Wow, ok, didn't expect so many people to add this to their Favorites or Story Alerts, or the number of reviews for just one chapter...still, nice to know you guys
are enjoying this. Now let's keep the ball rolling with the next chapter.

Oh yeah, I don't own Kamen Rider OR Pretty Cure, they belong to Toei and Tokusatsu respectively..though this story is mine.

Kamen Rider Chalice: The Pretty Cure Chronicles

Episode 2: To Be Immortal! Pretty Cure And The Secrets Of The Undead!

I must've been more exhausted then I first thought because when I closed my eyes I didn't open them again for the rest of the evening.
But than again, can you blame me for being so tired? I mean, I was after going through more changes in one day then most people go
through in their entire lives! To be honest, I was a little surprised my sanity hadn't snapped from the sheer batshit
craziness of it all...or maybe it already had and this was all one giant hallucination...a hallucination that showed no signs of stopping!

But I digress, if this really was all in my head, then this was the scariest but most awesome kind of hallucination ever. Anyways, I slept until sometime late in the morning and awoke to the
sun shining through my window. I awoke and looked around, expecting to be back in my hotel room, only to find myself still in the mansion. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and spotted
the Rouze Cards on my table.

Scooping them into my pocket, I got up and headed for the bathroom to wash up. After that, I headed down the stairs and spotted the two Zakenna butlers asleep on the couch,snoring
away without a care in the world. Seeing a blanket nearby, I placed it over them. "Might as well, since they were kind enough to let me stay here." I muttered to myself before heading
for the kitchen table and spotting a platter of bacon,eggs sunnyside up, buttery toast, sausage, and hashbrowns with a glass of milk.

Alongside the food was a note,"For our special guest, enjoy." I smiled and sat down to eat. Afterwards, I found some paper and a pen and wrote a note.

"Hey guys, thanks for the meal, it was great. I'm going out for a while so don't expect me back until probaubly some time tonight." I placed the note near their sleeping bodies before
shutting the door quietly behind me and heading into town. My senses weren't going off which meant I didn't have to worry about any monster attacks..for the time being at least.

However, that wasn't reason to lower my guard completely. There were still 50 Undead out there that needed sealing, and they could spring up anywhere at any time. Now, to be
fair, not all of them were purely cold-blooded killers, some were actually quite honorable and even kind-hearted. Namely the Category King and Queen of Clubs, but whether I
would ever run into those two and convince them to help would probaubly be a matter of luck. For now, I needed to focus on sealing the other Undead...and getting into the
good graces of the Precures.

I was off doing quite well at first, with saving that woman and her child, but I think I went and blew it when I refused to answer Black's questions, though she was being kinda abrupt
with me, even after I stopped Chop Head from killing those people, so my attitude was partly justified. Of course, it didn't help matters that I had dropped several hints on what
was really going on, and who I was. Hopefully, if we were operating by the show's logic, they would be none the wiser of my true identity.

As I walked the streets, a voice called out."James!" I spun around to see Hikari run up to me, newspaper tucked under her arm. She came to a stop in front of me,breathing
lightly."Thank goodness you're alright!"

Her statement made me blink in surprise."Uh..why wouldn't I be alright?"

The girl straightened herself before tilting her head."You didn't see the newspaper?" She held the front of it up so I could see, on the front was a picture of me as Chalice
battling the Category 3 Of Hearts by the wharf, I had to admit, the picture made me look pretty badass..that was until I read the headline in bold letters."Bloody Monster Battle! Violent Clash Rocks The City!"

I tried to keep calm and read part of the article. It basically read that two "freaks" had appeared near the wharf the other day and set about terrorizing citizens before
getting into a brawl with each other which ended with the "Armored Mantis" slaying the other in such a brutal fashion that no corpse of its enemy remained and then
departing the area.

Yeah, you could say I was kinda agitated by this. I'd gone out of my way to save those humans, putting my own life on the line, and how was I repaid? Why, the media goes ahead and depicts me as one of those killing machines just to get more ratings. Luckily, Hikari's soft voice snapped me out of my anger-filled trance. "After you ran off the other day, I heard on the news that those two creatures were fighting and scaring people..and since you were going in the direction of where they were battling..I got a little worried.."

I sighed,"I'm sorry I worried you,Hikari. It's just that I remembered I had a meeting to get to with a friend who knew of a place I could stay while living here," I averted my gaze."But if I had known earlier there were monsters running about, I would've stayed with you and the girls until things blew over." Yeah, like hell I would, though that wasn't totally a lie, I really did need a place to stay.

Fortunately, the golden gal was a very forgiving person, she smiled and shook her head."It's alright, you couldn't have known, besides, we all got things we
have to do, whether we want to do them or not, so I understand."

That made me smile."Thanks," I focused on the paper."..This isn't right though, I saw that Mantis guy in action myself. He wasn't attacking anyone besides the creature, infact he even protected a woman and child until they got to safety."

Hikari nodded in agreement."I agree, the article even mentions a woman and her girl being caught in the middle and giving their own account of what happened," At this, her face soured slightly."The media is writing it off as some sort of fear-induced trance."

Good to know she was taking my side on this issue.I handed the paper back to her,"Well, hopefully in time, the people of this city will realize not all people
who look like monsters, actually are monsters."

The girl looked down,"Y-Yeah..I guess.." She glanced up, now all smiles."So, what are you doing today?"

I shrugged."Not much really, might do some shopping later today, or see if I can find a job to take up while I'm living here."

My new acquaintance perked up."Oh, maybe you can come work with Akane-san and me?" Her smile seemed to glow."The pay ain't the greatest,
but Akane is really nice and we can always use another helper around," She glanced around before leaning in and whispering."Plus, you get to enjoy
all the leftover Takoyaki when we're done working."

I let out a loud chuckle."I'll admit, that sounds like a good deal, I'll keep it in mind." I scratched my chin."..Ya know, you should probaubly let Nagisa
work with you, she'll get a real kick out of having all that free Takoyaki."

Hikari sweatdropped."M-More like she'd eat us out of business!" We both shared a laugh at the idea/fact of Nagisa and her love of Octopus Dumplings.
"The only other food that can match it for Nagisa is chocolate!"

"Well, most girls do love their chocolate." I added, trying not to chuckle more than I already did. Once again, the girl nodded in agreement.

We walked on and soon I spotted Nagisa and Honoka not far off, walking in front of us. "Looks like your friends are heading for school," I glanced
at her,"Might wanna hurry up if ya don't want to be late."

The girl nodded,"Ok," she ran on ahead."Good-bye,James, see ya later!"

I nodded then turned to go down another road.

Perhaps I could also add finding a set of wheels to my list of things to do today.

