-Somewhere in Canada, 11:35 pm-
A man sat on his couch watching TV after a hard day's work. Tonight, he just wanted to relax while watching on of his favorite shows on TV. His hand was holding the remote as his eyes were focused on the screen.
Suddenly, without notice, a blinding flash flared out of the screen.The man screamed as he shielded his face from the bright light. It was so unexpected that he got a full blast of it before he could properly cover his eyes.
The flash subsided, but it had already done its damage. The man pulled his hands away from his face and opened his eyes. He made a shocking discovery.
"I can't see!" the man wailed. "I CAN'T SEE!"
-Spies' Villa, 8:45 am-
Alex woke up to a beautiful Saturday morning. It had been a few days since the Autumn Ball but she remembered that night like it was yesterday. The reason was that she had danced with a genuinely kind and decent guy who also happened to know her secret.
She rolled over and picked up a framed photograph that had been taken that night. It was a picture of her and a certain red haired and green eyed fellow wearing formal attire. Her beautiful yellow dress and his red tinted tuxedo seemed to stand out but it was the nice kind of standing out.
Yawning, Alex got out of bed. She wanted to pick up the morning's newspaper since she loved reading the sports' section. She walked out of her room with a robe on before walking down the stairs towards the front door. She walked into the lawn to pick up the paper before bending down. When she got up she saw the door to the neighboring villa's house open. She decided to ignore it and turn back around towards the house.
"Alex-chan!" she heard someone call.
Alex froze, stunned by the voice. Only one person would call her 'Alex-chan', but he was long gone, right? He had gone back home, right? Steeling herself, she shut her eyes and turned, swallowing some saliva. She then opened her eyes and they widened. Her mouth opened with an audible gasp as she stared at who'd called her.
The young man was dressed in a red t-shirt with a white dragon on it and blue sweat pants. His red hair was in a tight braid and his green eyes were looking at her. His lips were also curled into a pleasant smile as he held the paper. He waved at her. "Ohayo!"
She knew that hair and those eyes. Heck, she knew only one person to ever greet her in Japanese! Heck, she knew only one person who liked anything that included dragons!
She did the one thing she could do. She squealed loudly, happily, before running back inside the villa.
The young man blinked in confusion and tilted his head to the side. "Ho?" He then shrugged before walking back inside the house.
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Alex yelled as she yelled at Sam while shaking her. Sam was shocked by this and woke up instantly before Alex ran out of her room, leaving the frazzled redhead somewhat grumpy and confused.
"Alex!" Sam yelled. "Hey!"
"Wake up! Wake up!" Alex shouted at Clover who had on a beauty mask. The blonde girl was instantly awoken before Alex ran out of her room too to take a shower.
"Alex!" Clover yelled. "Ugh, you ruined my beauty sleep again!" However, Alex was long gone. Fuming, Clover wanted to get back to sleep but to know avail. Alex was obviously excited about something. Sighing, she reluctantly got out of bed and grabbed her towel. Maybe this could be important. She had wanted to sleep in a few extra hours, though.
Several minutes later…
The three girls were all cleaned up and dressed, standing in front of the villa across from their own. Alex was skipping happily in front of the door, leaving both her best friends perplexed by her behavior. She still had not told them what was going on and were worried a little.
"Alex, what's going on?" Sam asked.
"Yeah," Clover folded her arms crossly, "What's the big deal of ruining my beauty sleep?"
Alex giggled and turned to them, "Girls, you are not gonna believe who moved in here!"
"Who?" Sam and Clover responded in unison.
Alex turned and held a finger over the doorbell. "Just watch." She then pressed the doorbell.
Sam and Clover could hear someone yelling, "Coming!" which sounded oddly familiar. The door then opened and both of them gasped.
"LEO!?" Clover and Sam shouted, shocked.
"Leo!" Alex shouted happily.
Standing there before them was a young red haired man with emerald green eyes. His hair was tied in a braid and right now he was wearing a blue Chinese shirt with black slacks. He had slippers on his feet and a smile on his face along with goggles on his head.
