RESOLUTION OF DISTANCE
It was the last day of school before summer break officially began for the students of Sakakino High. It was the final period and the students remained seated as they watched the seconds ticking away on the clock. Our heroes actually welcomed the wait. With the threat of the Imagin and Nanimo over, they could live normal lives from now on…
Or so they would like to believe…
Suddenly, the entire sky outside turned dark despite it being the middle of the afternoon and the clock stopped ticking. Not only that but everyone around our heroes had stopped moving and was as stationary as statues.
Alarmed, our heroes ran out of their classrooms and out of the school building to see what was going on. Once outside, they looked up at the sky to see it actually cracking and pieces of it falling. The large hole that was forming revealed a large demonic and evil eye staring back down on the city.
One of our heroes, known heroically as Ifrit but also went by the name of Ryuji Hasuma, sighed.
"Looks like summer vacation has to wait, guys," said Ryuji.
"Damn, and I was looking forward to a break," grumbled Kenzaki.
"Well, looks like that will have to wait," said Kat.
"Warren-sensei?" questioned Neko.
"Alright," nodded Warren. "Let's go, everyone."
"Time to show this evil eye what we can do," smirked Benitora as his eyes turned gold.
Sand poured out of Ryuji and Kenzaki's bodies to reform into their Imagin.
Looks like another adventure awaits for these heroes.
"HENSHIN!"
Kotonoha stood at the window as she peered out, watching as the Riders prepared to battle. The hand on the window clenched into a fist as she stared at her lover, Ryuji. He was out there fighting the latest threat and she was inside the building just watching him from afar.
She could feel a distance growing between them. She never voiced out her concerns, never wanting to worry him, but she felt a certain gap between them. Even though she had an Imagin partner she was just a normal human being who got involved with super-powered beings and Kamen Riders. She was just a bystander and spectator as they fought evil.
She could do nothing but watch.
Outside, the Riders and Rojotigre lunged at the Crimson Eye. Its gaze locked upon them and with a single blast of crimson light it sent them all crashing to the ground.
The eye began to power up again and its gaze was pointed at the school. Ifrit noticed this and shouted, "KOTO-CHAN!!!"
A beam fired and broke into multiple beams all streaking towards the school building. The Riders couldn't deflect all those beams by themselves and the beams were travelling too quickly. Suddenly, a black barrier erected itself and blocked all of the beams. Wraith saw that it was none other than Rachel who was responsible as she stood atop the building's roof, concentrating her power into shielding the building.
The beams then fired on the Riders and their allies, sending them staggering. Rojotigre growled and roared, unleashing a blast of Cero energy at the eye only for it to be absorbed and sent back at him.
"Look out!" Loki cried out as he pushed Rojotigre aside. The Arrancar fell on his back with the Imagin on top of him. "Oh, thank goodness you're-"
"Get off me!" Rojotigre shouted harshly as he shoved Loki off him. He drew his Zanpakuto and shouted, "Rend their flesh and devour their hearts…Tigre de la Muerte!" After enveloping himself in smoke, he burst out from it in his released state. He had become feline and predatory, appearing much like a humanoid tiger. He took on features such as jagged teeth, clawed hands, and a tail. His clothing changed to a form-fitting suit of armor, which appeared to be dark fur covering his body in stripes. He gained long blades on each wrist, tiger stripes under his eyes, and fur lining on his sleeves and pant legs. His braid grew down to his knees and a blade similar to the ones on his wrists hung from the end. His ears also became cat-like.
He aimed his fists at the eye and began firing a barrage of Bala blasts at it. However, a barrier was absorbing the blasts which were then sent flying back at Rojotigre. They exploded around him but he continued to fire.
"That idiot," snarled Garoh. "He's just gonna be shooting himself down if he keeps doing that."
"Ken-kun," said Ryukendo. "I…sensed something from that eye." She was trembling.
"Neko, are you okay?" Garoh asked with concern.
