Rider Time Zi-O: Roze from Remnant

Chapter 99.5 – The Mysterious Instructor

"There now remain five Watches that Sougo Tokiwa must collect," Woz said as he was reading his book while walking through his usual black void, "However as we press forward there are now opportunities to take a peek into some interesting side-stories within the World of Riders… one in particular being the story of Penny Polendina and the start of her deeper interactions with this world."

Earth – Late April 2019

Ruby hummed as she was currently waiting in the living area of Kikuchi Dry Cleaners. It turned out that Keitaro had ended up mixing up some orders and Ruby's scarf had ended up in the delivery pile. The result was an angry Mari yelling at him over the phone to get back as soon as possible.

"I'm so sorry about that," Mari apologized as she walked over before sitting across from Ruby, "Usually he's on the ball about this sort of thing."

"Its fine," Ruby reassured with a smile, "It just means I get to stay a bit longer."

"You know it's fine if you just visit," Takumi said as he walked over with a few glasses of water, setting them down at the coffee table before spreading them out. He could only give a small smirk, "You don't always have to clean your scarf."

"Well I feel like I'd be overbearing if I just hung out randomly," Ruby admitted, "Especially by how frequently I show up given the amount of trouble I end up getting to where the scarf needs cleaning."

"And that's not counting your sister's jacket," Mari added.

"Thankfully that's still here," Ruby sighed in relief before looking over, seeing her sister's jacket hanging in a dry cleaning bag.

"Yeah, the scarf must've been small enough to where he didn't notice anything," Takumi replied before going to take a sip of his water, "So how have things been?"

"Oh you know, the usual Rider stuff," Ruby said, "Though this time we had to deal with Sougo's Birthday alongside the standard Another Rider fair."

"Must've been tough," Mari said.

"But not that tough," Takumi said, "Right?"

"Given what we just ended up dealing with before Another Hibiki…" Ruby trailed off as she thought about the situation, "Yeah, very much so…"

Mari raised an eyebrow, "Really now?"

"Come on, you remember the favor I did for Ruby," Takumi reminded, "I told you and Keitaro all about that crazy adventure."

"Oh that's right, that whole Remnant business," Mari said with a nod before putting a hand on her chin, "Still not sure on the specifics… but this whole other world thing sounds complicated."

"Trust me, it is," Ruby reassured before taking a quick sip of her water, "But my friends and I entered an agreement to not think too hard about everything."

"Smart," Takumi said, "Because as happy as I was to help, even I was confused by the whole affair."

"Understandable," Ruby said before smiling, "Thanks again."

"No problem," Takumi nodded while waving off the thanks as if it wasn't a big deal, "Speaking of Remnant though, you all brought someone new this time right?"

"Yeah, our friend Penny," Ruby replied before thinking back on some odd habits that Penny was starting to pick up, "Though I'm admittedly a bit worried about her…"

"Worried about her?" Mari asked, "What do you mean?"

"Is she not adapting well?" Takumi asked.

Ruby hummed a bit, "How do I put this… well…"

Penny let out a soft hum as she walked along the street, simply choosing to wander around the city at the moment. She had planned to meet up with Ruby at Kikuchi Dry Cleaners though those plans changed when she was informed by Ruby that Keitaro had made a mix-up with the delivery orders and taken it along with him. She figured that staying in the apartment would be fairly dull, and decided that it wouldn't hurt to take in the sights of the city while waiting for the O.K. from Ruby.

It hadn't been long since she arrived with Ruby and the others, so she was still amazed by all Earth had to offer. The cultures while similar in some aspects to some parts of Remnant were still vastly different and that was what intrigued her. There was always something new to learn every day, especially since they had Sento set her up with internal Wi-Fi to allow her ease of access to the internet. But despite that, learning online didn't compare to experiencing everything first hand. So she was always excited to see what new things she could learn about whenever the day fully started up.

Of course despite the excitement, there was also something else on her mind. She could feel herself absentmindedly pretending to strum a guitar, trying to recall the motions and movements that Todoroki did. There was still that strange spark, but now it could be comparable to an itch. She had hated that she didn't have the courage to ask Todoroki if he could teach her how to play a guitar. And even then she didn't really have the money to pay for a guitar, and she didn't really want to bother Ruby about something like this.

She continued to walk around near absentmindedly and was passing by a park when she heard something that caught her attention.

