Another Chapter in the Expose arc.
Next up, we have the oh-so action packed Man among men series: Kamen Rider!
For those of you familliar with the series, feel free to continue, for those of you new to the saga of cyborgs, evil organizations, alien monsters and men in bug costumes, strap yourselves in!
HENSHIN-! Kyugan-sensei~!
For those who don't know, the Kamen Rider Series is one of the penultimate, if not THE ultimate, Tokusatsu series, and pretty much the 'big broher' to Super Sentai. The only difference is that, whereas Super Sentai featured a large cast of characters and giant combining robots, Kamen Rider typically had a small cast (with some exceptions) but made up for it with better plotlines, more character development and generally being overall BETTER, aimed at a slightly older crowd (still a kid's show, but then considering kid's shows in japan, it'd probably be rated PG over here.)
Produced by Hiroyama Toru in 1971, with the aid of Cyborg 009 creator Ishinomori Shotaro, it featured insect-themed, motorcycle riding superheros (initially cyborgs) who fight off evl organizations and their supervillian minions (referred to as kaijin), though later on (Heisei Era) the villians all received designations unique to their specific series (Heisei Era).
The Showa Era (1970's-late 1980's) Riders all shared the Cyborg' theme (with the Exception of Amazon and Shin) and the 'Evil Organization' nemesis. So much so, you could arguably say that they all occured in the same universe, just different areas and times. This was later taken advantage of in the Epic Manga Series, Kamen Rider Spirits, where almost all the Showa Riders made an appearance, battling against their revived organizations, all of which are sub-branches of the same evil organization JUDE.
Unfortunately, most of these never made it to the west, with the exception of Kamen Rider Black RX, which Saban attempted to 'americanize' in order to take advantage of the Power Ragers craze of the time under the title 'Saban's Masked Rider'.
For those of you wh, like me, had the misfortune to watch this show as a kid and automatically think 'it wasn't THAT bad'...do yourself a favour, watch the ORIGINAL Black RX series (it's out there somewhere), I assure you, you'll be wondering 'where the hell did they go wrong' for YEARS.
BlackRX: Where the hell did the mutant platypus thing come from?
The Heisei Era (Late 90's and onwards) is the era most of us are more familliar with, and was a refreshing comeback after the long absence of the series. It was also here that monsters stopped being referred to as simple 'kaijin' (to my knowledge) and received designated names (Grongi, Unkown, Fangires etc) and each series typically had a 'theme' that was followed.
It was also the only era I know of to possess a 'slapstick' series (Kamen Rider Den-O), which rather than deviating from the image, actually tied in rather well, due to the skills of the actors and the overall plot. It also saw the era of a new breed of Riders, the reluctant Riders, those who are either too timid (Ryotaro/Wateru) or too reluctant (Inui/Shinji) to don their respecitve mantles until some crisis arises.
In short, out of all things to come out of Japan, I'm glad I managed to catch wind of this Series. It is, quite bluntly, EPIC, and it really pissed me off that the attempt to 'americanise' it bombed like it did with 'Masked Rider'.
Fortunately, the 'American' version of 'Heisei Era's Ryuki (Kamen Rider Dragon Knight) Wasn't too bad. True, it didn't follow the plot of the original, but the rerite was a solid plot and made good use of the stock footage, the casting was well done and the additions (Henshin effects and bike henshins) were all done really well.
It gives me hope that any future rewrites will be as successful. It seems one of the reasons Ryuki ws picked was because it had a wide range of characters (13 riders! Whoo!) So perhaps Series with multiple Riders is the way to go.
Which brings me to the Basis for this fic's Rider elements: Kamen Rider Kabuto.
CAST OFF!
The story revolves around a man named Tendou Souji, who (due to a time paradox explained in the movie) has been training in secret for seven years while waiting for the Kabuto Zecter so that he may properly take up the name of Kamen Rider Kabuto. Tendou (as he's generally referred to, is an arrogant ass, but unlike most, he has a reason to be so, as he is, quite simply, the epitome of BADASS.
I'm not joking, this guy can do ANYTHING. His cooking can make rown men weep, he can pull of any sport, any activity, there is literally NOTHING he cannot do, and as a result, he has an attitude to match. As a result, he makes enemies a lot easier than friends, though thankfully he DOEs manage to make a few along the way, as the world has become infested with a race of alien lifeforms called Worms, who are able to mimic the appearance, memories and personality of the people they kill so perfectly, not even relatives can figure it out.
