It was another beautiful day at Restaurant Agito, the lunch rush had just finished, and it was now starting to slow down.
"Tsugami-san! We need another special at table four!" one of the waitresses announced.
The owner, chef, and manager of Restaurant Agito was an older man who had light brown hair and wore an apron and hairnet. His name was Shoichi Tsugami, but there was more to him than one would think at first glance.
"Got it!" Shoichi replied as he quickly went to work in the kitchen.
It had taken time, but after some events in his life happened, Shoichi was finally able to fulfill his dream of opening a restaurant and sharing his love of cooking with others. There was nothing he loved more than seeing the happy faces of his customers as they sat down and enjoyed the warm meals he prepared for them. It was hard to believe that he was fighting to defend all humanity from getting destroyed by a god as the hero, Kamen Rider Agito.
Well, his time as a Kamen Rider didn't end there, from time to time he was called upon by the other Riders that came after his battles were done and over. And honestly, Shoichi thought the craziest thing he fought was an evil god, but since then, he's helped other Riders defeat beings that were capable of wiping out time and space, and even all of reality. And now they have two Riders who are basically god-like. Sougo and Tsukasa, Kamen Riders Zi-O and Decade.
It was a little jarring to find out that there was a Rider out there that would continuously become stronger and stronger with every Kamen Rider that popped into existence, the King of all Riders who reigns over past, present, and future. It was even more unsettling learning that at one-point Sougo had become an evil overlord, who wielded the combined powers of the Riders to rule over everything in his timeline. However, it was reassuring to find out that this Sougo had no intention of ever becoming that kind of king, but one who would watch over and protect the multiverse of the Riders, with Tsukasa acting as a shadow steward of the Rider universes, using his destroyer powers to bring an end to worlds that were deemed to destructive and hazardous to the rest of the multiverse. While also serving as a shadow mentor to other young Riders.
Although, his methods can be…interesting, thought Shoichi.
A couple of hours passed and foot traffic into the restaurant had slowed down to a crawl. It wasn't easy being popular, some of his employees and patrons had asked Shoichi why he didn't expand Restaurant Agito? Get a bigger building or even open up a second location? But each time they asked, he would always respond, "If we're too big, then we lose sight of what matters." Of course, people would sigh, but they couldn't fault him for it. Besides, his business was doing better than good, and there was no shortage of patrons and income, so, perhaps he was onto something. Now that things had slowed down, Shoichi was out on the floor, cleaning the bar area as he hummed a little tune happily.
"Glad to see you're still doing good, Tsugami-san."
Shoichi stopped wiping down the counter, sighed, smiled, and turned around. Sitting at one of the tables was none other than Tsukasa Kadoya,
"Tsukasa-kun, appearing out of nowhere as always," said Shoichi.
"Not out nowhere, I came through the door," Tsukasa replied.
"Your door, you mean."
"I never specified."
Shoichi chuckled, threw the rag over his shoulder and asked, "Anything I can get you?"
"The usual, if you please."
"Coming right up."
The restaurant owner walked back into the kitchen, about ten minutes later, he arrived with a hot plate of food, and set it in front of Tsukasa with a glass of water.
"Thank you for the meal," said Tsukasa as he took a bite of the prepared food. "Mmm, I've said this before, and I'll say it again. There is no Rider who can match your cooking skills."
Shoichi chuckled as he pulled out the chair across from Tsukasa and sat down.
"Thank you, but I'm going to go ahead and assume this isn't a social visit, correct?"
Tsukasa took another bite, chewed, swallowed, and answered, "You have a couple – well three really – kouhai that could use your help."
Shoichi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Well, I'm glad to help. But who are the kouhai you're talking about?"
"You don't know them." Tsukasa took a sip of his water before continuing. "They're Xtra Riders."
"Wait, you mean like the ones Shotaro-kun and Philip-kun, and Haruto-kun have?" Shoichi questioned.
"Oh, you mean like those twins, the unicorn-turned-human, and the young Hispanic girl trapped in another world? Yes. Congratulations on joining the club, by the way. Their powers aren't exactly similar to yours, but they seem to follow the same scheme as yours do."
Shoichi had been hearing about these "Xtra Riders", universes who somehow spawn Kamen Riders that have power sets based on the other Riders. While the cause of this had not exactly been determined, it was deemed by Sougo and Tsukasa that their existences be allowed to grow, as it seems that their universes are in need of the power of a Kamen Rider. This was the first time that Shoichi had heard of any Riders whose powers were somewhat similar to his own.
"And they need my help? With what?"
Tsukasa put his fork and knife down as he knitted his fingers together and looked directly at Shoichi.
"There's a war coming, one that will be fought on the Earth of that universe where these young girls reside. And if this battle goes south, it could affect the multiverse as a whole. Which is why I'd like you to lend them a hand," Tsukasa explained.
"I see. I noticed you said, 'Lend them a hand', not 'Help them defeat the threat'."
"You know my policy when it comes to the Journey of a Rider. These young Riders need to be able to defeat the evil that plagues their respective worlds. And they cannot grow as Riders and as people if veterans like us come in to defeat every evil that arises. If that happened, then none of us would be as strong as we are, and able to protect what is important to us, or the worlds beyond our own. So, Tsugami-san, will you accept my request?"
Shoichi sighed, took out his cellphone, and placed a call.
{Hello, Shoichi?}
"Hey, Mana-chan. I'm going to close the restaurant for a day, mind spreading the word?" he asked.
{For a day?! Wait. This is Kamen Rider related, isn't it?}
"Indeed, it is."
{Alright, I'll spread the word to the part timers and full timers. This will be a day off with pay for them, right?}
"Of course."
{Great!}
Shoichi heard the call end and put his phone back in his pocket.
"Seems like she's doing well as the restaurant's finance manager."
"She's a smart one, that's for sure."
Tsukasa nodded and went back to finishing his meal before they traveled to the other world.
"…Anne…!"
"…Anne…!"
"ANNE!"
