Silver: *slides in surfer style on the floor, before stopping himself* Whew! That's some awesome slidage! ...Guys? *hears a slam as KKD is seen stuck in a wall before he pulls himself out, leaving a KKD-shaped imprint.*
KKD: Oh… anybody get the number of that Flicky? *falls to the ground*
Silver: Da Hell's a Flicky?
KKD: *dizzy* Oooh… look at the little Flicky-birds. Tweet-tweet-tweet!
Silver: -_- Anyways, shall we get to the chapter?
TB: *walks in wearing a Ghostbusters uniform and carrying a trap that's smoking* Sorry I'm late. Did he get hit into the wall like a Looney Tunes cartoon?
Silver: Yeah. I waxed the place earlier, and I thought it'd be fun to slide in with my socks on...
KKD: Slip'n and a-slide'n. *struggles to get up but falls flat on his face.* Tasty floor...
Silver: Here, let me help you up, Sempai. *helps KKD up to his feet* There you go. You doing alright?
KKD: Oooh… who're you?
Silver: *sighs, before smacking KKD across the face* Snap out of it!
KKD: *helmet spins around before it flies off his head somehow, leaving him temporarily headless, and then the helmet fell back down* Whoa… what happened?
Silver: You hit the wall. Anyways, shall we get started? Today's chapter is about AJ's parents! *shows the start of Ink Rose's Headcanon video about Applejack* No, not that story! This one is different.
KKD: Different how? Well… that would be...
Momo: SPOILERS!
Silver: Ugh… can we just get on to the Disclaimers?
TB: I'll take care of the disclaimers. *switches on Proton Pack* I love that sound *fires it*
DISCLAIMERS: No one from Team Toku Sonic West owns anything in this fanfiction except for the original concepts within. The rest is owned by Hasbro, the Hub, Lauren Faust, and their respective owners.
AJ looked around the white space that surrounded her, confused as to what was going on. She tried to speak, but no words seemed to escape her mouth.
'What in tarnation is going on?' she thought to herself, 'This is probably a dream, but it feels so real...'
"Allison…" she suddenly heard a voice speak.
'H-huh? Who's there?'
"Allison…" the voice spoke again, "Save me…"
'Wait… it can't be… Tou-san?' she asked, before seeing her father standing before her, a middle-aged man with short brown hair, matching eyes, wearing a cowboy shirt and overalls as well as boots, as well as the horseshoe-shaped armband that AJ normally saw Mac wear, which was given to him by their father.
"Save me, Allison… save me…" the image of her father spoke, suddenly starting to fade away.
'Tou-san, wait!' AJ shouted in her head, trying her hardest to move but to no avail. As her father finally disappeared from sight, she felt a dark presence behind her as the white space around her turned black, before she suddenly heard a massive roar.
AJ eyes shot open, as she bolted upright in her bed, breathing heavily.
"Was that… really a dream?" she wondered aloud, before looking over at her Element of Harmony that sat on her bed rest.
"AJ? Are you awake?" she heard a voice ask, before Sakura opened the door to her room.
"Oh… Sakura. What are you doing up?" AJ asked.
"Ah had a bad dream…" Sakura replied, shifting her legs.
"Oh… so did Ah. Wanna talk about our bad dreams together?" AJ offered.
"Ah guess so…" Sakura replied, getting up on AJ's bed, "You were fighting a Nightmare Kaijin, and then it came up and swallowed ya whole, then started chasing after me!"
"Oh, Sakura, don't worry about it. Ah will always be there to protect ya," AJ reassured, "Besides, no big bad Nightmare Beast is gonna be chompin' on me! Ah'll punch it in the throat before it can git the chance."
Sakura giggled before looking back at AJ, "What was your dream about?"
"Well… Ah was in this white limbo, and... Ah heard the voice of our father," AJ explained, as Sakura's smile faded at the mention of their father, "Then… everything turned black, and Ah heard this weird monster roar…"
"Ya heard our daddy speakin'?" Sakura asked, concerned about what happened, "What did he say?"
"He said somethin' like 'Save me…' or somethin' like that."
"Do ya think he's alive?" Sakura inquired, "Ah don't wanna think our daddy died…"
"Ah dunno, Sakura. He's been gone for almost a year now…" AJ replied, sighing as she looked down.
"...Hey, AJ, what was our momma like?" Sakura asked. Sakura had been a baby when their mother took AJ to America.
"She was a kind, caring and lovin' parent. Ah really miss her a lot…" AJ stated, a tear coming to her eye. It had been almost 3 years since her mother died, and AJ still felt the sting of it. After that, she returned to the farm, and had to reconnect with her brother, who'd become very conserved since she'd last seen him, as well as get to know Sakura, since she had been a baby when AJ left. Life was hard for her at that time, but she eventually was able to reconnect with her family and her roots in apple farming.
"Ah wish Ah woulda gotten to see her," Sakura stated, a tear coming to her eye.
AJ couldn't help but give a tearful smile, before bringing Sakura in close. "Ah'm sure she'd be very proud of you…" AJ stated, wiping away Sakura's tears.
