Neko poked at the fish she had ordered. It seemed that even her favorite food wasn't helping her feel better.
She felt really confused at the moment. She had heard that Kenzaki wanted to have sex with her, but it sounded like it was something he was really looking forward to. Neko had to admit that the thought was tempting, but it sounded like he was hoping for it to go like Kotonoha and Ryuji would do it. In short terms, apparently like rabbits when they got the chance.
Again, the thought was tempting. She had seen Kenzaki without a shirt and she liked what she saw. Still, her mama had told her the facts of life and consequences. She wanted the first time to be special but Kenzaki seemed to want it as soon as possible.
"Why do boys have to be such jerks?" Neko mumbled.
"So they can find the right woman to keep them in line, Ojou-sama," Gekiryuken answered from his necklace position.
Neko giggled a little. She had to admit to that too. Kenzaki would have gotten his butt kicked or fired so many times if she wasn't there to calm him down.
Kenzaki was walking through the GaroLiner. As he walked through the Dining Car, he was greeted by looks from his fellow teammates. They were confused for two reasons. One: the absence of Neko, and Two: the mixed look of anger and sadness on Kenzaki's face. "I'll be in my room. No one is to bother me. No one," he said.
"What about Neko?" asked Kumiko.
"…" Kenzaki stopped and stood silently for a moment. "I said no one. Besides, I doubt Neko will be looking for me any time soon," and with that said Kenzaki teleported into his room.
"IN HOT WATER"
Neko had returned to the apartment and caught Ryuji and Kotonoha making out on the couch. When she finally caught their attention, they separated with their faces flushed.
"Hey, Ifrit-chan, can I borrow Kotonoha-chan for a bit?" asked Neko nicely.
"Sure," nodded Ryuji as he stood up. "I just remembered that I need a shower." 'A cold shower.' He walked off, leaving the two girls alone. Loki was out in disguise doing some grocery shopping.
Neko sat down next to Kotonoha who was fixing up her clothes and hair. Neko decided to strike up a conversation so she asked, "Kotonoha-chan, can you tell me how you first met Athena?"
Kotonoha blinked at the sudden question. "Ano…why?"
"Just curious," said Neko. "I mean I'm really bored and I could use a story, if you don't mind."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all," smiled Kotonoha. She then told Neko how it began. "It wasn't long after Ryuji-kun came back when I first met Athena..."
"Katsura, can we talk?" asked Otome as she approached Kotonoha, without her usual posse for a change. It was lunch time and Ryuji had to go to the bathroom.
"Hai, Katou-san?" responded Kotonoha nervously. Otome frowned a bit at this but she had to…needed to do this. "What is it?"
"I'd like to…" Otome began. "I'd like to…" She hesitated.
"Hai?"
Otome bowed deeply and said, "I'd like to apologize for the way I've been treating you!"
Kotonoha was surprised at this. "What?"
Otome stood up straight and rubbed her right arm nervously. "I'd like to apologize for how I, and my friends, have been bullying you." She appeared uncomfortable about this but not insincere. She didn't, however, look Kotonoha in the eye. "It wasn't fair of me either to give all my work to you. I'm supposed to be the Assistant Class Rep so I had to do my part too."
"Why did you?" asked Kotonoha. "Why did you treat me that way?"
"Well," Otome sighed. "I think maybe because I was a little jealous of you."
"Jealous?" Kotonoha blinked.
Otome closed her eyes. "You're rich and you have a really nice figure. I kinda had the feeling you thought you were better than us all. I guess I never really took the time to get to know you." The bullying was also an outlet for her frustration.
"I see." Kotonoha asked curiously, "What brought this along?" She then concluded, "Is this because of Ryuji-kun?"
Otome shivered at hearing the name. Ryuji had demanded everyone refer to him by his surname or even as 'Hasuma-sama'. To say he was full of himself was an understatement. He scared a lot of people, Otome included, and it still surprised her that he and Kotonoha were dating.
"Are you doing this because you are afraid of Ryuji-kun?" Kotonoha asked.
"Well…a little bit," Otome admitted. "But mostly because we've both been hurt by Itou. We got that in common at least. I can understand if you can't forgive me. The stuff I did, there really isn't an excuse, and…"
"I forgive you," said Kotonoha. Otome was surprised and turned to look at her.
"What?"
"I forgive you," Kotonoha said with a smile.
Otome was shocked. Kotonoha could forgive her so easily. "But…but…"
"You sound sincere, so I'll forgive you," sad Kotonoha.
"Thanks," Otome finally smiled, "And I'll try my best to be a better assistant Class Rep from now on…If you'd let me…"
"I don't know…" Kotonoha hesitated. "Ryuji-kun's been helping me with the matters of the class and the Student Council."
"He has?" Otome blinked. "Even the…"
"Surprisingly, he's good with paperwork."
Otome didn't seem convinced, "He doesn't seem the type. I mean his grades are…average."
"Well, he has other skills," Kotonoha defended.
"Well, maybe I could just resign," said Otome, "I mean I got stuff to do on the basketball team too. Hasuma doesn't belong to a club, right?"
"No, he doesn't. He says it gets in the way of his napping time," Kotonoha giggled.
"Napping time…gotcha," Otome winked. "Well, I'll be going now…" Otome walked out of class and Kotonoha watched her exit with a smile.
"You did what!" shouted Natsumi after Otome told her friends of what she did. "What were you thinking, apologizing to her!"
"Look, it's not worth it, OK?" said Otome. They were in the cafeteria.
"But how could you?" Kumi questioned. "It was fun."
"Can't you see?" Natsumi sneered, "It's because she's afraid of Hasuma."
"No," Otome denied. "I'm just saying we should just stop since it's not worth the trouble."
"Whatever," said Natsumi in disgust, "You bow down to Katsura and all because she's got that thug Hasuma backing her up."
Minami defended, "I think Otome's doing the right thing here."
"Oh, shut up you doormat!" snapped Natsumi. "You're just too obedient to think for yourself, like a little dog!"
"I am not!" Minami retorted.
"Listen, girls…" began Otome but Natsumi glared at her. She the stomped off. "Where are you going?" questioned Otome.
"To put that little bitch in her place. Let's go, girls!" said Natsumi. Kumi and Minami stood up, gave Otome a brief glance, before exiting the cafeteria after Natsumi. Otome sighed.
"This will not end well…"
Kotonoha was on her way to meet Ryuji on the roof when Natsumi shouted, "Hey, Katsura!" Kotonoha turned to see Otome's friends looking at her. Natsumi seemed cross while both Kumi and Minami wore neutral gazes.
"Hai?" Kotonoha responded which only further pissed off Natsumi. None of them noticed an orb of golden light hovering outside.
"You little bitch," growled Natsumi as she walked over to Kotonoha. She poked the girl in the chest. "Because of you and your bastard boyfriend, Otome's cowering at your feet. I hope you're happy."
Kotonoha didn't know what was going on, but she didn't like it whenever anyone talked about her boyfriend like that. "Don't call Ryuji-kun a bastard…" Kumi and Minami were surprised by Kotonoha's defiance. This just further incensed Natsumi.
"What was that?" demanded Natsumi as she grabbed Kotonoha roughly by the arms. "I dare you to say that again!"
The golden orb then darted through the window and into Kotonoha's body. She gasped as sand spilled from her sleeves. The other girls didn't notice this happening, however.
"Let me go…" a voice came from Kotonoha's lips.
"What?" Natsumi said in fury before, shockingly, Kotonoha reared her head back and slammed her forehead into a Natsumi's face. Natsumi recoiled in pain and shock as Kumi and Minami gasped. The two girls looked at Kotonoha in surprise.
Kotonoha now stood confidently as she dusted off her sleeves. Her hair was now done up in a ponytail with green streaks in it and she wore an angry and arrogant expression on her face. "Don't ever touch me. You are beneath me, so know your place."
