Sunset groaned as she got up, despite how luxurious the bed was, she couldn't get much sleep. Her mind was still feverishly trying to figure out where they were. Heck, she was surprised she got any sleep at all. Sunset slowly swung her legs over the edge of the bed, and stretched out her arms as she gave a loud yawn. Carefully, she walked over to the window and opened the blinds. It was daytime now, and the city still looked as empty as it did yesterday.
"You look like Canterlot City, but you're probably not. But still, someone went through the trouble of recreating the city." Sunset reached into her pocket and pulled out the Unicorn Memory. "And apparently, I'm a 'Kamen Rider'. Some kind of hero."
The former unicorn mare chuckled at that. Not too long ago, she was the furthest thing from a "hero" as anyone could be. She was so arrogant and prideful, but had the power to back it up, only pouring more fuel onto the fire. Now, she had friends, people she cared about, and apparently, Sunset somehow saved Twilight from her transformation into Midnight Sparkle. If those memories of Twilight creating the Uni-Driver were true.
"Well, that's good, I guess. Twilight's with us at CHS, and now we're friends. I hope the girls are looking after her," said Sunset to herself. "Well, in the meantime, I have two girls I need to look after here until I can get them back home." Sunset raised an eyebrow and sniffed the air. After a moment, she gave a snort, a habit from when she was a pony. "But first, a shower."
With all the life-threatening danger, and the fact that they lost some of their memories, oh, and were thrown into some unknown world. Sunset forgot to take a shower.
"Yeesh, yeah, I definitely need to wash up. Oh, wait, is that even a good idea? What if a monster attacks while I'm in my dang birthday suit? And then there's the clothes situation? Probably need to get those cleaned too…Ugh. Whatever, one thing at a time. Maybe we'll hit up my house and I can use the washer and dryer."
With that thought in mind, Sunset headed to the bathroom, disrobing as she did.
Anne was in the kitchen area of the suite and was busy cooking some breakfast. They made sure to raid a grocery store along the way to the suite and filled it with whatever they would need for a meal. Anne didn't think she'd have time to make anything, but she figured she could make some of her special omelets.
Luz was watching from behind the counter. It was honestly impressive how focused Anne was as she prepared the food. "Wow, Anne, you really did cook in your family's restaurant. You're, like, a master chef!"
Anne blushed from the compliment but continued her work. "It's no big deal, dude. But thanks for the compliment. Heh, my friends love it when I make these. Sasha always said…" The Thai teen paused her movements.
"Anne, you okay?" Luz asked.
"Yeah…I'm just wondering if Sasha and Marcy are alright. I don't know if they're still back in the park or if they're here with us," Anne explained.
"I'm sure we'll find them. Hopefully they're safe and sound back in your world, or our world, ugh, alternate universe stuff is complicated," Luz complained.
Anne chuckled as she went back to work. "Anyway, it's almost ready." The young chef put on a sly smile as she glanced over her shoulder at Luz. "Why don't you go and wake up your bacon haired crush."
"A-Anne! C'mon, don't!" Luz whined. "Look, I know it's stupid that I have a crush on her. She's way older than me, and she is definitely from another universe. It wouldn't work out."
Anne shrugged. "Hey, you never know. We could end up stuck here forever. If that happens, well, I say go for it."
Luz blushed as she put her hands on her hips and retorted, "Oh? Then maybe I'll drag you into the relationship and make it polycule. Especially with cooking skills like yours."
"In your dreams, Noceda. Seriously, go ahead and wake her up. I know we should probably let her sleep in more since she's the only one of us who can fight and all, but neither do I want to get possibly chewed out for not waking her up," said Anne.
"Fair point. Alright." Luz got off the stool and headed to the other side of the room where Sunset's room was located. The young teen knocked on the door a couple of times and waited for an answer. "H-Hey, Sunset? You awake? Um, Anne's making us breakfast. Sunset?"
Is she still asleep? Luz thought. Guess I'll need to wake her up then.
Luz slowly opened the door and when she did, the Latina noticed that Sunset's bed was empty. Her mind immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario as she burst into the room and called out, "Sunset?!"
"What, what's wrong?!"
"Uh…!"
"Eh…!"
Sunset ran out of the bathroom, her hair matted and wet as it clung to her back. She was completely drenched, having just come out of the shower, and thankfully with a towel wrapped around her body.
"S-Sunset…s-sorry for b-barging in…" Luz stammered.
