Testing the Waters: A One-shot collection
A/N: To everyone that's been waiting for the next chapter of Aquarion: Chain of Fated Memories, I extend my sincerest and humblest apologies. Given the intricacies of fanfiction itself, and how the series of Aquarion Evol, Kamen Rider Double, and the Kingdom Hearts series are/were going (especially in regards to the first one, which made me follow the kind of path fellow author nanaya88 pursued with his own wonderful fanfiction, Dimension Divergence), I've decided to keep working on another flow of events before I could finish anything new for it.
However, I DO have something for everyone now: A new one-shot to test the bulk of what I have in mind: A major reworking of the series Kamen Rider Decade and Puella Magi Madoka Magica combined with a much larger – and hopefully just as epic, if not even more so – Kingdom Hearts universe, ultimately creating the adventure of the ages! So, without further ado, here's the first of possibly many more stories to come!
Enjoy, and remember: Read and review!
"Mami Mogi Mogu" Defied
In all of the time she had fought against the nightmares simply called 'Witches', Mami Tomoe never thought she would actually face death so soon again, especially with her level of expertise as a Magical Girl. The gaping maw of "Charlotte", the serpentine, clown-like monster made of candy like the rest of this Barrier Maze told her otherwise, though. As it came down upon her, the golden-haired 15-year-old girl could only watch dumbly, barely making out the desperate cries for her to get away coming from her new friends, Sayaka Miki and Madoka Kaname. Not even having the heart to look at them, Mami just closed her eyes and waited for death to come claim her.
'Sayaka-chan…Madoka-chan…I'm sorry….' she mournfully thought to herself, apologizing only through these means. It seemed that today, three lives too many would disappear forever.
Something else would come to prove that notion dead wrong.
"DUCK!" the voice of a new character – a boy probably as old as she was – warned her. Mami automatically followed, if only because of the urgency of his words. It was a wise choice, too – with her enhanced senses, Mami could tell that something very large and very sharp had whizzed just a foot above her original position. Curiosity proving stronger than the need of self-preservation in that moment, she dared to glance up. And she got one hell of a surprise.
Charlotte now had a flaming, key-like claymore the size of a truck lodged into her forehead! What was even more incredible was the fact that somebody was riding on it, when it still had a scant few tongues of flame licking the edges! The rider himself was a sight to behold.
He was clad in a black bodysuit that concealed his whole form. A silver belt comprised of a circular slab with two wings forming the silhouette of a heart around a ring of strange symbols stood out in particular. His chest was covered in red gem-like armor that made a long line down the middle, with three sections on each side that were rectangular, but slightly askew as well as a hole in the center similar both to an 'X' and a keyhole. His shoulders were covered in black armor with silver edges that were decorated with another set of those strange crests on his belt. From his neck, a scarf that was alternating between red and black flickered as if it were fire. His wrists and ankles sported bands that were the same ruby red as his chest plate. Finally, his head was concealed by a silver helmet which had a ruby red faceplate decorated like a heart, sporting runic lines similar to barcodes making it appear as if it had large eyes, with antennae rising from the forehead.
In a ring-like haze of flames, the helmet faded away to reveal the rider's face. A mane of silverish-blue hair cascaded down to his chin, two bangs framing his face and a few smaller ones pointing down from his forehead. What really stuck out though were his emerald-blue eyes, which seemed to carry so many emotions in them that Mami couldn't help but blush looking at them. It didn't help matters that he simply smiled and said "It's gonna be okay. That much I promise!"
Away from the battle, pink-twin tailed Madoka and blunette Sayaka were just as flabbergasted as Mami was at this new development. Between them, though, the cat-like creature known as Kyubey was trembling like a leaf. For the first time – both for himself and for his kind in a long while – he was experiencing genuine, unrestrained fear.
'This energy…' Kyubey frantically noted, his mind nearly going catatonic from the new information he was receiving just by looking at the boy, 'this aura of so many hearts….WHAT IS HE?!'
"You girls might wanna step back!" the boy shouted out, going back into his professional mind-set. "I'm bringing the rain!" With his helmet back on, he then leaped clean off of the claymore before he brutally slammed back down on the handle, ripping it out with so much monstrous strength it was sent spiraling into the air and out of sight, Charlotte sharing a similar fate as she tumbled away from them all.
Conjuring a card of flames in his right hand, the black-and-ruby knight then twisted it toward himself, breaking the card and leaving a flaming 'key' floating in its place. Plunging it into the keyhole on his chest, his belt's wings tilted themselves away from the center, pulsing with energy. Accompanying this, a chorus of echoing voices declared this:
"FINAL STRIKE RIDE:"
Taking his hands, the knight then swiped the wings of his belt back into place, flames now coming off of the bands on his limbs. In response, the chorus came back with a cry of "D-D-D-DEXAEDE!"
Assuming a stance that had him crouching slightly, his left arm bent across his front and right fist reared back, he calmly waited as several lights started falling from the heavens – a rain of key-like weapons that were burning with magical energy and now aimed at the Witch. Launching his fist forward into a roundhouse punch, the knight then connected with all of the weapons present, actually forming them into a facsimile of a fist and calling out his finishing move:
"DIMENSION BUNKER!"
And with that single attack, the full force of a meteorite came crashing into Charlotte's face, completely obliterating the beast born of anger and despair. However, it didn't stop there – the whole of the candyland Maze around the people there shattered like glass, putting them all back in reality.