Natsumi's eyes narrowed. 'How dare she?' "You bitch!" She swung her right arm at Kotonoha to slap her but her arm was caught at the wrist by Kotonoha's right hand. "Let me go!" Kotonoha of course didn't and Natsumi got the shock of her life knocked into her when Kotonoha punched her right in the left eye. Natsumi screamed as she fell backwards when Kotonoha let go of her wrist. Kumi and Minami were stunned.
"Any other takers?" Kotonoha smirked as she cracked her knuckles.
"Get her!" Natsumi ordered, a bruise forming around her eye.
"But, Natsumi," Kumi began to protest.
"Shut up and do what I say!" Natsumi snapped, causing both her friends to flinch. They went to get Kotonoha but their intended victim fought back and gave them both black eyes for their trouble.
"You want some more?" said Kotonoha as she crossed her arms under her bosom. Kumi and Minami shivered before they grabbed Natsumi who started yelling in protest as they ran off. "Cheh, cowards."
'Who…who are you?' questioned Kotonoha from within her head. 'Are you…'
'Kotonoha' replied, "Yes, I am an Imagin, Lady Kotonoha. You may call me Athena."
'Athena…that's a lovely name,' said Kotonoha.
"Well, let's go see your man," said A-Kotonoha. "From what I can see in your memories, he's the one you love. Of course, I still think you can do better."
'He's on the roof,' said Kotonoha.
"I know."
Ryuji was sitting on the roof, atop a white and red checkered blanket. He checked his watch, "Where could she be?"
'Maybe she had an errand to run?' suggested Loki, his Imagin partner, telepathically. 'She is part of the student council.'
"She would've texted me," said Ryuji as he looked down at his phone. He heard footsteps and looked up to see A-Kotonoha walking towards him but then he frowned when she sat down on the blanket on folded knees. A-Kotonoha noticed Ryuji glaring at her.
"What?" A-Kotonoha asked.
Ryuji growled, "Get out of my girlfriend you damn Imagin!"
"How dare you speak to me like that, you male?" the Imagin who'd taken possession of Kotonoha retorted, angered by Ryuji's disrespect.
"I dare because you're in Koto-chan and I want you out!" He couldn't hurt Kotonoha, but maybe he could scare this Imagin out of her.
A-Kotonoha snorted but then received a request from Kotonoha. She sighed, "Very well…" Sand soon spilled out of Kotonoha's body before pilling up next to her. The sand then formed into a humanoid shape which filled in with color. Standing there was an Imagin, with a complete physical body.
It was a humanoid female figure clad in a green armored top that left her stomach bare and matching shorts. She had spiked shoulder pads and green gauntlets and boots. Her skin was tanned and she had a skirt of feathers around her waist and golden bracelets and anklets. Her hawk-like helmet covered her entire head and left the lower half of her face and mouth exposed. She had green hawk-like eyes and a frown on her face. A sword was in a holster at her hip. For an Imagin, she was sure attractive.
"Koto-chan, I warned you to never make a wish if an Imagin somehow possessed you," hissed Ryuji.
"But I didn't make a wish!" said Kotonoha.
"Actually, you did, when that girl was harassing you," said Athena. "In your mind, you wished you could be strong."
"A girl was harassing her?" growled Ryuji. "Was it Katou?"
"No, it was some of her friends," answered Athena as she kneeled next to Kotonoha. "They didn't like how their leader had forsaken them so they tried to deal with Lady Kotonoha themselves. Of course they hadn't expected me to appear and help."
"And do you have a name?" asked Ryuji.
"I am known as Athena, the Amazon Imagin," said Athena as she locked eyes with Ryuji. "And Lady Kotonoha's protector from this day forth."
Suddenly, a red haze of energy flew out of Ryuji and formed into Loki, who was kneeling next to Ryuji. As usual, he had his black robe on and hood up, the cloth mask covering the lower half of his face and his long horns sticking out from his forehead. He bowed respectfully. "Welcome, Miss Athena. I am Loki, Ryuji's partner." He then produced a box of cookies with a cartoony version of his face on the lid. "Would you like some cookies?"
Kotonoha continued, "Athena and Ryuji-kun didn't get along very well at first."
"Well, she is an Amazon," reasoned Neko. "It's in her nature."
"But, there's more to it than that. You see, Koizumi-san didn't like how I stood up to her so she…"
"She made a wish with an Imagin?" Neko finished. Kotonoha nodded.
"And that's when Athena did something neither of us would expect."
The Lobster Imagin had long antennae and red shall armor covering its body. It was armed with pincer claws as it slashed Ifrit across the chest. "Kuso…" Ifrit swore.
Kotonoha stood at a safe distance, watching the fight with worry. "Ryuji-kun…" she whimpered.
Athena appeared at her side, "Lady Kotonoha, you wish for me to assist your male consort?"
Kotonoha gave Athena a pleading look. "Please…"
"I shall help him!" said Athena firmly before she flew into the battle. She slashed the Lobster Imagin across the back and then whirled him around to kick him hard in the chest before giving a few quick slashed with her sword. She the rushed over to Ifrit and helped him up.
"You decided to help," Ifrit stated.
"It was a request from Lady Kotonoha," said Athena and she could see Ifrit was trembling. "You're injured."
"I'm…fine…" said Ifrit. He was in pain, which was true, but he wasn't going to back down from a fight nor had her ever retreated.
"The Lady would not forgive me if I allow you to perish, so I shall lend you my strength." Athena turned into an orb of green light and entered Ifrit's body, much to his shock.
"What are you doing!" shouted Ifrit when all of a sudden a ticket materialized in his right hand with Athena's image on it along with the date she'd possessed Kotonoha. "Huh?"
'Swipe it over your belt buckle,' ordered Athena. 'NOW!'
He wanted to argue but well he didn't have the strength and besides, Kotonoha wanted her to help and he couldn't reject it. He was whipped, true, but he was glad he was with Kotonoha. He quickly swiped the ticket over his pass, the emblem glowing as it scanned the ticket, before the ticket vanished.
"AMAZON FORM!"
Ifrit's visor vanished as his armor changed. First, the chest armor, arm armor, leg armor, gauntlets and boots all changed to green. The blue bodysuit turned brown and new shoulder plates shaped like wings snapped on. A new blue visor shaped like a hawk's beak slid over his faceplate and snapped on before a pair of wings flanked his head. Ifrit, now in a new Amazon Form, looked towards the recovering Lobster Imagin.
"Know your place!" shouted Ifrit, in a voice combination of his and Athena's, before he charged at his opponent.
"Together, they managed to defeat the Imagin, but Ryuji-kun is still angry at Athena for hijacking his body like that," giggled Kotonoha.
"I can imagine why," Neko nodded.
Several Days Later…
It'd been several days since the argument Kenzaki and Neko both had and well things weren't getting any better. The school, of course, had been repaired and in record time too with the holes sealed up with cements until new tiles could be ordered. Desks had to be replaced but it was a small price to pay.
Neko had been staying over at Ryuji's and had been trying to get a hold of Kenzaki but with no success. Was he avoiding her? She wondered why? Even when she got onto the GaroLiner, she couldn't get him to come out of the room. She just felt so horrible inside. She was afraid. What if…what if the 2 year long relationship they'd enjoyed was over?
She didn't want that! Anything but that! She was feeling immeasurable guilt, thinking it was all her fault that Kenzaki was avoiding her.
Kotonoha did her best to comfort Neko and the female Rider also befriended Sekai and her friends too.
Kenzaki didn't come to school when it'd opened back up again. She wanted to see him and at least talk but still there was no success. And, aside from that, they still didn't have any clues on their A-Class Jumper. The good news was there hadn't been any Imagin attacks but that didn't mean they'd just stopped. Sooner or later, an Imagin would attack.
While Neko believed that their relationship was ending because of her, Kenzaki thought their relationship was already over, because of him. He felt that he'd pushed Neko too far, and now she didn't care anymore. He had been avoiding her. He was doing this because he was afraid that if he saw her, she'd confirm his worst fears. He heard a knock at his door. "Go away," he growled.
"It is I, Kenzaki-sama!" said Byakko proudly.
