AWAKENING CHAPTER PART 4: REUNION

It took awhile, and some help from their friends, but they managed to calm Mr. Ryuugu down. He was just acting like any overprotective parent…albeit he'd overreacted a little bit. The cleaver was a bit overboard, though.

"Thanks, Rena-chan," said Shinichi, relieved. He was with her at the clinic. He had some cuts and bruises from tripping when running for his life. She was tending to his wounds.

"It's a good thing that Shii-chan's bodyguard was around with tranquilizer darts," said Rena.

"Yes, remind me to thank her later," said Shinichi, hissing as the iodine covered cotton swab touched his cheek.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay. Still, I'm happy."

"Our first kiss…" she sighed.

Shinichi looked about. Dr. Irie wasn't around and they were alone. "So…wanna kiss again?"

Rena blushed. Shinichi had changed a lot and she liked it. At first the amnesiac was confused and shy. Now, however, he was bold and outgoing. Sure, he had perverted tendencies but he was a hormonal teenage boy.

"Hau…" Rena grabbed him and kissed him deeply. He returned the kiss.

Things were tense around the house for a while. Mr. Ryuuga kept an eye on either Shinichi or his daughter at all times, cutting down on any alone time that the couple could spare. Granted, after an explanation he apologized, but he was still protective of his little girl. Of course, he couldn't do anything about it when Rena was the aggressor in the kisses, hugs or whatnot that the pair went through.

School wasn't much better. They stuck out like sore thumbs with only Keiichi and Mion rivaling them in the romance department. Not to mention the younger members of their club asking for explanations on how kissing felt, how far they went, or other personal questions. The only real time alone the pair every got was on the way to or from school. Of course, they took advantage of that by finding a nice little spot and just spent time cuddling on the dry grass and kissing for a while. Shinichi could feel all of his worries drain away while Rena reveled in the cuddling and closeness she now had with her new boyfriend. Best of all, she could take him home all the time!

Showa, with blood red eyes, stood in the middle of the village. It was on fire. Houses were engulfed in flames. Charred bodies littered the ground. With a single roar, the Kamen Rider unleashed his energy, completely enveloping the village of Hinamizawa, vaporizing every inch of it in the blink of an eye.

He heard Rika, speaking in her adult voice, "It's all your fault."

"WARGH!" Shinichi cried out as he shot out of bed. He was covered in sweat and his clothes were drenched, sticking to his skin. His eyes were wide with his pupils dilated. His heart raced as he panted, breathing hard.

Yet another nightmare, but it appeared to be a vision of the future. Could that be his destiny?

In his previous dreams he saw himself standing amongst thirteen bodies. Had he survived an attack or been the cause? The recent vision made him question of whom he was and if he really wanted to know of his past.

Shinichi stared at his hands and briefly saw blood on them. "Who…am I?"

"Shinichi-kun?" Shinichi looked up to see Rena standing at his door, wearing her cute nightshirt. It was a long shirt that came down to her knees with a black kitten on the front. She walked over and knelt down. "I heard you scream. Did you have another bad dream?" Shinichi nodded.

"It's nothing, really."

"It wasn't. You were screaming."

"I'm okay now." Rena wrapped her arms around him. "Rena-chan?"

"Don't be afraid to tell me anything, okay? I care about you."

"Me too…" 'And that's why I can't tell you.'

"A vision?" Rika had heard Shinichi's tale about his nightmare.

"Yes, and I want to know if it's a possible future," said Shinichi seriously.

During lunch break, Shinichi requested for Rika and Hanyuu to come out and talk. It sounded grave.

"It could be," said Rika. Shinichi had been telling him about his dreams. Some were glimpses of what could've been Shinichi's past. No clues to his true identity, though. They hadn't gotten any yet.

"It sounds like what might happen if I get the syndrome," Shinichi shivered as he recalled the rampage in his dream.

"I hope you don't," Hanyuu shivered. "You're really nice and the syndrome makes everyone do really bad things. It would be bad if someone like you got infected by it."

"No kidding," Shinichi nodded.

"Have any more of those creatures risen up?" asked Rika.

"None yet," Shinichi replied. "After wiping out that nest they might be laying low or none of them have gotten strong enough to make a bold move like at the festival and in town. I don't mind the peace though."

"Of course you wouldn't," Rika smiled. "What with you spending all your time with Reina. I heard her father chased you with an axe when he saw you two making out."

"That was scary," Shinichi shivered.

