DW: Kamen Rider Zi-O: Pretty Cure Protector Chapter 15, a Kamen Rider + Pretty Cure Crossover fanfic

Fictions Mentioned:

Episode 15

OP Song:

Aoi Kaze No HOPE [HISTORY OF TRUNKS ENDING]

Insert Song: Start

Dies irae - Animation OST: disce libens

Sometime in the past...

"Take this."

The young eleven-year-old George Kurai looks at the old classic golden pocket watch with Roman numerals to tell the time with old grandfather clock hand designs that was being held by the hand of none other than his alternate future self.

They were somewhere in an unknown location. From what one can tell, it seems to be a desert that reminded one of the Middle East. The surroundings were basically a junkyard. Actually, it was more like an abandoned battlefield. This place was known (or unknown) for being one of the battlegrounds of an eternal conflict (Last Great Time War) where countless peoples have died and rose from the dead ad infinitum. It was more than a junkyard. It was a graveyard of advanced warships and battle tanks once used for all types of temporal combat; it was a graveyard of fallen and resurrected souls; unnatural and disturbing still was the feeling shivering down within the spines of both men who were present in this location. And the less that was said about the left-behind corpses, the far better.

When one was to look up to the skies, all they would see is an orange-tinted atmosphere with white-greyish reflective clouds and from the horizon was a broken sun split in half. A terrible sight. One would think that it might go supernova because of its instability. And yet, it's still there, all broken in half, like a cabbage getting chopped down with a knife.

The young George looks at the older George with a raised eyebrow, feeling something from within the watch. "What's that supposed to be?"

"An important fob watch that you may need for the journey set out before you, one that already diverges from my very own," the future George said sadly.

"How very kind of you," the young George spoke with narrowed eyes, hinting at a wave of subtle anger directed at the old man. While he was suspicious of the old man, he nevertheless accepts the fob watch, taking it swiftly and carefully. "Why exactly are you giving this to me?" he asked a question that may look similar from the outside but is actually different from the inside.

The old George only looks at the horizon with a grim smile. "One day...you're going to meet a very special woman. And yes, she is truly special as there seems to be almost no one like her, being a rarity. She will brighten your life in ways that you could never imagine experiencing."

"And let me guess," George looks at his older self with narrowed eyes. "She passed away from your timeline, ergo she became the main reason why you did what you had to do."

"That's right," the future George confirmed in a grim tone. "And I can only hope that your path may not experience the same pitfalls as my own. Although, unlike me, your road is far more dangerous due to being unknown, being granted a power I could never hope to wield. You might say that you have already replaced me in the role of protecting the woman I hold dearly. A little warning though...Take great care of the young woman whose name rhymes with the wildflowers of the field. In fact, her name basically means flower. Hana. Nono Hana."

"Nono...Hana..." the young George muttered softly, his heart palpitating as he felt something odd, a kind of warm fuzzy feeling when uttering the name that he had no familiarization with. And this happens as he clenches the fob watch that he was holding.

"There is one simple request that I want to ask of you before I go, even if we both know that I may not have a right to," the future George said in a tone that made the young George took seriously. "Take care of Nono Hana and don't end up like me, for both of our sakes, can you do that?" he asked, a pleading tone found in his voice.

The young George, while a bit hesitant and wary as to what was the angle regarding the relationship that he had with a girl that he had yet to meet, only spoke with a resolve that had been built into him since he was ten years old; when he first put on the Ziku-Driver. "I promise."

The older George smiled in relief, almost as if he can finally rest from his burdens. "Thank you," and then, he begins to walk slowly away from his younger self, heading somewhere westward.

"Hey!" George called out to the old man. "Where are you going?!"

The future George stopped for a moment. Then he responded. "Nowhere were one cannot find me." Then, he went on his way as he disappears from George's sight, leaving him in the barren desert.

The young George could only look at the fob watch, opening it to find the Roman numerals and clock hands that were ticking to the tenth hour.

"Nono...Hana..." he muttered softly.

Insert Song: End

Insert Song: Start

Dies irae - Animation OST: AHIH ASHR AHIH

Back in the present moment...