"Hikari, are you okay?" exclaimed Honoka as the Queen's life came up beside them."Did he say anything to you?"

"If he gave you any trouble.." Nagisa slammed a fist into her palm to emphasize the point, making the other two shudder.

"No, not really," said Hikari with a shake of her head."We just talked for a bit about some things, and..he's actually quite interesting."

"Hikari.." began Honoka,"Try not to get too comfortable with him,ok? We still know close to nothing about him." The brainy girl felt a little guilty at how harsh she
must've sounded but she was only wanting to look out for her friend and didn't want any harm to befall her.

But her friend seemed to take it in stride because she calmly nodded."I know, we only just met yesterday," Her gaze went up to the sky."..Though I'm starting
to feel a little more comfortable around him. Actually, I'm also beginning to think Mepple and the others' thoughts on him were wrong."

"We're not wrong about these kinds of things-mepo!" snapped Mepple from inside his pouch."If I say that boy's trouble then he's trouble!"

"He hasn't done anything though." interjected Hikari.

"Not yet-mepo," acknowledged the yellow bear,"But for all we know, he could be waiting for a time you're vulnerable then jump us-mepo."

"It's still too early to say whether he's on our side or not,Hikari-mipo," added Mipple."We need to take this slowly and not rush."

Hikari frowned, she trusted her friends immensely, and knew they would do anything for her. But James had seemed so nice to her. Although she had known
Nagisa and Honoka way longer than him and could connect better..for now at least, she'd trust their judgement."Ok..I'll give it some more time."

Mepple sighed in relief."Good."

"Say," started Nagisa."You don't think that guy has anything to do with those monsters that showed up yesterday?"

Honoka glanced at her friend."What do you mean,Nagisa?"

The tomboy ruffled her hair,pondering,"Well..think about it. That strange meteor shower, Hikari meets that boy, he runs off and then these
strange monsters show up to attack people and fight each other..it all just seems too coincidental."

For a few moments, there was nothing said, until Honoka giggled."Are you sure you're Nagisa-san? Cause the real you never says anything that smart."

Nagisa facefaulted,"Hey! I know I'm nowhere near as smart as you, but I'm allowed to say something intelligent once in a while."

Hikari decided to step in before things got out of hand."She has a point,Honoka, this does feel too much like coincidence..and the boy did seem
rather intriguied when I mentioned the meteor shower.."

Honoka shrugged it off."Lots of people enjoy meteor showers, it doesn't mean that he's some sort of mystical being from another world," Oh, if only
she knew the irony in what she just said."Either way, we can think about this later, we got school to worry about right now."

Deciding to let the matter go, the trio marched onward, unaware of what the future had in store for them.

I sighed to myself while inspecting the motorcycles on sale in a shop. I'd found this neat bike shop that specialized in two-wheeled vehicles so I decided to
take a gander inside. To be honest, every single bike was in spectacular condition and had all sorts of fancy paint jobs and designs on them. The only problem
being that they were all WAY out of my price range. I had a fair amount of cash on me, but even the cheapest bike here costed ten times what I currently had
in my wallet.

"Even if I got myself a job, it would take weeks to save up the money I need to pay for one of these machines..maybe even months." And I didn't have
weeks or months to spend on saving up dough to buy a bike. I needed one right now. The Undead never remained in one place for too long, if they saw
no worthy fighters, they'd book it to the next busy spot, kill a slew of innocents and then move on. The more time I wasted getting to where my enemy was
on foot, the more lives that would be lost.

That's why it was crucial I got my hands on a personal ride, every Kamen Rider needed a cool motorbike to ride on.

It was at this moment that a ringing went off in my head, causing me to go on alert. The front window of the store exploded, glass showering every
which way though none of it touched me. People screamed and cried as a figure leapt through the smashed window and stood up to reveal itself.
The beast was humanoid like the majority of the Undead, but had an orange mane of hair coming out from its head, along with fur coating its skin,
it wore armour over its chest, legs, right arm and back. Its right hand was a large claw while the face was feline with a black mask concealing it
partly.

I cursed."Category 3 of Spades, Beat Lion." The monster used its strength to lift up another motorbike and throw the machine through another
window, causing more glass to shower everywhere. From there, the beast turned to advance on some folks who were cowering against a wall
with the exit only a few feet a way.

Seeing my chance, I grabbed a bike helmet off a stand and hurled the projectile, striking Lion in the head,"Hey furball!" That seemed to get
his attention for he turned and glared at me with red eyes. The folks saw their opportunity and dashed through the exit, leaving me alone with
the oversized cat."I'm the one you want, leave the rest of the humans alone!"

Willing the belt into existance, I pulled out the Mantis card, causing the Undead to take a step back, but not to run. At least I intimidated him.
"Henshin." I slashed."Change."

The energy field spread across me and I emerged as Chalice, gripping my weapon. I seemed to put the lion on edge with my transformation
for he raced forward and tackled me in the gut. I skidded back far enough that my back slammed against the wall. The Undead swung at
me with his clawed hand so I ducked and swerved to avoid having my head chopped off though the claws dug deep gouges in the wall.

I brought my boot up and kicked him in the chest, causing the lion to stumble back. Raising the Chalice Arrow, I rushed him only for the
fella to somersault over me while slashing me in the back, forcing me to fall forward and the Undead to grab me by the arm and throttle
me across the room, smashing my side hard off a bike stand. Normally, a throw like that would fracture body parts but my armor dulled
it to a mild sting.

I glanced up to see Lion picking up another cycle and throwing it at me like a softball. Doing a tumble roll, I managed to evade it and
brought up the bow to let loose a few shots. The bolts crashed against the creature, making him grunt in pain before charging and making
a swinging motion with his claw.

Using the Chalice Arrow to deflect it, I dealt several punches into his chest with my free hand before slashing him across the chest,sending
sparks flying and the beast to snarl. Just as I went to swing again, he grabbed my wrist with the unclawed hand and slashed me on the
chest with his bladed one. I saw sparks flying and jolts of pain shot through me.

The Undead then let go only to rear back and deal me a nasty left hook that rattled my noggin, following this was an upward swing that
connected with my chest and sent my body out the window, onto the hard pavement. "Dang..maybe throwing the helmet at his head
wasn't the best idea."

My foe leaped out of the window and attempted to pounce on me but I rolled out of the way and got to my feet then went into a roundhouse
kick that collided with its jaw, that blow must've been pretty hard cause the monster fumbled about,holding his jaw. This was perfect for me
though for I managed to land several more slashes on the creature and another kick to its midsection, causing it to fall on its back.