(Cue Intro: Crusader (Are We There Yet) by BlackGryph0n and Bassik)
*As the instrumental starts, we see glimpses of the Mane 6's counterparts at Tomodachi Academy before showing Mitsuko looking out into the sunset before the Title screen appears*
MLP: Guardians of Eclipsia
Young eyes see everything you've ever wanted
*The scene starts with Mitsuko, Twilight's counterpart, looking off to the horizon before the scene shifts to her in school.*
Hope dies when it won't come true
*Mitsuko looks down, a bit depressed at first before she looks up again and sees some people in particular.*
But realize the possibilities are endless
*The first of these people are Fluttershy's, Rarity's, and Applejack's counterparts, Hinata, Kisho, and Allison smile and wave.*
In time it will be all for you
*Then she looks to see Pinkie's and Rainbow Dash's counterparts, Momo & Sora smile, Momo waving while Sora gave Mitsuko the thumbs up.*
Still you're hoping, trying, praying, crying
*The scene then shows the six next to each other, their sleeves rolled up enough to reveal their transformation bracelets*
For your destiny to come this time
*The six all smile at each-other, Mitsuko walking off, soon followed by the other five.*
You are so young, and you are so free
*Night Wolves appear, surrounding the six, ready to attack.*
But you're aimless… And I can't help but see
*But they all change into their Guardian outfits and fight them off.*
That you don't know what you really need
*The Night Wolves stare at them for a bit before jumping at them.*
Are we there yet? A-a-are we there yet?
*The six then suddenly use their elemental abilities to blast the Night Wolves away.*
You've done it all from A to Z
*The scene then shifts to show each of them in school, spending a bit of time focusing on each of them.*
Are you trying to find your destiny?
*The scene then shifts to show Princess Helena and Spike, as well as an ethereal image of Princess Selena.*
One day you'll know who you want to be.
*The scene then also shows other minor characters from the story as well before refocusing on our main characters.*
Are we there yet? A-a-are we there yet?
*The six jump up, as a freezeframe happens in mid-air*
*As the closing instrumental plays out, we cut to see a picture of them all together, smiling, as the scene fades out*
Scroll 21: A Lost Akiyama
It was early morning, and Mitsuko was awake and looking on her laptop, doing some kind of research.
"Whatcha lookin' up, Mitzy-chan?" Momo asked, as she appeared next to her suddenly.
"WAGH!" Mitsuko gasped, nearly jumping backward, "Don't scare me like that!"
"Sorry. It's kinda mine and Kai's thing to do that," Momo giggled, "So again I ask... Whatcha lookin' up?"
Mitsuko sighed before going back to her research. "If you must know, I'm doing some genealogy research for a class project I have."
"Genie-ology? What does this have to do with Aladdin?" Momo asked.
"No, not Genie! Gen-ea-logy, like Generations."
"So… we're looking at Classic Sonic teaming up with Modern Sonic?"
"...No... No we are not," Mitsuko answered bluntly, rolling her eyes.
"Well, what is this Gear-neo-log-cheese? Big words… they don't work well with me..." Momo asked.
"Genealogy. Anyways, it's about family history, and even ancestry. It's used to figure out who our ancestors were. Anyways, I've been researching on my family and where we came from."
"Wow! That sounds really cool! Let me try!" Momo stated gleefully, trying to reach for the laptop. Eventually, they had gotten in Momo's information, and they were looking up the ancestry of the Natsukawa family.
"Well… this certainly looks interesting," Mitsuko admitted, as she looked at the base of Momo's family tree, which included herself, a man with gray hair in what looked like an Amish outfit, which could be applied to the woman next to him with glasses, and three girls, 2 younger and one older than Momo, all three having dark hair, almost black. However, none of the pictures, except Momo's, were smiling, "I didn't know your family owned a rice farm, Momo."
"Yeah. It was SO boring! There was never any smiling or fun! However, while I was walking, I saw a rainbow in the sky… and it was so beautiful! It was then I knew that I needed to lighten up the farm with fun, and so I threw my first party!"
"Wow. Did your family like it?"
"Well… sort of. I mean, they had fun, but my family and I have always had different ideals. We still love each other, though. My big sister is the nicest person you will ever meet!"
"Okay then…" Mitsuko replied, as they continued to look through the tree, "Oh, hey, there's your cousin. How's he been doing lately?"
"Oh he's been doing well. I'm also starting to reconnect with my aunt after what happened on her birthday that year…"
"Well, that's nice," Mitsuko stated, smiling, as they continued up the page, before a certain name caught their eye, "Eh? Why is it there's someone with the last name of 'Akiyama' on your family tree?"
"Hmmm?" Momo wondered aloud, looking at the picture of a girl with beach blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and wearing a pink shirt and blue overalls, "Oh! That's my Great-Aunt! Wait… if she's an Akiyama… then that means…"
"You and AJ are related somehow?"
"Hey! Maybe! I oughta talk to her about this!" Momo stated excitedly, before running out of the dorm room.
"Well… she definitely gets her mind set on something that interests her…" Mitsuko stated, a bit disoriented by Momo rushing out.
Meanwhile, AJ was trying her best to tend to the farm, but she couldn't help but think about that strange dream that happened.
