NEW LIFE CHAPTER PART 1: KAA-CHAN
Thunder crashed in the sky, showering everything in the area with a heavy coat of water. The area was a rocky mountainous place where no one really went. It was the perfect place to hide a secret, and GIN-SHOCKER had many secrets to hide. Their base had been built there and their inhumane experiments carried out for the sake of world domination. However, this base was lost to them now.
For BLACK 13 had gone rogue and escaped.
The base itself was a burning wreck. Parts of it were blown out with flames spewing from them like hell had been devouring it from the inside out. All of the guards and scientists inside were dead or long gone. Not even the Cyborg Mutant series which was made for an attack force survived the carnage. The main doors had been blown off and muddy footprints could be seen exiting the place, heading down the hidden path away from the fortress.
Making his way far from the base in which he was forced to call home, BLACK 13 was decked in his armour with blood and soot covering it. The trauma was still there, seeing the dead face of his only friend, killed by his own hands while she was disguised as a training dummy, all because Dr. Gebok wanted to see what would happen. She was just the first to die in BLACK 13's rampage against his captors/creators.
"Unnn!" the armoured figure groaned, collapsing to his knees before dropping onto his hands, letting them sink into the mud. Even his increased stamina and endurance was at their limits after all the fighting and killing he had done this day.
"Rina-chan….I'm so sorry…I didn't know you were there…I'm sorry…" BLACK 13 quietly sobbed, still in shock at his friend's blood on his hands. "…please forgive me…I'M SORRY!"
Thunder crashed as the armoured figure roared to the heavens, begging for forgiveness he felt he didn't deserve. All he wanted was his friend back, but he also knew that the dead didn't come back to the land of the living either.
"Sounds like you're in need of my services," a new voice spoke up.
BLACK 13 snarled and turned to face who had spoken to him. The person came in the form of a man dressed like he came out of Alice in Wonderland. He wore a blue overcoat with pinstriped pants with an orange shirt and a yellow bowtie. Perched on top of his head was a tall top hat. In his hand was an umbrella which he used to shield himself from the rain. Strangely, the mud didn't seem to stick to his shoes as he walked towards the armoured young man.
"Relax my boy," the man smiled. "I'm not with GIN-SHOCKER. Never liked those fools that much anyway. They wanted to play god when they didn't have the closest idea what being god entails."
"What…do you want?" snarled BLACK 13.
"The question is, what do YOU want?" asked the man. "You see, I'm a businessman. I go where people need something. The more desperate they are, the quicker I come. You, my boy, hit the top of that list. I just had to come with the desperation you were giving off."
"…desperate?' asked BLACK 13. "Yeah…I am desperate. So what is your business?"
"I grant wishes," the man smiled. "Anything my clients want. All I expect in return is something of equal value."
"…I don't have…much," BLACK 13 argued.
"My boy, you have plenty to offer," the man rebutted. "Now, shall I grant you a wish today? I have many other clients."
"…yes," BLACK 13 nodded. "I…I want to…want to live….be free of BLACK 13…be happy…live happy…be loved…have the life some of the other projects said they had before being dragged here…but most of all…to be far, FAR away from this sick place."
"Oh, that's an easy one," the man smiled. "I know exactly the place to send you as well. However, there will be a price."
"I'll do anything. Name your price," BLACK 13 growled.
Topper grinned. This was starting out quite well. "And also for your wish to be granted, I would need to seal your memories away," the man continued, "Every memory you've made from the time of your birth up to now."
"Heh," BLACK 13 nodded. "I don't need them. They'd do more harm than good anyway."
"Ah, I do so love a cooperative customer," the man grinned. "Well then, don't move. Otherwise this will hurt."
And BLACK 13 was no more after that…
January 16th 1985
When Shinichi decided to open the door that evening, the last person he expected to see what this woman before him. She was well in her late 30's to her early 40's, with indigo hair and eyes; not unlike his own. Her hair was long, reaching the small of her back and it was braided too. She did have two strands of hair that stuck out at the top of her head like his. Her eyes held a calm sense of serenity within them. She wore a purple blazer over a black turtleneck and a long purple skirt that reached to her knees. Since it was chilly, she wore a red scarf. Despite being just past her prime, she was still a very pretty lady. Nothing but pure win on her. If Shinichi hadn't been with Rena he might have tried sneaking a photo of the woman to ogle.
"Excuse me for being rude, but who are you and what do you want, ma'am?" Shinichi asked. The woman gasped and her eyes began to water, further perplexing Shinichi. "Are you alright?"
"Shinji…" she uttered, eyes locked on him like a hawk. Suddenly, she broke into a loud sob and lunged at Shinichi. Completely surprised, the young man was swept up into a glomp of epic proportions. She practically crushed his ribs with her sobbing affection. Shinichi was pretty sure that his life was starting to flash before his eyes.
"Wha-urk-excuse me?" Shinichi managed to choke out.
"Shinji, it's me!" she said. "I'm your mother!"
Shinichi's eyes went wide. 'NANI!'
"Shin-kun, who is it?" Rena called.