"Always wanted to try this," I chuckled to myself before removing the buckle from my belt and snapping it into the hollow section of the
arrow. Opening the holster, I drew out Chop Head and readied to slash."Now just stand still for a moment.."

Unfortunately, luck wasn't with me today because the lion jumped to his feet and leaped up onto the rooftops. I roared."Trying to get
away now, are we?" I jumped up onto a railing and then again to reach the roof. The Undead took off and I gave chase.

I tried to take aim with my bow but I couldn't get a clear shot due to all the rapid movement. Had to hand it to the Undead, they can
move quickly when they want to. He did a jump between roofs so I followed suit and continued to chase him. I wasn't about to let
the jerk get away.

For a few minutes we ran until finally he made a jump straight down and was gone."What?" I ran to the edge and looked down, no
sign of him."Damn, I lost him," Climbing down from the rooftop, I decided to find out what part of town I was in, first thing I noticed
was the sound of metal being crushed.

Looking around, I spotted what appeared to be some sort of junkyard."Maybe the Undead went in there." I marched into the place,
keeping my senses on alert, but no sign of the furball, my sense weren't going crazy or anything. Which meant the felon wasn't here and
was likely off nursing its wounds.

Deciding that my job was done for the time being, I prepared to leave..only to see a very large object buried among some junk and
glinting from the sun's light. "What's this?" Curiosity getting the better of me, I walked over and pulled away the junk..and underneath
was something that surprised the hell out of me, and with what's happened in the last day or two that's saying plenty.

She was a bit rusted, a good bit of the paint had peeled off her frame, and she needed to be filled up with gas, but there was no
doubt in my mind. Right here before me, was a genuine motorcycle! No,seriously, how stupid did you have to be to throw away
something this valuable?

Oh sure, it wasn't one of those up-to-date kinds and there was no brand name on it but gosh darn it, you'd have to be a Grade-A moron
to throw away one of these. "Oh well," I picked it up,"One man's trash is another man's treasure as they say," I rolled the vehicle over
to a pudgy man in a booth,reading a magazine and tapped on the glass,startling him.

"W-What do you want?" he snapped, not seeming too surprised at my appearance but probaubly angry I'd interrupted him in the
middle of his Playboy time.

I waved to him."Hey, you don't mind if I take this off your hands,do ya?" I pointed to the bike.

The man inspected the thing with a frown before shrugging."Eh, do what you want with it, that thing's an eyesore. Just get out of
here."

I bowed in gratitude."Much appreciated, you have no idea how much you've just helped me." With that, I rolled out of the junk
yard with my new prize.

Oh yeah, when I was done with this baby, those Undead better look out.

Honoka sighed to herself while sitting in History class, she was certain the topic being talked about was fascinating, but she couldn't bring
herself to listen. Her mind was too preoccupied with her and Hikari's chat. The guilt at what she'd told the girl was starting to come back,
stronger than before.

"Why did I say those things,Nagisa?" She whispered to the tomboy, who was sitting there,chin in her hands,bored out of her head.

The sound of her partner's voice was enough to alert her though."Hmm? What you say,Honoka?"

Sighing, the brainy girl replied."I'm talking about earlier when we were walking to school with Hikari.." She lowered her gaze."I'm
wondering if I was right in what I said to her.."

Nagisa inspected her friend with a curious face. Honoka was the smartest girl she'd ever met, and modest, so for her to be like this
meant that she must've been thinking about something difficult. "You're talking about the boy Hikari met,aren't you?"

The dark-haired gal said nothing, simply gave a slight nod. Now it was the tomboy's turn to sigh."Honoka..you care about Hikari just
as much as I do, and I knows you wouldn't do anything to hurt her intentionally. I don't think you were wrong in what you said, and
I'm sure she agrees too," She beamed."You're a good person,Honoka."

Honoka's eyes widened considerably at her words."Nagisa.." Once it settled in, she smiled."Thanks."

Just as she turned back to listen in on the lecture, the buzzer on the wall went off and the principal's voice came through."Attention
all students and teachers, we have just received news of another violent battle in the downtown area between two beasts."

That made the girls jump. Another pair of monsters was attacking so soon? The principal continued."Reports indicate that one
of the creatures is an armored mantis, the other a feline beast."

The two locked gazes."You don't think.." began Nagisa, her friend nodded.

"The monsters were spotted leaving the downtown area about one hour ago. For your own safety, school will be closed early.
You are advised to return to your homes, and if you must go outside avoid any contact with these creatures. That is all." The buzzer
shut off and the students rushed out of the building, partly due to fear, but mostly just glad to get out of classes.

"Sweet!" squealed Nagisa as she packed up her books."Let's find Hikari and go do some shopping, maybe get Takoyaki."

"Nagisa!" snapped Honoka,indignant, startling her friend."I can't believe you're thinking about shopping at a time like this!"

"B-But I.." stuttered the tomboy,glancing around.

Honoka didn't let her finish."This is serious! There's monsters out there,running around, destroying our town and we have no
idea what they want or why they're here! We need to find answers and stop these people, we can worry about filling our bellies
later!"

Nagisa groaned and ruffled her hair."You're right, I got a little carried away..so what you suggest we do?" She knew you just
had to go with the flow when the blue-eyed girl was all business.

Her friend pondered that thought for a moment."Um..I'm...not sure." Nagisa facefaulted."But until we come up with a plan, we
should do what the principal says and head back home."

"Fine," moaned the brunette. They left the room and headed out of school, only to see a familiar figure wheeling a somewhat
outdated motorbike down the street.

Nagisa was first to recognize him."Isn't that.."

"James!" I stopped and turned to the voice's origin, seeing the civilian forms of Black and White coming up to me. I could see from
the look in their eyes they had things on their mind..that or they were wondering why I was wheeling this bike down the street.

I leaned against the machine and waited for them to approach. I waved."Hey girls, thought you were in school."

Nagisa shrugged."We were..until the principal made that announcement of monsters attacking in downtown, he told us to go
home for our own safety."

To keep up the charade, I forced my eyes to widen."Really? I never heard about that. I was too busy looking for my own set
of wheels."

Honoka blinked in surprise."Why do you need this? I thought you were only here on vacation, furthermore, how did you even
afford this? Even older bikes cost huge sums of money."

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously."Well..to be honest..I didn't buy this.." Seeing their surprised expressions, I went on."I
kinda found it at a junkyard and the owner let me take it off his hands."

"The junkyard!" Nagisa pretty much screeched, making me cringe."If you actually did find this there, it was put there for a
reason. It's a pile of scrap,You'll never get it to run!"

