Everyone was gathered in the TARDIS' control room after they heard Alan's urgent summons. The Traveler paced about in front of them. He just gave them the bad news, that Shinichi's world only had less than 24 hours before it ceased to exist.
"What do you mean it only has less than 24 hours left?" Rosa demanded.
"Exactly as I said. Shinichi's timeline is unstable and it's all caused by an aberration to a single fixed point in time," Alan added. "And what was that aberration?"
"Shiori died so Shinichi was never born," Misato answered.
"Correct! And as a result of this aberration, the timeline is breaking down, preventing us from travelling there. Presently, my TARDIS doesn't have enough power to get us through." Alan snapped his fingers. "That just means we need to give the TARDIS more power!"
"And how will we give it more power?" Lina asked.
"We'll supercharge it with this," Alan said, flashing his Power Ring. "And yours." He pointed at Yuji's Power Ring.
"Our rings?" Yuji asked, looking at his Blue Lantern Ring.
"Hope fuels Willpower, so we just need to feed the TARDIS with power from our rings," Alan said while clasping his hands together before breaking them apart dramatically. "And BOOM! We'll be able to smash our way through!"
"Am I the only one worried about the 'boom' part?" Lina asked, raising her hand. When nobody responded, she lowered her hand and shrugged. "No? OK, just me then."
"Why not use your Lantern batteries?" Rosa proposed. "Wouldn't that be safer?"
"The batteries were designed to only recharge our rings. Nothing else," Alan shook his head. "No, the energy has to come directly from our rings that are fueled by our emotions."
"OK, so do you have something that can help us do that laying around?" Yuji asked.
"No, but I'm sure I can jury-rig something," Alan grinned confidently. "I mean, what can go wrong?"
"And just like that you tempted fate," Misato muttered, facepalming.
"Let me help," Yuji offered. "You'll need my mechanical know-how to put this thing together."
"Sure," Alan accepted. "Now, let's get to work!"
With Yuji's help, Alan was able to build the device that would feed their Power Rings' energy into the TARDIS. The two Lanterns strapped on the dome-shaped helmets which were connected to the TARDIS' control console via cables. Each helmet had a light bulb on top and various blinking coloured LEDs.
"Alright, so these helmets will let us supercharge the TARDIS with energy from our rings. With my Willpower and your Hope boosting it, we'll be able to give the TARDIS enough juice that should allow us to smash through the unstable timeline's blockade," Alan explained.
"Should?" Yuji repeated. "What happens if this doesn't work?"
"Then we'll be ripped to atoms that will be scattered across time and space," Alan answered bluntly.
"Then shouldn't we test these things first?" Yuji asked as he tapped his helmet.
"No, there's no time for that but I'm sure these will work," Alan said as he calibrated everything.
"Sounds like you're taking a huge leap of faith here, Alan," Yuji remarked.
"Sometimes faith is all you need but what else can we do? If we don't set the timeline right, everyone has to stay inside the TARDIS forever so they don't get erased as well."
Yuji grimaced. He didn't like the idea of being torn apart and having his atoms scattered all across space-time but he also didn't want his family to stay trapped onboard the TARDIS forever. It might be able to provide them with whatever they needed to make their stay comfortable, but it would be like living in a prison and that was no way to live.
"OK, let's do it," Yuji allowed.
"Brace yourself and keep your fingers crossed. This might sting a bit," Alan warned him as he flipped the switch. Their bodies glowed in their respective spectrum colours as their energy was fed into the machine.
"AARRRGHHHHHHH!"
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Suddenly, the two Lanterns cried out in agony as they gripped the console tightly, their skin tone changing to match the colours of their energies. Their eyes were screwed shut as they tried not to pass out from the pain.
"Alan!" Nozomu cried.
"Daddy!" Alice yelled.
"Yuji!" Misato exclaimed.
"Papa!" Maria screamed.
As the TARDIS absorbed their energy, the two Lanterns opened their eyes which glowed with white light. As if in a trance, they recited their respective Lantern Corps oaths at the same time:
"In brightest day / In fearful day."
"In blackest night / In raging night."
"No evil shall escape my sight / With strong hearts full, our souls ignite."
"Let those who worship evil's might / When all seems lost in the War of Light."
"Beware my power / Look to the stars."
"Green Lantern's light! / For Hope burns bright!"
When Alan recited his oath, his words were filled with an unwavering desire to find Shinichi. At the same time, Yuji hoped to save his loved ones from a terrible fate. As they recited their oaths, they both glowed brightly with blue-green energy that was being fed into the TARDIS to increase its engine's power.
10%...15%...30%...
With each verse they recited, more power was fed into the machine.
45%...60%...95%...
The gauge on the screen showed the power levels rapidly rising, the blank bar quickly filling up until it was completely green.
100%
Once the gauge was full, the helmets stopped syphoning energy from them and the two Lanterns collapsed on the floor. The glow around their bodies faded soon after.
Alan got up with Nozomu and Yami's help.
"Don't you ever do something crazy like that again," Yami warned.
"No promises," Alan grinned cheekily as his skin tone returned to normal. She glared at him in response but her gaze softened as she knew he would go to any lengths to save his loved ones.
Misato and Rosa helped their husband up.
"Are you OK?" Rosa asked.
"I'm fine. Nothing a bit of aspirin won't fix," Yuji reassured them, the blue tint fading from his skin. "Did it work?" Yuji removed his helmet and his hair puffed up like an afro. Everyone had to hold in the urge to laugh as this was serious. "What?"
"Your hair, Papa," Maria pointed as she stifled a laugh. Yuji touched his new hairdo and frowned.
"Dang it."
"Well, when we go to a Disco, you'll fit right in," joked Misato.
Alan checked the screen and smiled. The device had worked and the TARDIS was now supercharged.
"We're all green," Alan reported as he got into position at the console, put in the time-space coordinates and smiled confidently. "Alright, everyone! Brace yourselves because it's Up, Up, and Away we go!" Alan pulled the lever, throwing the TARDIS into the time vortex. Hopefully, they could reach their destination in one piece and he also prayed that there was an Earth-83 still left to save.
As the TARDIS flew through the time vortex, it met the blockade again. Everyone hung on as the TARDIS shook. Alan stood at the controls, keeping a firm grip on the console. The TARDIS shook violently as it tried to force its way through.
"You can do it, girl," Alan urged his TARDIS. "I believe in you." After a few moments of struggling, the TARDIS successfully smashed through the blockade and it continued on its way.
"Are we there, Daddy?" Alice asked.
"We have arrived," Alan answered once the TARDIS exited the time vortex and now flew in the sky. They had safely travelled to Earth-83 and into the year 1991.
"Great, let's go find Shinichi," Yuji said.
"Yes, but I need to check up on something really quick," Alan stated as he took off his helmet, wanting to make a brief detour. Unlike Yuji's hair, his hair did not become an afro. "Also, you might need to fix your hair first, Yuji."
Alan landed the TARDIS in front of a mountain shrine. Hidden in the valleys of rural Japan, miles from civilization, the ancient shrine had survived the rapid, and violent, modernization of this world.
