HI EVERYONE ! It's been so long since last time. I'm so sorry ! I had been busy with my job and I had another writer block. And I've been working on other projects so I had less time to work on it.
BY THE WAY, I need your help ! I can't spoil you, but there's going to be quite a lot of Hybrid in the next chapter and if I already know what to do with some of them, I lack some ideas for others. I thus need you to give me ideas of mages turning Hybrid. I'll take any ideas, but I'd prefer form using high power Rider form/trinkets. I already have ideas for Erza, Lucy, Natsu, even Cana, Alzack and Bisca but I need some more, like for Gray, Wendy, Gajeel, the Strauss, etc. I might not use them all, but the more ideas there are, the better. So send your ideas via review or PM, I'll read them all and credit you if I use yours.
Thanks in advance for your help, and now, enjoy this long awaited chapter !
EDIT : I edited a bit the part talking about Another Lucy as i realized i could do something else with its powers. Also, i needed to come and talk to you a bit regarding the current situation concerning a virus you probably heard about. I'm French, which mean that i have to stay at home all the time. One could think it's the perfect occasion to write : it's not ! Staying home isn't the best way to get creative, for me at least. So I'm sorry if i'm a bit late on my schedule, but with what's happening, i'm not a 100% motivated to work on my fic. I'm sorry but i hope you can understand.
Stay safe, stay at home to make sure this shit doesn't spread more than it already did. And please, don't be stupid and listen to the shit some people says. Seriously, we can save the world by staying in our home so STAY AT HOME !
Chapter 54 : The last mission begin
The party for Lisanna's return lasted all day and a good part of the night, to the point where they all fell asleep in the now completely wrecked guild hall. People were sleeping on the benches, tables or even directly on the ground, using other people as pillows, snoring away peacefully. It was pretty endearing for the only ones who managed to stay awake, the Riders, who were looking at the scene with smiles on their faces.
- "They really are noisy ones, aren't they ?" Began Haruto, putting some covers on the mages to prevent them from catching cold.
- "Yeah they are. But that's what makes them so endearing, in a way." Added Emu, wrapping covers around Wendy and Carla.
- "They kind of got overboard today. But who are we to blame them." Said Shinnosuke, smiling as looked at the scene.
- "It's true. Besides, they had every right to party like this : it is not everyday someone you though dead come back to you." Smiled Belt-san.
- "This only show how much their friendship is strong." Added Gentaro.
- "Yes, you're right." Cut Sento, his smile faltering a bit. "But I'm afraid that this could be the last time we can party with them like that." All of the Riders lost their smiles at this statement, turning to look at Sento.
- "You're talking about your mission, right ?" Deduced Kouta. "This means that you've discovered important things, isn't it ?"
- "Exactly, and it's not good news." Revealed Sento. "We couldn't explore everything, but they are building something in those mountains and from what we could find, it is not good for us and it is not better for this world."
- "The good news is that we found their schedule." Added Belt-san. "Their project will operational in one week, which leave us this time to prepare and then go back to make sure they can't use whatever it is."
- "Okay, then should we ask them all for help ?" Asked Takeru, gesturing to the mages in the room. "Shocker probably is going to have a little bit of magic on their side so we're going to need it too, right ?"
- "I don't know. After all, this is our mission, not theirs." Said Shinnosuke. "Guess we'll have to see when the time will come. For now, they deserve to rest a little. Besides, we have work to do before going back. We'll see how things turn out."
The followings days, life was back on its usual tracks. Mages were going on jobs all over the country, Lisanna was slowly getting back in the business, with Elfman acting as her personal bodyguard, the bulky man not letting anyone get to close to her, which was starting to embarrass her. Juvia kept stalking Gray, Panther was training to use his human form as much as before, Nab was looking at the Request Board, Gray and Natsu fought for no reason… In short, everything was truly back to normal. Except for the Riders. Indeed, many noticed that they began to act pretty weirdly ever since they got back from Edolas. They spent most of their time working together on some sort of battle plan from what the mages could gather but they didn't get much to work with. They did notice a map showing Mount Katalto topography among the document, proving that this had something to do with the reconnaissance Sento, Shinnosuke and Gentaro did while the rest was in Edolas. And everything got explained a few days later, when the Riders all entered the guild, the mages greeting them but without receiving an answer, making them look at the Riders only to see the grave look in their eyes as well as all of their tools and gadgets following behind them. No one understood what this meant, except Makarov who was sitting on the bar, looking at them with a serious face.
- "So… It is time, isn't it ?" He said, silence filling the room as the Fairies all looked between their master and their friends who only nodded in response.
- "It is." Confirmed Kouta. "It is time for us to go and do what we came here for."
- "We're going back to Mount Katalto to get this world rid of Shocker once and for all." Stated Shinnosuke, making the mages whispers as Mirajane spoke up.
- "But even if you are… Why does it look like you're not coming back ?"
- "When we explored their base, we found, among other thing, the same kind of portal that brought us here." Explained Sento, giving a bit of context. "If, during our fight, they escape and go back to our world, we'll have to pursue them to make sure they don't bring anything from this world with us. And should this happen, we won't be able to come back here. As such, there's a very high possibility that we won't come back from this mission."
Everyone was now looking at them in shock, eyes wide and mouths hanging open. They all knew that the Riders wouldn't stay here forever as this is not their home world, but they hoped they could have a bit more time to prepare for their departure and instead, it is just coming at them like a ton of brick.
- "Is there any way we can help ?" Suddenly asked Natsu, standing in the middle of the hall, quickly joined by Gray.
- "For once, I agree with ash for brain. You are all members of Fairy Tail. We have to help you."