The woman, who introduced herself as Shiori Banabara, was invited into the Ryuugus' home. Shinichi's couldn't take his eyes off her. His mother? Was this true? Was it a joke? He wasn't sure what to think.
"So, you're Shinichi's mother," Rena's father said. They were all seated at the living room table, with cups of tea. Shinichi had downed his entire cup to settle his nerves.
"Shinichi?" Shiori blinked in confusion. "Oh, you mean Shinji!" She realised. She then asked, "But why are you calling him Shinichi?"
"It's because that's what he calls himself," Mr. Ryuugu answered. He then explained to Shiori of how they found Shinichi in June last year. He had amnesia and couldn't remember his past.
"Amnesia?" Shiori gasped. "Oh my!" She then wrapped her arms around her son. "My poor baby!" Shinichi seemed to freeze in her grasp. Shiori noticed this. "What's wrong?" Shinichi pried himself from her grip. "Shinji?"
"Forgive me, Banabara-san," said Shinichi. "It's just…I don't know if I believe you." He really couldn't believe her, for some reason. The only past he managed to recall was his awful experiences in GIN-SHOCKER and the things Dr. Gebok did to him. Well, a few of them, actually. He still didn't have 100 percent of his memories yet.
"I have doubts too," said Mr. Ryuugu. "We went to the police after we found him, hoping to find anyone who may know him but they came up with nothing. When exactly did you lose him?"
Shiori frowned sadly. "It was over a decade ago. I was supposed to pick him up from kindergarten but when I got to his school…" she choked on a sob. "He was gone!"
Rena and Shinichi looked upon the sobbing woman with sympathy.
"My late husband and I made a police report but Shinji was never found…until now." Her eyes sparkled with mirth as she looked at Shinichi. "You haven't changed." She dug a photograph out of her purse and put it on the table. "Here's a picture of Shinji when he was just a little boy." It showed a young boy, with indigo hair and eyes, the two strands of hair sticking out like antennae, wearing blue overalls over a red shirt and sucking his thumb as he held his mother's hand. The picture had been taken in 1974.
"Kawaii!" Rena gushed. Shinichi slapped his face. Rena always got like this when she saw anything/anyone cute.
Mr. Ryuugu scrutinised the picture and then looked at Shinichi. "There's a resemblance. But 11 years?" He looked to Shinichi in suspicion. What could've happened to Shinichi in those 11 years?
"How did you find me?" asked Shinichi.
"I came to Okinomiya on business. You see, I'm a writer, and my agent thought I could try and promote my book there. That was when I saw the poster on a notice board," Shiori explained. The police had put up posters of Shinichi, hoping to find clues of his identity, but up until now came up with nothing. "As soon as I saw it, I knew it was my little Shinji! A mother just knows. So, I went to the police, asked for an address, and came straight here."
Rena and Mr. Ryuugu looked at the woman. Could she really be Shinichi's mom? Maybe she was lying. She didn't look like she was lying. Her emotions seemed genuine. She looked like a woman who had just found her son after ten long agonizing years. Losing her son had devastated her, and 5 years later she lost her husband in a horrible traffic accident. She just continued to live, hoping that her son was at least alive, and now here he was, alive and well, and looking grown up as well.
Smiling fondly at Shinichi/Shinji, she reached over and ran her hand through his hair. Shinichi stiffened but then slowly began to relax due to her gentle touch.
'Why does this feel so familiar?' the boy wondered. Shiori gasped when she saw his scar, the dreaded XIII brand that marked him as BLACK 13.
"Who did this to you!" she asked frantically. Someone had hurt her baby, branding him with a horrible looking scar.
"I…I don't know," Shinichi lied. What was he supposed to tell her? He couldn't tell her that he was held in a facility ran by an evil organization, could he? "I…don't remember much after I woke up in Hinamizawa." That wasn't a complete lie. He didn't remember anything before his time in GIN-SHOCKER.
"Oh…" Shiori looked upon her son sadly. He'd lost 10 years of his life. "My poor baby…"
"Are you…really my…Kaa-chan?" Shinichi asked carefully, not realizing he'd called her 'Kaa-chan'. Shiori gasped. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Kaa-chan…"
"No, Shinji. It's just that you always used to call me that," she answered.
"Well, I'm not really sure about all this," said Mr. Ryuugu. "I mean if you really are his mother and all." Shinichi, despite his perverted ways, was part of the family. "You mentioned you were a writer. What sort of books do you write?"
Without hesitation she answered, even somewhat proudly, "Adult Literature." Three pairs of eyes widened. Shiori giggled. "I get that reaction a lot. I've just written my new novel, actually." She took said book out from her purse. The cover depicted a man and a woman, in a loving embrace, and they were naked in bed together. The title was 'EROTIC TALES FOR NEWLYWEDS'.
Rena blushed as she saw the cover, Mr. Ryuugu's eyebrow twitched, but Shinichi picked up the book and said, "COOL!"
Mother and son…were perverts!
'Well, he must've gotten it from somewhere,' thought Mr. Ryuugu.