"Wha! Five more minutes! Wait…"
Anne blinked her eyes and looked around. She was in a large room, her hands and feet were shackled in these strange mechanical spheres that had energy tethers that connected to a ring below and above her, which suspended her in the air. Upon further inspection, it seemed as if everyone was in the same boat. Grime, the Plantars, Yunan, Olivia, and Sasha were restrained in the same manner. With Joe Sparrow and Domino 2 having wide rings wrapped around their bodies, and the lower half of Frobo's head being contained in a mechanical sphere.
"What…What happened?" Anne asked.
"Anne, try to remember," said Sasha.
The Thai teen thought hard, and that's when it all came back. Their fight with Kamen Rider Terminus, who, as it turned out, was actually Marcy.
"MARCY! What happened to her? Where is she?!" Anne asked.
"I don't know, I don't understand anything about what's going on! We were fighting Marcy the whole time! And when she attacked Wartwood, Terminus, that was her too. What the hell happened to her?!" Sasha cried out.
"Anne, Sasha," Olivia spoke up, "that was what Yunan, and I were trying to warn you about. Marcy…she was taken over by The Night."
"What…" Anne gasped.
"It's true…We were there when it happened. We tried to rescue Marcy, but our efforts were futile. The Core, what we've been calling 'The Night', used the advanced technology in the castle to possess Marcy's mind and body," Yunan explained.
"That's not…but…She spoke to us! After we knocked her out of Rider form, we heard Marcy talking to us!" Sasha retorted.
"Yes, I'm afraid that was The Night, or rather, 'Darcy', letting her voice sound like Marcy in order to make you both lower your guard," said Olivia.
Anne looked down at the floor as the gravity of the situation finally hit her. This whole time they were working towards rescuing Marcy and defeating The Night, and now the very enemy that they were here to destroy was now inhabiting the body of the person they were here to save.
"You're…You're telling me…Marcy's gone?" Anne asked.
Olivia lowered her gaze as she said, "I'm sorry, Anne…she is."
"No…No!" Anne cried.
Sasha bit her lower lip as she growled angrily, some tears falling from her eyes as she did.
"Anne, Ah'm sorry," said Hop Pop.
Joe Sparrow let out some sad chirps as he lowered his head. Domino 2 could sense her caretaker's sadness and tried to go to comfort her, but thanks to the restraints that was not an option. And it frustrated the chimeric beast.
Anne's brow furrowed as she said, "Okay, then let's get her back!"
The Thai teen's eyes began to glow, but immediately upon doing so, everyone shouted, "NO, DON'T!"
*Beep!*
Suddenly, Anne was hit by a painful shock that surged throughout her entire body and made her scream in pain. After a couple of moments, the shock stopped, and Anne was left panting as she tried to understand what had just happened to her.
"W-Wha – What just happened?" Anne asked.
"We got fitted with collars while you were still knocked out," said Sasha.
Anne looked at her lover's neck and realized that a collar was indeed clamped around Sasha's neck. She took a quick glance and confirmed that she was wearing one as well. But it wasn't a normal control collar. It lacked the glowing orbs that were filled with the control enzyme. Instead, these collars had four glowing lines around them, and two dimly lit red lights at the front of the collars.
"What kind of control collars are these?" Anne asked.
"They keep you from using your powers," said Polly.
"How do you know that?" Anne inquired.
"Because I woke up first and tried to use mine, and, well, I learned the hard way, too," Sasha answered.
"…What happened to the army? Are they still fighting?"
"Don't know, we were inside when it all happened. These mechanical tentacle things wrapped around us and held us prisoner not too long after you and Sasha were thrown out of the castle by…her," said Grime.
Anne had a million questions running through her head, mostly having to do with why they were still alive. They were knocked out, they were vulnerable, that was the best time for The Night to kill her and Sasha and put an end to the Resistance. So, why were any of them still alive?
Just then, the door on the far side of the room opened, and three Frobot sentries and one butler type Frobot came marching in.
{The Master demands your presence, Anne Boonchuy,} said the Frobot butler.
"Well tell The Night it can go to hell!" Sasha retorted.
{This is not a request.}
The Frobot sentries stood next to Anne, and in the next moment, the restraints on her hands and feet were released, letting her fall to the floor. Anne figured this was the best time to attack. Her sword was lying there in the middle of the room, along with the rest of their gear. Although, without her powers, she wouldn't be fast enough to take out the Frobots. She could take out maybe two of them, at best, but right now they were in enemy territory, and there was no telling if the room was boobytrapped. For now, Anne had to bide her time.
"Alright, guess I don't have any choice, do I?"
{No, you do not. Please follow me.}
Anne was about to follow the butler Frobot, but that's when Sprig called out to her.
"Anne!" The Thai teen turned around and looked at the pink frog child. "Can I have a hug?"
Everyone in the room gave a collective, "Huh?"
"Dude, I…"
"I said, give! Me! A! Hug!" Sprig insisted. "Please~"
Anne was a little weirded out by how aggressive Sprig was about getting a hug, and the fact that he was now looking at her with those big sparkling eyes wasn't helping matters in the least.
"Okay, I'll give you a hug," said Anne.
The Thai teen walked up to her surrogate little brother and gave him a hug. However, now that she was closer, Sprig began to whisper into her ear.
"There's a dart in my jacket pocket! It has that same poison that Sasha used on you and Marcy!"
"What?! How do you have–?!"
"Listen! Take it from my pocket and use it on The Night when you get the chance! It's twice as strong, so it'll knockout The Night instantly!"
{Enough fraternizing. Do not keep the Master waiting any longer,} the Frobot butler warned.
"Okay! Okay! Jeez, I'm having a moment with my family, dude." Anne slowly pulled back, but as she did, her hand swiftly entered Sprig's inner jacket pocket and snatched up the first thing she felt inside. "I'll be back, buddy."
The sentry Frobots walked up to Anne and bumped her a little, forcefully urging her to start walking.
Sasha growled as she tried to break free of her restraints as she yelled, "IF THAT MONSTER LAYS A HAND ON YOU, I SWEAR TO FROG, I'LL RIP ITS HEAD OFF!"