- "I'm afraid this might not be possible." Said Takeru, shaking his head sadly. "This is our mission, not yours. We can't ask you to come and risk your life for us."
- "But why couldn't we ? You helped us with our problems, did you not ?" Cut in Levy.
- "Yeah, but every time it was because Shocker was among the enemy." Reminded Gentaro. "This time, it is going to be just Shocker. It's our job to take care of them."
- "But Shocker proved they could use magic too, with those Hybrids. What if some of those are waiting for you ? You'll need our magic." Stated Erza, taking a step, only to stop when they all showed them blank version of their respective trinkets.
- "We could use your magic, but this doesn't mean you have to be here." Revealed Takeru. "If you fill those with your magic, we'll be able to use your magic to fight any Hybrid that might wait for us, as you said."
The mages all looked at the trinkets then at each other, wondering about it. They wanted to help, to fight with them, but they were clear that they didn't want them to come.
- "I know it is hard to accept, but we really don't want you to face this kind of problem when you just came out of another one." Added Emu in an apologetic tone. "You have all already been a great help. And not just in term of power. You all were great allies, among the greatest we ever had, all world combined, and even greater friends." A smile graced their lips as they saw some tears filling the mages eyes. "You already did a lot for us. It is time we repay you by getting this world rid of Shocker."
The Fairies were all struggling to not let their sadness overcome them as Makarov jumped down from the counter and walked to the stand just in front of the Riders, looking up at them.
- "I understand your feelings and if you really want to go alone, then I won't stop you. But before, I'd like to say something to you." He was dead serious and so were the Riders, wondering what he was about to say. "Thank you." This wasn't what they were expecting, their eyes widening as they looked at the small man who had a kind smile on his face. "You may have been from another world, but you fought for this guild as if has always been your home. You protected it from destruction. You fought to save us whether it was from your enemies or ours. You also did your share to protect this world from threats like Nirvana. And you even played a decisive role in bringing a family back together." As he said that, the Strauss took a step forward, tears in their eyes as they looked at them with gratitude. "If it is your wish to go and fight by yourselves, so be it." He then grabbed a Gashat, letting his magic fill it as it slowly became MIGHTY GIANT X. "But even if it is like this, you won't go without us. Through those devices, we'll fight with you to the very end."
Soon after that, every single mages in the guild came to the Riders to not only fill the trinkets with their magic but to also say goodbye to them as this might be the last time they saw them. They all hugged or at least shook hands with the Riders who could feel their hearts swelling with this love but also clenching a bit in sadness at the prospect of not being able to see them again.
- "We're going to miss you all." Said Lucy, tears in her eyes as she hugged Gentaro for a few seconds before putting some distance between them. "I'll never forget that you helped in saving Leo's life".
- "Everything for my buddies." Simply said Fourze as he did his usual handshake with her before turning to another one.
- "I'll miss you. I've never had a sparring partner like you before and I don't think I'll ever find one again." Erza said to Kouta. "I'm going to miss you."
- "You sure it's not just my Ichigo Arms you're gonna miss ?" Smirked Kouta, Erza reddening slightly, remembering the first time she saw the said armor. "To be honest, you're gonna miss me too, Erza."
- "I-I'm gonna miss you…" Sobbed Wendy, hugging Emu tightly, sad to see the one she could consider to be like her big brother go.
- "I'm gonna miss you too. Take care of everyone for me, okay ?"
- "I… I will !" She stated, smiling at him.
- "You'll find your dragons, one day. I'm sure of it." Said Haruto to Gajeel and Natsu. "Don't lose hope."
- "Don't worry, we won't !" Stated Natsu with a large grin, mirrored by Gajeel.
- "Just don't forget to kick those Shocker's asshole for me. I still want them to pay for that trick they played on us back in Phantom."
- "We will, don't worry. They won't get away this time." Assured Shinnosuke, shaking their hands.
- "It's really sad to see you all go." Said Mirajane, standing with her siblings in front of Takeru, small tears in the corner of her eyes. "You did so much for us all."
- "It was nothing." Answered Takeru. "We only did what we always do. And I have to say that I'd like to stay here a bit longer. But our mission is to stop them."
- "Guys, I think it is time for us to go." Stated Sento, giving one last hug to Juvia who had just thanked him for the time he helped Gray in saving her after she had been turned into a Smash. The other riders nodded and got ready to turn around and leave when they were stopped by Makarov.
- "Wait a second. I'm not finished with you." He said, grabbing their attention as Erza appeared by his side, holding a banner with the Fairy Tail mark on it. "I still have to say something to you : the 3 rules one leaving the guild as to follow." The Riders smiled at the mages as they all stood side by side behind Makarov. "One ! You must never reveal any sensitive information about Fairy Tail to outsiders, as long as you live and no matter the world ! Two ! You must never use the clients you met though the guild to achieve personal gain !"
- "Even if we wanted, we couldn't do it." Stated Haruto with a smile, the old man grinning as he ended with the last rule.
- "And three ! Though our paths may differ… You must always live out your lives with all your might ! Never must you consider your own life to be insignificant ! Never in your lives must you forget the friends you held dear !"
By this point, the Riders had all turned around and walked to their vehicle but before leaving, they all raised a hand, thumb and index finger pointing respectively to the side and skyward, forming a L, exactly like they all did during Fantasia to say goodbye to Laxus. The sight proved to be too much for most of the mages who broke down in tears as they looked at the Riders who were now all on their bike, or in a car for one of them, starting their engine and speeding into the street of Magnolia, off to their last adventure in this magical world.
/- The following day, Mount Katalto -/
It took barely more than a day for the Riders to reach Mount Katalto where Shocker's base was hidden. They were all on top of a cliff, looking down at an opening in the mountain, opening that was heavily guarded.