'What does it all mean? What did he mean by save him?' AJ thought to herself. However, as she was thinking, she suddenly felt herself being tackled, "WAGH!"
As she fell to the ground, she noticed that Momo was hugging her for some reason.
"Itoko-chan! (cousin!)" Momo cheered enthusiastically.
"I-Itoko?!" AJ gawked, trying to push Momo off her as Mitsuko walked up.
"C'mon, Momo, give her some space," Mitsuko stated, taking Momo off AJ, "Sorry, AJ. Momo's just excited because she found an Akiyama in her family tree…" As she said that, she took out her laptop to show AJ the picture.
"Hey, that's Great-Aunt Akiyama!" AJ stated, before gasping, "Wait… then that means…"
"Hai, you and I are cousins! Isn't that great?!" Momo exclaimed.
"Uh… Momo, I think it's more complicated than just being cousins…" Mitsuko stated, "You two are probably more… 2nd or 3rd cousins with some sort of removal… like once or twice removed..."
"What does that mean?" Momo asked curiously.
"Uh… nevermind," Mitsuko replied, before AJ interrupted.
"Momo, Ah'd love to talk more on this, but right now Ah have a lot on mah mind…" AJ stated.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Mitsuko asked.
"Well… Ah had the strangest dream last night… It was about mah father…" AJ started, before she saw Sakura running towards them.
"Sis, yah got a letter in the mail… it didn't say who it was from, though…" Sakura stated, handing off the letter, before being hugged by Momo.
"Guess what, Sakura-chan! We're cousins!" Momo cheered, which made Sakura's eyes widen with surprise.
"Really?" Sakura gasped, "That's so awesome!"
"I know right!" Momo exclaimed, as she and Sakura danced around happily.
"Ah wonder who sent me this letter," AJ said, as she opened the envelope and read the letter, "'Dear Allison: If you wish to learn the truth, come to the Shroudwood Forest tonight. Signed…' Souji Akiyama?! Mah father?!"
"That letter's from Daddy?" Sakura gawked excitedly.
"Wait… I thought you said your father disappeared a few months before I came to Tomodachi. Why would he send you a letter now of all times?" Mitsuko asked.
"Ah don't know… but this could be the only lead we have to finding Tou-san…" AJ replied, "Call the girls. We're going to get to the bottom of this tonight!"
Later that day, the girls had gathered up outside the Shroudwood Forest, preparing to make their trek inside.
"Ugh… do we really need to go in there tonight? It's so dark and icky in that forest…" Kisho complained.
"Ah ain't lettin' small stuff like that stop us," AJ responded, "Ah'm findin' mah father, and nothin' will stop me."
"As a member of the Akiyama family, I will help no matter what to find your father!" Momo seconded.
"Okay… you're getting a bit too overzealous about this, Momo…" Mitsuko sighed. However, the six suddenly heard rustling in the bushes before looking to see Sakura, Belle, and Rekka hiding in the bushes.
"Ow! Rekka, your wheelchair is on my foot!" Belle shouted.
"Hey, do you even realize how hard it is to get into a bush like this?!" Rekka responded, frowning.
"...Girls, what are ya doin' here? Do yer parents even know that you're here?" AJ asked.
"Well… we kinda snuck out…" Belle replied, a bit embarrassed.
"Can Ah come with ya, sis?" Sakura asked, as the three stepped out of the bushes, "Ah wanna find Daddy too."
"Sakura, ya know that it's dangerous in the Shroudwood Forest at night. Plus, yer not a Guardian like us…" AJ answered.
"C'mon, AJ. He's mah daddy too!"
AJ then sighed, as Sakura tried giving her the "puppy dog eyes" look. "Oh, alright. You can come. But this time, ya need to hide when Ah say so, got it?"
"Yes, ma'am!" the three Guardians-in-Training replied, giving a salute to AJ.
"Alright, now...we should get going. Everyone all set?" Mitsuko asked.
"Hai!" everyone answered, as they walked into the forest.
The girls kept walking deeper and further into the forest, to the point where it started to get thicker and darker until they came across a fork in the road with 3 different paths.
"Hmmm… looks like we'll have to split up…" Mitsuko noted.
"I'll team up with Itoko-chan!" Momo shouted, as she started tugging AJ's arm.
"Uh… easy, now…" AJ stuttered, a bit weirded out.
"Hinata and I will take Rekka down the center path. If we need to, we can scout out things from the air," Sora noted.
"Well, guess that means I'm travelling with Belle and Kisho," Mitsuko replied, as she and the Fukui Sisters walked down the right path, while Momo dragged AJ by the collar of her shirt down the left path, with Sakura sighing and shaking her head, and Sora, Hinata and Rekka taking the center path.
Unknown to them, above the trees stood Minato, looking down on them before smiling maliciously.
As Mitsuko and Belle scouted ahead, Kisho was trying her best to tip toe, stepping over the plant life around her, and away from mud puddles.
"Mou… how am I supposed to trek through this ungodly forest when mud keeps getting in my high heels?!" Kisho groaned.
"...your hate of mud is truly a rarity, Onee-chan," Belle sighed as they kept trekking through the forest.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," she started when… "EEK! Something brushed against my leg!"