Alan stepped out of the TARDIS. He needed to check on someone he failed to reach in time when the timeline changed.
"Amaterasu?" Alan called as he entered the shrine.
"HUMAN!" came a terrifying roar. "YOU DARE ENCROACH UPON THE REALM OF THE GODS!? I SHOULD SMITE YOU WHERE YOU-" The voice quieted as the owner stepped out of the shadows. "A-Alan?"
"Hey, Amaterasu," Alan greeted with a warm smile, unfazed by her attempt to terrify him. Amaterasu slowly approached Alan, almost afraid that he might disappear if she moved too quickly.
"Are you...are you real? Are you really here?" She gingerly poked him in the chest. Alan could tell from the look on her face, she was terrified that he was some sort of hallucination.
"Yes, I'm real. I'm sorry I couldn't save you," Alan apologized. Amaterasu quickly enveloped Alan in a hug as she broke down into tears.
"Thank Izanagi," Amaterasu whimpered. "I have been cursed with two sets of memories. One where you and I are happy together, and another where we never met. And I…" She again began to sob.
"We're going to fix everything," Alan swore. "Until then I'm going to need you to stay here."
"No!" Amaterasu protested, grabbing his arms. "I don't want to be separated from you again!"
"You won't," soothed Alan. "But I need you to stay here so that when the timeline is restored, you won't be burdened by these memories anymore."
"Make sure you come back," Amaterasu demanded, almost pleading with Alan before pulling him into a deep and passionate kiss. When she broke the kiss, she looked into his eyes. "Swear to me."
"I swear in the name of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu," Alan vowed. "Just wait here and I'll be back once everything is back to normal." She reluctantly let him go and watched him step into the TARDIS.
"Make the world right again, my beloved Traveler of the Beyond," Amaterasu prayed as the TARDIS took off.
Showa Chronicle: Legacy of ReVenge
Act VIII: 3 Men, 2 Fathers, 2 Sons
Skull Mask led the four Riders to the Resistance HQ. Shinichi rode his Cyclone-X3 while Ranma rode his Machine Decader. Kenichi and Shinjiro also followed on their own bikes. Kenichi's Ridestriker was silver with Zi-O's face mounted in front and Shinjiro Road Raptor was a green adventure bike with a headlight in the shape of a raptor's head, claws in front of the wheels, and a tail on the back.
Nobody uttered a word as they allowed the black-clad Rider to lead the way.
After Shotaro removed his helmet, the rest of the Riders disengaged their suits. He was mildly surprised but he had seen weirder.
"So, now that we've seen each other without any masks, that means you'll come with me, right?" Shotaro asked.
"Yes," Shinichi answered and Ranma narrowed his eyes at the quick response.
"Excuse us for a second," Ranma interjected as he held up his index finger. He pulled Shinichi aside until they were out of earshot. "Shinichi, why are you so quick to trust this guy?"
"Coz he's my dad," Shinichi answered.
"No, he's not," Ranma objected. "You were never born in this timeline, remember? Maybe he was your dad in your old world but this is a different world and people can be different from how we remember them." Shinichi silently agreed. He had met Satoshi and Keiichi in this world and they were not the friends he knew anymore. "For all we know, he could be leading us into a trap."
"If Eisenberg wanted us dead, she would just kill us. Not let us go just to lead us into a trap," Shinichi argued.
"Well, he could be playing us. I'm not ready to just trust some guy who conveniently showed up right after you killed those monsters," Ranma rebutted.
"OK, I get it. He seems suspicious but we still need a place where we can lay low and rest," Shinichi argued. "If anything goes wrong, we book it."
"...OK, fine," Ranma huffed as he gave in. "But when shit happens, it's your fault. Deal?"
"Deal."
They returned to the group that waited patiently for them.
"Alright, are we good?" Shotaro asked.
"Yeah," Shinichi answered and he lightly elbowed Ranma.
"Yeah, we're good," Ranma reluctantly agreed.
Skull Mask led them to the mouth of a cave and hit the brakes, pulling himself over. Shinichi and the other Riders also pulled over beside him.
"Is this it?" Shinichi asked as he looked at the cave. "Your headquarters?"
"Yeah, it's right in there," Skull Mask pointed. "Now c'mon. Those things never stay dead for long and when they come back they'll be pissed and come looking for you," Skull Mask instructed. He got off his vehicle and held the handlebars, rolling his bike beside him. The four Riders did as told, turning on their headlights and following him into the cave.
After walking for nearly one kilometre, they found themselves in a large chamber. Lights were hung on the ceiling and there was a large group of people present. There were tents and some electronic equipment strewn about. Shinichi also spotted several electric generators. There were also people huddled together and a man serving hot meals from a table. The people inside were also leering at them, looking at them with suspicion. They were strangers and outsiders, after all.
"Welcome to the Resistance," Shotaro said as he took off his helmet.
"So you've been fighting GIN-SHOCKER since they took over?" Shinichi asked.
"Yeah," Shotaro confirmed. "It didn't happen overnight, though. GIN-SHOCKER planted their agents in the highest levels of the government and gradually spread their influence from the shadows. By the time we realized something wasn't right, it was already too late. I didn't know who I could trust in Interpol so I left and joined the Resistance," Shotaro explained.
"And how long has Eisenberg been in charge of the Enforcers?" Shinichi questioned.
"Viviana Eisenberg? Years, actually. She joined up when she was in her teens and quickly climbed the ranks. Now she's Chief Enforcer of Neo Hinamizawa City."
"Shotaro-san!" Reina yelled as she furiously approached the group. Shinichi smiled when he saw her, relieved that she managed to escape the Outlaw Way massacre safely.
"Kaa-chan..." Shinjiro whispered when he saw her.
"Oh, Reina! I found some new recruits and-" Shotaro began. She didn't let him finish as she smacked him upside the head with a strange, hollow metal clank echoing from the impact. "Ow!"
"You should know better than to bring strangers into the cave!" she snapped angrily. "What if they were chipped? You could have led the Enforcers right to our doorstep."
"They're not chipped," Shotaro affirmed, tapping his helmet. "I made sure of it."
"Well, you still could've told us you were bringing them," she huffed, folding her arms, the sound of gears turning coming from them when she did. She caught Shinichi staring at her. "Hm? Do I know you?"
"Well...maybe?" he answered, unsure of how to proceed. Since he was never born in this world, they never met. "I'm Shinichi...Sanban. I'm the one who saved you earlier."
"Wait, that was you?" Reina looked at him, surprised. "Thanks. I would've been dead if you hadn't saved my butt. I'm Reina Ryuugu. I'm the mechanic around here."
"It was your voice we heard on our radio, calling for help," Shinichi stated.
"Well, our guys were under attack so I called for help. Didn't think anyone outside the Resistance heard me. Thank goodness you showed up or all of us would've been killed," Reina smiled before she scrutinized him. "Are you sure we haven't met somewhere before? It's weird, but you seem familiar to me." She walked up to him and reached up to touch his face. He did not stop her as she brushed his bangs aside. She hissed when she found the XIII branded over his left eye. "Nasty scar."
