Skull Gaiden 3: Acceptance and Forgiveness

Salia was unconscious, before she started to open her eyes, and soon saw she was in someone's arms, and saw it was Skull, who was holding her.

She blushed being in this much contact with a man before she manages to back away and sits up.

"Hey what was that...?" She soon saw his armor was covered with ice and frost and saw the fragments of an ice rock had melted.

Then Salia remembers how Skull protected her from the Freeze Dopant's attack on them.

Skull gasps and breathes in air very deeply, before he starts shivering.

"Ken!" Salia said in worry as Skull slowly turned to her.

"Cold...armor...Memory…take out…of...Driver..." Skull mutters.

Salia understood what he meant, and turned towards his frozen Lost Driver as she grabbed hold of the Skull Memory. She flinches from feeling the burning cold, but she doesn't let that stop her as she removes the Skull Memory, and Skull turns back to Ken, but has some minor frostbite on his cheeks and is still shivering from the cold.

"Ken!" Salia gasped, as he was still shivering, before she touched his face. 'He's still ice cold...'

She looks around and sees a nearby small ruin building, she picks up Ken and carries him inside.

Salia shortly started a fire close by to Ken and managed to find a few blankets, they were old and slightly damaged but thankfully they were thick enough to help Ken as she covered his body with them.

But that wasn't enough as he kept shivering. She tried to think of something, she thought about running out to find water to boil but it could be too late for Ken when she comes back, and there weren't enough blankets either.

'Come on, Salia, think! There has to be something you could do to keep his body warm!' Salia told herself before she had an idea, which causes her cheeks to slightly turn red, but if it can save his life then she has no choice but to do it.

Salia gently took off Ken's jacket and shirt...And she slowly reaches to her rider suit...but her hands are shaking and is feeling a little embarrassed about this, before she hardens her resolve by swallowing her saliva, and she slowly takes off her suit...and slid under the blanket as she pressed her body against Ken's.

It took a few minutes but Ken had finally stopped shivering as his body was starting to warm up.

"You better be grateful for this because you owe me big time." Salia told him but now that she thinks about it this was her first time being in this much contact with a man despite the so-called love and attention Embryo had given her when he had her under his control, and it felt surprisingly warm and nice to her.

His muscle tone is quite strong yet warm, and his skin felt so nice and soft and he smelled quite nice.

'But you do feel really warm and nice.' Salia thought as her cheeks turned red as being near this much contact with Ken felt pleasing to her.

Then the memories of Alektra's death and how Embryo had manipulated her. That causes Salia to flinch to remember those memories before she looks at Ken's face, and remembers how he protected her from the Freeze Dopant's attack.

Salia then looks down in shame and sadness.

"Just what am I doing?" Salia asked herself.

(Meanwhile)

In Sala's and Kyoya's location, the lovers pair was able to find the source of the cold spot in Tokyo which was another blizzard machine of the same design in the one that appeared in Kyoto.

They were about to call the others to tell them they found it, but the machine soon activated as it unleashes an icy blizzard at them.

Acting quickly Kyoya transforms into Eternal and uses his Heat Memory to protect himself and Sala from the blizzard but it entraps them in a ball of ice as it freezes the entire room.

When the blizzard machine left the building it was in, the inside of the ice ball lights up before it breaks apart thanks to Eternal using the power of his Heat Memory.

"Now that was close." Eternal said before he turned to Sala as she was still shivering from the cold. "Sala, are you okay?"

"Yes...I am...thanks to you." Sala told him.

Seeing how cold she was feeling Eternal removes his cape and wraps it around Sala's body to keep her warm.

"Here, it's still warm thanks to the Heat Memory." Eternal said as Sala held the cape tightly around her body.

"Thank you." Sala told her beloved.

"Don't mention it." Eternal said before and Sala turned to the ice machine as it was flying away. "Guess it's safe to assume that's the source of the cold spot here. But the only question now is, where is it going?"

Eternal then heard his Stag Phone ringing, and he soon brought it out and answered it.

"Hey, Kyoya, are you alright?" Hayate asked through the Stag Phone.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Did you and Kaname find your source too?" Eternal asked.

"If you mean a giant flying ice machine heading west, then yeah we did." Hayate told him.

"West? Are you sure?" Eternal asked.

"Yeah, I am." Hayate told him.

"Ours is heading north." Eternal said before he turned to Sala. "No way that's a coincidence."

