Round 1: Welcome to the DGP

Within the grand halls of the Nexus Palace, a man walked into a room and shut the door. It is in this room that he found a dark void, but it was nothing to be afraid of, not to him at least. This man, clad in a trenchcoat, and carrying a large book, walked to the metaphorical centre of the room. He opened the book and then smiled.

"Why hello there. For those of you who don't know me, let me introduce myself. My name is Woz. A vassal of my Overlord, Sougo Tokiwa, or as some of you may know him as, Kamen Rider Zi-O.

But today, I won't be bringing you a great tale of my Overlord's many adventures. No. Today, I'm here to tell you the tale of a previous young Rider. Her name is Luz Noceda, and she was once known as the dark and terrifying Empress Oscura."

Holographic screens began to form all around Woz. Each of the screens depicted a moment in time of Empress Oscura, or rather, Kamen Rider Oscura.

"Brought to despair by a curse, young Noceda-chan sought to free herself from it. And so she turned to powers that she was not ready to use, and in turn, fell further into the darkness, and pushed away those who cared and loved her.

It was not until Oscura summoned her alternate self from another universe, who went by the moniker Kamen Rider Witch, and another young girl named Anne Boonchuy, Kamen Rider Amp.

She sought to use Boonchuy-chan's power to break into other universes and bring darkness and destruction upon them. And as for her alternate self, she tried to break her, and make her see that darkness dwelled in her heart. That this other Luz was not the hero she thought herself to be.

However, in the end, it was the combined efforts of Witch and Amp that managed to free Luz from her state as Oscura. However, in order to avoid capital punishment by the people of the Boiling Isles, her mentor and second mother, Edalyn Clawthorne, had Luz banished from the Boiling Isles forever.

While this seems like a sad tale, and for the most part it is, there is a glimmer of hope. Another young girl, a witch named Amity Blight, self-exiled herself as punishment for her hand in bringing about the rise of Oscura.

Together, along with Noceda-chan's family, she has been able to heal and is now living a comfortable life with her new girlfriend, adopted sister, and mother.

However…

It seems that the wheels of fate still turn for this Luz Noceda.

The Ballad of Oscura was once thought to have concluded, but now it is time for a new song to be written.

Now, sit back, and watch as our young troubled Luz Noceda finds the strength to become the hero she was truly meant to be…"

The students of Gravesfield High School came rushing out in their graduation gowns. It was graduation and officially the start of summer vacation. One such student was Luz Noceda and today meant that she would never need to step through those doors again.

"Finally!" Luz let out gleefully as she took off her graduation cap.

"You seem happy," a pink-haired girl with amber eyes smiled as she walked alongside Luz, carrying a diploma.

"You have no idea, Amity. High school hell is finally over."

"It wasn't that bad," Amity remarked. "Remember prom?"

Luz blushed as she remembered their senior prom. How could she forget? She had taken Amity as her date and they had danced the night away, just enjoying each other's company. Even Vee went with Masha. Despite getting odd looks from the conservatives, they did not let anything bother them.

"So, any plans for the summer?" Amity asked.

"Get my book published then take a year off to do some travelling," Luz said. "You?"

"I did get accepted to college. But honestly, I can afford to take a year off as well," Amity answered.

"Hey, don't put your life on hold for me, OK, Ams? I am OK by myself," Luz reassured her girlfriend. "So, how about celebratory milkshakes? My treat."

"As if I could ever refuse," Amity smiled.

"Girls!" Camilla called from the parking lot, waving. She was also holding a camera. Vee and Masha were with her as well. "Over here!"

"But first, Mom wants to take more pictures," Luz said with a smile and an eye roll.

After taking more pictures and removing their graduation gowns, Amity got on Luz's bike and they drove away together. After they arrived at the diner, they both sat at their usual table and were enjoying their milkshakes.

"Excuse me, are you Luz Noceda and Amity Blight?" asked a woman who came to their table. She appeared Asian, dressed in black and white, with a white headband and her long dark hair tied in a side ponytail. She also carried a pair of black and yellow boxes.

Luz blushed when she laid eyes on the woman. She may be dating Amity, but she could still appreciate other women. Amity was not immune either but recovered quickly before she lightly kicked Luz under the table to shake her out of her stupor.