"Are you okay?! What about Anne?!" Sunset.
"Oh, uh, no, we're fine! We're okay, I-I was just coming to wake you up, but it looks like you were already awake, a-and t-t-taking a s-s-shower. I-I didn't see you in the bed a-and I thought you disappeared or something for a second," Luz nervously stammered.
Sunset released a sigh of relief. "Thank Faust, you scared me for a second. I thought, 'Shoot, I'm really about to have to fight someone naked!' Whew, man, now that would've been embarrassing."
Luz gulped as her face turned red. "Y-Yeah, e-embarrassing sounds about right. A-Anyway, Anne's m-making us breakfast…"
"Oh, cool. I'll be out in ten," Sunset announced.
"R-Right," Luz replied as she closed the door behind her.
The young teen walked back to the counter, sat in the stool, and plopped her head against the counter as a dull thud was heard.
Anne glanced over her shoulder curiously and asked, "So, she up?"
"Mmm-hmm…"
"She coming to eat?"
"She said ten minutes…"
"Alright, I'll be done by then." Anne raised an eyebrow as she noticed that Luz hadn't raised her head. "You okay, Luz?"
Luz shook her head in the negative.
"You wanna tell me why?"
"I SAW SUNSET NAKED!"
Anne nearly flipped the pan over from hearing that. Thankfully, she didn't. The Thai teen whirled around and cried out, "WHAT?! How?! Does she…sleep nude or–?"
"She was taking a shower, I barged in, and she came out! I mean, she wasn't naked-naked, she had a towel on, but…but…AUGH!" Luz groaned as she hid her face again.
"Uh, wow, awkward." Anne smirked again as she added, "Bet that's an image that's not leaving your head anytime soon."
"NOT HELPING!"
Luz, Sunset, and Anne were sitting at the counter, eating Anne's omelets. Sunset sat on the far left of the counter, with Anne on Sunset's right, and Luz on Anne's right. Basically, Anne acted as a barrier between the fiery haired teen and the Latina. Sunset was wondering why Luz wasn't looking at her, but Anne assured her it was nothing.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Anne asked.
"Well, for now, I want to hit up a few places. I want to see just how accurate this place is to Canterlot City. I have an idea of how we could get out of here if whoever or whatever made this place made it exactly the same, then they might've accidentally recreated the portal to Equestria," Sunset explained.
"That's your original home, right? The world where you were a pony?" Luz asked, her eyes not leaving her omelet.
"Yeah. I know it's not exactly the solution we may want, but if there's a chance, then I figured it's better than staying here in this place." Sunset put her fork down and sighed as she decided to tell the girls her theory. "Who or whatever brought us here, did it with a purpose in mind. And if there are more monsters like that roaming around, then we need to go somewhere else. It may not be your guys' home universes, but I figure Equestria will be safer than here."
"Sounds better than possibly getting killed by a monster in this whacked out place," said Anne. "By the way, are your people going to be okay with seeing three humans just casually drop into their world?"
Sunset chuckled. "That's the best part. If we pass through the portal, it'll change us. When I stepped through it from Equestria, it turned me into a human. When my friend, Princess Twilight, returned to Equestria, she reverted to her pony form. Our best guess is that the portal changes the person who passes through into a form that best fits their soul, or in some cases, if you have a double on the other side, it'll change you into that same pony. All my human friends have pony doubles in Equestria, and so does Princess Twilight."
Luz snapped her head up when she heard this information. "Y-You mean, we'll turn into ponies like you?! Can I be a unicorn?! Or-or a pegasus?! Wait, can I be both?!"
Anne thought about it for a moment. "Huh, I don't know what kind I'd like to be. Not much of a magic person but flying may be cool."
Sunset chuckled. "Heh-heh, sorry, I have no control over what you'll be. Like I said, it matches your pony form to you. And no, Luz, you can't be both. That would be an alicorn, and those are among the most powerful, and respected ponies in my world. Princess Twilight is one of them, and so is my mentor, Princess Celestia."
"Huh, oh, well, I'd be happy with any of the three. I wonder what I'd look like as a pony?" Luz pondered.
Anne smirked as she asked, "Question: do we keep our clothes when we pass through?"
"Nope. And again, don't ask me why, but the portal somehow materializes clothes for you whenever a pony crosses over to the human world. It might generate an accessory or maybe an article of clothing, but there's no way to really tell. Heck, if I passed through, I'm sure I'd end up with nothing on just like I did before I became human," Sunset explained.