"Soooo, you're a Kamen Rider, right, um...?" the one who asked first among the Precure was Saki Hyuuga, looking at George with interest, flashing a subtle, exciting smile. She was the one who started the conversation in order to break the awkward silence, walking towards George who was accompanied by Hana Nono from the right and Hagumi Kurai from the left.

As Saki was asking, many of the Precure and their mascots were looking at George with a slight sense of awe and wonder considering that they were in the presence of a Kamen Rider, a fictional hero now made into reality.

George paid attention to her, saying with a bit of hesitation. "...George Kurai, that's my name. And yes, Hyuuga-san, I'm a Kamen Rider. To be exact, I'm the twentieth and last Heisei Kamen Rider: Zi-O."

"Heeh, that's interesting, but, no, no," Saki waved her right hand with a reassuring smile. "Call me, Saki. My family and friends call me that and well, I don't really do many formalities. And speaking of which, how exactly did you know my name?"

"I know all of your names, it comes with part of the job as a Kamen Rider," George explained, before adding with a hesitant expression. "Also...you might as well consider me a personal fan of you all actually, all things considered, not in the more perverted and creepy ways, just no, please don't misunderstand, I beg of you all," George emphasized the last part, looking rather embarrassed while lightly touching his right cheek with his right index finger while cringing inwardly due to recalling having to deal with the usual cliché cases of the past.

"Hmmmmmmmmmm!" many of the Precure and their mascots reacted with either smiling in amusement or with good hearty laughter at the expression of the young man. The same could be said for the rest of the HUGtto! Precure, especially Precure like Hana and Hagumi who were giggling while covering their mouths since they've never thought of George Kurai and good-natured, accidental humor at the same space which was accompanied with a sense of embarrassment natural for a fourteen-year-old surrounded by young women, exceptions include the mascots.

"Ara, now that's quite interesting," Yukari Kotozume genuinely smiled while also being rather amused and flirtatious as she walks near George's location, sitting right near the left side of the hospital bed where George was. "By implying that, am I to understand that you have been watching all of us for quite some time."

"Yes," George confirmed. "When it comes to my job as a Kamen Rider, one of those just so happen to be studying the Precure and their history, meaning, it's my job to watch out for all of you from afar while keeping the history of our world and several to be intact and stable."

"A timeline protector of sorts is that what I'm getting at, George-kun," Yuri Tsukikage spoke with a smile.

"Wow, that's so cool! So you're basically a time traveller of sorts," Haruka Haruno spoke with excitement.

"Inter-multiversal time traveller, to be more accurate," George smiled a little as he explained, hearkening back to all of his classes in a special police box and past experiences. "I don't just travel through time and other worlds but I can also travel to other dimensions and universes connected or unconnected with ours; of many distinct kinds ranging from the usual things that you see on tv to ones, yes even the fictional ones, to ones that scientists like to theorize in their respective classes and conferences, to give a brief summary."

"So you're basically just Kamen Rider Decade in a nutshell?" Rin Natsuki smiled.

"Well, in fairness sake, Tatsuya and Kiriya can also do the things I do and can travel on their own just fine. And we're not really the only ones out there who can do that so we're not that special in that regard," George said humbly.

"Oh yeah, I'm actually quite curious about that," Kanade Minamino walks toward George, her expression was one of an epiphany as she realizes something odd. "You're Zi-O, but if I recall, I thought that it was Tokiwa Sougo that was Zi-O."

"And you're right, Kanade-san," George agreed with a nod. "Tokiwa Sougo is the original Kamen Rider Zi-O and is my sensei specifically in terms of my role as Zi-O. Technically, all of the Kamen Riders from Showa to Heisei are my senseis, really. I'm what is actually called a Successor Heisei Kamen Rider."

"Successor Heisei Kamen Rider?" Kanade asked.

"It's a term that specifically designates individual Kamen Riders from the Heisei Era, both Main and Secondary, being given the powers of the original. When it comes to myself, I'm but one of twenty individuals who have taken the role of a Successor Heisei Kamen Rider as Zi-O. The rest of the Kamen Riders from Kuuga to Build have their own chosen individuals, all of them who are very old friends of mine from other universes."

