Kotonoha looked around her. It was dark, and scary, and she didn't like it. It was like a prison. She could see bars slamming down all around her as chains rattled from the ceiling. Where was she?
She heard something akin to an animal's roar and against common sense she walked towards the source instead of running away from it. She just felt drawn to it…
She then saw what it was. It was a human figure and he was chained to the wall by his wrists and ankles. He continued to struggle and Kotonoha felt fear and also…sympathy for this poor creature. He was human, she could tell, with long dark hair and dressed in a full black bodysuit…
He sensed her presence and looked up at her with cold blue eyes. She gasped at the iron muzzle that was strapped to his face. She could hear his muffled screams and she recognised him.
It was…
Kotonoha woke up crying and then looked over her side at the boy sleeping next to her. She panted and wiped her tears away. The boy next to her in bed began to stir and his eyes fluttered open. He looked over at his bed-mate and his eyes widened in alarm at his ears. Instantly, he was holding her in a gentle embrace, soothingly stroking her hair as she began to cry.
"What's wrong, Koto-chan?" Ryuji asked, confused and worried. Why was she crying?
"I saw it," she said as he hugged him back. "I saw your prison." He stiffened for a second before relaxing.
"Oh, you saw it," he acknowledged. She had gone into his mind.
"And I saw you, in it, chained up like an animal," she added. "How could…how could Ryuki-san be so cruel?"
Ryuji closed his eyes. "He wasn't being cruel." He paused. "He was just trying to protect his friends from me, knowing what I was."
"But you would never…"
"Back then I would've. I was a different person then. I was evil."
"Don't say that!" she tightened her hold on him. She didn't want to hear him condemning himself again.
"Koto-chan, you know I can't lie about what I was back then. I never gave Ryuki enough of a reason to trust me. He had to lock me up."
"It's still cruel…to be a prisoner like that…" she sobbed.
"I know," he smiled gently. "But that's in the past. Now I'm free and I'm not going away."
"Then give me proof that you're really here and won't go away."
The two spent the rest of the night comforting each other.
Kotonoha Katsura had dreamt of becoming the wife of a good man. Any man would be lucky enough to have her for a wife. She was beautiful, diligent, hardworking, and faithful. Due to an incident in junior high she'd been afraid of boys and after entering high school she'd gained some attention from boys but all of it was because of her large bust. They were never really interested in her for her, just for her appearance. This was what made some of the girls dislike her.
Then, she began noticing a boy checking her out on the train she used to get to school each day. He would just glance at her while she was reading. He never knew that she too was checking her out. It'd gone on up until the beginning of the second term.
Then she met Sekai who became her friend and then set her up to meet Makoto who would become her boyfriend. At first Makoto had no idea how to treat her on a date and then he took her to see a romantic movie (she'd wanted to see a zombie) movie. He'd tried to kiss her, resulting in a slap.
Then, they shared their first kiss which would officially begin their relationship.
She'd loved Makoto. He made her so happy, but then he started to ignore and avoid her and it was all because of Sekai who she thought was her friend. Betrayed and confused, she decided to end her life by jumping off a building.
Plans would usually hit a snag and so did hers, and that snag was named Ryuji Hasuma.
She'd met Ryuji in the middle of the second term. He was one of the new transfer students and he'd taken the seat next to hers. They'd become friends after he stood up for her, telling off Otome and her friends for being noisy but she knew he was standing up for her. She could tell.
For some reason he'd been there and saved her life. She didn't remember much of what'd happened before. One minute she was plummeting to her death and the next moment she was being held protectively in his arms. He'd comforted her and took her home and Kotonoha felt the same thing she'd felt for Makoto when with him but she still had feelings for Makoto even after what'd happened.
At school she and Ryuji grew closer as friends. He even helped her with her student council work and helped her out during the school festival's preparations. Makoto had been avoiding her again and she was feeling lost without him but Ryuji chased those feelings away with his concern.
One night during the festival Taisuke Sawanaga had tried to take advantage of her, tearing open her jacket and throwing off her bowtie. Before he could take a kiss from her, by force, Ryuji had once again come to her rescue and violently pounded Taisuke to the ground. She managed to stop him before he went too far and once again he comforted her.
He'd insisted that they do the folk dance out in front of the bonfire and it was there and then that Kotonoha decided to check if her feelings for him were real. She'd asked him to kiss her. The kiss was indescribable. There was some sort of electricity, some sort of spark that came from the kiss and she knew, right there and then, that she'd fallen in love again with this boy who was rough around the edges but also kind and gentle.
Since then her dreams had been filled of images of him and her, married, as husband and wife.
"NEW SCHOOL YEAR AND NEW SURPRISES"
In the past, Ryuji never really truly understood the concept of love and happiness. Being composed of mainly negative emotions and representing Ryuki's negative aspects was part of the reason. The other reason was that he could only experience those kinds of emotions from Ryuki's memories and through his eyes. He never really felt them like a normal person would until that day when they had ended up in this world and he'd finally gotten a body of his own.
It had taken the ChronoLiner Riders team two weeks to integrate themselves into the society as well as teaching Ryuji the difference between right and wrong. Even being within Ryuki's mind hadn't helped as he'd been isolated and it'd made him both increasingly unstable and unpredictable. The only reason he had been going along with it was because of the promises of freedom.
That day when he'd met Kotonoha was the first time he ever truly felt anything instead of leeching off Ryuki's emotions. He started to actually care about her. The feeling was like the first thing Ryuki had felt when he first met the girls that would become his girlfriends.
He experienced love and happiness for the first time with Kotonoha and openly displayed his emotions. Of course there was one emotion he would never acknowledge…Fear.
Ryuji Hasuma (also known as Kamen Rider Ifrit and the Ifrit Orphenoch) was by no stretch of the imagination a coward. Of course, even he knew the difference between bravery and foolishness. Seeing the eyes staring right at them, Ryuji did what any normal guy would do when it came to ghosts.
He screamed and grabbed onto Warren's wrist, dragging him along as they ran back towards the campsite. Now he was convinced that they needed to get out of this place and fast.
"Oi! Ryuji!" shouted Warren as branches smacked him in the face but Ryuji wasn't listening. "Damn it, kohai! Calm down!" Another branch smacked his face. "Hey!"
Ryuji may not have had a phobia of ghosts like his father, but even he couldn't fight ghosts. Ghosts were incorporeal and his fists would just go right through then and he never even thought of using his powers, which wouldn't have worked on ghosts either.
Ryuji stopped a short distance away from the 'eye trees' and let his hold on Warren slip away before placing his hands onto his knees, panting. He turned to look at Warren as he wiped the sweat off his brow and gaped as he saw his friend and sempai picking leaves off his hair and some bugs off his face.
"Peh!" Warren spat out some leaves. "You know I could've checked if it was a ghost or something."
"So, what if it was?" Ryuji shot back. "I can't fight ghosts!"
Warren gave his kohai a quizzical look and deduced, "You're afraid of ghosts, aren't you?"
"No," Ryuji denied. "I ain't afraid of nothing." He looked away. Not exactly true. He was afraid of thunder but he wasn't going to publicly announce that. He had a reputation to uphold. "I just can't hit them. My fists would go right through ghosts and not to mention my powers."
"But Ryuki..." Warren began.
"Ryuki's the psychic," Ryuji interrupted, blurting out his lack of psychic abilities. "I ain't psychic. When we were split up he kept his psychic powers and I kept the ice and Orphenoch powers."
Warren blinked. That was new. Ryuki hadn't told him about that.