"Um...who are you?" Luz asked.

"Congratulations, after careful consideration, both of you have been chosen to participate. Starting today, you are Kamen Riders," the mysterious woman said as she held both boxes in front of the couple.

Luz and Amity blinked.

"...I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Amity asked.

"You two, Amity Blight and Luz Noceda, have been chosen to participate in a tournament as Kamen Riders, along with other participants," said the woman.

Hearing the words "Kamen Rider" made Luz tremble. Images of herself as Empress Oscura began to play in her mind as her heart pounded and her breathing began to quicken. Amity noticed Luz's panicked expression and quickly reached across the table to grab ahold of her lover's hands.

"Luz, calm down, it's okay! I'm right here, just breathe, hermosa," Amity cooed.

The Latina slowly began to inhale and exhale, matching Amity's breathing. It took a couple of minutes, but Luz managed to avoid having a full-blown panic attack in the diner.

"...I'm OK, batata. Thanks."

Amity glared up at the woman.

"What's your deal, lady?! And why would you say that to us?" she demanded.

"We are very aware of your history, both of your histories. You, Miss Blight, are a witch from another dimension." Amity's eyes widened with shock. "And Miss Noceda was once a Kamen Rider, but one who wielded dark powers." Luz winced and gritted her teeth. "But you needn't worry, Miss Noceda. This Rider System does not make use of magic, so you can toss away your fears of becoming your old self." The Asian woman placed both boxes on the table and bowed to the two girls. "You've been accepted, but participation is entirely up to you."

"Then you can take those things back! I won't become a Rider ever again!" Luz exclaimed. "I caused too much pain and suffering when I did…"

"Even if participation will grant you any wish your heart desires?" the woman asked.

Luz curiously turned her head to the woman.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I, unfortunately, cannot divulge much more than that. If you want to learn more, then you will have to choose to participate. Of course, you're also free to drop out at any time. I still have others I need to meet with, so for now, I'll bid you a good day," said the woman before she turned and left the diner.

Amity and Luz looked at the two boxes that were left on their table as their appetite for their milkshakes had vanished.

Luz and Amity sat on the floor in the middle of the old shack behind Luz's house. Over the years, they had fixed it up, turning it into an unofficial clubhouse of sorts and they may or may not have used it as their secret love nest at times. Both girls were mulling over what the woman had said, especially Luz. Amity could tell her girlfriend was thinking harder than she was about this, and it didn't help that the mysterious woman had said something about having their wishes granted.

How could she have known Amity was a witch? How could she have known about their pasts? About the Demon Realm?

Just who was she? And what was this tournament she told them about?

"Do you think she was telling the truth?" Luz asked.

"I…I don't know, Luz. I mean, she knew who we were, who you once were. The only people who know that are me, Camila, Vee, and to an extent, Tsukasa, your alternate self, and Anne. I find that highly suspicious, but also very disturbing," Amity admitted.

"But what if she's not lying? What if…What if she's telling the truth? What if…" Amity looked Luz in the eye, causing her to pause.

"Is there really something you want so badly that you're willing to become a Kamen Rider, again?" she asked.

Luz went silent for a moment.

Amity looked a little hurt as she asked again.

"Is…Is what we have not enough?"

Luz quickly turned her gaze to Amity and pulled her into a tight hug.

"No! No! You are more than I deserve, mi amor! I…I just need to do this, I think. Let's at least hear what she has to say."

Amity still wasn't sure, but she trusted Luz, and at least this time, she would be by her side as a Rider.

"Okay."

"Ready?" Luz asked.

"Ready," Amity answered and the two slid the lids off the boxes. What they found inside caused their eyes to widen. "Luz, these are..."

"Drivers," Luz finished as she fished out the device from the box. It was black and grey with a circular slot in the centre and a black diagonal stripe going across it. "She did say we would become Kamen Riders."

Amity could see her girlfriend's hands tremble as she held the Driver. The dark memories replayed in Luz's head as she remembered the last time she became a Kamen Rider and how she had lost her way and become a monster of pure evil. Amity put her hand on Luz's, calming her down.

