Chapter 19 - What we gain, What we lost
When Haruto opened his eyes, he realized they were in the sky and falling toward the radio tower. His mind was quickly searching for a strategy to survive.
Kamen Rider Wizard quickly pulled out a ring, but then he caught a familiar pla-monster flying near him. It moves and flies. So he smiled.
Haruto put the ring on his belt buckle.
"Big, Please!" The belt declared
A red magical circle appears, and the pla-monster goes through it. When the Pla-Monster finally got as big as an elephant, it caught Haruto, Iroha, Yachiyo, and, of course, Sana.
Yachiyo looked at their mount, then looked at Haruto. Iroha, meanwhile, was confused. She's probably never seen anything like this Pla-monster before. When Haruto approached the top of the radio tower, Tsuruno and Felicia waved their hands. The massive Pla-monster approached and landed near them. After putting the unconscious Sana down from their mount, the Pla-monster returned to its small size.
"You guys okay?" Tsuruno asked, "Is this Sana-chan?"
"Yes, this is Sana." Iroha smiled, stroking her hair. The Pla-monster approached her.
However, the situation suddenly turned into an icy chill as a voice called.
"I am surprised you can survive."
Alina Gray has appeared.
"Of course they will," said Kousuke who appeared from another side of the tower. He continued, "These kinds of people are hard to kill."
The Mikazuki Group took battle position. Iroha was about to stand, but Yachiyo patted her shoulder.
"Protect Sana," she whispered, and Iroha nodded in compliance.
Haruto knew a fight was about to break out. Glancing at the magical girls' soul gem, it was clear Iroha and Yachiyo had both used too much magic. They can't risk continuing to fight.
"I didn't like the loose end," Alina continued, "and I hate you all for ruining my plan. So I will kill you here and now."
Alina pulled out three green cubes. Each of them contained a witch. Will this girl risk destroying this tower just to kill Iroha and her group? But before she did anything more than that, a mist appeared around them, and then a dark red magical circle appeared behind Alina. A terrifying figure stepped out of that circle.
"That is enough," the figure said.
"FATHER!" Alina called enthusiastically as she hugged the figures.
The figure wears armor decorated with so many skulls and skeletons. He was two meters tall, with red and silver decorating his body. His red cape was torn, but it was emblazoned with the words "WIZARD" and "2012." Meanwhile, a halo grew out of the back of his head, and his mask was clearly reminiscent of Haruto's own mask.
"Another Wizard," gritted Haruto's teeth.
"You've had enough battle today," said another Wizard. "Save your power for the fated day."
"Yes, Father," Alina replied.
Another wizard then saw Haruto's form.
"You," he pointed at Haruto, "are just a pretender. I will make sure that you are obliterated, and only the true wizard will stand in this world. but not today." Another Wizard then put his hand on his own belt buckle, which was decorated with a hand skeleton.
"FLAME!" A distorted voice called.
Another fireball formed above Another Wizard, and, with hand gestures, it launched toward Haruto and the gang.
Haruto put a ring on it and quickly used his magic. He know that fireball are dangerous. He know how much magic packed on them. So Haruto quickly acted.
"Shield, Please! Shield Please! Please provide a shield!"
Three stone shields appeared before Haruto. When the fireballs hit, two of them were destroyed, while the last one stood, half melting. Haruto's transformation was canceled as the stone shield disappeared. Then the group looked around; their enemies had disappeared. But Haruto knows that this will not be their last encounter.
Futaba Sana had a dream.
She was on a train with her mother. Her mother's smile was gentle, and she stroked Sana's hair. Sana remembered this moment well. It was the first time they came to Kamihama, the day when Sana's mother would meet and marry her new husband.
"Our life's will be better," her mother had said.
The train entered a tunnel, and then Sana woke up.
She appears to be in a room. The green-haired girl looked around and then found a small bird-shaped toy. Sana was about to pick up the small toy, but then it flew around her. It snuggled with Sana a bit before going out of the room.
Sana was confused. Then she remembered her friend Ai. The last thing Sana remembers is how that other Kamen Rider destroyed Ai's form while Ai was transferring her essence to the ring. What happened after that?