"Good for you," Kenzaki said sarcastically. "Now go away." He heard the sound of footsteps leaving. Then he heard them charging at the door. It exploded when Byakko slammed his shoulder into the door. The door flew across the room. Byakko entered followed by Okami, both carrying ropes. They quickly tied Kenzaki up, thought it had taken a lot of work because of his struggling. "Let me go!" Okami quickly duct taped Kenzaki's mouth before Byakko lifted him up.
"We are sorry, Kenzaki-sama," said Byakko.
"I'm not. This is the most fun I've had all week," grinned Okami.
"Neko-sama has asked us to take you to Katsura-san's family's onsen," said Byakko.
Kenzaki let out a series of muffled sounds. Loosely translated he had said, "You're supposed to listen to me, not Neko!"
Okami snorted, "Yeah, well, Kumiko-Kowai has been bitching as us to get rid of you and bring you to see Neko. I'll do anything to shut her up."
Again a series of muffled sounds. This time he said, "I'll kill you all."
"Let's see you try," Okami taunted.
Kotonoha had invited Ryuji and Neko along to the onsen, with Athena and Loki riding within their bodies. Much to Ryuji's chagrin, however, Kotonoha had invited along Taisuke Sawanaga, Makoto Itou, Otome Katou, Sekai Saionji, Nanami Kanroji, and Hikari Kuroda. He didn't mind Hikari or Nanami, but he really didn't want anything to do with Makoto, Taisuke, Sekai and Otome for obvious reasons. He was just amazed at how forgiving his girlfriend could be. Well, at least Kotonoha brought along her little sister, Kokoro, which was another person in this world that he actually liked.
"You'll love it," said Kotonoha. "It's really relaxing."
Neko nodded and sighed sadly. She hadn't been her usual upbeat self since the fight she had with Kenzaki. Ryuji frowned but he really couldn't say anything that could solve this problem.
Kotonoha was wealthy, so it was logical that she'd gotten them transportation to get to the onsen. Two minivans would be taking them there; one for the boys and the other for the girls. As such, the ride for the boys had been less than comfortable since Taisuke and Makoto were in close proximity with Ryuji. Taisuke remembered the beating he'd gotten from Ryuji and as for Makoto, Ryuji just plain scared him. The temperature in the vehicle had dropped considerably the entire trip.
As for the girls, conversation was struck among them. Otome and Kotonoha had gotten along a little but since a few months ago since the Katou girl no longer wished to raise Ryuji's ire and bullying Kotonoha just wasn't worth it. And, well, could she really bully a girl who'd given her own friends black eyes? It'd surprised her to see Kotonoha stand up for herself for a change and opened her eyes. What Otome didn't know was that Athena had been in control at the time. Neko was silent but when Hikari wanted to know about her necklace, she told her that it was a family heirloom, passed down to her for safe keeping.
"It looks a little weird," said Otome. "Your family likes dragons or something?" asked Otome.
"It's in the family crest," answered Neko. "To us dragons are sacred."
"Wow," Kokoro admired. "That sounds amazing." Neko smiled at the young girl. So innocent.
"Well, anyway, did you guys check out the new Kamen Rider Ifrit posters and merchandise?" said Hikari as she held up a keychain with a Chibi-fied version of Ifrit on it. Neko giggled at the representation. "I just got this before we left. It's brand new!"
"Like all the other keychains you got stashed at home?" Nanami said.
Hikari blushed. "Well…"
"What do you think of Ifrit, Hasuma-san?" Sekai asked.
"Well, he's good, but what about those two other Riders?" Neko said.
"You mean the one that looks like a tiger and that dragon one?" Sekai questioned.
Taisuke had a magazine open and Ryuji blanched when he saw that Kamen Rider Ifrit, Garoh and Ryukendo were on the cover and that Taisuke was reading an article about the Riders.
"These guys are awesome!" Taisuke said. "Right, Makoto?"
"Right," Makoto nodded. He wasn't much for hero worship but he wouldn't forget the time Ifrit had rescued them. "Wonder who the other two are, though."
Ryuji knew, but he wasn't telling. If he did that then things would be difficult to explain. Of course, it wasn't like he was going to talk to these two.
'Ryuji, it seems your admirers have grown,' said Loki in Ryuji's head.
"Urusei," muttered Ryuji. He wasn't in the mood to talk. He was still angry at Kenzaki for making his sister all depressed. He wanted to teach the guy a lesson but couldn't find anyway to do so since he didn't have a way into the GaroLiner. Well, Neko did but she wasn't going to give it to him, though.
Before the group reached the onsen, Kenzaki was dropped off right in front of the door by the GaroLiner. His roped had been undone and dumped at his side was his luggage. "Stupid Okami," he muttered and then he turned to see a pair of vans roll by.
The vans stopped and the group came out but when Neko came out, Kenzaki froze. Ryuji also saw Kenzaki and growled.
"Ah, Tsukuba-san," said Kotonoha. "You came."
"Like I had a choice," mumbled Kenzaki. He eyed Neko from the corner of his eye.
"Well, let's just check in," said Ryuji. "I want a nice relaxing soak." He was behind Kotonoha and then leaned down to whisper something in her ear, causing her to blush.
"Not in front of others!" she giggled as she gently slapped his shoulder.
"Heh, they won't be in the water forever," Ryuji smiled before gently nipping her ear. Kotonoha shuddered in desire and tried hard not to moan or make any kind of noise. She didn't want to embarrass herself, no matter how good it felt. Although a part of her certainly felt smug about how unafraid her boyfriend was in showing he cared and desired her.
Over with Sekai and Makoto, the best friend of Kotonoha sighed as she watched her best friend and her boyfriend flirt.
"Why don't you do that with me?" Sekai asked with a cute pout pointed at Makoto.
"Uhhhh…I, Uh," Makoto gulped. It wasn't enough that Ryuji hated his guts for that incident a couple months ago, but now he was proving to be a better boyfriend? Sometimes his life sucked.
Neko felt a stab of jealousy at Kotonoha. Ken-kun never acted like that with her in public. Sure, they would hold hands and he would hug her close. He'd never just hug her from behind like that and whisper sexual stuff in her ear. She wanted to know what that felt like.
'Thank you for raising the bar for us all!' Kenzaki mentally cursed, seeing all the girls look on at the couple with jealousy and growing arousal.
Kotonoha and Ryuji led the way as the others followed them into the building, Kenzaki walking in last.
Kenzaki was silently wondering how far he'd be able to run before the others realized he was gone. He was scared right now. He'd never admit it, but it was true. He was scared because he felt like he was going to lose Neko. That was the one thing in the world that he just couldn't deal with. He wanted everything to be OK between him and Neko, but he didn't know if she felt the same.
"C'mon, everybody!" Kokoro called as she lugged her bag along. "I wanna see the hot spring!"
"The little girl has a point," Otome agreed as she picked up her bag. "We'd better get going if we want to get to the springs!"
There was a general chorus of agreement as everybody followed them inside. Of course, Kotonoha made sure she was still wrapped in Ryuji's arms. Taisuke and Makoto just made sure that they stayed out of Ryuji's sight, or at least out of striking distance.
Once everyone was checked in, the girls were located into a grand suite which had enough room. They were all excited about the trip since they had never or rarely been to a hot spring before. Many of them were chatting excitedly, guessing what it would be like.
"Hot springs feel really good," Kotonoha smiled brightly. "I find it really relaxing."
"I bet you do," Otome teased. "So, are you going to be sharing a spring with Hasuma? I bet he would like that."
"Ah!" Kotonoha gasped before she blushed. Her face was doing a nice impression of a tomato.
"Oooooh! A romantic date together with your boyfriend, Onee-chan?" Kokoro giggled. "What are you going to do with him?"
All the girls in the room blushed in the implication. Kotonoha was the reddest of them all. None of the other girls knew she had already gone all the way with her boyfriend. If they did find out, they would either tease her or ask for details. Of course, Kotonoha would never reveal details since she considered those acts to be something special between the two of them. That didn't mean she couldn't feel at least a little smug about such a loving boyfriend though.
