Chapter 14: Conclusion

The four stood on the roof of one of the towers atop the dress-like castle, facing the orange monster. It spread its wings, tearing apart the sheets that covered it, revealing the blue dress of Alice, while branches grew out of its sides. Then, it reared its head and sent shrill shrieks towards the blood-red sky. However, behind the unintelligible cacophony of its cries, Emu could hear a girl's voice calling out.

Please don't go! Please don't go! Please don't forget me!

The pain… the fear… the loneliness…

I can't take it anymore!

Emu, gritting his teeth, gripped the cyan-and-orange Gashat in his hands. He pulled out his Gamer Driver from his Doctor's jacket. However, as he raised his Driver, he realized something. Something that gave him a glimmer of hope.

If the X form is based on my Level 1 form, then maybe it could do the same thing as the Level 1 form.

It was a small chance, but if he could separate Alice from the other Bugster data, then he wouldn't have to compromise himself again.

He placed the Driver on his waist, causing the belt to appear around him.

Takeru materialized his Ghost Driver, and Saber drew her sword. However, Emu put his hand out to stop them.

"This is my fight. I need to do this alone."

Takeru and Saber stopped in their tracks.

"Why?" Takeru asked, worried. "If we couldn't defeat her together, then how would you be able to-"

"If we outnumber her, we'll drive her into a corner, forcing her to Reset with her Noble Phantasm. But if I fight her alone, then I'll be able to administer the cure."

Takeru still had reservations, but Saber smiled.

"Umu! If that's the case, then I have full faith in you, Maestro! Now, show us your solo performance and take down this beast!"

Emu turned to Rin.

"Rin. Can you protect the other?"

Rin sighed.

"Alright then. If you know what you're doing…"

Emu nodded.

"Lastly, Takeru…"

He turned to him.

"Thank you for giving me your Eyecon. Without it, I wouldn't be able to do this."

Takeru smiled.

"Good luck, Emu."

Emu raised the Gashat in his right hand and pressed the activation button.

MIGHTY BROTHERS DOUBLE XX!

Behind Emu, a half-cyan half-orange Game Screen popped up with the game's title on the screen.

I'll change Alice's fate… with my own hands!

Emu swung his right arm across to his left and yelled

"Henshin!"

He slammed the Gashat into his driver and opened it.

DOUBLE GASHATTO

GACHAN! LEVEL UP!

The circle with characters' faces on it appeared around Emu, spinning round to a new face: a half-cyan half-orange chibi Ex-Aid. Emu reached out his hand to select it, and it spun into the centre, growing and imprinting itself onto Emu's body as it glowed with cyan and orange light.

MIGHTY BROTHERS!

FUTARI DE HITORI!

MIGHTY BROTHERS!

FUTARI DE VICTORY!

X!

With a final burst of light, the transformation was complete. Emu was now Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, Double Action Gamer Level X.

It was a chibi version of Ex-Aid's Level 2 form, but with his right half being orange and the left half cyan. On his right chest was a grid of square buttons, and he had 3 Rider Health Gauges on his left chest.

The monster faced Ex-Aid, staring at him with its camera-lens-like eye. Then, it pulled back its wings and prepared to attack.

With a running start, Emu charged towards the monster.

The Bugster Union swung its wings forward, sending a hail of razor-sharp feathers towards Emu. Utilising the heightened agility of the form, he nimbly dodged all the feathers, jumping off the sides of some of the blocks to reach the monster. The Bugster started spawning scissors on its branches and firing them at Ex-Aid.

GASHACON KEY SLASHER!

Ex-Aid pulled out a large sword with an axe blade attached and a keypad with orange, yellow and cyan buttons. On the keypad, he pressed an Orange button.

ZU-PA-PA-PAN!

The axe blade glowed and enlarged. Ex-Aid swung the sword towards the oncoming scissors, and a large orange axe-slash shot towards them, dispersing them. Emu was careful not to let them rebound towards the Bugster Union, lest she takes too much damage and resets again.