"Take it easy, Sash. I'll be back," said Anne.
At least I hope I will…
With that, Anne was led out of the room. She followed the Frobot butler, with two of the Frobot sentries flanking either side of her, and the third bringing up the rear. Anne wasn't going to lie; she was feeling anxious. Before gaining her powers, she had been surviving in Amphibia with the help of the Plantars, and the combat skills she learned from Tritonio. But after they left the valley, she's been using her powers a lot, and more than once they've saved her life and her frog family's life. However, right now she was powerless, cut off from her Rider powers, her superspeed, and lightning power, heck, she didn't even have her sword. The only ace in the hole she had right now as the dart in her right hand. She stealthily placed it in the pocket of her WATs combat suit, knowing she would have to use it at just the right time. Frog willing, she would get that chance.
(Earth, Present, around the same time…)
"Ah, man, TGIF!" Masha exclaimed.
Gravesfield High School had let out for the weekend, and Masha was once again announcing their joy that it was.
"Masha, you say that every Friday," said Vee. "Actually, you've been saying it a lot more lately."
Masha had a cattish grin on their face as they bent down a little and said, "Of course, I do. Because the weekends let me spend more time with my favorite demon girl."
Vee noticeably blushed as she whined, "Mashaaa…"
"Cant blame them for not enjoying their time with you, Ve – uh – Luz. Dang it, this is confusing. Let's get out of here before I slip up accidentally," said Angie.
"Surprised Callum hasn't, yet," Masha commented.
"Haven't what?" Callum asked.
Masha, Vee, and Angie glanced between each other, and decided that it was best that he remain the oblivious person he was.
"Nothing," they replied.
"Cool. Hey, let's go to that café in town, I've got the munchies."
Angie shrugged and replied, "Yeah, I could go for some grub. What about you two lovebirds?"
Masha threw their arms around Vee's shoulders from behind as they put their chin on the disguised basilisk's head.
"Hmm, well, it's either that, or~" Masha briefly glanced down at Vee. "Me and Vee could head just head home, since Cam-Cam's still at work, we can get some make out time in. Take advantage of your shapeshifting if you know what I mean~"
Vee blushed harder.
"M-M-Masha!"
"Kidding, babe. I'm kidding," Masha assured.
Vee groaned as she replied, "You enjoy teasing me way too much."
"Aww," Masha picked their chin up and then nuzzled their cheek against the top of Vee's head. "But you're just so cute you're all flustered. And besides, there's one form I'm looking forward to making out with."
"Oh, really. And that would be?" Vee inquired.
"The real you," said Masha.
Vee was still blushing, but she smiled as she sheepishly nodded her head at the prospect.
Ever since the incident that revealed her true identity to her friends and enbyfriend, things have been better between them. A lot of things happened and were revealed, both to her friends, and herself. Jacob's little vendetta about outing her eventually led him to being used by the evil organization known as Foundation X, and inadvertently allowed Vee to tap into a power she didn't know she had, letting her transform into her own version of a Kamen Rider, complete with enhanced, well, everything. And with that power, she beat down Jacob, who had transformed into a monster himself.
"Random, question, any word on that Hopkins guy?" Angie asked.
"Ugh. Well, from what I heard, he's suffering from something like withdrawal. Like a drug addict," said Vee.
"Wait, really? How?" Masha asked.
"I called the Pines twins and asked them that. Apparently, directly fusing with a Gaia Memory creates a drug-like high in the person. And the more they use it, the worse off they are. There's also compatibility issues, too. If a person doesn't have a high compatibility rate, then the withdrawal symptoms are worse," Vee explained.
"Whoa. So, like, does that mean he's gonna be messed up for awhile?" Callum asked.
Vee shrugged and answered, "Hard to tell. From what the twins said, it could take months before the symptoms dissipate."
"But I'm guessing in the meantime, I'm gonna say that anytime he spouts crap about you, they'll just take it as the ramblings of a drug addict," Masha noted.
The young basilisk nodded.
"If no one believed him before, then they definitely won't now. Especially with that evidence that the twins handed over to the police. And, also, most of all, none of those Foundation X guys have come around."
Angie shivered when she thought about it.
"Jeez, that's messed up. There's a secret organization out there that makes weapons, supernatural weapons at that, and sells them to any a-hole with a lot of money to do whatever they want. Wish I was a Rider so I could go and kick their asses," said Angie.
"Oh, not before me, Ang. No one hurts my cute snake monster girl and thinks they're gonna walk away," Masha declared.
"Down, Mash."
The four friends left the school and headed into town to grab something to eat. They recounted the events of today, made some jokes about a certain blonde cheerleader, and of course, more teasing from Masha. Vee would tell her to stop, but she knew Masha didn't do it out of malice. It was just their way of showing affection, and besides, Vee knew Masha's true feelings towards her, which was why no matter how much teasing Masha did, Vee knew that Masha loved her, and was her enbyfriend.
After eating, Masha and Vee headed to the Noceda house, and when they arrived, they saw that Camila's car was in the driveway.
"Ah, dang, now I can't make out with you," said Masha.
"Do you want to stay over for dinner? I'll ask Mamá," Vee inquired.
Masha hummed as they thought it over and said, "Ooh~ Why don't we make it into a sleepover? I'll stay overnight."
Vee raised and eyebrow and said, "That does sound fun. But you don't have any pajamas. Do you want me to ask if Mamá if she will give us a ride to your place so you can get a change of clothes?"
Masha gave their girlfriend a half-lidded look as they replied, "I don't really need pajamas, babe. If you know what I mean."
Vee's mind fried at that moment, her body briefly shifting from her Luz form and to her half human, half basilisk form before settling on her Luz form.
"Made you think thoughts, didn't I?"
Vee didn't reply and simply walked up towards her house and unlocked the front door.
"Mamá! I'm home! And Masha's with me!" Vee called out.
"Vee, mija, could you come into the living room, please."
