Yuuto knocked on the Milk Dipper's shop door, a solemn expression on his face. Ryoutaro answered.
"Yuuto, what're you doing here? It's after hours, you know." Yuuto wordlessly looked up at the sky. Ryoutaro followed his gaze and gasped.
Millions of small, glowing spheres hung in the atmosphere above the city.
"They're back."

A small, hooded figure was walking down the street of a city, when she overheard something interesting on the news at a television stand.
"Unidentified floating objects above the city…scientists baffled…no immediate cause for alarm…" these words caused her to glance up at the sky; sure enough, there seemed to be a million glowing orbs hovering right above. Andy Evan's hood fell down to reveal shoulder length blonde hair. Her blue eyes shone with the light from above, and her mouth hung open in wonder.
While staring at the spotted night sky, she heard somebody come up behind her.
She turned her gaze to this person, a man probably in his early to mid thirties with dark hair.

"Are you Andy Evans?" he asked. Andy had a feeling something was amiss, but she answered honestly.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"
Suddenly the man seemed to stumble a bit, and waves of white sand started coming off of him. Before Andy knew what was going on, a large toad-monster had emerged, and the man's body was laying motionless on the ground.
Andy tried to scream, but found she had lost her voice. The monster seemed to chuckle, and leapt forward at her. She turned to run, but it seized her in its slimy grip and hopped off towards a deserted warehouse on the side of the street.
Once they were inside, the monster took out a deadly looking knife and held it up to her throat.
"Now I'm going to kill you, just like master ordered." It chuckled again, and Andy closed her eyes, trying to hurry and accept the fact that she was about to die.
"Hya!" another cry resounded throughout the warehouse, and Andy's eyes shot open.
She head the toad creature behind her hiss, and noticed his knife was gone. She looked to the side and saw a man in some kind of yellow and silver armor. He had apparently karate –chopped the knife out of the toad-monster's grip. He turned, and she saw that he had a large axe in his hand. Apparently the toad creature saw too, because he let out a scared noise and threw her at him.
"Take her! But we'll get her back soon enough!" the creature said, hopping off with incredible, cowardly speed. Andy didn't notice, however, since she realized she was being held in the arms of the armored man. He had caught her when the creature threw her at him. She was too embarrassed to be impressed at the moment. He watched the creature leave for a second, realizing it was too late to chase after it, and then looked down at her in his arms.
"Um, thanks." She said tentatively. She couldn't see through his mask, but had a feeling he was kind of flustered. He quickly but carefully put her down.
"A-Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I think so." She said. She realized her own cheeks felt a little warm. The armored man took off the odd looking belt he was wearing, and his armor seemed to fade and then vanish suddenly. She was then face to face with a very handsome young man. He had long dark hair in a ponytail, with a strange yellow streak in it. His eyes were also a strange golden yellow color. He wore a normal outfit, however, of a hoodie and jeans.
He stared at her for a moment, and something strange passed through the air between them. As Andy looked into his yellow eyes, she felt her heart flutter in her chest, as if she had been struck by vertigo. Why did she feel this way?
The yellow-eyed man cleared his throat, and then folded his arms in front of his chest. Suddenly he seemed to change. His hair became shorter and the yellow streak disappeared. His eyes went to a normal, dark brown color, and seemed to soften a little.
"Who are you?" Andy asked in wonder.
"My name is Nogami Ryoutaro. And you are?" even his voice seemed different.
"Andy Evans." She answered warily. "And what was that thing?"
"That was an Imagin. It's basically a monster from time that wants to wreak havoc."
"From time?"
"It's a long story. We thought they were gone, and they're back. I'm sorry, but I can't have you tell anyone what you just saw. Trust me, it would only make things a lot more complicated."
"What do you mean, more complicated? You mean there's more of these things?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes." Ryoutaro said. He paused for a moment, as if listening to someone say something.
"Okay." He said.
"What?" asked Andy, confused.
"Owner wants me to take you back to DenLiner." He said. "I hope you don't mind…"
Before Andy could utter a word, he took her hand firmly and pulled her towards an abandoned refrigerator. He opened the door, and… walked inside.
"Come on." He encouraged her gently from the area it led to. Andy had no choice but to follow him.
When she emerged, she was in some sort of desert. Endless sand stretched on in all directions, and the sky was all the colors of the rainbow. Suddenly, a loud noise sounded and a red and white train appeared out of nowhere before them, gradually pulling to a stop.
Andy couldn't believe her eyes. By now she was past disbelief.
"It must be some weird dream." She said softy, under her breath. Ryoutaro heard, and assured her it wasn't.
Suddenly, the doors to the train slid open, revealing a woman wearing some kind of strange waitress uniform hat seemed to made out of a shiny material.
"Welcome to DenLiner!" she said cheerfully, and made way for them to pass.
Andy followed Ryoutaro onto the train, turned a corner, and almost fainted. There sat four human-like creatures, except they weren't human. There was a blue one, a red one, a yellow one, and purple on. They all seemed to be staring expectantly at her.
Behind the creatures, Andy noticed a middle-aged man with dark hair and a solemn expression sitting in the far back corner. He wore a brown suit, and a cane rested against the wall beside him. Ryoutaro gestured for her to walk with him, and they went up to the man in the suit. Andy felt like all eyes in the compartment were on her, and knew she was probably right.
"Andy Evans." He spoke suddenly. She nearly jumped at the sound of her name.
"How do you know who I am?" she asked. He ignored her question.
"The Imagin have reappeared. And for some reason, one of them was intent on killing you. Usually, Imagin will not do so until after they have used the person for going back in time and causing chaos. Also, since apparently the Imagin had been commanded to kill you by someone else, it seems we have a new enemy on our hands. The reason why he wanted to attack you, of all people, we need to find out. Do you know why you were targeted?" he asked.
"What? No, I don't know why it attacked me." She answered honestly. She held her tongue, even though she had a million questions she wanted to ask. This man seemed very serious, and she didn't want to get on his bad side. He examined her face for a moment, as if trying to see if she was lying. Then he seemed satisfied, and spoke again.
"Well, either way, someone should guard you in the meantime. There's no doubt that Imagin or another will be back for you. Ryoutaro, can you watch over this girl until further notice?"
Ryoutaro seemed unsure.
"Well, Nee-san needs my help at the shop tomorrow. I guess I could watch her until then."
"Don't bother." Came a voice. Andy and the others looked over at the man who had just walked in. He had brown hair, brown eyes, and a ticked-off expression.
"I'll do it. We need to lure the Imagin back, capture it, and get information about this 'master' person. If Nogami is going to be busy with the shop, then it'd be better and more efficient if I watched over her." He said firmly.
"Is that alright, Owner?" asked Ryoutaro. Owner nodded slowly.
"I'm sure Andy-kun has many questions. Yuuto-kun, you should answer as many of them as you see fit. In the meantime, go back to the place Ryoutaro found her. The Imagin should be there soon." he said ominously.
"Okay." Said Yuuto. He turned to Andy, who was still trying to take everything in.
"Wait, so you're going to watch me?" she asked him.
"Just until the Imagin comes. Don't worry, you'll be safe with me." He said. He led her to the back of the train compartment and walked out the door. With one last backwards glance at the creatures, Owner, and Ryoutaro, Andy walked out the door and back into the warehouse from earlier.