"Oh, ohayo, Sam-san, Clover-san," he smiled specially for Alex, "Alex-chan." The girl in question sighed happily.
The gears in Sam and Clover's heads began turning. If Leo was here, then that means…
"Ryuki-kun," someone spoke as he walked over, "Who's at the door?" Sam knew that voice all too well.
"Tazuka?" Sam said, uncertainty before the older boy walked up to the door, standing behind Ryuki.
"Oh, good morning, Sam," Tazuka greeted.
"What…how…?" Sam stuttered, blushing at the boy she liked.
"Would you like to join us for breakfast?" Tazuka offered, "Ryuki-kun here made pancakes."
"Please, come inside," Ryuki welcomed. "We'll explain everything."
The girl nodded and then Clover decided to ask, "Um…where's Takada?"
BOOM!!
Speak of the devil.
The girls were shocked by the sudden explosion as a window on the second floor opened up to allow smoke to come billowing out and upwards. Said owner of the name then poked his head out and saw them. He was covered in soot, though. "Oh, hey, girls!" he smiled, waving.
"Takada!" Clover smiled happily. He still looked good, even covered in soot.
"Takada!" Ryuki scolded. "Not so early in the morning!"
"Science waits for no man, Leo!" Takada called back. Ryuki frowned. He didn't want the villa ruined so soon. His mother had paid for it.
"Just get cleaned up," Tazuka said, shaking his head in disbelief of the mess that was up there now, "We have guests."
"Roger!" Takada saluted before retreating back through the window and then scrambling out his room towards the bathroom to get cleaned up.
"Please, do come in," Tazuka said politely to the girls
"Oh, and please take off your shoes and put on the house slippers," Ryuki instructed.
The three Spies did so excitedly. They had never expected to meet up with the three Riders again after their last mission together. They had really come to like the boys, strange powers and all. They had secretly hoped for a lasting relationship but had thought that impossible up until now.
With the indoor slippers on, Ryuki brought the girls to the dining room where the pancakes were already waiting. They were all stacked on a large plate in the centre of the table
"I always make extra, so please enjoy," Ryuki smiled invitingly.
"Sure will," Alex giggled excitedly. She was still in a fuzzy daze from having Ryuki back in her life so soon. Ryuki served them the pancakes. There was a bottle of maple syrup ready for them. No sooner had the food been served did the girls dig in with the two boys.
"So, when did you guys get here?" asked Sam curiously. "I mean, last time we saw each other was at the Autumn Ball."
"We never really left," Tazuka replied. "We were busy getting our things and other records finalized. Officially, we're on standby since Ichijyo had nothing new for us."
"So you're going to be staying here?" Sam asked with some hope in her voice.
"For the foreseeable future," Tazuka replied.
"Yay!" Alex cheered happily. She was instantly at Ryuki's side, hugging his arm and nuzzling his shoulder. "I really missed you, Leo."
"I missed you too, Alex-chan," Ryuki smiled happily. It felt really nice to be back with Alex.
Takada came downstairs, all cleaned up and properly dressed. When he saw the girls, he grinned, and then winked at Clover who just giggled at him before winking back. "Hey, girls, it's been awhile." He walked over and sat down at the dining table. "Pancakes! Yummy!"
"Who paid for this place?" Sam asked with deep interest. "Was it you guys?"
"Actually it was okaasan," Ryuki replied. "Ichijyo just chose the place for us to be close to you."
"Hey, even snakeface has good taste," Takada agreed.
"So, what were you doing in your room?" Clover asked Takada. "Was it another one of your inventions?"
"Just a few new gadgets in the making, made just for missions," Takada said. "I am working in Research and Development."
Clover had been told by Takada that not only was he a field agent, but that he was also in research and development. It did make sense. He was a genius, despite the explosions. He may have the smarts, but he didn't look like a geek. A definite plus.
"I can show them to you girls if you want," Takada offered.
Sam said, "Maybe later." Tazuka had warned her that Takada's inventions did have a habit of backfiring. "So, why did you decide to stick around?" She really hoped it was because of them.