"Now, come on and let's go," Ryuji insisted. "The sooner we wake the idiots up the better. I feel like I'm in a bad Halloween Special."
Ryuji walked ahead of Warren who shrugged and followed. Suddenly, they all heard their friends' screams. Exchanging looks, the two Riders quickly ran towards the campsite.
When they arrived, Warren and Ryuji were seeing the biggest black cat they'd ever seen with glowing red eyes and really sharp teeth. It let out a hiss at both Ryuji and Warren.
"I'm beginning to think there's something wrong with this forest," stated Warren.
"What tipped you off?" Ryuji frowned. He eyed the cat. "Hey, kitty, how about a cold shower?" He aimed his hands at the cat and fired a blizzard from his hands. The giant cat vanished before being hit. "Kuso..."
Warren went to check on the others and saw that Makoto, Taisuke and Vash were huddled together in fear. When they saw Warren they screamed but calmed down after several seconds. However, Kenzaki was nowhere to be found.
"Hey, urusei, teme!" Ryuji yelled. "Where's Kenzaki?"
"We don't know!" Taisuke wailed. "But we gotta get out of here!"
Suddenly, Ryuji's watch began to beep and the compass activated which would point Ryuji towards the direction of an Imagin. His eyes narrowed. 'Cheh, I should've known. An Imagin.' He told Warren, "Warren, you watch these guys and pack up. I'm gonna go find Kenzaki." He then rushed off.
"Where is he going?" Makoto asked, concerned.
"Don't worry about it," Warren assured, "Let's get ready to leave. You guys can bond in the van later."
Ryuji followed the compass and called out, "Henshin!" as he ran through the forest.
"IFRIT FORM!"
His armor formed over him and the transformation was finished.
When he arrived at the scene, he could see Garoh in his Savage Form fighting a creature he could identify as an Imagin. It looked like a magician with a tattered cape and tuxedo, top hat and a staff topped with a skull. Its entire face was black with red eyes.
Ryuji formed his Ifrit Dao and then tossed one of them like a boomerang at the Magic Imagin. It dodged to the side and the sword lodged itself in a tree. Garoh took notice of his fellow Rider and waved, "Yo! You're late!"
Ifrit snorted, hefting his sword on his shoulder. Of all the forms to choose from he was using the one associated with a perverted firestarter. "Yeah, I'm here, just don't start any fires!" He then demanded from the Imagin, "Hey, are you the one making those ghosts appear?"
The Magic Imagin chuckled, "Wouldn't you want to know?"
"Then I got a bone to pick with you!" growled Ifrit as the sword in the tree vanished before reappearing in his free hand. He popped his neck from side to side and charged.
Garoh shot at the Imagin who deflected all the bullets with its staff but Ifrit got in close and slashed at it. He used his staff to block all of Ifrit's strikes before jabbing the head of his staff into Ifrit's gut. Grunting, Ifrit held on and attacked once more with Garoh landing a hand. They struck at the slippery Magic Imagin.
The Imagin then removed his hat and a flock of pigeons flew out of it which attacked the Riders by pecking them. Sparks flew from the pecks and then some of the birds above them dropped explosive eggs on them.
"Heh, you're not so tough. Nanimo said you were," the Imagin snickered.
Ifrit's eyes narrowed at the mention of Nanimo's name and his blue aura flared. Anything his aura touched became frozen in ice and unfortunately for the pigeons it was them. "I'm going to kill you!"
Ifrit charged but then a box rose up in front of him. It opened up and he ran right inside before it closed. He tried to break his way out but to no avail.
Garoh aimed his gun at the Imagin but instead of bullets, flowers came out. The Magic Imagin grinned before another box rose up behind Garoh. The Imagin then threw his staff like a spear and knocked Garoh backwards into the box which closed. Reaching into its hat again, the Magic Imagin pulled out a sword.
"And for my next trick..." it said as he walked forward.
"Sorry, but shows over," said a voice and the Imagin looked around.
"Who's there!" the Imagin demanded.
"Your worst nightmare," the voice answered.
"Bet I know yours," the Magic Imagin snickered and used his power to create several scary looking female ghosts. "You scared now?" Instead, it got haunting laughter.
"You think this is gonna scare me? You're pathetic!"
Now the Magic Imagin was getting angry. "Show yourself!"
"OK, you asked for it." He then added, "Oh, and wanna see something REALLY scary?"
The entire forest around the Imagin changed into a void of darkness and then the Imagin heard the voice everywhere.
"You're just a fraud."
"A phony."
"Using tricks and illusions for kicks."
"You're nothing."
"You're nobody."
"Not even worth my time."
"Shut up!" the Imagin ordered, pointing its staff around itself. "Come out, you coward!"
"Hey, why do I have to waste my time on you?" The darkness began to warp into the most horrifying images the Imagin had ever seen in its short life. "Besides, now it's time for death to claim you!"
Chains made of darkness suddenly burst from the ground and bound the Imagin in place, pinning it legs together and arms to its side. It dropped its staff and began to struggle. What was going on!
It could see red eyes staring at it and red mouths filled with sharp black teeth. The faces were laughing at it. "Make it stop!"
…
…
…
"OK."
"FULL CHARGE!"
"FULL CHARGE!"
The darkness faded and the Imagin could only watch helplessly as a fireball flew right at the evil Imagin. The ball of flames exploded and engulfed the Magic Imagin in fire. Then, Ifrit followed up by slashing at the Imagin with his energized Ifrit Dao.
"My turn!" Wraith shouted as he rushed at the Imagin and then executed a powerful front kick into its chest. The Imagin was flung backwards before exploding into oblivion.
The three Riders stood together victoriously after finishing off the Imagin.
"So, now can we leave?" asked Ifrit.
Several days had passed since the incident during the camping trip. Ryuji had told Kotonoha about it and how frustrating it was because an Imagin had ruined his fun. He wondered if his life was always going to be about fighting Imagin.
At least watching the cherry blossoms in bloom had been fun. The gang had a huge picnic and Otome even brought along her friends who finally decided to follow their leader's example and make peace with Kotonoha. Whether it was because of guilt or fear for Ryuji, at least they were making an effort.
Time flew by and soon it was the start of the new school year. Ryuji hated school but he knew he had little choice as Loki opened the curtains to let the sunshine in and woke him up. Groggily, Ryuji got out of bed and headed for the shower.
Dressed in his uniform, Loki suggested he make himself look presentable for the first day of school. Though he initially refused, Loki had decided to possess him and tidied up Ryuji's appearance against his will so now he had his tie straight on, his shirt tucked, his jacket buttoned up and his hair in a neat braid, much to Ryuji's chagrin. He would just go back to his usual punk-like appearance before school started anyway.
Today was special. Ryuji had asked Loki to help him make something for Kotonoha. It was a strawberry shortcake and despite several failed attempts, he was finally able to make a proper cake for himself and Kotonoha to share during lunch. It'd taken him no longer than four hours to make but it was worth it.
Ryuji ran out the door with the cake in a box at hand as Loki waved, "Have a safe journey!" Ryuji reluctantly waved back at his partner/servant/guardian before making his way to the station. From there, he got on the train that would take him to Sakakino High.
As he sat down, Ryuji mused in his thoughts, 'I can't believe it's been half a year since I decided to stay here.' Indeed, Ryuji had become a resident in this timeline less than 6 months ago and all for love. This strawberry shortcake was a half year anniversary present that he'd made for Kotonoha and would share with her. She didn't know about the anniversary but she'd already given him her present. It was her love that was the gift and he'd cherished it.