Neither of them had expected the Imagin to be waiting for them. Yuuto immediately realized something was wrong, however, as soon as the refrigerator door shut behind them.
"Get back!" he shouted at Andy. She obeyed, taking a few steps back. All of a sudden, the toad Imagin lunged at Yuuto from behind a pile of junk, tackling him to the floor.
Yuuto struggled underneath the huge monster, as it drew out its knife.
"You won't get in my way!" it cried, and was about to stab him, when all of a sudden the knife was knocked out of his hand by a hubcap that Andy had thrown at him. She had barely even thought about what she was doing, as if it had been automatic. And she was surprised by her lucky throw.
Yuuto used this moment of confusion to push the Imagin off of him, take out a futuristic-looking belt, and sling it around his waist.
"Henshin!" he said, swiping a strange card against the belt buckle. Andy watched in fascination as he transformed, and green and silver armor appeared on his body. He now held a saber in his hand, and looked like a force to be reckoned with.
The Imagin cursed.
"Let me say this to start. I am faily strong!" said the armored Yuuto. The Imagin had no reply, and instead, leapt at Yuuto again with a loud cry.
This time, Yuuto was prepared. He swung his saber right at the moment the Imagin was in front of him, causing sparks to fly between them.
"Arrrgh!" the Imagin yelled, severely injured. Yuuto didn't give it a chance to recover. He quickly shot some kind of net at the Imagin, tangling the web-like substance around it. The Imagin was captured.
"Who sent you to kill this girl?" Yuuto demanded. The Imagin seemed incredibly fearful.
"I-I won't tell you!" said the Imagin. Yuuto punched it in the face.
"Don't mess with me! Tell me his name and where to find him, now. Or say goodbye to your pathetic life."
"Okay, okay! Wait! My master…his name is Zyra. As for where he is, I don't know. He moves around constantly. But he sent me to kill this girl because, according to the prophet of Hylan, she's a Kamen Rider, and is going to prevent us from taking over this time unless we kill her." The toad Imagin blabbered.
Andy was stunned. She didn't know what a Kamen Rider was, but he said she would prevent them from taking over time? How was that possible?
Yuuto seemed to be in just as much shock as she was. He stood there for a second in silence. Then, suddenly, he raised his saber and swung it strongly into the Imagin.
"AAAARGH!" the Imagin's last cry rang throughout the warehouse, and then it exploded.
Yuuto walked over to Andy, who was still standing in front of the fridge, stunned and fearful. He took off the belt and returned to normal. His face seemed incredibly grave, and a little pale. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she had a feeling something important had just happened.
He sat down on an empty crate.
"Impossible." He said, staring at her.
Outside of the warehouse, dawn had begun to break, and the red-orange glow from the sun illuminated the inside of the warehouse through the large windows on its side.
Andy thought nothing could be impossible after what she'd just seen.
"What's wrong?" she asked tentatively.
"You're the next Rider." He said.