Sana is quickly leaving the room. She desperately needs information. She needs to know where her best friend is and how she is doing. Sana reached another room where Haruto, Iroha, and Yachiyo, plus two other girls she didn't know, were sitting around the table.
"Haruto-san!" Sana called, "How is it a... where is…"
"Calm down," Haruto smiled, "you are looking for Ai, right?" Haruto asked.
Sana nodded. The young man then pointed at the small toy that Sana had met a while ago that was flying around the room. The small toy approached Sana. Sana then opened the palm of her hand, where the small toys landed. Ai-chan's figure can be seen in a hologram that appeared from its eyes.
"Hello, Sana." Ai waved her hand.
Sana's tears appeared in her eyes.
"Is that…is that really you?"
"I want to say that this is indeed me in the flesh, but I have none to begin with," Ai replied.
"I'm glad you survived," Sana said, tears welling up in her eyes, "and I'm glad you're here."
"Me too, Sana," Ai replied. "Unfortunately, this is not all of me. But this is me enough that I can be with you forever."
"Yes, forever," Sana said as she hugged the small toy. This makes the image distorted. But Sana was glad that her friend survived and that she is now here with Sana.
Haruto approached, saying, "That Pla-monster is called Green Griffin." He then continued, "You will need to charge its magic every morning so Griffin can operate all day long. If you didn't have enough magic, I can help you too."
"Thank you, Haruto-san!" Sana hugged the young man.
Haruto was frozen while the rest of the Mikazuki villa was in various states of shock. Iroha and Tsuruno were the most affected. Their faces were red, and they were about to lunge toward Haruto. Felicia didn't seem to mind as she continued to play with her phone, and Yachyo appeared to be interested. Haruto, however, was oblivious to the girl's reaction. Sana then released her hug and then approached the rest of the Mikazuki Villa inhabitants.
"Sorry for my late introduction. My name is Futaba Sana. Thank you for saving me and Ai-chan," she bowed.
Thus, Futaba Sana's new start began in Mikazuki Villa.
The day started early in Mikazuki Villa. Everyone in the town was exhausted from the battle the night before, but today was Monday, and everyone had to go to school (or college).Of course, waking up Felicia is hard even in a normal situation, so Yachiyo was forced to call upon Haruto's help.
Felicia was peacefully asleep on her bed. No matter how many times they arouse her, she refuses to wake up. Yachiyo and Haruto were currently standing beside her bed.
"Are you sure I should do this?" Haruto asked, "She could drown, you know."
"Don't worry, Iroha is already in the bathroom, ready to catch her," Yachiyo replied peacefully.
Haruto sighed and then put a ring on his finger. He then waved his hand on his belt, and the belt called.
"Connect, Please~!"
A red magical circle appeared above Felicia, then it moved down toward her. The moment it passed her, she disappeared.
Then, a moment later, a loud noise of splashing water can be heard, followed by Felicia's voice throughout the house. And that was how today began.
Futaba Sana was awake even before the Mikazuki Villa began to make a lively , the green-haired girl just sat on her bed, looking at the door. Sana was grateful that Yachiyo had given her a room with no strings attached. Is it a pity? Or maybe a feeling of responsibility? Did Sana ever deserve this?
"Sana, are you okay?" A voice called.
Ai-chan's hologram sat beside her. Unlike before, her form wasn't solid. But Sana was fine with it. She was happy that she was here.
"I am not sure," Sana answered truthfully, "I just... I don't know how to handle their kindness. "Do I even have a right to be here?"
"You'd given me a lot of things, Sana." Ai-chan said, "You had given me kindness; you had given me humanity; you had given me a friend. I think you are the one who deserved all of that the most. If Yachiyo and Haruto give you that, you should accept them."
Sana smiled and nodded.
"But how…?"
"Start by going out of the room, and then talk to them," Ai-chan replied. "You can be back here if you don't think you can do it." But at least try to talk to them; open your heart. "I am sure they will be a better friend than your previous one."