"It's fine, Kisho. Nothing is going to hurt us," Mitsuko reassured.
"Oh, are you so sure about that, faker?" the three suddenly heard from above, forcing them all to look up and see Minato sitting on a low tree branch.
"Minato!" Mitsuko gasped.
"It's about time I put you in your place. You got lucky last time, but now that you are split up, there is no stopping me from finally defeating you and reclaiming what should be mine!"
"Not a chance, traitor!" Mitsuko responded, readying her Element, "Kisho, ikuze!"
"Hai!" Kisho replied, as the two activated their bracelets together.
"Tomodachi Transform!"
"Nightmare… Transform."
After the three transformed, Mitsuko charged forward, herself and Minato engaging in a one on one battle. Kisho was about to join in when pushed back by another barrier, keeping her out as Night Wolves surrounded her and Belle.
"Belle, get behind me!" Kisho ordered, as she used her earth powers to repel them back. She then launched out earth pillars at the dark beasts as they drew near, while Mitsuko and Minato continued to battle.
Back with Rekka, Sora, and Hinata, Hinata tried hiding behind Sora while she pushed Rekka's wheelchair, Sora leading the charge.
"Um… Sora-nee-chan... are you sure this is the right way?" Hinata asked.
"I think so," Sora responded, "If we aren't, the others will probably find out where we need to go."
"This is so cool! We get to solve a mystery and everything!" Rekka exclaimed, smiling as the three treaded forward.
"Just keep it down, will ya, Rekka-chan? We don't want anything spotting us," Sora whispered.
"Why? I know you'll be able to defeat anything that comes to attack us, because you're just so awesome!" Rekka replied, smiling at Sora.
Sora then sighed before smiling at the young girl. "Thanks, Rekka-chan. I appreciate that…"
"Oh blech! This heartwarming crap is making me sick!" the three suddenly heard a voice speak, as a shadow dropped down from the trees, revealing a familiar winged figure.
"Gilda!" Sora and Hinata gasped, looking at the humanoid griffon.
"Gilda ja nai! I have no need for that name anymore! I am… Shadow Wing!" Shadow Wing shouted out.
"Gilda… please, let us help you. You need to fight this corruption…" Sora responded, but Shadow Wing just scoffed at that before charging straight at the three of them.
"Um… I'm guessing that's a no…" Hinata whimpered, scared by Shadow Wing's appearance.
"Hinata, get Rekka to safety! I'll hold her off!" Sora shouted, activating her Element of Harmony, "Tomodachi Transform!"
With that, Hinata wheeled Rekka away from the battle while Sora took on Shadow Wing from the sky.
At the same time, AJ continued looking around, but was having some trouble doing so with how tightly Momo clung to her arm.
"Momo, would ya let go of me?! Honestly, Ah wouldn't think ya'd be this clingy with yer ACTUAL sister, would ya?" AJ groaned.
"Uh… well, I guess not…" Momo responded.
"Then git offa me!" AJ shouted, pushing Momo off, accidently making her hit the ground, tears starting to well up in the pinkette's eyes, "Awh, sugahcube… Ah didn't mean to push ya into the ground… Ah'm sorry."
"...Y-You sure?" Momo asked, sniffling as her hair was deflated a bit.
"Yeah. It was just that you were gittin' a little too clingy. Ah'm honestly glad we're related, because that just brings us closer together…"
"Yea…" Momo smiled, her hair inflating back up.
"It's good to see ya two gittin' along," Sakura smiled, as they continued to walk down the path.
"Hey, AJ, why DID your parents split up, anyway?" Momo asked, curiously.
"Well… Ah don't really know, to be honest. They got along just fine… but one day Mom said we were leaving for America and not coming back. It was so strange and sudden."
"Wow… I wonder why she just left with you like that…" Momo wondered aloud.
"Hey guys, Ah think Ah see somethin' up ahead," Sakura pointed out, pointing in the distance.
"Eh? What is it?" AJ asked as they looked some distance in front of them before finding some sort of ruins in the Shroudwood Forest, which confused them a bit.
"Y'know, this reminds me of that one game with the guy in the green dress," Momo noted, causing AJ and Sakura to look at her, a bit confused, before they walked closer to the ruins.
"What are ruins doin' here?" AJ wondered aloud before seeing a symbol on one of the walls, which looked just like her Element of Harmony, "What in tarnation-?"
Just then, AJ's eyes were blinded by a flash of light in front of her, before she suddenly found herself alone in an empty white space.
"This is just like mah dream," AJ gawked, looking around the area, before she saw two ghostly figures in the distance, one she recognized as her father, while the other was a female young adult with golden blonde hair, green eyes and wearing a green dress with a pair of cowboy boots. Both figures looked younger than her parents, AJ remembering that this was what they looked like when they were younger.
"Tou-san? Kaa-san?" AJ wondered aloud, walking closer to them before being stopped by an invisible barrier, seeming to look inside the space, which suddenly started to look like inside her house.
"We can't just keep her hidden like this, Souji. They will eventually find out!" the woman, AJ's mother, stated, desperation in her voice.
"I can't just pack up and leave. What about my mother? If they come looking for Allison, Kaa-san will be at risk…" AJ's Dad replied.