"The next what?" she asked, confused.
"Kamen Rider. They are warriors that exist in every dimension to fight evil, like the Imagin. I am a rider, so is Nogami."
Something clicked Andy's head.
"You mean… I'm going to fight those things?"
"If what that Imagin said is true, which I'm sure it is, then yes, you are."
Andy finally realized this was really happening. It finally sunk in, and she just stood there quietly.
"Who is Zyra? And the prophet of Hylan?" she asked finally.
"The prophet of Hylan is a seer who knows who qualifies to become a Rider. He's the same one who told me I would be a Rider. He's never wrong."
Judging by Yuuto's looks and what he said, it seemed that the prophet had most likely been forced to tell this "Zyra" that she was the next Rider. He must be a good guy, if Yuuto knows him, Andy thought.
Suddenly, Andy realized she was extremely tired. She had been up all night during this ordeal, and knew that she needed to get some rest soon or she'd probably pass out.
Yuuto seemed to notice her falter, because he stood up and walked over to her. S
"So, where do you live?" he asked. Andy had been afraid he would ask, though she knew it was inevitable.
"I'm homeless." She said embarrassedly.
"What? How old are you?" he asked, surprised.
"Eighteen." She answered, still embarrassed. This left an awkward silence in the air.
"My parents immigrated to Japan when I was 10. They died two years later in an accident, and I've been roaming the streets since." She explained, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Ah…" Yuuto said, not showing much emotion. He was probably thinking "that explains why a foreigner like her is speaking Japanese so fluently." Andy found that's what most people said when she told them. For some reason, Yuuto didn't say anything, but stared at her.
She saw something that could've been compassion in his eyes. Still, her exhaustion soon manifested itself and she nearly collapsed, but Yuuto caught her, and sat her on a nearby torn up couch.
"You stay here and get some rest. I'm going to go report this back to Owner and Nogami.
Andy's last sight before she went to sleep was Yuuto removing his jacket and placing it over her.