He then pressed the Cyan button on the sword.

JA-JA-JA-KIN!

Landing on the other rooftop, he used the blade of the sword to attack the Bugster Union, targeting the legs to destabilise the monster and making sure to not incur lethal damage. The Bugster Union continued to screech and flail about as Ex-Aid surgically slashed away at the form, Hit and Great indicators popped up wherever Ex-Aid managed to strike successfully.

This should be it!

With the Bugster sufficiently weakened, it was time to separate Alice from the rogue Data.

He pulled out his Double Gashat from his Driver and inserted it into the Gashacon Key Slasher, pressing the yellow button

DOUBLE GASHATTO! KIMEWAZA!

ZU-KYU-KYU-KYUN!

He aimed the point of the sword towards the Union and pulled the trigger.

MIGHTY BROTHERS CRITICAL FINISH!

A yellow, orange and cyan ball shout out of the sword and struck the Union, enveloping it in its light and causing a massive explosion, shrouding the monster in smoke.

Yes! That should do it!

Suddenly, orange tendrils shot out from the smoke and wrapped around Ex-Aid's legs.

Eh?

Before Ex-Aid could react, the tendrils pulled him upwards and slammed him into the ground.

The smoke cleared, and Emu's eyes widened.

The Bugster Union was still standing. Rearing its head, it let out a humongous roar.

No… no… it can't be! It can't be!

Too late.

Ex-Aid raised his arm to slash the tendrils, but more tendrils shot out from the Union and wrapped around his left arm, causing him to drop the Gashacon Key Slasher. The tendrils pinned Ex-Aid to the ground.

Takeru and Saber ran forward to help, but they suddenly struck an invisible wall.

"A Bounded Field!?" Rin exclaimed. "I didn't know it had this kind of ability!"

Saber tried to slash at the wall, but her sword rebounded off the surface. Desperate, she started furiously attacking the wall.

"Maestro!" she shouted.

Scissors started to grow on the branches of the Bugster, aiming straight for Ex-Aid's chest.

Damn it!

Emu tried to struggle, but the tendrils were too strong.

I need to escape, but the only way to do so is-

I can't! If I do, that means…

However, he had no more time to think, as the Bugster launched its scissors towards Ex-Aid.

Without him realizing it, his right arm reached down and closed and opened the lever on the driver.

GACHON!

GACHAN!

DOUBLE UP!

Out of the Driver popped out a half-cyan half-orange screen with two figures on it. It moved downwards onto Ex-Aid's body, causing a flash of light that made the Bugster recoil. Saber, Takeru and Rin covered their eyes to shield them from the flash. The tendrils around Ex-Aid's legs and arm exploded as armour was ejected from Ex-Aid's body, which was then surrounded by a cyan and orange aura as the scissors struck, causing a massive dust explosion.

"Emu!" Takeru shouted.

Then, as the dust cleared, they heard something.

ORE GA OMAE DE

OMAE GA ORE DE

WE ARE!

MIGHTY MIGHTY BROTHERS! DOUBLE X!

Where Ex-Aid once was stood… two Ex-Aids!?

Saber and Rin were taken aback.

"Two… Maestros?!" Saber asked.

They were both cyan and orange, but each one had a dominant colour. The left side was mostly cyan, while the right side was mostly orange. Each of them had half of the previous form's hairstyle in their respective colours, while the other half of their head was the colour of the other side.

As they broke their pose, Emu wondered what had happened.

I didn't initiate it…

Then, he had another thought.

I feel… incomplete, and yet all my conscious is in this body. Then who's-

He suddenly had a horrible thought.

The cyan Ex-Aid turned to the orange Ex-Aid.

No.

The orange Ex-Aid turned as well, and suddenly, Emu could sense the other side maliciously smile.

You accepted it, haven't you?

We shall release her.

The Orange Ex-Aid turned and sped towards the Bugster, raising the Gashacon Breaker in its hand.

The Cyan Ex-Aid ran after him.

Stop!