"Luz, it's OK. Let's just throw these away and-"

"No, I'm not gonna run away." Luz shook her head, steeling her resolve. "This could be my chance to be a better Rider. It's a chance for you too."

Amity was not sure but if Luz wanted to participate in this, whatever it was, then she would not be doing it alone. Amity found a set of instructions, explaining that these devices were called 'Desire Drivers'. To activate them, they would need to put them on and insert their 'ID Cores', which were the circular items included with their Drivers. Luz picked up hers as it was indigo with an image of an owl. Amity examined her purple ID Core, which had a picture of a cat.

[Desire Driver!]

The two girls put on the Drivers and belt straps appeared to secure the devices to their waists. Luz took a deep breath and looked Amity in the eye.

"Ready to dive in?" Luz asked as she held Amity's hand.

"With you, Luz. Always," Amity answered and they inserted their ID Cores.

[Entry!]

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and the two vanished.

When Luz opened her eyes, she found herself standing at the edge of a platform that was hundreds of feet in the air. She nearly lost her balance if Amity had not caught her and pulled her away from the edge in time.

"Thanks, hermosa," Luz said as she took stock of where they were. She and Amity were standing on a floating platform that was surrounded by pillars and strange machines that rotated at the base. In the middle of the floor were the letters DGP in red.

"Luz, where are we?" Amity asked.

"I...I dunno, Amity," Luz answered as she automatically took her girlfriend's hand. They were not alone either as several other people were wearing Desire Drivers too and they looked just as lost and confused as the couple. Among the gathered participants was a trio of teenage girls. One was Caucasian with blonde hair, the second was Thai with brown afro hair, and the third was a Taiwanese girl with long dark hair and wearing a Vegabondia Chronicles T-shirt.

"Marcy!?" the Thai girl and Caucasian girl exclaimed happily.

"Anne! Sasha!" a Taiwanese girl shouted in excitement.

The three girls met up with each other and practically squealed with joy as they jumped up and down, much to the annoyance of the other participants.

"Greetings, everyone!" the strange woman who presented the Desire Drivers to them appeared in the middle of the platform, standing atop an elevated pedestal. "Welcome to the Desire Grand Prix! My name is Tsumuri and I will be your navigator."

"Desire..." Luz started.

"Grand Prix...?" Amity finished, confused. They were not the only ones.

"Now, I understand that you must be confused but you have all been chosen to fight as Kamen Riders to protect the world from the Jyamato threat," Tsumuri explained.

"So, we're being conscripted? Is that it?" the blonde asked.

"You can say that, but we do not expect you to fight for free. If you become the winner, you may have your ideal world. In short, any wish you have may be granted."

The participants mumbled when they heard this.

"Our ideal world?"

"Any wish can be granted?"

"Cool!"

Luz and Amity shared a curious yet wary look. Any wish?

"Please, write your wish on your Desire Card," Tsumuri instructed as blank cards with DGP on their black and white backs appeared in their hands along with a quill. As soon as they did, everyone began to think and write down their wishes.

Luz looked at her Desire Card, her hand gripping the quill. What was her greatest wish? Her life was all right, now. She was happy. But then she remembered the Owl House and her friends from the Demon Realm. As much as she wished to see them again, she could never return, not after everything she had done.

Maybe this Desire Grand Prix could help her make everything right again.

She wrote down her wish.

Meanwhile, there was a busy restaurant but it was anything but normal. Sitting at the tables in the dining area were strange humanoid creatures with white heads that resembled the pawn pieces in chess. The creatures were dressed nicely and served by other creatures that were dressed as waiters.

In the kitchen, other creatures dressed like chefs were preparing dishes and in the corner of the kitchen was a cage filled with frightened people.

"Your first mission has begun! Stop the Jyamato Restaurant and rescue all the captured people inside!" Tsumuri declared.

"Wait, we're going in already?!" Anne asked.

"Yes. Everyone, prepare for transport," said Tsumuri.

In little time at all, all the participants began to glow with blue light, and in the next moment, the entire platform was cleared save for Tsumuri herself.

The participants found themselves standing outside the Jyamato Restaurant and wearing a new set of clothes. They all wore black and blue hoodie jackets with matching pants and boots. They were each given a black and pink box, similar to the ones that contained their Desire Drivers and ID Cores.