"Oh," Hana muttered with a surprised tone, with a slight amount of relief because of knowing that George wasn't really alone in his daily battles aside from people like Tatsuya, Kiriya, and Misaki.

"Heeh, that's awesome," Hummy, the mascot of the Suite Precure, smiled in amazement as she hopped at George's hospital bed. "How many of you guys actually are there then?"

"Complicated," George smiled. "I can only confirm for now that the specific Main Heisei Riders as the Main Successors from Kuuga to Zi-O, counting myself, as twenty specific individuals, chosen without any random coincidence regardless of space or time. And that's not even getting into the infinite potential of stories surrounding Kamen Rider and other superheroes. It's all about the topic of reinterpretation, rendition, and semantics which is a whole topic requiring whole classes, kinda like you girls aren't the only Precure out there," he looks at the Heartcatch Precure specifically. "Um, Tsubomi-san?" he asked.

"Yes?" Tsubomi Hanasaki asked. The rest who were listening were curious as well.

"This may sound a bit strange but how's your grandmother lately?" George asked.

"Eh?!" Tsubomi was surprised, wondering what this was about. "She's...fine. Why do you ask, George-san?"

"Well...your grandmother, Hanasaki Kaoruko, also known as Cure Flower, was the first proper Precure that I've met actually."

"Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" everyone uttered in shock.

"Wait, really?!" Erika Kurumi excitedly asked.

"Wh-When did you and Hanasaki-san meet?" Itsuki Myoudouin asked, curious.

"A very long time ago when I was eleven," George smiled, reminiscing the first meeting like it was yesterday. "And well, since then, both past and present, I've been meeting her every now and then. Sometimes, I worry for her as she isn't getting any younger so when no one was looking, I tend to stop by the botanical gardens from time to time."

"Oh, I see," Tsubomi smiled, touched at the fact that there was someone who was worried for her grandmother.

"Hmm...Speaking of which," Pollun, hopping at George's hospital bed, looks closely at George with a sense of curiosity. "You said that your name is George Kurai, right, popo? Because I have a feeling that I've heard of your name from somewhere, popo."

"She's talking about the George Kurai that the HUGtto! Precure had fought in the past, as much as I can recall from previous discussions of our past villains whenever we have the time to all gather together," said Coco, also known under his public alias as Kouji Kokoda, one of the mascots of the Yes! Pretty Cure 5 Team, now donning his human form which was a tall, handsome young man with short brown hair and blue eyes. He was currently sporting a concerned expression.

"Yes...him," George muttered softly, his eyes turning downward just as they narrowed. The feeling of guilt and shame, subtle as it were, was returning. he was softly clenching his fists as he holds the white blanket.

Many of the Precure and their mascots who were looking at George felt that Coco unintentionally hit a rather sore spot when bringing up the man who had given many problems for the HUGtto! Precure; and by extension other Precure Teams in the specific case of Doctor Traum whose temporal shenanigans lead to everything revolving in stop time.

Coco flinched slightly as he sees George's depressed expression, realizing the topic that was obviously a sore spot for the latter. "...Sorry about that."

But George only shakes his head, smiling sadly. But the smile, deprecating in nature, was directed only at himself; accusing himself. "Don't worry about it...Even I couldn't believe that such a man would be myself in the near future. And...I really hated that part about me."

Everyone, especially Hana and Hagumi who was right beside him, grew increasingly worried at the tone that ranged from a subtle disturbance and grimness, some of which were rather negative to in the context of which are feelings of vehemence and disgust. It was the feelings of hatred of oneself being brought a little, seeping through with no intention.

"...I mean...can you all imagine that in just one day...just one day...you will discover along the way that in the not too distant future, you would grow up to be this sad and pathetic person whose shallow reasons for doing what he does, claiming to be for the benefit of everyone and the for the further prevention of suffering, is actually rather selfish when you come down to it. Just imagine that...stopping time. Sure, when looking at it from one angle, it may not be so bad. But...stopping time for eternity is just stagnation. No one is growing, no one can move forward, and everyone is stuck in an eternity that would just drive you further off into the deep end. The worst part is that you're aware that you and this other person aren't that far off when looking at the logical outcome of what you'd become for a person who had most of everything that he held dear to the point where he would do absolutely everything to achieve that goal. And..."