Luz's face went red again as she now envisioned Sunset as an anthropologic unicorn, in the same state of undress as she saw her earlier. The young teen turned her head, moved her plate to the side and brought her head down against the counter with a thud.
STOP THINKING THOUGHTS, LUZ!
Anne chuckled as she saw Luz's reaction.
"Am I missing something?" Sunset asked.
"Nope, nothing major. So, where's our first stop going to be?" Anne inquired.
"Well, first we're going to see about hotwiring a car, and then we'll drive to my place before we go to where the portal is located. I have a journal there that allows me to communicate directly with Princess Twilight. She managed to build a machine that can close and open the portal. Without that journal, I can't message her to open it."
Anne nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
"Also, you know how to hotwire a car?" Luz asked.
"I mentioned this before, but I had to learn a few things in order to survive when I first got here. One of those things was learning how to hijack a vehicle. Not that I ever got the chance to use those skills, but I remember how after watching enough online how-to videos."
Can she be any cooler?!
Sash would definitely get along with Sunset.
After finishing their breakfast, the girls left the hotel and took the elevator down to the ground floor. After getting outside, Sunset looked around for a car that was easy enough to hotwire, she just hoped that most of these cars had full gas tanks.
Considering how many of them blew yesterday, I'd say they should , Sunset thought.
Sunset picked an old sedan car and began working on it. She ripped out the panel under the steering wheel and began fiddling with the wires. Once she found the ones she needed, Sunset stripped them and began lightly tapping the ends of the two wires together. Each tap made the car sputter to life. Sunset kept that up for about ten seconds before finally getting the car to start.
"Alright!" Sunset exclaimed. "I can't believe that worked to be honest. Better not let the girls hear that."
"Sunset!" Luz called out.
The flame-haired teen got out of the car and watched as Luz and Anne walked down the sidewalk towards her. Both girls had backpacks on, which made Sunset curious.
"Hey, what's with the backpacks?" Sunset asked.
"We figured, in case we get sent to another place like last time, we should stock up on some food stuff," Luz explained.
"We got some bottled water, some nonperishable foods, and a few snacks here and there. And some first aid kits," Anne added.
"Nice. This is starting to sound like one of those survival game horror movies," said Sunset.
"Ugh, what if that's what this whole thing is?" the Thai teen inquired. "Like, what if some whackos threw us in here just to get their sick kicks by watching a bunch of teen girls run around and get chased by monsters to see how long we live?"
Luz grimaced. "Yeeaah…I hope that's not the case. Those kinds of situations usually turn into some really weird, really… adult level of bad things."
Sunset walked up to the two young teens and gently placed a hand on their shoulders. "Hey, don't worry. I have my Driver and Unicorn Memory. I promised I'd protect you, and that's what I'm going to do. So, with that in mind, let's head to my place and find the journal. If it's there at all."
Luz and Anne nodded as they hopped into the back seat. Sunset got into the driver's seat and drove off down the road. The whole ride was eerie. There were a lot of cars, but no drivers. The city was quiet, no sounds of traffic, nor the hum of people. It was utterly empty. Truly unnerving. It was worse when they got into the suburbs. Nearly empty roads, and an even more deafening silence. Sunset's mind played out what she would normally see when she drove down these streets. She remembered the sound of her motorbike's engine as she whizzed down the streets, passing by people walking their dogs, chatting with friends, or making a video for ViewTube. As they drove, Sunset stopped at a house. It was in a well-off neighborhood, the house itself being a two story with a big garage. Luz and Anne noticed how Sunset was staring at the house and grew worried.
"You okay, Sunset?" Luz asked.
"Yeah…sorry. This is…This is where my friend lives, one of them anyway. Her name is Twilight Sparkle," said Sunset.
"The princess you were talking about?" Anne questioned.
"No, the human one. Remember when I said that almost everyone has a pony counterpart back in my universe? Well, the princess had one here. She's a total nerd, basically a genius." Sunset chuckled. "Actually, she's the only girl I've ever met who can match me when it comes to science and math. Heh, hell, she pretty much surpasses me, considering she made the Uni-Driver."
"Wow…Sounds like someone Marcy would love to hang out with," Anne mentioned.
"You're worried about her?" Luz inquired.
"Kind of. She just transferred to my school, and she kinda went through a lot at her old school. Being bullied because she was smarter than everyone there," said Sunset. "Let's keep going, sorry for that."