"To fight the Jyamatos, please use the Raise Buckles given to you. Kamen Riders, good luck!"

Luz and Amity opened up their boxes and found their Raise Buckles. Amity got a yellow one that had three claws on it and Luz got one that looked like a cute pink mallet.

"OK, how do we use these?" Amity wondered.

"Like this, I guess," Luz said with some uncertainty as she slotted her Raise Buckle into her Desire Driver.

[Set!]

Once inserted into the Desire Driver, a holographic display appeared next to Luz that had the word "HAMMER" displayed in pink text.

Luz's mind was starting to flashback to her first transformation when Eda had been killed right in front of her eyes thanks to Lilith firing a death beam that was meant for her. The Latina's hand trembled a bit as her heart pounded in her chest.

This was it, she was going to become a Kamen Rider, again. The last time she did, she killed so many Coven Scouts with a single attack that was fueled by wrath. But today was different. These powers weren't fueled by magic or her emotions. Today was her first step towards correcting her mistakes.

Luz took one look at Amity, smiled and steeled her resolve. She then moved her hands around in a unique pattern for a moment before stopping.

"Henshin!" Luz exclaimed and then she tapped the Raise Buckle, activating it.

[Armed Hammer!]

Amity gasped as Luz transformed. Her body was covered in a plain black suit with some minimal armour. Her helmet resembled the image on her ID Core. The lower half of her helmet was black while the upper half was indigo, with a silver beak-like nose, big round eyes, and grey crests above the eyes with black stripes. At the same time, the holographic "HAMMER" word morphed into an image of her Raise Buckle that merged with her. Now, Luz had additional armour composed of a right breastplate and silver shoulder pad that was held on by pink straps. On Luz's breastplate was the symbol of her Raise Buckle and in her right hand was a pink mallet. Her black eyes also filled in with colour as they flashed and turned yellow.

[Ready, Fight!]

"Luz, you transformed..." Amity's eyes widened as she saw her girlfriend in her new Rider suit.

"I...I did..." Luz said shakily as she looked at her hands as the memories came flooding back. "I'm a Kamen Rider again..."

The other participants who witnessed her transformation copied what Luz did to transform as well. It was a simple enough procedure as they attached their Raise Buckles to their Desire Drivers and activated them.

[Armed Arrow!]

[Armed Water!]

[Armed Shield!]

[Armed Chain Array!]

[Armed Propellor!]

[Armed Drill!]

Their suits formed and each of them became a different animal-themed Kamen Rider, equipped with their weapons.

[Armed Claw!]

Amity had activated her Claw Buckle and was equipped with yellow claws on her hands along with her armour. Like Luz, the lower half of her helmet was black while the upper half was purple and resembled a cat. She had a silver stripe going down between her now yellow eyes and pointed ears on top. Beside the eyes were whisker-like markings.

[Ready, Fight!]

"Ay, que linda! Amity, you're a cat!" Luz said in amazement as she saw her girlfriend's Rider form.

"And you're an owl,"Amity pointed out.

"Ah, right." Luz rubbed the back of her head. "Guess those ID Cores show our motifs, huh?"

"Guess so," Amity nodded. "Now, how about we get started?"

"Right behind you, Amity!" Luz nodded as she raised her hammer excitedly. "Let's save those people!"

Once armed, the Riders all stormed the restaurant and thus began the first round of the Desire Grand Prix. When the Riders entered, they found the Patron Jyamatos sitting at the tables and Waiter Jyamatos serving them. Seeing the Riders, the Patron Jyamatos panicked and stood up, holding their utensils like weapons. The Waiter Jyamatos also took out kitchen knives to defend themselves.

A Rider with a green newt motif fired her Raise Arrow crossbow and shot a Waiter Jyamato in the head, killing it.

"Boom! Headshot!" she cheered. Suddenly, she received a notification and took out a special DGP-issued Smartphone to see that she had earned points from her attack. "Oh, it's like a video game!"

"Nice shot, Mar-Mar!" a Rider with a blue frog motif said, armed with an orange Raise Chain Array.

