hold of Alex’s hands and held them close together in hers, “My wish is also partly from Madison, and Sarah too. So please, for myself Sarah and Madison, grant our wish to save all dopants you can from themselves if you can, no matter what it takes. Think you can do that... Kamen Rider?”

Alex nodded, “I will.”

“Madison sure does know how to pick ‘em,” Ashley said with a grin, “Now then… isn’t it about time you got going?”

“But, I don’t know where I’m going,” Alex stated, “How will I-”

“Trust in the star’s light,” Ashley interrupted, “listen closely and it will show you the way.”

“Okay…” Alex raised the gaia memory up to his ear and closed his eyes, waiting patiently for a sound or a light or something. After a few moments, he heard the clang of two swords clashing accompanied by several explosions. He opened his eyes and sprung to his feet panting rapidly.

“What’s wrong?” Ashley asked.

Alex turned to Ashley and cleared his throat, “... I know where they are.”

To Be Continued

{Insert Ending Theme - I’ll Believe}