For some reason, some shards of glass from the reflective mirrors or vases nearby were suddenly breaking and cracking apart, frightening and alarming many of the Precure and the mascots. Even more so when George's eyes turn from normal purple-brown to a dark magenta and the hospital bed that he was resting in was slightly shaking. And then, all of the Precure, especially Hana and Hagumi, felt something shadier. There were hidden layers of darkness that runs deeper like the cistern of a well. It was like the sun couldn't shine properly as the greyish clouds of ash were covering them tremendously but not all as a little light still seeps in from time to time.

"And...he did do anything for the sake of his goals...Almost anything...And I have to eventually catch up to those mistakes and own it...trying to say that "no, I won't become you, I'd never be you," but...sometimes...one is always reminded of that darkness that you know resides within you. And at that point, you'd do everything that you can possibly try to prevent it from happening by walking down a different road. You'd do everything to try to forget...but sometimes...the darkness just comes to you...even if it didn't happen yet...even if you wouldn't want it to happen..."

The idea of a causal loop.

Basically, it is a theoretical proposition in which, by means of either retrocausality or time travel, an event (an action, information, object, or person) is among the causes of another event, which is in turn among the causes of the first-mentioned event. Such causally looped events then exist in spacetime, but their origin cannot be determined.

A hypothetical example of a causality loop is given of a billiard ball striking its past self: the billiard ball moves in a path toward a time machine, and the future self of the billiard ball emerges from the time machine before its past self enters it, giving its past self a glancing blow, altering the past ball's path and causing it to enter the time machine at an angle that would cause its future self to strike its past self the very glancing blow that altered its path. In this sequence of events, the change in the ball's path is its own cause, which might appear paradoxical.

George couldn't bear to look at Hana or Hagumi right now because the topic itself was now subtly describing the main reason, flawed as it were, of how and why there was the George Kurai that most of everyone in this room had known for. To become like that man is something that he'd rather not want to be, and his future self reflects that fear of the future and the hesitation of even trying to dream.

One can be anything. One can do anything.

A simple ideal that George treasured more than anything. Indeed, he has seen individuals rise and fall from their own darkness, and the ideal itself was still there, incorruptible as old as the testament of time. He wanted to believe and apply this ideal, the ideal that was one of the common things that all of the Precure of the past, present, and future had fought for.

But this dark future where Hagumi had come from that is still in need of recovery, still in the stages of ruins for modern civilization as a whole, deeply pricked on George like a hidden thorn that could not be seen without attentively looking at it. And he knew that the heavy loss of Hana Nono, that amazing flower of sunshine in the life of George Kurai, would suddenly wilt away and passed into the next life, leaving him to take care of Hagumi, all alone.

George was terrified. It was one of those reasons why he never wanted to find a girlfriend even. He always feared what was to become of the future. It was one of his many flaws. He knows how very unhealthy it is, but can one truly blame him after bearing witness to the dark future where the Future George Kurai, the enemy of the Precures, came from, along with other potential futures that were ceremoniously cut short?

How does one live in peace when the fact of becoming something that would make one's parents sad would send him trying to run? And he just tries to keep running. And running. And avoiding the topic altogether. Once again, he wouldn't recommend this type of mentality to anyone. It was his flaw that he acknowledges, a part of his own dark side that he struggles to embrace.

And yet...

"George."

He was being called out from his interior thoughts as he couldn't resist the concerned voice and the soft touch that he felt from his right hand. His eyes returned to normal. He looks to his right to find Hana who somehow looked even more beautiful in his eyes because of that sense of empathy as if she understood what he'd been going through all this time. The same touch from his left hand was felt and he looks to his left to find Hagumi, looking at him as well with that same sense of empathy, knowing just what George was trying to say.

"George-oniichan," Kotori came closer, looking at George with concern.

George looks at all of the Precure and the mascots who were concerned for him, especially after they saw him clearly distraught. He flinched as he bowed his head, thinking that he shouldn't have said anything, speaking in an apologetic tone. "...Sorry, everyone, I shouldn't have rambled like that. Pay no heed to it."

