[Sentai]

Kamen Rider Project Hikari!
Coming of the Light
Henshin Hikari! Henshin now!


Since time began there have always been ones watching over us. Great Gods of the Pantheon, of both good and evil, who kept the Balance upon the world beneath. Until the Shinimasu came upon the world. Seen as a great meteor falling from Heaven they struck against the Great Gods infecting each with corruption, twisting even the most pure into their Vin minions. The corruption spread. The Vin assaulted the earth beneath, ravaging entire continents and destroying whole populations. There was no hope for nearly one hundred years. Until He came. The one known as Rider. He fought the Vin, rose the people against the Shinimasu, and sealed them away forever within the Sky Temple itself.
And as with everything: The people forgot. The Great Gods, the Vin, the Shinimasu, and even the Rider who saved them, all faded into memory. Became legend and myth. The Shinimasu remained sealed for almost five hundred years, slowly drifting through the clouds within their ancient temple. To be forgotten…

Out of breath he pressed himself flush against the alleyway wall, trying to make some attempt at controlling his breathing. He could hear them. Police boots splattering in the rain water, whistles blowing announcing they were approaching, the sounds of people scattering to get out of the way. It was a wonder they ever caught anyone. All he did was stumble into that woman when his foot caught the subway stairs, why were they chasing him? He apologized, helped her up, what…? Was being nice a damned crime now?
Didn’t have time to think about it. “There you are! Hey, stop damn it!” And that was why. Grinning towards the offending officer he turned himself down the alley and ran, leaping over discarded waste cans and sewer drains. These were his streets. He grew up here, you know. He might die here, you know. And the squad car pulling into the end of the alley blocking him was helping the latter out. Which just didn’t seem fair.
The fire escape! If he could reach their car, he could leap onto the hood and springboard himself high enough to reach the ladder. He was pushing himself. About to leap.. When he found himself staring the barrels of large caliber shotguns. That didn’t seem fair either, but he put up his hands and surrendered himself. Handcuffs, and a jail cell, were better than holes in your stomach. And that was advice to live by.

“We know you took it!” “Where is it?!” “You like groping women in the street?” “You in a Gang, boy?!” The questions just rained down. And he, honestly, didn’t have answers they wanted. He was walking up the stairs of the subway when he accidentally bumped into her. Then cops started chasing him, and he ran. He didn’t know what they wanted, and they already searched through everything he owned. … And what was that? One of the lead Detectives pulled something out of his backpack. It looked like a black arm brace, With two long triangles of silver making a kind of track. Because there were seven darkened lights in-between them. And along with the brace they pulled out a deck of cards.. About five of them.
“You said you’ve never seen this before, but why is it in your bag?!” Wide eyed, he honestly didn’t have an answer for that. Which just left him one option, sarcasm. “Your mother gave it to me for showing her a…” He never even finished, the officer’s fist striking his mouth stopped his quip.

She watched him calmly from behind the one-way mirror. One hand stroking slowly along her narrowed chin in thought, Could he be the one? He certainly didn’t look like much. Short cropped black hair which covered his ears, smartassed smile. The leather jacket, and blue jeans, she assumed were just to make him look tough. And the sneakers looked like they haven’t been washed in ever. Like he wore them every day of his life since he was born.
Yet.. When she bumped into him.. Leaning over, she whispered to the officer beside her. All it took was one look at the ID inside her wallet, and the stern look from over the rim of her glasses, and he submitted without hesitation. Yes. She needed to speak to this Street Rat.. She needed to speak to him now.

The door opened, and he understandably expected more questions he couldn’t answer. Instead.. What the heck? A woman walked into the room. She looked to be about five foot nothing, and wore that uniform like she was born into the clothes. It was military. Military? Oh, wonderful.. Here I come Gulag! The uniform was black with silver trim, with an emblazoned VI across both shoulders. Course the uniform ended in a miniskirt, black stockings, and heels. Why wouldn’t it? “Look.. I..” Her hand stopped him. Alright, fair enough. He’d just continued watching as the black-haired woman walked around the room. Unplugging cameras, disabling microphones, blocking the one way mirror.
That was when she sat across from him. Pulling in her chair so properly before laying that strange brace across the table, along with the five cards. Each of them fanned out so he could see the faces. A Sword, Motorcycle, Spider, an Explosion, and what looked like a Motorcycle helmet.. With bug eyes. “Do you know what these are?” Of course he didn’t know, what kind of question was that? “No need to answer. I know already that you’ve idea. I’m also willing to believe you bumped into me on accident, and have no idea how they ended up inside your bag. Just do me one favor? Touch the brace. That’s all. Just run your finger along the track.”
There was a long moment where he just sat there. Arms folded across his chest, watching her like she was insane. But.. Something told him she wasn’t lying. “All I have to do is stroke my finger along the track?” And she nodded. Knitting his brow he figured, well, why not? Not like anything would happen. Keeping one eye on Crazy-Military Lady he reached his right index finger out and… Stroked the track. The instant his finger moved along the lights each one began lighting bright inside the dimly lit room. Green, Yellow, Red. As a voice proclaimed Kamen Ride.. Hikari!
He was confused. More from her smiling, than the device lighting up like Christmas. “What the hell?” She leaned forward, gripping his arm with a grip like a steel vice. Forcefully pulling up his leather sleeve, strapping the brace onto his wrist before he could stop her. DNA Accepted! Kamen Ride! Ripping his arm free of her, because she let go honestly, he held onto the new brace. Trying to rip it off.. It was glued to his skin! “The hell did you do, Lady?!”
“Made you more than a Street Rat. And don’t bother trying to remove that.” Did she have to sound so smug about it? Adjusting her glasses with one finger, the woman stood. Turning herself towards the door. “We’ll be in touch, Gaijin.”