When she woke up, Yuuto was back, sitting on the crate. He seemed to be talking to a figure made of sand, with its body split in half, legs above its torso. This reminded Andy of what had happened the previous night, and for a moment she just lay there, thinking about it.
Then Yuuto realized she was awake.
"Oi, you up yet?" he asked her.
"Yeah." She answered, rubbing her eyes and staring at the sand-figure.
"What's this?" she asked.
"His name is Deneb. He's a friendly Imagin, don't worry. A little too friendly…" he muttered the last bit.
"So he's an Imagin?" she asked warily. The sand figure walked up to her and bowed.
"Yes. My name is Deneb. It's nice to meet you!" he said. Andy's caution disappeared once she realized he genuinely was very friendly.
"Nice to meet you, too." Said Andy, smiling, for the first time in a while.
"That's enough chatter for now. Andy, I've found out some information about Zyra. Owner says to keep you completely informed about what's going on, since now you are a Rider."
He paused for a moment.
"Zyra is, simply put, a human, but he possesses some extreme power. Apparently neither I nor Nogami can defeat him. Basically, it's up to you." He said, and Andy could tell by his determined voice he was serious.
"But, how? I don't even know how to fight!" she said.
"If the prophet of Hylan says you're a Rider, you can learn. All Riders possess abilities that are usually unnatural to humans. The fact that you hit the knife out of the Imagin's hand proves this. However, Owner told me to train you in battle, to sharpen your skills."
"I don't suppose I have any choice in any of this, then." Andy said.
"No. You seem to be taking it strangely well, though." He said thoughtfully.
Andy agreed. She was surprised at how she was handling everything.
"I know. But I still have lots of questions." She said. Yuuto listened.
After a few details had been sorted out, such as the origins of the Imagin and what had happened before they came back, Andy tried to casually ask a question that had been bugging her a lot.
"How come Ryoutaro seemed so different when I first saw him? He had a yellow streak in his hair and a different voice. I don't get it."
"Ah. That wasn't Ryoutaro. You must be talking about Kintaros. When an Imagin possesses a person, they can take over their body as well as just inhabiting them. Kintaros is the yellow Imagin you saw on DenLiner. What you saw was just his human form, when he was possessing Ryoutaro."
"I see." Said Andy. She wished she had gotten a better look at the Imagin in the DenLiner. All she remembered were the colors.
"What were those other Imagin doing there? They're good too, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, they're good, if by 'good' you mean on our side. Though I don't personally care for any of them." He said bitterly. "Anyways, Nogami is special. For some reason he's able to be possessed by more than one Imagin. All four of those Imagin, plus another one you haven't met."
"Sieg-san." Deneb added.
"I see." She said. Everything seemed a lot clearer than it had been when she first became involved in this. But she still had lingering doubts that she'd be able to truly become a Rider.
"Anyways, I'm going to investigate some more things, in the meantime I'll be leaving you with Nogami. He said he'll be here soon."
"Can't I just be on my own?"
"No, it's too dangerous. You don't even know how to fight yet. If an Imagin finds you, you're done for."
Andy thought it was hypocritical, since Yuuto had left her on her own the previous night. But she didn't say anything, since it was probably only because he had felt pity for her exhaustion, but he needed to report back.
"Okay then." She said. Truthfully, she liked Ryoutaro and Yuuto. Even though she hadn't talked with Ryoutaro for long, she could tell he was kind-hearted. Yuuto was a bit more hiding of the fact, but she could tell he also had a good heart.
Soon enough, Ryoutaro arrived.
"I'm sorry you had to wait." He said.
"It's fine, Ryoutaro-san." Said Andy, smiling lightly.
"Whatever. I'll be going now." Grumbled Yuuto, and left the building.
For a moment, Ryoutaro stood there in an awkward silence. Andy had an idea. She wanted to get to know him better, but she also wanted very badly to properly meet the other Imagin. Especially the one called Kintaros.
"So, you're a Rider too, I guess." Said Ryoutaro. Andy nodded. She realized that the combination of her quiet personality and Ryoutaro's apparent shyness wasn't the best conversation-wise.
"Ryoutaro-san?" Andy asked.
"Yes?"
"I would really like to meet the other good Imagin. Would you mind letting me talk to them for a while?" she inquired eagerly.
Ryoutaro seemed surprised but okay with the suggestion.
"Sure." He said. "One second."
He stared at the ground for a moment, and it seemed as if he was talking to someone in his head. Which, according to what Andy knew now, could have very well been possible.
All of a sudden, a new aura seemed to emerge from him, and he stood up straight, a pair of glasses on now, and a blue streak in his dark hair, which was gently spiked on the side. He held up one hand under his chin, and smiled at her. She knew this must be the blue Imagin, but she had forgotten his name.
"Hello there." He said, smiling flirtily. "Andy-chan, I presume? It's nice to meet you. My name is Urataros." He said, taking her hadn and kissing it. He looked up at her from behind his glasses knowingly.
"Um, it's nice to meet you, too." Andy said, blushing lightly and slightly flustered. This guy was extremely suave.
"I look forward to fighting side by side with such a lovely young lady." He said. Suddenly, he got a strange look in his eyes.
"Ryuuta, not yet!" he said, but suddenly he changed again. This time he had a hat on, and a purple streak in his slightly wavy hair. He grinned at her.
"Urataros, it's my turn now!" he said to himself, then looked back at her.
"Hi! My name's Ryuutaros! But you can call me Ryuuta, if you want. Anyways, is it true you're a new Rider?" he asked.
Andy began to answer, but was interrupted.
"Can't hear you. If you are, it'll be interesting to see who's stronger!" he said, doing a strange little dance that resembled either the Robot or the Moonwalk. Andy wasn't sure how to react.
"Hey! I know!" he said, looking up with a bright look on his face. "Why don't we fight right now, and see?"
Suddenly he changed again.
"Ryuuta, you idiot! She hasn't even been trained yet, she wouldn't stand a chance!" came an angry voice. He now had spiky hair with a red streak, and red eyes. He looked ticked off. His eyes wandered to hers.
"Ano…Ore wa…Momotaros." He said. He seemed slightly embarrassed for his small outburst. Then he got his confidence back. There seemed to be an arrogance about this one.
"You better do your part to help. What that old man said probably isn't true, but if we do need you, you better put some effort into training. And stuff." He huffed.
"Don't worry, I will." Andy said. She meant it, too. Momotaros looked her up and down.
"Tch." He said. "Kuma-chan. It's your turn." He said. He waited for a moment. "What do you mean, 'it's okay'? You think I wanted to introduce myself to this girl? Come on!" he said.
Andy blushed in embarrassment. Apparently this "Kintaros" didn't want to meet her.
Andy felt her heart sink as she thought this. He was the whole reason she wanted Ryoutaro to do this. She had thought there was something special about that guy Kintaros, ever since they met for that short while. She inwardly scolded herself for being so romantic.
Suddenly M-Ryoutaro changed again. Andy felt her heart skip a beat as Kintaros looked up at her with golden eyes.
"Etto…hi." He said sheepishly. "Sorry about that, I got a little nervous."
They stared at each other for a moment in silence. Andy was amazed at his handsomeness and he seemed to be equally entranced in her.
"You are very beautiful." He said, reaching out a hand to brush her cheek. She felt her face grow hot, but was too stunned to react. She shyly looked away from him. He cleared his throat.
"I am Kintaros." He said, beating his chest. "I look forward to serving by your side, Andy-chan." He said this last part softly. His eyes locked with hers until suddenly he changed back into Ryoutaro.
"They're characters, aren't they?" Ryoutaro asked cheerfully. Andy, who was still lost in thought about Kintaros touching her, didn't answer at first. Then she realized what he had said and laughed light-heartedly in agreement.
"Quite."