Ignoring the other side's pleas, the Orange Ex-Aid then proceeded to violently hack at the Bugster. The Bugster gave a screech of agony.

The Cyan Ex-Aid grabbed the Orange Ex-Aid.

We can't! There must be another way!?

You said it yourself. We need to end this with our own hands.

Not like this! You're causing her pain!

Still in denial, the Cyan Ex-Aid continued to try and restrain the Orange Ex-Aid.

If you still cannot accept this, then we have no choice.

The Orange Ex-Aid broke free and slashed at the Cyan Ex-Aid, knocking him back.

As the Orange Ex-Aid approached the Cyan Ex-Aid, the Bugster managed to recover. It viciously launched its tendrils at the two Ex-Aids, catching the Orange one off-guard.

It turned towards the Bugster and started cutting at the tendrils, moving slowly towards the main body.

The cyan Ex-Aid, having seen the orange one move in for the kill, instinctively ran and tackled him, causing the Orange Ex-Aid to fall to the floor. This distraction gave the Bugster enough time to strike at both of them with its tendrils, sending both flying. They hit the ground with a thud. The Bugster then prepared its final volley of scissors.

Crap, this is bad! Rin thought. What the hell is he doing!?

I have no choice. I need to use my trump card.

Rin ran forward towards the field and jumped.

Taking out a red and blue Ganma Eyecon from her pocket, she activated the Eyecon. It flared red.

CU CHULAINN

Takeru looked up and saw Rin.

"What is she doing?"

On her arm materialized a black brace with a black shape on it that had a hole. She slammed her Eyecon into the hole.

LOADING!

Out of the shape flew a blue and red Parka Ghost. As the base of her Transient armour materialized, the Parka Ghost landed on her shoulder. A mask made of two crossed spears appeared on her face as a red spear appeared in her hands, glowing with a red aura.

"Gae… Bolg!"

She threw the spear at the monster. It struck the bounded field, but unlike Saber's sword it didn't get deflected. It continued to push on the field, causing ripples to appear as the field materialized into view. As it continued to vibrate, cracks began to spread across the surface of the field, until eventually, broke through, hurtling straight at the Bugster and striking it in the Chest.

The cries of pain from the Bugster grabbed the attention of the two Ex-Aids.

"Quickly! Before she has time to reset, get yourself together and finish her!" Rin shouted.

The Orange Ex-Aid turned to the Emu. Emu could sense what his counterpart was saying.

There is no other way.

As Emu watched the Bugster writhe in pain, he couldn't help shed another tear.

He's right…

We already tried.

What else can I do?

With a heavy heart, he got up and closed the lever on his Driver. The Orange Ex-Aid did the same.

GACHON!

KIMEWAZA!

As the two Ex-Aids readied themselves, the Orange one's left leg and the Cyan one's right leg side by side, their legs started to flash with orange, cyan and purple energy.

MIGHTY DOUBLE CRITICAL STRIKE!

The two Ex-Aids jumped into the air towards the Bugster. They kicked the Bugster simultaneously, before reforming into Level X, who then double punched the monster into the Air. The single Ex-aid then separated back into the two Ex-Aids and launched into a final Kick.

Goodbye… Alice.

The kick made contact with the Bugster's chest, and the energy in the legs spread across the Bugster's body, causing it to screech in pain once more.

Inside the Bugster, the remnants of Alice's mind was screaming in terror and pain

It hurts! It hurts! Stop!

However, as Alice prepared to instinctively activate Nursery Rhyme's Noble Phantasm, an image appeared in her mind.

It was her memory of the doctor who cared for her when she was alive.

Alice stopped.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light as more images began to appear in her mind.

The time when she first met the other Master in the middle of the maze. The time when the other Master played Hide and Seek with her. The time when the other Master finished the book to her. And most importantly, the time when the other Master asked her to wait for him.

In these memories, however, the other Master was now the Doctor Gamer.