Masha glanced at Vee who shrugged their shoulders. The two walked inside and into the living room. Once there, they saw Camila, and sitting on the couch was an Asian man of Japanese descent. He wore a black suit over a magenta under shirt and had a film camera hanging around his neck.
"Uh…I didn't know we had company," said Vee.
"Sorry, Vee-chan, Noceda-san, for dropping in suddenly, but I'm in need of your assistance, Vee-chan," said the man.
Masha instinctively put herself in front of Vee, knowing full well that it should be the other way around, but even knowing that it wouldn't stop them from doing so.
"Cam-Cam, what's this guy want?" Masha asked.
"Well, he's actually a Kamen Rider," Camila remarked.
"WHAT?!" Vee and Masha exclaimed.
The man stood up and walked until he was a couple of feet from the two teens.
"My name is Tsukasa Kadoya. Kamen Rider Decade. I've met with Luz-chan and Anne Boonchuy-kun. And right now, there's a threat coming to Earth, and the latter of those two is going to need your help."
Anne was brought before a pair of double doors. The Frobot butler opened the doors and stood to the side as it waved a hand towards the room, silently telling Anne to enter. The Thai teen knew she had little choice in the matter, and just walked in. The doors slammed shut behind her, making Anne jump a little. It looked like one of the suites that she stayed in during her sleepover at the castle with Luz. But this looked much bigger. The mechanical tentacles that pierced through the walls and parts of the floor were unnerving to look at, made all the more ominous by the flickering flames of the fireplace. There was a table set up in the middle of the room, with two chairs. No windows could be seen, or if there were any windows the tentacles kept them hidden. There was a bed off to her right, near the far corner of the room. For some reason, that unnerved her more than the tenacles.
Anne couldn't see anyone inside, so she walked to the table and took a seat. She put her right hand in her pocket, feeling the contours of the dart that Sprig gave her. She had a lot of questions as to why Sprig had a dart with the same poison that rendered her and Marcy helpless, and why this version was twice as strong as the ones Sasha used on them. But that was for another time, right now, it was her only ace in the hole. She felt around the dart and found the cork top that kept the needle protected. All she needed to do was stick this into The Night's…Marcy's…body and then that would be it. Well, that would be one part of it, Anne would still need to figure out how to take off the collar and then rescue the others.
I wonder if the Resistance army is okay. Do they know we've been captured? Did we suffer a lot of losses? Or…did they get wiped out? Anne shook her head. Don't get bogged down by that Anne, first things first.
Just then, the doors to the room opened, and Anne immediately bolted to her feet. There, standing in the doorway, was The Night. More specifically, it was The Night that was using Marcy's body.
Anne had to stave off another bout of tears, seeing her friend, her former lover's, body being used by an entity of pure evil like a suit was not only saddening but infuriating. Like it was desecrating Marcy's very being and memory by just existing.
The entity of evil strode into the room, its MetamorphRing Driver on full display. The Night gestured to the Frobot butler with a wave of its hand, and the butler took the silent command to close the doors behind it. The glowing mechanical eyes of the being's helmet all focused on Anne, sending a chill up her spine.
"Ah, Anne Savisa Boonchuy, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," it said. "Are you hungry? I'm sure you are. We did have a rather intense fight not too long ago."
"Like I'd eat anything prepared by your robot army," Anne retorted.
The Night chuckled and replied, "That's fair. I know we don't have enough trust built up for that, yet. And I applaud the fact that you're still able to think critically at a time like this." The Night slowly walked towards the table and took its seat across from Anne, the flames of the fireplace cast shadows on The Night, giving the being a more intimidating appearance. "I'm sure you have some questions you're just dying to ask me, so, let's have a chat."
Anne wasn't sure what kind of game The Night was playing, but if she could get some information out of this thing, than it was in her best interest to try and do so. Reluctantly, Anne sat back down in her chair, and stared down the evil entity before her.
"Is…Is Marcy gone…? Did…Did you kill her?" Anne asked.
The Night chuckled and answered, "No, she's not dead. She's actually still up here." The Night tapped the side of its helmet. "She's completely unaware of what's going on, living a fabricated life that I have come up with in order to distract her from what's going on out here. But not too long from now, she will be fully assimilated, and then, well, she won't be dead, but she won't be herself anymore either."
Anne's fist tightened as she remarked, "You monster! Let her go!"
"Oh, Savisa, don't worry about her. You're far better off without her. She's so insecure, and weak. Whereas I," The Night leaned back and posed just a little, "am a big upgrade from her."
"Eww, gross," Anne commented.
"What? I know you find my body physically attractive, so why that reaction?"
"Are you kidding me?!" Anne snapped. "You're nothing but a collection of Newtopia's smartest royal newts from way back when! I feel like I'm getting hit on by a bunch of pervy old men!"
The Night's eyes blinked, and then facepalmed itself.
"Oh, duh, I was so excited about this meeting, that I completely forgot to introduce myself."
Anne blinked in confusion.
The Night stood up, closed its eyes, and gave a slight bow to Anne.
"My name is Darcy. I am a separate existence from The Core, or what you call 'The Night', and Marcy."
"What?"
"When the downloading of The Core's memories into Marcy's mind occurred, I was born. A separate consciousness that has the best of both entities. I have all of Marcy's wit, intelligence, her cute quirks, and absolutely none of her weaknesses. And I also have the vast intellect of the most intelligent minds that have ever existed in Amphibia, along with the confidence and boldness of the royal newts who have led this world through the ages. All those best parts gave birth to me, Darcy. So, no, Savisa, you're not getting hit on by a bunch of 'pervy old men', you're just getting hit on by me. Technically the same age as you, but with thousands of years of collective life experience from The Core."
Anne's head was swimming as she tried to make sense of everything The Night, or rather, Darcy, just told her. But the big takeaway from what Darcy said was that Marcy was still alive, her consciousness was still there, but unaware. But for how much longer was a different story.
"Okay, Darcy, so, why am I here? I doubt all you wanted to do was just talk to me," said Anne.
Darcy's lips curled into a smile as she stood up from her seat and slowly walked around the table towards Anne.