The car resumed its journey, but Luz still had questions.
"How bad was she bullied?"
"From what she told me, they would shove her around, look at her with jealousy and disdain, shun her sometimes. It wasn't just by one individual, it was done by most of the student body," Sunset explained.
"What?!" Anne shouted. "Dude, that's effed up! The whole school messed with her?! Why didn't she say anything?!"
"She went to another school here in the area. Crystal Prep Academy. They're the best and cater to the elite. Their principal, Cinch, practically used Twilight to boost their standing by winning a lot of academic awards. And as a goal post for the other students. A kind of carrot and stick method."
"So even the faculty was in on it? I…I can't imagine how that'd feel like," said Luz as she hugged herself, recalling her own encounters with her peers back home.
"Well, not all of them. Dean Cadance was on her side, and tried to help where she could. But after the Friendship Games she transferred to our school and my friends and I welcomed her to the school." Sunset paused and slammed the breaks.
Luz and Anne gagged as their seatbelts dug into them from the sudden stop.
"Ugh! Sunset, what the hell?!" Anne exclaimed.
"Was there something in the road?!" Luz asked.
"No…I…I just realized I remembered all of that. Everything I just told you, it was something I didn't know before…I…I think I'm getting my memories back!" Sunset joyfully exclaimed.
"Seriously?!"
"That's great!"
"Y-Yeah, I remembered where she lived. I remember saving her after the Friendship Games, and hearing that she was going to transfer to CHS. I remember her trying to adapt to the school, and…Oh crap…" Sunset gasped.
"WHAT?!" Luz and Anne asked.
"I fought that white dinosaur monster before! It was the Fang Dopant, the first monster I fought when I transformed into Unicorn!" Sunset pressed a hand against her forehead but smiled all the same. "I didn't even realize I remembered until we came here."
"Wait, then that means that you might remember more if you defeat another monster or get another of those whatchamathings," said Luz.
"Wait, does it even work like that?" Anne questioned.
"Maybe Sunset getting more of those devices means she'll regain more of her memories? What did you call them?"
"Gaia Memories."
"Yeah! Maybe the Gaia Memories also held onto some of her memories! If we get more, Sunset might remember more and that'll help us get out of here faster! Plus, it'll give you more fighting options," Luz pointed out.
"Wait, are you talking about how, in the show, Kamen Rider Atlas gets those little accessories that change his armor and make him stronger?" Anne questioned.
"Precisely!" Luz nodded as she snapped her fingers. "Every Kamen Rider has multiple form changes before achieving their Final Forms. I'm sure Sunset has something like that."
"You think so?" Sunset asked.
"It's a classic troupe."
Sunset chuckled and shrugged. "Alright. I guess I'll try it out if we meet another monster."
With that said, Sunset resumed her driving.
They were eventually able to make it to Sunset's home. Once there, Sunset, Luz, and Anne got out of the car and walked up to the front door. Sunset glanced about the area, and then looked at the potted plant on her right. She reached into the plant and took out a rock. Luz and Anne were curious until Sunset flipped the rock around and showed that it was one of those fake rocks with a spare key slot. Once she retrieved the spare key, Sunset unlocked the door and slowly opened it. To her surprise, it was exactly the same. The posters, her bed, her lights, TV, furniture, computers, game consoles, all of it was in the exact same spot that she remembered.
"Welcome to my home, girls," said Sunset.
"Whoa…" Anne and Luz gasped.
"It's like the ultimate bachelorette pad!" Anne exclaimed.
"Seriously, it's so cool!" Luz rushed towards the stairs and saw the trio of guitars that were hanging up. "Are these for when you play with your band?!"
"Actually, those were from before. My ex-boyfriend, Flash, taught me how to play. It was honestly great for helping me learn how to use these ." Sunset raised her hands and wiggled her fingers. "Believe me, the hoof-to-hand transition was not easy. But after learning how to play, I found that I really liked playing the guitar. So, I bought a couple of different axes and an amp."
"Dang, look at this setup," said Anne as she looked at Sunset's computers. "You do a lot of computer stuff."
"Heh, I'm a bad girl, but I'm a smart-as-hell bad girl. I use that for whenever I stream online," Sunset informed.
Anne smirked as she teased, "Oh~, so are you a cam girl, Sunset? No shame if you are, I mean, you look hot, so~"
Luz blushed as her right eye twitched. The implications of Sunset being a "cam girl" was now in her mind, and it was taking it places she did not want it to go.