When the train stopped at Kotonoha's station, Ryuji blinked in confusion. "Where is she?" The girl hadn't come into the train nor was she waiting at the station. The doors then closed. Ryuji frowned. Just where was his girlfriend? Did she oversleep or something? No way would Athena let that happen. So, where was she?
Ryuji walked through the school's gate in not the best of moods. He was still holding the cake box in his hand. The best part of his day would be to see Kotonoha and ride the train with her to school but she wasn't even at the station. Letting out a sigh, he continued on his way towards the building.
He wasn't aware of his surrounding so someone suddenly bumped into him from behind. He momentarily lost balance and was about to fall forward but regained it before he hit the ground. However, the cake box had fallen out of his hand and...
SPLAT!
Now a foot was planted into the cardboard box and the cake. Ryuji's eyes widened and then flashed dangerously as he looked up the foot and then the leg before going up the torso to see none other than Taisuke Sawanaga.
"Oh, sorry!" Taisuke apologized, chuckling. "Didn't see you there." Taisuke then felt the temperature fall. "Ano...Hasuma?"
"Do you…" Ryuji began to growl, "…have any idea...how long it took for me...to make that?" He grabbed Taisuke by the collar of his shirt, "DO YOU!" he roared. Taisuke was in for a world of pain now as Ryuji shook him back and forth, "IT TOOK ME FOUR HOURS! FOUR HOURS!" Taisuke was then in a headlock and struggling to get free before he suffocated, "AND IT TOOK ME DAYS TO LEARN THAT RECIPE JUST TO MAKE IT RIGHT!" he then decided to finish it with a pile-driver, "AND YOU FUCKING RUINED IT!"
SLAM!
Taisuke lay limply on the ground as Ryuji breathed heavily. He noticed everyone staring at him and got annoyed. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT!" he shouted and they looked away in fear. "Good," he smirked before he left a broken and bruised Taisuke twitching on the ground. He looked at the cherry blossom trees that were planted around the school and smiled. "Well, at least the cherry blossoms look nice," he said calmly, "Now to see my new class assignment."
"Yo, man!" Vash showed up and sat next to Ryuji. "Why didn't you wake me up?" Vash, Ryuji's new partner, and (much to his annoyance) roommate was in their class. It was class 2-4. Ryuji had seen the list of the students in this class and was both happy and annoyed. Happy because he and Kotonoha were in the same class again, and annoyed because he was also classmates with Makoto and Taisuke. Neko and Kenzaki were also in the class but hadn't arrived yet, same with Otome and Sekai. Otome's posse were in a different class and so were Nanami and Hikari.
"I had plans," muttered Ryuji.
"Well, anyway, I heard what you did to Sawanaga," Vash stated.
"After what he did, he deserved it," Ryuji snorted.
"Yeah..." Vash could see that Ryuji was still in a bad mood. He then smiled and waved at the door, "Oh, Kotonoha!" Ryuji looked up to see Kotonoha entering and smiled as she came in, also smiling at him. "Good morning!"
"Ohayo, Vash-san," Kotonoha bowed. "Ohayo, Ryuji-kun."
"Ohayo," Ryuji stood up and returned the bow, blushing. Her smile then turned into a frown. "What's wrong?"
"Ryuji-kun, you promised to make a new beginning," frowned Kotonoha. "But then I heard you injured Sawanaga-san. Why?" Ryuji looked away, muttering under his breath. "Ryuji-kun?" She caressed his cheek and turned his head over to look at her. "Tell me what happened."
Ryuji simply couldn't resist her when she spoke to him or looked at him with those eyes. He answered, "Because he ruined our cake."
"Our cake?" she echoed.
"Yes, it was a strawberry shortcake that Loki taught me how to bake." He rubbed the back of his head. "It was for our half year anniversary and well...he stepped on it."
"So you beat him up because he ruined something you made for me?" she said neutrally.
"Yes," he nodded.
"That's so sweet!" Kotonoha exclaimed as she hugged his head to her chest. Vash snickered.
When Makoto and Sekai entered the classroom, Makoto was ready to make his escape at the sight of Ryuji. Knowing how much Ryuji disliked him, he thought he was going to get beaten up too but Sekai forced him to come into class with her. "Ohayo!" Sekai greeted.
"Ah, Sekai-san!" Kotonoha let go of Ryuji. "Ohayo."
Sekai and Kotonoha now called each other by their given names but even though Sekai would not use honorifics, Kotonoha would still use them out of habit.
"Ohayo, Kotonoha," greeted Makoto.
"Ohayo, Makoto-kun," Kotonoha smiled warmly at her ex.
"Ohayo, Itou," said Ryuji with a frown. Makoto gulped.
"Ohayo, Hasuma," Makoto greeted, head bowed.
"Guess what?" Sekai smiled. "Setsuna's back!"
"Kiyoura?" Ryuji blinked. "I thought she moved to Paris."
"Oh, she did, but she came back and surprised me yesterday," smiled Sekai, grateful to have her best friend back. "She's living with me now."
"So where is she?" Kotonoha asked.
"Ohayo," greeted Setsuna. Ryuji blinked at her sudden appearance. When had she come in? She didn't even make a sound. Her eyes focused on Ryuji. "So, you're still here, Hasuma-san."
"And you're back, Kiyoura," added Ryuji. Personally, he didn't have anything against Setsuna. It was just that she was one of the reasons Kotonoha had broken down in the original timeline. Still, Ryuji could be forgiving...sometimes.
"Ohayo, minna!" Neko greeted as she hopped into class with Kenzaki next to her.
"Ohayo," Kotonoha greeted her future sister-in-law. With Neko was her boyfriend, Kenzaki.
"Looks like the gang's all here," smirked Sekai.
"Hey, what about me?" saluted Otome as she came in after Neko and Kenzaki. "Yo, Katsura!"
"Ohayo, Otome-san," Kotonoha bowed. Setsuna quirked an eyebrow. Just how long had she been gone?
The door slid open which had the students scramble back to their seats. Ryuji had shoved Vash off the seat next to him and allowed Kotonoha to sit by his side. A man came into the classroom. He was a teacher dressed in a black turtleneck with a white pants and a jacket, but that wasn't what struck the students as odd nor was it his white hair. Well, his white hair was also odd but not as odd as his familiar face.
"Good morning, class," he greeted while fixing his glasses. "I'm going to be your new homeroom teacher and your History teacher. Oh, and by the way, the name's Warren Smith." He gave a peace sign and smile, "Just don't mess with me and everything will be just fine."
Meanwhile, in class 2-3 where Hikari, Nanami and Otome's posse were assigned to, their new teacher was coming in. It was a pale young woman with long violet hair that came down to her waist wearing a violet shirt and a black skirt that came down to her knees. Nanami and Hikari recognised her and she then stood behind the teacher's podium.
"Good morning, class. My name is Rachel Smith and from today onwards I'll be your homeroom teacher and English teacher as well." Her eyes narrowed, "And you better not get on my bad side or else."
"NANI!"
"The Kamen Riders?" Setsuna questioned. "Yes, I know of them. Sekai lets me know about them through email."
It was currently lunch period and right now Sekai, Setsuna, Hikari, and Nanami were having lunch together, outside, like they had done before.
"So, what do you think of them?' asked Nanami curiously.
"I'm not really sure," said Setsuna. "I thought heroes like that were only found on TV, in manga or fairy tales."
"Well, they are real!" said Hikari cheerfully. "And Ifrit is the best!"
"That's because he saved you that one time," Nanami chuckled.