"Well," Tazuka folded his arms, "Ichijyo and Jerry believe that us working together can improve on relations between Smart Brain and WOOHP has going on right now. Since we already worked together, we were the ideal choice."
"There were others, mind you," Takada said. "But we were handpicked for this."
Ryuki added, "For some reason, he seemed really happy that we were staying here." He shrugged. "I don't know why."
"So, how long will you be staying?" Alex asked. She so wanted him to stay longer.
"About a month."
'Yes!' Alex cheered in her mind. There was so much she wanted to do with Ryuki.
On the other side of the world, in Tokyo, Japan, inside a very expensive apartment, sat Smart Brain Tokyo's very own CEO. He was sitting on an armchair and sipping his tea as he read the paper.
"Walter," said Ichijyo.
"Yes, sir?" Walter, his butler, replied. "Would you like more tea?"
"No," Ichijyo shook his head. "Do you hear that?"
Walter didn't seem to understand the question but answered truthfully, "No, I don't think I hear anything."
Ichijyo nodded, "Exactly." He explained, "No explosions, no yelling, nothing but total silence." He was happy that both Takada and Ryuki, his two biggest headaches, were gone for a whole month. He could actually relax and not worry about anymore collateral damage until they returned.
"Sir, you're not talking about Mr. Hasuma and Mr. Takada's departure, are you?" Walter asked.
"Who else would I be talking about?" Ichijyo remarked. "This is the first time I am able to enjoy a cup of tea in peace without having to worry that the two of them are going to blow something up or cause a fire."
"Sir, you do realize they are your friends."
Ichijyo sighed. "I do. Forgive me. It's just…I've been under a lot of pressure."
"Perfectly understandable, sir," Walter agreed. "And, believe me that you will grow to miss them."
Ichijyo scoffed. "Hardly."
"Absence does make the heart grow fonder, sir," Walter reminded. "More tea?"
"Thank you, Walter," Ichijyo smiled as Walter poured him some more tea. "Why don't you sit down and relax to enjoy some tea with me? You've been working the whole day. You deserve a break."
"That is very gracious of you, sir," Walter bowed before sitting down. "Ah…this is most comfortable."
"And, please, don't call me sir," Ichijyo said. "You're practically family."
"I'll try, sir," Walter smiled and Ichijyo chuckled in response.
"So what are you guys going to do now?" asked Alex. She really hoped they were free.
"Well," Tazuka shrugged. "We'll probably go to school and generally hang around. It isn't often we get to be normal."
"I totally get where you're coming from," Clover nodded. "Some days I could just kill for a good shopping trip."
"I do have a few experiments I was hoping to catch up on," Takada grinned. "I've been messing around with some physics and I think I'm close to a breakthrough."
"Are you using plutonium again?" Ryuki asked worriedly. "The last time you did we had a wormhole in your room and that plant thing got sucked through. It made a real mess before we managed to send it back."
"Hey, it was just a matter of suction," Takada frowned. "I've been fixing that. It won't happen the next time."
"Ichijyo forbade you from trying it again," Tazuka pointed out, "Ever."
"He's all the way back in Japan," Takada shrugged. "As long as nothing explodes then how's he going to know?"
"But something always explodes when you perform one of your experiments," Ryuki retorted. "Please, try to keep it small."
"Oh, fine," Takada sighed. "So, it's Saturday, what do you guys wanna do?"
"We could hang out at the mall," Clover suggested.
"Doesn't that Mandy chick hang out there?" Takada shuddered. That horrible voice was still giving him nightmares.
"Hey, the mall's my turf! I can out maneuver Mandy any day," Clover said confidently.
"Well…" Ryuki began, "I was thinking of using this day to do some training and practice my techniques."
"That reminds me," Alex said. "You told me you could teach me some of your moves. That was a promise, right?"
"Hai," Ryuki nodded. "It was." Ryuki did want to spend time with Alex. It was probably his most favorite part of being here in Beverly Hills. "You can come up to my room if you want."