Sana took a deep breath, and then she walked toward the door. Her hand slightly trembled, but in the end, the green-haired girl opened the door and stepped out. Right in front of the door, Iroha stood with an awkward smile.
"Uhm…Good morning, Sana-chan," Iroha greeted first.
Sana smiled. "Good morning, Iroha-chan," she replied.
"Uhm…Would you like a breakfast?" Iroha started.
Sana nodded and said, "Yes, thank you."
The two girls then walked to the first floor. Ai-chan looked at their awkward interaction with a smile. Hopefully, their relationship will improve. But for now, that was enough. The hologram of the Uwasa disappeared, and then the small green Pla-monster began to fly, searching for Haruto.
She needs to do something important for Sana. to her better future.
Haruto and Yachiyo always feel out of place when they are in this café. However, it's not like they can decide for a famous lawyer in Kamihama to meet in a family restaurant. He will attract attention for sure. not to mention the other adult that will come with him.
Haruto had found out that there was a missing poster for Sana. The name to call belongs to a certain attorney. So Haruto added two and two and decided to ask for a favor. Ohtori Tsurugi quickly agreed to set up a meeting between them.
A moment later, two adult men entered the café. One of them is Ohtori Tsurugi, with his usual style of a red and black suit. With him was another man, possibly older, with tired eyes. The two found Haruto and Yachiyo and quickly joined them.
After ordering a drink, it was the stranger who broke the silence.
"Just in case you try to lie to me about my daughter's location, I will warn you that I can try to destroy your life with one sentence." The man looked at Haruto and Yachiyo with fierce eyes and said, "You aren't the first people to try to lie and gain profit for Sana's disappearance."
Yes, this stranger is Futaba Sana's stepfather.
"Futaba-san, please don't threaten them," Tsurugi stepped in, "didn't I say you can take their word?, I am indebted to them, you know."
"Don't worry, Ohtori-san; I understand his predicament," Haruto assuredly said. However, his heart is beating way too fast now. This man is intimidating. But Haruto pulled his fear out and then continued, "Unlike other people, I can provide proof of Sana's location."
Haruto pulled out his cellphone and then showed the worried father the image of Sana. It wasn't just one image, either. Sana alone, Sana with the rest of Mikazuki Villa's inhabitants watching her play chess against Yachiyo, and Sana cooking with Iroha Of course, Haruto always asks first, so all the images show Sana looking and posing at the camera.
"I am glad Felicia is doing well," Tsurugi chimed in.
"Where... where... where is this?" The worried father asked, his hand gripping Haruto's cellphone.
"She is with us in Mikazuki Villa," Yachiyo replied, "it's a sharing house. It used to be a dorm, but I invited some girls to live with me due to their situation. That includes Felicia, Ohtori-san's charge."
The male Futaba began to understand. He looked at Tsurugi and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"So this is why you put so much trust in these youngsters," he said to Tsurugi.
"They are legendary," Tsurugi agreed. "Even for legendary me, I can't handle that bunch of energy. I barely deal with his father," he chuckled, "but they did an excellent job of keeping her safe AND in school. You can't imagine how happy I am the moment the school starts informing my dear Felicia to start coming to school."
Their conversation was cut off for a while when the waitress came to deliver their drink. But as soon as the waitress left, the topic quickly started up again.
"Can I meet Sana? Can her mother meet Sana?" Sana's father asked.
"That... might be a bit complicated," Haruto sighed. He really didn't want to explain this bit.
"You know, her mother worries about her so much that she starts getting sick," the head of Futaba's family began, "I think she blames herself for Sana's disappearance. She suggested a divorce, you know! I need her back."
"Do you need her back because your wife wants her back, or do you also worry about her like her mother?" Yachiyo asked sharply.
Haruto can't believe what his cousin said. That goes too far! Haruto was about to say something, but then he looked at Sana's fatherly expression.
He realized something. His face said he realized something. The man then sighed and nodded.
"I understand; I won't force the issue." The older man finally said, "But..., I wish you two would meet my wife, and before that, gather as many photos and videos of Sana as possible."
"We understand," Haruto and Yachiyo said in unison.
"Why are you helping her anyway?" Sana's father asked.