"That eye…it's Sauron!" Ryukendo shouted out. Garoh's eyes narrowed. He wasn't surprised. He'd gotten that feeling from the very beginning.
"Sauron, you say?" The grin under his helmet widened. "Now I know I want to kill this thing!"
"You better pay attention, because that eye isn't the only trouble we're getting," Ifrit said to Garoh and Ryukendo. Another tear appeared in the sky and Horrors began to fly out of it and land down around the Riders.
"Heh, just cannon fodder," scoffed Garoh. "Neko-chan, can you fight?"
Ryukendo tightened her grip around Gekiryuken's handle. "I am, Ken-kun."
"Ojou-sama, that's the spirit!" exclaimed Gekiryuken proudly.
"And we're here too!" said Okami gruffly. He was present with the rest of the GaroLiner Imagin.
"Alright! Let's go!" commanded Garoh.
CopyKat saw the Horrors surrounding her, OMEGA and ALPHA. "This is too easy. Girls, lets put them down!" OMEGA and ALPHA nodded in agreement. Armed with her claws, CopyKat began to slice the Horrors apart, their blood spilling the ground around her. "Hah! No matter how many you are, you're no match for the GREAT COPYKAT!!!" She cackled with manic glee as she fought. It was pretty much one-sided as she was slicing Horrors to shreds. OMEGA and ALPHA barely did any fighting at all as they backed CopyKat up.
Wraith just drew his guns and began firing on the Horrors. They were just a distraction. The true threat was hanging above their heads. "Guys, Rae can't hold that barrier forever! We need to take out that eye!"
"He's right!" agreed Ifrit. "We're wasting time on these freaks!" He was armed with the blazing Loki Slicer. Loki had assumed weapon form to aid Ifrit. "That eye has to be taken out!"
"I have just the thing!" declared Garoh. He ordered his Imagin, "All of you, into Tenrou right now!" Obeying without question, Buraki, Raion, Okami and Byakko turned into orbs of light in their respective color before entering Tenrou. An aura which was a mixed of the Imagin's colors burst from it. "Now, it's set up."
"Ken-kun, what are you going to do?" Ryukendo asked.
"Just something I've been working on!" shouted Garoh as a train track made of energy appeared under his feet and then began to stretch up into the sky straight towards the eye. "Here I go!" Garoh began to rush up the train tracks. Once he narrowed his eyes, Garoh got into a stance as an aura flared out from him. His aura was coloured violet, black, white, gold and crimson as the energy tracks continued to carry him along them towards his target. He rushed towards the Eye, enveloped in the AuraLiner of the entire GaroLiner. Flanking him on either side was a wolf, a lion, a tiger and an imoogi as they rushed alongside the Rider whose sword was glowing in the same color as his aura.
"Tsume…Kulon…Ki…Hageshi…SHOKU PRIDE SLASH!"
With a single swing, a blade of energy flew straight towards the Eye and sliced right through, obliterating it with a single hit. The eye screamed as it exploded. Garoh dropped from the sky and landed in front of Ryukendo.
"OK, that was new," ALPHA commented.
CopyKat grumbled about Garoh being a show off.
The Horrors around them all began to fade away, leaving no trace of their existence as the sky began to return to its former color. The Riders and Arrancar undid their transformations as time began to move again. Warren immediately went to see if his wife was alright.
"Rae, are you fine?" Warren asked her as he helped her remain standing.
"Just…exhausted," said Rachel as she wiped the sweat from her brow. He kissed her.
"You were awesome."
Kotonoha just watched as the heroes went back into the building. Her eyes went to Ryuji who was talking pleasantly with Neko and Kenzaki.
Kotonoha knew all along she had little in common with Ryuji and that hurt her greatly. She didn't know what else to do. What she wanted was to fight by his side but he would never allow that.
That just made it clear that there was a gap between them. They would always be in two different worlds no matter how close they were.