"Got any plans, Tazuka?" Sam asked the clairvoyant Rider.
"Well…" Tazuka rubbed his chin. "I was going to set up a fortune telling booth somewhere in the park to see if people would want to get their fortunes told."
"I bet you'd get a lot of business," said Sam. Tazuka was pretty attractive, in a mysterious kind of way with his deep black eyes, so there was no doubt in her mind that he would get business.
"Well, maybe I'll join Clover at the mall too," Takada said. "Need to update my wardrobe."
"Didn't you already do that?" Ryuki asked, quirking an eyebrow. Takada wagged a finger.
"Your mom's a fashion designer and well you know me," Takada tugged the lapels of his jacket, "I need to look good. I need to have the look to match my brains." He didn't mean to look like a geek, just look as good as he was smart.
"Sweet!" Clover grinned as she grabbed Takada's hand. "Come on, I'll drive you there!"
"I think we should take my car," Takada said. Clover froze.
"Your…car?" she asked.
"I told you I was tricking out my car," Takada said. "It's in the garage. Come on." Both teens then headed out towards the garage.
Ryuki led Alex upstairs where his room was located. She felt a little excited that she was going to see his room. Still, he was probably not going to try anything she wouldn't like. He was too much of a gentleman for that.
It was rather big and Alex found herself a little envious of the extra space. The floor was made up of the tatami boards she had seen when they had gone to Japan. Over in the corner she saw a shining drum set which looked ready to use. There was a folding desk and a futon which were being kept in an open closet with all of Ryuki's clothes. There was also a full length dressing mirror set in another corner.
Alex took notice of the pictures which were being hung on the walls. Lots of them were portraits with Ryuki and his friends in them. She recognized Takada, Ichijyo, Tazuka, and Emiko in them. There was also a picture of a girl that Ryuki had told her was his sister. One of the bigger ones had the four boys and a group of schoolgirls with them. One with short blue hair, two blondes, a tall brunette, a younger girl with pink hair, another girl with short purple hair, and a raven-haired girl.
"You sure know a lot of people," Alex blinked at all the pictures.
"Hai," Ryuki smiled as he admired them. "I've met a lot of friends as I helped people as one of the Masked Riders and in some odd situations."
Alex then noticed another picture. This one had been taken at a mall and she could see Ryuki with three boys and three girls. Ryuki was standing next to a blonde girl with his arm around her shoulder. Ryuki knew what she would ask and frowned.
"Is this her?" Alex asked. Ryuki nodded.
"Hai, that's Caitlin," Ryuki answered. He added, "She was my girlfriend before I met you. The one I had to make forget about me."
"She got too close to the truth, huh?" Alex asked. It was an occupational hazard she very well understood.
"Hai," Ryuki said. "She deserves a normal life and if she stayed around me that wouldn't be possible. Therefore, I had to erase her memories."
"Oh…Leo…" Alex said, sympathetically.
"However," Ryuki said. "I do keep in touch with her."
"Huh?" Alex was confused.
"I send anonymous emails to her to see how she is doing. I also send emails to the others, posing as an anonymous pen-pal. I get news about them once in a while to see if they're okay. Despite them not remembering me anymore, they are still my friends." He then smiled at her. "So, where shall we begin with our training?"
"Come on, Clover," Takada grinned as he brought the blonde to the garage. "You're going to love this."
Both teens entered the garage where a car was parked. It was a shining sleek blue cadillac convertible with the roof down that was reflecting the lights. It had a dog hood ornament attached on the front of the hood, standing tall and proud like the owner.
"Oh my gosh!" Clover cried. "Did you build this, Takada?"
"A little bit," Takada grinned. "It's a custom job. I got this baby cheap and went on from there. I even got a name for it."
"Oh yeah?" Clover smirked. "Boys and their toys, I suppose."
"Hey, me and the Blue Hound go way back," Takada laughed. "I got this baby before I even got my license. It was going to be my perfect ride."
"And how perfect is it?" asked Clover.