"You mean it's true?" Hanyuu blinked. "Wow. You must have been going at it hot and heavy if he was chasing you like that."

Shinichi yelled out, "Hey! Kids your age shouldn't say things like that!"

"Actually, Hanyuu is a lot older than she looks," stated Rika. "Still, it is funny when you think about it." She smirked.

"Just don't tease me about it, OK? I'm still new at this whole being in love thing," he replied with a blush.

"Really?" Hanyuu blinked. "I thought boys your age probably had tons of crushes." She then realized what she'd said as Shinichi gave her a look. "Oh, I forgot. Your amnesia."

"Exactly. All I know about my past is that I was some sort of warrior," said Shinichi, referring to his Kamen Rider powers. "Other than that everything is a blank. These dreams are clues but they don't tell me much. They freak me out, actually. Hell, I'm not even sure if Shinichi Sanban is even my real name."

"We'll figure your past out, Shinichi," said Rika.

"I know, but I'm afraid of what I might find out." He checked his watch. "Rena-chan's probably waiting for me. I gotta go back and have lunch with her. She made me something special, she says."

"She always does," said Rika. "She loves you, so don't break her heart."

"I promise," said Shinichi.

After school, Shion and Mion decided to visit Satoshi again. Accompanying them was Satoko, Satoshi's little sister. They visited the boy frequently, hoping, just hoping, that he would wake up. Shion missed him dearly. It was only by the support of her friends and family that she hadn't broken down.

Shinichi had seen them enter the clinic and shook his head. If only they knew the cause of the Hinamizawa Syndrome. If only he could destroy those Darklings and Darkloids then this village would be freed from those dark things for good. However, it wasn't an easy job. They could hide themselves well and were just as dangerous in person as they were with their method of infection. What Shinichi wanted to know was how people kept getting infected. No one had reports of seeing the monsters and it took time before the infected started to flip out. If Shinichi could just learn how the people got infected, it would go a long way to destroying them and their damnable parasites.

Inside the ward, Mion, Shion, and Satoko had all taken seats around the comatose young man. Shion was just content to rest her head on his chest and hear his heartbeat. Mion sat back and gave her sister emotional support. She could understand just how bad Shion felt. If something happened to Keiichi, she would be inconsolable.

"Don't worry about a thing Nii-nii," Satoko said reassuringly to the older boy. "We have your room all clean and ready for you when you get out of here. The doctor is going to cure you and you'll be back home where you belong."

Shinichi listened as he swept past the door. It only served to strengthen his resolve to destroy the Darkloids and Darklings that were harming these people.

The Darkloid crawled out of its hiding space. It was time for it to act. Once night fell, it would attack and destroy the one that threatened its race. No one was meant to interfere with their feast. This village, filled with paranoia and distrust, would become their dinner platter. They'd planted the seeds and watching as they grew. The villagers would turn against each other, hurt each other, and finally themselves. In the end, darkness will win and the light will be snuffed out.

Those infected will rise. They'd been asleep long enough. Time for them to wake up and destroy.

Shion gasped when she saw Satoshi's hand move and pretty soon his eyes were opening. "Satoshi-kun!"

"Nii-nii!" Satoko smiled happily. However, suddenly Satoshi grabbed Satoko and then tossed her against the wall.

"Satoshi-kun, what are you doing!" Shion cried out but was backhanded. Mion was frozen as she saw Satoshi's eyes on her. They weren't his normal eyes. Where the whites should be were pitch black.

"Satoshi!" Mion shouted but then was grabbed by the throat. She tried to pry his hands off her but he was tightening his grip.

Suddenly, a broom was broken over Satoshi's head, knocking him out. He fell like a sack of potatoes. Shinichi dropped the broken broom and checked on Mion. "Oi, Mion, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Mion answered, coughing.

Shinichi nodded and turned around to see Satoshi growling at him. He'd regained consciousness and didn't look happy. Shinichi's eyes narrowed as he saw the dark aura surrounding the blond boy.

"Get Satoko and your sis out of here," Shinichi ordered. "Let me handle zombie-boy."

"But-" Mion began to argue.

"NOW!" Shinichi shouted. Mion now knew not to argue and then went to Satoko and Shion. She helped them up and led them out of the ward. Shinichi's eyes were on Satoshi. Of course, he wasn't the only one waking up. The other patients were also starting to awaken and looked like zombies. "So, this is their plan then. Well, I have to stop it." His belt formed as he avoided a swipe. "Henshin! Let's Ride: Showa!"