"Oi," Ryuji snapped as he put his suitcase down. Taisuke and Makoto stiffened in fear as they turned to face the irate boy. "If you two are going to pussyfoot around me, do it where I can't see you. Jeez, what is your problem?"
"What is my problem?" Taisuke cried out loudly. He pointed at Ryuji accusingly as he started to rant. "You beat the crap out of me during the school festival, why shouldn't I be scared of you?"
"You had it coming, you pervert!" Ryuji snapped. "After what you tried to do to Koto-chan you should be glad I didn't do worse!"
"I was just confessing my love!" Taisuke cried out. "A little kiss is no big deal! You get them from Katsura-san all the time!"
"And I suppose her clothes got torn by accident?" Ryuji growled. "You tried to take her by force!"
The room began to get colder and Makoto was trembling against the wall comically. He was trying very hard to avoid getting seen by Ryuji and was silently whispering prayers for Taisuke's soul. The idiotic boy seemed to be unaware that he was on the verge of death yet.
"Now, are you gonna get out of my face or do I have to remove yours?" Ryuji growled.
Taisuke gulped, seeing a monstrous glare in his fellow student's eyes. Deciding that he'd rather live than win, he bolted from the room like a little sissy.
"Hey, Itou," Ryuji sighed, earning a frightened squeak from Makoto. "You got something to say?"
"Uh…no!" Makoto gulped. "You're right to hate me. I JUST DON'T WANNA DIE!"
"Baka!" Ryuji snapped as he bopped Makoto over the head. "I'm not going to kill you, stupid! There's nothing to gain if I do. Besides, Koto-chan would cry if I did and I would never do anything to make her cry, unlike you!"
"I already said I'm sorry!" Makoto whined. "What else do I have to do?"
Ryuji growled. He was more than tempted to give another rant at the shivering boy, but Koto-chan had really wanted to be friends with him and Sekai again. Yelling at the boy was not going to make things better.
"Dunno," Ryuji sighed. "That's up to Koto-chan. She may have forgiven you already for all I know. That doesn't mean I will, though."
"I don't really expect you to," Makoto sighed. "I went behind my ex-girlfriend's back to be with another girl. I'm the worst kind of guy out there. Why Sekai wants to be with me I'll never know."
"I don't know either," Ryuji frowned. "But count your blessings. Guys like you rarely get a second chance at love. Don't screw up."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Makoto nodded.
"Good," Ryuji nodded. "Now let's get going. The girls are probably waiting by now."
"Right behind you," said Makoto as he watched Ryuji leave. He just couldn't believe he'd survived.
Meanwhile, Kenzaki had separated from the rest of the group. He really didn't want to be at this onsen but did he really have a choice? He thought he did but his Imagin seemed to have got it into their heads to intervene. Kumiko too. This wasn't any of their business, really. What was going on was between himself and Neko…
Of course, he was purposely trying not to see her.
"This is gonna be hard. How the hell am I supposed to avoid Neko when I'm in the same building as her…" sighed Kenzaki.
"So, you are trying to avoid Neko-san?" said a voice.
Kenzaki stiffened as he turned to see Kotonoha standing there.
"Kotonoha-san," Kenzaki spoke.
"Tsukuba-san, why are you trying to avoid her? Isn't she your girlfriend?" Kotonoha asked.
He avoided her gaze. "I'm not sure about that. I mean, we had a fight and…"
"You didn't even go to see her," Kotonoha sighed. "She's been really depressed when she wasn't able to see you so I managed to set this all up. She jumped at the chance." Kotonoha paused, "She misses you, you know?"
"She does?" Kenzaki answered. "But…"
"All couples have arguments but they can be solved if you sit down and talk," Kotonoha said. "This is the same thing that happened with Makoto-kun and I," she explained. "He was seeing someone behind my back and well…" She had tried to commit suicide but Ryuji had saved her. "You've both been together for 2 years, despite all the odds against you. Now, do you think your relationship is worth saving or are you going to throw it away like that?" She then walked past him, "Think about what you're doing."
'That was inspirational, Lady Kotonoha,' Athena complimented as Kotonoha walked away from Kenzaki. 'You showed that man the errors of his ways.'
"Just helping a friend," Kotonoha whispered.
Kenzaki stood there for a moment. Neko missed him? She wanted to see him? Kenzaki smiled before going to meet with Ryuji and the others. "Maybe there's still hope…" he said with a smile.
Sometime later, the girls were all giggling and chatting with each other as they enjoyed the steaming waters of the onsen. Hikari and Nanami were sitting with Kokoro at the edge of the springs in their towels. Otome was talking with Sekai, Kotonoha and Neko in the deeper parts of the water, nude. The ones with long hair all wore their hair up.
"It's great for you to invite us along, Kotonoha-chan," said Neko with a smile.
"It's no big deal," Kotonoha said. "My father's company owns this onsen so our family gets to come here for free anytime we want."
Kokoro added with a smile, "We even get free trips to Hawaii and Dubai."
"Wow," said Hikari, astounded.
Sekai sighed, "Now I know the difference between us and them." Neko also knew what it was like. Due to her mother being a famous fashion designer, she could get free trips to anywhere in the world via her own private jet.
Otome, meanwhile, had her eyes on Kotonoha, scrutinizing her. She still couldn't believe that the girl she'd bullied had invited her along. Of course, this only proved how kind and forgiving Kotonoha was.
"I knew you were…endowed, Katsura," Otome grimaced as she looked at the girl's bust. "But this big? I thought it was a push up or something."
"Oh no," Kotonoha denied. "Ever since junior high I've had the biggest chest in my class. I got made fun of it for a while. Boys would often ogle me for it. Really, Makoto-kun and Ryuji-kun are the first ones who didn't stare at it."
"I bet Ryuji-chan has done more than look," Neko teased.
"Neko-san!" Kotonoha cried. "I'm not going to talk about that!"
"Just observing," Neko shrugged. She then turned to Sekai. "What about you and Itou-san, Sekai-chan?"
"Ah!" Sekai gasped. She blushed brightly. "Well, it's…been good. Makoto is…rather…attentive."
Sekai felt extremely uncomfortable about talking about her relationship at the moment. Kotonoha, Makoto's ex and the girl who he'd cheated on with her was right there. She was hoping to leave the past behind them, but with Neko asking, it was a hard thing to do. Otome frowned at hearing this. She decided to turn her attention towards Neko.
"What about you, Hasuma?" asked Otome. "Are the rumors true?"
"What rumors?" asked Neko.
"That you and Tsukuba are going out," she clarified.
Neko frowned, "Well…I don't know if we are even still dating now. We had a fight and, well…we've been avoiding each other for days. You've noticed that he didn't go to school these past few days, right?"
"So, he ditched school because he's avoiding you?" asked Sekai. "Not exactly model boyfriend behavior."
"I know," Neko sighed. "We've known each other for two years and I'm afraid that it's over."
"You've tried to talk to him, right?" asked Hikari.
"Yes, I have, but I couldn't reach him. I had to send messages through his friends."
Kotonoha was briefly reminded of the time when Makoto had avoided and ignored her in the past in favor of Sekai. Though she'd forgiven the two, the pain of betrayals still lingered. Of course, she wasn't going to dwell on it anymore. She had Ryuji. Her dear, sweet, Ryuji-kun.
"So, Katsura-san," began Nanami. "What do you see in Hasuma? I mean he doesn't look half bad, I admit, but he's…"
"Scary!" Hikari finished.
"Oh, Ryuji-kun isn't all that bad," said Kotonoha.
"Katsura, your boyfriend has a crude mouth, a temper, he's rude and well…he scares a lot of people," said Otome. She remembered having chills run down her spine every time Ryuji just looked at her. It was this fear that made her realize that bullying Kotonoha wasn't worth it. She'd even seen Ryuji punch a hole in the wall and that was because he didn't get what he wanted at the cafeteria for lunch. "I can't imagine what's so good about him."