"Well," Takada sighed. "As soon as I get a hot girl inside, I think it will be; preferably a blonde with a talent for shopping." He then teased her, "Wonder where I can find one?"
"Well you're in luck," Clover smiled as she sauntered over to the custom vehicle. "I happen to know where one is."
"Sounds good to me," Takada smiled. He opened the door for her, "Well, hop on in. Let me take you for a ride."
Clover grinned as she got in and strapped herself inside before the Dog Rider closed the door for her. He then went over to the driver's side and hopped over the door before settling in front of the wheel. He strapped himself in and then winked at Clover. Clover smiled back at him before kissing his cheek.
"First stop, the mall!" Takada grinned before he twisted the key. The engine made a loud growling noise, pleasing its owner before he stepped on the gas. The car then rolled out of the garage and onto the street before taking off swiftly.
"This is the best day of my life!!" Clover exclaimed.
Tazuka watched as Takada drove his car with Clover sitting next to him. He just smiled as he shook his head. Takada sure knew how to treat a girl. With Ryuki alone with Alex in his room, it only left him with Sam.
"So, want to check out my room?" Tazuka asked.
"Sure, why not?" Sam shrugged though she felt slightly giddy on the inside.
"All right then," Tazuka nodded. "Follow me."
Tazuka calmly walked to the stairs with Sam nervously. She hadn't really been in a guy's room. All of a sudden, she was going to be in Tazuka's room. The thought alone got her excited. They went up the stairs towards the bedrooms.
They passed by Ryuki's room, which was marked by the dragon emblem on the door and could hear Alex and Ryuki yelling inside. They weren't arguing, but it sounded like fighting was going on inside. Sam did not have to worry, however, since she knew Ryuki would never do anything to purposely harm Alex. Maybe they were just showing each other their moves.
Sam and Tazuka then passed a room where the door was open. It was obviously Takada's since it had his dog emblem marking the door. She took a quick peek and gasped at all the scientific equipment that filled up the room. The computer was the heart of everything and she could see a work bench with tools and parts littering it. Decorating his walls like posters were schematics and blueprints for gadgets. There was also a large mirror in the room.
They soon reached Tazuka's room, which was marked with the emblem for Pisces on the door, before he opened the door and let Sam enter.
It was a very clean and neat room. There was a large bookcase which had several books concerning astrology and fortune-telling. There were actual crystal balls being used as bookends. A lone mirror hung next to the door, and Sam couldn't help but feel some apprehension when she looked at it. He had a regular bed and to her delight, there were a keyboard, a saxophone, a violin case, and a guitar case being kept in his closet. She secretly hoped that he might play something for her.
"What do you think?" Tazuka asked.
"I think it's nice," Sam smiled. Her eyes were trained on the musical instruments. "You play more than just the piano?"
"Yes," Tazuka nodded. "It's one of my passions, that along with fortune telling."
"I see," Sam nodded. Well, it was time to ask the million dollar question. "Do you…think I can…hear something?"
"I'd be happy to play something for you," Tazuka nodded. "Anything in particular?"
"Surprise me?" Sam asked teasingly.
"But of course," Tazuka said as he walked over to the closet and picked up the saxophone. "Here's something special you might enjoy." He placed the mouthpiece of the instrument to his lips and blew, playing a sweet melody.
Meanwhile, Alex and Ryuki were working up a sweat in a totally non-sexual way as they sparred. Ryuki blocked a punched to his face with his forearm before retaliating with a spear strike to her neck. She managed to lean backwards and flip on her hands before flipping back a distance away. Ryuki smiled.
"You're really good," Ryuki complimented the girl.
"Well, when you go around the world fighting baddies, you have to be," Alex smiled, accepting the praise. "You're not so bad yourself."
"When you've been training from age 4 you get results," Ryuki winked. He then dashed forwards at her. She threw a right hook but he ducked down to his knees before sweeping her off her feet with a spinning sweep kick. She ended up on her back before Ryuki got on top of her and pinned her down. "1, 2, 3; I win," Ryuki said as he looked deeply into her eyes. Alex was gazing at his emerald eyes too, breathing hard with a flushed face. They were so close to each other right now and it was driving her nuts. He then said, "Now, to claim my prize." He leaned down and stole a quick kiss from her. "Tasty," he grinned, licking his lips.