"OK, now it's time for me to hand out report cards," Warren said at the front of the class. "When I call your name, come up and take your report cards." One by one he called his students' names in order. There were a few smiles, groans of dismay (since they were going to take classes during summer break) and a few neutral expressions.
"Ken-kun, how did you do?" Neko asked Kenzaki as she looked over his shoulder to stare at his grades.
"Pretty well, mostly B's," he answered. Kenzaki saw little to no point in staying at the school following Nanimo's defeat, but Neko wanted to be there. So, he had done it for her sake.
However, Kat's presence really made it tempting to leave, but that would be like admitting defeat and confirming to her that he was a coward and he was no coward.
"What about you?" Kenzaki asked.
"Well, I didn't do too badly," Neko said. "Just one A, mostly B's and some C's."
"Good for you," said Kenzaki. "Now, I just hope that sister of yours doesn't barge in here and shove her report card in my face and rub it in that she got better grades than me."
"Oh, I'm sure she won't come bothering us," said Neko, smiling reassuringly. She'd convinced Rose to help her keep Kat out of Kenzaki's way.
Kotonoha looked at her own grades. As usual she got straight A's except when it came to PE where she got a B-. "Ryuji-kun, how did you do?" Kotonoha asked.
"I did okay," said Ryuji, shrugging.
"Let me see," Kotonoha said. He handed her his report card and she peered at the grades. "Goodness, you've almost gotten all A's!" He got some B's, and C's too but he had A's as well."
"Studying with you helped," said Ryuji.
"Hey, Kotonoha-chan," Neko said to her friend. "Why do you seem so glum?" Neko was just about to leave when she saw Kotonoha still sitting at her seat. Ryuji and Sekai were out taking out the garbage.
"Just…thinking," the girl answered. Neko could see it in her eyes. Something was definitely on Kotonoha's mind. Sliding into the seat next to Kotonoha's, Neko began to speak.
"About my brother, is that right?" Kotonoha nodded. "Is he not being a good fiancé to you or something? Look, whatever it is about these princesses, my brother is in love with you. He's got no interest in them."
"It's not about them, at least not all of it," Kotonoha answered vaguely.
"Look, if you're not going to give me a clear answer I can get them directly from your mind," threatened Neko lightly. She still had some telepathic abilities even after being split from Kat. However, she could only read surface thoughts and couldn't dive any deeper than that.
"No, there's no need," Kotonoha refused. She gave a sigh. "To be honest it's something I've been feeling for awhile. I just never noticed it before."
"Go on," Neko prompted.
"There's…this gap I feel between Ryuji and I. I love him and he loves me, I'm sure of it, but sometimes I get the feeling that we're in two entirely different worlds. You probably wouldn't understand that feeling."
"Actually, I do," Neko responded. Kotonoha looked to the girl. "There's always this gap I feel when I'm with Ken-kun too. I know we love each other, but there's this thing that always holds me back. I guess you can say it is guilt and regret."
"Regret? Did you do something bad?" Kotonoha asked.
"Well, it wasn't me, but at the same time it was," Neko answered. "I know he forgives me and doesn't blame me for what happened, but deep down I still don't think I'm worthy enough for him."
"But I've seen you two together," Kotonoha said in protest, "You are so in love with each other."
"Love isn't always easy or a pretty thing, Kotonoha-chan. It can bring out the best in us, sure, but it can also bring out the worst in us," Neko debated, "But I'll not trade this feeling for anything."
Kotonoha nodded in agreement. She was not going to give up on her love for Ryuji. She'd nearly given up on love altogether after Sekai and Makoto had betrayed her but Ryuji had given her hope.
"The gap that you feel between you is all in your head," Neko advised, "Just don't think about it, because we all know Ryuji-chan loves you." Neko stood up, her book bag in hand. "I have to go now. Ken-kun's waiting for me downstairs. Ja ne."
"Ja ne," Kotonoha waved at Neko as the girl walked out of the classroom. Moments later Ryuji entered, accompanied by Rina and Siera. While Kotonoha frowned as she saw the two girls, she pushed the feelings of jealousy away.