"Ha, ha, funny, Anne," Sunset replied with her own smirk. "Maybe I'll feature you in one, feel like making a few bucks?"
Anne blushed next as she spluttered, "W-W-WHAT?! No! I-I was kidding! I'm not – who would want to see me – I mean–!"
"Anne, chill out, I'm kidding. I do stream, but it's a gaming stream. I call it 'Shimmer Code'. It helps to pay for some of the bills," Sunset interjected.
Anne released a sigh. "Well played, Shimmer."
"I'm a smart-bad-girl. Remember that, Boonchuy," Sunset teased as she walked up the stairs to her hanging bedroom.
Luz's face was still red as Anne came up and lightly elbowed the Latina.
"Don't pass out, Luz."
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
"Yep."
"You cheeky little–"
"DAMN IT!" Sunset yelled.
Luz and Anne ran up the stairs and asked, "What?! What's wrong?!"
The drawer was open, and Sunset was sitting on her bed. "Nothing, sorry. I shouldn't have been surprised. I was just hoping that it might be there. Well, that plan's scrapped."
Luz noticed the sad look on Sunset's face. That's when she got closer to Sunset and sat next to her. "Hey, we don't know for sure yet. We can at least go to where you said the portal to your home dimension is, right?" The Latina gently grabbed Sunset's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "It's at least worth a shot."
"Luz is right, Sunset," said Anne as she crossed her arms. "And besides, we can come back here and rest while we plan our next move if that's a bust. At least will be in a place that you know and where you have home field advantage."
Sunset chuckled and then let out a sigh. "You're right. We should at least investigate it before we rule it out. Thanks, Luz."
Luz smiled as she replied, "No problem."
Sunset undid her hand from Luz's and stood up. "Well, let's at least rest for now and we'll head out in a few minutes. Let me check if the fridge is stocked or not. I think I should have some frozen pizzas in there."
Luz and Anne watched as Sunset headed downstairs and went through the door that led to the kitchen area.
"So…slick move there holding her hand and all," said Anne with a grin.
"What?"
"You were holding Sunset's hand earlier, or did you really forget?"
Luz looked at her left hand, paused, and then blushed. "I…I held hands with Sunset."
"Congrats, Luz, you're one step closer," said Anne as she patted the Latina on her back.
"Why does it feel like you're the older one and I'm the younger one in his situation?" Luz pointed out. "Are you…Are you trying to get me and Sunset together?"
Anne shrugged. "Guess I'm a sucker for a love story. Plus, I think you guys would look cute together."
"She's still way older than me…I'm just a kid as far as she's concerned."
"So? It's not like you're asking her to do… that kind of stuff. You're just trying to ask her out," Anne explained. "Better to try and fail than to never try at all, dude."
Luz wrapped her right arm over her stomach and held onto her left arm as she thought about Anne's words. "I don't know…"
Anne sighed and shrugged. "Luz, c'mon, why not?"
"I…I had a bad experience, alright," Luz confessed.
Anne blinked. "Wait, what do you mean, 'bad experience'? What happened."
"S-Sorry, can we just…just drop it for now. Let's go and see if Sunset needs any help!"
Before Anne could inquire further, Luz headed down the stairs and disappeared into the other room. The Thai teen rubbed the back of her head as she sighed heavily.
"Guess there's some baggage there…"
After getting a quick bite, Sunset, Luz, and Anne headed to Canterlot High School. Sunset pulled up and parked the car next to the sidewalk as all three of them got out of the car. Luz and Anne gawked at the school, jaws practically dropping to the ground. The school was about three stories high, at the center was a rotunda that was made of concrete, and diamond shaped glass panes that were made of different blue hues. At the top of the rotunda was a castle-like clocktower, with a flagpole at the very top and the school's banner flapping in the wind. On the roof, at each corner was a gold colored horse head statue, and the edges of the roof retained the castle-like appearance as the clocktower. To the left of the school building was the soccer field, and further beyond that the football field. The front yard of the school had a gold-colored horseshoe statue that was set to the center right of the yard, and at the very center of the yard was a marble pedestal that was damaged. There were signs of a bigger statue being there, as Luz and Anne could spot a pair of – what looked like – horse legs that were blown off.
"Wow…dang, Sunset, your school is nice!" Luz exclaimed.
"Seriously, it blows SJMS out of the water," Anne added in awe.