"There's a rumor saying that he abuses you," Nanami frowned.
Kotonoha gasped, and then defended, "Ryuji-kun would never hurt me!"
"You sure?"
"I am," Kotonoha nodded firmly. "Ryuji-kun may be a little rough around the edges, but he can be very sweet and kind."
The other girls, aside from Kokoro and Neko, couldn't imagine Ryuji being 'sweet and kind'.
"He may seem scary, but he's a big softie inside," said Neko. She had doubts about Ryuji at first but over time she saw that Ryuji had a bit of her other brother, Ryuki, in him. "I know my brother well."
"You and him are twins, right?" asked Sekai.
"Him, me, Ryuki and Kat," clarified Neko. "Quadruplets, really."
On the boys' side, Makoto and Taisuke were in the water with Makoto's friend pressing his ear against the bamboo fence separating the two sides. "Wonder what they're talking about, I can't make it out," muttered Taisuke.
"Taisuke, are you sure we should be doing this?" asked Makoto worriedly.
"Hey, we're guys. In this situation it's tradition," said Taisuke proudly.
"I know…but…" Makoto jabbed his thumb towards the third person in the spring with them.
Ryuji was leaning in the spring with a wash cloth on his forehead. He'd tied his hair into a braid and wrapped the length of hair around his neck. He wasn't like his counterpart, Ryuki, that he was afraid of water. He had his eyes closed but then cracked one eye open to glare at the two boys he had the unfortunate luck to share the spring with.
"I hope you're not thinking of doing what I think you're doing," warned Ryuji. "Because if you are then I am going to be really unhappy and I will seriously have to hurt you."
"Is he ever happy?" Taisuke whispered to Makoto.
"I heard that," Ryuji snapped. Makoto shivered. He could feel an unpleasant chill.
Kenzaki wasn't with them and with good reason too since that would mean exposing his metallic silver torso to them. He'd been ostracized enough in his life and didn't feel like soaking in a hot spring with others. Well, if it was only him and Neko, well…
'Ryuji, I think you should make an effort to be a little friendly,' advised Loki.
Ryuji ignored his Imagin partner and closed his eyes to relax. He then heard walking and turned to see Kenzaki walking toward them. "Surprised you decided to come out," said Ryuji.
"I needed to relax," replied Kenzaki. "I have way too much on my mind." He noticed Taisuke and Makoto staring at him, his strangely colored skin to be more specific. "Childhood accident," he vaguely explained. It was true. An accident in Kenzaki's childhood had bonded an experimental metal alloy to his skin. Unfortunately, the same accident had killed his younger brother.
"Ah," both boys nodded. No wonder Kenzaki always covered himself up. Taisuke continued his attempts to listen or at least peek on the girls' side while Makoto remained in prime position to run for his life if Kenzaki couldn't distract Ryuji.
"Do you know what you're going to do about Neko-nee?" Ryuji asked as he heaved a sigh.
"I think so," Kenzaki nodded. "Might as well be a man and talk to her about it. Kotonoha says she has been pretty depressed about our fight."
"Glad to see that you're finally catching on," Ryuji snorted. "So when are you going to do it?"
"Sometime after I finish soaking here," Kenzaki answered. "Valentine's Day is coming up so I better do something soon or else I'm gonna end up spending it alone."
"Ain't that the truth," Ryuji nodded in agreement.
'I wanna look at the girls!' whined a voice in Kenzaki's head.
"Shut up, Buraki," said Kenzaki.
'But they're right on the other side of the fence! I can almost smell them!'
"I said no," warned Kenzaki.
'But…'
"If you ask one more time, I'm going to fly the GaroLiner as high up as I can, then push you out."
'Shutting up now.'
Conversation was halted as a strange noise could be heard near the dividing fence. Ryuji and Kenzaki turned to see where it was coming from, with some obvious suspects in it. Unsurprisingly, Taisuke was trying to drill a hole in the fence with a simple hand drill. Makoto was furiously trying to convince him to stop. Well, he was while he was checking to see if Kenzaki and Ryuji weren't paying attention.
"Is he trying to peek on the girls?" Kenzaki frowned.
"Yes," Ryuji frowned, an angry tick appearing on his forehead. "Our girlfriends are among them. For once I want to pound someone worse than Itou."
"Yeah," Kenzaki frowned as he cracked his knuckles and stood. "Gonna have to ask where he got the drill from."
"I think I know where," Ryuji growled as he flexed his fingers. "And I'm gonna shove it back up there!"
Back in the GaroLiner's dining car, Buraki was whining, grumbling and complaining, "Damn it! Why did Kenzaki have to shut me out! I wanna go to the onsen too!"
"You mean you wish to peep on girls," retorted Buraki, amused at seeing his comrade wailing.
"Urusei, Hentai-Imoogi," growled Okami. "Some on us want to sleep."
Buraki only continued to cry before Kumiko knocked him out with a punch to the face.
"YOU'RE DEAD, YOU PERV!"
"AHHHHHHH!"
"NO ONE SEES KOTO-CHAN NAKED BUT ME!"
"ARGH! MAKOTO! HELP ME!"
"I'M NOT DYING FOR YOU!"
"YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELF!"
The girls blinked and blushed at the sounds of violence and screams of profanity and pain coming from the other side. Hikari covered Kokoro's ears, so to keep her innocence whole. Otome blushed, not used to hearing such language. Sekai sighed and rubbed her forehead. Neko giggled, finding these kinds of antics amusing. Kotonoha smiled lovingly as she held her hand to her cheek.
"Ryuji-kun," she sighed. "Always protecting me." He was like her knight in shining armor. Well, maybe not shining armor but he was still her knight.
"HEY! WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THAT! STOP! ARGH!"
Taisuke had to be taken back to their room due to intense physical trauma. In other words, Ryuji and Kenzaki had both beaten the boy senseless and some of the staff of the onsen was currently looking after his wounds. He was bruised all over and had a drill stuck up his…well, you know.
The group, now wearing relaxing yukatas, all colored a dull green, was in the recreation room just having fun. They were watching Nanami and Hikari play a few rounds of table tennis with Kokoro keeping score.
Kenzaki looked over towards Neko, who had her hair out of its usual braid and wore a calmer appearance now thanks to the water of the hot spring. Now, it was do or die. He wasn't going to run anymore. He walked over to her and then took hold of her left hand in his right. Startled by the familiar contact, she turned to look at Kenzaki.
Now, Kenzaki was never really good at talking about his emotions. Even when he did he'd been hesitant. He was more of an action guy and so he just decided to let actions speak for him. He leaned in close to her face and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. He then decided to be a man and said, "I'm sorry." Neko's eyes started to water as the corners of her lips curled up into a smile. Exclaiming happily, which drew the attention of the rest, Neko hugged Kenzaki tightly.
"Well, it looks like they took care of things already," Ryuji said as Kotonoha leaned against him. "Took them long enough." He and his girlfriend watched as the couple walked out of the rec. room. He caught the ping pong ball that was about to hit him in the face and then turned to look at the girls. "I'll play the winner."
"I am so stupid," Kenzaki sighed into Neko's hair. "I almost ruined what I had with you because of my stupid hormones."
"Yeah, you were a little stupid," Neko giggled into Kenzaki's shoulder. "But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted."
"Mmm," Kenzaki sighed, still not letting go of Neko. "Still, if or when you decide to bring our relationship to that level…I'll be waiting and I'll make sure it's special too."
"Careful, Ken-kun," Neko smirked as she traced a finger along his chest. "You're getting close to why we fought in the first place."
"Right, right," Kenzaki nodded. "Sorry."
"It's okay. Boys can be dumb like that," Neko giggled, finding amusement in Kenzaki's frown. "That's why there are girls like me. To keep wonderful guys like you in check."
"And I'm grateful for it every day," Kenzaki smiled before he stole another kiss. "You know I love you, right?"
"Of course I do, just like how I love you too."