"Smooth, Kuma-chan." Urataros smirked. Kintaros ignored him. "It seems as though you've fallen for our new Rider." Kintaros shot him an angry look.
"Ah... Kuma! You're in love with a human?" Momotaros mocked. "What a laugh! She'll never like you once she sees your true form."
Kintaros was silent. Momotaros saw he had touched a nerve and softened up.
"Sorry buddy, but you know people like us can't be with people like her." he said, looking at his hand.
Ryuutaros exploded.
"That's not true! Nii-san and I... we're going to be together someday! And Urataros...he goes out with human girls all the time! Kuma-chan...don't listen to Momotaros no baka." he said, smacking the red Imagin over the head. Momotaros in turn began to chase Ryuutaros around the car, trying to get revenge. This continued as Urataros walked up to Kintaros and offered advice.
"If you like her, ask her on a date. That is, tell Ryoutaro you'll keep watch on her. Then take her to a park or something. It'll give you a chance to see how things'll go between you two."
"..." Kintaros began to answer, but suddenly his head fell forward and he let out a loud snore. Urataros sighed and walked away.

Andy and Ryoutaro were sleeping in the warehouse, several feet from each other. Suddenly a glowing yellow light flew right into Andy's sleeping form. Sand poured out from the blankets. She woke up, her eyes were orange. Her hair seemed shorter and had an orange streak in it. She looked down at Ryoutaro's sleeping body and smirked. Then she got up and walked out of the warehouse.

The Imagin who had possessed Andy wandered around the streets for a while, enjoying the freedom of walking around in public. She walked into a cafe, expecting to buy something, but pulled out an empty wallet. She pouted and threw away the wallet in frustration. As she was about to leave, someone blocked her exit.
"Excuse me." she said, in an extremely annoyed voice. The man in a hat looked up at her with grey eyes. Sand began to pour out from his long coat. The Imagin possessing Andy took a step back, eyes narrowing.
A grey dog Imagin formed out of the sand on the ground, leaving the human to crumple to the floor. Immediately, screams broke out in the cafe, and people began to run for the other exit. It left just the two Imagin face to face.
"Give me the girl." he said in a gruff voice.
"Like hell I will!" said the Imagin, running for the exit. The dog gave chase.
As the Imagin ran away, she mumbled to herself
"Isn't this ironic?"
Suddenly she turned around to face the dog Imagin. People had long deserted street, and they were still alone. The Imagin stopped in his tracks, suprised that she had stopped, and preparing his attack.
The Imagin possessing Andy noticed the young man who had been asleep earlier run around the corner, a mysterious metal belt in one hand and a pass on the other.
"Use this!" he shouted, and threw them to her. She caught them easily, and looked first at them, then at the boy. She shrugged and swung the belt around her waist. The dog Imagin didn't give her a chance to do much else. He ran at her with an angry snarl and she somersauled out of the way barely in time.
"Use it to transform!" the boy shouted.
"Transform? You mean..."
"Ksou...I possessed the new Kamen Rider?" she demanded, knowing the answer. She had no choice but to oblige, as the dog Imagin had turned around and was about to attack at any moment.
"Henshin!" ?-Andy said firmly. She swiped the card and dropped it as the transformation began. Armor plates appeared over her body and glowed orange. A mask formed over her face and cat ears sprung out of the top of it. And last but not least, a large orange scythe appeared in her right hand. She looked briefly at it and sighed.
"It's been a while since I've battled. I might be a little rusty." she said, a hint of a smile in her voice.
"This new armor's nice, though." she said happily. The dog seemed ticked that she was ignoring him, and took a step forward, only to have her swiftly slash at it.
"This is gonna be fun." she smirked.
The dog howled and swiped a paw at her, hitting her hard. She skidded back a couple of feet but soon regained her composure.
"I hate dogs..." she said, and swiped the card over the belt.
"FULL CHARGE." said the belt, and her scythe began to glow bright orange. The dog looked on in confusion.
"Neko Flurry*!" cried ?-Andy, and in a swift attack, hit the dog repeatedly in an unrelenting assault with her scythe. It was so fast, the scythe was an orange blur. When she was finished, she put one knee on the ground and held her arm outstretched, in a very cool pose. The dog Imagin exploded.
"So, to whom do I owe the pleasure?" the Imagin possessing Andy asked a stunned Ryoutaro.
"My name is Nogami Ryoutaro. Who are you?" he asked warily.
"The name's Mara." she said, smiling.
"...Why are you smiling? You do realize you just possessed the next Kamen Rider, don't you?" That means you'll have to fight along with her."
"At first it seemed like a drag, but now I'm thinking this might be kinda fun! I mean, I love fighting! But just so you know, I don't have to do anything." she said.
Ryoutaro sighed. She obviously doesn't know what she's getting into. He thought.
"Well, can you please at least leave Andy-chan's body? I need to speak with her."
The Imagin got tense.
"Well, we haven't formed a contract yet, you know. I could technically wander around here for a while."
"No. The cops are going to arrive any moment now, maybe even the special forces. We need to get on DenLiner."
Just as he spoke the last word, a train whistle resounded through the street and a bullet train came rumbling out of a portal in the sky. It pulled to a stop behind him.
"Get out of Andy's body and go on the train, please." Ryoutaro said. Mara paused for a moment, then leapt out of Andy's body in the form of a tall, slender, orange cat-woman. Andy's body nearly fell to the ground but Ryoutaro caught her in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Ryoutaro? Where are we?" she asked, looking around.
"Don't tell me...you were asleep during all this?" Ryoutaro asked, incredulous.
"During all what? I had a weird dream..." her eyes wandered to the orange cat Imagin standing beside her, looking at her with smug, shut eyes.
"Huh? It wasn't a dream?" Andy's eyes grew wide.
"No, it wasn't. You were possessed by this Imagin, and fought with a dog Imagin. I'll explain everything when we get on DenLiner."
Sirens wailed in the distance.
"This'll cause a lot of trouble if we stay around any longer." said Ryoutaro, and tugged Andy's hand, pulling her gently into the train. The cat Imagin sighed and followed behind.
The sliding doors slid shut behind them, and the train drove into another portal, disappearing right before as the cop cars screamed around the corner.