- "Looks like they increased their defense since last time." Noticed Sento, looking at the guards with a pair of binoculars.
- "That was to be expected. They know we know about their base and that we would return at some point." Stated Shinnosuke.
- "So… How do you think we should do it ?" Asked Kouta to the three who already came while they were in Edolas.
- "Well, last time we managed to sneak our way inside the base, but I don't think it's going to work this time." Said Gentaro. "There's at least 5 more guards than last time, we'll never walk past them."
- "Then this means we'll have to force our way inside." Deduced Emu, already grabbing his Gashats. "Let's do this !"
- "You're right ! Time to put an end to this !" Added Takeru, he and the others putting their Drivers on.
SHABADOOBI, TOUCH HENSHIN ! SHABADOOBI, TOUCH HENSHIN !
ORANGE !
START YOUR ENGINE !
EYE ! BATCHIRIMINA ! BATCHIRIMINA !
MIGHTY ACTION X !
RABBIT ! TANK ! BEST MATCH ! ARE YOU READY ?
3 ! 2 ! 1 !
- "HENSHIN !"
The first dozen of guards had been destroyed before they had even realized their were under attack. After taking care of the guards in the entrance, they entered the base and began plowing their way inside, defeating soldiers after soldiers, either bare-handed or wielding a weapon, slashing or shooting at every single soldiers that came rushing at them. The Riders were progressing pretty easily inside the base, switching between forms and weapons depending on the situation, but truth to be told, they were quite worried. It was too easy. They met nothing more than basic soldiers, not a single general, not even a lieutenant came to try and stop them. At some point, they reached a massive room filled with computers that were processing data continuously, the group going straight for one of them, Sento immediately looking through the data and files while the others were on guard.
- "You're looking for something specific ?" Asked Kouta to Sento.
- "When we first came, we learned they were building something, but we couldn't find anything on its abilities nor about his power source." Explained the scientist. "We have to learn about it if we want to be able to destroy whatever they built."
That was the moment Shocker soldiers choose to enter the room, all of them rushing to them, the Riders keeping their position to protect Sento while he worked, trying to find whatever he needed. After some times, he finally found what he was looking for, immediately joining his friends to repel the enemies.
- "I got it !"
- "Alright ! So what's the plan ?"
- "They are currently charging their weapon thanks to many generators scattered all around the base."
- "Let me guess." Began Gentaro while showering the Shocker Footsoldier with his Gatling Module. "We have to destroy them all."
- "Yes. They are currently charging the weapon and if we take too much time, they'll have enough power to activate it."
- "Then it's better if we all split up. That way, we'll be able to seek and destroy them quickly enough." Stated Shinnosuke.
- "Then let's do it !" Shouted Takeru as he and the others took care of the last soldiers, allowing them to leave, each one of them taking off in a different direction. What they didn't realized was that they were currently being watched by Doctor Shinigami from his office.
- "So they just split, huh ? Perfect." He said with a smirk on his face. "You can try all you want, Riders. This time, you won't succeed, no matter what you're trying because this time, you won't have the power to do it." As he said that, he looked down his hand, which was clutching a big black circular device with a button on top of it, looking like some kind of watch. Shinigami's sinister laugh echoed in the room as he truly believed that this time, the Riders were in for a tough ride.
/- Back to Fairy Tail -/
After the Riders left, everything went back to normal for the mages of Fairy Tail. It could almost be as if nothing happened. They were all either talking, eating, drinking or fighting for basically no reason, but deep down, they felt the loss. It was hard to come to the guild and to not be greeted by Gentaro's enthusiasm and special handshake, with Sento tinkering on the side, Kouta sparing with Erza or Emu teaching Wendy about the advanced medical technology he had in his world.
- "Damnit, I'm bored." Sighed Natsu as he was eating his fire chicken at the bar, Happy munching on a fish next to him.
- "Natsu… You fought with Gray not even 2 minutes ago." Reminded Happy.
- "I can understand Natsu's state of mind." Admitted Mirajane. "They may have left just yesterday, but it already feel like they left a week ago. We truly lost a part of our family with them gone."
- "Come on, don't be so down." Said Makarov, sipping on a beer. "Don't go thinking I'm heartless : I'll miss them too. But instead of mopping around and be sad for them leaving, let's just keep on living to our fullest in their stead. They did so much for us, it is the last we can do for them."
- "Yeah, you're right, gramps." Smiled Natsu before his nose caught a familiar sweet scent that made him turn around, seeing a blonde haired girl walking toward them. "Hey, Luce !"
- "Good morning, Lucy/Luchy" Welcomed Mira and Happy.
- "Good morning to you, Lucy."
- "Good morning to you too." Smiled Lucy, sitting down next to Natsu, her head instantly turning to the old secret passage that led to their hideout, a melancholic smile gracing her lips. "I still can't believe they are gone."
- "Yes it is, but as master just said, we should keep on living for them, just like they are fighting to protect our world."
- "Still, I think we should go and give them a hand." Pouted Natsu. "I'm sure we could have been of some help, even if just a little."
- "They said that this was their fight, Natsu." Reminded Lucy with a sigh.
- "Yeah, but they fought alongside us all the time, why couldn't we do it to ?"
- "Because Shocker was involved in almost every battle we fought since they first came." Said Makarov. "They had a reason to fight every single time. And since mages aren't involved this time, then it is not our fight."
The four nodded at their master, wondering what kind of enemies their friends were fighting when a bright light shone next to them, Leo appearing out of it next to Lucy which annoyed her a bit.