Someone was playing a guitar.

(Insert: Kamen Rider Faiz Ost. – Yume no Kakera)

She looked around, entering the park to try and see if she could spot who was playing it. Eventually she found a lone man underneath a tree. He had a scruffy mustache and beard combo with wild long hair. He wore a red and black plaid shirt with a jean jacket over it and dark green baggy cargo pants. He seemed lost in his own world was playing a fairly old fashioned but well maintained acoustic guitar.

The song itself didn't seem to be based on a pre-existing one, nor did he need to actually watch how he strummed. He just had his eyes closed and was playing with perfect accuracy, seemingly at peace as he did so. As such he didn't even notice Penny moving near him.

Penny couldn't help but walk closer and closer, enraptured by the playing both visually and musically. It wasn't the fast paced strumming of Todoroki, but it was still captivating to her. She also noticed what seemed to be a random hat that was nearby alongside various coins and bills that were just dropped inside.

Despite this, it was only a temporary distraction as she turned her attention back on the man. She closed her eyes as she stood nearby, taking in the sounds of the guitar. It had seemed like hours on end, and it felt like she could just listen forever. But even so the song slowly came to an end, Penny opening her eyes and watching as the man finished his song.

(Insert End)

"That was wonderful…" Penny spoke up.

"Huh?" The man looked up before giving a yell, "Ah!"

"Ah!" Penny called out as she backed away at the sudden yell.

"Oh, oh jeez…" The man gave a sigh as he put a hand on his chest, "Sorry about that… I just wasn't expecting someone to be here is all."

"But your song is so wonderful," Penny said, "Who would not want to come and listen to it?"

"Eh, it's not that great…" The man waved it off.

"The monetary value in your hat suggests otherwise," Penny pointed.

"Huh?" The man turned before giving a gasp, grabbing the hat, "Jeez, I thought if I didn't have a bin that they'd just not do it but someone ended up doing it anyway."

"I suppose that shows how much they enjoy your work," Penny smiled.

"I guess," The man said as he tapped his guitar a bit, "As a musician I pride myself on the art itself. How it makes people feel, what emotions it brings… I mean the paycheck or tips I get are also pretty good, don't get me wrong."

"I see," Penny said with a small giggle.

"So how long were you listening?" The man asked, a bit curious.

"For most of the song I believe," Penny said as she recalled how long she was listening, "Why?"

"Most people just pass by and listen to the music until they can't anymore," The man admitted, "I take it you either play guitar or are into music yourself?"

"Oh I would not call myself musically inclined," Penny admitted, "Nor do I play the guitar."

"But you enjoy music right?" The man asked, "I mean why else would you stick around."

"That is a fair point…" Penny said as she put a finger on her chin while in thought, "I am admittedly also rather interested in the guitar…"

"Oh?" The man raised an eyebrow.

"It was so sudden," Penny explained as she held her hands forward, "He showed up out of nowhere and helped us out for a short while. Then he played his guitar and I felt very captivated by it. I even got to hold one for a while and it felt incredible. Ever since then, I have had this desire to learn more… but I am not sure what to do."

The man nodded as he finally took notice of Penny's legs, mistaking them for prosthetics. With that information now in his head, he seemed to figure out what was bothering Penny.

"Naoto Kamiya," He introduced, "I think I can help you."

"Penny Polendina," Penny gave a bow before looking up curiously, "And you can?"

"My usual job aside from performing is actually as a freelance instructor," Naoto explained, "How about we talk over some lunch?"

"Eh?" Penny tilted her head.

"I think I know your friend's problem," Takumi said as he set his empty glass down before leaning back and crossing his arms.

"You do?" Ruby asked.

"Wait, really?" Mari asked in surprise, "What exactly is Penny's issue?"

"First I need one question answered," Takumi said, "What kind of weapons did Hibiki use?"

"Oh well Hibiki's a bit of weird one since he uses musical weaponry," Ruby said as she thought on their encounter with Hibiki, Kyoki, and Todoroki, "His student Kyoki and he used drum sticks. Though Todoroki used a guitar."

"I knew it," Takumi said as he began to mimic playing a guitar, though in a rather sloppy way, "The way you talked about just barely noticing her fidgeting with her hands in rhythm but moving them all around and not keeping them close."