"Neko, you are the only person who could possibly love me as much as you do. So, I don't think anyone's in the springs right now. Care to join me?" he asked as he squeezed her tighter. She looked at him and leaned up to whisper something into his ear. This caused the grin he had to widen.
Gekiryuken, who was hanging from Neko's neck, was relieved. His partner's love life was saved.
Nanami had beaten Hikari and per their deal, Ryuji would play against the winner. "I hope you're ready to lose, Kanroji," he said as he lobbed the ball up and down in his hand.
"Just serve it already, Hasuma," Nanami challenged as she stood at her hand, paddle gripped tightly. She'd heard that Ryuji had gotten a few offers to join several of the sports clubs, but had turned them all down.
"Well, here it goes." Ryuji lobbed the ball into the air and when it came back down at the proper level, he swung his paddle hard into it. The ball zipped past Nanami's face and then slammed into the wall before bouncing off it and onto the ground. It rolled on the floor for a bit before stopping, its surface smoking.
"Point to Ryuji-niichan!" said Kokoro. Everyone gaped as Kotonoha beamed.
"Su…sugoi…" Hikari let out. This just made Makoto even more nervous. He knew Ryuji had a really strong swing, but he never knew how strong.
Nanami was frozen on the spot, eyes wide, as Ryuji chuckled while rubbing the underside of his nose.
"Oi, someone should pick up the ball," said Ryuji. He then felt someone poke his leg and looked down to see a little girl with oddly colored hair. His eyes widened when he recognized the violet hair of the little girl and the white streak within it.
"Here you go," said the little girl politely as she showed him the ping pong ball. Ryuji took it and then squatted down to meet the girl's eye level. She couldn't be any older than 3.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Tessa," the girl smiled. Ryuji gawked at her but then he heard a very familiar voice.
"Tessa, come here!" called a male voice.
"OK, daddy!" Tessa called back before running towards the owner of the voice. Ryuji stood up straight and turned to see who Tessa's daddy was and palmed his face.
"Urg…here too?" Ryuji grumbled.
"You don't sound happy to see me," Warren Smith said as he picked Tessa up and carried her in his arms. Flanking him were two women. Ryuji recognized them. One was Teresa and the other was Raven, the Raven from Warren's world. Holding onto Raven's hand was a little boy, the same age as Tessa - Alex - and he had white hair with a purple streak.
"Trust me, this is a surprise," said Ryuji. He then smirked, "So, brought the family, huh?" Raven, Warren and Teresa hadn't de-aged like before and Raven didn't look any younger than she should. They all looked to be about 21.
"Yup, but didn't expect to see you here, Ryuji," Warren smiled. The two men pounded their fists together to greet each other.
"Ryuji-kun, is this…" Kotonoha began as she walked over with the others following. The two cute little children had the girls all cooing at them. They were just too cute. Makoto recognized Warren immediately.
"Hey, Makoto. Are you being good to Sekai? Or do I have to keep my promise?" asked Warren with a smile.
Makoto suddenly looked terrified, even more so than when Ryuji was around. "Yes! I've been good to Sekai!" he screamed.
"Glad to hear it," said Warren once again, his smile unwavering.
"What promise is he talking about?" Kotonoha asked Ryuji.
"Warren promised Itou that if he ever cheated on Sekai he'd show him that it is physically possible to shove a human's head up his own ass," answered Ryuji.
Kotonoha wasn't sure what to make of that. On one hand, it was good that steps were being taken to ensure Makoto would change his ways and Sekai wouldn't suffer like she had. On the other hand, such violent tactics really didn't really seem practical.
"Threatening kids, honey?" Raven asked suspiciously.
"Hey, the situation called for it," Warren claimed. "The scared straight approach."
Raven sent a suspicious frown, but didn't say anything else. Warren knew the look. Raven was going to be interrogating him later. He may have told her about his last adventure in this world, but only skimmed over the major details. He hadn't quite mentioned how he threatened severe physical harm to a boy as to keep him from his womanizing ways.
"Oh, these two are just precious!" Otome gushed as she cuddled Tess. The young girl didn't seem to mind the attention either. "I didn't know you had a little brother and sister, Warren-san!"
"Actually, they are my kids," said Warren. Everyone became silent.
"But, you're 16," blinked Otome. "How can you…?"
"Well, actually I'm 21," Warren explained. This caught the girl by surprise. "You see I was only posing as a 16 year old freshman to study the lives of students for a college thesis." That was a more plausible story. If the truth was known…it would be troublesome. "And Alex and Tessa here are my two bundles of joy," Warren grinned. "I just want to keep them all to myself."
"Daddy is gree…um…greedy!" Alex laughed, bringing coos from the girls around him.
"Oooooh! I just wanna take him home!" Sekai squealed as she played with the little boy.
"Sorry," Teresa smiled. "The twins stay with their parents."
Otome decided to ask, cautiously, "So, who's the mother? Teresa?"
"Actually, that would be me," said Raven, "Call me Rachel."
"Rae and I have a very open marriage. The three of us also have a very strong bond with each other," explained Warren. This was true. After Teresa was revived as a full human, Warren, Raven and Teresa held a magical ceremony which created a spiritual bond between the three.
Meanwhile, Kenzaki and Neko had gone back to the springs to soak in a pool together. That would mean they were going in naked, right?
Wrong.
Though they'd agreed that someday they would reach that step in that relationship, neither was truly ready. So they both agreed to wear something. Kenzaki had on a pair of black swimming trunks while Neko had on a blue bikini that showed off her curves and figure quite nicely. Gekiryuken was placed on a rock as she slipped inside the pool with Kenzaki following after her. She'd done her hair up in a bun and as soon as Kenzaki was in the water, she cuddled him.
"Feels nice, doesn't it?" Neko asked as she rubbed herself against his body, purring.
"Yeah it does" he replied in a low growl. He wrapped his arms around her body and just held him against her.
Of course, Murphy's Law dictates that such a touching moment would be suddenly interrupted when there was a huge splash after someone shouted, "AUNTIE NEKO!"
"Huh? Tessa-chan?" Neko blinked when she saw the little girl who'd just dove into the water. The little violet haired girl beamed brightly as she hugged Neko. "What are you doing here?"
"Daddy, mommy and Auntie Teresa brought us here," said Tessa.
"Oooh! This is such a nice surprise!" Neko squealed as she hugged the tiny girl.
"Yeah. Nice," Kenzaki sighed. So much for their romantic moment."So, Warren, Raven and Teresa are here too," said Kenzaki. "It's been awhile since we've seen them."
"Alex came too!" beamed Tessa. Neko patted the girl's head. "Where's Geki-Geki?" asked Tessa curiously.
Gekiryuken floated over to the young girl. "Here I am, child."
"Geki-Geki!" giggled Tessa.
Kenzaki sighed, "Well, I guess we have to do this later," said Kenzaki as he got out. Neko stood up, carrying a wet Tessa as Gekiryuke looped his chain around his wielder's neck.
"Looks like it," said Neko. She looked at Tessa who was smiling brightly at her and then a thought came to her. 'What would it be like for Ken-kun and me to have kids?' Her cheeks suddenly burned as she blushed. What was she thinking! She wasn't ready to have kids, right?
"Auntie Neko, why is your face red?" asked Tessa.
"Um…" Neko bit her lower lip and said, "I'll tell you when you're older." She grabbed a towel to dry herself as she followed after Kenzaki.
When Neko, Kenzaki, Gekiryuken and Tessa walked into the rec. room, they could see an intense 2 VS 2 match at the ping-pong table. Sekai and Makoto were going up against Kotonoha and Ryuji. However, Kotonoha's hair was now done up into a ponytail with green streaks and her eyes were green. This went unnoticed by everyone except for a select few.
The scores were as followed:
Makoto & Sekai: 8
Ryuji & A-Kotonoha: 14
"Wow, I never knew Katsura-san to be good at sports," admired Nanami. "I mean she was having trouble at the start of the match but now she's like a pro."
"I guess people can surprise you," said Otome. She'd seen a change in Kotonoha's personality since she started dating Ryuji. Her friends had learnt it the hard way. They never bothered her but were still resentful about the black eyes.