There really was no gap between her and Ryuji at all.
It was just all in her head.
At least that was what she was trying to convince herself.
Kenzaki was on his bike when he saw Neko run out of the building to meet him. "Where were you?"
"Oh, just talking to my future sister-in-law," Neko answered. "What about you? Been waiting long?"
"Your sister was bugging me again," grumbled Kenzaki. "She was shoving her grades in my face and telling me how inferior I was and how superior she was. God, I wanted to smack her."
"You'd just be encouraging her," Neko said, sighing. "You didn't do too badly…"
"Guess so, considering I never went to school before coming to this world," Kenzaki shrugged. "Then again never saw a need to get good grades or go through all that school crap. Gou taught me everything I needed to know."
Kotonoha watched from her room's window down at the lawn where Ryuji and Athena stood. The Rider and her Imagin were sparing. Again, she was reminded of the huge gap between them, and how they were living in different worlds. Her world revolved around school, her family, and books while his revolved around constant struggle and battle. Not only that he also had superpowers and capable of using them in battle in order to protect her.
'Has this gap always been there between us?' she wondered mentally. She'd never given it much thought but seeing him in action always left her with a sick feeling. She worried about him whenever he fought monsters. How else was she supposed to feel? He was the boy she loved and yet she could do nothing to help him.
She watched as Ryuji performed a mid-air roundhouse kick that Athena ducked under and then went for a back kick that was blocked by Athena's own hand. He swung at the female Imagin with his fists only for Athena to block and retaliate with punches of her own. Ryuji dodged and blocked the blows with ease.
'He's so strong.' Of course that was obvious. He was a naturally born fighter. It was in his nature. It was in his blood.
It was something she could never understand. She wasn't a warrior like him. She was just a weak bookworm.
"A gap?" Kenzaki questioned as he sat with Neko at dinner in the GaroLiner. Sitting in his fiancé's lap was Koneko and Neko was feeding the Kitten Imagin as the little creature merrily ate.
"That's what she calls it, Ken-kun," said Neko. "She told me she feels left out whenever Ryuji goes out to fight. She feels like they are from two different worlds. I'm just glad we don't have that kind of problem."
'The only problem I have is with your sister,' thought Kenzaki. He would never state it out loud but there was a gap between them and it was named Kat. She'd tried to come between them several times already, trying to split them apart. And while Kat had sworn she wouldn't try it was only a matter of time before she broke her promise yet again.
Early in their relationship, before they began to officially date, Neko was always filled with guilt over Sauron's actions and while Kenzaki had tried to convince her that none of Sauron's actions were her fault, she didn't quite believe it.
There was also the issue of their first official meeting when he'd nearly killed her. That was something that would always be prevalent in his mind. If he hadn't been stopped then they wouldn't be having dinner together right now.
"It's just in her head," Kenzaki stated, "It's in her imagination."
"Still, she's worried that he might grow bored with her," Neko said sadly. Kenzaki snorted.
"That brother of yours? I've seen them make googly eyes at each other. Trust me. There's no way they'll ever grow apart."
"I hope you're right…" Neko stared down at her cup of tea. "I hope you're right…"
Kotonoha was brushing her hair when she heard a knock at the door. "It's open," she answered. The door was pushed open and Ryuji entered. "Hello, Ryuji-kun."
"Koto-chan, what makes you think there's a gap growing between us?" Ryuji asked. That statement made her freeze. He walked towards her, kneeling down behind her so she could see his face in the mirror. He saw her expression. Pointing to his right ear, he explained, "It's not like I couldn't hear you." Of course. Being an Orphenoch meant his hearing was enhanced.
Kotonoha looked down, her bangs shadowing her eyes.
"Koto-chan?"