"Hey, I was in the arms of a hero!" sighed Hikari. "Just like in a dream." Of course most of her dreams had revolved around Taisuke but her interest in him had gone down recently.
Setsuna then spoke to Sekai, "So, I see you and Makoto are still together."
"Yeah, it's been great," Sekai smiled. "We've been going steady."
"And Katsura-san has also found herself a new boyfriend," stated Setsuna. "But why Hasuma-san?"
"Let's just say that he may not be as bad as he seems," said Hikari, envious of Kotonoha. "He's a lot nicer than he wants people to think."
Setsuna still didn't understand how someone as sweet as Kotonoha could end up with a punk like Ryuji but she would get her answers soon.
"So, how was Paris?" asked Sekai.
"It was a different experience," shrugged Setsuna.
Ryuji rolled out of the way of the attack, which would've chopped off a chunk of his body had he not evaded it. Looking up, his eyes widened at the appearance of the attacker who was armed with a pair of identical battle axes.
He'd originally been waiting for Kotonoha to have lunch with her. They would've gone up to the roof together but she'd volunteered to help out with something at the staff room. He decided to wait for her on the roof when suddenly he got himself attacked.
He had a lot of things on his mind. Well, not really a lot of things. Warren and Raven becoming teachers was a shocker. How they managed to do that didn't surprise him at all since they could pull strings to get the jobs. He just never expected them to be teachers here. He would ask them later after final period…if he survived till then.
Then there was Setsuna. She was back and he just kept getting this odd vibe from her.
"You!" he growled. His attacker stared with crimson eyes. "Fine, if it's a fight you want then I'll oblige! Henshin!"
Kotonoha was running up the stairs to meet up wither boyfriend. In her arms was a picnic basket she'd filled with their lunch. She was going to surprise him with her improved cooking skills when she heard a sound that made her panic. It was the sound of metal clashing against metal and she knew what it meant.
'Ryuji-kun's in a fight!'
She dashed up to the entrance of the roof and threw the door open. Her brown eyes widened at the sight of her beloved in armor fighting against an unfamiliar Rider.
Yes, somehow she knew it was another Kamen Rider. She'd seen several different Riders to know what to look for.
The other Rider was definitely female judging by the design of the armor that seemed to fit over the curves of the body. The bodysuit was white and hugged the Rider's body like a second skin. There were black tiger stripes on the sleeves, legs and the side of the body. Over this she wore black torso armor, gauntlets and boots, also with white tiger stripes. Tiger paws and claws made up the shoulder armor. Her helmet sported a pair of red eyes and pointed ears. Above the eyes was a visor with black horizontal slits. The silver mouthguard was framed by fangs. What frightened Kotonoha the most were the weapons this female Rider was armed with. She was holding a pair of huge battle axes that could do a whole lot of damage with the right amount of force being applied behind them.
Her boyfriend was in Loki Form and using the Loki Slicer to parry the blows. Sparks flew as the weapons made impact with each other.
Ifrit took notice of Kotonoha and shouted, "Koto-chan, nigerro! Hayaku!" This caused the female Rider to turn her eyes towards Kotonoha.
"Oh, and who's this cutie?" the female Rider purred. Suddenly, an axe went whizzing past Kotonoha's head, dangerously close to her neck. Several strands of hair fell to the floor. "Whoopsie!" the Rider laughed. "Bit of a close shave there, wasn't it? You should really try and be more careful." She paused a moment. "Or should that be me?" she mused as the axe returned to her. She turned to look at an enraged Ifrit. "Aw, how cute. You're mad. Is she your little girlfriend?" she purred. "That will make wiping the floor with you all the sweeter!" She suddenly snarled. Twirling her axes around, she rushed at him, attacking aggressively with Kotonoha rooted to the spot, eyes locked on the fight.
'Lady Kotonoha!' she heard Athena. 'Run! Do as he says and run!' But Kotonoha wasn't listening. 'Run!' Kotonoha only backed away when she bumped into somebody. Turning around, she saw that it was Kenzaki and Neko and neither looked happy.
"Kuso," cussed Kenzaki. "Why did she have to be here?"
"I know she says she would drop by, but I didn't think it would be like this," scowled Neko.
"You know her?" Kotonoha asked.
"Too well," Kenzaki answered.
"She's just someone who likes to make a showy entrance, that's all," Neko continued to frown.
The mysterious female Rider then leapt back from a vertical swing, snickering, before bounding off the fence and then throwing one of her axes at Ifrit. He blocked it and it went spinning through the air before getting stuck to the rooftop. However, she was still coming for him and swung down, forcing him to lock blades with her. She continued to push down as he struggled. He could see her grinning under that mask of hers.
"Kat-neechan! Yamette kudasai!" yelled Neko which made the female Rider and Kotonoha freeze.
"Nee…chan?" Kotonoha repeated.
Kenzaki shook his head, "Unfortunately."
The female Rider sighed and disengaged Ifrit before backing off. She then dropped her remaining axe and reached down to her belt. Pushing a switch at the top, the buckle, which depicted a golden tiger crest on a white background, closed up and ejected a card. She took the card out as the armor and belt vanished.
It was a girl, their age, with long black hair. She was dressed in a white tank top and black leather jacket with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She wore a denim miniskirt and black cowboy boots. Around her neck was a choker and in her hair was a black bow ribbon. She had red eyes and what surprised Kotonoha was her resemblance to Neko.
"Why did you have to stop me, imouto?" asked the Neko-look-alike.
"Because I didn't want you to lose control and wreck the school," Neko answered.
"That's right," agreed Gekiryuken.
"As if she had any control to begin with," muttered Kenzaki.
"Heh, sorry, but I was getting bored. What took you so long anyway?" said Kat.
Kotonoha finally found her voice after Ryuji reverted back to normal. "Who…who are you?"
"I'm known by many names, ojou-chan," the girl who looked like Neko answered. "Now I'm known as Kamen Rider CopyKat, but you can call me Kat Hasuma. I'm Ryuji and Neko's big sis."
Kotonoha was stunned. Their sister? And a Rider too?
Kenzaki snorted, "How did someone like you end up as a Rider?"
"You get a mask, own a ride, and you're automatically a Rider," Kat shrugged.
"That's not how it works," Kenzaki remarked.
"I know that, I'm just kidding," Kat grinned. "Geez, you sure are uptight, you big bad wolf. Not getting any from my imouto?" She watched as both Kenzaki and Neko blushed uncomfortably. "I see nothing's changed." She smiled like a cat. She then took notice of Kotonoha and approached her but Ryuji quickly stood in her way. "Oh, puh-leeze. I'm not gonna hurt her."
"Let's just say it's a bit hard to trust you," responded Ryuji.
"Coming from you, that doesn't mean much," Kat remarked. She sniffed the air, "She smells just like you and…" she sniffed again, "You smell just like her." Her grin widened, revealing predatory fangs, "Care to tell me something?" She was amused by the way both Ryuji and Kotonoha blushed. "Oh, this is too much for me!" she laughed.
"Can you please be serious?" growled Ryuji but the blush was still there.
"OK, fine, we can talk but is there anything to eat?" she asked. Everyone facefaulted. "Was it something I said?"
Setsuna exited the girls' bathroom when all of a sudden a golden orb darted into her body. Sand spilled out from her and then reformed into a pile right in front of her. The pile then took the shape of a humanoid figure from the waist up with its lower half and legs dangling above it.
"Tell me your wish, any wish, and I will grant it and all I want in return is one thing," the sand creature said.