"Now, how about we teach these monsters a lesson?" a red Rider with a heron motif growled, rubbing her Raise Claws together.

Emboldened by the green Rider, the DGP Riders all charged at the Jyamatos, showing no mercy. The Jyamatos fought back, screaming as they used their utensils. However, they seemed to be no match for the army of players.

There was a white hawk-themed Rider who was only armed with the Raise Water but he appeared to be skilled at using Karate. He performed punches and kicks, knocking down the Jyamato. He used the Raise Water gun as a melee weapon, clubbing the Jyamatos.

Nearby, there was an orange rabbit-themed Rider who seemed to be enjoying herself. She used the Raise Propeller as a polearm and was laughing joyfully. Fighting evil monsters and saving people was like a dream come true for her.

"Best. Day. Ever!"

Luz and Amity stood close together as they fought the Jyamatos that came at them with forks and knives. Luz swung her Raise Hammer, knocking them to the ground as Amity hacked and slashed with her claws. They went down like puppets with their strings cut before exploding.

"These guys are supposed to be a threat?" Amity questioned.

"I guess these must be the mooks so they are standardly weak. The only thing they got going for them is numbers," Luz answered. She watched the chaos in the dining area, but she remembered their goal was to rescue the people that were taken captive. Scanning the room, she spotted the door to the kitchen. If this was a restaurant, then the Jyamatos were preparing the humans to be cooked and fed to their patrons. "C'mon, Amity! Follow me!"

Luz charged towards the kitchen and knocked down the Jyamatos that tried to get in her way. She also had to manoeuvre past the other Riders. One Rider screamed as they were flung across the room and sent crashing into a table.

Amity tried to follow her girlfriend but was blocked by a Rider grappling with a Waiter Jyamato and then she was tackled by a couple of Patron Jyamatos who knocked her to the ground. They began jabbing her with their knives and forks and she cried out.

"Amity!" Luz shouted as she heard Amity's scream in the commotion. She hit her Hammer Buckle, initiating its finisher.

[Hammer Strike!]

Yelling, she leapt into the air and jumped over several Jyamatos to cross the room and swung her hammer, knocking the Jyamatos away. They hit the wall and exploded. Amity groaned as Luz helped her up.

"You OK?" Luz asked.

"I'm fine," Amity grunted. "I was just taken by surprise."

"OK," Luz said as she took Amity's hand.

Inside the kitchen, the people screamed as the Chef Jyamato opened the cage and grabbed a screaming child.

"Let me go! Let me go!" the boy yelled as he struggled but the Jyamato ignored his cries. It just put the boy on a kitchen counter and raised its kitchen knife when Luz and Amity burst through the door, startling the working Chef Jyamatos. Amity spotted the Chef Jyamato as it was about to kill a child and saw red. Pulling the lever on her Raise Buckle, she initiated its finisher.

[Claw Strike!]

Her claws glowed, gathering energy and with a yell, she charged at the Chef Jyamato. Several of them tried to get in her way but she cut them down with ease before reaching the Chef Jyamato and the child. She drove her claws into its chest and pinned it to the wall before it exploded.

"Wow..."Luz's eyes widened as she saw how amazing Amity was and the cat Rider helped the boy off the counter.

"Are you OK?" she asked, and the boy silently nodded. "Good."

[Secret Mission Cleared!]

"Huh?" Amity blinked and took out the phone that came with the suit. Across the screen were the words: 'Secret Mission: Be the first to save a civilian from near death'. Suddenly, a new Mission Box appeared on the counter, and she opened it. Inside was a large Raise Buckle with a chrome red finish and a handle on the side.

"Amity, you just got a power-up!" Luz said in amazement.

"Luz, we should get these people out of here." Amity pointed at the cage containing the trapped civilians.

"Gotcha!"Luz saluted and she went and smashed open the lock with her hammer before she opened the cage door. A woman came running out to hug the boy Amity had saved. "OK, everyone, please follow us out the back!"

Meanwhile, back in the dining area, three female Riders were going to town on the Jyamatos. The red heron-themed Rider seemed to be having a blast as she hacked and slashed like a maniac. The green newt-themed Rider provided cover fire for her while the blue frog-themed Rider used her chain array to whack the Jyamatos from afar.