The first thing Andy saw when they entered the car, was the yellow Imagin sitting in the corner. When he saw her, he made a surprised noise, and looked away embarrassedly. Andy's mouth opened slightly in suprise. He was tall and muscular, with yellow skin and fur surrounding his shoulders. He had a black horn coming out of his forehead. He didn't look at all like the handsome knightly human she had seen before.
But though his new appearance surprised her, she still felt something strange that seemed to be connecting them. She blushed when she realized she that something was like an attachment, drawing her towards him. (Later she would know it as the red string of fate.)
Ryoutaro was occupied in introducing Mara to the gang.
"And this is Momo-" Ryoutaro paused for a moment as he realized the red Imagin was staring incredulously at the cat Imagin.
"-taros."
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Momotaros." he said admiringly.
"I couldn't care less." Mara said boredly.
"Ohh! Not only is she gorgeous, but she's cool, too!"
Momotaros continued to fawn over her, asking her questions about herself, while Urataros slyly inserted himself between the two, and offered Mara a rose he had procured from somewhere. She folded her arms.
"Won't you accept this humble gift?" Urataros pouted. Mara didn't falter, and didn't say a word.
"I better get my own sleeping quarters." she huffed.
"That has been arranged." came a booming, deep voice. Everyone in the car turned to see Owner had entered, cane in hand.
He walked forward with purpose. No one dared to move.
"Mara-kun. You have possessed Kamen Rider ND."
Andy's eyes widened at the sound of her new title. The cat Imagin stood unfaltering, looking him in the eye.
"I hope you realize of the great danger you have placed yourself in. I would not blame you if you left now."
"Danger is my life." she proclaimed. "I'm staying."
"Very well. In that case, I believe a pass," he pulled out a card from his jacket pocket, holding it in between his fingers. "Is in order."
The cat Imagin took it when he offered it to her, and examined it. It had a picture of her on the front, along with a code of numbers and a date.
"And you, give Andy-chan the Rider Pass, if you please." he said. The cat imagin looked at the pass in her hand, and then up at the petite blonde girl with brown eyes. They saw each other face to face for the first time. Andy seemed nervous as the Imagin approached her.
"I hope you are strong." Mara said. Andy looked up at her and couldn't respond.
The cat Imagin stared at her with shut eyes, then held the rider pass in front of her.
Andy slowly took it. Mara put her hand down, and both of them stared at the pass.
"Life's going to be an adventure from now on, isn't it?" Andy asked no one in particular.
"Yeah." Ryoutaro said, nodding.
"Let the fun start!" Mara purred, smirking.

"ARGH!" yelled a colorful bird Imagin, as he was thrust onto the floor, and a boot placed on his back. A tough-looking human wearing all black stood above him, arms folded. The Imagin looked up at the figure seated on the throne-like chair.
"Zyra-sama! Please forgive my incompetence! I kept an eye on the girl while Rex battled her, but he was defeated, and she got away! I'm sorry!" he cried.
The figure on the chair didn't move.
"Kyima, you were my most trusted scout. And you managed to lose her trail?"
"Well, she got onto a train! And it disappeared into thin air!" Kyima squawked.
"A train?" thought the figure aloud. "Den-Liner, most likely. The other riders must be helping her out." he scowled bitterly. "Did you see the Imagin who possessed her?"
"Yes! She was an orange cat, female. I overheard her name...it's Mara." said the bird.
Zyra stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"It can't be... Mara the Rogue? Ha, I always knew she'd get into a mess she couldn't handle one day."
"You know her, Zyra-sama?" asked the bird, bewildered.
"It's nothing important. If she knows what's good for her, which I know she does, she'll turn in herself and the girl soon enough.
"So what do we do now, Sire?" asked the muscular man wearing black.
"For now, we wait."