I scowled at her, she was starting to agitate me."She's not as "scrapped" as you think she is," Folding my arms, I explained."Yes,
she's a little dingy and could use a good cleaning, maybe some paint, and probaubly a jug of gas but you'll see. Before long, she'll
be purring like a kitten."

But the brainy gal frowned."That still doesn't answer my first question, why do you need it?"

Mentally kicking myself for being forgetful, I replied."Look, I enjoy walking but I don't want that to be my only mode of transportation.
The next time I have something important going on, I might not get there fast enough. I'm just lucky my friend is a forgiving guy, because
I could've caught hell from him if I had arrived any later than I did."

My explanation seemed to satisfy her, for the frown softened."I guess that makes sense."

Nagisa took her friend's hand."We should go," She and the other girl walked past me and down to a street corner, before they stepped
out of sight, the bruneete looked back at me with a cheeky grin."If you ever do get that junkpile running, then you'll be one cool dude."
With a fluorish, she was gone.

I chuckled."If only you knew just how cool I really am.." I pulled out the Mantis Undead and inspected him for a moment before
slipping the card back into my pocket and wheeling off to buy some cleaning materials.

Or at least I would've until Hikari stepped out in front of me."Hello,James. I heard you wanted to fix up that bike you found?"

I had to ask."Um..how did you know?" She tilted her head,smiling."I heard you talking with Nagisa and Honoka, Akane-san
fixes up the Takoyaki wagon all the time, I'm sure she'll be happy to help."

This was all quite sudden for me, though it would be rude to turn down an offer of help. Still.."You sure that your friends won't
mind? From what I can tell, they don't seem very trusting of me." My tone turned somber at those last few words.

Hikari's smile faltered."They're only looking out for me..I guess you can say those two are like my parents..but Nagisa and Honoka
are the best kind of friends at heart.." She brightened up again."I'm sure if you give them time, they'll come to trust you too."

I shifted my gaze a little."..Maybe.." I shook my head."Alright, let's get going."

The golden princess nodded before leading me off down the street. After about 20 minutes of walking we found ourselves in front
of her house, the wagon parked out in front. Just like on the show. Hikari led me to the door where we took off our shoes and lightly
stepped inside.

"Akane-san, I'm home and I brought a visitor!" called Hikari, her caretaker arrived in the doorway a few seconds later."Oh,hello
Hikari," She spotted me behind her."And you're that boy she met yesterday,aren't you?"

I flushed though I don't know why."Yes, my name's James Maxwell," I bowed in respect."It's an honor to meet you."

The woman chuckled lightly at my gesture."Hikari, you never told me your friend was so modest!" Both me and the Queen's life
shared a very nervous glance.

"Actually, we only just met yesterday," said Hikari, probaubly trying to wave off the idea we were friends, smooth move,girl.
She shook her head."Anyways, we were wondering if you could help James with his motorbike."

Akane dried her hands with the towel she was holding."I could take a look at it, but don't expect too much, I'm a Takoyaki
girl, not a heavy mechanic."

I smiled brightly."Just do what you can."

We stood outside in her garage now, overlooking my new prize. Akane though, simply stood there,staring."So..you found this..in
a junkyard?"

I nodded."Yep. So you think we can bring her into the 21st Century?"

The older woman stroked her chin,thinking."Hmm...it won't be easy..she certainly needs some work.." Akane shrugged."But,what
the heck? Let's give her a shot, and if she doesn't work out, we can always sell her for scrap metal."

That settled that matter. Now, we could move on to the hard part, getting the bike into shape. We started by using chisels to scrape
off the excess rust that had built up on the bike's frame, followed by using sand paper to brush her down. The two of us then got out
the water,soap and sponges and gave her a good washing,the thing had probaubly three layers of dirt in total stuck to her.

Normally, I wasn't a big fan of working so hard but in this case I made an exception. After all, this bike would be a huge help in tracking
down the Undead. I could even use this to perform a ramming attack,score!

It took two buckets of soapy water and a whole heck of scrubbing but we gradually wiped away the dirt and grime. The bike was
slowly coming back to life. We pulled out a tank of gas and filled the gauge until it peaked at full. Hikari came out at one point to give
us some drinks so I was grateful for that.

Next, we broke out the paint cans and got to work replacing the paint that had been lost. I chose a mix of black with silver along the
edge, followed by some red streaks. So yeah, basically the color scheme of Chalice. Hopefully, this wouldn't make me too suspicous.

Finally, we made a few touch-ups, just chiseling off the last bits of grime and rust..until I accidentily cut my hand."Oww!" I exclaimed.
Clutching my hand and turning away from Akane, who now looked ready to panic."James! What happened? Did you cut yourself?"

I shook my head and looked down at my palm, a small cut had opened up but instead of red blood, it had more of a greenish color,
like the kind seen when Undead bleed. Seeing this, I quickly clenched my hand."It's nothing..just a scratch, I'll be fine." No need to
let her know I wasn't completely human. "I'll just..wash it off in the sink."

Akane watched me as I went over and used the tap to make it look like I was washing off blood..even though my cut had already
healed and there was no point. After that, I walked back over."So..what you say we finish this up?"

The woman narrowed her eyebrows."..Are you sure you're ok? I can finish this by myself if you're not feeling well."

I laughed."What? This little cut? I'm not a wimp,Akane-san. This is a scrape compared to some of the bruises I've gotten in
my life." For once, what I was saying was true.

Akane seemed concerned."What do you mean,you're saying people have beaten you?"

I flinched, maybe saying that wasn't the best idea."Mostly just bullies or people who love to play cruel jokes out of some sick
sense of amusement, I defended myself and more often than not, I managed to get them into trouble.." I lowered my head."That
didn't mean they would stop harassing me though.."

The lady wore an apologetic expression."..I'm sorry to hear that..Some folks out there aren't fit to be around.."

I waved it off."Don't apologize for something you had no part in..but I appreciate it all the same.." I really did, nice to know there
was someone in this world who cared about me besides just Hikari.

We finished sprucing her up and I gotta say, I was pretty proud of what we did. The bike now looked good enough to rival the
quality of some big-name brands. The paint job would really make her stand out in a crowd. Yep, I had myself one fine bike.

"Wanna start her up?" quizzed Akane, pointing to the key ignition where the keys dangled. I smirked and climbed onboard,
fetching the helmet she provided and strapped it on.

"Let's Ride." I turned the key and the baby jumped to life with a loud rumble."Heh, purring like a kitten."

Akane nodded,smiling in approval."Well, you'd best get on the road than," She pushed a button on the wall and the garage
door swung upward.

I turned to her."Thanks for everything,Akane. I don't know how I can repay you."

She chuckled."Don't worry about it, you just took good care of this baby," She patted my ride."And we'll call it square,deal?"