"Yeah, the guy who gave it to me was a crazy bastard," Shinichi nodded as Reina caressed his face. He put his hand on her gloved hand. All of a sudden, there was a spark when their hands touched and Reina gasped as she recoiled. "Hey, are you OK?"
Reina groaned and she clenched her eyes shut as she held her head like she was having a headache. Once the pain subsided, she opened her eyes and looked at Shinichi like she recognized him.
"Shin-kun...?"
Shinichi blinked, surprised. So far, any people he knew from the original timeline did not seem to recognize him except for Viviana. Now, somehow, Reina - no, Rena - could recognize him.
"Rena-chan...?" She surprised him when she suddenly threw her arms around him.
"Shin-kun! Shin-kun!" she wept as she hugged him. "It's you! It's really you!"
Shinjiro, Ranma and Kenichi smile warmly while Shotaro was just confused.
"Am I missing something here?" Shotaro asked.
"It's just a happy reunion," Ranma answered.
"Reina, do you know this guy?" Shotaro asked.
"Yes, we've known each other for a long time, Shotaro-san," Rena claimed. "C'mon, Shin-kun. let me show you where I work," Rena said happily as she took Shinichi's hand and dragged him somewhere for some privacy.
"That's weird. Reina's never mentioned knowing your friend before," Shotaro commented.
"Maybe she just remembered he existed," Ranma replied knowingly.
Shinichi let her drag him along and they came to her place, which was an old minivan that was surrounded by junk.
"This is my spot," she pointed. "Home sweet home."
"I see you still love to collect your treasures," Shinichi said as he picked up an old windup toy. He was glad that some things remained constant even in this timeline.
"I go out into the junkyard to pick up spare parts and I also fix things up here," Rena explained.
"Is that how you got hurt?" Shinichi asked.
"Huh?" Rena blinked.
"Your bandages," Shinichi pointed at her arms. "Is collecting all this stuff from the junkyard how you got hurt?"
Rena held her arms together. Now she looked nervous and uncomfortable. No, it was more like she was ashamed. However, she had no reason to be ashamed in front of Shinichi. He would understand.
"Here, let me show you," Rena said as she removed her gloves and started to remove the bandages on her left arm. When she did, he saw dirty-grey and brown metal instead of skin. When she completely removed the bandages from her left arm, he saw that it was completely mechanical from the elbow down.
"What happened?" Shinichi questioned, staring at the mechanical limbs.
"There was an accident while I was trying to fix something," Rena explained as she removed the bandages on her right arm, revealing that it was the same as her left arm. "The damage was so severe that my arms had to be amputated. Luckily, the Resistance knew people who could get me some replacements and I've had these ever since." She then put her arms behind her so he wouldn't see them. "They're ugly, I know."
"No, they're not ugly," Shinichi shook his head. "They're beautiful, just like you."
"C'mon, you're just saying that." Rena blushed at how sincere he sounded.
"I'm saying it because I mean it," Shinichi insisted with a warm smile. Rena's eyes welled up with tears of joy as she gave him a bone-crushing hug. He returned the hug as they both sat down together in front of her minivan, comforting each other as they were reunited in this crazy world.
"I'm so glad I remember you again," Rena said sincerely.
"I'm so glad I found you. Are any of our other friends here?" Shinichi asked.
"Keiichi-kun became an Enforcer so he's on their side," Rena scowled. She felt betrayed now that she remembered their friendship from the old timeline.
"I know," Shinichi shared her expression. "I met him. He tried to have me arrested."
"Mii-chan is now a governor."
"Oh, that's great for her," Shinichi smiled. "What about Shion?"
"Shii-chan is secretly working with us. She's on the inside, gathering valuable information for the Resistance."
"So she's a spy."
"Satoshi-kun's a bartender and he's dating Miyo Takano. Satoko-chan is in a coma." This bit of news surprised Shinichi.
"Wait, what? Satoshi is with Takano?" Shinichi repeated in disbelief. "And Satoko-chan is... in a coma? Why? What happened to her?"
"Shii-chan told me she overdosed on Euphoria. Satoshi-kun hired Takano-san to look after her, and she seemed to be a bit lonely since Jiro-san was killed when he tried to investigate GIN-SHOCKER. Since they both lost someone dear to them, it seemed to make sense for them to grow close. It's still pretty disturbing given that it's still Takano-san, after all."
"A girl was asking me for money to get some Euphoria too." Shinichi did not mention how the girl had propositioned him. "It can really put you in a coma?"
"Yes, it can. It was originally marketed as an antidepressant since it induces pure bliss in the users but the Sonozakis are being made to distribute it illegally on the streets as a recreational drug. It is highly addictive and an overdose can put you in a coma. Considering the nature of Euphoria, everyone who ends up in a coma must be having blissful dreams that they don't want to wake up from," Rena explained. It was like a reverse of what happened in their original timeline. In their original world, Satoshi had been the one put in a coma because of the Hinamizawa Syndrome. He managed to get better, though. This world was truly terrible if people needed to resort to a drug like Euphoria to feel happy all the time.
"Well, when their dreams are better than reality, who can blame them? And Mion and Shion's family are being made to distribute this drug?" Shinichi asked, frowning.
"I'm afraid so," Rena nodded sadly. "Shii-chan can even confirm it."
"What about Hanyuu-chan and Rika-chan?" Shinichi asked.
"I don't know what happened to Hanyuu-chan but Rika-chan's here," Rena answered. "She helps to look after the younger kids. C'mon, I'll take you to her."
"Good, it'll be nice to see another friendly face."
Rika Furude didn't wear anything special; just a plain pink sundress with jeans and worn-out sneakers. She had been rescued by the Resistance some time ago. GIN-SHOCKER had her kept in suspended animation, trapped in a tube of fluid with a breathing apparatus. The GIN-SHOCKER scientists had studied her since she supposedly had a connection with the Hinamizawa Syndrome as she was the 'Queen Carrier'.
One day, the Resistance stormed the lab she was kept in and rescued her. Since she had nowhere to go, she ended up staying with them. At least, that was what her memories of this timeline were telling her. Ever since she woke up in this world, she had an entirely different set of memories to go along with it. She still had memories of her old world and she knew that this world was just wrong.
Rika Furude looked after the children who had lost their parents. When Rika had found them, they were all homeless. She did not have the heart to leave them to starve. So, she brought them back to the base. It may mean more mouths to feed but it was still the right thing to do. As she watched the children play, she saw two people approach. It was Rena and someone she did not expect to see in this world.
"Rika-chan, hi!" Rena waved. "Shotaro-san brought back some new recruits and I thought I'd introduce one of them to you."
"Hi," Shinichi waved. "I'm-"
"Shinichi," Rika interrupted. "Is that really you?"
"Huh?" Shinichi responded, surprised. "You...you know who I am?"
"As if I could forget my big brother," Rika smiled.
"Where's Hanyuu-chan?" Shinichi asked, hoping to see her too.
"I don't know," Rika shook her head. "When I woke up, she was nowhere to be seen, everything had changed and I don't know why."