- "Leo… How many time do I have to tell you not to force open your door like that ?" However, when she saw Leo's face, her annoyance got replaced by worriedness as Leo seemed to be in pain. "What's wrong, Leo ?"
- "To be honest… I have no idea." Admitted the spirit, much to everyone shock, including the rest of the guild who saw the spirit appear. "It happened suddenly, out of nowhere. And strangely enough, I'm not the only one concerned. Every other spirit are feeling quite down. It's as if we were sick. But we CAN'T get sick."
- "Is something wrong in your world ? Something out of the ordinary ?" Asked Makarov, worried for the spirit as he would be for any other member of the guild.
- "Well, no. Not that I know of, at least." Answered the Lion. "It's really weird. I feel exactly like the time I stayed in the human world to force Karen to free Aries and I."
- "We should look to see if there is an explanation." Stated Makarov as he pointed at Levy. "Levy-chan, please go to the library, see if you can find anything that could explain what's happening. I have a very bad feeling about this."
Levy nodded and ran to the library but before she could reach it, something rang inside the guild. The noise took everyone by surprise, the mages looking all around to see who was making such noise. And of course, it was the Slayers who picked the origin first thanks to their hearing which led them to the Riders stuff, more precisely from a black briefcase.
- "It's coming from there." Stated Gajeel, picking the briefcase up.
- "Let's see what's inside." Said Wendy, Gajeel putting the briefcase on a table before opening it, reveling a screen on the vertical panel and a keyboard with many button on the horizontal part.
- "The heck ?" Was all Natsu could say as he and the other gathered around, Makarov taking the front seat.
- "Look, this button is the only one whose flickering." Said Panther, pointing at said button which Makarov pressed, which made the screen light up, showing the face of a young man with mid-length brown hair with a black and magenta camera hanging around his neck. Both sides of the screen seemed surprised by who they had in front of them, the old man being the one to break the silence.
- "He-Hello ? Who are you ?"
- "Oh, I guess we've never met before. My name is Tsukasa Kadoya, also known as Kamen Rider Decade." Said Kadoya, introducing himself. "And I guess you're the mages my comrades are working with. Fairy…"
- "Tail. Fairy Tail. I am Makarov Dreyar, Guild Master of Fairy Tail. I guess you wanted to talk to your fellow Riders ?"
- "Yes. They send a message a few days ago to tell us they were preparing for their last assault against Shocker and I would have liked to talk to them about that."
- "Well, I'm sorry to be the one to break it to you, but they already left." Revealed Makarov. "They left yesterday in the afternoon."
- "I see. Too bad, then."
- "Truth to be told, I'm a bit worried for them." Revealed Makarov, looking down for a moment as a frown appeared on his face. "Just the seven of them against what's probably going to be a whole army… Besides, those Shocker proved they could use magic in their own way and I fear they have one last trick up their sleeves."
- "I understand but don't worry. They are all skilled fighters and they can do pretty much anything they want thanks to the diversity of powers and skills they all have. I can't really think of anything that could stop them."
But soon, Tsukasa was proved wrong. As soon as he closed his mouth, another window appeared, visible by both side and taking them all by surprise. The video was shaking and in the video, they could see the back of a man clad in a red armor with a massive fire extinguisher in his arms, his armor covered in stars, the head of the gun shaped like a star and golden decorations covering every piece of the armor, fighting against an unseen opponent.
- "What's that ? Who's that red and golden dude ?" Wondered Natsu, looking at the screen in half-wonder, half-confusion.
- "Is that… Gentaro ?"
- "It is." Said Tsukasa, confirming Gray's suspicion. "It's his Fire State with… Some kind of shiny upgrade ?"
- "He must have used one of those trinkets we filled with magic." Realized Wendy. "This is probably an hybrid Gentaro/Lucy."
- "But that video…" He then turned to look outside the screen, calling someone. "Kengo ! Can you come here ? We need you."
The young man named Kengo came and with a curt nod to the mages through the screen, he began to work.
- "This is Burgermeal's live stream. It's showing us what is currently happening to Gentaro." Revealed Kengo.
As soon as he said that, Gentaro was sent to the ground by his opponent, letting the mages, Tsukasa and Kengo get a good look at the thing Gentaro was fighting. It was a monster, obviously, fighting with a whip of some sort, dark blue with star shaped stud covering it. It had a pretty feminine body with metallic golden hair, a horn standing out on the side of its head and glowing red eyes shining on a pointy face with sharp teeth. It was also wearing a white jagged armor on top with what would have been a deep cleavage if it was a human and a blue metallic skirt. Around its waist was a ragged brown belt.
- "It is weird." Muttered Natsu. "Is it me or does that monster look like Lucy ?"
- "How dare you !?" Roared Lucy, slapping Natsu in anger. "Why the hell are you comparing me to that thing ?!"
- "Wait Lu-chan, I have to admit he's not wrong." Said Levy, which shocked Lucy even more. "I mean, look at it closely."
Lucy did as she was told and slowly came to realize they were right : it did look like her. The color scheme of the armor was reminiscing of the clothes she wore when she first came to the guild, the monster also wield a whip and that golden horn on the side of its head was like her side ponytail.
- "Did… Did Shocker made a monster out of me ? But why ?"
- "I don't get it." Said Erza. "If they wanted to make them hesitate by making them fight copy of their friends, why giving them such monstrous appearance ?" Tsukasa and Kengo looked at each other, fearing they knew what the hell was happening and what the video showed proved them right. Putting a hand to its waist, the monster made some kind of rusted key appear in its hand, key that shone and out of light appeared another monster, a humanoid one with some kind of grey mane on his head, white armor above a grey body with blue spheres connected by blue lines on his legs and torso and sharp claws on his hands and feet. The sight made Kengo gasp in shock and as soon as the monster appeared, Leo, who was still here, fell to his knees, clutching his chest in pain.