"GIN-SHOCKER?" asked Ryuji as he chewed on a sandwich. Everyone was sitting on a picnic blanket and eating the lunch Kotonoha had prepared. Luckily she'd made plenty.
"Oh, it's this evil organization that suddenly surfaced not too long ago," explained Kat, her voice suddenly turning darker and uglier. "They kidnap people, brainwash them, and then mutate them before fitting them with cybernetic parts, turning them into obedient and loyal mutant cyborg soldiers."
"That's horrible!" Kotonoha exclaimed in shock. Were these people in GIN-SHOCKER really human to be so cruel?
"You're telling me," Kat growled. There was a definite edge of barely repressed fury there. One could only guess what might have happened between Kat and GIN-SHOCKER for that fury to be born. With a noticeable effort, Kat shrugged it off and continued in a slightly more normal tone. "Well, things got really bad but lucky for Ryuki and me we got reinstated as Knights." She showed them the card. It depicted Byakko the White Tiger. She grinned, "Pretty sweet, huh? He's got one too, Seiryu the Azure Dragon."
"Anyone else?" Ryuji asked curiously. Was this the huge thing that Warren had told him about that Ryuki was involved with? It would seem so.
"Oh, Ichijyo and Takada too. Ichijyo got the Genbu the Black Turtle and Takada's got Suzaku the Red Phoenix." It seemed appropriate seeing that the black turtle represented wisdom and the red phoenix represented immortality, which fit the traits of the two former Zodiac Knights.
"I kind of find it a bit hard to believe that you got chosen for this," said Kenzaki with his arms crossed.
Suddenly, they heard a voice coming from the card. It was male and also childish, "Oi, Big Sis, where are you at?"
Kat sighed and spoke back, "I'm meeting my bro and my sis, Bobby. Geez, be patient."
"You said you were gonna get us something to eat."
"In a minute! Just watch yer anime!"
"OK, OK, fine. Geez, temperamental much." The other voice broke off the link.
Kat sighed and got weird looks. "Oh, I also forgot to mention that we got partners too. Mine is Bobby and believe it or not he's the Spirit of the White Tiger."
"He sounded like a kid," Ryuji pointed out.
"And acts like a bratty and annoying little brother," Kat sighed. "But I gotta live with him anyway since it's his power I'm using. His powers are kinda sealed but I am able to access them to transform."
"So you're borrowing power," Kenzaki smirked.
"No different from you when you use your Imagin, Kenny," Kat shot back.
"Don't call me 'Kenny', you psychopath," growled Kenzaki.
"Ken-kun," hissed Neko. She didn't want another fight to break out.
Kat gave Kenzaki an icy stare and said, "Oh, come on, I thought you got over the whole 'I killed your family' crap years ago. Looks like you can hold a grudge. What a shocker. And, correction, I'm more of a sociopath than a psychopath. Get your terms right next time, Kenny-poo."
Kotonoha leaned closer to Ryuji. "Killed his family?" she asked.
"Very long story," Ryuji said. "I'll tell you later, Tenshi-chan."
Kenzaki turned to Neko. "Can I at least break her legs?"
"No," Neko said firmly. "She's not your target, remember? It's the Living Gate's fault." She then turned towards her dark half and sister, "So, Kat-neechan, how did you get here?"
Kat smiled and answered cheerfully, "Well, you know how Ryuki's the co-owner of the ChronoLiner. Well, I asked him for a ticket here since I wanted to visit my lil bro and sis."
"That's not the only reason, is there?" Ryuji asked. There had to be something more. Kat never dropped by without a good reason. He then realized what it was. She had done something like this before it the past. He then said drylu, "You got into a fight with your wife, didn't you?"
Kotonoha gasped in shock. "You mean, she's a..."
"Yup," Ryuji nodded, "And she's proud of it. She once ran away after having a fight with her. So, is it true that you got into a fight with Rose?"
Rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, she admitted, "Yeah, I kinda did...we got into a bit of an argument, really..." Neko and Ryuji sighed. Of course.
"Did she finally realize how insane you are?" asked Kenzaki. Kat glared.
"No, she fell in love with me despite that," Kat grumbled. "We just had differing views on parenting. We got into some disagreements about how to raise our kid."
"Cathy-chan, right?" Neko said bluntly.
"Honestly, I want our little girl to freely express herself but Rosie-chan thinks that too much freedom is a bad thing. We argued and then I said some things I shouldn't have said before getting kicked out of the house. I'm gonna be staying away for a bit until she finally cools down."
"Uh…better hope for a long-term stay then," Ryuji chuckled. "Last I heard she was just as stubborn as you!"
"Why do you think I fell for her?" Kat smiled. "She's my other half."
"Cathy-chan is going to miss you though," Neko pointed out.
"I know," Kat sighed. "She's my little baby and I just want her to grow into the kind of woman she wants to be."
"So in other words, completely wild like you," Kenzaki snorted.
"I like to think there are many different words for the same thing," Kat retorted. "Rosie-chan really wants Cathy-chan to become a proper lady. You know, like what obaa-san wanted me to be?"
"Egh," Ryuji growled. "I remember those lessons. She tried to make Ryuki into a gentleman too."
"Now you know why you're my favorite little brother," Kat smiled. "You know how to cut loose and have fun." She smirked mischievously, "Looks like you've had some of the best fun lately."
"My sex life is none of your business!" Ryuji snapped.
"Hey, I'm the oldest sister," Kat smiled. "I get to tease you. Anyway, Kotonoha-chan is a real looker and definitely a keeper. You really know how to do well for yourself."
"I know," smirked Ryuji.
"Are you Makoto Itou?" a strange voice said and Makoto froze in his tracks. For some reason he didn't like the sound of that voice but he still couldn't resist it. He turned around slowly and then his eyes widened in fright.
"Nanimo?" repeated Kat.
"Yeah, he's the new asshole that's been screwing with us," said Ryuji in disdain.
"He's also been orchestrating some of these new Imagin attacks," added Neko. "Have you heard of him?"
"No, I haven't. Unlike you all I'm not an active interdimensional traveller," answered Kat.
"Thank Kami-sama for that," muttered Kenzaki.
"So, what else do you know about this guy?" asked Kat.
"He's also Ken-kun's brother who's swearing revenge on him," answered Neko bluntly.
"Neko!" exclaimed Kenzaki. Kat smirked.
"Oh, evil brother," mocked Kat. "Look like we all got ourselves evil siblings."
"You're the evil sibling," Kenzaki shot back.
"Oh, nice comeback," Kat rolled her eyes. "Did you come up with that one all by your-"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"What the heck?" Kat looked over at Ryuji. "What is that?"
"'Imagin alert," answered Ryuji. "And it's…in the school!"
Makoto was running down the hallway with the Imagin chasing him. The Imagin resembled a harlequin with a skull face. Its body was in a skin tight suit of mismatched colours and it had bells hanging from the two long points of is hat.
"Come with me, my contractor wants to see you! Come with me my, contractor wants to see you!" the Imagin repeated in a sing-song voice while slamming anything and anyone away that was blocking its path. It was enjoying the chase and destruction so much.
"Somebody help me!" wailed Makoto. Was it the gods punishing him for making a wish with that Gingerbread thing? Then they were going a bit too far in his opinion.
"Come with me! Come with me! Come with-URK!" the Harlequin Imagin was suddenly sent flying backwards by a punch to the jaw and a kick in the gut. It skidded along the floor and Makoto stopped to see what'd happened.
"Itou, get yourself out of here, now," Ryuji said in a commanding voice.