"You're right, Savisa, there is a reason why I wanted you here. A very big reason. One that will determine your fate and the fate of others," Darcy remarked.
Anne watched as Darcy reached behind her back and pulled out a hilt. It looked similar to the hilt of Andrias's energy sword, and Anne knew exactly what was about to happen. Darcy just called her here so that she could personally kill her. Anne screwed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the inevitable.
"No, Savisa, open your eyes! I want you to see this!" Darcy commanded.
Anne bit her bottom lip, but steeled her nerves, deciding to face her death head on. So, she opened her eyes and waited for Darcy to deliver her death blow. However, what happened next baffled and even more so, weirded her out.
Darcy got down on one knee, right in front of Anne. At first, Anne thought she did this to get a better angle when she stabbed or gutted her, but instead, she held up the dagger hilt and pressed a button. But instead of a flaming blade, something else popped out. A bunch of holographic flowers suddenly blossomed from the opening on the hilt.
"Huh?"
"Anne Savisa Boonchuy, will you marry me?"
"…WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!"
"I said–"
"I heard what you said, dude!" Anne cut off. "I – Wha – You – HUH?!"
Darcy chuckled a little as she turned off her holographic bouquet and sat on the table. "I understand it's a little confusing, but when you get right down to it, it really isn't complicated or confusing at all." Darcy reached out with her right hand and gently cupped Anne's left cheek, making the Thai teen flinch from Darcy's touch. "I told you that I have all of Marcy's best qualities. That includes her feelings for you and Sasha."
"W-W-W-Wait! You mean, you're in love with me and Sasha?!" Anne questioned.
"Well, if I'm being honest, I'm more in love with you than Sasha. But I wouldn't mind having her as well. She's a consolation prize, but you are the real prize, my love," Darcy cooed.
Anne's head was spinning now. This new entity, Darcy, just proposed to her, no joke proposed to her and wanted to marry her. She had the same feelings for her, and Sasha, as Marcy did, but unlike Marcy, Darcy had a lot more confidence in her approach, which now she understood what Darcy meant by having the best of both.
"W-W-Why?! Why me?!" Anne asked. "Why do you even want to marry me?!"
Darcy's eyes blinked, as if the question was so jarring that it gave her pause.
"How could I not? Never mind Marcy's own reasons, but after combing through her memories, and seeing your recent exploits, you have garnered my admiration and my love. Make no mistake, Savisa, The Core and I have every intention of invading Earth, and then the rest of the multiverse. But ruling over so many worlds, conquering them all, the thought of doing so with just big blue at our side just seemed so…dull."
That same hand that was on Anne's cheek slowly slid down until it was under her chin.
"I want to share my glory with another. Someone who's strong and capable, but also kind and loving. You're all of that, Savisa."
"Dude, why do you keep using my middle name? It's creepy," Anne remarked.
"I think it's a beautiful middle name. Plus, I think it'll be easier to differentiate me from Marcy. Anyway, what do you say? Will you be my queen and rule the multiverse with me?"
Anne furrowed her brow and retorted, "What makes you think I'd ever say yes to something like that?!"
"Oh, come on, Anne. After all I've done for you so far."
"What? What have you done?"
Darcy removed her hand from Anne's chin and walked towards the fireplace as she explained, "It was I who convinced The Core to spare your life and the lives of the Resistance and the others. They wanted to kill you and Sasha immediately after I rendered you unconscious, but I proposed that we can't kill you for one important reason."
"And that is?"
"You're Calamity power. You still hold part of the Heart gem's power inside of you. And I explained that if we did kill you, there was no guarantee that that power would return to the gemstone or be lost to the ether. And if that happened, all our efforts would've been for nothing."
Anne took a moment to process that. The Core, for all its vast intelligence, was just as clueless about how the Calamity powers worked as they were.
"And the reason I convinced them to keep your found family and the others alive, well, that's simple. You care about them, Savisa. You would do anything for them. And I'd rather not have my bride in the depths of sorrow on our wedding day, so, I spared them. And I allowed that army to retreat. Even now they're plotting a counteroffensive, but it doesn't matter."
Anne tried to think of a way to get close to Darcy and use the dart, but she was still trying to wrap her head around the whole marriage thing.
"You do realize I'm, like, thirteen years old, and so are you. We can't get married," Anne countered.
Darcy laughed at that and replied, "Oh, please, Anne. We rule Amphibia, the law is whatever we say it is here. And Earth? Do you really think I give a damn about the laws of Earth when the people there won't be around long enough to give their opinion on the matter? I want our marriage to be long and fruitful, my love."
"Tch, great, I have to look at that creepy helmet for the rest of my life," Anne commented as she turned away from Darcy.
Darcy's eyes narrowed as she smiled.
"Well, then, would it be better if I took it off?"
Anne returned her gaze to Darcy as she watched multiple eyes of the helmet close. Darcy placed her hands on either side of the helmet and slowly took it off, placing it on the center of the table. Her eyes were closed the whole time, but after a moment, Darcy opened her real eyes and Anne gasped. Instead of the normal coloration, Darcy's eyes glowed orange, with the iris and pupil one solid yellow glowing color, similar to the eyes on the helmet.
"I made some adjustments to my helmet and the Core attachment to my Driver. So, now I don't need that helmet. I wanted to be able to look upon my fiancée's face with my own eyes. And I wanted you to see my face in full, the face of your future wife," said Darcy.
Darcy sat in the chair again, her smile broadening a bit.
"Now, Savisa, what do you say? Will you be my queen? If you say yes, I'll not only spare the Plantars, and everyone currently being held prisoner. But I'll also ensure the safety of your mother and father as well." Darcy snapped her fingers, and part of the wall opened and brought out a couple of boxes, one magenta and the other azure. "Have a look inside, one is your wedding clothes, and the other will be Sasha's, how shall we say? Uniform."
Anne, out of morbid curiosity, opened the blue box, carefully. When she looked inside, she blushed a little. It was like a robe, and some flowery under clothes, complete with a crown of flowers. The Thai teen gulped as she opened the magenta-colored box, and she blushed harder when she noticed it looked akin to furry cosplay.