Through the Bugster's eye, she had seen Emu transform into Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, and now she recognized the Kamen Rider who was attacking her. Tears welled up in the Bugster's eye.

Onii-chan…

As all the memories she had lost returned to her, in her mind, another figure appeared. It was a girl who looked exactly like her, except she was wearing a black dress.

"Did you have fun?" the girl asked.

Alice nodded.

"I'm glad." The girl said.

"However, it's time to come home."

The other girl reached out her hand.

"Onii-chan's come back for you."

Alice rose and reached out her hand, grabbing onto the girl's. Together, they stepped forwards towards the light.

As the two Ex-Aids finished their kick through the Bugster, its body exploded. The Ex-Aids landed on the roof and slid to a halt. Then, then both stood up.

"Emu!"

"Maestro!"

Takeru and Saber ran up to the two Ex-Aids as they both closed their drivers and pulled out the Gashat. They recombined into one body before the armour vanished, leaving Emu standing in the rain of orange dust, holding his Double Gashat.

Rin also ran over, removing the Eyecon from her brace. Her armour dissolved.

"Emu, are you alright?" she asked, worried.

Emu turned to face them, smiling.

"Yes, Takeru. Saber. Rin. I'm fine. Now, shall we get going?"

The elevator descended from the sky and landed in front of the four.

"Oh, right. Takeru?"

He walked over to Takeru and gave him the Double Gashat.

"The Floor Master's Servant gave me this Gashat. I think it may be the last of her power."

Takeru nodded. He materialized his Ghost Driver then, placing the Double Gashat on the palm of his left hand, he used his write hand to draw a circle over it. The Ghost insignia appeared over the Gashat, and the Gashat dissolved into orange mist, which was drawn into the insignia. Out of the insignia flew out a Parka Ghost, with two lights for eyes, shaped like a black dress, with a hoodie that had a black flat-topped hat on the top. Attached the hat were two pink ribbons and what looked like two white braids of hair. The Parka Ghost flew into Takeru's Driver. Takeru held his hand under the front of his driver, and out popped a half-black half-blue Eyecon with a white scelera. On the top plate was the letters ES-03, an image of two doll-like figures standing back to back holding open books and the words "Nursery Rhyme".

Takeru held onto the Eyecon as they entered the elevator.

Once inside, Takeru held up the Nursery Rhyme Eyecon. It glowed blue, and Takeru was absorbed into the Eyecon.

When he opened his eyes, he was in a dimly lit library that looked Victorian. There were bookshelves on the walls lined with books, most of which looked ancient. In the centre of the room was a bed, and in the bed lay a girl with bubblegum pink hair, sleeping soundly.

"Welcome, Tenkuji Takeru."

Takeru whipped around. Behind him was another girl. She looked identical to the girl sleeping in the bed, except she was wearing a black Victorian Dress and hat. In her hands was a book.

"You are… Nursery Rhyme?"

"Correct."

"How do you… know my name?"

She smiled.

"I am the embodiment of stories, past, present and future. Your story is no exception, Kamen Rider Ghost."

The use of his title to address him made Takeru slightly unnerved.

"I must thank you, Tenkuji Takeru. You were able to see into the memories of others when you were alive, and it seems that you are able to even here. Because of this, you were able to guide Emu Hojo to where he needed to go."

Takeru remembered the girl he saw in the forest.

"So that girl… is the girl sleeping here?"

Nursery Rhyme nodded.

"Then, who is she?"

"She is the Master of this Floor."

Takeru was confused.

"Wait, her? How could she be the Master? I never saw her again after that time… Also, if you're the Servant, then who was that Monster? Was it one of your subordinates?"

"Lots of questions, huh?"

Nursery Rhyme sighed.

"You have seen her. Tell me, why do you think Emu was so reluctant to finish off the monster? Why was it so unwilling to fight? It is after all only two letters away."

Takeru took a moment to think. Then, the realization struck him.

"No… you can't mean… that Monster was her?"

Nursery Rhyme walked over to a bookshelf and pulled down a book.