"Yeah, everything's changed," Shinichi agreed. "And I know why it happened."
"Why?" Rika asked and Shinichi took a deep breath.
"Someone made sure I was never born...by killing Kaa-chan," Shinichi told them. Rika and Rena's eyes widened in shock.
"Shiori-san's dead?" Rena could not believe this.
"Mama is...Mama is...?" Rika's eyes watered as Shinichi hugged her. She sobbed into his arms as he gently held her.
"I'm so sorry, Rika-chan," Shinichi said sympathetically. When they had first met, Rika was an orphan but she wasn't alone. She had her friends and lived in the same house with Hanyuu and Satoko. However, despite being mentally over a hundred years old from experiencing the Endless June, she was still a child who missed her parents. So, when Shiori did what nobody had ever done and adopted her, she finally felt like she had a mother again. While perverted, Shiori was never a bad influence on Rika. Shiori was affectionate, supportive, loving, caring and treated Rika and Hanyuu like they were her own daughters.
And in this world, she was gone.
"Who did it? Who killed Mama?" Rika demanded angrily.
"Remember Eisenberg?" Shinichi reminded them.
"The woman who attacked you in Genovia?" Rena asked.
"Yeah," Shinichi confirmed. "She's the one who killed Kaa-chan."
"That bitch," Rika growled.
"Don't worry. I plan to make her pay," Shinichi swore.
"Why don't you go back in time and stop her before she kills Mama?" Rika questioned.
"That's the thing. Eisenberg has my powers too and she made sure nobody can go back in time to stop her, including me," Shinichi explained.
"Then what do you plan to do, Shin-kun?" Rena asked.
"We plan to defeat Eisenberg here and hopefully that will allow us to go back in time and save Kaa-chan."
"Make sure you make her suffer thoroughly. She deserves nothing less for taking Mama from us," Rika demanded with a furious growl.
"Mama..." Rena's eyes widened as she gasped in realization. "Shinjiro! We never met in this world so we never had Shinjiro! Shinjiro's gone! Our baby's gone!" Rena wept.
"Hey, hey, it's OK," Shinichi consoled Rena, putting his hands reassuringly on her shoulders. "He's not gone."
"He isn't?" Rena asked as Shinichi wiped her tears away.
"No, he isn't. In fact, he's right here with us. C'mon, let's go meet him. How about you, Rika-chan? Want to meet your nephew?"
"Sure," Rika nodded. "I want to see what Shinjiro's like now."
"OK, but spoiler warning, he's gotten bigger."
Shinjiro wandered around the base. It was amazing how these people were able to make a home in this cave, but prehistoric humans had done the same before so it wasn't too much of a stretch that they could as well.
He had just met his grandfather and the man was a lot different than what he imagined. Then again, Shotaro Banabara had died in the original timeline. This version of him had to live for decades with the grief of losing his wife and unborn child.
Speaking of being unborn, in this world, Shinjiro's parents never met so he was never born as well. At least his mother was still alive. That was good news.
"Oi, Shinjiro!" Shinichi called and Shinjiro saw his father approach with both his mother and Aunt Rika.
"Tou-san!" Shinjiro waved and both Rena and Rika were surprised to see him. The two girls speed-walked over to him to get a closer look.
"Shinjiro?" Rena asked. "Is that really you?"
"Yes, Kaa-chan," Shinjiro nodded. "Hello. Hello to you too, Aunt Rika."
"You're grown up," Rika said, looking him over. Looking at his face, she could see the familial resemblance he shared with Shinichi and Rena.
"I'm so glad to see you!" Rena hugged her grown-up son and then she let him go with a look of confusion. "Wait a minute, how are you even here? In this world, I never met Shin-kun and how is Shin-kun even here if he was never born?"
"I can explain," Shinichi started. Due to the nature of his powers, Shinichi decided to study temporal mechanics and temporal theories.
"Me too," Shinjiro added.
Shinichi and Shinjiro spent the next 15 minutes explaining how they were able to exist in this timeline even though they technically should not. Shinichi claimed his powers protected him from being erased by the rewritten timeline so his existence right now was technically a paradox. Shinjiro also claimed that the timeline had yet to catch up to him.
"And that's why we can still exist in a timeline where we technically shouldn't exist," Shinichi finished.
"Hope it was not too complicated, Kaa-chan, Aunt Rika," Shinjiro added.
"Oh, I understood it," Rika nodded.
"That was a totally simple and not complicated explanation at all," Rena agreed. All of a sudden, she got an idea and whispered into Shinichi's ear. His eyes widened as his smile grew.
"Say, Shinjiro, how about you catch up with your aunt while I catch up with your mother?" Shinichi innocently suggested.
"OK," Shinjiro nodded.
"Great, have fun!" Shinichi waved as Rena dragged him away. Rika just gave the couple a deadpan stare.
"You do know what they're going to do, right?" Rika asked.
"Yes," Shinjiro answered.
"So, what do you do?"
"I'm studying to be a palaeontologist."
"Oh, neat."
"I like dinosaurs."
Rena and Shinichi returned to her minivan and she pushed him inside before she crawled in and shut the door. She then pulled the curtains over the windows and windshield to give themselves some privacy. Rena and Shinichi shared a passionate kiss and fell onto the bed together. They broke their kiss to undress each other before they resumed.
From outside the minivan, people would notice it shaking but chose to ignore it. If they heard the grunting and moaning coming inside, they chose to ignore it. But when the curtain was swept aside by a large wing that slammed against the window following a loud cry of pleasure, that became a bit harder to ignore.
Half an hour later, Rena and Shinichi lay naked together, their hair a mess, covered only by the blanket as they cuddled. All their clothes lay scattered inside the minivan along with a few blue feathers.
"That...was the best ever..." Rena purred blissfully as she leaned against his warm chest.
"Yeah..." Shinichi agreed as he caressed her hair. Her metal limbs didn't feel uncomfortable at all. They just felt cool and smooth to the touch. "Nothing can make this better."
"Except some music," Rena recommended as she reluctantly freed herself from his embrace to pick up her radio alarm clock. She turned the dial, looking for something to listen to.
"-And these Ghosts are putting a drain on our economy! It's bad enough that they pollute our society with their presence! Now they are draining money from taxpayers because the government has to maintain their camps! Just ship them off to an island and forget about them! No, even better, blow up the island with all of them on it while we're at it!"
"Seriously?" Shinichi frowned as he sat up when he heard DJ Mikogami's voice coming from the radio. "He still has a radio show in this timeline?"
"Yeah, sorry about that." Rena turned the dial to a station that played soft romantic music. "Ah, much better." She put the radio alarm clock down and returned to cuddle with Shinichi. They soon fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning, Shinichi woke up beside Rena. At first, he believed that everything from yesterday had been a bad dream but then he saw her mechanical arms. He realized that it had all really happened. His mother had been killed, he had never been born, and the world that he knew had changed for the worse.
He quietly put on his clothes and left the minivan to let Rena sleep. However, before he left, he gave his wife a gentle kiss on the cheek.