"OK, Ryuji-kun, let's finish this," A-Kotonoha said to her partner.
Ryuji didn't like Athena much but he had to smile at her competitive spirit. "We'll crush her, ok, Koto-chan?"
'Chotto!' Kotonoha cried in her mind. 'Isn't that too much?'
It was Sekai's turn to serve so she lobbed the ball upwards before swinging her paddle, sending the ball flying over the net. A-Kotonoha was able to do an impressive backhand counter and sent it to Makoto who stumbled as he sent it back. The ball came into Ryuji's sight and he hit it, sending it flying straight for Sekai. It was flying fast and would've hit her face but Makoto got in the, jumping in front of Sekai and smashing the ball back towards its sender.
WHAM!
Everyone gasped and cringed when they all saw the ball had hit Ryuji in the forehead. It rolled off his face, bounced atop the table for a bit before rolling off.
"Point to Sekai and Makoto!" said Hikari. Sekai and Makoto didn't look all that jubilant when the temperature fell. Ryuji's head was down as he shook. He looked ready to explode when all of a sudden he looked up at them and…smiled?
"Wow! That was awesome!" Ryuji beamed, his eyes looked like upside-down U's. The only other change was his hair, which had been braided and his bangs were blue now. "Itou-san, you really did it!"
Everyone stared. They'd expected Ryuji to explode or something. Well, now Ryuji wasn't in control. Loki was in the driver's seat.
'Oi, Loki!' shouted Ryuji. 'What the hell!'
L-Ryuji continued to smile as he stood next to his Imagin possessed teammate. He picked up the ball and handed it to A-Kotonoha. "Your serve, Koto-chan."
"As always, Ryuji-kun," smirked A-Kotonoha.
Otome whispered to Nanami, "Maybe the ball hitting his head did this?" Nanami shrugged.
Kenzaki smiled in amusement. It would appear his fellow Rider was unable to block out his partner whenever he decided to possess him. Seeing Ryuji act all nice was a contrast to his brash and rude mannerism. Loki was naturally a kind character so he never swore or acted mean to others. That, however, didn't mean he was harmless. All Imagin could fight and Kenzaki wondered what the Ifrit Imagin hid under his robe.
Warren, Teresa and Raven were having a conversation in English.
Warren whistled, "Man, that was one hard hit."
"I guess Ryuji has a lot of patience," said Teresa.
"That's not Ryuji. I could sense something taking control," said Raven.
"That's his Imagin partner, Loki," explained Warren.
"His partner is named after the Norse God of Mischief?" remarked Raven. "But he's so…"
"I know. I was surprised too. Their personalities clash though but Loki is loyal and Ryuji needs someone like him to stay stable."
The match continued and eventually ended in a tie because it was dinner time. Both Athena and Loki slipped back into their hosts' subconscious, restoring their personalities and regular hairstyles.
Outside the onsen, a figure bounced over the fence and onto the branch of a tree before jumping onto the roof. It was an Imagin resembling a monkey with red skin and white fur covering it. It had silver bracelets on its forearms and shin-guards. It wore a chestplate and a helmet on its head. It also had a tail. It wore silver pants to finish the look.
"So, this is the place those Riders are," the White Baboon Imagin chuckled. "Well, let's see if they are up to play." It crawled along the roof, pressing its ear against the surface to listen in order to find its target.
Warren and Ryuji were sitting in some chairs alone while Raven and the girls were busy chatting with each other. Makoto had made a lame excuse about checking on Taisuke before he bolted. In truth, he didn't want to be in the same room with two men who had and promised to deal him grievous bodily harm. That suited Ryuji just fine. He hated Makoto without question and didn't like dealing with him.
"So how goes the Imagin hunting?" Warren asked quietly.
"Showing up now and then," Ryuji sighed. "I don't mind if they do, but do they have to do it when I'm with Koto-chan?"
"Imagin wait for no one," Warren snickered. "If you want more uninterrupted time, then just get alone with her more."
"Not a bad idea," Ryuji grinned as a smirk that was borderline between loving and lecherous appeared on his face.
"Wow," Warren snickered. "Kotonoha must be something. You aren't as violent as I remember."
"She's the one for me," Ryuji grinned with a nod. "Glad I ended up here."
"Not a bad place to be," Warren agreed. "So, when should I expect Kotonoha in a wedding dress?"
"Urk!" Ryuji gulped with a crimson flush on his face. His mind immediately switched to what Kotonoha would look like in a wedding dress. Then it switched to what she would look like while taking it off…
"Your nose is bleeding," Warren laughed.
"Urusei!"
Later, in the dining hall, everyone was served with a modest meal in front of them. It was a traditional Japanese dinner.
"Itadakimasu," everyone said. Taisuke even managed to join them and sat FAR away from Ryuji who was giving him a really cold glare.
"This place…it's so relaxing," sighed Sekai. "I wish I could stay here forever…"
To her right sat Makoto who agreed, "Yeah." Across from him he could see Neko and Kenzaki smiling at each other.
"Don't even think about it, teme," threatened Ryuji who was on Makoto's right. Sitting next to him was Kotonoha with Kokoro next to her too.
Makoto remembered the talk he had with Warren awhile back. He had to remain faithful to Sekai. He couldn't cheat on her. If he did…well he really didn't want to know the consequences. He knew Ryuji would be involved in the punishment.
"Too bad we have to leave tomorrow, though," said Nanami who sat at Sekai's left.
"And without any happy memories!" wailed Taisuke but he got dirty looks from most of the girls, Ryuji and Kenzaki. He stopped waling and continued to eat.
The Smith family was with them. They had plans to soak up in the hot springs after dinner, as a family. Kenzaki felt envious. Here was Warren with two women in his life, a loving wife and two beautiful children.
'Ryuji, eat slowly. You may choke,' advised Loki.
"Urusei," muttered Ryuji as he took his drink. He glanced at Kotonoha who was blushing from her little sister teasing her. He smiled warmly at the scene. Kotonoha seemed more at peace now. For once in his life, he was truly happy…
CRASH!
Suddenly, something fell through the ceiling and landed on the floor. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" It sounded like the howling laughter of a monkey. There standing in the middle of the dining hall was an Imagin. At the sight of the monster, the guests screamed in panic. Well, most of the guests who weren't used to facing such a beast. Warren, Rachel, Teresa, Neko and Kenzaki all glared at this thing which had dared to interrupt their meal time.
"Everyone, run!" shouted Ryuji as he grabbed Kotonoha and Kokoro's hands before escaping with them, or so it appeared. He would double right back to face the monster. The onsen staff also fled. Alex and Tessa were frightened.
"It's okay," said Raven reassuringly. "I won't let that thing hurt you." She carried Alex as Teresa carried Tessa.
"Raven, Teresa, get the kids out of here," said Warren. The two women nodded and exited the dining hall.
Everyone had fled, leaving Kenzaki, Neko, and Warren alone with the White Baboon Imagin. Ryuji returned quickly with his Ifrit Belt on and Rider Pass in hand.
"Ooooh, all the Riders in one place!" the White Baboon Imagin clapped. "This will be fun!"
"How's this for fun! Henshin!" Ryuji shouted as he slid the Pass into his belt.
"IFRIT FORM!"
Kenzaki had on his belt and as soon as he did Buraki took possession of him, resulting in his hair gaining a red streak. He pressed the red button and swiped his Pass over the belt. "Henshin!"
"SAVAGE FORM!"
Theire respective armors formed and the transformations were finished as their masks slid over their faceplates and snapped into place.
"Gekiryu Henshin!" shouted Neko as she grasped Gekiryuken. A blue energy dragon flew around her and engulfed her in blue light. A blue bodysuit covered her body before white and gold gauntlets, boots and torso armor encased her. Finally, her white and gold dragon armor formed before the blue visor covered her face. When the light faded, she'd become, "God Ryukendo! Raijin!"