"Think we racked up enough points?" the Heron Rider asked.

"Considering how many we've defeated, I believe so," the green Newt Rider said. "Though, if this is the First Round, we should be seeing the first Boss."

"Mar-Mar, this ain't a video game," the Frog Rider said. "It feels more like a weird Reality TV Game Show."

"Who cares? I've never felt so alive! Hahahaha!" the Heron Rider laughed.

[Claw Strike!]

"Eat this!" She swung her Raise Claws and threw energy slashes that obliterated a group of Waiter and Patron Jyamatos, causing them to explode. The explosions, however, knocked down several players standing too close to the blast zone.

"Sasha, you could've hurt somebody!" the Frog Rider admonished.

"They're fine, Anne. They've got armour," the Heron Rider brushed her off. "Now, let's keep going and-!"

[Mission Cleared!]

In a flash, the Riders were all transported back to the DGP Platform. Many of them were wounded and they were all exhausted, but they were happy that it was over.

"Huh!?" Sasha looked around in confusion. Why were they back here?

"Congratulations on finishing the mission!" Tsumuri declared.

"Wait," Anne said. "You said we needed to rescue the civilians."

"Yes, and two of you succeeded," Tsumuri said. "Now, let's look at the leaderboard."

A screen appeared behind Tsumuri, displaying the names, Rider names and points of the top ten players.

Amity Blight/Kamen Rider Gato: 25,000 pts

Luz Noceda/Kamen Rider Lechuz: 17,500 pts

Sasha Elizabeth Waybright/Kamen Rider Soaron: 17,000

Anne Savisa Boonchuy/Kamen Rider Qrok: 16,450

Marcy Regina Wu/Kamen Rider Newtonne: 16,300

Marco Ubaldo Diaz/Kamen Rider Kata: 14,550

Molly McGee/Kamen Rider Joy: 13,400

Penn Zero/Kamen Rider Tai-Ger: 12,900

Sebastian Krabbs/Kamen Rider Clamp: 11,500

Peter Prospects/Kamen Rider Smog: 9,900

"Sadly, only the top ten players will make it through to the next round. "I'm sorry for the rest of you, but you have been eliminated," Tsuumuri said, and she snapped her fingers.

[Retired!]

Many of the players vanished, leaving behind their Desire Drivers. Now, only ten players remain. Luz took a moment to see who they were. There was a blonde Caucasian, a Thai girl with an afro hairstyle, a Taiwanese girl, another Thai girl with a ponytail and a joyful look on her face, a Latino with a beauty spot, a ginger kid with messy hair and a smile, a dark-skinned male with dreadlocks and finally a man in his forties with grey hair and a moustache. He seemed the most out of place since he was the oldest.

"Wait, how did she get first place?" Sasha asked, pointing at Amity.

"Coz, we rescued the civilians in the kitchen!" Luz boasted, smiling.

"So, she accomplished the goal," Marcy concluded, crossing her arms and nodding. "I see. That's why she's at the top of the leaderboard."

"In all hindsight, we probably shouldn't have been so focused on mooks," Anne thought aloud. Sasha shot a glare at Anne, making the Thai teen clam up.

"With this, the first round has ended. You will be summoned when the next game begins. Until then, please enjoy your downtime," Tsumuri told them.

After returning home, the two girls sat together in Luz's room. Camila had to work late so they did not run into her. Vee was also not around, having gone out with her friends to celebrate the end of school and the beginning of summer vacation.

"What a way to start summer vacation, huh?" Luz remarked.

"Yeah," Amity agreed. "...Luz, what did you write down as your wish?"

Luz was quiet for a moment. They were told they could not reveal anything about the DGP to outsiders, but it should be OK to tell Amity about her wish, right?

"...I wish I could undo everything I did when I became Oscura," Luz confessed.

DrExposition: With permission from Michael Ravencroft, I decided to write a Disney Rider story. Now, the Luz and Amity I'm using are from the Oscura Universe. I recommend you read the stories "Kamen Rider Witch Alternative: The Ballad of Oscura", "Kamen Rider X Kamen Rider Witch And Amp: The Dark Side Of Hope" to learn more about these variants of Luz and Amity.