He found Kenichi sparring with Ranma. He had to respect the new kid for his dedication. He wanted to become stronger and as a human with no artificial enhancements that was still a challenge. However, from what Shinichi had seen, the kid had some real potential and skill despite being so young.
"Good morning, guys," Shinichi greeted them both.
"Morning, Shinichi," Ranma greeted back.
"Oh, good morning, Sempai," Kenichi smiled.
"Enough of that 'sempai' stuff," Shinichi dismissed.
"Sorry, I've made it a habit of calling people who've been Kamen Riders longer than me that," Kenichi admitted. "And I've met a lot."
"Sounds interesting."
"Hey, I'm gonna grab some grub. We'll continue later," Ranma said to Kenichi.
"OK, Sempai," Kenichi nodded as Ranma left them to talk.
"So, is this what you normally do in the morning?" Shinichi asked Kenichi.
"Yes, my masters pretty much beat it into my head to always start each morning with training," Kenichi claimed proudly. "Now it's just routine."
"A good routine helps to maintain discipline," Shinichi approved. Shogo was like that too. Just thinking of his friend reminded him that the NEO-NUMBERS did not exist in this timeline and he frowned sadly.
"So, are you OK?" Kenichi asked carefully as she saw the look on his face.
"Yeah, I am now," Shinichi answered. Seeing Rena and Rika again had cheered him up. At least two people from his original timeline still remembered him. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, uh, because you were absolutely vicious last night," Kenichi replied.
"I needed to vent," Shinichi stated with narrowed eyes before he sighed. "Did Ranma ever tell you about my past?"
"No, not really. He just told me you needed help and he was going to need the King of Time for this mission."
"I thought you were the 'Demon King'."
"That's a long story."
"Well, I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."
"Deal. So, who wants to start?"
"I was kidnapped by a mad scientist when I was a kid..." Shinichi started. He told Kenichi about his life as one of the cyborg NUMBERS, being made a child super soldier through cybernetic and genetic augmentation. He told Kenichi how he had killed so many people while under Gebok's control, including his teammates and the girl he loved. He also told Kenichi about how he escaped from Gebok and became a Kamen Rider. "And since then, I've been fighting to protect my home and the people I love."
"Wow..." Kenichi was impressed. "That's quite a story."
"Yeah, but turning my life around doesn't change the fact that I killed people. Back when I was BLACK 13, I murdered Eisenberg's parents," Shinichi hung his head in sadness. "So as payback, she killed my mom to make sure I was never born. Now the world is all messed up."
"It wasn't your fault."
"Tell that to everyone who's ever been hurt by my actions," Shinichi scoffed. "They don't care. They just want revenge for what I did to them."
"That's rough, buddy," Kenichi said sympathetically.
"So, what about you? How did a high-schooler become a Rider and Demon King?" Shinichi asked.
"Allow me to regale you with the tale of the humble beginnings of My Glorious Lord, Ohma Zi-O!" a mysterious man declared dramatically as he randomly appeared. He wore a brown double-breasted overcoat over matching pants and a long grey scarf around his neck. His messy black hair was combed to the right and he wore barrettes to keep it tidy. The thick tome in his right hand had gears, numbers, and a watch on the cover. The book was entitled 'The Ohma Advent Calendar'.
"Woz!?" Kenichi yelled when he saw his self-proclaimed prophet and most loyal servant suddenly appear.
"Ah!" Shinichi jumped back. "Where the heck did you come from!?"
"I go wherever My Lord goes," Woz claimed. "It is my sacred duty to spread the word of Ohma Zi-O!"
"Do you have a cult or something?" Shinichi asked Kenichi.
"Only him, as far as I know. Woz is a weirdo but he's a good guy," Kenichi answered.
"My Lord," Woz sighed when he heard Kenichi call him a weirdo. He was not a weirdo. He was simply devoted to the Great Demon King Ohma Zi-O. "So, shall I tell you the tale of My Lord's humble beginnings as he begins his path of conquest to achieve his destiny?"
"Yeah...sure..." Shinichi hesitated.
"Very well!" Woz opened the book to begin his tale. "Kenichi Shirahama was an average high-schooler who was being trained by a school of martial arts. One day, he embraced his destiny and became Kamen Rider Zi-O, starting him on his path to becoming the Great Demon King Ohma Zi-O..."
Shinichi regretted this now and Kenichi gave him a look of sympathy.
While flying the TARDIS, Alan stood at the control console as he attempted to locate Shinichi with the scanner.
"Where are you, Shinichi...?" Alan muttered as he stared at the monitor.
"Maybe the thing is busted," Misato suggested as she tapped her knuckles against the monitor. "A good smack will get it working again."
"You will not smack my TARDIS," Alan warned her. "I just need to recalibrate the scanner, that's all."
"Have you taken environmental variables into account?" Yuji suggested. "Maybe it's electromagnetic interference."
"Nah, it's not that," Alan shook his head.
"Then maybe he's gone underground," Misato proposed.
"Underground..." Yuji murmured as he pondered this. "Alan, is there any material or mineral your scanner can't get through?"
"Only lead," Alan answered and his eyes widened before he facepalmed. "Lead! Of course! Why didn't I think of that? He must be hiding someplace with a high concentration of lead!" Alan keyed in the data and recalibrated the scanner. Instantly, the results popped up on the monitor, making him smile widely. "Eureka! I think we found him!"
After listening to Woz's tale and grabbing some breakfast with Kenichi, Shinichi decided to meet with his father. Shotaro did not know yet that Shinichi was the grown-up version of his unborn son and Shinichi wasn't sure how to reveal this to him so he decided he could organically bring it up through a casual conversation.
"Banabara-san!" Shinichi greeted the man who was still in his armoured suit. The man was sitting by his tent with a book. Shinichi recognized it to be one of his mother's books.
"Oh, it's you, Sanban-kun," Shotaro nodded as he closed his book and set it down beside him. "So, how do you like the base?"
"It's roomy," Shinichi remarked as he sat down in front of him. "Could use some windows, though."
"Well, windows aren't really a necessity, especially when you live in a cave," Shotaro retorted. "And windows would defeat the purpose since we're hiding."
"I guess windows are a small price to pay for secrecy and security," Shinichi agreed. "So, how long have you been fighting GIN-SHOCKER?"
"I've lost count of the years," Shotaro admitted. "But ever since they took over, I decided to fight them."
"Why?"
"Well, because it's the right thing to do and I know my wife would've wanted me to fight for the right thing. Freedom's a good reason, don't you think?"
"Yeah, freedom is a good reason. So, when Rena-chan scolded you earlier for bringing us here, you told her we weren't chipped. How could you tell?"
"My helmet has a special scanner in the eyes. They let me scan people to tell me if they're chipped or if they're Ghosts."
"Ghosts?"
"You don't know? This is common knowledge."
"I had amnesia so I probably forgot what it meant."
"Every registered citizen has a chip that identifies them. It's how they track you. If you don't have a chip, then you're a ghost in the system."
"Hence the name. And how does someone become a Ghost?"