Ironically enough, it was Kabuto himself ( a future Souji Tendou) that caused the Worms to appear on Earth. But before you go WTF, you should know that, if he hadn't done what he had, things could've been a LOT worse (as in total planetary genocide worse). for more details, read the movie bio.
C3, or the Caucasus Zecter, is my take on the movie-only Change Brace 'Caucasus' Kabutick Zecter, which includes a Cast Off system not included in the original, in order to give it that 'kabuto feel'. The movie version didn't have 'cast off', it simply went straight to Rider mode, which always annoyed me for some reason.
That said, on with the show!
CLOCK UP!
Moon's Love, A Rider's Aid.
Deep within the dark confines of his laboratory, the being known only as the professor continued his dark research, slowly and carefully injecting the contents of a syringe into a waiting Daimon Egg, though his usual Slasher smile was replaced with a scowl, which was hidden by the gloom and the light reflecting off his glasses.
The recent string of failures that his minions were wracking up was unwelcome and unexpected. By all rights, NOBODY should have been able to stand up to his creations, the Daimon were one of his many sources of pride, each one a work of art, each one the result of hours of intense experimentation and cultivation.
Not that it mattered, really, as despite their success in securing Pure Heart Crystals, not a single one had been a talisman, so in the end there was no real loss. The problem was that it wasn't easy cultivating Daimon Eggs, which made for long periods of waiting between the next assignment, usually lasting a few days.
"Professor." A familiar voice called out, Kaolinite stepping out of the darkness, dressed, as usual when in his presence, in her white lab coat over her red outfit.
"Oh, it's you, Kaolinite." The demented researcher noted, his Slasher smile returning as he turned to face her slightly.
"I've come to understand that a Pure Heart is one that possesses an intense love for something." Kaolinite revealed, smiling in what she assumed was a suggestive manner "Naturally, one would assume that a pair of Lovers would have a Talisman or two between them." When her ploy failed to elicit a response she sighed before turning serious once again "Professor, when will the next Daimon Egg be ready?"
"Kaolinite." The Professor intoned, his Slasher smile in place, though his tone caused the redheaded woman to shiver "How many Daimon must we throw away?" he asked, shaking a test-tube which contained the latest Daimon Egg gently "The recent string of failures in our quest to locate the talismans is becoming costly." He reminded her, causing the redhead to flinch "Have you learned anything that may be of use to us against the Sailor Senshi, and that Kamen Rider that's been helping them?"
"Nothing useful I'm afraid." Kaolinite admitted with a sigh "While there's no abundance of sites pertaining to the Senshi, most of the information there is either useless or hypothetical in nature." She shook her head "And as for the Kamen Rider, the opposite applies, it's like he simply popped out of thin air, armor and all, which leads me to believe he's either very good at covering his tracks, or he's working with someone who's good at keeping information under control."
"I see." the Professor mused, his tone contemplative as he poured the mixture into a beaker, watching the Daimon Egg develop into a Daimon Seed, which hovered before him "That DOES sound ominous. At this rate we may NEVER see any positive results, no matter HOW many Daimon Seeds we create."
"Please, Professor, do not concern yourself with such matters." Kaolinite insisted, smiling at the man she both loved and respected "I shall personally oversee this operation."
"Will you now?" the Professor wondered, sounding amused by the idea, balancing the Daimon seed on the tip of his finger, before turning to face the woman, Slasher smile in place as he flicked it towards her "Very well." He uttered, watching as it hovered into her hands "I will leave it in your…capable hands."
"Please leave it to me." Kaolinite assured him, smiling devotedly at the man, vanishing in burst of red light, leaving her lab coat to flutter forlornly to the floor.
With Lelouch...
"Lover's Park: Affection Contest?" C3 repeated, hovering over Lelouch's shoulder as the teen sat astride the Side Bashaar, munching on a hotdog "You're not serious?"
"I picked up the signal from the Egg some time last night." Lelouch admitted, chewing at his hotdog as he spoke "I'm pretty sure it's somewhere on the competition grounds, though WHERE exactly is beyond me, the damn things signal disappears once it buries itself in it's host."
"T's technology has it's limits I suppose." C3 sighed, heedless of the fact that SHE, technically, was an example of said technology "But why would they target a competition dedicated to lovers? One to many valentines days without cards?"