"Agreed. It must be safe to assume that the one in Kyoto must be heading east to meet with the other two." Sala said.

"Yeah. Hayate, did you try calling Ken and Salia?" Eternal asked.

"I did but they're not answering my calls." Hayate told him.

"Something must have happened to them. We need to go find them, and hopefully we'll figure out what's going on with those machines." Eternal said.

"Agreed. Let's move." Sala said as she and Eternal left the building to head to her Enryugo.

Ken now wearing his shirt and jacket, slowly starts to wake up as he sits and stretches out his arms as he yawns. Ken looked around and saw Salia sitting in front of a campfire, and noticed the blanket on top of him.

Then remembers what happened, he remembers the Freeze Dopant throwing that large ball of ice at him and Salia, and he protected her from it.

He also remembers being cold, it was a little blurry to him but he figures that Salia must have saved his life.

Ken slowly stands up and sits down beside her. Salia notices him as she turns to the Rider.

"Oh you're awake." Salia said.

"Yeah, I am…" Ken nodded. "I guess you must've saved my life, thanks."

"Don't worry about it." Salia told him before her cheeks turned red as she turned away from him. "So...how much do you remember?"

"Hmm…" Ken hummed in thought as he tried to remember. "Not much I'm afraid. All I remember was my armor being frozen and being really cold."

"Oh I see…" Salia said as she was a little relieved to hear that.

"Did something happen?" Ken asked.

"No! Nothing at all! And don't ever ask again!" Salia told him.

"Alright, got it! Sorry for asking." Ken said as he raised his hands, and Salia turned away from him.

"It's fine. I'm sorry for shouting at you." Salia told him.

"Don't mention it." Ken said as he rubs the back of his neck.

They were now silent for a while before they decided to speak up at the same time.

"Look I…!" They stopped before they said. "Oh I'm sorry do you want to say something...?"

They were silent again before Ken spoke up.

"You can go first if you want." Ken told her.

"No it's alright. You go first, I don't mind." Salia told her.

"Okay then…" Ken mutters before he did a few fake coughs. "Look, you know I get it."

Salia blinks in confusion before she turns at him.

"Get what?" She asked.

"That you're suspicious about me being like Embryo. Me, Kyoya, and Hayate have powers that are beyond understanding, and that you're afraid that we'll be just like that bastard. I understand that really and I know my word isn't enough but I promise you I won't be like that, same to Kyoya and Hayate too." Ken told her.

"Wait...did you really think that?" Salia asked.

"Yeah, I mean you were giving me the silent treatment and there was that little incident we had...Which I won't tell anyone!" Ken said.

"No! It's not like that! I hadn't thought that about you at all." Salia told him, and Ken was surprised to hear that before he turned to her.

"Really?" Ken asked before Salia turned to the fireplace.

"I mean I would be lying that the thought hadn't crossed my mind before...but after hearing the stories about you from the people you saved and helped, it slowly began to fade away." Salia told him.

"Okay, but why did you give me the silent treatment for a while?" Ken asked.

"Because…" Salia mutters as she turns her head away from him. "I'm afraid of getting too close to you."

"Huh? Why is that?" Ken asked.

"It's because...my love is a weakness now." Salia told him and Ken blinked in confusion. "I let my love for Embryo to blind me from what he really is, and thanks to that Alektra died because of me. That's why I decided it was just best that I close off my feelings, and never fall in love again."

Ken hummed before he sighs as he rubs the back of his head.

"Well I can't say that I understand, but I can tell you that way of thinking is wrong." Ken stated.

"Eh?" Salia said as she turned to him.

"Look, you can't just close off your feelings like that, it won't help anyone. You need to accept and let people in, only then can you move on." Ken told her.

"What makes you think I want to move on?" Salia asked.

"Because, wouldn't Alektra want you to do that?" Ken asked, and Salia flinched to hear that. "I may not know her like you did. But you shouldn't forget that she risked her life to save you from Embryo's control. And I know for a fact she wouldn't want you to act this way either. You can't let the past bound you forever, you need to live here in the present, that's the best way you can honor her memory."

Salia looked at him before she started to chuckle.

"Man and Vivian said that the manga I read is cheesy." Salia said as she chuckled, and Ken slightly blushed to hear that.

"Hey, I work really hard on that!" Ken said.

"I know...I'm sorry," Salia said as she stopped chuckling. "But thanks it really means a lot to hear that."