Shion, Mion and Satoko, along with Dr. Irie, were out of the clinic. Suddenly, the wall in the side exploded as Showa came tumbling out. Behind him were the zombified Hinamizawa Syndrome victims. The others gasped when they saw Showa and he grimaced a bit in pain. These people, infected by the darkness, were stronger than they looked and twice as murderous. They started to attack at great frequency, trying to crack open Showa's armor. He, however, barreled through them and began to punch and kick them, knocking them to the ground. This was only a temporary solution, though. He needed a way to knock them down for good.

"Let's Ride: Super-1!" His armor changed in a flash of light. He was now donned in a black bodysuit with a red scarf, silver chest-plate, gloves (with fringes hanging from them) and boots. His silver helmet also had red eyes like a wasp's and like his many forms before had antennae.

As Super-1, Showa now possesses his abilities, including the power to change his 'hands'.

"Time for some electro-shock therapy!" He called out, "Electric Hands!" His gloves turned blue and became charged up with electricity. "Oiyah!" He shot several bolts of electricity at the zombies, knocking them out cold.

He called out, "Let's Ride: Riderman!" In Riderman form, Showa was now clad in a black bodysuit with a yellow scarf, red chestplate, and matching silver gloves and boots. His helmet was blue with red eyes and an open faceplate. His right forearm had a gauntlet with a hook attachment instead of a hand. "Net Arm!" He shot out a net that captured the unconscious Hinamizawa Zombies. The weights on the ends of the net would make sure they wouldn't be going anywhere.

"Take care of them," Showa said to the others as his armor returned to its default form.

"Shin-chan, is that you?" Mion asked. Showa turned to look at her. "What are you?"

"A friend," was his answer before he went to go search for the Darkloid. They then heard the sound of a motor engine and Showa turned to see an unmanned motorbike heading their way. It shared the same color-scheme as Showa's armor and had the Roman numeral XIII on the front. It stopped next to Showa. It was his and he knew it. "And looks like my ride is here." He mounted it.

"Shinichi-san, wait!" Satoko called but the odd armored boy had raced off.

His suit was telling him where the Darkloid was. "Now, to end it," he said firmly to himself before he accelerated.

The Darkloid was in the junkyard, steam escaping from its jaws. The beast was made of black steel and had knife-like teeth. Smokestacks were on its shoulders and scrap metal covered its arms. Its hands looked like the jaws of cranes and were mashing bits of metal in irritation.

"You've been waiting for me," Showa frowned as he arrived. The Darkloid growled as it got to its feet with a hydraulic hiss. "You're the one responsible for those people's condition. You're the cause of their pain."

The Junk Darkloid hissed and smashed a pile of refuse in anger, stomping towards the Kamen Rider. This thing was mad and wasn't afraid of showing it. Well, Showa was mad too at how the Darkloid would try to use people as puppets, especially loved ones of his friends.

This Darkloid wouldn't survive the night. It let loose a roar and smashed down one of its hands to squash the bug. Showa, however, moved quickly out of the way while on his bike. He rode in a circle around the beast as it tried to squash him but missed each time.

"What's the matter? Too slow?" Showa taunted. He then raced towards the Darkloid and jumped up with his bike. The tires screeched along the face of the Darkloid's face, causing friction burns. It roared as Showa leapt off and landed. "Here, some light!" He aimed the headlights and shone them upon the Darkloid.

"RARGH!" it roared as it tried to shield its eyes from the bright light. It thrashed around but the light was blinding it.

"Time to turn you into junk for good," said Showa. He kicked the stand down and then leapt off his bike. "RIDER PUNCH!"

SMASH!

The brutal punch caused the Darkloid to topple over. It picked itself up and attacked, striking down on Showa who rolled out of the way.

"RIDER KICK!"

The attack was executed perfectly as it slammed into the Darkloid's chest, sending it flying into a mountain of garbage. It was still alive, however, as it got back to its feet and roared. It charged for Showa. Showa dodged to the side when one of its crane-like hands came down but was batted aside by the other hand. He rolled along the ground as the Darkloid marched over and raised its foot to squash him.

"Showa-Racer, Go!" Showa commanded.

The bike obeyed and raced towards the Darkloid. It jumped up and slammed straight into its chest. The Darkloid landed on its back as the bike landed and then spun around towards its master. It stopped in front of Showa whose eyes were focused on the Darkloid. His eyes flashed emerald green as electricity danced around his antennae.