OK, we all know Ryuki's actually pretty naïve and clueless about how to engage women. But, remember that he has a demon in him so there is a good chance that small parts of said demon's personality would often leak through and project themselves onto the host's own behavior, as you can see now. It's still Ryuki, he's just acting a bit like Yaminekoryu but with more restraint since the demon would most likely tear off her clothes as he ravages her.
"Actually, I win," Alex winked before she threw Ryuki over her head and he dropped down on his back. She then quickly straddled his waist and pinned down his hands while smiling mischievously, "And I like my prize." She then leaned downwards and kissed him hard on the lips. He kissed her back. She soon let go of his hands as she ran her palms up and down his chest as he held her hips.
At that time, his SB-Watch beeped.
Both Takada and Clover had arrived at the mall and in record time too, just in time to see Mandy and to rub it in her face that she was the one in a hot car, with a hot guy, and not her nemesis. Mandy screamed in rage and ran into the mall to hide her humiliating defeat.
"Man, that's awesome!" Clover smiled as she hopped out of the car. Takada was picking his ear.
"Can that girl scream ANY louder?" Takada grumbled.
"Forget Mandy," Clover wrapped her arms around Takada's neck, "Let's spend the entire day together, shopping."
"Sounds good," Takada said, "I've been meaning to update my wardrobe."
Both of them were about to enter when Takada's SB-Watch beeped. He let out a disgruntled, "Damn," before muttering, "and Scaleface ruins my day yet again."
Time to report in.
As Sam sat on the bed, enjoying Tazuka's solo-sax performance, the melody was interrupted by a loud beep coming from Tazuka's SB-Watch. The redhead groaned in disappointment but noted the serious look on his face.
"Ichijyo's calling," Tazuka said as he put down the saxophone. "Let's go."
Sam got up and asked, "So, how will we get there?"
Tazuka smiled and took out his Pisces deck. "You'll see." He then held it out in front of the mirror. The belt formed around his waist as he called, "Henshin!" before snapping on the deck and calling forth, "Zodiac Force! Pisces!" In a flash of light, the glass shards and water surrounded his body before combining together to form his armor. He then graciously extended a hand towards Sam. "Come with me, Sam?"
"Sure," Sam nodded as she took his armored hand in hers. He then led her towards the mirror. She could see the surface rippling before Jawz stepped into it, his leg disappearing inside. Sam took a look and gulped. This went beyond what she herself knew and understood as being logical but she was also curious to see what this Mirror World looked like. Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and took the plunge.
She found herself in the most beautiful place her teenage eyes had ever seen. It was a tunnel, completely made of crystal and glass. "Wow…" she breathed out. She then saw Jawz entering a hi-tech looking vehicle resembling a pod-bike of some sort.
"Come on, Sam," Jawz invited. Sam nodded and walked over before sitting in his lap. The Knigtrider only had space for one so she had to do what she had to do. She wasn't complaining though as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The canopy dropped down slowly before the vehicle shot ahead like a rocket.
Ryuki stood in front of the mirror and held his Dragon deck in front of him, staring at the mirror. Alex watched in great interest.
The belt wrapped around his waist as he commanded, "Henshin!" before snapping on the deck and shouting, "Zodiac Force! Dragon!" Alex watched in amazement as glass shards and flames collected onto his body to become his armor, thus transforming him into Zodiac Knight Draco. He cracked his neck a bit and headed towards the mirror before the surface rippled, allowing him to enter. He was about halfway in when he extended a hand towards Alex.
"Would you like to come with me?" Draco asked. Alex looked at the mirror a little pensively. This whole thing about a 'Mirror World' still seemed strange to her. "Trust me," he said. Those words finally put her fears at ease as she grabbed his hand and he pulled her in.