"She told me things," Haruto replied. Yachiyo looked surprised at him but kept silent. So Haruto continued, "I think it will be a long while before Sana can come back to your family. But, in the meantime, we will assist and care for her. She needed help, and here we are," Haruto said to Sana's father with a smile.
The older man looked suspiciously at Haruto, but then let it go when he remembered that this isn't the first troubled girl they've taken in.
"Do you two like taking care of troubled girls?" He asked, his demeanor relaxed, "Tsurugi also told me about Felicia."
"Haruto here has a thing for saving people," Yachiyo said, "and I'm guessing he thinks he's a hero from some kind of Tokusatsu drama."
Haruto makes a small laugh. He wasn't offended, nope! Not at all.
"Haruto may pick them up, but you, Yachiyo, are the one who helps Felicia the most," Tsurugi pointed out. "Felicia told me about how strict you are, and frankly, she needed that. You are legendary yourself. Don't sell yourself short."
"Legendary!" Haruto agreed.
"Talking about taking care of your daughter," Tsurugi then looked at Sana's father, "do you think two college students will manage financially?"
The next few minutes were then spent talking about boring adult staff. Haruto had almost fallen asleep listening to the arrangement, but thankfully, he had Yachiyo beside him. He didn't want to admit it, but his causing are more grown up and level headed than Haruto himself.
Today, while shopping, Sana found a missing poster of herself. It surprises her that her family is actually looking for her. Why? Do they think she is important enough? Sana was tempted to go back to her family, meet her mother, and just ask questions. But she remembered that she is invisible.
"Sana-chan, what have you got there?" Tsuruno's voice asked
Sana looked around and then smiled weakly. She keeps losing her awareness nowadays. This is the best outcome she can have: Her friend is alive; she has a new friend who can see her and appreciate her; and she is away from her family.
Sana is important here. The green-haired girl looked at Tsuruno and Felicia, who put down their game controllers. They look worried, and Sana didn't want her new friend to worry.
"This is my missing poster," Sana said, showing the poster to the two girls.
"Oh! I have that as well," Felicia laughed. "Uncle made them the first time I escaped from an orphanage."
"You have?" Sana looked surprised, then laughed, saying, "Then we can form a missing child poster club."
"But I am not lost anymore," Felicia pouted, and Tsuruno patted the blonde-haired girl.
"So, are your parents worried about you?" Tsuruno asked.
Sana wasn't sure how to answer that. But she began, "My mother married a widow with two children. Those children... they are amazing, smart, and always on top of their class. I don't think they need a worthless child like me."
Tsuruno unexpectedly approached Sana and hugged her. She cried loudly, while Felicia looked confused.
"You are not worthless," Tsuruno said, tears still on her eyes, "You are my friend!, You have a place in here, both in Mikazuki Villa and in my heart."
Sana felt her heart warm and tingly. So she hugged the brown-haired girl back.
"Thank you, Yui-san," Sana replied.
"Tsuruno!" Tsuruno insists, "Call me Tsuruno!"
"Okay then, Tsuruno-chan," Sana nodded.
"I can also be your decagon ball friend," Felicia said, holding up her phone.
Sana smiled at the younger girl and nodded. "That sounds lovely," Sana agreed, "but I want to do something first."
Sana escaped from Tsuruno's embrace and stood.
"I will be back before dinner," Sana said. She then called Ai-chan. The Pla-monster-Uwasa hybrid suddenly flew toward her and landed on her shoulder.
There was a nest made out of newspaper in the corner of the room for the AI. Felicia made them for Ai-chan, and she seemed to enjoy them. So her Pla-monster body is always hanging out in there, where everyone is in the living room. After bidding a good-bye, Sana walked toward the night.
She needs to make sure. Does her mother still love her? Does her new father really want to use this missing poster to find her? Her feelings were a mess as she walked. She wasn't sure if checking her family's house was a good idea, and yet she walked and walked.
Sana soon reached her old home. A two-story building with a wide garden Unlike Mikazuki Villa, this building looks more modern and recent, no doubt the result of her father's successful career. Sana could feel Ai-chan's comforting presence on her shoulder. So she took a step toward the building.