"When you break the law. If your crime is severe enough, your properties are seized and your chip is removed, making you a Ghost. Sometimes, your family gets turned into Ghosts too as punishment."
"That's horrible!" Shinichi was aghast.
"Yeah, but it works and it keeps the crime rate low. Unfortunately, becoming a Ghost strips you of your rights so nobody wants to become one. And the government loves to use Ghosts as scapegoats for everything that goes wrong."
"So where does someone go when they become a Ghost?"
"They're sent to live in the slums or detention camps. It's where a lot of us came from. As for me, I volunteered and had my chip removed so those GS bastards can't track me. "
Shinichi looked at all the people in the Resistance base. They had been made into Ghosts and had lost everything. It angered him when he learned this as this was all Eisenberg's doing.
"So, where did you get your suit?" Shinichi asked. When he saw Shotaro's suit, he knew it was more than it seemed. There was tech woven into it to physically augment the wearer.
"Oh, we found some GS tech some years back and this suit was one of them," Shotaro gestured to his suit. "This suit allows me to fight their monsters. The problem is, once I put it on, I could never take it off."
"You're stuck in it?"
"Fraid so. It's fused with my nervous system and I've been stuck in this suit ever since. The helmet comes off, though, which is a relief."
"So, how do you, you know, use the bathroom?"
"Don't ask," Shotaro brushed off the question. He had been asked that question so many times already that he just didn't care to answer anymore. "You know, for some weird reason, you kind of remind me of my wife. Yeah, weirdest thing."
Shinichi blinked. This was his chance to tell Shotaro who he was. He just hoped the man did not react too negatively.
"I know this will sound crazy, but the world you know isn't the one I'm from. Where I'm from, none of this ever happened," Shinichi said.
"What do you mean none of this ever happened? What are you saying?" Shotaro questioned.
"I don't have proof, but trust me when I say that someone messed with time and now the world is like this because of them. Where I'm from, your wife never died," Shinichi answered.
"And why should I believe you?" Shotaro demanded. Being reminded of his late wife was a sore spot and he looked ready to punch this guy if he was trying to make a joke about her.
"Take a good look at me, Banabara-san," Shinichi said as he took off his glasses. "Please, look at me. Really look at me."
Shotaro looked at Shinichi's face and then his eyes softened before widening in surprise. He could see it but it was impossible. There was no way it could be true, could it? The resemblance was uncanny yet unmistakable.
"...Oh my god...you look like her. You look like Shiori."
"It's me, Tou-chan. I'm your son," Shinichi admitted as he braced himself, expecting a negative reaction like anger, denial or a violent combination of the two. He expected Shotaro to yell at him and punch him for daring to make such a preposterous claim. Instead, he was suddenly hugged by Shotaro. He awkwardly returned the embrace as his father sobbed with tears of joy. They remained like that for a few moments before breaking the hug.
"Is it true? Are you really our son?" Shotaro asked, wiping his tears of joy from his eyes.
"Yeah, I am," Shinichi confirmed. "You know, I'm surprised that you believe me. I was expecting a much worse reaction."
"It's your eyes. You have Shiori's eyes - your mother's eyes," Shotaro pointed out. "That's how I know you're not lying. But how is this possible? How are you here and all grown up?"
"That's a very long story," Shinichi answered.
"I've got time," Shotaro replied.
"This is going to be one heck of a doozie so I'll sum it up the best I can. You see, I was born with the ability to control time. This also makes me immune to any changes to the timeline. While I technically should not exist now, my powers prevent me from being erased from existence," Shinichi explained.
"Wow, that's extraordinary," Shotaro said in awe before his tone turned awkward. "So, wait, do you know that your mother and I used a..."
"Sperm donor?" Shinichi shrugged. "Yeah. I've met my biological father too. Nice guy."
"I see." Shotaro nodded.
"Look, he might've supplied half my genetics, but as far as I'm concerned, you're my real father," Shinichi assured Shotaro. "Nothing changes that."
"So, you're not embarrassed that I'm, you know..?"
"No, why would I be?"
"That's good. So, are there any other surprises I should know about?"
"Well, Shinjiro's my son."
"Oh, so I have a grandson too. Wow, now I feel old." Shotaro chuckled before he asked a very important question. "So, you know how your mother was killed then."
"Yeah, I do. It's because-"
...vwoorp!
Shinichi paused and blinked when he heard that familiar sound and smiled.
"Do you hear that?" Shinichi asked.
"Hear what?" Shotaro questioned, confused. "I don't hear anything."
...vwoorp!
"I do and it's the answer to our prayers," Shinichi stated, smiling as he stood up. "C'mon, Tou-chan, it's time to meet someone important."
VWOOORP...! VWOOORP...! VWOOORP...!
The cave shook as the red TARDIS materialized right in the middle of the base. As soon as it appeared, the shaking stopped. The door swung open and Alan stepped out.
"The cavalry has arrived!" Alan 'The Traveler' Smith declared happily as stood in front of his TARDIS. Instantly, every armed member of the Resistance had trained their guns on him. "Wait, I come in peace!" He quickly raised his hands to show them that he meant no harm. While he may no longer be invulnerable, he still had his Power Ring to generate a forcefield. However, he would rather not be shot at so he was not going to provoke the locals.
Shinichi was not the only one who heard the TARDIS' arrival, Rena and Rika did as well. They soon found Alan who was surrounded by armed men and women.
"Alan's here," Rena smiled, glad to see him.
"Yeah," Shinichi nodded. That meant that their chances had just improved. Kenichi, Shinjiro and Ranma also noticed the commotion and went to check it out.
"Is that a phone booth?" Kenichi blinked. "What's a phone booth doing in a cave? Where did it even come from?"
"That would be the TARDIS, My Lord," Woz explained as he walked next to him, "It's a machine that is capable of traversing through time and space across all dimensions. Its appearance is but a disguise."
"OK, I know what this looks like, but I am not your enemy," Alan said as he attempted to talk everyone down. He was an intruder and if he gave them an excuse they were going to shoot. He needed to use diplomacy to convince them that he was not a threat. "I'm here looking for someone. Maybe you've seen him? He's got blue hair with antennae."
"Alan?" Shinichi asked as he pushed through the crowd.
"Shinichi, hey," Alan smiled. "Can you please ask your friends to put down their guns and tell them that I come in peace?"
"Is he a friend of yours?" Shotaro asked Shinichi.
"He's family," Shinichi answered.
"Love you too, bro," Alan responded, smiling warmly as Shinichi just called him family.
"OK, everyone, you can put your guns down. He's friendly," Shotaro commanded. They exchanged looks and reluctantly lowered their weapons.
"Alan, what are you doing here?" Shinichi asked.
"I came looking for you after I discovered that something was wrong with your timeline," Alan answered. "Why are you in a cave, though?"
"I'll fill you in," Shinichi replied. "Did you bring anyone else with you?"
"Oh, yeah," Alan nodded, pointing back at the TARDIS with his thumb. "Why don't you come in and say hello to everybody?"
"Cool, there are some people I want to introduce to them too." Shinichi entered and invited Rena, Rika, Shotaro, Shinjiro, Ranma and Kenichi inside. Kenichi paused, marvelling at the TARDIS' interior size.