I nodded."Deal," As I went to leave though, she called out to me."Hey!" I turned to her. She wore a grin on her face.
"I like you,kid. You're a good worker, got nice manners, you appreciate good cooking and Hikari seems to like you too. So
you're welcome back anytime."

My smile stretched from ear to ear though my helmet hid it."Thanks..Akane-san.." I gunned the engine."I'll see ya later."
I kicked the pedal and took off down the road.

It was later that day and the three girls had managed to convince their families to let them get together at Nagisa's house
to talk things over..and to do some homework. Although the brunette was finding it hard to concentrate.

"Gosh,darn it!" She snapped,slamming her book shut with a growl."I can't concentrate at all, this is pointless!"

Normally, Honoka would scold her friend on not focusing on her studies, but this was one time where even she found
it hard to focus."You're right,no point in this if we can't concentrate," She shut her book."Besides,this doesn't even have
to be done til next week." She tried to smile though it came out a little forced.

The bells were going off in the others' heads. Nagisa folded her arms."Ok,Honoka, what's the deal? You're normally
breathing down my neck to get me to do my homework."

Her partner tilted her gaze downward in shame."I'm sorry,Nagisa..I've just been thinking..about these creatures that
have shown up...they're like nothing we've ever faced before..and that one in armor..he seems to know way more than
he's letting on."

The tomboy sighed."..Yeah, he wasn't willing to answer any of our questions..that annoys me."

"Well,maybe he doesn't trust easily," Everyone turned to Hikari."I mean, he did mention something about just doing his
'job" after he beat that monster..and that he was after just awakening..if that's any help."

Honoka nodded."That's true..but if he's in the same league as these monsters..why is he fighting them? We don't even
know what they are..and then there's what he did after beating the creature, anybody pick up on that?"

Nagisa raised an eyebrow."You mean how he took out a card, tossed it on the thing's body and then it got sucked up
before returning to him?" Nods all around."Yeah, I found that weird..and his name..Kamen Rider Chalice..we've met
plenty of Precures but I can't recall meeting a "Kamen Rider" before."

"He said he was similar to us,but completely different at the same time," Hikari put a finger to her chin."I wonder what
he meant by that.."

The sports girl scoffed."Whatever he meant by that doesn't matter, the point is he's our best lead on what's happening,so
I say we track him down and get some answers."

Honoka approved."I agree, let's just pray that force isn't needed.." She turned her head."But if he's even the slightest
bit like the foes we've faced in the past, I wouldn't hold my breath."

Hikari needed to have her voice heard."He protected that woman and child, and if he really was our enemy then wouldn't
he have attacked us after finishing off his previous foe?"

Mepple exclaimed."I still say he can't be trusted-mepo..but if you want to talk to him, it's your funeral."

"Geez,thanks for the confidence boost," replied Nagisa sarcastically as she got to her feet."Ok, it's settled. Let's go track
down this Chalice and make him spill the beans."

With a unanimous agreement, the trio headed out the door and outside. Just as they got outside, a vehicle zoomed by and gradually came to a stope just a few
feet in front of them. It appeared to be a motorcycle colored black with silver highlights and traces of red. The figure wore a black helmet that covered their face
but the attire was familiar to all those present.

Nagisa shook her head in disbelief."I don't believe it..he actually got it working.."

"Alright, I kept up my end of the deal, now you keep up yours and admit I'm cool," I removed my helmet and flashed a grin at the girls. Boy, the looks on
their faces was worth all the trouble. "Go on, don't be shy."

"No..way.." began Nagisa, before pointing a finger."There is no possible way you could've gotten that bike going in less than a day!" I rolled my eyes.

"..Maybe if he had some help.." Hikari meekly replied. Her friends turned to her,shocked."You HELPED him?"

"Hikari, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" snapped Nagisa."After everything we said you still went ahead and helped him?"

"He's a complete stranger!" roared Honoka."You can't just go around deciding these types of things on your own! That's selfish!"

Hikari was understandably frightened by the tone her friends were using so she backed off."I..I just wanted to help him.."

"You still decided to go behind our backs!" argued the brunette,fire flaring in her eyes."You didn't discuss this with us,you just went ahead
and did it! I can't understand how you'd do something this reckless!"

Ok, enough was enough, I wasn't gonna stand here and listen to this."Both of you shut it,right now!" I roared, making all three
jump back at my loud change in voice."I have no idea what your problem is with me, but don't go taking this out on Hikari. Out of all
three of you she's the only one who offered to help me out while you two went on your merry way doing whatever it is you do!"

"Hikari's not a child, she can make her own decisions about what's right or wrong. She doesn't have to always OK it with you two
first before deciding on things like whether to help a person in need or not!"

"But..we're her friends.." began Nagisa. I didn't give her a chance."Oh, so that makes it alright for you to choose who she hangs out
with and what she does? You maybe close friends, but you're not her parents, and she's not a tool. Once in a while, you can let her make
her own decisions instead of always having her see things your way."

Yeah,yeah, I was being pretty harsh on them, spewing all that stuff, but I was angry at the fact that after all the time Nagisa and Honoka had spent
with Hikari, they still treated her like a child..the fact they didn't want me near her only made the warning sirens ring louder.

For what seemed like several minutes, nobody said anything, finally Nagisa sighed and turned to Hikari."We're sorry,Hikari, we didn't mean to yell
at you like that." Honoka nodded. "I guess we kinda forgot you weren't a child anymore."

Hikari flustered."No..don't worry about it..you're right, maybe I should've called you guys first before I brought him to my place..I just thought he
could use a helping hand..like everyone needs.." Good, looks like things were gonna be just fine between them.

Nagisa turned to me, a small smile on her lips."I..guess you're not such a bad guy after all if our friend trusts you."

I blinked at her."Of course I ain't a bad guy, what could've given you that impression?"

"Oh,nothing..just think it's a good idea to get to know someone before you start thinking about forming a relationship.." Honoka had that shifty look
in her eyes but her voice seemed sincere enough for me. So, I chose to let that slide this time.

"Good point you have there," I nodded."A good friendship requires understanding and respect, having things in common helps but diversity in opinions
is also very good."

Nagisa ruffled her hair,nervous."I..suppose so.." She was likely still digesting that speech I made, then again, I couldn't blame her. After all, not everyday
you get told off by some total stranger who's secretly a armored hero who fights and seals age-old monsters that are part of a tournament that has a strong
possibility of destroying the world if things get out of hand.

And on that note, an image flashed through my head. One of a very large building, lots of smaller stores, people running and yelling, a creature with a cat-like
mask for a face. The image cleared and I was able to focus."So, done licking your sores,are you?" I muttered darkly as I strapped on the helmet again.