- "Leo !" Everyone turned to look at him, ignoring the fight between Fourze and the Lucy monster. "What's happening ?!"
- "I… My powers… It's getting weaker…"
- "And that happened exactly when that fake Lucy summoned that lion monster. It can't be just a coincidence." Stated Mira.
- "It's not just any monster it summoned." Said Kengo, gritting his teeth as it looked at the creature. "It's the Leo Zodiarts. Back in our world, he was one of the strongest monsters Gentaro had to fight when he became Kamen Rider Fourze."
- "So what ? Does that mean this monster is a perverted version of Luce that can use the same power and magic but in a nightmarish way ? How can that be possible ?"
- "Another Rider." Every single head turned back to the screen, looking at Tsukasa who was frowning in worry. "It's an Another Rider of some kind."
- "Excuse me, but what is an Another Rider ?" Asked Makarov, really wanting to get an explanation.
- "To put it simply, it's a monster born from a human in which one forcefully inject the power of a Kamen Rider." Explained Tsukasa. "The result is a monster that looked like a nightmarish version of said Rider with the same kind of power, but twisted."
- "So this creature is like, what, Another Lucy ?" Deduced Happy, looking concerned. "But how did they do that ?"
- "From what our Riders friends told us, you all faced Shocker at least once." Reminded Kengo. "They probably had all the time to scan you and create a copy of your powers."
- "But why does it make Leo feel like that ?" Asked Lucy, unnerved that they created a monster with her own powers. "I have Leo's key, he shouldn't be able to weaken him with a fake."
- "Unless he genuinely know how to summon spirit." Said Tsukasa, taking everyone by surprise. "The Another Rider usually keep some of their host traits and abilities from the human that absorbed the power. If the one they turned into this Another was already able to summon spirits… It is possible it can use those fake keys to power his own 'spirits', or rather Zodiarts."
- "Which is not a good news. The Zodiarts are all based off a constellation, just like those Stellar Spirits, which means that this Another Lucy as you call it might be able to summon any Zodiarts it want by sucking the strength of the corresponding spirit." Added Kengo.
- "It is bad." Seethed Gajeel, looking at the screen as Gentaro was about to use a finisher on his opponent. Inserting the new Fire Switch in his gun, a mix of star light and fire gathered inside the gun and, pressing the trigger, unleashed a massive ball of golden flame at this opponent who took it dead on. But when they flames died out, Another Lucy was not even scratched. "Really, really bad."
- "Why didn't it worked ? It is Hybrid against Hybrid, it should have at least made some damages." Said Juvia.
- "The fact is, until now, the Hybrid were either a mage wielding Rider power or the opposite. But if our theory is confirmed, then this Another is a mage, using the magic of someone else through Rider technology." Explained Tsukasa. "Normally, the only way to destroy an Another rider is to fight it with the power of the Rider it copy."
- "But Gentaro did just that. He used Lucy's power against it and it did nothing."
- "I'm afraid this means that simply using the power won't be enough." Added Kengo. "This could mean that the original wielder of that magic is the only one that can destroy this thing."
Everybody turned to look at Lucy who looked a bit stressed at the idea of fighting against, well, herself, but she quickly shook it off, sending Leo back to his world before standing up.
- "Alright ! I'll do it then." She stated. "But if they made a copy of myself, then there's a high chance they also made copy of everyone else."
That was true. And if the Shocker base was filled with another version of Fairy Tail mages, they couldn't take any chance : they all had to go.
- "Very well." Said Makarov, standing up with a determined expression on his face. "In that case, we are all going to help our friends." Everybody cheered at that, making their friends on the other side of the screen smile at such determination.
- "But… how are we going to get there ?" Asked Wendy, silencing everyone. "I mean, Mount Katalto is at least two days from Magnolia on train, we'll never be there on time."
- "Don't you worry about that." Stated Kengo with a smile. "We managed to create a portal stable enough to send something that is probably going to be pretty helpful. Just go outside and wait. Help is on the way. Oh, and take that computer with you, so we can communicate while you're on the way."
With that, the screen turned off, making the mages all look at each other before nodding, Makarov jumping on the table.
- "Alright, brats. Looks like we'll have to go and give a hand to our friends. It is time for us to show this Shocker what Fairy Tail mages are really made of !" A chorus of motivated shouts answered him as they all ran to the exit, everyone waiting outside for the help Tsukasa and Kengo promised. They stayed here, not moving, for a few minutes before the silence was interrupted by a jingle of some kind. Soon after, a massive red and white bullet train appeared out of portal in the sky, following tracks that appeared out of thin air until it came to a stop just in front of the subjugated mages, some of them looking at the train in horror. A door opened on the side of one of the car and a young man with mid-long dark hair and a kind smile stepped out, looking at the mage.
- "Hi, everyone." Said the young man, stepping up to Makarov to shake his hand. "I am Ryotaro Nogami, Kamen Rider Den-O. You must be the guild master, Makarov, right ?"
- "Indeed I am. Nice to meet you."
- "What kind of train is that ?" Asked Lucy, still shocked by the sudden appearance of the vehicle.
- "This is the DenLiner, a train that can travel through time and thanks to the portal we stabilized, it can even go travel through dimensions. We're here to give you a lift and go and help our friends."
- "Yo, Ryotaro ! Now's not the time to talk ! We gotta go !"