"Maybe." Lelouch conceded with a snort "But if you think about I, this is the perfect place for the Death Busters to strike next."
"I don't follow." C3 countered, the Golden Caucasus Zecter looking up at her partner in confusion as he swallowed the last bite of his hotdog "How does a glorified excuse to play cupid factor into their plans?"
"As corny as it sounds, love seems to be the key element in all of their attacks thus far.' Lelouch explained, washing the hotdog down with a bottle canteen of water "More accurately, a love of something precious."
"Like the Mechanic's love of cars or that girls love of cats." C3 deduced, nodding her horned head in understanding "I suppose it stands to reason that love between two people would be the best source." She turned towards the teen inquisitively "So why are you out here instead of inside? Couldn't find a date?"
"Hardly." Lelouch scoffed, snorting in bemusement "I'd rather not get dragged into any ridiculous misunderstandings that might arise from getting directly involved." He elaborated, tossing the empty wrapper from his hotdog into the trash, leaning back on Side-Bashaar as he spoke "Besides, if something DOES happen, I can transform here without having to worry about being spotted."
"Yo." A voice called out, startling Lelouch, the former Emperor almost falling off his bike, straightening up in time to see Haruka and Michiru walking towards him, the blonde, as always, dressed in men's clothing.
'How in the hell do they manage to do that?' Lelouch wondered, eyeing the pair warily, even as Michiru giggled at his flustered appearance 'Seriously, I thought only Sayoko could sneak up on me like that!'
"Long time no see, Lulu." Haruka greeted, smiling at the foreign teen "Didn't expect to run into YOU here, you competing as well?"
"Hardly.' Lelouch countered, holding up the empty bag his snack had come in "I just pulled over to eat without worrying about police chasing me."
"I can relate." Haruka snorted, earning a disapproving frown from Michiru even as she lent in to examine the teen's bike "Nice ride, looks like a…though I don't recall them coming with a side-car."
"It's a custom job." Lelouch replied, quirking a brow at the blonde's knowledge of motorcycles, he himself hadn't been able to identify it even WITH T's notes.
"Would love to see how it handles in a race," Haruka noted, sighing whimsically "but until I get my bike license back, I'm limited to cars."
"A shame." Lelouch snorted, glancing at Michiru, who giggled and covered her mouth in good humor, "Should I assume YOU are competing then? Or is that a stupid Question?"
"Right on both counts." Haruka admitted, smirking confidently as she took Michiru's arm in her own, the pair smiling at one another "It might not be technically fair, but hey, it said 'Couples', it never said both members of said couple had to be different genders."
"Ah the wonders of loopholes." Lelouch sighed, earning a snort of amusement from the pair, even as he sat back on his bike "In any case good luck, I thought I saw Usagi and her friends disappear up that way as well when I pulled up."
"Odango Atama's here too?" Haruka asked, perking up, only to flinch as Michiru pinched her arm pointedly "Okay, okay, I just wanted to say hello!"
"Sure you were." Michiru muttered, her tone disbelieving, sighing in exasperation, even as she smiled at Lelouch in passing "See you later, Lelouch-san."
"Yeah, later Lulu." Haruka waved, smirking at the slight twitch of the teen's eye, mistaking it for annoyance and reveling at landing the parting jab, unaware of just how effective that blow had been.
"You okay?" C3 asked, the golden Zecter peeking out from behind the teen's collar, having hidden herself when the duo made their appearance.
"I'm fine…" Lelouch assured her, though his smile seemed oddly fixed as he sighed, his shoulders drooping "Just a little tired…been up since last night."
"Get some sleep in the sidecar." C3 instructed, buzzing up into the air "I'll keep an eye on the situation and wake you if something happens."
"Wait…!" Lelouch began, only to sigh as the Zecter flew off "There she goes again…" he muttered, shaking his head in wry bemusement "Still…a little shut-eye should do me good…" he admitted, peering at the sidecar warily "just hope this thing's more comfortable than Rivalz's…"
Competition...
"Yosh! All you happy lovers out there!" the announcer called out, stirring the audience up into a frenzy "Are you ready to feel the love?" he asked, earning another eager cry as he gestured to the contestants "These Happy couples have come here today to display just how deeply their feelings for each other truly are." He gestured to the massive, heart-shaped statue behind him "But in the end, only one couple, with their loving pure hearts, will emerge triumphant over all else, to light the torch of Lover's Park!"