"Really?" Ken asked.

"Yeah." Salia nodded before she took off her ring and looked at it.

"Isn't the ring you use to pilot Cleopatra?" Ken asked as he looked at it as well.

"Yeah it is. You know I kept this not just to pilot it, but as a reminder to never be weak again." Salia said before she stands up and walks out of the building.

"What are you doing?" Ken asked as he stood up and followed her.

"Doing what you said, I'm not going to let the past bound me anymore. I'm going to live in the present, by doing this." Salia said as she was about to throw away her ring but Ken stops her by grabbing onto her hand.

"You don't have to take it that far. I mean, you still need it to pilot your Ragna-mail, don't you?" Ken asked.

"But you said I shouldn't let the past bound me." Salia said.

"I'm not saying you should throw away your past, to still have a future." Ken said as he held Salia's hand.

Salia's cheeks turned red as he held her hand, and Ken saw that before he quickly let's go of her.

"Oh I'm sorry! I guess that was a little too personally!" Ken said as he rubs the back of his head as he nervously chuckles.

"No it's alright…" Salia said as she held her hand and brought it close to her chest. The way he held it was strong but it was gentle and warm at the same time.

Ken then looked at his hand, Salia's hand was so small and soft it felt really nice to him.

There was silence between them before…

"Ken! Salia!" They flinch as that voice sounded familiar to them. "Hey! If you can hear me please say something!"

Ken and Salia looked and saw Kyoya and Sala walking onto the street they were on before they saw them and saw the blush on their faces.

"Oh I'm sorry, were we interrupting?" Sala asked.

"No! Nothing was happening between us!" Ken and Salia said at the same time, and they both flinched when they heard each other and they turned away from each other.

"Okay…? But anyway what happened here?" Kyoya asked.

"Oh right." Ken said before he makes a few fake coughs.

They were by Salia's Ragna-mail and Sala's Enryugo as both Ken and Salia told them about the Freeze Dopant.

"So a Dopant attacked you guys?" Kyoya asked.

"Yeah, and he's a survivor from Kazu Jin's little group of servants." Ken told them.

"Then there's no doubt he wants revenge for his death, and those machines must be the key to his plan." Sala concluded.

They then heard Kyoya's Stag Phone ringing, he soon brought it out and answered.

"Talk to me. Yeah, I'm with them now. Got it." Kyoya told whoever was calling him before he turned to his friends and lover. "It's, Naga, she has new info about those machines."

"Then put her on speaker." Sala told him.

Kyoya soon changes to his Phone's speaker mode.

"Hello everyone." Naga said through the Stag Phone.

"Naga, have you been tracking those machines?" Sala asked.

"Yes, and it's just like you said princess. All three of those ice machines are heading towards each other." Naga told them. "Not only that the blizzard they are producing appears to be getting stronger by every moment."

"Nani?" Sala gasped.

"What would happen when they joined up with each other?" Kyoya asked.

"Well according to our technicians, when all three reach their destination and combine their power, they will unleash an even more powerful blizzard that will completely cover the planet in snow and ice and in turn will block out the sun for years." Naga told them, which surprised them.

"So in other words it will be the ice age all over again." Ken said.

"Which is all the more reason why we need to stop this." Sala said.

"Right. We should split up, and head to all three machines to destroy them." Salia said.

"Agreed. Also, Ken," Kyoya calls out and Ken turns to him as Kyoya hands him his heat Memory. "You may need this."

"Are you sure?" Ken asked.

"Yeah, I can manage with my other Memories." Kyoya told him.

"Thanks man." Ken said as he accepted the Heat Memory. "I'll put it to good use."

Ken and Salia got on her Ragna-mail and Kyoya and Sala were now in her Ryuu-Shin-Ki before they flew in the air and headed to two of the blizzard machines before they split up.

As Ken and Salia were heading to one of the blizzard machines, Ken had his arms wrapped around Salia which made her blush but she kept her focus on flying straight.

"Guess it was a good thing I stopped you from throwing that ring away." Ken said.

"Y-Yeah…" Salia nodded.

"Sorry, am I holding you too tight? I can remove my arms if you want." Ken suggested.

"No it's fine. It actually feels nice…" Salia mutters quietly.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Ken asked.

"N-Nothing! Anyway, I see the target!" Salia told him, and Ken looked and saw the blizzard machine as they flew above it.