"EH!" the Gaming Club gasped as they met together for their daily meetings. "SHINICHI'S MOM!"
"Yes!" Rena nodded. "Shin-kun's mama came yesterday and she was so happy to see him again. She said he was missing for ten years!"
"Oh Shin-chan, isn't this wonderful?" Shion smiled at her friend. "It seems that you found a bit of your past before that…Gebok person got his claws into you."
"Well, I'm not so sure!" Mion frowned. "If she really is Shinichi's mom then where the heck was she? Where was she when Dr. Gebok was doing horrible things to him? Why'd she pick now of all times to find him?"
"She explained that," Shinichi answered. "She says that she's a writer and her manager got her to go to Okinomiya for a book signing or something. She saw my poster there asking for any information about me. So she went to the police station and found out where I was."
"Au, this is so good!" Hanyuu giggled. "Shinichi has his mama back!"
"So, who is she anyway? What kind of books does she write?" asked Satoshi.
"Umm…" Rena blushed, remembering the graphic photo on the front cover. Shiori had slipped her the copy when her father wasn't looking. It was a very good book and…graphic.
"She writes adult books. Isn't that cool?" Shinichi grinned, watching the faces of his friends go blank. "Her name's Shiori Banabara and she supposedly…"
"Wait, THE Shiori Banabara?" Keiichi gaped. "Are you sure that's what she said her name was?"
"Yeah," Shinichi nodded before digging into his pocket and producing a photo of the woman in question. She was posing with a V sign and had somehow left a kiss mark on the photo when Shinichi hadn't been looking. "See. This is her."
"OH MY GOD!" Keiichi cried, turning pale. He turned to his friend and gripped his shoulders. "Shinichi! You have to introduce her to us!"
"You know her work?" asked Rika.
"Do I?" Keiichi cried. "Shiori Banabara is like…the queen of adult literature! It also helps that she's a total babe! I've been reading her books since I found a copy of one of them in my parents' room! I'm hooked!"
"That's my Kaa-chan you're talking about, remember?" Shinichi frowned.
"Keiiiiichiiiiiiii!" Mion growled at her boyfriend. "You read this kind of ecchi stuff?"
"It's not ecchi! It's romantic!" Keiichi cried out, although no one seemed to believe him. "Each of her books delves into emotional and physical aspects of love and romance! It appeals to both men and women in all aspects! Although I skip the BDSM and Yaoi stuff personally."
"My boyfriend is a closet perv," Mion grumbled, looking like a cloud of gloom overtook her.
"No one is perfect, Onee," Shion giggled slightly.
"You wouldn't say that if Satoshi-kun read those books," Mion frowned.
"Actually, I'd like it. I'm something of a fan too," Shion admitted with a faint blush.
"EH?"
"It's a guilty pleasure I'm afraid," Shion giggled with an embarrassed flush. "But Kei-chan is right. The stories are actually very romantic if not a little…physical. But they are well written and very emotional."
Despite the stares she was receiving, Shion seemed unashamed in enjoying a good book apparently. Of course, Shinichi seemed to be holding a proud smirk. Even if this woman was or wasn't his mother, he had a feeling that they'd be getting along very well.
"That explains where Shinichi learned it from," Rika commented before giggling. "Nipah."
"There's just ONE problem," said Shinichi. He summoned his belt. "Sooner or later she's going to see this. How am I supposed to explain it to her?"
"Just keep it a secret," Satoko asked offhandedly.
"I can't lie to my Kaa-chan!" exclaimed Shinichi.
"You didn't exactly tell her about Gebok," Keiichi pointed out.
"Would you tell your own mother some madman turned you into a weapon?" Shinichi asked pointedly.
"He has a point," agreed Satoshi.
"So, where is she now?" asked Shion.
"She's staying at my house," said Rena. "Last night she wanted to get to know us all, Shin-kun especially."
"I showed her my photo collection," Shinichi added.
"Which one?" Mion asked suspiciously. "The pervy one or the normal one?"
"The normal one, of course!" Shinichi shot back, as if it was obvious, "However, she did ask me if I had any pervy ones, though." Shinichi blushed.
"Ooh, there's something more, isn't there?" Satoko asked with a grin.
"Well, she kept teasing me about Rena-chan," Shinichi admitted. 'Not to mention she gave me some 'protection',' he added mentally.
There was a knock at the door and the door to the classroom slid open. "Shinji, are you in here?" She smiled as she saw her son and his friends. "Oh, you're here. I was getting worried when you didn't come back yet."
"Kaa-chan, I told you we had a club meeting," said Shinichi. Shiori clapped her hands together, smiling.
"Oh, that's good. Now I can finally meet your friends that you told me about," Shiori smiled. She identified them all, "And I know all your names. Shinji told me."
"Shinji?" Mion whispered to Shinichi.
"It's my real name," said Shinichi.
"Let's see. Ah, the twins with green hair are Mion-chan and Shion-chan. The blond boy is Satoshi-kun and the little blonde girl is Satoko-chan. Then we have cute little Rika-chan and Hanyuu-chan. Oh, and Keiichi-kun as well." Her eyes fell on Rena, "Oh, and I can't forget my Shinji's kawaii little girlfriend, Rena-chan!" Shiori identified. She then pulled up a chair and sat with them. "So, what exactly do you do in this club?"