"Ugh…" C3 muttered, the Golden Beetle hovering high in the air to avoid being seen, gazing down at the cheering crowd in disgust "Honestly, I will NEVER be able to understand humans…hm?"
She turned, sharp eyes spotting a tall woman standing away from the audience, more accurately, standing behind a cluster of trees, peeking out at the festivities with a smile on her face.
'Well if it isn't the woman in the red dress…' the Zecter mused, her tone intrigued, recalling the redheaded harlot from the first time a Daimon had shown up 'Looks like Lelouch's guess was right, the Death Busters ARE targeting the competition.' she turned to eye the contestants warily 'But which ones?'
Finals...
"Okay everyone! This is it!" The Announcer cried, earning another round of cheers from the crowd "The confession contest! Even those of you that are trailing behind can bump up your rankings in this round! Each contestant will confess their love to their respective partners, and those of you in the audience can award them points!"
"We Quit." Haruka called out, startling the announcer, the shorthaired blonde smiling in bemusement "We weren't really serious with this, and yet it looks like we're going to win…" she glanced at Umino out the corner of her eye, impressed despite herself by the little nerd's devotion "May as well give those who REALLY want to win a chance." She smiled as she turned to the audience "Not that anyone can really lose here, for Love is Everywhere!"
The audience cheered in understanding, giving the pair a standing ovation as they stepped of the stage, Michiru giving Naru and Umino an encouraging smile in passing, even the other contestants looking moved by the blonde's speech.
"All…alright then…" the announcer sweatdropped, torn between feeling glad that the stubborn, intimidating blonde was gone, and moved by his speech, mistakenly under the general assumption that Haruka was a man "In that case, let's move on to the next contestants!"
"Haruka-san was so cool!" Minako exclaimed, not caring that the pretty blonde was actually a girl, it didn't change the fact that she was HOT, even dressed as a guy.
"It was certainly nice of them to give the other contestants a chance." Ami agreed, looking up at the stage in wonder as the rest of the contestants tried their hands "But what do you think she meant by not being serious?"
"Well isn't it obvious?" Rei pointed out, wincing as the second from last contestants finished their confession, which resulted in the woman clobbering the man over the head with a hammer "They're both GIRLS! It hardly counts."
"Love has many forms." Minako countered, the senshi of love nodding her head sagely, only to look up as Umino and Naru's turn arrived at last, sweatdropping as the poor boy tripped over the microphone cable and crashed face-first into the stage "Oh boy…"
"Is he going to be okay?" Ami wondered, looking on in concerned pity as the poor boy pushed himself to his knees, only to smile up at the concerned Naru.
"Naru-chan." The bespectacled teen proclaimed "You're always bright, like the sun." he looked down at the ground, though he kept smiling "I'm such a klutz, always seem to screw up, and probably don't deserve someone like you." He twiddled his thumbs nervously "I don't know what you see in a loser like me, maybe it's just one of God's little flights of fancy…" he smiled up at the girl "But when I see you smile Naru-chan, it makes me feel like an Angel's watching over me…" he got to his feet with a determined expression "For that smile…I'd gladly give my life!"
"He says some good things…" C3 noted, smiling approvingly, honestly moved by the boy's heartfelt speech despite being just a machine, which made the resulting cheers of the crowd, who actually possessed the means to shed tears of emotion, to almost deafen the poor boy.
"By unanimous vote, this couple is the WINNER!" the Announcer proclaimed, wiping tears from his eyes, even as he gestured to the curtain behind him, unveiling a huge statue of a heart that symbolized the couple who had won "now both of you, light the flame of love!"
"That must be it!" C3 realized, buzzing animatedly as she spotted the redhead from earlier stand up straighter at the announcement "The Daimon Seed is in the Statue!"
Daimon Henshin-!
Spinning around in mid-air, the golden Zecter raced off to fetch Lelouch, even as Umino pressed his palm against the statue, causing it to light up, but not in the way it was intended, its form shifting into a tall, shapely woman with bright red hair that curled like a heart to cover half her face. She was dressed in a black, sleeveless bodysuit with high heels and black arm gloves. A giant orange heart adorned her chest, two smaller ones adorning her boots, and a large purple heart with an arrow through it rested on her head
"DIE HEART!" the Daimon cried out, her voice melodious and enticing, peering down at the terrified forms of Umino and Naru as the boy shielded his love from her "That Pure Heart that thinks only of his true love," she proclaimed, her hair rising to reveal the Black Star Tattoo on her cheek "I shall claim the Talisman concealed within!"