"Well we have to do something! If she is taken by the Nightmares, all hope could be lost!"
"N-Nightmare?" AJ gasped as she was listening in, "Th-They don't mean…"
AJ's Dad then bit his lip, thinking long and hard about it. "I guess we have no choice. You need to take Allison away from here… at least until things calm down. They're after her and you, so you two move out of the country, like… say America, I'll keep them out of the way long enough for you two to get out of here."
"B-But what about Sakura? She needs her mother…"
"If you take her with you, then that may put her in even more danger. I'm sorry, Yoko, but we can't put our children in any more danger than we need to…"
AJ's mother, Yoko, then had a distraught look on her face as she thought about this for a bit, "Okay… if you truly believe that it's the right thing…"
"Don't worry. Helena-hime will be able to protect us here. Just go, and I promise everything will be fine." Souji assured.
"Okay… but… please, make sure Mac and Sakura stay safe…"
"I promise. Now, go, before they find you." Souji told her as the scene suddenly faded away, AJ looking incredibly surprised.
"They… they wanted to protect me?" AJ wondered aloud, "Why?"
Suddenly, she found herself back at the ruins, with Momo and Sakura trying to get her attention.
"Sis? Are you alright?" Sakura asked.
"Yeah, Ah'm fine... Ah just had a weird vision…" AJ noted.
"Wait… really? What did you see?" Momo asked.
"Well, it was mah parents, and Ah think this was the day before Kaa-san and I left for America…"
"So what happened with Mommy and Daddy?" Sakura inquired.
"...They… Ah don't know what happened… but Ah do know they wanted to protect us," AJ told Sakura.
"Protect us? What do ya mean?"
"Ah think they might know about the Nightmare Forces. They mentioned Helena-hime when they were talking, and talked about some sort of Nightmares…"
"Eh?! How would they have known?!" Momo gawked.
"Ah don't know, but Ah intend to find out," AJ stated before they suddenly heard a loud roar, before a large lizard-like beast charged forward, shooting out fireballs.
"Uh… what is THAT?!" Sakura asked.
"I dunno, but it looks like it's time to Bomb some Dodongos!" Momo shouted, excitedly, "Ikuze, Itoko-chan! Tomodachi Transform!"
"Ah don't think those are Dodongos, Momo… Aw well… Tomodachi Transform!"
With that, the two transformed as Sakura hid behind a bush, allowing the Guardians to take action. They charged at the lizard beast and combined their fire and ice attacks against the beast.
"Ya know Momo, Ah always assumed the reason me and mah Kaa-san moved to America was because of her singin' career," AJ admitted as they battled the kaijin.
"Maybe it was just a cover-up for what happened," Momo guessed, "I don't know why the Nightmare Forces would target your parents."
"Ah think it was to git to me. Though, why would the Nightmare Forces want me?"
"Dunno… but one thing's for certain, we need to stop this lizard guy!" Momo shouted, as she prepared a concentrated blast of ice, while AJ prepared a fire blast, before the two shot the blasts together.
"Freeze-Flare-Finish!" the two shouted, causing the lizard-like Nightmare Beast to explode.
"Whew! That's a relief," AJ sighed, looking around before sighing, "No sign of Tou-san, though…"
"Well, at least we got a clue, right?" Momo replied, smiling, "Don't worry, Itoko-chan. We'll find him."
"Makes me wonder somethin'," Sakura admitted, "If our parents knew you'd be the Guardian of Honesty then… who else knows, and if they do know… have they been secretly protecting you for all your lives?"
Momo shrugged. "I guess we'll have to find out. C'mon, let's go find the others."
Meanwhile, Mitsuko and Minato were in the midst of a magic blast fight, sending blast after blast at each other.
"Give up already, Pikari, you are outmatched," Minato told Mitsuko, who was clearly weakening, and looked like she would lose when suddenly…
"Incoming!" they heard a voice shout out before Shadow Wing fell on Minato.
"Get off me you clumsy oaf!" Minato snapped, as Shadow Wing was totally stuck on Minato and unable to move, before Sora and Hinata joined them.
"Sorry we're late, girls," Sora responded, flying in as she was joined by Hinata, "Is everyone okay?"
"We're doing alright now. Thanks for helping out," Mitsuko thanked, before the four stood off against the two, Rekka and Belle going to hide.
"Four against two? That hardly seems fair…" Minato stated.
"Yeah… for them! Prepare to die, Dashie!" Shadow Wing shouted, grinning maliciously as she ran forth, before she suddenly felt her wing fall like a stone to the ground, with her following it. Everyone then looked to see Momo standing nearby with her right hand in a finger gun position, blowing cold wind off of her fingertips.
"Take a chill pill, Gilda," Momo smirked, as she was joined by AJ as well.
"AJ! Momo! Good timing!" Sora smiled as Momo and AJ joined them while Sakura hid with Belle and Rekka.
Minato was about to attack again when suddenly, a rock was thrown at her head.
"OW!" she responded before turning to see Sakura, and then she rushed towards her and grab her by her shirt, "Big mistake, koso (brat)."