And yet again, the knight surprised the four people originally involved – where the monster Charlotte once stood, a younger girl with reddish-pink locks appeared in a haze of lights, the knight delicately grabbing her sleeping form as she fluttered to the ground. Turning back towards Mami, who was still stuck on her knees out of sheer incredulity, he then walked to her before he gingerly laid the little one onto her lap.
"I know this might seem sudden, but I can say this much: As long as she's with you, she'll be in trustworthy hands." the knight explained to Mami. "However," at this he directed his attention to Kyubey, who was startled at how easily this anomaly directed his murderous hate towards him, "there's one last thing I have to do."
Without any sort of warning, the knight flash-stepped to where Kyubey was, violently clutching the diminutive alien's head. "Judgment Day for your whole kind is here, Incubator" he drew out, venom just barely kept in check. Bringing his hand back, the knight then flung Kyubey so powerfully, his spinning actually ripped a hole in space-time towards where his homeworld presumably was, vanishing with a crackle of dimensional thunder.
"Enjoy the Highway to Hell, you bastards!" he roared, even going so far as to shake his fists in rage. Venting his anger out a little more, the knight then let out a whooshing breath before he calmed down at last. Turning to all of the females present, he then let out a choice chuckle.
"Guess that takes care of that!" he (assumedly) smiled at all of them. In reality, though, he was just trying to diffuse the tension the girls were no doubt experiencing – having seen death come so close, it wouldn't have surprised him if they needed a very strong helping hand right now. And at the moment, it seemed they did – until Sayaka, ever the more outgoing and lively of the new collection of friends, finally broke the silence and unconscious stress.
"Okay, I think I speak for everybody here when I say WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!? How did you take that…that…THING down so easily?! Where did you even GET that kind of fighting experience? Just…just - Uuuuhhhh, I need a break." she cried out, only for the events of the day to finally come crashing upon her. Reacting quickly, Madoka and the knight reached out to stop her from fainting on the spot, gently setting her down back on her feet. Seeing as how the situation would take quite the toll on all of those present if they continued talking here, the knight brought out another one of his key-like swords before spinning it in place, changing it into a motorcycle-esque hovering device that seemed large enough to carry all of them. Grabbing the handles, the knight gestured to all of them to get on.
Passengers ready, the knight then drove them all towards one destination – Mami Tomoe's home in Mitakihara City.
As they travelled, the knight – who went by the moniker of "Kamen Rider Dexaede", as the girls learned – told them all that he could (afford to) tell them about who he was, where his power came from, and why he was here.
From his explanation, Dexaede was the latest to inherit the title of 'Kamen Rider', a mighty guardian that withstood forces even beyond the Witches of this world. Although his memories were still jumbled in regards to how he received his power to begin with, he was certain of this: he had the spirits of his predecessors guiding him throughout his journey, all of their powers now his to wield. And that same power chose to manifest itself in what could arguably be the most legendary and powerful artifact of all: the Keyblade.
Though details about this key-like sword were still murky, even to the one almost made of them, what was certain about them was the fact that they were all projections of the human heart, forged in the image of an even stronger tool. And for better or worse, the first to wield these mighty keys waged war to gain that same tool. In the bitter end, though, all that was left were shattered worlds now gaining their own life and a virtual Graveyard of Keyblades. Out of the two, though, only the worlds seemed to remain now – and the reason for that?
Dexaede himself was the vessel for the Keyblade Graveyard, all of the lifeless keys now inhabiting one single body. All of those listening were understandably horrified, if only because of this horrific event – just what did he go through with all of this?
After a little while, the motley group finally made it to the Tomoe household – an extravagant piece of work, to be sure. Letting his charges get off, the Rider then turned back and started driving.
"Wait!" Sayaka cried out, stopping the Rider. "We still don't know why you're doing all of this! And how do you know us?"
Looking back at her, Dexaede merely replied "I do this because in the end, I can never disgrace the name of the Kamen Riders. And as for how I know you all – well, I can say this: You always were one crazy club leader!" He then rode off in a hurry, laughing as Sayaka digested what he said before yelling in indignation.
With that, Dexaede left another world's story – another flow of events – pointed towards an honest happy ending.
That is the mission Dexaede has accepted for himself – to erase the sorrows and fix the flaws of all the worlds, from those of the Puella Magi to many others. But even then, his journey is far from over.
This is because even now, the heart of the worlds is still locked away, ready only for the final battle, the one true Judgment Day –
The Monsterpocalypse!
Protect everything, Kamen Rider Dexaede! And bring everything back as one…..
Author's End Notes: Well, this is it – my first idea for beginning "Knight of the Monsterpocalypse", a novelization of the most incredible concept ever: every giant monster movie and giant robot show coming together for the battle of the ages! I'm actually looking to Kingdom Hearts both for the main universe and characters, though – it's just too good to pass up in terms of writing, and the themes and motifs of the series are very poignant!
Also, just to put out the basic framework of this new series: For our main protagonist, I'll be having Riku of Kingdom Hearts as the nigh-titular Kamen Rider Dexaede, travelling the worlds and growing as a person through trials very similar to those of his original. Luckily enough, though, he'll be having someone else along for the ride – Homura Akemi, the poster-child for the Rollercoaster of tragedy and heartbreak that makes up the reality of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Why this pairing? Well, let's look at both of them – Riku's curiosity drove him towards darkness and nearly killing who knows how many people, and Homura's world deserves a life better than what the Incubators have introduced unto them. Thus, I kill many birds with a single stone – not only will the Kamen Rider Decade series be given a much better flow and greater cohesiveness, but many characters will finally get their well-earned happy endings!
So, wish me luck everyone, and tell me how much this tickles your interests!