"Move, Naru-chan!" Umino called out, shoving his beloved out of the path, only to scream as the beam struck him right in the chest, the Daimon flying down and straddling the teen for good measure.
"Found it!" Die-Heart proclaimed, giggling effeminately as she reached into Umino's chest, withdrawing the poor boy's Pure Heart Crystal.
"Hold it!" a familiar voice called out, the Daimon turning to see the Sailor Senshi assembled behind her "To ruin the light of love that was finally allowed to shine," Sailor Moon called out angrily "Even if the goddess of love forgave you, the Sailor Senshi will not! In the name of the Moon we will Punish You!"
"How amusing…" a sultry voice called out, the Senshi looking up to see a redheaded woman a revealing red dress hovering in the air "but little girls should act like little girls, right, Die Heart?"
"Hai, Heart!" the Daimon agreed, sticking her hand into the heart on her chest, the Senshi tensing as it began to glow, only to blink as nothing seemed to happen to them "LET'S START DANCING!"
"Eh?" the Senshi blinked, only to blush as five strikingly handsome men appeared before them, stepping forward to take their respective Senshi by the hand with a cry of "Let's Dance!"
"W-well…" Sailor Moon giggled, Mamoru completely forgotten for the moment in the face of such a charming fellow "Only for a minute…" she stammered, even as she broke into a swing dance with her partner, the other Sailor Senshi following suit, even the normally reserved Sailor Mercury.
"Huh," Idiotic little girls." the red-clad redhead scoffed, smirking in disdain as she watched the Senshi dance away, unaware that their partners were actually five monsters, minions of Die Heart, each designed to appeal to their respective Senshi's interpretation of the ideal man "Hard to believe they've given us such a hard time." she moved to snap her fingers "No longer, time to die-!"
"CAST OFF!" a voice called out, Kaolinite looking on in alarm as the Senshi and their partners were knocked off their feat by several projectile pieces of armor, the redhead turning towards the source of the noise, only to scowl at the sight of the OTHER thorn in her master's side.
As the illusion wears off...
"Well isn't this interesting?" Caucasus called out, his tone intrigued "I didn't know this was a dancing competition, and me without my ballroom shoes."
"Caucasus-san?" Moon stammered, blinking at the Rider in confusion that was swiftly giving way to anger "What were you thinking? You could have hurt someone!"
"Kind of the idea." Caucasus replied, pointing behind the blonde, the leader of the Senshi turning, only to yelp at the sight of the crushed monster that lay in the place of her dancing partner "I don't know what you were doing dancing with that thing, but I hope Tuxedo Kamen isn't the jealous type."
"Well if it isn't the mysterious Kamen Rider…" a voice called out, Caucasus turning to see Kaolinite hovering above him, her arms crossed beneath her breasts "You've caused a lot of trouble for us."
"Kaolinite of the Death Busters I presume." Caucasus returned, causing the redhead to start briefly, shocked that he knew her name "Don't looked so surprised, your Daimon might be strong, they're not particularly good at keeping secrets."
"So it would seem." Kaolinite muttered, only to smile confidently at the Rider "A mistake we shall rectify in all future models."
"You won't be given the chance to!" a voice declared, the redhead turning to see Sailor Uranus and Neptune standing off to the side in a battle stance "We're putting a stop to you right here!"
"Is that so?" Kaolinite asked, smiling confidently as she snapped her fingers, forcing the elder Senshi to leap out of the path of a bolt of lightning "You're Ten years to young to challenge me-!"
A sudden, searing pain in her side caused her to drop out of the air, landing on the ground with a cry of agony, looking down to see a small hole burnt into her dress. 'What?' she stammered, her eyes wide with alarm, only to look up to see Caucasus standing over her, a strange looking firearm held in his hand.
"Looks like I'm just the right age then." The Golden Rider noted, his tone mocking as he leveled his weapon at her head "Either that, or old age has finally caught up with you."
"DAMN YOU!" Kaolinite snarled, snapping her fingers, forcing the Rider to leap back to avoid being struck by lightning, allowing her to take to the air, though not as agilely as before.