- "WHAT THE HELL !?" The mages all roared in shock as they saw a whole squad of monster looking at them from the train windows. A red one with two horn and black markings, a blue one with a few turtle shaped armor, a yellow and black one with a single horn and fur on his shoulder and wrist and a dark purple one with a long coat. Ryotaro turned around and seeing them, he sighed and look back at the mages.
- "Don't worry, it's okay. Those are Momotaros, Urataros, Kintaros and Ryutaros and they are all Imagin. They are my friends, don't worry about them. Now come on, we've got to go."
They all followed the young man to the train, the mages splitting in the different cars, Ryotaro entering the one with the Imagin, followed by the 'main mages', Erza dragging Natsu and Gajeel to the train. As soon as they were on board, the door closed and a woman with a pink streak in her black hair jumped in front of them with a big smile, wearing a stewardess uniform.
- "Thank you for aboard the Denliner today. Your attendant today is...Me! Naomi! If you have any requirements, please call me Naomi-Chan."
- "So those are the mages, huh ? They don't seem that tough." Said Momotaros, looking at the mages while the blue one approached Lucy.
- "Do you mind if I reel you in ?"
- "Yes… Yes I do mind." Answered Lucy, ill-at-ease by the Imagin sudden proximity.
- "Are you the only one here to help ?" Asked Gray as Ryotaro and the Imagin were the only ones in this car.
- "No, there are other Riders in the other cars." Said Ryotaro. "We decided to send as much help as possible."
- "Don't be afraid." Said Kintaros. "Our strength is going to make them cry, you'll see."
- "Yay ! We're gonna beat them all in a flash !" Added Ryutaros, jumping around like a kid.
- "Are they always so… weird ?" Asked Wendy.
- "Yes, they are." Answered a newcomer, redhead wearing a fur coat and carrying a backpack. "But don't worry, they grow into you."
- "And you are ?" Asked Gajeel, wondering who that man was.
- "Kosuke Nitou. Kamen Rider Beast." The man said, introducing himself. "A friend of Haruto. I came to give you an hand."
- "It's a pleasure to meet you." Said Erza, shaking his hand before turning to the rest, arms crossed. So, when are we going to get there ? And how can you know where they are ?"
- "We're following a signal given off by the other Riders. It should lead us straight to Shocker and their base. As for when…" The train suddenly slowed down before coming to a stop. "Right now."
They all exited the train and realized that they were indeed in the middle of Mount Katalto, Natsu and Gajeel not paying any attention to it as they rushed outside and began to cry in relief, happy to finally be out of that train.
- "Alright. Now, let's look for our friends." The mages and Riders all began to inspect those mountain, looking for Shocker's base and their friends, hoping it wasn't too late to help them. After sometimes, they finally came across a big opening in the mountain that probably led deep inside the mountain, which could be a great place to hide a base. Theory that was pretty much confirmed by the battle traces left all around the entrance.
- "Looks like they came here, too." Said Makarov, looking all around. "I guess they probably inside this grotto."
- "Something doesn't feel right." Said a young man with black hair and wearing a black vest, looking from side to side with squinted eyes. "Even if our Rider comrades are in a bad spot, they would never leave an entrance without any kind of protection."
- "So this can be a trap. Let's be on our guard." They all approached the cave cautiously, wondering what kind of trap might be waiting for them when they all stopped, hearing a grunting noise coming from the cave. They all came to a stop and looked at the cave attentively, waiting for whatever was coming for them. A few seconds later, the grunt were revealed coming from a humanoid monster that was walking toward them. It was a creature with a brownish armor, with a streak of purple going from the neck to his waist, and some beige fur around the elbow and separating the purple from the brown. He was pitch black on the leg and his hands and feet were shaped like falcon's talons. As for the head, it was long and brown with circle of fur all around it, as if his head was hidden inside a long top hat, his red eyes and sharp teeth showing through rips in the hat.
- "So here's the welcoming committee." Stated Gray, already topless. "Why sending only one of them, though."
- "It doesn't matter. We'll just have to beat him down !" Roared Natsu as he shot at the monster who stood there, not moving an inch. "Fire Dragon's… *BAM* URGH !"
Without anyone understanding, Natsu had been send flying back as if he had been punch, the problem being they didn't saw the monster move at all.
- "Wh… What ?! What happened ?!"
- "Looks like this fucker is tougher than he looks !" Said Momotaros voice, which was coming from… Ryotaro, whose hair were now swept back with a red streak in it.
- "The heck ? What's happening to you, Ryotaro ?" Asked Wendy, worried for the young man.
- "There's no Ryotaro for now, little lady. Only I, Momotaros !"
- "Heh ?!"
- "Ryotaro have to be possessed by an Imagin to fight, don't worry." Explained the black haired man from before.
- "And who are you, by the way ?" Asked Lucy as she helped Natsu back to his feet.
- "Souji Tendou." Said the man, a red robotic beetle flying to his hand. "Kamen Rider Kabuto."
- "It is Rider time !" Shouted Momotaros, putting his Driver on and pulling the Rider Pass out.
- "HENSHIN !"
HENSHIN !
SWORD FORM !
- "Ore… Sanjou !"
Both Rider now transformed, they ran at the creature that faced them, followed by many mages, all of them aiming to get rid of that beast so they could continue. Gray and Juvia worked together, the water mage sending a massive wave at the creature which Gray immediately froze. But the monster moved out of the way in the blink of an eye, blocking both Rider in the process and sending them back.
- "God dammit, he's fast !" Complained Momotaros while Tendou got back up next to him.
- "Then we'll just have to be faster than him." He said, putting an end to his Zecter, electricity coursing through his armor which was starting to detach. "Cast Off !"
CAST OFF : CHANGE BEETLE !