Hikari grimaced."Is something the matter,James?"

I turned to her."No, it's alright, I just remembered I had an errand to take care of," I kicked the pedal."See you later,girls." With that, I rode off.

"Nagisa!" Mepple leaped out of his pouch once the boy was gone,jolting the girls."I just sensed a really dark presence-mepo."

"What do you mean?" asked Nagisa."That James fella is already gone."

"That's not it-mepo!" exclaimed the little yellow bear feverishly."There's another one and it's nearby too!"

"WHAT?" The trinity of heroines were spurred into action by this,pulling out their transformation devices."If there's another one of those creatures
attacking then Chalice will definitely show up too!" realized Honoka,clutching Mipple in her phone state.

"Alright, we'll take care of the monster first then we grill him for all he's worth!" Nagisa firmly spoke, a fierce expression in her eyes.

The trio headed for where the monster was attacking. Hikari hung back a little,thinking. "Chalice..could he possibly be.." All the signs were pointing to
her new friend. The fact that he showed up on the exact same day as the meteor shower, that he takes off just as one of those beasts shows up to attack,
and for Mepple's fairy senses to go off right as he takes off couldn't just be lucky coincidence.

"Something the matter,Hikari?" asked Honoka as she glanced back while they ran.

Hikari looked up and shook her head."Mmph, nothing, let's go." She ran to keep up with her friends.

Yet the thought lingered..could there really be a connection between her new friend and Chalice?

The mall was usually a great place to hang out. Plenty of stores to browse through, food to eat, arcades to hang out in, this one mall in particular would've made for
a great spot to be with some friends..if it wasn't currently being torn to shreds by the Beat Lion Undead.

The monster picked up a candy stand and hurled it into a nearby book store, creating a huge mess. I rode up through a hole it had made when it first bursted through.
Hearing the roar of my bike's enging, the monster turned just in time for me to ram into him, knocking the big lug on his back. "Remember me?" I called as I climbed
off the bike.

Lion got up and snarled at me."C..h..a..l..i..c..e.."

I pulled off my helmet."So you do remember. Good, let's get to the part where I kick your butt and seal you." The Chalice Belt materialized as I pulled out my
transformation card."Henshin." I slashed."Change."

The black static field covered me as I charged him, I emerged as Chalice and tackled the brute at full force, sending him crashing to the ground. I landed on top
of him and started pummeling him with right hooks to the face. After three or four jabs however, the lion caught my fist and booted me in the chest, sending my
form flying back and banging off a wall,cracking it.

I growled and glanced up to see the Undead approaching me with his claw drawn. The moment he went to strike me with it, I caught his claw between my
hands and placed my boot on his chest before falling backwards,dragging him down with me. Using the momentum from my leg, I catapulted him over me
and into a wall,head first. He then slid to the ground,groaning.

I climbed to my feet and looked at my handiwork."..Wow, that was pretty cool." The feline didn't seem to share my views for he climbed to his feet and
snarled like a cat at me before rearing back his claw,readying to charge.

Reacting on instinct, I reached behind and pulled out the Chalice Arrow. We both pulled back and then raced toward each other and swung. He got me
in the shoulder, I got him across the chest, sparks and drops of green fluids ran freely before we leaped away and began circling one another,sizing each
other up.

With a roar from me and a hiss from the Undead, we resumed our attack on each other. I ducked under a horizontal swing and brought my blade up in
a straight slash that made him stumble back in pain. Taking the chance, I ran forward and slashed his chest again and again. Not liking the fact he was
getting his butt whooped, the Undead jumped back and lashed out with his claw.

I locked my weapon with his before we brought up our feet and kicked the other in the midssection, the force of it knocking the wind out of both of us and
sending us both toppling along the ground,away from each other. I gnarled my teeth."Damn..Blade made this look way too easy..."

The Undead was back on its feet first and charged me. I got to my feet just as it went into a pounce so I dropped to my knee and watched him soar over
me and land on its two feet. Pulling back on my weapon, I let loose a round of energy blasts into its torso region, making him groan in pain and spill even
more sparks.

Seeing him wide open, I dashed toward him and leaped into the air before coming down with a drop kick that collided with the creature's face, forcing
him to stumble back,clutching its jaw. I went to attack again only for him to lash out with a punch that stunned my noggin then grab my arm and begin
clawing me repeatedly before lifting me up and tossing me into one of the arcade machines,smashing it up and giving me a painful jolt.

"Owww..that smarts.." I groaned from the flight and impact. Turning, I spotted the Undead coming toward me,several cuts and bruises had opened up
on him but they didn't seem to be slowing him down, if anything, they only served to increase his hate toward me. I fumbled around for my weapon and
just got my hand on it when suddenly...

"That's far enough!" At the sound of the voice, we both glanced over to see Nagisa,Honoka and Hikari standing together,facing us with firm expressions.
"We won't let you run amok in our town anymore!" roared Nagisa, stepping forward,clutching her Heartful Commune.

The Undead stood there and tilted its head,wondering who these three were that dared interrupt. I,however, simply chuckled."Dude, you're about to
get owned."

Nagisa and Honoka held hands and yelled."Dual Aurora Wave!" The energy exploded forth as a pillar of rainbow energy.

Hikari waved her hand over her own device and cried."Luminous,Shining Stream!" She was engulfed by a pillar of gold light.

Both me and Lion watched as the trio transformed before our eyes. Let me tell ya, seeing this in action was a million times better than just watching
on a computer screen. Once the lightshow settled the trio emerged,transformed and ready for action.

"Emissary of Light, Cure Black!" shouted Black, posing.

"Emissary of Light, Cure White!" exclaimed White, also posing.

The two struck a dual stance."Futari Wa Pretty Cure!" White pointed at the Undead."Servants of the Dark Power.." Black pointed and finished."Return
to the darkness from whence you came!"

Hikari emerged as her other self."Sparkling Life! Shiny Luminous! Hearts of light and wills of light...for them all to become as one!"

To say I was impressed would be like saying fruit is to be eaten, a gross understatement."..Oh yeah, you're seriously owned."

Black and White charged and proceeded to attempt a number of punches and kicks that the monster blocked and deflected with ease. Luminous
ran over beside me and helped me up."Are you alright..Chalice?"

I cracked my neck side to side."I'm good, but thanks anyway." The girl smiled at me before turning to the battle at hand.

"We need to help." I nodded in agreement and raised up my weapon."Right behind ya." I charged in with Luminous by my side.

Oh, what I wouldn't give to hear some theme music right now...