"Let us handle it," spoke a girl Makoto could've sworn was Neko but not in uniform.
Not sticking around to argue, Makoto ran for his life.
"So, Kat," said Ryuji as he summoned his belt. "You sure you can handle Imagin?"
"How hard can it be when Kenny does it?" smirked Kat as her own belt appeared around her waist.
"Well, just follow the lead of the master," boasted Ryuji. "Henshin." He slid the Rider Pass into the belt's slot.
"Hey, I might just leave you in my dust," she rebutted. Neko's 'evil' twin slid the Byakko card into her belt buckle. "Henshin."
"IFRIT FORM!" Ryuji's belt exclaimed. As for Kat's belt it just split open to reveal the tiger emblem.
White shards covered Kat as she transformed into Kamen Rider CopyKat. First her tight bodysuit formed and then the armor formed over her. The helmet was the last thing to form before the eyepieces and mouthplate closed up. Finally, she quickly summoned her twin battle axes, "Let's Rock," she exclaimed, "and Rampage!"
"Let me tell you this from the start; I am really fucking pissed off right now," said Ifrit as he formed his Sub-Zero Shooter in his left hand and Ifrit Dao in his right.
"Ooooooh?" the Harlequin Imagin blinked. "Meanie meanie eats zucchini! I just want Makoto Itou."
"Well, as much as I hate the worm, I can't let you have him," Ifrit sighed.
"Too bad," the Harlequin Imagin snickered. Reaching behind its back, it pulled out a little burlap bag with sparkles on it. Reaching in, it pulled out a pile of sparkles before throwing them into the air.
"Ya-ha!" the Harlequin Imagin cheered as it tossed the sparkles into the air.
"What the-?" Ifrit growled as he stepped back with CopyKat.
"Is this normal?" the Tiger-themed Rider asked.
"No two Imagin are alike," Ifrit frowned.
In this case, Ifrit was about to be wrong. In puffs of smoke five identical Harlequin Imagin appeared before the pair. All five of them laughed while stalking forward.
"Can't get us!" the five laughed.
"Gekiryu Henshin!"
"Shatter!"
"RAMPAGE FORM!"
The five Imagin stopped and turned as three other Riders appeared in their armored forms.
"Wooo…might get tricky," the original Harlequin Imagin mumbled. "Oh well!" it laughed, "Boys, occupy them!" The original then vanished in the chaos as its clones lunged at the Riders.
"Let's take this outside!" roared Ifrit. The hallway was a little too cramped and crowded anyway.
Several windows shattered as ten figures leapt through them and landed roughly outside of school. This drew the attention of the students as well as panic and fear from the new Freshmen. They'd heard rumors of the Kamen Riders always showing up at the school but never thought them to be true.
Each of the Riders was engaged with one of the Harlequin Imagin clones who were armed with different weapons. Ryukendo was fighting one that was armed with a broadsword, Garoh was fighting one armed with an axe, Wraith was fighting one that had spiked brass knuckles, CopyKat was fighting one that was using a whip and finally Ifrit was fighting a Harlequin Imagin that was armed with a staff.
Each of the Harlequin Imagin giggled insanely as they fought the Riders while the original was probably after Makoto.
Makoto had gone to hide himself in the bathroom and locked himself in one of the stalls. "I'll be safe in here," he muttered to himself.
"Ya think so, buddy?" he heard and a ceiling panel dropped in front of him along with the Harlequin Imagin. Makoto screamed in fright but his screams were muffled when the Harlequin Imagin pulled the sack over Makoto and began to tie him up. Makoto struggled which earned him some smacks from the Imagin. "Shut up! I'm gonna complete this contract if it's the last thing I do!"
The students continued to cheer on the Riders as they recorded the entire battle with their cell phones. Sooner or later this was going to end up on YouTube but the group of heroes had other concerns.
"Ifrit!" shouted Wraith. "You gotta find the original! We'll handle things here!"
'"OK!" nodded Ifrit. He shot at the Harlequin Imagin he was fighting several times, filling it up with holes before he went for his belt and pressed the button.
"FULL CHARGE!"
He aimed and fired a beam of frost energy at the Imagin, encasing it in ice before swiping at it several times with his sword. The frozen Imagin was sliced to pieces. Giving his comrades one last look, he then ran back into the building to find the original Harlequin Imagin and hopefully its contractor.
Earlier, the Harlequin Imagin had Setsuna tied up and gagged in a storage closet. Once it had Makoto, it decided to deliver him to her. He opened the door and grabbed Setsuna before dropping her roughly on the floor. She squirmed in pain and glared at the Imagin who opened up its sack to drop an unconscious Makoto in front of her.
"Here, this is the boy you wanted!" the Harlequin Imagin chuckled in satisfaction. "Contract Complete!"
Ifrit arrived too late and saw the Harlequin Imagin opening Setsuna up and darting into the portal before the girl closed up again. Cursing himself for his tardiness, he ran over to the tied up and gagged girl while ignoring Makoto entirely. He untied her and removed her gag before asking, "Are you okay?" Setsuna nodded but stared at him as well. She'd heard about the Riders from her friends but this was her first time seeing one of them in person.
Ifrit took out a ticket and held it over her head. Immediately, the Harlequin Imagin's image formed on the ticket along with a date. It was September 4th 2007. As he recalled that had been the first day of school. He never thought he'd visit that time again.
Standing up, Ifrit opened a window and leapt out just as the ChronoLiner flew by. He landed in the cockpit and piloted the train towards its destination. Setsuna stood up and poked her head out the window to watch the train vanish into a portal.
April10 th 2007
"You want to exchange seats with me?" asked Setsuna towards Sekai's request.
"Yes, because Makoto's gonna be sitting there. Come on, Setsuna? Please?" Sekai said hopefully.
Before Setsuna could answer, her entire body stiffened as sand poured out from her body much to Sekai's shock. The sand then reformed into the Harlequin Imagin who stretched. It yawned and looked around, "Bo-Ring!" Eyes on Sekai, it grinned, before taking out a can of silly string, shaking it, and spraying Sekai all over with it. Laughing at its prank, it skipped out of the classroom to do some real damage.
As soon as Ifrit arrived via the ChronoLiner, he saw the school in chaos because of the Harlequin Imagin. There were screams of fear and fright from the Imagin's pranks. He saw the Imagin exiting the building. It stuck its tongue out at Ifrit before running off, leaving a dust trail behind. Growling, Ifrit summoned his bike and gave chase.
The Harlequin Imagin had already started on causing chaos. Graffiti was everywhere, people were tied up to lampposts and stuck to buildings by glue and even vehicles were piled up. The police tried to subdue the Imagin but it just shrugged off their pathetic attempts at stopping it as it continued its fun.
Suddenly, the Imagin was thrown backwards when Ifrit rammed into it at full speed. It rolled along the road as Ifrit dismounted from his bike. The Harlequin Imagin frowned, "Oh, it's you again."
"That's right, clown-boy, and this time I'm putting an end to your pranks," warned Ifrit.
The Harlequin Imagin snorted, "Heh, everyone's a critic." It reached behind its back and pulled out a pair of wicked scythes. "But I guess if I want to see you smile, I should cut it on your face!"
"Try it!" Ifrit challenged. He summoned his twin Ifrit Dao and charged at the Harlequin Imagin.
Sparks flew as their weapons clashed. Ifrit threw his leg but the Imagin jumped up and kicked Ifrit backwards. Ifrit ducked under one of the Imagin's clumsy swings before elbowing it in the side. The Imagin flinched at the pain and then received a 5 Slash Combo across the back and chest before Ifrit jumped up and kneed it in the face causing it to stagger backwards.