"We play games," Shinichi answered.
"Ooh! What kind of games?" Shiori beamed in delight, but Mion noticed a slightly perverted gleam in her eyes she had witnessed in Shinichi before.
"She's thinking something pervy," Mion frowned.
"Well, one of her books did involve a Gaming Club like ours," Shion commented, making her sister flinch. "She's probably being reminded about that plot."
"Great, even my sister is being pervy," Mion sighed. "It must be contagious."
Over with the boys, Keiichi and Satoshi were watching Shiori chat away happily with their younger members along with Shinichi and Rena. The brown-haired boy was gazing dreamily at the older woman who had written just about every male fantasy conceivable and no doubt starred in a few to the more hormonal fans she collected. Seeing her now, Keiichi could understand why.
"Oh man. She's even hotter in person," Keiichi grinned stupidly.
"I have Shion-chan, that's Shinichi's mom, I have Shion-chan, that's Shinichi's mom," Satoshi reminded himself lest he do something stupid.
Shiori smiled at the two boys then leaned in close to them. Mion and Shion looked distressed as she began speaking.
"How would you boys like to learn how to really pleasure a woman until she screams your name?" Shiori said sultrily. "I'll personally teach you."
The instant she suggested that, the two boys fell backwards with blood shooting out of their nose.
Shinichi, not the least bit embarrassed, snickered, "Isn't she great?"
Mion and Shion could only stare at their unconscious boyfriends who had bleeding noses and huge smiles do to hormonal overload. Satoko looked confused at how her brother and brother-figure had reacted. The two older girls wanted to be mad that this woman was apparently flirting with their boyfriends, they really did. But, there was just something about her you couldn't stay mad at. Obviously she was just teasing them, but it kind of made them feel inadequate that she managed to give them nosebleeds without doing anything sexy beyond her tone of voice. This woman was a pro!
Shinichi checked his watch and frowned, "Sorry, guys. I gotta go. Dr. Irie needs me at his clinic."
"Oh, would you mind bringing me along to meet him?" asked Shiori. "He sounds like a nice man."
"Sure, Kaa-chan. I'll take you there," Shinichi smiled. "I have a bike. The dirt path should be cleared of snow so we can just ride there."
The mother and son pair rose up and bowed to the group before heading out of the room.
The ride to the Irie Clinic wasn't long. Fortunately, the dirt paths had been cleared of snow. Of course, Shinichi had special traction tires installed on his Showa-Racer.
"Hey, Doc! I'm here!" Shinichi called as he entered.
"Oh, Sanban-kun," smiled the doctor. He then noticed the woman with him. "And who is this lovely lady?"
"My Kaa-chan," Shinichi answered.
"MOTHER!" Dr. Irie exclaimed in shock. He had started to learn to expect things from Shinichi, but nothing like this.
"So, you're Dr. Irie," said Shiori. "Thank you for giving my son this job."
"Kaa-chan, I just clean up around here," Shinichi told her.
"I know, but Shinji, you're a really hard worker," said Shiori proudly.
Shinichi blushed at the praise his mother was giving him. It was odd, yet nice, since they had only seen each other yesterday and were already acting close, like a mother and son should.
Later that night, the newly reunited mother and son took a walk around the village. It was calm and peaceful, quite unlike the hustle and bustle of the noisy city of Tokyo.
"Hinamizawa is nice," Shiori admitted.
"There's no place like it," added Shinichi. His mother sighed. "Kaa-chan, what's wrong?"
Shiori turned to look at him, wearing an extremely serious expression which was totally opposite to her playful one. "Shinji, when I learnt where you were, I was actually thinking of taking you back with me…to Tokyo."
Shinichi stiffened. "What?"
"Tokyo has better schools, and we have a very nice house there as well. I've actually kept your room the way it was. You can come live with me again. I plan to enroll you in a local high school there as well. A bigger school means a lot more pretty girls you can take pictures of and maybe even get lucky with," Shiori explained before pausing with a sigh.
She continued, "But, that was before I actually found you face-to-face. I realised that you love this place. This is your home, isn't it? This is where your friends are and where your love is. What kind of mother would I be if I took my son away from his home?"
"But…Kaa-chan…" Shinichi really wanted his family back. Now he had his mother back. "You could stay in Hinamizawa."
"I could try, but I'm a city girl by nature," she replied. "I don't know if I can fit in."
"If I could, you certainly can. My friends can help you get settled as well," Shinichi argued.
"I really missed you, Shinji," said Shiori as tears began to form in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm just getting really emotional right now…"
"Kaa-chan…" Shinichi frowned. He was as conflicted as she was. She was his mother, but Hinamizawa was his home. It was in Hinamizawa where he met his friends and had created strong bonds with them all.
"I'm so sorry that I lost you," Shiori said as she hugged him. Tentatively, Shinichi returned the embrace. They stayed like that for a little while.