"Wow..." Kenichi said as he stared in wonder at the interior of the TARDIS. It was so much bigger than the outside. Unbelievably bigger.
"Yuji!" Shinichi shared a bro hug with him. "Good to see you, man!"
"You too, Shin," Yuji greeted back.
"Hey, Misato," Shinichi greeted his former comrade.
"Couldn't stay out of trouble, could you?" Misato quipped. Her eyes locked with Rena's and the other girl averted her gaze.
"Shinichi," Lina smiled.
"Lina, you're looking well," Shinichi smiled back.
"Hello, Lina," Rena greeted, ignoring Misato.
"Hi, Rena. Nice to see you're both alright," Lina responded.
"Hey," Daiki said with a nod.
"Hey to you too," Shinichi smiled, "Not getting Alan into any trouble, are you?"
"No more than he already has," the young Manakyte shrugged.
"Onii-chan!" Alice threw herself at Shinichi and hugged him. "You're OK!"
"Yeah, I am, thanks to these guys." He gestured to Ranma and the others.
"Ranma Saotome. Yo."
"Hi, I'm Kenichi Shirahama. Kamen Rider Zi-O."
"Shinjiro. Kamen Rider Jura."
"Wait, Shinjiro?" Alan pointed at the young man then looked at Shinichi. "Shinichi... is this really Shinjiro?"
"Your baby?" Alice questioned, surprised as she gazed up at her cousin. "He's all grown up."
"He's from the future, isn't he?" Daiki asked.
"Yeah," Shinichi proudly put an arm around Shinjiro. "And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!"
"Hm. Hi, Uncle Alan," Shinjiro nodded.
"Hi to you too, nephew," Alan grinned. "It looks like we've had loads of surprises today. As much as I'd like to get to know you better, we haven't got much time."
While Shinichi reunited with some old friends and introduced new ones, Shotaro's eyes widened as he stood inside the TARDIS.
"Impossible...it's...it's bigger on the inside," Shotaro awed at the sight of the TARDIS' massive interior.
"Yeah, I get that all the time," Alan snickered.
"And you always get so smug when anyone mentions it," Shinichi remarked, rolling his eyes.
"OK, what is this thing?" Shotaro asked, his mind still blown by this discovery.
"It's my time ship," Alan answered.
"You mean like a time machine?" Shotaro asked, already thinking of the possibilities. If the Resistance had a time machine, they could do so much good. Maybe they could even prevent GIN-SHOCKER from taking over the world.
"Yeah, but don't get any ideas," Alan warned. He recognized the look in Shotaro's eyes. It was the look of someone who wanted to take advantage of his TARDIS.
"Shinichi, who is this guy?" Shotaro asked.
"Remember when I said he was family? He's my half-brother," Shinichi Informed him. Shotaro's eyes widened in surprise. "Meet my brother from another mother, Alan Smith. Alan, this is Shotaro Banabara. My dad."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Banabara!" Alan happily shook his hand. "Now that we're all here, our class can begin."
"Class?" Shotaro cocked an eyebrow.
"Alright, class. Today, we're going to learn how we're going to fix the timeline. Please raise your hand if you have any questions," Alan began.
"OK, Daddy!" Alice raised her hand.
"But first, Shinichi, what can you tell us?" Alan pointed.
"Viviana Eisenberg acquired powers similar to mine by becoming an Another Rider based on me," Shinichi explained. "And she used these powers to make sure I was never born...by killing Kaa-chan." Everyone fell silent when they heard this. Shotaro balled his fists in anger when he learned this too.
"Thank you, Shinichi, and I'm truly sorry for your loss. But don't worry. We'll fix this, I promise. So, normally the timeline goes in a straight line like this," Alan started to explain while drawing a straight green line in the air with his Power Ring. "And events happen from one moment to the next." He drew several marks on the timeline. "Say, the day you were born, then your first birthday, then your first day of school, so on and so forth. This is what we call a stable linear timeline."
"Now, what we're experiencing is an alternate timeline created by an aberration." Alan continued as he drew a branch from the timeline. "See, when this happens, it sometimes creates a new branch in the timeline that should not affect the main timeline at all. There are also times when an aberration can cause some minor changes in the main timeline. These are normally harmless. But some aberrations can affect fixed points in time that should never be changed. It's why time travellers don't go back in time to save the Titanic or kill Hitler when he's a baby."
"So, Shinichi's a fixed point in time?" Kenichi asked. "I thought he was a Singularity Point."
"Same thing," Alan confirmed. "As a fixed point, Shinichi must always be kidnapped by Gebok and be turned into a cyborg so he can escape and fight GIN-SHOCKER as a Kamen Rider. Since it's a fixed point, it's set in stone, or it should be but Viviana made sure Shinichi was never born so now the timeline is like this." He scribbled all over the timeline. "Completely unstable and when a timeline becomes unstable it degrades before finally..." He wiped away the timeline with his hand. "...Being erased!"
Rena, Rika and Shotaro stared speechlessly at Alan in shock when they learned this while everyone else in the room already knew.
"Wait, you got kidnapped and turned into a cyborg?" Shotaro asked Shinichi.
"I was going to tell you," Shinichi insisted, shrugging. "How did you think I got my armour?"
"So, now that everyone has been brought up to speed, we need to come up with a plan to fix this," Alan decided. He looked at Kenichi. He knew about Ranma being Decade but did not know anything about Kenichi. "So, why are you here?"
"Oh, me?" Kenichi pointed to himself.
"Yes, yes, you," Alan insisted.
"I grabbed him to get his help," Ranma answered. "Like he said before, he's Kenichi Shirahama, a martial artist and a Kamen Rider like me."
"Kamen Rider Zi-O," Kenichi repeated. "And the reason I'm here is, well, because my timeline is sort of connected to this one."
"My Lord originates from one of those alternate timelines, particularly one where this one held her school hostage," Woz explained as he pointed at Rena.
"What?" Rena gasped. "But I would never hold the school hostage!"
"According to our timeline's history, an encounter with Miyo Takano caused you to succumb to the madness brought upon by the Hinamizawa Syndrome. You were led to believe that everyone was replaced by alien doppelgangers and thus attempted to coerce the police to investigate by taking your classmates hostage. You even cobbled together a bomb as an insurance policy. Soon after, you fought Keiichi Maebara on the rooftop of the school and yielded, but days later the village was engulfed by toxic swamp gas that killed everyone. You, however, were held in police custody at the time and were thus spared. The incident would leave you traumatized for several years."
"No way..." Rena muttered in disbelief, looking at the floor in shame. Shinichi puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"But wait, if Kenichi-san comes from one of the Bad End timelines of the Endless June, how is he still here?" Rika asked.
"What do you mean?" Alan asked.
"Eisenberg used Return from the Past to rewrite this world, right?" Rika clarified. She had concluded this after Shinichi told her that Eisenberg had used his powers to go back in time to kill their mother. "Whenever Shinichi uses Return to the Past, a timeline from the Endless June gets erased. But that's because he only goes back 24 hours. When Eisenberg used it, she travelled over 20 years back. Travelling that far caused the remainder of the Endless June to vanish altogether."