Yukari only looked at him with empathy, a rare expression in place of amusement, seeing the struggling young man trying to reconcile his own inner dark side, reminding her a bit of her own darkness that she had already accepted gracefully. However, this young man was more troubled than even her since his own darkness relates to shadows of potential futures that may or may not come to be. And she, as well as many of the Precure were reminded of that sad smile that Misaki Ayuzawa showed when she requested to Hana and to Hagumi that they take good care of George right before she left.

"No need to apologize, George," she reassured with a smile. "We understand."

"That's right," Honoka interjected with a reassuring smile, walking towards George. "You don't have to feel bad about rambling about something you don't intend. Sometimes, that's one of the ways for humans to vent and get rid of their negative feelings from time to time."

"Still, George-san..." Mirai Asahina side glances at the broken reflective surfaces and vases nearby. She smiled with humor "...Remind us never to make you angry."

"I think the proper term is distraught but that's just me being semantic as usual so just ignore me and my rambling," George deadpanned.

"Ehehehehehehehe!" many of the Precure and the mascots, along with Kotori, were giggling.

"George-san, you're doing it again," Saaya Yakushiji giggled.

"Doing what?" George asked, genuinely curious while innocently tilting his head.

"Ehahahahahahaha!" many of the Precure and the mascots, along with Kotori, were giggling.

"George-san, do you have any interests or hobbies besides being a Kamen Rider?" Yayoi Kise raised her right hand cutely in order to try to brighten up the mood.

"Hmmm," George thought for a moment. Then, as if struck by a light bulb shining down on his head, he immediately summons a large guitar, much to the surprise of everyone in the room. The guitar was the steel-string acoustic type, the color of which was white with a yellow Zi-O symbol located on the upper left side of the guitar. "I can play the guitar, although this is far from the only instrument I could play. So...can I play a song?"

"Yes!" everyone said excitedly and at the exact same time which surprises George somewhat.

"Oh...Ugh...Okay then," George coughed himself before getting himself ready to play the guitar since he'd figured that actions speak louder than words.

Insert Song: End

Insert Song: Start

Justiphy's · KENTO HANDA

And so, he decided to play the guitar and pour everything with all of his heart, feeling the steel strings with his right hand that was still wounded a bit. But it was alright as he felt that he needed to sing as it were in order to alleviate the tension in the room.

"George..." Hana muttered softly.

"..Eh?!" Emiru was looking at George in awe, with both of her hands placed at her bedside, as she sees the flawless execution of the tone through the use of his hands.

An acoustic feel was present in the sound that the guitar made. The hands were moving on their own as if they were sued to the strings, touching them like a professional with flexible fingers.

"Hirogaru uchuu no naka Can you feel? ("In the growing universe Can you feel?")," he sings in a sober solemn tone as he looks at both Hana and Hagumi who were looking at him in awe and curiosity. "Chiisa na hoshi no hanashi wo shiyou. ("Now let's talk about a small star.")"

Every one of the Precure and their respective mascots were listening very attentively, with many of them, especially the Yes! Pretty Cure 5, recognizing the song and the lyrics that are being sung as the theme song of Kamen Rider Faiz. Many of the Precure and their respective mascots were carrying expressions of awe and wonder as they listen to the music. But they can also tell something else from within their hearts. It was a mixture of happiness and sadness that was filled with memories of the past while trying to find a way to face the future without any form of fear.

"Tell me the truth shinjite 'ta mirai ga. Kuzure sarou to shite'ru. Kanashimi wo kurikaeshi. Boku-ra wa doko e yuku no darou? ("Tell me the truth the future I believed in. Is about to crumble away. Repeating sorrow. Where are we going to go?")" he sings with a solemn tone, sober but vigilant. "Ima hitori-hitori no mune no naka. Me wo samase The time to go. Tsuyoku aru tame ni. Mata mamoru koto to tatakau koto. Dilemma wa owaranai... hashiri-tsuzukete mo. (The) end justiφ's the means. ("Now in the hearts of everyone. Wake up The time to go. To go forth strong. To protect and to fight again. Dilemma doesn't end… even if we keep running. (The) end justiφ's the means.")"