"Yeah," Ruby nodded before realizing something, "Hey wait…"

"That looks like she's playing air-guitar," Mari noted as she held her chin with her hand, before the realization hit, "Are you saying she wants to play the guitar?"

"That's exactly what it sounds like," Takumi nodded, "Especially once it was mentioned that Todoroki used a guitar."

"She also used one briefly during our finisher," Ruby noted as she thought on the situation, "Huh… I never would have guessed she'd take up an interest like that."

"I think I can help her if she's willing," Takumi added, "I know a friend who plays guitar."

"Wait really," Ruby's eyes went wide, "You do?"

"Of course," Takumi chuckled.

"Oh that's right, Kaido!" Mari realized, "Do you really think he'd do it?"

"Well he is a freelance instructor," Takumi said, "I'm sure if we told him about Penny's issues then he'd be willing to do it for free."

"Wait, seriously?" Ruby asked before chuckling, "Just who don't you know?"

"Well I don't know everyone," Takumi admitted, "You just got really lucky this time."

Penny and Naoto had both gone to a diner to continue their talk, though Penny didn't order anything despite Naoto's insistence. Thankfully the excuse of her having already eaten something prior to their meeting helped quell the matter almost instantly.

"You sure you're not hungry?" Naoto asked.

"Positive," Penny nodded as she looked over at the guitarist, "So how exactly do you believe you can help me?"

"Well I figured someone like you is burdened," Naoto said as he continued on the hunch he assumed when it came to his first glance at Penny, unaware of what she really was, "You don't really feel normal at times but it sounds like music and specifically the guitar puts you at ease, am I right?"

Penny blinked a few times at that, a bit surprised that Naoto had gotten her feelings right on the money. She looked down and let out a light sigh as she thought on it. While she was grateful for everything Ruby and the others had done, something still felt missing. While she was fine the way she was, sometimes she did feel off since she wasn't normal by any means. Not even counting her own existence there was the Maiden powers which set her apart from the others. Trying to do normal mundane things, or at least attempting, didn't seem to help counterbalance that either.

And yet despite it coming from the absurdist of places, she felt a spark light up within her when she heard Todoroki playing his guitar. She thought she could pass it off as just something cool and interesting that she'd forget about but she hadn't. This was especially the case when she had participated in the 'All Ongeki-Dou Roze Version' as it was nicknamed. Getting a chance to play, even if it was just her instinctually following the beat, it felt great. But then after that, there was now this itch and it was bothering her greatly…

"Oh, oh I'm really sorry!" Naoto called out when he saw Penny go quiet, figuring he had gotten too accurate and went too far in his assumptions, "I'm sorry if I overstepped my boundaries. I just well… you know…"

"No, no, it's fine," Penny said as she held up a hand, "You actually made a very accurate statement."

"Even so…" Naoto muttered as he glanced away.

"You are right though, I was unsure before. But thinking on it I now know the sound of a guitar definitely puts me at ease," Penny admitted, "So what exactly did you want to do to help?"

"Normally I don't do these things for free, but for you Miss, I feel like I can make an exception," Naoto explained, "Would you like to learn how to play the guitar?"

Penny stared at Naoto for a while, "Excuse me?"

"Would you like to learn how to play the guitar?" Naoto asked again but this time did so with a small smile.

"Oh, I am not sure I can accept…" Penny looked down, "It is just you are likely potentially busy with other contracts, and me learning for free sounds like it would set you back from the money you could be making…"

"Think nothing of it," Naoto said, giving a bigger smile when he saw Penny look up in surprise, "You genuinely want to learn and you seem like a nice girl. So I'm willing to do this for free. It'd be a shame if you couldn't do what your heart desires."

"What my heart desires…?" Penny muttered as she placed a hand near her chest.

"So what do you say?" Naoto asked.

"Hmm…" Penny thought on it for a while, but despite being hesitant she knew this was likely her only chance. She gave a determined nod as she stared directly at the man, "I will take your offer!"

"Good answer," Naoto said before pulling out his phone, "We can't start today obviously but if you could give me your contact information, that'd be appreciated."

"Of course," Penny said before taking out the phone that Ruby had bought her so that she could keep in contact with the others on Earth.

"Again, I'm so very sorry!" Keitaro shouted as he bowed profusely towards Ruby as she now had her scarf on and was at the front of Kikuchi Dry Cleaners with Yang's jacket slung over her arm.