The usually clean house was a bit messy. Sana stepped toward the dining room to find her mother cooking. The moment Sana stepped into the room, however, her mother looked toward her. For a moment, Sana thought her mother could hear her.
"I thought Sana was here," her mother said, and soon she broke down in tears.
Sana realized how much her mother missed her. Her body moved on its own; she quickly turned off the stove, and she hugged her mother. Does Sana's mother feel the hug? Sana didn't care. She just hugged her crying mother.
It reminds her of when she was younger, the first time her father died in an accident. How her mother also broke down crying Sana thought she was a worthless child compared to her stepsibling, and yet her mother cried for her.
Suddenly a voice can be heard, and soon Sana finds herself staring at her stepfather. The older man found his wife still crying near the stove and then quickly hugged her too. The loving affection wasn't missing in Sana's eyes. Her new father is really good for her mother.
"Are you okay, dear?" The man asked.
"I… "I thought Sana was here; I miss her," her mother replied.
"Don't worry, we will find her," her father assured.
At this point, Sana walked away. She can't see this. to see that she made a mistake in judgment. to see that those two are badly affected by her disappearance. Sana took a deep breath and walked out.
After a while, Sana noticed Haruto staring at her from the seat of his motorcycle.
"I thought you really had come home for good," Haruto said, waving his hand.
"No, I can't," Sana replied. "I... need some time," Sana replied.
"I understand," Haruto nodded, "would you like a ride?"
"I've never ridden a motorcycle before," Sana admitted, approaching Haruto.
Haruto smiled and said, "Come then!, There is a first time for everything."
The two then drive toward the night to come back to their home. a home that makes Sana feel warm and tingly in her heart, a home where everyone cares about her. Unlike… Sana paused in her thoughts.
As the wind blew her hair, Sana was lost in thought.
"Well, then, let's get started," Yachiyo began.
They were in the living room of Mikazuki Villa. Tea and snacks were on the table, papers and notebooks were strewn about, and Yachiyo stood in front of the group, a whiteboard in her back pocket.
"Sorry, Yachiyo," Haruto said abruptly, raising his hand.
"What is it, Haruto?" Yachiyo asked back.
"Since you took out the whiteboard, you should wear this too," Haruto said as he took out the glasses and handed them to Yachiyo.
Yachiyo looked at Haruto weirdly but then accepted it without question. She realized it was another strange trait of her cousin. where did he get the glasses, anyway?
"Oh~ Shishou! You look cool with the glasses!" Tsuruno praised.
"You look like a teacher," Sana agreed.
"Urgh…You look scary," Felicia, who are afraid of a teacher, complained.
Iroha just started giggling and then took out her phone to take a picture of Yachiyo with glasses.
"Iroha, what are you doing?" Yachiyo asked with an annoyed face.
"Oh, I figured I would start taking pictures for when Ui is back," Iroha smiled, "I imagine she will enjoy it."
"Iroha, share it with me later, okay!" Haruto whispered.
"Okay, that is enough!" Annoyed, Yachiyo took off the glasses and put them on the table.
The group groaned in complaint, but Yachiyo ignored them. He began to write on the whiteboard several words and then connected each word with an arrow.
"So, Magius," Yachiyo began, "they make the Uwasa. Their present known members are: Azusa Mifuyu, Amane Tsukasa, Amane Tsukuyo, Alina Gray, and Hiiragi Kousuke."
Iroha wrote what she wanted on the whiteboard, but she added a little image of them above each of their names. Tsuruno and Haruto peeked at Iroha's drawing and smiled.
"There is another member; however, they appear to be just goons," Haruto added.
The Griffin Pla-monster suddenly flew down from its nest, and Ai-chan's hologram appeared beside Yachiyo. Although her holographic image appears distinct, Ai-chan copied everything Yachiyo wore, including the glasses.
"The Wing of Magius is actually divided into several ranks," Ai-chan added. She, however, can't write. So instead, a holographic screen appears in front of the whiteboard. The Uwasa continued, "The goons you mentioned are called the black feather. magical girls who are just following orders, believing that the Magius can save them. They know nothing about the Magius's full plan.