“Damn woman!” Shaking his head, all he could do was walk home kicking that same pebble along the walk. His hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. But that damned Brace was sticking out like a sore thumb against the black leather. It was like being on house arrest, with a giant billboard outside your door screaming Criminal! “Tfft. Damn woman, think she’s doing? Just stick this damned thing on my wrist, then leave me.. Didn’t even pay my bail! … Eh?”
The heck? There was a sea of screaming people coming running for him. Pushing past him, he rolled along the crowd. Trying to stay his position against them. See what the heck they were all… “The Hell?!”

The monster, no other word for it, was destroying everything along it’s path. Overturning cars and throwing aside pedestrians unlucky enough to be caught.. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself facing away from the creature. Huddled around a small girl who was crying for her mother, gotten lost in the shuffle of people trying to escape. He only gave a wince, when that creature’s big fisted hand came crushing down against his back. Buckling, but not giving in. “When I say..” He whispered. “Run.” .. The signal was given, the small girl ran, and the turned just in time to see that large fist coming for him.. Sending him flying through the air, crashing into an unlucky car in his flight path.
“Gaijin…!” .. How hard was he hit? Was he hallucinating now? No.. He still saw that damned thing that smacked him. Looked like a seven foot toad that walked like a man.. With a strange S mark across his chest. “Super---frog…? GAH!” Rubbing his head, he turned.. And he wasn’t hallucinating. That was the voice of that woman from the station, and she just smacked him! “What?!”
“Henshin Hikari! Take the Henshin card, the one with the face, and swipe it across the Brace! That thing will kill these people, Gaijin!” Grunt. Why was this his problem? .. Right, that little girl. Pushing himself up, using the car for leverage, he turned himself towards the brute.. Giving a rough grunt. “Fine.. But my name’s not Gaijin, Lady. Call me Yamada.. Yamada Taro.”
Wiping his mouth against his sleeve, Taro pointed his hand out towards the Frog Thing. Holding the card where the beast could see. “You’re going to pay for hitting me, BakaFrog! And for that little girl…” Growling Taro’s hand rose displaying that new brace. “HENSHIN!”
The card swiped down, chiming each time it passed across a new illuminating light between the two silver tracks. /KAMEN RIDE.. HIKARI!/ White light exploded from him, like a new born star in the middle of downtown Canyon Bay. And when the light faded a new Rider was born. Beneath his stark black armor was a purest white uniform. His brace standing in contrast against the black wrist guard holding it. Matching the left, which held each of his five cards.. With room for expansion. Every angle of his armor was sharp, making him look almost like a prism against the background. With a white symbol for light against the black of his chest, two long vents sticking out from his shoulders like small mechanical wings. And his helmet. Rounded features, brilliant orange compound eyes, white with black ‘wings’ coming off his eyes. And a single white stripe down the middle from top to bottom.
And with a snap of his fingers.. “Kamen Rider Hikari!“ Posing himself down, knees bent, right arm aimed towards the Frog, the other behind him skyward. “Let’s see what you goooof!” Hikari grunted, pulling himself out slowly from the rubble he just caused. He never even saw that damned frog move! Next thing he knew he was being flung into a pet store.. “Hey Baka! That ain’t right!” “Then you should learn to watch yourself, Boy! A fancy suit doesn’t make you a Rider!” The Frog lowered himself down, charging once again, and this time Hikari was ready.
“You stupid Gaijin! Swipe the Sword!” Eh? Taro scratched his helmet, looking towards the card bracer.. And plucked the sword card from inside. Okay, now he knew what to do. Raising his Device Arm he swiped the card, each of the lights illuminating one at a time. /HIKARI SWORD!/ Rising from his brace came a long sword, a two handed katana with no hand guard. “Alright!” Gripping the sword, resting the blade on his shoulder, his other hand aimed off towards the charging frog with a snap of his fingers. “Slice’n’Dice!”
Hikari brought the sword down, slashing against the Frog’s stomach, quickly turning as the beast passed to slash with both hands across his back. Each time forcing cries of pain to escape the monster-beast. “What? Not so talkative now?” And another quick slash sending the Frog down onto his knees. “You just can’t handle someone your own size, typical bully.” … Ping. Ping? That damned woman threw a pebble at him now?! “What?!”
Growling from the car, she threw another pebble. Nailing him right between his eyes. “Scan the explosion card! It’s your ultimate attack, Gaijin! Use it and stop fooling around!” God that woman was pushy. “Fine.” Gripping his right shoulder Taro rolled his arm, working out a few kinks as he approached the recovering frog. “Sorry, Kermit. Looks like you’re going away now.” Gripping the card from his Brace, he swiped it down across his bracer /HIKARI GATE! RIDE!/
The card was tossed aside and both hands came to hold his sword, pointing the blade down, watching as all light was sucked into the blade.. As though world at gone negative. Leaving only white outlines of everything once making reality. Feet spread apart, his right closer towards the frozen beast he began to slide. Moving at lightning speed without moving, only raising his sword and as he past the beast.. Slashed him through. Sending the world right again as the monster detonated behind him. Hikari slowly turned, one hand holding his sword braced on his shoulder, with a quick flick of his thumb across the front of his mask. “Done.”


End Part One
Go Go Hikari Go!