(Play Pretty Cure Max Heart Opening Song)

That'll do just fine. I slashed the arm holding White,forcing the beast to let her go before kicking him in the chest, Black jumped in and rammed
fist after fist into its gut before spinning on her heel and booting it hard enough to send it skidding back several feet.

White went next, she charged up to the monster and swiftly swerved to evade the swing before grabbing its forearm,kicking out one of its
legs and throwing the Undead across the length of the mall. It ended up slamming into a round of tables and causing a cloud of smoke to
shoot up.

A roar came from the cloud as glowing eyes could be seen before the monster galloped out of the smoke on all fours and sprang high into the air
before coming down, claw sharp and ready. Luckily, Luminous jumped in the way and summoned a rainbow barrier around us. The Undead
crashed against it before the field expanded, shoving him away.

He flew through the air and smashed hard into the ground,kicking up a pillar of gravel. I patted the girl on the shoulder."Nice one." She blushed
at my praise. The other two simply shot me suspicous glances but I ignored them and focused on the Undead.

I didn't see anything through the dust cloud for a moment then my senses fired up. "Get down!" We jumped out of the way just in time to avoid
a large chunk of rubble landing right where we stood before. I glared back to see the Undead stumble out,obviously pissed off at us.

"What is this thing?" wondered aloud Luminous."Even after all our attacks, it still stands?"

I sighed."That's Undead for ya, even the lower ranked fellas can be a handful if you aren't careful."

White froze at what I said."U-Undead?" I realized what I said at that moment. I just couldn't keep my mouth shut,could I?

While this was going on the Undead resumed his charge and rammed into my gut. I was shoved back a few feet but held my ground and
began pounding on his back with my fist. After a few thumps, I brought my knee up into his gut, causing it to hiss and back off but not before
I fired off half a dozen rounds from my weapon.

"This is getting tiresome, we need to finish this soon." I growled at the girls who nodded.

Black turned to her gold-haired friend."Luminous, when we give the word,use the Luminous Heartiel Action." She nodded. The thrre of us
ran forward and landed a bunch of punches, kicks and slashes before jumping up into the air and coming down with a triple kick that sent
the Undead soaring."NOW!" yelled Black.

Luminous summoned her Heartiel Baton and it drew a giant gold circle around it."Luminous Heartiel.." She shoved her hands foreward."Action!"
The baton and circle rocketed forward and engulfed our foe, paralyzing him in place.

I nodded and stepped forward."Thanks you three, I can take it from here," Before they could ask, I detached my belt buckle and slotted it
into the hollow part of the Arrow. I opened the holster and drew out my one Rouze Card, earning a gasp from all those present.

"Isn't that the creature you sealed the other day?" inquired White, seeing the depiction of the shark on the card.

I nodded."Good eye,girl," I turned to face the enemy."Now, if you get queasy stomachs easily, I suggest you look away." I brought the card
to the Rouzer and slashed through."Chop."

A hologram of the card appeared before me and got absorbed into my armor. Feeling the power surge through my free arm, I pulled back as
the energy traveled along my hand."Here I go!" I raced up to the monster and thrusted my hand into the creature's body, making it groan and
gurgle as I pierced its internal organs.

The Cures gasped in shock as I unleashed my attack."..Not quite a Rider Kick but it'll do for now." I yanked my hand free and turned away
as the Undead fell back and exploded in a ball of fire. Once the smoke cleared, my foe lied there, bruised,battered, scarred, but still alive.
The buckle snapped open,revealing the runes.

"It's..It's..still alive?" sputtered Black, now taking a step back."But..why?"

I sighed and pulled out a Proper Blank."Because...Undead have something most people can only dream of possessing..true immortality."
This made the girls stare in shock as I dropped the card on my fallen enemy. The beast was sucked in before returning to my hand,depicting
a lion with the spade symbol and a number 3 in a corner.

(End Song)

The stress of the battle and the injuries was catching up with me so I leaned against a wall and took a breather."That's two down.." I
leered over at the girls who all looked like their eyes were about to fall out of their heads."Well, thanks for the help, you three but you'd
best get out of here before the police show up. I knows I am."

I walked over to my bike and got ready to take off only for Black to put a hand on the handlebar. I looked up to see a serious face on her.
"We need to talk..Now!"

I rolled my eyes."Look, now's really not the time,ok? I'm tired, I'm hungry, I need a shower and a long nap, now please let me go."

"We can't do that," said White with a shake of her head."We need answers, and right now you're the expert on what's happening to our
town, so we need you to answer our questions before things go too far."

I scoffed."Look, I appreciate the help but this is something I'd rather no one else get caught up in, trust me, I'm doing you a favor by keeping
you in the dark."

"Why you..!" Black grabbed me by the arm."You are gonna tell us or I'll force you to!"

I warned her."Take your hand off me, otherwise, I won't be responsible for what happens to you." My hand moved toward my holster,
fighting these guys wasn't something I wanted to do, but if I had to do so...

"WAIT!" We all turned to Luminous as she walked up, a pleading look in her eyes."Please..let's not fight..we just want to know so we
can better protect our home.." The girl,once close enough, took hold of my hand."So please..tell us...James."

Everyone froze at this."James..?" started Black who turned to me as did White."Is it really?"

I lowered my head and chuckled emptily."Caught me red-handed,eh Hikari?" I pulled my hand free and slid the Spirit card,reverting back
to human, giving the Cures another shock."So..what gave me away?"

Luminous beamed."It wasn't too hard,actually. My friends have been suspicous of you since you arrived. You show up during the meteor
shower event, you keep disappearing just as monsters show up. Plus Chalice appeared the exact same day we met. From there, I just
needed to put the pieces together."

I smiled and ruffled my hair."I was that obvious,eh?" She nodded.

"James..." I turned to Nagisa whose mouth was hanging open."What..are you?"

I sighed."Now that..is a good question," I gunned the engine."But let's head back to one of your places first and I'll explain everything."

Agreeing on Hikari's place, we set off out the hole in the wall and away from the scene, just in time to avoid meeting law enforcement.
I really wasn't in the mood to face them.

We sat around in Hikari's apartment, Akane was out doing some errands or something so we had the place to ourselves. I pulled out
the four Rouze Cards I had and set them on the table."Alright, I guess it's best to start at the beginning." I gestured to the four cards.
"Within each of these cards, a beast is sealed, they're referred to as Undead."

"You mean like zombies and skeletons?" quizzed Hikari.

I tilted my head side to side."They have a few similarities..but they're on a whole different level at the same time. Like I mentioned,
they have true immortality. They're incapable of dying by any means. Beat them,slash them, blow them up, blast them to bits. Try
whatever you want, but you can't truly kill them. The only way to defeat them permanently is to seal them."

"They're...immortal?" gasped Honoka."So..they can't even age?"