The armor 'exploded', parts flying all over, pushing the monster slightly away as the mages looked at Kabuto in his new armor. However, he wasn't done.
- "Clock up !"
CLOCK UP !
Kabuto then began to move at a blinding speed, matching the monster's as they both began to fight, the mages and other Rider looking at them go, or at least trying to look, their movement being nothing more than a blur for them. They could still see that Kabuto had the upper hand, even if it was only by a slight small margin.
- "Do you think he can beat him ?" Asked Droy, trying to follow the fight as much as he could.
- "Kabuto is a really strong Rider. I'm pretty sure is already about to finish it." Said Urataros from the train as blue electricity began to sparkle on the Rider's foot as he jumped and threw a flying kick at the monster. However, and much to everyone's surprise, his attack was blocked by a wall of what seemed to be withered and spiked roots that came out of the ground to protect the fast monster who used this opportunity to rush at Kabuto and send him flying back to the mages.
- "What is it this time ?" Sighed Souji, looking at the cave entrance to see that another monster had just joined the fight. It was a monster with a white armor with two yellow kind of belt wrapped around his upper body. The bottom of his body was dark green and his round head was topped with some kind of curved horn on top. And above all, his body had a global vegetal look, as if he was made of wood and roots.
- "Great, as if it wasn't difficult enough with just one of them." Groaned Jet, looking at the two creatures. Levy's eyes were also glued to the monsters but she was confused, looking as if she was thinking about something.
- "We have to keep fighting. We need to get past them !" Shouted Erza, requipping into her Heaven Wheel Armor.
- "The lady's is right." Said Den-O, Ryotaro's voice now much more deeper, matching another Imagin's. "I'll show them my strength, this will make them cry !"
AX FORM !
Following Den-O, the mages rushed in to attack those monsters, but the fight became pretty much inequal. The new monster was able to summon withered vegetal that slithered between the mages and if it didn't took out everyone, those who managed to dodge the plants saw their movement being hindered and thus rendering them unable to dodge the fast one. It truly was a difficult combination to fight but not everyone was taking part to the fight. Levy was still analyzing the situation, finding the monsters power to be pretty familiar. TOO familiar in fact.
- "Those monsters truly are something else." Said Makarov, about to jump in when Levy stopped him.
- "Those powers… why do they feel so familiar ?"
- "Maybe it has something to do with what you learned back at your guild ?" The question came from Kosuke who stood by their side. "I mean, from what we were told, Gentaro was fighting some monster looking like a friend of your, right ?"
Just then, everything fell into place as Levy's brain finally connected the dots. It was obvious and yet she took so much time to realize it, it was infuriating.
RIDER KICK !
FULL CHARGE !
As Levy just realized what their opponent truly were, both Riders currently fighting used their finisher on each monster, using an opening won thanks to a group effort. There were massive explosion, but as the smoke cleared out, the monster weren't even grazed, which made everyone flinch.
- "For real ? We did all of that and it's not even working ?"
- "There has to be a way to destroy them !" Said Gray, panting. "We just have to find it."
- "It's Jet and Droy !" Levy's sudden shout made everyone look at her, wondering what she meant by that, her two partners looking at her in even greater confusion.
- "What do you mean, Shrimp ?" Asked Gajeel.
- "Those monsters… They have the same kind of power as Jet and Droy and they even looked like them in a nightmarish way, just like that creature we saw at the guild that looked and fought like Lu-chan !" everyone gasped as they realized that she was right, about both the power and the look. As for the Riders, they seem to understand what it meant.
- "I see… Those two thing are basically Another Rider… Or should I say Another Mage ?" Wondered the red head from before. "If that's the case, then the one who they are imitating have to destroy them." Jet and Droy looked at each other, uneasy and pretty much scared.
- "Can't… Can't we just give a Rider our magic ?" Tried Jet.
- "This would be the same, no ?" Added Droy.
- "No it's not." Countered Makarov. "Remember what we saw : Gentaro used Lucy's magic to boost himself but he couldn't destroy the monster despite using the right kind of magic. The original has to best and beat the copy."
Jet and Droy looked at each other, then at the monsters who were fighting their friends, then back at each other, both of them nodding, taking a decision.
- "Okay, we'll do it." Said Jet, trying to look confident.
- "But we'll need to be Hybrid to deal with those things." Added Droy.
- "And that's one of the reason why we're here." Said Kosuke by handing Droy a Ring, similar to the ones Haruto used. "I'm sure you'll know what to do with that."
- "And what about me ?" Asked Jet just as Kabuto appeared by his side, still looking at the two monsters whose combined attacks were really annoying the other mages and Riders.
- "You're a fast one, right ? Then this might be a good partner for you." Said Kabuto, handing Jet a blue beetle shaped Zecter that Jet grabbed and inspected closely. "This is the Gatack Zecter, lent by a friend of mine. I'm sure it will make a good combination for you."
Jet and Droy looked at each other, shared a nod and then let their magic fill their respective trinkets. The Ring shone and turned bright green and with an oval shape with little plant engraved around the ring. As for the Gatack Zecter, it turned brownish with black stripes and changed shape slightly, the mandible replaced by some kind of antennas. As they did this, Drivers appeared on their waist and after that, they turned to face the battle, ready to jump in, Droy switching his Driver's orientation.
SHABADOOBI, TOUCH HENSHIN ! SHABADOOBI, TOUCH HENSHIN !
- "HENSHIN !" Everyone turned to look at the two, eyes wide as they transformed.
PLANT, PLEASE ! SA-SA-SARA, SARA-SARA
HENSHIN !
Dory was now wearing a bright green version of Wizard classic form with brown where it normally was black and vines wrapped around his arms, without an helmet, replaced by a bright green vizor with silvery base, a bunch of seeds and green rings hanging on his side.