"No you don't!" Caucasus yelled, aiming his weapon at her again, only to curse as Die Heart tackled him from the side, throwing off his aim.
"DIE-HEART!" Kaolinite snarled, rising higher into the air as she glared hatefully down at the Rider "Give that bastard a partner for his last dance!"
"Dammit get off me!" Caucasus swore, struggling to throw the Daimon off as he watched Kaolinite vanish in a flash of red, only to curse and shield his eyes as Die Heart reached one hand into her golden heart, the resulting light blinding him for a few seconds "That's not going to-!"
He stopped, words failing him as he gazed at the figure standing before him, her wide, angelic smile filled with adoration as she held her arms out to him. "Let's dance!" she called out, her angelic smile setting his heart at ease as she took his hands in both her own "What are you waiting for? Don't you want to dance with me?"
"Yes…" Lelouch breathed, his armor gone, the teen dressed in a tuxedo as he allowed his partner to place his hand on her hip, letting her take the lead as they danced around the ballroom that had sprung up around them.
"Isn't this nice?" his partner asked, smiling up at him as they danced, heedless anything else, the two rest of the world shrinking to encompass only them and the dance floor "I'm glad we could dance together." She looked up when Lelouch didn't answer, noting the tears trickling from his eyes, which were hidden by his bangs. "Is something wrong?" she asked, looking up at him in concern, "Do you not want to dance with me after all?"
"No…" Lelouch countered, his voice hoarse "I want to dance with you…I've always wised I could dance with you…just you and me…together…forever…"
"Then we'll always be together…" his partner offered, smiling up at the former emperor, as she hugged herself to him, her head against his chest "We can dance forever and ever." She promised, only to blink as the teen brought his arms up to return her embrace.
"Thank you…" Lelouch offered, tears staining his cheeks as he buried his face in his partner's neck "I will never forget this dance…Nunnally."
Real Life...
"Caucasus-san!" Sailor Moon called out, looking on in concern as the Rider danced away with Die Heart, the Daimon positioning them so that no matter what they did, the Rider's back was between her and the Senshi "Snap out of it!"
"Dammit, he's under the same spell she got us with!" Mars swore, disgusted at the fact she'd been tricked into dancing with a monster, and not even an ATTRACTIVE one at that!
"Uranus!" Neptune called out, drawing the younger Senshi's attention to the older blonde, who had her fist raised over her head "You mustn't!"
"Dammit Neptune it's the only way!" Uranus countered, though she didn't look as certain of herself as she normally would "Besides he's survived it before! URANUS WORLD-!"
"RIDER BEAT!" the Caucasus Zecter declared, the senshi looking on in surprise as Die Heart screamed as Caucasus rammed his fist through her chest, the Daimon exploding in a burst of Tachyon energy that obscured the Rider with the smoke.
"Huh…bastard snapped out of it in time." Uranus muttered, surprising even herself with how relieved she sounded, Neptune releasing a sigh of relief as the dust cleared, revealing Caucasus standing with Umino's heart crystal hovering in his palm.
"Caucasus-san!" Sailor Moon called out, running up to the Rider with the rest of the Senshi, their faces lined with relief "Are you all…right?"
She trailed off, the Senshi pulling up short behind the Rider, who was staring down at the shattered debris that was all that was left of the Heart Statue, a ruined Daimon seed lying amidst the rubble.
"Caucasus-san…" Neptune called out, the elder Senshi walking up to the Rider, causing the younger ones to tense in concern "Are you alright?" she asked, startling the Inners, who'd thought she'd ask to examine the Crystal.
"I'm fine." Caucasus replied, though his tone was flat as he handed the crystal to the aquamarine haired woman "It's not a talisman." He muttered, turning to walk off, the Senshi parting nervously to let him past.
"Ano, Caucasus-san?" Moon called out hesitantly, halting the Rider in his tracks "I don't know what you saw, but you know it was an illusion right? It wasn't real."
"She was real." Caucasus countered, the Senshi blinking at the emotion in his voice, as if his heart was about to break "It might have been an illusion…but we were never able to dance together like that…" he continued on his way "And we never will…"
The senshi watched his retreating back, unable, UNWILLING to try and stop him. Somehow, instinctively, they all knew that beneath his armor, the golden Rider was crying.
A more emotional ending to be fair.
C.C: Sound strategy, if you can't target the body, target the mind.
I know, stull feel dirty for using it though.
C.C: ah well, more to come!