"Sasha's a wild girl, so, she'll have to be house broken before we can officially bring her into our marriage, but once that's been done, I'll have proper wedding attire made for her later on. C'mon, Savisa, just say yes. I'd much rather you accept my feelings and love willingly rather than having to slap a control collar on you and make you be my lover and wife. Plus, if you say yes, I'll make sure your mother and father are immediately saved. I'd like them to be there for the wedding, and for your father to give you away to me."
This was a lot for Anne to process. Darcy was basically giving her an ultimatum, be my wife or be my mind-controlled wife. The only upside of the first option is that her friends, Sasha, her parents, and their Resistance army would be spared and allowed to live. But the downside of that was that she'd essentially have to be the plaything of Darcy for the rest of her natural life. But, then again, this could work.
Darcy's in love with me, I can use this. Anne's eyes briefly flicked to her pocket and then back to Darcy. I probably won't get a better chance than this. Okay, Boonchuy, time to see if your seduction game is on point. Ugh, this is going to feel wrong.
Anne curled her lips into a smile and leaned back in her chair as she said, "Just to make sure, you will spare my parents, my friends, and the Resistance army, if I say yes to being your queen. Right?"
Darcy nodded.
"I meant what I said, Savisa. I won't back down from my word. And so long as you're obedient, The Core will see you as more of an asset than a liability."
"You know, I didn't want to say anything…I…I feel like I'd be letting them down if I told them how I really felt…" Anne placed her left hand on the table as she said this, waiting to see if Darcy will take the bait.
Darcy, surprisingly, had a sympathetic look on her face as she gently pushed the helmet aside and reached out to grasp Anne's hand. The Thai teen allowed Darcy to entangle their fingers together, as she looked at the dark persona inhabiting her friend's body.
"You may speak your mind here, Savisa. Do not think about those outside these doors. Tell me your honest feelings, my love," said Darcy.
Okay, wow, she actually sounds sincere.
"It's just…all this pressure. Trying to protect everyone, trying to save two worlds, two! All the battles, the pain, and the…the responsibility! It's too much!" Anne confessed. "I never wanted any of this, Darcy. I never wanted to be seen as a hero or have everyone's hopes piled onto me!"
"I understand, Savisa. You were given powers you never asked for, and you were placed on a pedestal that you never wanted to be put on. I assure you; I won't place any such burdens on you. You can take on whatever responsibilities you wish, or none. We have the resources, and of course, a vast labor force of both robots, followers, and – ahem – assorted pseudo willing followers, to attend to anything and everything at a whim. I will give you luxury and bliss for the rest of your life my love, and all I ask is that you stay at my side throughout our conquest."
Anne (pretended) to look conflicted about the decision, looking from Darcy's hand to her glowing eyes.
"But my friends…the Plantars…Sasha, they'll think I'm a coward, a waste," said Anne.
Darcy furrowed her brow as she carefully stood up from her seat and moved closer to Anne, getting down on one knee before the Thai teen as she looked up into her eyes.
"Do not concern yourself with what they think of you, Savisa! You needn't justify your reasons for your decision to them! Sasha will be made to come around to us, in time. The others, well, they can live with it or hate it, but at least they can be thankful to be alive to even have the chance to like or dislike it. You've fought long enough, my love. You've endured so much heartache and pain, mostly due to this selfish girl and that blonde bimbo as well."
Anne internally bristled at having her girlfriend being called a blonde bimbo, but she had to remind herself that this was still Marcy's body, and she couldn't necessarily slap her.
"You won't hurt me or anything, right? I mean…" Anne glanced about the room. "I know how powerful you are…I know how strong you are. I just…I just want to know that you won't use that power on me."
"I can be as gentle, or as rough, as you want me to be, Savisa. But all that depends on you as well. How willing or unwilling you are will determine which."
Anne slowly stood up, keeping Darcy's hand in her own. The Thai teen led Darcy to the bed, where she sat them both down at the edge. Funny enough, Darcy was blushing, but didn't seem flustered. By now, Anne figured, this would be the point that Marcy would get all panicky and start rambling and stammering. But Darcy was composed, and she was clearly liking this situation by the blush on her face, but she was in control of herself.
She really does have the confidence of those royal newts, huh, Anne thought.
"Can you…close your eyes?" Anne requested.
"Oh~ Whatever are you planning to do to me, Savisa?" Darcy inquired.
"Something I'm a little too shy to admit out loud, and if I don't do it now, I might lose my nerve," Anne admitted as she used her free hand to rub the back of her head, sheepishly.
"I see." Darcy released Anne's hand and laid back, sprawling herself out on the huge bed as she closed her eyes. "Do as you please, my love. Let me know if you need me to remove my armor."
"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it."
Darcy smiled as she kept still, awaiting Anne's next action. She was vulnerable, completely open, now was Anne's chance. The Thai teen reached into her pocket as she crawled onto the bed, carefully taking out the dart and removing the cork cap. She slowly moved her head towards Darcy's and whispered into her ear.
"I think I'm ready," she whispered.
"As I said, my love. Do as you please."
Anne moved her head into kissing position to capture Darcy's lips, while at the same time, inching her right hand closer to the exposed portion of Darcy's neck. Just one jab, one jab and this whole thing would be over. She just needed a few more–
"Savisa, you are quite the seductress."
"C-C'mon, don't say it like that."
"I mean it. And you even have a little bit of a femme fatale thing going for you."
"Oh, uh, thanks. What makes you say that?" Anne asked as she readied to stab Darcy.
"The fact that you're trying to seduce me in order to get me to lower my guard."
Suddenly, one of the tentacles from the wall shot out and latched itself around Anne's right wrist. A second shot out and did the same to her left wrist. Followed by a third and fourth that wrapped around her ankles and wrenched her off the bed, suspending Anne a couple of feet off the floor as the Thai teen struggled in their grasp. Darcy sat up and fanned her face as she smiled deviously at Anne.