Angered, the Imagin dropped its scythes and pulled out a seltzer bottle. He aimed at Ifrit and squeezed the trigger, letting loose a clear fluid that was definitely not water as sparks flew from its contact with Ifrit's armor. It splashed over the ground, causing it to bubble and melt, revealing it to be acid. Ifrit was forced to his knees as the Harlequin Imagin picked up its scythes and then skipped towards Ifrit.
"Any last words?" the Harlequin Imagin asked. He heard a mumble. "What was that?"
"Bull's Eye," Ifrit repeated aloud. His Ifrit Dao morphed into the Sub-Zero Shooters with the bayonets out. He then stabbed the bayonets into the Harlequin Imagin's gut, causing it to scream in pain. Ifrit then started to pull the triggers, repeatedly, blasting at the Imagin over and over again. He then withdrew the bayonets and watched as the injured Imagin staggered backwards.
"Damn it..." the Harlequin Imagin cursed hoarsely.
"It's curtains for you," said Ifrit in finality.
"FULL CHARGE!"
The charge transferred from his belt into his guns which he aimed at the Imagin before he pulled the trigger. He then fired a wide beam from both guns that engulfed the Imagin and froze him from the inside out. When he stopped firing, he walked over to the frozen Imagin and then swung hard at it with one of his guns, shattering it to pieces.
Back in the present, the Harlequin Imagin clones suddenly disappeared in puffs of smoke. Thought Garoh, Ryukendo and CopyKat were confused, Wraith wasn't. He knew Ifrit had won.
Back in the past, Ifrit was getting a funny feeling when all of a sudden the Imagin's remains rose up into the air before transforming into a massive Gigandeath. It looked like a gigantic hyena on steroids with sharp elephant tusks. It let out what sounded like a bellowing laughter before it began to attack the city. Ifrit watched in anger.
"Damn it," Ifrit cursed. He got ready to call the ChronoLiner when all of a sudden there was an earthquake. "Na-nani!"
Suddenly, the ground burst open as something came explosively out of it, sending rubble and debris flying everywhere. Ifrit's eyes then widened at the sight of what was in front of him. "Sugei…"
It was a time train, definitely. It looked like a cross between a steam locomotive and a woolly mammoth with a crimson coloring and golden tusks along with a curled up trunk. It trumpeted loudly, announcing its arrival. Linked behind the locomotive were two bullet trains. The first one was white and modelled after a T-Rex with sharp teeth. The 2nd bullet train was blue and modelled after a triceratops with sharp horns.
Ifrit could feel that this time train was his. He didn't know how but it just felt like it. "You want me to pilot you?" The mammoth train trumpeted. "I'll take that as a yes. Yosh! Here I come!" He leapt up and entered the cockpit.
To his surprise it wasn't any different from the cockpit of the ChronoLiner except there was ancient writing along the walls. The bike which acted as the controls was a deep red color with tusks like the train. The viewing screen and HUD activated giving him a good view of the Gigandeath in front of him.
"OK, let's do this!" shouted Ifrit before gripping the controls and letting the wheels spin, "IKUZE!"
The powerful time train ran along its tracks and charged towards the Gigandeath who roared and charged right back. Both slammed into each other and ended up in a deadlock trying to push each other back. Ifrit's grip on the handlebars tightened before he activated the train's weapons. "Let see what you can do!"
The bullet train cars behind the locomotive unlinked and then flew into the air aboard their own tracks. The T-Rex train roared as the triceratops train bellowed. They rammed into the Gigandeath and sent it tumbling across the ground. Continuing with their attack, the T-Rex train bit down on the Gigandeath, causing it to scream as the triceratops train stabbed it with its horns. The two trains then backed away before ramming it at full speed. Ifrit watched with a grin. It was time to finish it. He entered a new command to see what would happen next.
The mammoth steam locomotive trumpeted as its trunk uncurled and then aimed at the Gigandeath like a cannon. Correction: it was a cannon. Taking aim, Ifrit then pushed down on the button. The trunk cannon fired a powerful beam of energy that engulfed the Gigandeath before covering it in ice, freezing it. The Gigandeath was now frozen from the inside out.
"Now to end it!" shouted Ifrit before the steam locomotive charged and rammed into the Gigandeath and shattered it to a million pieces, destroying it. The T-Rex and triceratops cars soon linked back up with it before vanishing into a portal. As soon as the time train left, the laws of time restored everything destroyed by the Imagin and Gigandeath as Ifrit returned to the present.
"Sugoi!" exclaimed Kotonoha as she admired her boyfriend's newest acquisition. They were all in the Sands of Time.
"Sweet ride," admired Kat.
"So, it chose you?" Kenzaki asked sceptically.
"It did," nodded Ryuji.
"Wow, it's pretty awesome looking," complimented Neko. "But what are you going to call it?"
"It's called the DynoLiner," said Ant.
"DynoLiner?" repeated Kotonoha.
"Heh, I like it," grinned Ryuji. "But how come you know its name?" asked Ryuji.
"Oh, when you've been around the Multiverse you pick up a few things," said Ant vaguely. "Anyway, the DynoLiner is said to be one of the first time trains ever built. Of course, it was so powerful that it had to be sealed away. It was purposely lost in time and space never to be seen or heard from again."
"Until now," corrected Gekiryuken.
"Exactly," nodded Ant. "It seems that the DynoLiner has chosen Ryuji as its pilot. I guess it deemed him worthy."
"Well, all I can say is now I can take Koto-chan on trips by myself," grinned Ryuji. He then grabbed Kotonoha, who gasped, and slung her over his shoulder. "Come on, Koto-chan." She giggled as she was being carried into the DynoLiner. The vehicle then ran along the tracks.
"I'm betting they are going to get it on in there," guessed Kenzaki with some level of disgust.
"Hey, they're in love," defended Warren. "At least we now have a new weapon on our side." He placed a hand on Kat's shoulder, "And a new friend and ally."
"Ryuji-kun?" Kotonoha asked, almost shyly, as she walked alongside her boyfriend. They were both in the King's Terminal after taking a ride on the DynoLiner.
"Hai, Koto-chan?" he replied.
"My parents will be going on a long business trip," she said. "So they won't be around the house for quite awhile."
"How long will that be?"
"For the rest of the year."
"That's pretty long," he gave his opinion.
"I suppose it is," she brushed a hand through her hair.
Silence…
"Koto-chan, there must be a reason why you're telling me this," he said while looking at her suspiciously.
"Yes, there is," she said while playing with her fingers. "I was hoping that…maybe…if you…"
"If I what?" he urged.
She finally decided to say it. She knew he hated people beating around the bush. So she decided to be direct and say it, "Ryuji-kun, would you like to move in and stay with me while my parents are gone?"
Ryuji nearly fell over in surprise. Was his girlfriend asking him to stay at her place? To actually live with her? He studied her expression and realised she was serious. "You're really serious."
"I am," she nodded. "I asked my parents this and they said yes. They really trust you." Ryuji smiled, relieved that he had Kotonoha's parents' trust. "And Kokoro-chan would love to have you around." Of course she would. Kokoro would love to have her 'Ryuji-niichan' all to herself.
"And what about you?" he asked.
"Huh?" she blinked.
"Do you want me to move in with you? Really?" he asked.
Kotonoha beamed, "Hai, I do."
"OK then," he grinned. "I'll move in with you. I'll be at your place later tonight, OK?"