"The Endless June is gone?" Alan blinked. "That's something I never took into account."
"So Eisenberg ended up erasing the Endless June," Shinichi muttered quietly. "I honestly don't know how I should feel about that." On one hand, he found it rather karmic that the World's Cruelest Witch finally got her comeuppance for her constant schemes against him. On the other hand, countless alternate timelines were gone in a flash.
"How do you know all this?" Ranma asked.
"Because I'm still connected to Bernkastel and I heard her screaming that it was all gone," Rika answered. She then addressed Kenichi. "So, how are you still around when the timeline you're from is supposed to be gone?"
"Hm..." Kenichi hummed as he folded his arms, "I guess it's because it's a Rider World? It started with this detective in Hinata City. Interestingly, he was fighting an organized crime family that's also named 'Sonozaki'. I think they're the surviving members of the family."
"I get it. That timeline branched from the Endless June and became a completely new world," Rika nodded. "That makes sense."
"So, how do we fix this world?" Jade asked.
"The key is Viviana Eisenberg," Alan interjected. "To set things right, we need to go back in time and prevent her from killing Shiori so that Shinichi can be born. With no aberration, the timeline gets reset to normal."
"Going back in time won't be possible until we defeat Eisenberg in the present since her Anotherwatch makes her a Singularity Point too," Ranma argued. "I tried to open a path to 1968 but it collapsed."
"Eisenberg is using my powers to block any attempts to go back in time," Shinichi added, upset that he couldn't even use his powers to save his mother.
"The Anotherwatch she has needs to be destroyed," Kenichi continued. "Once it's destroyed, she won't be able to stop us from going back in time."
"Actually, she only stopped you guys from going back in time. She hasn't stopped us from going back in time," Alan said, referring to himself and his TARDIS. "My TARDIS can fly us back to 1968 to stop her."
"What? But how?" Kenichi asked. "Ranma-sempai said that the path is blocked."
"It was but I managed to get us here with Yuji's help," Alan said. "Right now, the TARDIS isn't just running on the power of an Infinity Fragment, but also on my Willpower and Yuji's Hope."
"Your rings," Shinichi realized. "You used your rings to boost the TARDIS' engine."
"Exactly," Alan affirmed. "And with that same power boost, we'll be able to break through whatever blockade Viviana put in place to stop us from stopping her."
"So, now that we have a way to go back in time, we'll be able to defeat Eisenberg simultaneously in both the present and the past. That means two teams: one to stop her from killing my mom in the past and another one that stays here to defeat her in the present."
"And all before time runs out or this timeline will suffer the same fate as all the Bad End timelines," Alan finished. "So, any questions?"
"I know I'm still new to this, but why don't we just use your time machine to go back in time and kill Eisenberg before she kills my wife?" Shotaro asked.
"Because I don't kill," Alan answered. "And this is a rescue mission. Emphasis on rescue."
"Maybe you don't kill but I do," Shotaro argued, narrowing his eyes, "Not just in my old job, but I've had to get my hands dirty here and there because I did what needs to be done. I don't know how simple and clean things were in the other timeline, but it's not going to fly in this one. It's kill or be killed, and she's playing for keeps."
"Regardless of how you feel, we'd just stoop to her level if we did that," Alan retorted, frowning deeply at Shotaro's casual ruthlessness. He did not approve of it. "There's no need to kill her."
"And that worked out so well, didn't it?" Shotaro snarked with a glare. "Shiori would still be alive if you just did away with Eisenberg the first time around."
Shinichi flinched when he heard his father's harsh words. He was reminded that it was his mercy that allowed Viviana to change the past. So in a way, Shotaro was really scolding him for arresting Vivianna instead of killing her when he had the chance.
Was Shotaro right? Did he make a mistake by being merciful? Should he have killed her when he had the chance, consequences be damned, in order to protect his loved ones? He should just defend Alan by admitting that this whole mess was his fault in the first place.
"Guys? Guys? Hey!" Kenichi interrupted, breaking up an impending infight. "I know we're all pretty tense right now about family affairs but there's something really important you need to know. If you're going to defeat the Another Rider in the past, you're going to need a Kamen Rider with you."
"And why's that?" Misato asked.
"To put it simply, time is literally on their side," Kenichi answered.
"And what does that mean?" Rosa questioned.
"Another Riders can only be defeated by the power of the Kamen Riders they are based on or Riders who originate from the same timeline," Kenichi explained. "If they are beaten by anyone else, time will reverse and revive them immediately. It doesn't matter even if the one who initially beats them is a master martial artist or some kinda god."
"Terrific," Yuji groaned. "My Liger System got busted during the dance with the Earthbound Gods and I'm not risking Misato. She's not really a Rider anymore anyway."
"I could go to the past," Shinichi volunteered.
"No, we need you to stay here to fight Eisenberg in the present," Ranma objected. "Since she's got an army of monster NUMBERS, we're going to need all the help we can get."
"Hey, partner," Bazel spoke up. "What about that thing we picked up?"
"Huh?" Alan blinked as he looked at Bazel. "What thing?"
"Oh, guess you forgot that we picked it up a while ago. Hold on, let me bring it out for you guys."
Bazel's gem glowed and he expelled a Driver from his pocket dimension. Shinichi blinked, recognizing it well.
"Is that my Scada Buckle?"
"Oh," Alan said as he grabbed hold of it. "I forgot I had this thing. It must've slipped my mind."
"What is it?" Lina asked him.
"Shinichi's backup transformation belt," Alan answered.
"I used it whenever I lost my ability to transform," Shinichi continued. "Though I haven't used it in a long time. Last I heard, it was kept in ARMOR and being passed around to anyone who needed it."
"Once I was on a planet that nullified my powers, including my Power Ring, so I transformed with this to augment my normal human body to fight," Alan added. "It really came in handy."
"I think that could work," Kenichi considered. "Since this Rider System belongs to Shinichi's timeline, if you use it to defeat Another Showa, she would cease being a threat."
"Good, then we have our Rider," Shinichi smiled, patting his brother on the shoulder. "Good luck and say hi to my parents for me."
"Will do," Alan smiled back.
"Just...please save Kaa-chan."
"I promise I'll save her and you," Alan vowed.
"Alright, while Alan's team goes back in time to save Kaa-chan, we'll storm the castle and take down Eisenberg," Shinichi declared firmly. "GIN-SHOCKER and Eisenberg's reign ends today!"
END OF ACT 8
Dr. KRC: A bit of a breather chapter that also sets up the conclusion. After all the action, they need some rest as they stop to make a plan to beat Viviana and save the timeline. This chapter also shows that Shinichi can restore the original timeline memories of people as he was able to make Rena remember him. Although, she already felt like she knew him. Rika still remembers him even when the timeline changed because of the Endless June. Then there's Shinichi revealing to Shotaro he's his son from an alternate timeline. I wonder what music fits with the scenes here? You know, something nice and soft.