"Alright here's where I get off!" Ken said as he got ready to jump off of Salia's Ragna-mail and to the blizzard machine below.

"Ken, wait!" Salia calls out and Ken turns to her as she lifts up her visor and kisses him on the lips.

Ken's eyes widened in shock before he closed them as they kissed for a few more seconds before Salia broke off the kiss as she backed away from him.

"So what was that for?" Ken asked with a smile and a slight blush on his face.

"Well...I just don't want to regret not kissing you. But you better not die until you return those feelings, alright?" Salia asked with a loving smile on her face.

"Well when you put it like that, how can I refuse. See you." Ken said as he jumped down to the blizzard machine.

As he was in free fall, Ken soon brings out his Lost Driver and puts it on and brings out his Skull Memory.

SKULL

"Henshin!" Ken said as he inserts the Memory into his Driver.

SKULL

Ken transforms into Skull as he lands on top of the blizzard machine.

Skull then looks around and finds a hatch that leads inside of the machine. He was about to go to open it and head inside of the blizzard machine to find its core, but stopped when he saw an ice spear heading towards him which he dodged by rolling on the ground.

Skull looked at his attacker and saw that it was the Freeze Dopant as he stood in front of him.

"So you manage to survive from your frostbite. Impressive." The Freeze Dopant said.

"Well if you're that impressed, here's my thanks for the memories!" Skull said as he brought out his Skull Magnum and fired at the Freeze Dopant but he blocked his shots by using an ice shield.

"Clearly you haven't learned anything from our last encounter." The Freeze Dopant said as he throws the ice shield at Skull, which he dodges by rolling on the ground.

"What can I say, I'm a slow learner!" Skull said as he fired at the Freeze Dopant but he dodged his shots by sliding on the ground using an ice road.

When the Freeze Dopant was close enough he grabbed Skull on the wrist and started to freeze his arm.

"But I've come prepared this time!" Skull said as he pulled out the Heat Memory and inserted it into the Maximum Drive slot on his belt.

HEAT: MAXIMUM DRIVE

The armor on Skull's arm started to heat up strong enough to melt the ice and burn the Freeze Dopant's hand which forces him to let go of Skull as he backs away from the Rider.

"Nani?" The Freeze Dopant gasped in shock on what happened as he saw the ice armor on his hand had started to melt.

"What's wrong? Am I too hot for you?" Skull said as he landed a few fire punches and kicks on the Dopant as his attacks pushed the Freeze Dopant back.

The Freeze Dopant created two ice blades around his hands and used them to slash at Skull.

Skull dodges his attacks before he backhanded punches to break them while using the Heat Memory's power and lands a kick on the Freeze Dopant's chest forcing him to stumble back.

"Damn you!" The Freeze Dopant exclaimed as he channels his ice power in his hands as it forms in the shape of a sphere.

Skull soon pulls the Heat Memory out the Drive slot from his belt and inserts it into the slot of his Magnum.

HEAT: MAXIMUM DRIVE

Skull's Magnum charges with the Heat Memory's power as he aimed his gun at the Freeze Dopant.

Then both Rider and Dopant fired a large energy shot at each other as their two attacks clashed against each other.

"You won't be able to stop me! Soon this world will become a frozen wasteland!" The Freeze Dopant stated as he began to push Skull's attack back.

"Don't bet on that!" Skull said as he pulled his Skull Memory out and inserted it into the Maximum Drive slot on his belt.

SKULL: MAXIMUM DRIVE

An energy skull appeared in front of Skull before he kicked it at his Heat energy shot and the two attacks combined into a giant fire skull which overpowers the Freeze Dopant's attacks and made contact with his body as he exploded.

The Freeze Dopant reverts into his human form, he was a man in his mid-30s with white hair and cold-blue eyes, as his body begins to disintegrate.

"So you were Necro-Over." Skull said as he looked at Freeze.

"Indeed I am...I was meant to be Kazu-sama's contingency plan, should he perish. But truth be told...I was hoping it would never come to be…" Freeze told him in spite of the Rider in front of him before he fell to the ground. "Forgive me master...I have failed you…"

Freeze's body disintegrates into nothingness.

Skull sighs in pity for Freeze, but he has more important matters to attend to as he runs to the hatch and opens it as he enters inside.

Kyoya now as Eternal and found his way into the core of one of the blizzard machines as he smashed the door down to the floor.