"Well, Savisa, that was really hot, no cap. But your assassin game needs more work."
"H-H-How did you–?!"
"Did you really think I'd bring you into my chambers, unrestrained, with just that collar to ensure you don't use your powers? I know you can be resourceful when you have to be, Savisa. So…" Darcy snapped her fingers, and immediately several mechanical eyes appeared around the room. "I was keeping an eye on you, get it? AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Darcy walked up to Anne and looked at the dart still in her hands.
"Oh, now that looks familiar." Another snap of Darcy's fingers and more tentacles appeared, smaller ones that wrapped around the dart and wrenched it from Anne's hands. Then the tentacles presented the dart to Darcy who smiled wickedly at it. "Oh my, is this little dart filled with that special poison that prevents you from focusing your mind to call on your powers? Sasha made this, didn't she? What am I saying, of course she did. Probably was planning on using it on you at some point. Ah, what a controlling bitch."
Darcy swiftly tossed the dart straight into the fireplace, where the dart, and its contents burned up. Anne's one shot was gone.
"DON'T TALK ABOUT SASHA LIKE THAT!" Anne snapped.
"You know it's true, she's always wanted to control you and Marcy. Her attempted coup of Newtopia was proof enough of that. She wanted you and Marcy at her side, forever hers," said Darcy.
Anne scoffed and retorted, "That's the pot calling the kettle black! You're doing the exact same thing! So, now what? Are you going to slap a control collar on me and Sasha now?!"
Darcy willed the tentacles to bring Anne closer, the dark persona smirked before grabbing either side of Anne's head, and then forcefully kissed the Thai teen on the lips. Anne's eyes flew wide open, too stunned to react. After a few seconds, Darcy had the tentacles pull Anne away. The dark persona licked her lips as she narrowed her gaze at her prospective bride.
"That's an option, my love. I'm still willing to spare your family. But the rest of Earth will fall. Perhaps, then, you'll change your mind. Or I could simply nab Mr. and Mrs. B and torture them in front of you until you say yes!" Darcy giggled.
"YOU SON OF A – AAAAAAAAHHH!" Anne screamed as she tried to call on her powers but received an electrical shock for her efforts.
"That collar is a neural inhibitor. It detects the neural electrical impulse in your mind and body that specifically calls to your powers, and once it's detected, it shocks you with enough electricity to not only break your concentration, but also wrack your body with enough pain to make sure you don't do it consecutively. Try not to do that so many times, my love. We have the technology to bring you back from the brink, but I'd rather not resort to that if at all possible."
Anne growled at Darcy, trying to break free from the tentacles, but to no avail.
"This isn't over, Darcy! We will stop you!" Anne declared.
"That bravado is so appealing. But your submission will be all the sweeter, Savisa. Now, go back to Sasha and the others, tell them what happened here. My offer still stands, so, any time you want to accept, just yell and I'll hear you."
Darcy looked towards the doors just as they opened, revealing the three Frobot sentries from earlier. With a wave of her hand, the tentacles dropped Anne onto the floor right in front of the sentries, who quickly grabbed her. After giving Darcy one more defiant glare, the Frobots turned around and dragged Anne out of the room, leaving Darcy alone.
"Oh, Savisa. It'll be great fun making you submit to me."
You should've killed her.
You came too close to letting her debilitate us.
"Please, I was in complete control of the situation. I knew something was up when she started to act like she didn't want to defend everyone and tried to 'seduce' me. Not going to lie, that was fun. And I was hoping she was going to do something, well, other than poison me. Heh-heh."
Do not let your desires get ahead of the objective.
We need to conquer Earth.
We need its resources to replenish what we lost.
We need to find the Dark Dimension, again.
And only then can the full conquest of the multiverse, our sacred birthright, recommence.
Darcy walked to the fireplace and looked into the flames as she said, "Don't worry you old newts. We're still conquering Earth, and the multiverse. I want to see what else is out there, I want to expand beyond just this world and see what else it has to offer. And then…make it all mine. And with a beautiful queen at my side."
The dark persona waved her hand, and immediately a holographic screen appeared before her that showed Andrias.
{Yes, my lord?}
"Andrias, prepare our forces, we're invading Earth, now."
The Frobot sentries eventually brought Anne back to the cell room where the others were being kept. After fastening her back to the contraption that kept them bound, the Frobots left the room.
"Anne, are you okay? What did they do to you?" Sasha asked with great concern.
"Uh…I…I got proposed to," Anne answered.
The room went deathly silent.
Sasha, whose left eye had begun twitching, calmly asked, "I'm sorry, Anne, but c-could you repeat that? All this worrying seems to have messed up my brain, because it sounded like you said you got proposed to, as in someone asked you to marry them."
Anne sighed and replied, "You're brain's working fine, Sash. I was proposed to."
"Oh, I see." Sasha inhaled deeply. "WHO IN THE HELL HAS THE BALLS TO PROPOSE TO YOU?!"
"Darcy."
"…You mean The Night, the supreme evil, big boss that we've been fighting against, asked you to marry it?!" Sasha asked incredulously.
"Uh, wow, I did not see that coming," said Grime. "Who knew evil still wanted to find romance."
"Strap in guys, this is going to be a long one."
Anne began her explanation as to what happened when she was taken away. Regaling her companions of her conversation with Darcy, and explaining how Darcy, The Night, and Marcy, were basically three different beings inhabiting one body. With the first two in charge of Marcy's body, and Marcy's mind locked away and trapped in a fantasy while she was slowly being assimilated into the rest of The Core. Then came the awkward moment when Anne had to tell them that Darcy made her an offer to become the dark persona's wife, and in return, sparing her parents, and the rest of Anne's friends from Amphibia.
Of course, Sasha was turning all shades of red as she tried to contain her anger for this dark version of Marcy that was practically putting the moves on Anne and trying to own her. It was not too dissimilar to how she once thought, so to hear that that was almost a reality, not only infuriated her, but it also scared her. If Darcy really was the best of both The Night and Marcy, with a moral compass that pointed due south, then there was no telling what Darcy would do to Anne if her lover accepted the offer, even if it was just to save them all.