And as the lyrics stop and the sound continues on, George was looking at every one of the Precure and their mascots, then back to Kotori who was listening attentively in awe, and then back to Hana and Hagumi.

Both Hana and Hagumi didn't know why but something in their heart was breaking. It took everything they had to not cry in tears mixed with joy and sorrow because the meaning of the song seems to pass by them as if in a flash of mere memories. The same feeling was more or less felt by the rest of the Precures and the mascots as they recall all of their adventures; the bonds that were forged; the joys and sorrows that were experienced by each Precure and their mascots. They never regretted it. Not one line.

There was also something else...

"...!" Hana and Hagumi, along with everyone else who was listening to them, didn't know why but there was something that they both felt as a hidden connection was opened between them. And for some reason...they can glimpse a special type of memory, known only to them.

"Ashita no kono sora sae Keep your real. Eien ja nai kamo shirenai. Over again messeeji wo okuru. Byouyomi wa hajimatta... ("Even tomorrow's sky Keep your real. May not be eternal. Over again sending the message. The countdown has begun…")"

Everyone was seeing something only they could know and see with their own eyes as if only through a moment. The information was somehow infused into them as the song keeps playing.

They see a very young George Kurai, eleven years old, sitting down on a bench. On his right side, there was the presence of a man in his thirties, with black wavy hair reaching down his neck and brown eyes. He was wearing a green shirt and a black jacket; blue jeans and brown shoes. There was also a dog tag being worn around the neck.

"...!"

They recognize this person.

Takumi Inui - Kamen Rider Faiz.

Years: 2003 - 2004.

His background is mostly unknown. What is well known was that he was human once until the one fateful day when he died in a fire accident. Resurrecting him as the Wolf Orphnoch. and decided to use his newfound power to protect humans, trying to save Ryusei School students when their reunion turned into a massacre caused by the Clover Four's Kitazaki and some of their classmates who were already Orphnochs. Since the brutality of the incident, and somehow confused between his failure to save them and the implanted memory in him afterward that made him believe that he was really the one who started it, Takumi refused to transform again and became a loner, bent on not getting into relationships with people out of fear of somehow betraying them, traveling without any self-confidence or lifelong dream of his own. He is also often teased by his peers for being a "nekojita" (literally means "cat tongue"; someone who cannot stand food that is too hot) which was because of the fire accident he had.

Somewhere down the road, he met a young woman named Mari Sonoda. One thing lead to another and Takumi ended up using the Faiz Gear to transform into Kamen Rider Faiz in order to fight the Orphnochs and defend humanity. Because of this, he is well known as the Kamen Rider who fights for dreams despite not having a dream.

Officially speaking, he was supposed to be dead at the final battle between him and a few others, and the Orphnoch King. But his timeline is very complicated per se as his timeline was interfered with by outside forces several times.

As of now, Takumi was teaching the young George how to play the guitar, singing his iconic theme song, surprising everyone who was watching this very moment. Both of them, Takumi and George, both past and present, seem to be in sync.

"Boku-ra ni wa mada kitto. Yaru beki koto ga aru no nara... Ima hitori-hitori no mune no naka. Yobisamase The way you go/ Shinjitsu wo sagase. Mata shinjiru koto utagau koto. Dilemma ga kiri ga nai... samayoi-tsuzukeru. (The) end justiφ's the means. ("If we might still have. Something that we must do... Now in the hearts of everyone. Call and wake up The way you go. Search for the truth. To believe and doubt again. Dilemma has no limit… continue wandering. (The) end justiφ's the mean.")"

And then...

They begin to see twenty figures as the song now reaches it's finale...

The first figure wore a black suit, a red armor on the chest that simulated the chest with a golden collar with ancient letters, red gloves that covered his forearms, and white round shoulder straps, at the waist he has an arched belt with ancient writings while a sphere inside, a pair of gold stalk with a red gem, a gold bracelet on the legs with small red gems and finally a black helmet with large red eyes with a large golden horn on the helmet, which extended longer on its head, the silver mouthpiece it has the shape of strata, very similar to an insect.