"That would be great."
Setsuna sat down at her desk with numerous pictures of Ifrit and his allies fighting off various kinds of monsters. Most of her pics came from magazines but her friends had some shots on their cell phones which she managed to upload and print on her computer.
She had to admit that Ifrit was living up to his hype. The way he'd went after the monster she'd accidentally created was definitely something heroic. The train was little odd, but every hero had a gimmick.
Wraith, Garoh, and Ryukendo were all living up to their own hype that Sekai and Otome had been telling her about. They fought all those monsters bravely. The black and white tiger-like Rider with the axes was someone new. Otome had explained that new Riders would show up every so often. It didn't make sense to her, but she supposed monsters and heroes didn't have to make sense.
Putting the photos down, Setsuna put her mind on a different subject. In this case, it was Kotonoha and Ryuji. She just couldn't understand how someone like Kotonoha could end up in a relationship with Ryuji. He seemed so mean and abrasive, and she had heard the rumors that he'd beaten the crap out of Taisuke twice now. How Kotonoha could be with someone so violent was beyond her.
Of course…that was when you looked at the surface. Setsuna wasn't one who jumped to conclusions. She could see that Kotonoha was very happy with her relationship. She had never seen her smile so brightly even when she was with Makoto. Likewise, Ryuji seemed to actually soften up when he was with Kotonoha. The saying opposites attract certainly applied to them.
Much had changed since she'd been away and so she was determined to figure them out.
ZK Chromedragozoid: Anyway, here's the latest chap. Now Ifrit has his own personal time train dubbed the DynoLiner. I based it on those train Engines from Engine Sentai Go-Onger and made it into a new time train. Guess it was waiting for Ryuji this whole time, huh? They are gonna need it.
And some basic info:
The DynoLiner is an ancient and powerful time train that was lost in time and space and has the power to match the KingLiner. It was hidden in the School Days Universe and chose Ifrit to be its pilot. The bike that is used to control the train is known as the Machine Dyno-Breaker.
The DynoLiner Mammoth is the main engine car that is designed after a woolly mammoth with powerful looking tusks that shoot energy bolts. The trunk can also uncurl into a powerful cannon that shoots a freeze ray. It is a steam locomotive unlike Tyrano and Tricera. The Machine Dyno-Breaker is docked in this train.
The DynoLiner Tyrano is a bullet train car linked to the Mammoth. It is designed after a T-Rex with a powerful set of jaws. It can attack independently and connect to other time trains to add more power. It can breathe fire or use it jaws to attack by biting. The interior of the Tyrano resembles a dining car with fur covered seats. The walls also have ancient writing on them.
The DynoLiner Tricera is a bullet train car designed after a triceratops. Its horns can fire armor piercing lasers. It can attack independently and connect with other time trains to add more power. The interior of the Tricera contains fully furnished train cabins with comfortable beds and bathrooms. The walls also have ancient writing on them.
Character Bios:
Ryuji Hasuma/Kamen Rider Ifrit is Kotonoha's new boyfriend. He is known to be extremely temperamental and almost always in a bad mood. He gets into fights for the fun of it and is pretty violent, earning him a bad reputation at school as a delinquent. He never bullies others, however, but will lash out when wronged in anyway which leads to implications. However, he also has a softer side that is only seen by Kotonoha. He is kind to her and cares for her deeply to the point that he can actually admit that he loves her. Love is an emotion quite foreign to him due to his origins. He first befriends Kotonoha and then he rescues her from a suicide attempt. He later acts as her anchor, supporting her emotionally and protecting her from harm. He couldn't tell her how he felt at first since she still held a torch for Makoto but one fateful night at the School Festival changed things and they shared a kiss which started their official relationship as a couple. Ryuji has a habit of keeping lists of people he doesn't like and openly shows aggression and hostility to these people, especially if they did something he views as inexcusable.
Loki is Ryuji's humble Imagin partner, wearing a black robe and hood to cover his body and a cloth mask to cover his face, leaving his blue eyes exposed. He has long horns protruding from his head, suggesting he may be an Ifrit Imagin based on Ryuji's Orphenoch form. Unlike his partner/contractor, Loki is polite and never curses. He also reminds Ryuji to be nicer to others and takes care of the apartment he shares with Ryuji, wearing a special device to disguise himself with a hologram to make himself look human so he can go shopping. Loki acts like Ryuji's butler and sometimes a father figure, posing as Ryuji's guardian. When he combines with Ifrit, they can assume Loki Form.
Athena is a pride-filled Amazon Imagin who has no respect for any male and is devoted to her "Lady Kotonoha". She acts as Kotonoha's bodyguard. She merely tolerates Ryuji's presence due to her contractors love for him but at times the two don't get along less Kotonoha forces them to. Athena is an excellent fighter and extremely confident. She and Ryuji once combined to create Amazon Form but later Athena and Kotonoha use Ryuji's Rider Pass to become Kamen Rider Athena when Ryuji was possessed and controlled by the White Baboon Imagin. Like Eros she stays on the ChronoLiner until she is needed.
Eros is a pacifistic Cupid Imagin contracted to Kotonoha's sister, Kokoro. Her wish was for Ryuji to be her boyfriend but since Ryuji was already in love with Kotonoha, Eros' arrows didn't work on him…well, almost didn't work. The arrow he'd hit Ryuji with caused the entire female student body of Sakakino High to fall in love with him and give him Valentine's Day presents. Eros babysits Kokoro and loves her dearly. Despite the fact that he hates to fight, he will defend Kokoro. Like Athena he stays on the ChronoLiner but prefers to keep Kokoro company out of love and loyalty.
Neko Hasuma/Kamen Rider Ryukendo is Ryuji's sister and Kenzaki's girlfriend. She has a fun loving personality and is cheerful. She loves Kenzaki dearly but is not yet ready to engage in sexual intercourse with him. She also plays peacemaker between Kenzaki and her brother. Neko possesses an affinity to cats. Despite her cheerful attitude, she still feels great guilt over several events in her past in which she was indirectly responsible for and still regrets them till this day. This regret carries over to her relationship with Kenzaki in which she feels insecure about them being together. She practices GekiJyu Cat-Ken with Kenzaki's help. She is similar to Ryuji as they are both halves of the original but are starting to grow into their own person. Neko is the Yang half of Kat and as such is much nicer and less crazy than her.
Gekiryuken is Neko's medallion, sword and transformation device. Sealed inside of the medallion/sword is the soul of a powerful warrior who grants Neko the ability to become Ryukendo. He is wise and gives Neko advice in battle. The sword he inhabits is a Keyblade.
Warren Smith/Kamen Rider Wraith is a 21 year old who had gone undercover at the school in order to complete his college thesis. He is married to Rachel Roth & has two three 3 year old children, Tessa & Alex Smith. He is known to be very easygoing & it takes a lot to get him angry. This is due to him having lived a rage & anger filled childhood. Warren doesn't speak much about his past. Warren also has an open marriage, & is engaged in a relationship with Teresa Auten. He is currently working as a teacher in Sakakino High.
Kenzaki Tsukuba/Kamen Rider Garoh is the boyfriend of Neko Hasuma. He is known for being very quiet & keeps to himself mostly. He is also known to be quite violent when provoked. He suffered from a childhood accident that coated his skin in a strange type of metal, as well as giving him clawed hands. The only person he actually shows kindness to is his girlfriend, Neko. He doesn't talk about his past much, but it seems to involve the death of his family. Kenzaki doesn't get along all too well with Ryuji, but tolerates him for Neko's sake.