Eternal looks at the large core in the middle of the room he was in, as it was spinning with blue energy in a glass container while producing snow and ice in the room.

Eternal soon brings out his Stag Phone as he placed it by his ear.

"Alright, I'm in position. What about you guys?" Eternal asked.

"I'm staring at the core now." Accel said with his Beetle Phone by his ear as he was now staring at the core of one of the blizzard machines.

"I've found mine too." Skull said with his communicator as he was staring at the core of the blizzard machine he was in. "Also I defeated the Freeze Dopant."

"Great job, Ken. Alright, we'll do it in three!" Eternal told his friends.

"Right!" Skull and Accel at the same time.

Eternal soon puts away his phone and brings out his Weather Memory.

WEATHER

Eternal soon inserts the Weather Memory into the Maximum Drive slot on his belt.

WEATHER: MAXIMUM DRIVE

Eternal channels lightning around his hands.

"One!"

Accel brings out his Engine Blade and Engine Memory as he inserts the Memory into his Blade.

ENGINE: MAXIMUM DRIVE

Accel readies his Blade as it channels with energy as he aimed at the core.

"Two!"

Skull soon inserts his Skull Memory into his Magnum.

SKULL: MAXIMUM DRIVE

Skull aimed his Magnum at the core as it channels with energy.

"And now…" Skull said.

"Three!" All three Riders said at the same time, as Eternal fired two lightning bolts at the core, while Skull and Accel fired an energy shot at their own cores.

When the attacks made contact at all three blizzard machines' cores, they began to explode as explosions appeared around the rooms they were in.

Soon all three Riders leave the rooms as the blizzard machines begin to explode.

Skull made it outside as he ran on top of the blizzard machine as explosions appeared around it.

"Oh man, Salia, I hope you'll catch me!" Skull said as he jumped off of the machine as it exploded while Skull fell to the ground.

"Ken!" Skull looked and saw Salia flying towards him as she reached out to him.

Skull reached for her hand, and they grabbed onto each other's hands and Salia pulled him onto her Ragna-mail as he sat down behind her.

"Thanks for the save." Skull said.

"It's no problem." Salia said before they saw the blizzard machine falling to the ground before it exploded.

"You did it." Salia said.

"No, we did it." Skull corrected her, and Salia blinked in confusion before she smiled at him and Skull returned it with his own smile before he changed back into Ken.

(Later)

After the Freeze Dopant was defeated and his blizzard machines were destroyed, Salia and Ken returned to Arzenal where they received a hero's welcome by their friends on the island as they clapped and cheered for them in their success in saving their world.

After that, Salia changed into her Arzenal uniform, and she and Ken arrived at the graveyard so that she could pay her respect to Alektra as she placed flowers on her grave with Ken standing beside her.

"Thanks for coming with me." Salia said as she stood up.

"It's no problem." Ken said. "She really meant a lot to you, didn't she?"

"Yeah…" Salia nodded. "When I was a kid, I admired her so much, her beauty, her courage, her strength, she was more than my idol she was my hero. But she still betrayed me despite all that. That's why I chose to side with Embryo to help forget about her, but in the end that was just another mistake and because of that Alektra lost her life."

"Hey," Ken said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "You shouldn't beat yourself up about that. We all make mistakes, it's what makes us human. And sure what Alektra did was unforgivable but she helped make up for that by helping you see what Embryo's true nature was. And I know for a fact she didn't once blame you for what happened."

"Do...Do you really think so?" Salia asked and Ken nodded.

Salia looks at Alektra's grave before she remembers her last words to her.

"You really are just like me. Almost like a little sister…You're so serious, and such a crybaby...and so presumptuous. Right down to your taste in men."

"That's why I didn't want you mixed up in this. I'm sorry I took it out on you."

"I'm glad...in the end I…"

"Alektra…" Salia said as she tried to fight back her tears.

Ken then hugs Salia which was much to her surprise.

"It's okay to cry, you know. Tears are only natural when you're sad." Ken said.

Salia's eyes widened before tears began to fall from them before she hugs onto Ken as she cries on his chest.

"Thank you...thank you…" Salia told him, and Ken smiled as he held her closer.

"It's alright, let it all out." Ken said.

After she was done crying, Salia and Ken then looked at each other's eyes before they kissed on the lips.

There you have it, I hope that you like it. Please review to tell me what you think.