"Don't mock me!" Sakura shouted, kicking Minato in the jaw before landing on her feet and entering into a Karate like stance.
"Ha, you think you can fight me koso? Don't make me laugh! What can a weak little pipsqueak like you do!?" Minato laughed, which caused Sakura to growl, steam practically coming out her nose and ears.
"Now ya done made me mad!" Sakura shouted, before she charged forward, doing a headbutt straight to Minato's stomach, making the Dark Guardian gawk in surprised, before being launched back into Shadow Wing.
"Girls, let's finish this!" Mitsuko stated, before the girls charged energy into Mitsuko's Element, before she sent a blast at the two.
"Uh oh… abandon ship!" Shadow Wing gasped.
"This isn't a boat, you idiot!" Minato retorted, before the two teleported away just before the blast hit them.
"Damn it!" Sora shouted, "Gilda's getting away!"
"Focus, Sora! We'll get them next time!" Mitsuko told her.
"...I'm gonna go on and see if I can find them. Kisho, Hinata, help me out here," Sora told them, before dragging the two away, much to Mitsuko's annoyance, when suddenly, another explosion was heard.
"Da hell?!" AJ gawked.
"Let's go see what it is." Mitsuko suggested, as they ran toward the noise they had just heard.
They reverted to civilian form before rushing over to check it out. They walked through some bushes before running into some familiar faces.
"Oh, hey guys," Mason waved.
"Hi Mata-tachi!" Momo shouted rushing over to them smiling.
"So… what are you all doing here?" Mason asked.
"Not that… I don't mind seeing you, AJ-chan," Yuki smiled.
"Well… we were just… looking around, it's a long story," AJ responded.
"But it doesn't matter, does it Itoko-chan?" Momo said, making Yuki gasp.
"Itoko-chan? You two are cousins?" Yuki gawked.
"Well… it's kinda complicated," Mitsuko admitted, "They technically aren't cousins… Momo's a second-cousin-twice-removed… we don't know all of the details just yet."
"And here's something. I got a new mode, Twilight Mode!" Hikaru informed, showing off the Kanohi.
"Oooh! Nifty! It looks like a corroded version of your main mask, but I feel it's back to normal, like there's a perfect balance between light and darkness," Momo noticed, "But… I dunno why… but whenever I think 'Twilight' I think that can be a nickname for Mitzy-chan."
"Uh… why do I get a strange feeling about that?" Mitsuko muttered, before they saw a Kraata show up and get on the remains of the Hound, "Hey. What's that?"
With that, the Toa looked over at the remains of the Energy Hound and gasped.
"Get back!" Hikaru responded as they all backed up, the Energy Hound growing in size until it was a giant.
"Oh yea! It's payback time!"
"This is bad… without Ven here we can't form Wairuha," Aqua commented.
"And without Ignatius and Terra, Akamai can't be formed," Mason added.
"Why is Ven such a coward of this place?" Yuki wondered.
"Oh yea… that might be my fault… I… kinda told him about the superstitions surrounding Shroudwood," Momo admitted, making Yuki growl in irritation.
"But I still have my mech!" Hikaru realized, "Toa Transform!"
=KANOHI AVOHKII! LIGHT EM UP!=
"Alright… You girls get going, I'll handle this," Gold told the three Guardians as they rushed off.
Later, Sora kept dragging Kisho and Hinata while looking for Shadow Wing.
"Forget it, Sora. She's gone!" Kisho insisted, "There's no way we can find her if she teleported."
"C'mon, she has to be here somewhere," Sora replied, eager to find Shadow Wing.
"Sora-nee-chan. Please… just let it go," Hinata told Sora, who sighed in response.
"Alright fine," Sora groaned before the group reunited with Mitsuko, Momo, AJ, Sakura, Belle and Rekka.
"Don't worry, we'll get them next time, darling," Kisho assured.
"EH?! Your parents knew about the Nightmare Forces this whole time?!" Mitsuko and the others gawked as AJ finished telling them what she had seen.
"Eeyup, and the whole reason Ah went to America with mah Kaa-san is 'cuz Tou-san told her to in order to protect me... Ah'm still not entirely sure on why they knew, though." AJ admitted.
"That's pretty crazy… you think they knew you'd be a Guardian?" Sora asked.
"Not sure, really…" AJ replied, looking at her Element of Harmony before sighing, "Still no leads on finding mah father, though…"
"Don't worry, sis. We'll find him," Sakura replied, smiling.
"I actually asked earlier in the chapter if our parents had any idea we were all going to be Guardians one day," Momo added to the others, getting some confused looks from them, "What? I didn't get an answer either... I'm not spoiling anything, am I?"
"Nevermind that..." AJ shrugged off, before turning her attention to Sakura, "How'd you fight off Minato like that? Ah never taught ya those moves…"
"Ah've been practicin'. Ah mean, Ah am a Guardian-in-Training, right? Gotta keep up mah skills in order tah become a Guardian someday," Sakura added.
"Well, that was truly brave of ya, little sister," AJ stated, patting Sakura on the head, "But next time, don't do somethin' like that, understand?"
"Ah understand," Sakura sighed, "But ah make no promises."
"Fair 'nuff, Ah suppose," AJ replied.