"Kaa-chan, what was Tou-chan like?" asked Shinichi out of the blue.
"Your father?" Shiori recalled his memory. She smiled as she looked at her son. "He was the sweetest, kindest, and bravest man I ever knew. He had this special charm, like you." Mentally, she added, 'And he was really well hung and knew how to use it…' Her smile turned into a perverted grin.
"Kaa-chan, are you thinking something pervy?" asked Shinichi.
"Oh…maybe…" she teased. Her eyes fell upon the white Magatama he wore. "I wondered about that thing. What is it?"
"It's a long story…" Shinichi said, blushing as he recalled the incident.
"Oh, I've got time."
"OK. Well it all started when Rena-chan and I were having a picnic…"
"And we've worn them ever since," Shinichi finished. He saw the look in her eyes. "Kaa-chan?"
"That's brilliant! Simply brilliant! That could be my next story!" She hugged her son. "Oh, thank you, Shinji! You're my new muse!"
Shinichi sweatdropped but then shrugged and returned the hug.
Later that night, Shinichi went to talk to Rika and Hanyuu. As the wisest members of their group due to their experience of the previous time loops, they were his most trusted confidants. Whenever Shinichi needed to talk about something he could not share with the others, he came to the two girls. They were also the first to discover his secret of Kamen Rider Showa.
He met them at the shrine and sat on the steps with them. "My Kaa-chan wants me to go stay with her," said Shinichi.
"That's great!" said Hanyuu happily but then realised what that meant. Rika voiced her thoughts.
"That means you have to leave," Rika stated. Shinichi nodded.
"On one hand I do want to live with her, but on the other hand I don't want to leave Hinamizawa. I mean I have to protect everyone," said Shinichi.
"Have you given your answer?" Rika asked.
"No, but Kaa-chan's given me time to think about it," said Shinichi.
Despite her misgivings and insecurities, Shiori actually fit in well in the small rural village. Within a week, she had proven to be a welcome resident. Of course, the single male population sure enjoyed her presence. The fact that she loved to flirt and she was more than a little uninhibited/shameless sure helped. The female population was a little indignant with her appearance at first, but when she started giving out tips on how to keep the men on a short leash best, she became a new friend for all. Even Chie-sensei (who was secretly a fan of Shiori's work) enjoyed the talks she had with the woman.
Of course, not everyone was pleased. Many people felt her books were filthy and deserved to be burned and weren't shy in making that opinion. However, Shiori took the insults in stride, having long since got used to them. Other people who were more traditional, like Mion and Shion's grandmother for example, felt that her attitude and way of life was sheer scandalous and had to be removed from the village. Again, Shiori didn't pay her any mind, which just served to upset the old woman.
As previously stated, Shiori liked to flirt with the single men in the village. Often her targets were Dr. Irie and Mr. Ryuugu. No one seemed to mind how she acted around Dr. Irie, but Rena was a little unsure about how she acted around her father. On one hand, Shiori was very nice and didn't have any of the motivations such as greed or the like which prompted other women to try and claim her father. She was a friendly lady who stood on the same level as him. On the other hand, if she and her father started seeing each other, what would that mean for her relationship with Shinichi?
Shiori spent most of her time with her son. Obviously, she was making up for lost time. It'd been a decade since she last saw her son and she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him and spoil him rotten. Shinichi let her. It was the least she could do. No doubt she had suffered after she'd lost him and was just feeling lonely, being without both her son and husband and all.
Her husband and his father had been named Shotaro Banabara and he'd worked at a publishing firm. The first time Shiori and he had met was when Shiori had tried to get a book of hers published. They immediately hit it off and started dating. A year after dating they married and then 2 years after that they had Shinichi. Shinichi regretted not being able to remember the man but Shiori promised that they would visit his grave together.
To confirm that Shiori was indeed Shinichi's mother, they had a blood test done at Dr. Irie's clinic. The results were, however, inconclusive. Shinichi knew why, of course. Gebok had altered his DNA during those ten years in GIN-SHOCKER. He was not the same boy Shiori had raised but she didn't care what the blood tests said. Shinichi was her son. She could feel it and Shinichi himself, even if he couldn't explain it, believed Shiori to be his mother.
"Thank you for letting me make dinner tonight, Rena-chan," said Shiori. "It's just that it's been so long since I've cooked for anyone but myself."
"It's no problem, Shiori-san," Rena said. Rena and Shiori had grown quite close since their first meeting. Of course, it was probably because Shiori had shown her an album filled with Shinichi's baby pictures. Shinichi had both been amused and embarrassed by the attention the two women were giving his old pictures. "It looks nice."
"Well, my late husband loved eating my special hamburger steak," Shiori nodded. Shiori had made four. They were a good size and covered in a dark pepper sauce. On the side were slices of carrots and celery and there were also fried potato wedges to go with the steak. To top it all off was a fried egg shaped like a heart on each steak.