As for Jet, he was wrapped in a massive armor, the same kind as Kabuto before his cast off, grey and black and pretty basic. The Another Jet and Droy, seeing that, screeched and the first one ran at the two of them, but Jet was ready to receive him, his armor slowly detaching.
- "Cast Off !"
CAST OFF : CHANGE TIGER BEETLE !
The armor exploded, the fragments raining down on the monster, pushing him back and showing Jet's true form. A brown armor with black stripes on the torso, the same color scheme repeating on the legs and if the helmet wasn't here, he had a red vizor that folded into place on his face, followed by two brown antennas.
- "Wow. This feels… nice." Said Jet as he looked at himself.
- "It sure does." Admit Droy, glancing at his Another who was sending a bunch of vines at them. "Now, why don't we test our new power ?" He grabbed a bunch of his seeds and threw them to the ground at his feet before pulling out one of the ring that came with his armor.
GROW, PLEASE !
Bolts of green light shot out of the magic circle that appeared, each hitting a seed who then grew extremely fast, forming massive vines that shot at the ones summoned by the another, the two bunch of plants shredding the others. While the plants were battling it out, Droy's one slowly winning the battle, Another Jet tried to get around the plant and attack the two mages, but Jet was keeping an eye on him and ran to meet him halfway? The two speedster clashed at a such speed that the onlookers had a hard time following them, the two moving at such a speed that they, most of the time, looked like blurs. Back on Droy, his plants were about to reach his target when his Another summoned others dried out vines that aimed at Droy, skirting the other plants but this time, Droy had more than just plant by his side.
CONNECT, PLEASE !
Just as the plants were about to get to him, he pulled out a green and brown version of the WizarSwordGun, using the sword mode to slice the plants to bit, moving around expertedly as he sliced his way through the vegetal. Once the vines were all taken care of, he turned the sword into a gun and shot a few times at his clone, the bullets hitting home and breaking his concentration enough to allow Droy's plant to take over the others, the Another getting swept by the vines. Droy, using his own plant, rushed at his Another and began to pummel him, using his sword to push him back to the cave entrance.
As for Jet, his fight was, at first, pretty much even. Both were more or less as fast as each other and they fought tooth and nail. After a few minutes, sometimes dodging a root from Droy's fight that came their way, Jet grabbed two handles that were sticking out of his leg, each hand pulling out a jagged blade that looked like an insect leg and then, the fight became much more one sided. Using his newly acquired weapons, the mage began to deal a whole lot of damages to his opponent, combining his speed with his sharp blades to cut down his opponent, sending him back with each blow.
At some point, the two monsters were sent rolling on the ground, Jet and Droy standing side by side, both nodding at each other, wordlessly deciding to finish this as they had Riders to save. Droy pulled out a ring while Jet folded the antenna on his Zecter and pushed some buttons on it.
LUPACHI MAGIC TOUCH GO ! LUPACHI MAGIC TOUCH GO !
ONE, TWO, THREE !
- "Heavenward Kick !"
CHŌĪNE, KICK STRIKE ! SAIKŌ !
HEAVENWARD KICK !
Plant suddenly grew around Droy, some forming a pillar that sent him flying high while the rest grabbed Another Droy and lifted him up at least 5 meters into the air while electricity crackled on Jet's antennas, slowly flowing down his body to his legs before he ran at a blinding speed at his Another just as Droy began to dive at his own, foot first, going through a magic circle that covered his foot in bright green energy with leaves shaped sparks flying around the leg. Both attacks connected at the exact same time, both mages going through their respective Another before coming to a stop a few meters behind them, a knee to the ground as their Another exploded, much to their friends joy and amazement.
- "They are both done for !"
- "Well done, Jet ! Droy !" Congratulated Levy, feeling proud of her two teammates.
- "Well… they aren't that useless after all, huh ?" Snickered Gajeel.
- "It was well done." Admitted Souji as he powered down, walking to a now powered down Jet.
- "It was thanks to you. And thanks to that." Said Jet, gesturing to the Zecter which he gave back to Kabuto.
- "We may have given you the tools to succeed." Admit Kosuke as he grabbed the magic Ring Droy was handing him. "But it's you who used it perfectly to win."
- "Would you look at that." Makarov, while proud of the two, had been more intrigued by what the Another left behind, namely two broken black watch like devices and two men, both knocked out. "Looks like there were mages under those monsters."
- "That only confirm Tsukasa's theory." Said Ryotaro. "To ensure the magic they copied could be used to their full potential, they gave them to mages, people who knew what it means and feel to use magic."
- "If that's the case, then we'd better split and form group with Riders and mages." Said Erza, pointing at the cave. "Who know what kind of Another we'll find inside ? We already know for Lucy's, but it's just the one who fought Gentaro. If there's at least one Another by Riders, and given we ignore where they are, then we have to split and find them before it's too late."
- "You're right Erza." Agreed Makarov, walking to the cave, glaring at it. "Our family is in danger and we won't back down until we are sure they are all safe and sound ! Now come on, brats ! It is time to show them what Fairy Tail is truly made of !"
- "AYE SIR !"
Here it is ! For those who wondered, Sarasara means rustle in Japanese, according to google translate, so I used it for Droy's Plant Ring. And the Tiger Beetle, or Cicindela Hudsoni is, according to what I found, the fastest insect in the world (on the ground), so yeah, I didn't looked that far. I hope you liked that chapter. Review, Fav and/or Follow and I'll see you again late ! Bye !
Next time : Searching for their friends. Gunfight between cow-boys. Let the cosmos shine.