Going through the mirror felt slightly like walking through water before she arrived in a place so alien yet beautiful to her.
"Wow…" Alex said as she gazed all around. Her eyes then fell upon a capsule shaped vehicle with two wheels, colored red, with the top canopy up. "What is that?"
"My Knightrider," he said, sitting down. "Come on." Alex then sat down in his lap and slung her arms around his neck before the canopy pulled down. He gripped the handles as he said to her, "Hold on." He then shot forwards through the tunnel like a rocket.
Takada made sure no one was watching as he held his Dog deck out at the side view mirror of his car. He then grinned at Clover, "Now, it's your turn to see how we get to HQ."
His belt materialized around his waist.
"Henshin!" Takada called before snapping the deck on. "Zodiac Force! Dog!" The glass shards and wind encased his body in a flash of light before he was seen, standing tall in his armor. He then took Clover's hand, "Come on, Clover, let me give you a ride you won't believe!"
"Hey!" Clover yelped before she was being pulled into the mirror, vanishing in a flash.
They came out in the Mirror Tunnel, and Clover gasped as she saw the sparkling glass everywhere.
"Wow," she gasped. "This is beautiful."
"Well," Pluto snickered as he walked towards his Knightrider. "Care for another ride?" he offered
Clover saw the ride in question and quickly realized that it only properly seated one. A grin started appearing on her face when she realized what that meant.
"Let's go!" she cheered. She ran over as Pluto sat down before jumping into his lap. Pluto grinned as the canopy slowly came down before revving the engines, gripping the handles. Clover had her arms tightly around Pluto's neck before the Knigtrider sped down the tunnel at breakneck speed.
The Mirror Tunnel: A place which appears to be a tunnel of crystal and glass. It looks like a beautiful place where light reflects almost everywhere. Even with low light, the tunnel lights up in sparkles.
This place also served as the entrance to the Mirror World along with a connection to the other mirrors in the world. Many Zodiac Knights often used it to travel without the hassle of airports or borders.
The Mirror Tunnel was playing host to three Knightriders. They sped along at high speeds which made them look like blurs of red, dark blue, and navy blue. The three Knightriders also seemed a little fuller than they usually were.
The three Knightriders continued moving at high velocities, driving through continents as they went. Before too long, the three vehicles made a sharp turn before moving through one of the countless reflective surfaces that lined the tunnel.
-Japan, Smart Brain Tokyo HQ, 9:45 pm-
The three Knightriders flew through a window which were placed in all around the Smart Brain building. As the three vehicles came to a halt, the canopies opened to reveal the occupants.
"Woah," Sam mumbled as she got off of Jawz and on her feet. "Now that was what I call a trip."
"That was so cool!" Alex squealed as she got up from Draco's Knightrider. She turned to the red clad Knight. "You guys go through there all the time?"
"I think I'm queasy," Clover groaned as she stumbled away from Pluto. "I think I'll just take a plane back."
"You brought your girlfriends," a new voice spoke. "Saves me the time of calling Jerry to get them." Alex blushed a bit at being acknowledged as Ryuki's girlfriend. She actually thought about it a few times and it felt… nice.
The Knights and Spies turned to see who was talking and found their eyes landing on Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa walking out of the building. He didn't look too happy. Then again his moment of peace had been interrupted. He never expected to see his three operatives this soon.
"You!" Clover cried as she glared at Ichijyo angrily.
"Yes, me," Ichijyo chuckled in amusement. "How's the hair? It looked pretty gummed up last we met."
"Darn right it was!" Clover hissed. "You're lucky it came out like you said or I would have kicked your butt!"
"I'm sure," Ichijyo shrugged.
"What do you want, Scaleface?" Pluto asked irritably "I was on a date with Clover when you butted in."
"Hey, blame the villains, not me," Ichijyo shrugged.
"Some days I wonder," Pluto sighed.
"So, what's going on, Ichijyo?" Draco asked.
"Power down first," Ichijyo commanded and the Riders did, allowing their suits of armor to shatter like glass and vanish. "Alright, are you all ready?"