The four sat at the dining table. It was times like this that Shinichi couldn't help but feel like he was part of a real family. He did look up to Mr. Ryuugu as a father figure, despite the man becoming murderous whenever Shinichi did anything slightly perverted with Rena. The man had taken him in and given him a home. At first Shinichi had thought of Rena as a sister but his affection for her had actually changed into something romantic. His mother would tease them mercilessly about it. She had also started work on a new story. It was based on Shinichi and Rena's experience with the cursed Magatama they wore.
"Shiori, this is amazing," said Mr. Ryuugu.
"Oh, thank you," Shiori smiled. "Shinji, how do you like your steak?"
That was another thing. She would always call him Shinji, even if Shinichi still kept the name he'd given himself since Rena and her father had found him last year in June.
"Delicious, Kaa-chan," Shinichi smiled.
"Actually, there's something I wish to talk to you all about. I'm grateful for your hospitality but I need to return to Tokyo soon," Shiori told them. "And I'm taking Shinji with me."
Rena gasped and dropped her knife and fork.
"No!" the girl protested. "Shin-kun, you're not going, right?"
"Actually..." Shinichi looked down at his plate.
"Shin-kun can't leave Rena! Don't leave Rena!" Rena shouted hysterically.
"Rena, calm down!" her father attempted to calm her down. Rena glared at Shiori.
"You're trying to steal Shin-kun away from me!" she pointed with an accusing finger.
Then Shinichi acted, before Rena got violent, and hugged her. "Rena-chan, calm down..."
Rena returned the embrace, tears flowing from her eyes. "Shin-kun..."
The adults stood up and left their children to themselves. Shinichi needed to talk to Rena about this.
Rena didn't want Shinichi to leave her, simply because she was afraid to be abandoned by someone she loved. Her mother had done so before and now Shinichi was doing the same.
"Rena-chan, I do want to live with my mother," said Shinichi, "And it pains me to leave you, but..."
"Please...don't go..." she begged.
"She's my Kaa-chan, and she's missed me for ten years. Can you imagine what it's like for her? She's finally found me after all this time and now there's proof that I do belong in this world," Shinichi said as he rubbed her back soothingly.
"But...Rena wants Shin-kun to stay...This is your home..." Rena said, sobbing against him. "And I love you."
"I love you too, which is why this is so painful," he said sadly.
"You will still go, won't you?" Rena asked.
"Yes," he answered. "Tomorrow I'm going to tell everyone, but I promise to come back."
At school, the next day, Shinichi broke the news to his friends.
"YOU'RE LEAVING!" all of them shouted. Shinichi was nearly blown away.
"Kaa-chan wants me to come live with her in Tokyo, and I said yes," Shinichi answered. "I'm sorry I just told you all."
"This isn't fair, Shin-chan!" frowned Mion. "You can't just leave us! Who'll protect Hinamizawa?"
"The Darklings and Darkloids haven't shown up for months," countered Shinichi. "And I can't leave Kaa-chan alone either," Shinichi rebutted. "Ever since my Tou-chan died she's really been alone. She may not show it, but my Kaa-chan needs me...and I need her." His eyes fell on Rena who was staring sad and silently at her.
"There's no helping it, is there?" asked Keiichi.
"Unfortunately, no," Shinichi said as he shook his head. "That's why I want to take one last picture of us all together."
"Well, let's get on with it," huffed Mion in annoyance.
"Onee, you'll miss him too, won't you?" asked Shion.
Mion didn't answer.
Shinichi set the camera down on a desk and set the timer before he joined his friends. They posed one last time, together as the Hinamizawa Gaming Club. The following day, Shinichi would be gone.
Shinichi, on his bike with his mother, waved sadly to his friends. His gaze lingered upon Rena the longest before he gunned the engine, leaving Hinamizawa.
That night Rena cried herself to sleep.
3 Days Later...
The gang met up again for one of their club meetings, but it just wasn't the same without Shinichi. It was like a void had been left in their hearts since his departure. It was the worst for Rena. She had taken two days off from school and had only come back today. Everyone didn't feel like playing anything at all.
Of course that was until the door slid open and a familiar face entered.
"Hey, what's with all the long faces?"
All heads snapped towards the door to see Shinichi, leaning against the wall. He gave a wink and grin to them.
The reaction was instantaneous.
"SHINICHI!"
Rena was the fastest.
"SHIN-KUN!"
She glomped him and held him hard, nearly crushing the life out of him. "Rena-chan, easy there!"
"Rena does not want to let Shin-kun go!" she wailed, tightening her grip on him, smiling wide with tears of joy. "Rena wants to take Shin-kun home! Omochikaeri!"
Seeing as Rena would not be letting him go anytime soon, he sighed. He looked to the others and saw that they were expecting an answer from him.
He explained, "Kaa-chan and I moved out of her place in Tokyo and moved to an apartment in Okinomiya. It's the same building Shion lives in too." He gave Shion a grin.
"Great...I have a pervert as a neighbour..." the girl rolled her eyes, yet was amused.
"That means we get to see you!" Mion said happily. Shinichi winked.
"Of course," Shinichi nodded. "And with my bike I can come to school here. Oh, and my mom's here too."