I shook my head."Nope, and that brings me to my next point. You see, what's going on now is an event called the Battle Royale.
10 000 years ago, a being called The Master created 52 immortal monsters who represented the species they came from The terms
of the tournament is that the Undead battled each other until only one remained. The one left would gain the power to shape the world
anyway they wanted and allow their species to dominate the Earth."

The girls and their fairies were astonished by my explanation. Honoka tapped the Human Spirit card."This card..it looks like a human.."
It dawned on her."Don't tell me.."

I nodded."Yes..there was even a Human Undead, the originator of all mankind. Otherwise known as Category Two Of Hearts. Of
course, he won otherwise we wouldn't be here today."

That threw them for a loop, the idea that humans were descended from an immortal creature sealed in a card. Nagisa was next to
ask."So..what's the deal with the numbers and stuff?"

I explained."Well, like I said, there were 52 Undead but they had a ranking system," I held up the Human Spirit."They went from
Category 2-10, the higher the number, the more powerful an Undead was," That made them pale slightly, they'd seen how strong
a 3 was, so I could see why they'd feel a little frightened, but they wanted answers.

"After them, come the Royal Class Undead. They come as Jack,Queen, and King. They're much stronger than the numbered ranks
and have intelligence on their side, plus the ability to assume human disquises." That last one wasn't too surprising, the girls had faced
enemies who disquised as humans before..but the fact that the Royals were even stronger than Numbered was a cause to worry.

"Finally, there's the Category Aces," I held up the Mantis card."Which this guy belongs to. The Aces lack the ability to use human disquises
but they make up for it by being the best of the best. Infact, the Mantis Undead, otherwise known as Chalice, was labeled as the strongest
of all the Undead, the ultimate fighter. Rivaled only by the other Aces and...Joker." The way I said that final word unnerved Hikari.

She still asked."What's..Joker?"

I took a deep breath."..I know I said 52 Undead were created..but soon after, the Master made a 53rd Undead, the infamous Joker
Undead. He was feared among his kind as a Wild Card, some even referred to him as a God Of Death. There were three reasons he was so
feared. The first is that his power matched that of the Aces," That nearly blew their mind.

"Second, any Undead he defeated, he sealed them and could assume their form and powers, making himself even stronger,"

"He..could get even stronger by sealing the other Undead?" murmured Hikari, her friends held her hands to calm her down.

I nodded."There's one more..perhaps worser than the first two. If Joker became the sole survivor of the Battle Royale, he would bring about
the end of the world..and the Battle Royale would restart." Gasps of shock and horror were all around. I had dropped a real doozy on them
so their reactions weren't unexpected.

There was but one thing left to ask, it came from Hikari again."So..where do you fit into all this?"

I sighed and massaged my forehead."..I use to be just a normal human. I researched old legends one day when I came across the story of the Undead
and their milennia-old battle. I recall going to see the seal for myself..only to find another group was there and attempting to undo the seal," I felt the
story of Kamen Rider Blade might work here so I worked it in.

"There was someone who wanted to undo the seal?" exclaimed Nagisa."That's beyond stupid! Why would they do that?"

I shrugged half-heartedly."From what I gathered, they wanted to study the Undead and unlock the secret to eternal life. To say their attempt backfired
would be a huge understatement," I narrowed my eyes."When the seal came undone, I was hit with this blast of light and felt something burning inside
me. When I came to, all the researchers were dead, the Undead were free, and I had the Joker's belt along with the Mantis and Human Undead cards."

Honoka fidgeted about."Wait..does that mean you fused with the Joker?"

I thought that one over."Yeah..that's a likely possibility..though I don't think I'm a complete Undead. I have some of its powers, namely the heightened
physical attributes, the ability to sense Undead along with assuming their forms, and accelerated healing..but I don't have the total immortality they have."

"Which means..you're a human/Undead hybrid?" asked Hikari in dawning realization.

I nodded."I guess you could say that. After realizing all the lives that'd be lost if the Battle Royale starts up again, I took up the mantle of a Kamen
Rider to protect the innocent and seal the Undead..and end The Master's twisted game."

"It really is twisted," agreed Honoka."Creating all those creatures just so they can fight and kill each other, then giving one left ultimate power to decide
the fate of the world, We can't allow it!"

I smiled and nodded."Great to hear, so I can expect you guys to fight by my side?"

I waited for a big,fat yes..but none came..only looks of uncertainly and confusion. I spoke calmly."Look, I know this is a huge amount of info to digest,
and I can understand if you're worried but I promise you, if we stick together, we can pull through this."

Nagisa turned away."It's just..we need some time to think this over..you've put a lot on our plate after all."

I tilted my gaze downward."I see..alright, I'll give you some time..just make your choice before more Undead show up,okay? I get stronger the more of these I seal
but I can use all the support I can get fighting them," Sliding the cards into my pocket, I walked to the door with Hikari.

"Thank you for telling us so much," she bowed."I'm sure we'll put your knowledge to good use,James."

I nodded and opened the door."My pleasure, after all, we're in this together," I walked out."I'll see ya later,Hikari."

Hikari closed the door behind me and I headed for my bike, strapped on the helmet and roared down the road, back to the mansion.

I needed some grub badly, and a shower..and some sleep, today had been very long indeed. I just hoped the Cures would come to their sense before it was
too late.

Hikari walked back to her chair and sat down,sighing."I can't believe this is really happening.."

"As if fighting the Dark Zone wasn't bad enough," groaned Nagisa sadly,"Now we got immortal monsters running around killing people as part of some
stupid tournament where the winner gets the power to control the world."

"And that boy,James..he's actually part Undead..one of them..but not at the same time." Honoka pondered aloud to her friends."I know he's not a bad
person, but can we truly trust him not to go berserk from the Joker's power?"

Hikari frowned, she was starting to think of James as a friend, then she finds out he's not fully human, she wasn't sure what to make of this."I...I want
to believe he's our friend..but at the same time, knowing he's got that thing inside him..that by sealing the Undead he gets stronger..I don't know.."

Porun patted her hand sadly."Hikari-popo.."

"Guys..what can we do?" asked the golden princess looking around,almost begging for an answer. "What do we do..?"

Nobody was able to answer.

Phew, just in time for Christmas I manage to finish the second episode. This one is a fair bit longer but there's more stuff going on. Chalice getting his own ride, the Cures discovering
his identity and the history behind the Undead. Two Undead are now sealed..but it looks like the girls have yet to decide whether to trust Chalice or not..let's just pray they come
around soon...

Alright guys, have a happy Christmas and I'll see ya soon.

Remember, Read And Review!..gosh, that's so cliched.