Waiting for a Betrayal

It was night time, and DenLiner was traveling through the desert of time as usual.
They were not stopping, running a loop of a few decades, so as not to be caught by any enemies. Owner, Ryoutaro, Yuuto, and Deneb were in one room, discussing their plan.
"Owner...I have a bad feeling about this." said Ryoutaro.
"About what, Nogami-kun?" asked Owner. Ryoutaro paused.
"Mara." he admitted. Owner raised an eyebrow.
"It's not often that you don't trust someone, Ryoutaro-kun. What makes you think she is a problem?"
"Well, I can't explain it." Ryoutaro said nervously. "Something just tells me she isn't very reliable. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid..."
"No." said Yuuto. "If you don't feel comfortable trusting her, then I have to agree she might be shady."
Ryoutaro looked surprised that Yuuto would back him like that.
"Just because you trust everyone, usually." Yuuto explained.
"Very well." said owner. "I will have the Taro's-tachi keep her company, and make sure she stays in line. But for now, let them rest."

In another car, the Taros slept in their usual places, on the benches at the booths. And in the next car over, Andy was asleep, along with Mara, across from each other.
But later that night, Andy felt a presence that drew her out of her sleep, her eyes fluttering open. They widened at the sight of the cat Imagin looming over her, but before she could cry out, she was possessed, and sat up. M-Andy looked around quickly and then hurried over to one of the doors. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Then they opened again with a determined look in them. She pulled open the door and stared at the city below them. It looked like modern times, so she smiled and leapt out of the train, timing it so that she landed on a skyscraper.
It was time to find Zyra.

Kintaros jerked awake. He had heard something. Normally, nothing could wake him up from his narcoleptic slumber. But when it was normal sleeping, he was slightly less unaware.
He sat up and got out of the booth. He made sure none of the other Imagin's heard him, as he stepped over a sleeping and mumbling Momotaros.
He walked quietly over to the car where Andy and Mara were sleeping. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a rush of cold wind.
"Are?!"
The other Taros woke up immediately.
"What are you doing, Kuma-chan?" asked Urataros.
"Close the door!" Ryuutaros whined, turning over in his blankets.
"Where's that wind coming from?!" Momo barked. He looked over at Kintaros.
"Oh."
Kintaros rushed over to the open door. He looked down, around at the city lights and skyscrapers.
Without thinking it over, he jumped.
"Ahhh! Kuma-chan!"
"Baka-kuma! What are you doing?" Momotaros shouted after him. He saw Kintaros land safely on a roof.
"I'm going to save Andy!" he yelled, just before the train disappeared out of sight.

The commotion in the Taro's train brought Ryoutaro and Yuuto running.
"What's going on here?" Yuuto demanded.
"Ah! They're gone!" Ryoutaro cried, as he saw into the next car. Momotaros pulled the door shut with a grunt. Silence and confusion entered the car.

"Where are you taking me?" asked a frightened Andy in her mind. Mara didn't answer, but ran down some stairs and into an elevator. A couple of salarymen stared at her in surprise.
"Please answer! Where are we going?" Andy persisted, until Mara replied in frustration.
"I'm taking you to Zyra." she answered.
Andy felt a jolt of fear.
"Why? I thought we were going to be in this together!" Andy asked.
"Look, girl, I'm my own Imagin. My life comes first, in my book. And since Zyra's going to find you anyways, I might as well get the credit for turning you in."
Mara cringed at how cold she sounded, which was really saying something. She didn't feel good about doing this to an innocent girl. But it was better her than Mara, she tried to convince herself, as she made her way through the dark, street-lamp lit streets.

Kintaros needed to find someone to possess, and fast. He knew there was no way he could get away with walking in public in his true form.
He looked down at the people walking on the streets. They looked like ants from up there. Hoping he would choose the right one, he leapt from the building, changing into his orb form halfway down. He zipped straight into a walking salaryman, possessing him on the spot, before he knew what happened.
"Are?" came the salaryman's confused thought.
"Sorry, no time to explain!" came Kintaros' response. The salaryman's conscience promptly fainted.
Kintaros kept the suitcase in his hand, not wanting to affect the poor unaware salaryman in any bad ways, and began to run.

Mara could faintly remember the hideout where she had met Zyra, several years ago.
The ambitious young villain had a gift where he could either kill or empower Imagins.
Much like a Rider. But there was no doubt he was evil. He made it a habit of destroying any Imagin who didn't do exactly as he pleased. And he always, always got his way.
Mara knew this, and she knew he would find and destroy her unless she showed her loyalty to him. She knew this, as she searched for the hideout. She knew this, as she found and stood outside his towering building. But somehow, she couldn't bring herself to go inside. As she stood outside, shivering in the cold night air, for the first time in her life she felt like a coward.
"Please don't do this." Andy pleaded in her mind. Mara tried to shut her out, but failed, and Andy was able to hear some of her unsure thoughts.
"I can...I can't...I won't!" Mara said determinedly, having made up her mind. She was no coward. She would not give in to this evil bastard.
Andy breathed a sigh of relief.