"Wow, that was…wow," said Polly. "Anne, you really have a knack for making crazy girls fall in love with you."
"Polly! C'mon on!" Anne griped.
"And I'm not crazy!" Sasha added.
"Uh-huh, whatever you say crazy girl."
Sasha muttered something unintelligible under her breath.
"Oh, the cherry on top of all of this, she kissed me. Like, forced her lips onto mine," Anne added.
"…Oh, I am SOOO going to kick 'Darcy's' ass when I get out of this thing!" Sasha declared.
"Sasha, please don't forget that Master Marcy is still in there. You'd be harming her as well if you took it too far," Olivia warned.
"UGH! I know, and that's what makes it all the more frustrating!"
"Anne, did you manage to use the dart on Darcy at all?!" Sprig asked.
Anne threw a narrowed-eyed stare at her surrogate little brother, now remembering the other thing she had been meaning to ask.
"Yeah, about that. Sprig, why did you have a dart filled with that poison? And one that was twice as strong as the ones Sasha used on me and Marcy, no offense, Sash," Anne questioned.
"Uh…well…" Sprig glanced back and forth. "I…"
"Spill it, Sprig, did you find some way to recreate that poison to use on Sasha?"
Sasha sighed and spoke up, "No, Anne. He didn't. I was the one who gave it to him. I made that dart to be used on me if I ever went rogue or if there was even a hint that I was going to be like I used to. It was my insurance policy."
"Sasha, you never told me about this," said Grime.
"I'm sorry, Grime. I…I thought Sprig was the better option. Since, well, you've kinda been treating me more like a daughter lately, you know."
The former gladiator couldn't deny that their relationship had shifted from captain and lieutenant, to friends, and at some point, like father and daughter. Perhaps there was some truth in Sasha's words. If it was a long time ago, Grime was sure he wouldn't have had any trouble using that dart on her, but now…the thought of it was harder than he expected.
"It's okay, Sasha, I understand your reasoning. You made the right decision," Grime assured her.
"Sash…"
"Yeah…"
"Well, now what happens?" Yunan asked.
Suddenly, the entire castle shook and groaned.
Anne furrowed her brow as she looked to each of her companions.
"Now, we figure out a way out of this and take the fight to Darcy and Andrias."
(Earth, around the same time…)
"Whew, that was a workout," said Bee as he uncapped a bottle of water and began chugging it down.
"Yes, but it was very invigorating," Oum replied as she too opened a bottle of water and began drinking.
The two Thai parents were currently sitting in a locker room, they had just gotten through with another training session, and were ready to rest up. Both Bee and Oum were dressed in black mesh suits that covered everything from their neck down and hugged their bodies perfectly. Something that Bee was enjoying as he eyed his beautiful wife's curves from the corner of his eye.
Oum wasn't unaware of her husband's gaze on her, and honestly, she liked it. It wasn't as if either one of them had lost the ability to feel physically attracted to each other, but after these last couple of months together, and seeing the other fight, let's just say it made them feel a lot more attracted to each other.
"See something you like, Dear?" Oum teased.
"Oh, I do," said Bee.
"Well, if you can manage to wait until we get back home, I can let you look longer, and touch."
"I love you."
Oum chuckled and then finished her water bottle.
"C'mon, Hun, we need to talk to Mr. X before we leave."
Bee was enjoying their conversation, but he knew they had to speak with Mr. X after each training session and testing of the GX armor system. The Thai man couldn't believe his luck, he was soon to become a Kamen Rider, a boyhood dream of his was coming true, and more than that, his daughter was already a Rider, and his wife was going to become one right beside him. Yeah, there was the threat of a coming invasion, which was why they were doing all this preparation, but still, he had a feeling that Anne and her friends would be able to take care of things.
After they changed, Oum and Bee headed to Mr. X's office, but along the way, Bee looked a little downtrodden.
"Why do you look disappointed?" Oum asked.
"Eh, it's just, it feels like we're doing all this testing and training for nothing. I mean, it's our Anne, she's definitely going to beat this thing before we ever get the chance to help," said Bee.
"Well, that's a good thing. It's better if the invasion never happens at all. Because it would mean that Anne might've…"
Bee reached out and draped his arm over Oum's shoulders, bringing her into a half hug.
"She'll be okay, trust me. You've seen what she can do. And you know how tough she is. Anne's going to kick their butts and be back with Sasha and the Plantars to tell us how epic it was," Bee assured.
Oum smiled and kissed her husband on the cheek as they proceeded. They eventually appeared before the door to Mr. X's office and knocked before entering.
"Mr. X, we're reporting in," said Oum.
"Good, because we have an issue."
Oum and Bee glanced at each other and opened the door fully to see Mr. X, Jenny, and someone else. This other person was of Asian descent, and wore a dark suit over a magenta top, and had a camera hanging down from his neck.
"Who might this be?" Bee asked.
"Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy, I know your daughter, Anne-kun," said the man. "And she's in need of some assistance."
"What?!" the two exclaimed.
"It seems our friend here is a dimension hopping Kamen Rider, Tsukasa Kadoya, and from what he's told us, the fight against the invading army didn't go so well."
Tsukasa noted the worried looks on the parents' faces, so he stood up and addressed the two directly.
"Anne-kun is alright, as well as her friends. But I regret to inform you, the invasion is coming…"
To be continued…
Next Episode:
The battle for Earth is set to begin, now is the time for all parties to come together and face off against the coming threat!
Get ready for the battle to determine the fate of Earth in…
"HEROES! ALL IN!"
Are you ready?
A/N: I appreciate everyone's patience and understanding while I was working on the drawings for the "All In" chapter(s), and now I will be fully focused on writing All In. More than likely going to be a multi part just on account of the scale here. Again, thank you for your patience, and enjoy this little in between ep.
The poster and full versions of the "teaser" pics will be uploaded at to my DA account by the time you're reading this. So, go and check out my All In poster.