"Game Over," said Showa ominously as the energy collected into his hands, forming a ball of bright green power. The Junk Darkloid rose up and then roared, charging for Showa. "RIDER BOMB!" He threw the ball and it soared through the air before colliding with the Darkloid. The ball then smashed its way through the creature, creating a large gaping hole in its gut. It froze and then Showa executed his finisher, "RIDER KICK!"

He leapt up and dealt a brutal drop kick upon its head, sending it crashing to the ground. Showa landed and clapped his hands together to dust them off as the Darkloid faded into the darkness.

"Game Over." With a snap of his fingers, he called, "Return to the Past, now!" The crystal in his belt released a blinding light which expanded and engulfed the entire village.

The day began anew after Shinichi used his Return to the Past. Inside the ward where victims of the Hinamizawa Syndrome were kept, one of their number began to stir. Satoshi wiped his eyes and groaned as he held his head. It felt like something had bored its way into his skull and was ripped out. He couldn't clearly remember what he was doing besides being at the junkyard with his friends, helping Reina look for cute things. The next thing he knew he was here. He thought he could remember the yearly festival though.

An opening door captured his attention and he turned to see who it was. It was a Dr. Irie who was checking on the patients. The man had only taken a few steps in before he saw Satoshi standing up. Gasping, he dropped his clipboard in shock.

"Um…where am I?" Satoshi asked sleepily.

"Satoshi-kun!"

"Nii-nii!"

Satoshi was immediately engulfed in the embrace of his little sister and Shion. The two girls were just so happy to see him awake after two long years. They were crying tears of joy. Even Rena and Mion were smiling as they saw the scene, wiping away their tears as an old friend returned to them.

"Looks like a happy ending," said Shinichi to Keiichi who was leaning against the wall.

"Guess so," admitted Keiichi. "Better introduce ourselves, huh?"

"Yup," agreed Shinichi.

Rika was with Hanyuu, smiling. This was a great victory for them. The defeat of the Darkloid had awakened Satoshi. Of course, many other patients were still asleep. Did that mean Shinichi needed to fight more of them?

Dr. Irie could only marvel at what had occurred. The parasite which was causing the syndrome was rooted strongly. There didn't seem to be any kind of void where the parasite was and there were no side effects of its sudden departure. Satoshi had no recollection of how he got the syndrome, but he could barely remember anything about the festival in which he was taken away from. Whenever the parasite had come from, it was covering its tracks. There was no telling how it infected the poor boy. The good doctor wanted to run some more tests, but Satoshi had an expectant family waiting for him who was very eager to see him again.

Shion sniffled as she continued to clutch Satoshi while Satoko sobbed against her big brother. Two years. Two years without him. One year of him being missing and another year of seeing him unconscious on a bed with only a machine telling them that he was still alive. Now he was back in her arms and she didn't want to let go.

She wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. When Satoshi had his time with his family, she would open up to him. She was going to tell him how she felt. Mion had Keiichi and Rena had Shinichi. She wouldn't let this chance pass her by.

Satoshi was trying to catch up on a lot of things. The previous year the village was nearly destroyed by a fanatical woman. Also, he befriended Keiichi, Hanyuu and Shinichi. He was surprised to find out that Shinichi and Keiichi were dating his friends, Rena and Mion, respectively.

Shion also managed to confess to Satoshi. The reunion had been heartfelt and Shinichi took a picture of their moment. As for a place to live, Satoshi would be staying with Satoko, Hanyuu and Rika in Rika's house which was big enough for the four of them. His and Satoko's old home held bitter memories, ones he didn't wish to revisit.

It was the weekend and the Gaming Club was having a picnic. Shinichi stood at a distance with Rika as he took pictures of the gang enjoying the food Rena had prepared.

"You did a good thing," Rika stated as Shinichi took another shot with his camera. Shion was feeding Satoshi. "Satoshi has been missed."

"I guess so, but he's the first to awaken. There are still others," stated Shinichi honestly. He focused on the gang and took another picture, this time of Keiichi feeding a blushing Mion.

"Well, keep on fighting," said Rika. "I think you'll be the one to save the people here."

"Rika-chan! Shin-kun! Come here! Come here!" Rena called to her boyfriend and friend.

"We better go," said Shinichi as he let the camera hang from his neck. "And I'm starved."

Rika's only response was with a cheerful, "Nipah…"