"Ryuji-kun, I'm sorry. It's just that…all I ever do is stand on the sidelines and watch you fight. I can't do anything to help and even if I do it's only because Athena uses my body. I don't have any fighting skills at all," she answered, clutching her hairbrush in her hand. They were just too different. He was a warrior and she was the damsel-in-distress. He was the hero and she was the civilian.
Ryuji stood up and put a hand on her head. "Baka," he said, "You really don't know your worth, do you?" She looked at him, confused. "You may not realise it, but you serve an important role to me." He gave a sigh as he continued, "Before I met you I only knew how to fight but I didn't know why I was fighting. I fought without purpose, without reason. I was no better than an animal trying to prove its strength." His gaze went down to her, their eyes locking, "Then I met you." She blushed. His gaze was so intense it was like he was looking right into her mind. "You were the first person outside our group, a normal human no less, that accepted me even after knowing what I am." His other hand changed as it was engulfed in flames, becoming covered in grey and white armor with black claws at the fingertips. "I was built to be the perfect killer. A normal human could never outrun me or fight me off. However, you didn't show any fear."
"Because you're Ryuji-kun," she answered, "Because I know that even if you look like a monster that your heart isn't one." She reached up and took his Orphenoch hand before placing it against her cheek. It was hard and rough, but also warm.
The gap was starting to close between them.
"And they lived happily ever after," Neko finished before closing the book.
"That was a beautiful story, Onee-chan!" Koneko said as she lay in bed. Neko sat at the Kitten Imagin's bedside. "I liked it when the prince came and rescued the princess."
"It's the usual thing with fairy tales, Koneko-chan," Neko answered. "They always have happy endings."
Koneko asked, "Onee-chan, do you love Onii-chan?"
"Of course I do."
"And does Onii-chan love Onee-chan?" Neko didn't answer. "Onee-chan?"
"Sorry, it's just, that question caught me by surprise," answered Neko.
"Why?" the Kitten Imagin asked curiously. "Wasn't it love at first sight?"
"Not…exactly," answered Neko after a sharp intake of breath. "Koneko-chan, don't you have some of Kat-neechan's memories when you made that contract with her?"
"Just a few," answered Koneko, "Not much. The strongest memory was that she really loved you."
'Then Koneko probably didn't know how Ken-kun and I met,' thought Neko in realization. "As much as you want to believe it was love at first sight, Koneko-chan, real life doesn't always work out that way."
"It doesn't?" Koneko asked.
"There's attraction at first sight, but love takes time to build and develop. That was how it was like for me and Ken-kun," Neko explained. "The more we got to know each other, the more we began to like each other…"
"And then you fell in love?"
"We did, but we just didn't realise it until…" Neko couldn't finish. She remembered dissolving into nothingness after Sauron's first death back in her home world. "Love isn't an easy emotion to express sometimes, Koneko-chan."
"I don't understand," said Koneko.
"You will, when you're older." Neko then kissed Koneko on the forehead. "Goodnight, Koneko-chan."
"Night-night, Onee-chan." Koneko hugged a cat plushie and began to doze off before Neko turned off the lights and walked out of the Imagin's room.
When she exited, she saw Kenzaki in the corridor. "Oh, Ken-kun. Good evening."
"Reading to Koneko-chan again?" Kenzaki asked.
"Yeah, she loves it when I read her a bedtime story before she goes to sleep," Neko said. "Well, goodnight." She turned.
"Neko, were you afraid of me when we first met?" Kenzaki asked. Neko froze in her step but didn't turn around. "Neko?"
"I was. You had a gun aimed at my face. I thought I was going to die," Neko answered. "If my brother and his friends hadn't shown up, would you have pulled the trigger?"
"Yes…I would have. I was so blinded by rage that I wasn't thinking straight," admitted Kenzaki.
Neko turned around and smiled at him, tilting her head to the side and saying, "Aren't you glad you didn't?"
Kenzaki smiled at Neko and embraced her, holding her against him. "It was probably the best thing I ever did."
Kamen Rider Chrome: How do you like that? I hope you enjoyed it. I know I did.