Shiori poked her head inside. "Hello...!" She entered fully and her gaze fell on Rena. The girl glared at the woman. Shiori knew Rena would still be upset with her for awhile for 'stealing' Shinichi/Shinji. "I know you're all upset with me, but hear me out. Shinji and I actually planned all this. We wanted to surprise you all, really."
"I still wished Shin-kun still lived with Rena," pouted Rena cutely.
"And as much material that would give me for my next book, I don't think your father would approve if you both ended up sleeping together," Shiori teased, causing the hugging couple to blush.
"Kaa-chan...!"
"Shiori-san...!"
"Oh, you're both too easy!" laughed Shiori. "Anyway, I wish to invite all of Shinji's friends to our new home for a housewarming party."
"We'll be there!" Mion decided for everybody.
Rena and Shion made sure to help Shiori provide the food and beverages for the party. Only Shinichi's closest friends were invited, which meant that the only people he invited were members of the Gaming Club. Shiori admitted they were a lively bunch. As the adult in charge, she was meant to supervise them.
"Kampai!" Mion cheered as everyone held their glasses of soda high. "To Shinichi Sanban, now Shinji Banabara, and his mom for a great party in their new place!"
"You guys…" snickered Shinichi in embarrassment. "You can still call me Shinichi. I don't mind."
"Well, we're still a bit upset about you going away like that," frowned Mion. "We really missed you."
"It was only three days," Shinichi argued.
"Yeah, but three days without you doing anything pervy was getting boring."
Keiichi laughed. "Mion just really missed you, and she wasn't the only one, man. We all missed you."
Shinichi was touched by how much they missed him. "Thanks, guys." He stood up. "I'm gonna head up to the balcony."
Rika watched him go and Hanyuu spoke to her friend in a hushed tone, "Things seem to be changing for him very quickly."
Rika nodded in agreement and replied, "A year ago he was just an amnesiac with a forgotten and bloody past, but now he has most of his memories back and has his mother back. He always believed he didn't belong in this world…" Her eyes went to Shiori who was coming into the living room with the food along with Rena, "But this is proof that he really is of our world, but Gebok took him away from it."
"I'm just happy for him," Hanyuu smiled.
"I am as well," agreed Rika as she looked to Shinichi who stood at the balcony with his back turned to them. 'But how long will this last?' Rika had doubts about Shiori just as much as everybody. She was just a stranger claiming that Shinichi/Shinji was her son. At first she didn't think it was possible, but the details made sense. Shinichi and Shiori were so similar that they had to be related in some way.
Satoko suggested, "Let's all light these fireworks on the roof!" She had brought fireworks to the party. "It should end with a bang!"
Satoshi patted his sister on the head and agreed, "Yeah, sounds like a good idea." Shion nodded in agreement.
"Just be careful with all those, Satoko," warned Shion.
"I will, Nee-nee!" Satoko chirped.
Shinichi was looking at the night sky. He murmured, "Gebok, you took me away from my Kaa-chan, but now she's found me. You claim to have created me, that I was your 'son' and that you were my 'father', but I know it's all a lie. Kaa-chan is my Kaa-chan and I will stay and protect her with my power."
"Shin-kun?" Shinichi turned to see Rena staring at him. "Why are you out here? It's cold. Come inside and join the party, OK? OK?"
Shinichi smiled. 'Time to forget the past…and embrace the future…' "Rena-chan…I'm sorry."
"Huh?" She blinked.
"I left and made you cry," he said apologetically.
She approached him, "But Shin-kun came back." She looped her arms around his neck. "I'm glad." Her red Magatama and his white Magatama were now hanging close together from their necks. These Magatama connected the two, and always will.
"OK, I'm coming in. I just hope nobody finishes the food, though." He went inside, taking Rena's hand as they joined the others.
And Shiori was getting perverted again. "Let's all play Strip Poker!" Keiichi and Satoshi gained nosebleeds just by hearing that.
"Kaa-chan!" Shinichi cried. "Not with little kids around!"
"Fireworks! Fireworks!" Satoko cheered, apparently missing Shiori's earlier announcement. "Come on everybody!"
"We're coming Satoko-chan!" Shiori giggled as she gave tissues to the boys. "We'll be up in a few minutes."
Oryo Sonozaki, grandmother to Mion and Shion, as well as current head of the Sonozaki Clan, sighed at the news. "So, the perverted boy and her mother are still going to live close by." Even if the mother and son pair would only be living in Okinomiya and not Hinamizawa, the two would definitely be appearing frequently, simply because Shinichi had friends in the village, most notably her own granddaughters, who were still his friends despite his apparent perversion which Oryo considered an insult to her family. Still, the boy and his mother were harmless. Oryo was just disgusted by Shiori's career choice and lack of shame.
Akane, her disinherited daughter, said, "They aren't bad people, Mother."
"Hmph!" Oryo snorted. "It's people like them that cause the morality in the village to decline. Those books of hers are indecent."
"True, but they are also very interesting," Akane smiled. She too was a fan of Shiori's work.
"As long as they don't annoy me to death, I'll leave them be. To think Mion and Shion are still friends with that perverted little imp," Oryo scoffed.