"So what now?" Sora asked.
"How about we get some sleep?" Mitsuko suggested.
"Good idea," Kisho nodded, yawning.
"Well, mah sis and Ah will be off now," AJ said before getting up, "See ya girls tomorrow."
With that, Sakura and AJ headed off down the road toward Akiyama Acres. On the way, though, Sakura stopped AJ for a second to talk.
"Ya think we'll be able to find our Daddy?" Sakura asked.
"...Ah sure hope so, sugahcube. ...Ah sure hope so," AJ sighed.
SUPER HERO TRIVIA!
Aqua: What a day. *sigh*
AJ: Agreed. *sighs*
Takeshi: Well, at least I'm not a chick anymore… that was really awkward last week...
AJ: Yea. So… who spins today?
Aqua: Hmm… how about… you AJ?
AJ: Ah guess. Anyways, let's spin the wheel! *spins wheel, which lands on…*
Takeshi: Super Sentai. Well, it's been a while since we talked about this one. What shall we talk about this time?
AJ: Hmm… let's see… what didn't we talk about yet?
Aqua: Let's think... *thinks for a moment* ...How about movie exclusive villains?
Takeshi: Isn't that more a Rider thing, though?
Aqua: Well, we did have a few, including a dark version of KyoryuNavy known as Deathryuger. But he started as Deathryuger… KyoryuNavy wasn't around until 100 Years After, and he was a hero compared to Deathryuger being a Debo Monster in disguise.
Takeshi: I think it'd be easier if we talk about the movie exclusive mechs that come in every Sentai movie since 2001.
AJ: Ah guess so. Wanna start us off, Aqua?
Aqua: I guess. So, the Movie Exclusive mecha tradition didn't start until 2001's Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger, with GaoKnight, formed by a repainted GaoGorrilla, known as GaoKong. We then got Abarangers BakurenOh, Dekaranger's Deka Robo Full Blast Custom, Magiranger's SaintKaiser, Burning Legend DaiVoyager and DaiTenken from Boukenger, Gekirangers' GekiRinTouja as well as GekiRinToujaWolf, the Engine DaiShogun from Go-Onger, Shinkengers' Kyoryu Shinken-Oh, Gosei Wonder from Goseiger, Goren Gokai-Oh from Gokaiger, Go-Buster Kero-Oh from… well… Go-Busters, SpinoDai-Oh from Kyoryuger, and Safari-Oh from ToQger.
Takeshi: Didn't at least one of them appear in their respective shows at one point, ridding them of their movie exclusive status?
Aqua: While that may be true, they did originate from the movies, so it counts. However, you are right. DaiTenken, Engine DaiShogun, Gosei Wonder, and SpinoDai-Oh did appear in Boukenger, Go-Onger, Goseiger, and Kyoryuger respectively, with the Kyoryu Origami and FS-00 appearing in Shinkenger and Go Busters.
AJ: Ah've heard that after some of them, after reappearin' in the show, became more common to use, right?
Aqua: Pretty much. Makes me wonder if we'll see Metru Dai-Oh in the future.
Takeshi: I guess it would be likely. I mean, the Metrumen have all appeared in Mataranger so far…
Aqua: Yeah, I guess so. Also, I find it strange that the two movie exclusive Mecha that are villainous, BakurenOh and SpinoDai-Oh, were both Dinosaur Mecha.
Takeshi: Because Dinosaurs are awesome?
AJ: Ah guess.
Takeshi: Also, did you know that Tobaspino had the most appearances out of any Movie Mech so far, with three episodes?
Aqua: Did not know that.
AJ: Anyways, this has been Allison Jonas "AJ" Akiyama, the Guardian of Honesty…
Aqua: MataBlue, Aqua…
Takeshi: And Takeshi Narumi, Kamen Rider SEGA.
All: Signing off! See ya later!
(Cue Ending Credits Theme: Mirai Start by Suzuko Mimori)
Dakara Hi Hi Hi! Shiawase ga (Because of - Hi Hi Hi! - happiness)
*The scene opens with Mitsuko and Spike walking out of a shimmering portal, waving.*
Kitto Hi Hi Hi! Utai dasu (Suddenly, "Hi Hi Hi!" I sing out)
*The two then see the other guardians run up to say hi, smiling.*
Kagayaiteru kono kisetsu ni mune ga mune ga odoru no (In this sparkling season my heart, my heart dances in my chest)
*Shows a quick glimpse of the six individually before showing the title card yet again.*
Tomaranai dokidoki wa hajimari no aizu (My nonstop pounding heart is the first sign)
*The scene then shifts to show a few of Mitsuko's moments in the series.*
Sarigenaku mitsumetara mimi ga atsuku naru no yo (When I casually stare (at you) my ears start burning)
*The image then shifts to Momo, showing all of her randomness.*
Hajimete no wakuwaku ni tomadoi no merodi (When the excitement starts, the melody of my heart causes me to lose my bearings)
*We then see Kisho as some of her moments as the credits theme continues*
Watashi kara koe kakeru chansu ga hoshikute (I want the chance to risk talking to you)
*AJ is shown in a couple scenes working on her family's farm and at school playing her guitar*
Hōkago no hirusagari futoshita gūzen ga (Out and about after school unexpectedly I got the chance)
*We then cut to showing Sora in some of her athletic endeavors*
Anata to watashi no mirai o kaeru? (Could this change our future?)