Kintaros ran around a corner and froze. He saw M-Andy standing in front of a large, ominous, dark building.
"Andy!" he yelled. The orange-eyed version of the woman he loved looked over at him, a look of slight surprise on her face.
Right before a pair of dark figures came out of the shadows behind her, and pulled her into the building.
Kintaros's golden eyes widened in shock, then narrowed.
He ran for the doors, leaping inside right before they closed. They had a code on them, and if he had gotten locked out, who knows what would have happened.
"Andy!" he cried. The two crow Imagin looked behind and saw him. He realized he was still in a bystander's body, and couldn't let him get hurt. He left the body, catching it before he fell, and layed him gently on the floor. He then walked in front of them, in his intimidating, Imagin form. The two crow Imagin scowled.
"What are you doing, fool? We found her, not you! You're not getting the credit!"
"I'm taking her back." he said, his axe appearing in his hands. "No matter what."
M-Andy grinned at the distraction, as she snuck out of Andy's body and behind the crows. Her scythe appeared in her hands, and she nodded to the yellow Imagin.
"You know, Zyra-sama wants her, alive or dead." said one of the crows, placing his clawed hand around Andy's neck. She looked scared and sad.
"I'll snap her neck right now, if you don't leave." cackled the crow. The other crow cackled, too. Kintaros looked furious, but he set down his axe.
"Don't hurt her." he said. "Please."
He and Andy stared at each other for a moment, and an unmistakable look of affection graced Andy's face.
"Now!" he shouted. Mara swung her scythe down onto the first crow, the one with his claw around Andy's neck. He was forced to let her go. The other crow held his grasp on her arm, however, and she couldn't get away. While Mara and the first crow battled, Kintaros put his hand on his knee, raised it, and stomped it on the ground, sumo style.
The second crow gulped.
"Hra!" Kintaros cried, charging. The second crow now had to let go of Andy in order to dodge, and Kintaros changed direction, grabbing Andy's hand and leading her behind him. She looked on, wide-eyed, as Kintaros picked up his axe.
"You'll cry!" he yelled, and swung it repeatedly into the crow's chest, causing it to fly back.
Meanwhile, Mara and the other crow were engaged in a tough battle. It was not letting up its attack with a club it held grasped in its talons, and Mara was having no choice but to go on the defensive, something she was not used to doing. She was holding up fairly well, however, until a blow to the side of her head caused her to fall to the ground, at the crow's mercy.
"Die!" he cried, and was about to swing the club down onto the paralyzed cat Imagin, when a loud boom resounded throughout the small first floor and everyone turned to see the entrance blown wide open, and several figures standing behind the flood of dust and rubble.
"Ore...sanjou!" came Momotaros' triumphant voice.
"Momo!" Kintaros called. The crow imagin was distracted again, and Mara took this time to roll out of his club's reach, holding her head in pain.
The dust cleared up to reveal all three of the other Taros, Den-O, and D-Zeronos.
"So there's only two? That sucks. I thought there'd be more..." Momotaros said, wiping his nose.
"Anyhow, there's no way we're going easy on you two." said Ryuutaros, cocking his gun.
"Saishou ni itte oku..." said D-Yuuto. He paused for a moment. "...What he said!"
They all charged, half going for one crow, and half for the other. They got them both surrounded, and with an echo of "FULL-CHARGE"s, made a spectacular combined attack which finished them both off.
"Agh..." said Andy, still holding her head. "There's no way the guys upstairs didn't hear that. We better get out of here fast."
"Of course." said D-Yuuto, nodding. "Neither you nor Andy-chan are fit to battle Zyra now. We need to get back to Den-Liner."
Which, conveniently, was hovering just outside. The crew hurried into the door, one after the other. Kintaros held Andy's trembling hand; she was badly shaken. Right when the doors were closing, Momotaros noticed a herd of angry looking Imagin running full speed towards them.
"Catch ya later, suckers!" he called as the door shut on his arm and the train shot off into the portal.

"Mara, are you alright?" Andy asked, looking at her with a concerned look.
"Yeah." Mara said, and groaned. "Thank goodness I'm pretty thick-headed." she said, only half-jokingly. "Hey, I'm sorry I...um...betrayed you." Mara said sheepishly, looking down at the small blonde girl.
"Sorry is not enough." came Owner's booming voice. Mara looked over at him. He was standing by the entrance of the car, a stern look on his face.
"You have endangered Andy-kun, and thus, endangered the world. From now on, you will not go unsupervised. At least, until you have proven you are trustworthy."
"That sounds pretty reasonable." Mara said.
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