"Ready for what?" asked Sam. She then noticed that their shadows were expanding. "What's going on!?" she nearly yelled.
"I suggest bracing yourselves," Tazuka said. "He's going to do it again."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked. All of a sudden, they were engulfed in a black dome before vanishing.
The dome reappeared in Ichijyo's office before dispersing itself, revealing all 7 of them inside. Ichijyo walked towards his desk and calmly sat down while the Spies shivered in discomfort.
"That was way creepy," Alex shuddered.
"Like, totally," Clover agreed, holding herself.
"That's your power?" Sam asked as Ichijyo demonstrated by summoning a small shadow ball.
"I'm a shadow manipulator," Ichijyo replied. "Well, now that we're all here, it's time to get to business." He snapped his fingers and the room darkened. A holographic screen appeared as Ichijyo explained. "Over the past few days, people have been going blind for no good reason."
"Blind?" Ryuki asked as he stared at the various victims. "Kami…"
"Exactly," Ichijyo nodded.
"But how?" Takada asked.
"That's what I want you all to find out," Ichijyo said. He then pulled up a photo. "I want you to interview this person to know what happened to him before he became blind." The picture appeared and Ryuki gasped. Ichijyo and Tazuka knew why.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked.
"That's Ron, the Rent-A-Cop," Ryuki answered.
"Rent-A-Cop?" Alex asked. Tazuka frowned.
"He's a security guard in the Galleria Mall," Tazuka said as he glared at Ichijyo. Why was he doing this? Hadn't Ryuki suffered enough? He didn't need to remember something so painful.
Ryuki felt like he had just been punched in the gut. He had just gotten over Caitlin and now it looked like he was going to have to face her again. "Ano…when do we leave?" he asked.
"About an hour or two," Ichijyo answered.
"I'll go get ready then," Ryuki nodded before he left the office. Alex watched him worriedly before she followed him.
Takada noticed that Tazuka was giving Ichijyo one of his patented silent glares and decided that it was time to leave before someone exploded.
"C'mon girls," Takada quickly spoke. "I'll show you some of the gadgets we have around here." He quickly grabbed both Sam and Clover's hands before heading out of the office. They were giving some slight protests, but even they could feel that someone was getting emotional.
Ichijyo looked at the glaring Tazuka and decided that it was time for a small discussion. "I'm listening," the young CEO spoke tonelessly.
"Good, because I feel like talking," Tazuka frowned as he stepped up to Ichijyo. "Now why do you feel it fit to send Ryuki back to Canada already? You of all people should know what happened there."
"I do," Ichijyo nodded.
"Then why couldn't you send us to talk to someone else who was affected?" Tazuka pressed. "Why did it have to be Ron?"
"Because Ron was the only one who didn't have to be tied down for his own protection," Ichijyo answered. "All the others were on the verge of suicide."
"Then why send Ryuki along?" Tazuka asked irritably. "Couldn't you just send us there without him?"
"Because he is one of our best," Ichijyo answered. "Besides, he has to get over it sometime."
"He isn't you, Ichijyo!" Tazuka snapped. "He can't bury his heart like you can! He certainly can't kill his emotions like you have so successfully done either!" Tazuka added, "He wears his heart on his sleeve. He's different from you. To be honest, I sometimes find myself wondering if you even have a heart."
"Emotions just get in the way of things," Ichijyo reasoned. "Besides, the sooner he finds closure, the better."
"Really?" Tazuka retorted cleverly, "So why haven't you told them the truth about Misha then? Since you've already gotten over her it would be so easy." Ichijyo hissed as he stood up.
"Don't you ever mention that name again," Ichijyo warned. He pointed to the door "Now, get out of my office. You have a mission to get to." Tazuka turned around and walked away angrily out of the office to find Ryuki. When he was gone, Ichijyo reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a photograph, gazing at it just for a second before sighing. Tazuka sure knew how to make a point. "Sometimes…I just hate this job."
I'd like to thank Ten Faced Paladin for his help with this. R&R, ok?