"Then the next group are the white feathers." This is Amane Twin's rank. They have a general understanding of the Magius' plan, but they must also follow the orders of their higher-ranking officers. Above them are the enforcers. This is Mifuyu Azusa's and Hiiragi Kousuke's rank. They know Magius' full plan and are actively helping them. They are also in charge of ordering the white and black feathers. Then the three people in the top are the Magius, the three leaders of The Wing of Magius, the ones who make the big plan: Hiiragi Nemu, Satomi Touka, and Alina Gray. My creator."
Iroha took a deep breath. Are they really the Nemu and Touka she knows? Why are they doing this?
"And what is the plan?" Yachiyo asked.
"Unfortunately, that part of my memories gets corrupted," Ai-chan replied, "and Kamen Rider Beast's attack makes me have a hole in my memories." "I can tell you something about Magius, but I can't tell you anything else."
"What about the guy Alina called "Father"? The super strong one?" Felicia asked.
"Unknown," Ai-chan replied, "even if I have my full memory, I am not sure if that monster is in my database."
"You called him 'another wizard,' Haruto," Yachiyo asked, looking at Haruto. "You know him?"
"Kinda…?" Haruto scratched his head. He wasn't sure how to explain this. Haruto took a deep breath and said, "I am not sure how he is related to Magius. I am also not sure what his goal is or why he is here. All I know is that he is dangerous."
Haruto got a stare from the girls, and then he sighed, "I can't explain all of this just yet, mostly because I barely know anything about him or Magius. But I know he has bad intentions."
"Is it because of the skull?" Tsuruno asked.
"His armor looks like yours," Sana agreed, "but scarier..."
"Our powers are related," Haruto admitted, "and there is a reason why I called him 'another' wizard. Sorry for the inconvenience."
"So, what should we do next?" Felicia asked.
Yachiyo looked at her and realized her mouth was full of snack crumbs. Yachiyo pointed at Felicia's mouth. Felicia looked confused, but Iroha quickly moved into action and wiped Felicia's mouth with a tissue. Haruto smiled a bit, looking at what the three were doing.
Yachiyo then looked back at the whiteboard and continued, "With Ai by our side, I think we can begin to find the Magius, or at least their upper ranks. Ai, can you tell us their base?"
"Sorry, the information is unavailable," Ai replied; "however, I can tell you the location of some Uwasa. Would you require that information?"
"I guess we should take what we can get," Tsuruno said. "They did appear when we beat enough Uwasa. So maybe we can beat them again and force them to tell us their base."
Haruto's phone suddenly rang. He took the phone while apologizing to Yachiyo. It was a message from Hinano. The message was only one sentence...
"Do you know this guy?"
And then it followed with an image of a man with very familiar armor. a man with magenta-colored armor. Haruto looked at the image in disbelief. There is no way that guy is here.
"Haruto-san, is something wrong?" Iroha asked.
"No, nothing," Haruto replied, "but I have something to take care of tomorrow."
Haruto put his phone back in his pocket, dreading the day to come. After all, the world destroyer just came to Kamihama.
an: Finally, I finished this arc. I am happy with the results, and I achieved a lot of things. However, from this point on, the story will take a wildly different turn. Hopefully, it still makes sense. Some things to be addressed are:
Unlike many fanfiction writers who like to write angst and hurt their characters with many trials and turbulence, my goal when writing "Connecting Hope" is to add more wholesome content and make the character's life a little bit better. This is why I give Felicia a bit more backstory, and this is why I changed a lot of Sana's backstory. I really dislike how Sana's backstory is written and then forgotten. It was almost never developed further, and it was never solved. I also make Sana's mother more... human? Sana's parents on Canon are basically just a plot device, and I don't want to write that kind of cruelty into my fanfic.
Hell, my goal when I began writing this was to give Yachiyo a hug after what happened in the season one. So be prepared for more changes that make the character's life a little bit better. I hope you enjoy it.
As for our mysterious guess, the next chapter will be about him.
Ciao~