"You should be," Mari sighed as she stared down at her friend, "You made Ruby wait forever."

"You say that like we didn't help her with a legitimate problem," Takumi said from nearby.

"Its fine Keitaro," Ruby reassured as she went to help Keitaro stand straight, "I didn't mind waiting anyway."

"A-Alright," Keitaro said with a nod, "If you say so…"

"I mean you're acting like if you didn't apologize then I'd never go to you all ever again," Ruby said as she waved off the notion, "You guys are my friends, of course I'm going to keep wanting your services."

"This is also because of the friend discount we give, isn't it?" Mari asked with a bored stare.

"Just a bit yes," Ruby said with a small bit of embarrassment that she had to admit that, but Mari was too right on the money to deny it.

"Take care Ruby," Takumi said, "I'll see if I can give Kaido a call so he can meet with Penny, alright?"

"Sounds good," Ruby called out as she exited Kikuchi Dry Cleaning, waving as Takumi, Keitaro and Mari waved back. She let out a hum as she walked out onto the street before seeing Penny nearby, "Oh hey Penny, hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Oh no it is fine," Penny smiled as she walked over, "I had only just arrived a minute ago after receiving your latest text."

"Ah," Ruby said as she walked off, "So how about we head home?"

"That sounds good," Penny agreed while following after, "I believe Blake said she'd be handling dinner tonight."

"Nice," Ruby said before realizing that her friend looked a lot more at ease than usual, "Hey you look pretty happy, something happen?"

"Oh, was it obvious?" Penny asked.

"I mean you're usually pretty chipper," Ruby admitted, "But you're definitely a lot happier now."

"I have chips?" Penny asked as she looked herself over, "I was not engaged in combat or extraneous exercise. Or are we talking about my internal systems?"

"Uh, no that's not what I meant," Ruby sighed slightly before deciding to try again with her questions, "Anyway, what happened?"

"Oh I met this man, Naoto Kamiya," Penny explained as she followed, "He was playing a song on his guitar in the park. And when he noticed I was listening we started to talk and then well… he offered to teach me how to play the guitar."

"Whoa," Ruby said, "So you really were interested in the guitar?"

"Oh, did you notice?" Penny asked in slight surprise.

"Just a bit, though my friends helped me put together that it was guitar," Ruby explained, "Why exactly guitar?"

"Ever since Todoroki appeared I was captivated by his guitar," Penny admitted, with Ruby noting that Takumi was right on the money with the spark that lit Penny's desire, "It was not until I met Naoto that I realized that I really, really wanted to play the guitar."

"Well that's good that you realized," Ruby said, "But that's a shame that you got an instructor already because I had an idea on that front."

"I thought you did not play an instrument?" Penny asked.

"I don't," Ruby said, "But Takumi actually knows someone who played guitar. They don't keep in touch too often but we were going to get you to meet with him. Maybe make it to where it doesn't cost a lot."

"Intriguing," Penny said before shaking her head, "There is no need to worry about fees however as Naoto said that he would help me for free."

"Huh, that's a pretty sweet deal," Ruby said, realizing that Penny had all her bases covered. Admittedly having the problem wrapped up now would end up being good in the long run, "In any case, I'm glad you found a hobby. We're going to have plenty of downtime between Ridewatches so that'll be a good way to spend time."

"Definitely," Penny said.

Watching from afar was Woz who opened his book with a smirk, watching as the two walked off without noticing him.

"And so this short tale comes to a close," Woz said as he turned to walk away, "But this is merely one part of Miss Polendina's adventures. That mysterious instructor however, Naoto Kamiya… he seems familiar, wouldn't you agree?"

He then turned to see Naoto walking over to Kikuchi Dry Cleaners before entering it.

To Be Continued...

Next Time: Chapter 100 – 2011: Back to School, Switch On!

Author's Note: And we're back with our interludes, though I will note that they won't appear after every Legend Rider is wrapped up. But these are going to be a lot more focused as we've now started a bit of a running subplot within them and that's thanks to Penny. I figured I could do some fun stuff with her when it came to particular Legend Rider stuff, and this is just the start of it!

Naoto Kamiya seems pretty familiar though, right? Considering what I'm doing and if you're up to date on your Rider knowledge, you should be able to figure out what's going on with ease. With that said, thanks for reading this short little interlude and I'll see you all next time!