"SHATTER!" commanded Warren as he activated his transformation. Chains made of shadow energy flew out from nowhere and covered Warren. They soon exploded off of Warren, revealing him in a new outfit. He wore a black leather bodysuit and heavily strapped black boots. He wore black gloves with spikes on the knuckles. Chains ran up his arms. On his chest and going over his shoulders was onyx colored armor with chains running across it in the shape of an X. In the center of the armor was a skull emblem. Around his waist he wore his belt. The center of the buckle depicted a skull. Attached to the belt were twin guns, one was pitch black and depicted an angel, while the other was stark white and depicted a demon. Next to each gun was a button, a white one and a black one. Lastly, his head and face were hidden by black skull-like helmet.
"You're surrounded," said Ifrit. "You can't beat us all."
"Or can I?" the White Baboon Imagin chuckled before leaping upwards. Quick as a flash he bounded off the ceiling and then hit Warren in the chest. Bounding off, he did the same to Ifrit and then rebounded to slam into both Ryukendo and Garoh. The four Riders fell from the hits and the White Baboon Imagin performed a hand stand to mock them. He stuck out his tongue, "Nyah, you can't beat me!"
Ifrit growled, "Damn bastard…he's pissing me off!"
"Let's finish this quick," said Garoh as he'd just formed his Gasher into Gun Mode. "I wanna peep on the girls later!" That comment made Ifrit growl in annoyance.
"Catch me first!" the Imagin challenged before jumping up and back into the hole it had come down from.
"Chotto matte!" shouted Ifrit as he ran to the hole, jumped up and climbed into it.
On the roof the White Baboon Imagin was waiting. "OK, teme, you've really pissed me off," snarled Ifrit.
"Oh, I'm shaking!" said the White Baboon Imagin tauntingly.
"You should be," remarked Ifrit before forming his twin Ifrit Dao. "GenJyu Ifrit-Ken! Gengi! Ifrit no Kiba!"
Back in the dining hall, Wraith, Ryukendo and Garoh could feel the summoning of Mythical Ki.
"Let's go!" said Wraith commandingly before he leapt up and climbed into the hole. Ryukendo went in after and finally Garoh thought he got kicked in the face for staring at Ryukendo's butt.
The White Baboon Imagin was armed with a spear and using it to parry all of Ifrit's attacks. The blades made of freezing ice ki were unable to do any damage as the tricky monster laughed at his opponent tauntingly. The White Baboon Imagin then knocked one of Ifrit's blades away before stabbing him in the chest. It continued to attack the Rider with the sharp tip of its spear. The Imagin continued to force Ifrit backwards until he was at the edge of the roof and standing over the hot springs.
"Hope you can swim!" the Imagin chuckled. He got ready to push Ifrit off when gunfire rained down on him. The Imagin was forced back as the shots continued to pummel him painfully. It looked to see Garoh with his gun aimed at the Imagin.
"Sorry, but the pool is closed," said Garoh as he continued to shoot. "Hey, Ryuji, are you…?"
"I'm fine," stated Ifrit as he went to pick up his other sword. He joined the two at the hilt and grasped his newly formed weapon tightly. "Let's finish this cackling teme off!"
"Agreed," said Wraith with the eyes of his skull helmet glowing. "Let's take this thing down for ruining my family's vacation."
"Don't forget me," added Ryukendo.
"FULL CHARGE!" Garoh and Ifrit's belts both announced as they charged up their weapons.
"Oh, shit," the White Baboon Imagin said. "Well…uh…" It then shouted, "GOTTA GO!" before throwing a smoke bomb down. It exploded and a cloud of smoke covered the entire surface of the roof, blinding the Riders. When the smoke cleared, the Imagin had vanished. Ifrit let out a shout of outrage as his prey had fled.
"Damn it!" shouted Ifrit.
"Well, he's gone," said Wraith. "We better go join the others before they get suspicious."
"Yep, you got it," agreed Ryukendo.
The girls were all back in their suite, shaken by the recent attack. "Man, here too? I thought those things only attack the city," said Otome.
"I guess you can't expect when or where these monsters will attack," said Kotonoha who knew more than she was letting on.
"Well, then this would mean Ifrit would come," Hikari gushed. "Oh, I wanted to see him!"
"Me too," added Kokoro.
"I don't think he showed up," Nanami said.
"But he has to!" pouted Hikari.
"Hey, where's Hasuma-san?" asked Sekai.
Neko came into the room and sat down with the girls. "Here."
"Where were you? We were worried," said Sekai.
"Sorry," apologized Neko.
As soon as Ryuji came into the room he shared with the boys, Taisuke immediately jumped into the closet to hide himself, leaving Makoto and Ryuji alone. Kenzaki had gone off to possibly investigate about the Imagin and what it was targeting and who its contractor was, if it had one at all.
"Hey," said Ryuji. "Are you okay, Itou?" he asked.
"Just a little shaken. I mean one of those monsters just attacked here out of the blue," replied Makoto.
Ryuji sat down and leaned back against the closet. "Well, it just shows you that you can't predict these things."
"Where did you go?" asked Makoto. "I mean you just showed up."
"I went to see if the girls were alright," lied Ryuji.
"So…"
"They are fine," Ryuji cut him off. He was still upset about the White Baboon Imagin running out on a fight like that. He hated it when his opponents were cowardly. It showed they had no regard for honor.
"Daddy!" both Tessa and Alex yelled as they ran to their father. Alex hopped up and down excitedly as Tessa had a look of wonder on her face.
"Did you get it, daddy? Did you beat the monster?" asked Tessa.
Warren told them, "I did," as he ruffled their hair, "And he ran off because I scared him off."
"Wow!" said Alex in awe.
He smiled at his two kids before kneeling down and lifting them up, sitting them on his strong shoulders. He walked over to Teresa and Warren who were sitting down. He sat down with them and put down his kids who immediately went for their mother, hugging her.
Teresa knew that Warren wasn't telling the whole truth. They had driven the Imagn off but it had only fled to make up a new strategy. Whatever it was after, they would stop it.
The White Baboon Imagin leapt through the city, hopping from roof to roof, before arriving in the park. Leaning against a tree was a man wearing a dark blue shirt beneath a blue jacket, and black pants. He had short black hair and slanted, red eyes. "They're stronger than we thought and there's another one now," reported the Imagin. "What should we do, Tatsuya?"
"There's another of those damn Riders!" the man growled. "Damn it! Nanimo didn't mention that more would be showing up!"
"Calm yourself, Hirakawa-san," said a new voice. This one was cold and emotionless, and had the effect of metal scraping against metal. All the two could see was the figure's silhouette. "All this means is that you'll need to take a different approach." Three shadows appeared behind the figure. "Baboon, take these three Imagin. They will deal with the other Riders, you, however, have a special job."
"And what's that?" questioned the Imagin.
"You get to possess Ifrit, and use him to destroy the others. You can kill the rest of them, but I want the Wolf Rider brought to me."
"Why?" asked Tatsuya.
"I have something special planned for him…" he said mysteriously before vanishing.
When everyone was asleep, several figures had snuck into the hot springs and slipped into the water. The light of the moon revealed them to be none other than Okami, Byakko, Buraki and Raion and Loki, the Imagin partners of the Kamen Riders.
"This feels good," sighed Raion.
"Relaxing," Okami agreed. "I could fall asleep here."
"A good soak in the hot springs is good after training," said Byakko.
"Oh, I wish I brought some eggs to cook in here," said Loki. "Eggs cooked in hot spring water are really tasty."
Buraki was frowning deeply. There were no girls, just guys. Where were the girls! He then heard something and leaned against the divider that separated the boys and the girls. He could hear someone entering the girls' side. Was it…was it a girl! He had to see! He climbed up the fence using his sharp claws. None of the others seemed to take notice as he did. When he looked over the top of the divider, a rock smashed into his face. He was knocked backwards and made a splash.
On the women's side was Athena, Kotonoha's Imagin partner. She muttered, "Perverted males," before closing her eyes and enjoying the water of the hot springs. "Now…this is the life."