*Hinata is then shown giggling a bit before showing her dark side, Mai, followed by a couple of Spike moments.*
Oshiete nē oshiete! (Tell me! Hey, come on and tell me!)
*We then see the girls changing into their Guardian forms before they get ready to fight*
Son'na Hi Hi Hi! Shiawase ni (That - Hi Hi Hi! - happiness)
*The scene shifts over to Princess Helena, who is watching the six fight the Nightmare Forces via a sort of orb.*
Kitto Hi Hi Hi! Tsutsumarete (Suddenly - Hi! Hi! Hi! - envelopes me)
*In a similar manner, the leader of the Nightmare Forces, Nightmare Moon, watched this very same fight, before a ghostly version of Princess Selena can be seen standing back to back with Nightmare Moon.*
Nanimokamo ga ureshiku naru watashi o uketomete (I'm still coming to terms with the new me who is happy about anything and everything)
*We then see multiple minor characters on screen in class or around town, before showing the six jet to class.*
Dakara Hi Hi Hi! Shiawase ga (Because of - Hi Hi Hi! - happiness)
*In Twilight's room, Spike was reading a book showing the Elements of Harmony, before seeing some pages of the book torn out, seemingly missing*
Kitto Hi Hi Hi! Utai dasu (Suddenly, "Hi Hi Hi!" I sing out)
*We then see a mysterious red haired figure, Minato, looking over at them, before disappearing*
Kagayai teru kono kisetsu ni mune ga mune ga odoru no (In this sparkling season my heart, my heart dances in my chest)
*Mitsuko looks to where Minato was standing, before holding her Element of Magic in her hand and looking down.*
Mirai * Mirai * Mirai e! (Future * Future * To the future!)
*The scene then shows the six guardians standing in front of the school smiling, before the scene fades out in the instrumental*
*As the scenes from the next episode are shown, an instrumental version of Mirai Start can be heard*
Mitsuko: Helena-hime isn't telling us something. I wonder what's up…
Sora: Yeah! We barely know about why Minato's evil, and why AJ's parents know her!
Kisho: I feel we must get down to the bottom of this.
AJ: What the hey?! There are these weird vines attacking the Shroudwood Forest and kidnapping people!
Minato: Soon, very soon… I'll have enough power to destroy these fake Guardians once and for all and take my revenge on Helena!
Jikai, Invasion from Shroudwood Forest!
Momo: I'm getting a Momo Sense… but it's spoilers.
Mitsuko: Oi...
KKD: Well, there's chapter 21 for ya.
Silver: Pretty mysterious, if I do say so myself… What do you guys think?
TB: It was very good. It's also very good that we introduce plot points to expand on later, and that we are connecting this and the next chapter to the arc finale. *sings* Continuity BOOM!
KKD: ItsJustSomeRandomGuy reference? And before you ask, Silver, I didn't speak fast, that's the dude's channel.
TB: Yes it is.
Silver: Um… alright.
Pikatwig: *walks in* ...oh, hey guys. Just passing through. But… I noticed something interesting.
Silver: Oh? What is it? Also, what did you think of the chapter revolving around the counterpart of your favorite pony?
Pikatwig: It was interesting. Given how it makes one wonder about the splitting of AJ's parents. But also, what I noticed, is that due to the rotation system, and some notes you made of the system, thank you for that BTW, I will have a hand in every arc finale, but the last one.
Silver: *looks at the rotation notes* Uh… I think someone screwed up that. ...eh. This was the project I put a lot of effort into, so it's only fitting I get a role in the final arc finale.
Pikatwig: Just wanted to say that. Later. *leaves*
Silver: Speaking of, that's coming up soon. Sweet!
KKD: Huh? ...Oh yea, the arc finale. Quite the big deal. So, while we prepare, what were your favorite parts? *pulls out a modified GameGear and prepares something, tapping the screen a few times.*
TB: I liked the reveal of the splitting of AJ's parents. It opens the door to an idea that... Silver, can I ask you something privately for a moment?
Silver: After the outro, TB. Let's try to keep private thoughts out of the intro and outro, unlike at the end of a certain crossover. -_- *paper airplane flies in, saying "You're never gonna let that go, are you?". Sighs, writes back "You embarrassed me in front of all our readers with your complaint rant. Of course I'm not gonna let that go." and throws it back harder than you'd normally throw a paper airplane*
TB: C'mon man, he didn't know at the time.
Silver: Ugh... whatever. Your thoughts, Sempai?
KKD: *looks up from GameGear* Huh? Oh. That. I really liked that flashback with AJ's parents. Hints at what's to come. But… you know how it is with us. Anyway, I'm gonna go ahead and prep up something in the SEGA studio. Until next time, this has been KKD Silver...
TB: TokuBrony...
Silver: And SilverMaxx...
KKD: And we'll catch you later. Jaa ne. *Walks out.*
TB: SEIYAA!
Silver: Stand up the Vanguard!