"I think it's about time you learn her story."

Takeru's vision darkened.

"So… that was what she was going through…"

There were tears in his eyes as he opened them.

"If I had known… then-"

"You wouldn't have been able to do anything about it." Nursery Rhyme said.

"That boy… he's a stubborn fellow. He felt like he had an obligation to do this himself, as penance for the shame the other doctors brought to his profession. Even if you offered help, he wanted to shoulder the burden alone. That's why he never told you. Although he swore to give her rest, he was always trying to find hope to the bitter end; that he would be able to rescue her and save her. He had to kill before, isn't that right?"

Takeru nodded.

"Even in those times, he hated having to stain his hands with blood, but at least he was able to justify those times, even if barely. This time, however, there was no reason."

"Then, why is the girl here? If Emu had to kill her using your Gashat, then-"

"Oh, the Gashat also had a secondary purpose." Nursery Rhyme replied.

"You see, as well as injecting her with those memories that Emu created, it also injected the last of my Servant Data into her, so that I would be able to enter her and retrieve her consciousness and my Servant powers as data. That is why you were able to create my Eyecon from that Gashat."

"So, you saved her?"

Nursery Rhyme nodded.

"How could I kill my former Master? As much as I was a dear friend to Alice, Alice was a dear friend to me. Of course, I had to save her. Her conscious is in this Eyecon along with me. You notice the dual figures on the top plate of this Eyecon."

"Then why tell Emu that he had to kill her?"

"…"

Nursery Rhyme turned away.

"…Emu had to think that." She answered in a low voice.

"Huh?"

She turned back to face Takeru, walked up to him.

"Every story must have conflict. Through conflict, the hero grows, overcoming himself until he becomes a stronger person than he was before. All I'm saying is that Emu needs a little push to develop."

"But why?"

"If I told you, that would be a spoiler. Then the flow of the story would drastically change, possibly for the worse.

Takeru fell silent.

"I feel sorry for him." Nursery Rhyme continued. "However, this needed to be done. Can you please keep this a secret from Emu?"

It took a long while for Takeru to deliberate in his mind as to what to do, but eventually, he reluctantly agreeded.

"Good." Nursery Rhyme smiled. She closed the book in her hand. "I think it's about time for you to return."

Takeru nodded. He turned around to leave.

"Oh, and Takeru, one last thing."

Takeru turned back.

"When Emu is in desperate need, please be there for him. He's such a good boy, but I feel like he's going through a lot at the moment. And when Emu falls…"

Nursery Rhyme stopped for a moment to think.

"Can I go with him?"

Takeru was a little confused with the wording of her statement, but nonetheless nodded his head. He proceeded to turn around and walk forwards, his form vanishing into the wall.

Nursery Rhyme waltzed back to Alice's bedside.

"Hey, Alice. The story's about to get interesting." She whispered to his ear.

"Let's wish Onii-chan good luck."

Alice smiled in her sleep.

"Onii-chan… good luck." She whispered.

Takeru opened his eyes again. He was sitting on a couch in the Elevator, along with Saber and Rin.

"Man, that floor was boring!" Saber complained. She lay down on the back pillows. "I didn't do enough fighting! That damned monster kept cheating every time we dueled! All we had were long walking hours and philosophizing! And mushrooms! Too many mushrooms! And where did that eggplant even come from?"

She gestured to a huge pile of mushrooms she collected on the floor, topped with a single eggplant.

"Damn you mushrooms (kinoko) and eggplant (nasu)! You ruined this story for all of us! Too much philosophy, not enough action! What, do we have to rewrite this story to make everyone happy?"

What on Earth is she even talking about now?

Then he noticed that Emu wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Where's Emu?"

Takeru got up and looked around.

"Don't worry." Rin assured Takeru. "He said he wanted to take some time to reflect on something, so we're giving him some privacy. I think he went into one of the smaller rooms. I don't recommend you talk to him. He's been through a lot."

Takeru returned to his seat, still concerned.

Emu… what's going on?