"Sanban…I mean Banabara-san, questionable tastes aside, is a very nice young man," Akane spoke up. "Not many of the young men in the village work as hard as he does."
"Which makes me wonder how he can have such tastes," Oryo snorted. "Proper young men should be able to work like he does but not be so…deviant."
"Probably gets it from his mother," Akane laughed.
KAMEN RIDER CHROME: Well, that's a good ending. Oh, and wondered how Shiori got the chance to find Shinichi? Here's the answer:
(Takes place several months earlier…)
Eiji Hiyama never considered the world to be filled with strange things, but he believed in them during the course of his life. After all, little kids believed in monsters and such of nightmares. As an adult, he never saw those things as real and thus never considered their existence to be valid.
Boy was he wrong.
He had gone to Okinomiya to scout out a possible signing place for one of his client's books. She was a famous adult literature writer and he wanted t see if her books were popular enough to warrant a signing in this town. If she was, then he'd get her to come down and do some signing and promote her newest piece of work at the same time.
However, that plan didn't go so well…
"HOOORAAAAAHHH!"
The town was in chaos as a monster suddenly burst from the ground, looking like a drilling machine come to life. It was covered in black steel with large drill bits coming from its fingers and shoulders. One spun on the top of its metal head as yellow teeth sprouted almost haphazardly from its mouth. The beast roared as it climbed out of its hole and seemed to stare at Eiji with its eyeless gaze.
"Wagh!" the man cried as he backed away from the approaching monster.
"Henshin! Let's Ride: Showa!"
Eiji turned to the source of the voice and for the barest of moments, he saw a young man with a belt on that was glowing. He saw the boy's features and thought he was staring at a clone or something. This boy looked like a male and younger version of one of his clients!
The instant the light faded the young man was bedecked in a suit of black and white armor with green eyes and antennae like a bug.
"Hyah!" the armored young man leapt high into the air did a flip before launching himself at the Drill Darkloid. With a glowing fist, he hurled it at the monster's head.
"RIDER PUNCH!"
POW!
The punch smashed against the side of the Drill Darkloid's head and the creature roared out. It glared at Showa. Raising one of its hands, it slammed it down on the Kamen Rider who somersaulted backwards. Roaring, the Drill Darkloid tunneled its way back underground, leaving a gaping hole.
Suddenly, it burst out from under Showa, sending the Kamen Rider flying into the air. It then opened its mouth wide to catch and devour him.
Eiji watched as this happened in disbelief but then he became shocked when the armored man did something.
"Let's Ride: Skyrider!" His belt flashed and changed his armor into red and green with black gloves and boots with red eyes. He didn't fall into the Drill Darkloid's mouth. He was actually flying.
Landing back on the ground, he called out, "Let's Ride: BLACK RX!" His armor changed into that of Kamen Rider BLACK RX. "Revolcane!" He summoned his sword and swung it in the air before charging at the Darkloid. It thrust its drill at Showa who dodged to the side and with a swing…
SLICE!
The energized blade of the Revolcane cut right through the drill, severing it from the Darkloid's face.
"RX KICK!" Showa called as he jumped and launched himself at the Darkloid, hitting it in the middle of the face with a powered drop kick.
"RX PUNCH!" Showa hurled a fist into the spot he'd kicked, sending the Darkloid skidding backwards.
And finally he brought his Revolcane up and swung down, cutting the Darkloid completely in half. With a roar the Darkloid exploded as its dark energy was dispersed.
Showa hefted the Revolcane and said, "Game Over," before his armor shifted back to normal. Eiji could only watch as the Kamen Rider mounted his bike and drove away.
Ever since that time, Eiji couldn't escape the thought that the Kamen Rider was real. He had heard the rumors of course, but he never expected to see the real thing himself. However, the fact that no one seemed to know or even tried to find out more was unbelievable. A goldmine to the media was right in front of their eyes and no one was trying to profit from it. Well, he wouldn't be like those saps.
The problem was how to unmask a Masked Rider? He had seen the young man's face, but didn't have a name to go with it. All he had was a resemblance to one of his clients. Nice lady to be sure, but she didn't have any kids as far as he knew. The last one vanished…ten…years…HOLY CRAP!
"I don't believe it," Eiji grinned. "This is perfect!"
Digging through some papers he'd collected during his time in the town (a bit of everything in case he got inspiration to write his own novel) he found a poster with a picture of a young man. Now that he saw the face, he realized that it was the same kid who transformed back when the monster was attacking. He was grinning like an idiot and underneath the picture on the poster was a caption asking 'DO YOU KNOW ME?' with details of whom to contact.
"Banabara-san is going to be pleased with this," Eiji grinned. "And maybe she will reward me." He grinned, "Oh, my dear Shiori-chan. You are going to be a very lucky woman." He just had to arrange that book signing in Okinomiya and get her to see the same poster on the notice board and soon mother and son would be reunited.
KAMEN RIDER CHROME: I'd like to thank Ten-Faced Paladin for the idea and also detailing and stuff.