Sunset chuckled as she replied, "If you think CHS looks good, you should see Crystal Prep. I haven't been, but they're a high dollar private school, I can only imagine what it looks like inside."
"What used to be there?" Anne asked as she pointed at the pedestal.
"Well, the Wondercolt statue used to be there. But when Twilight was overwhelmed by Equestrian magic and became Midnight Sparkle. She kind of went on a rampage and blasted the statue to pieces." Sunset let out a little laugh. "Heh, she even tore holes in space-time and nearly collapsed both of our universes."
Luz and Anne blinked. The way Sunset said that so nonchalantly was almost worrying.
Sunset noticed the looks the girls were giving her and quickly added, "B-B-But she's not like that anymore! I managed to use the magic that my friends and I had and managed to save her. I repaired the space-time holes, and thankfully the portal still works."
"And this was before you became a Kamen Rider, right?" Anne inquired.
Sunset nodded.
"Wow."
Sunset grinned, but then walked towards the pedestal where the Wondercolt statue used to be. The former unicorn mare stood about a few inches away from the statue and pressed her hand against its cool surface. And as she expected, there was nothing.
"Sorry, girls, another dead end," Sunset informed.
"You sure?" Luz asked.
"Yeah, if it was active, the surface would ripple, and my hand would slip through it. But there's no reaction." Sunset removed her hand and sighed in disappointment. "Well, that was my best shot at getting us out of here. And with my memories still fragmented, if there is another possible way out, I can't remember it."
"Well, we tried," said Luz. "At least we have a place that we can stay. I mean, we could probably just break into any of the houses here and stay there, but you know what I mean."
"Got a criminal mindset there, don'cha?" Anne teased.
"It's not criminal since this world's a copy, and not the original," Luz rebutted.
"Guess that's that. C'mon, we'll at least make it fun. We'll turn into a slumber party," Sunset suggested.
"Oh, yes! Then we need to stock up on a few things! I learned all about how to throw slumber parties from Sasha."
Sunset crossed her arms as she smirked. "Alright, Anne, why don't you show us."
"Wow…my…my first real sleepover," said Luz under her breath, making sure her new friends didn't hear how sad that sounded.
As the trio made their way back to the car, the wind started to pick up. It was steady at first, but now it was starting to get stronger and stronger. Anne had to push down on her skirt to keep the thing from flapping up and flashing her friends.
"Yeah, I like skirts, but pants are definitely more convenient for situations like this," Sunset commented.
"Agreed, although I'm more of a pants and shorts girl myself, but I'll wear a dress for a special occasion," Luz replied.
"It's my school's uniform! I don't exactly have a say in it! Dang it, why did I have to get transported to his freaky place in these clothes instead of my regular ones?!" Anne complained.
The wind started to get stronger and stronger until it became a blustering whirlwind. Anne, Luz, and Sunset tensed their bodies as they felt the wind push against them, like it was trying to throw them.
"GET TO THE CAR!" Sunset yelled.
That was easier said than done as the wind became violent, buffeting the girls with small debris that it picked up. That's when Sunset glanced over her shoulder, her eyes widening as she beheld a green tornado heading straight towards them. Dust and debris were kicked as the turbulent winds spun, mixing with the green tinted winds. The tornado came crashing down into the school, smashing through the center of Canterlot High School, and tore apart the brick and mortar as it appeared to head straight towards them.
"SUNSET, PLEASE TELL ME TORNADOS IN YOUR WORLD ARE GREEN COLORED!" Anne yelled.
"NO! THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT NORMAL!" Sunset replied.
"HEY, I THINK I SEE SOMETHING INSIDE OF IT!" Luz shouted as she pointed at the tornado.
Sunset squinted her eyes, and indeed, Luz was right. At the center of the tornado, Sunset could spot a humanoid figure, amongst the debris and green tinted wind, she could spot two glowing objects where the head was.
"LUZ, ANNE, GET BEHIND THE CAR! IT'S A DOPANT!" Sunset ordered.
Luz and Anne pushed through the winds as they did their best to reach the car. Meanwhile, Sunset pulled out the Uni-Driver and placed it at her waist. The device immediately shot out its straps and wrapped around her waist, connecting back to the other side of the Uni-Driver. Once it was on, Sunset reached into her jacket, took out the Unicorn Memory, and pressed the button on its side.
UNICORN!
"HENSHIN!"
UNICORN!
Sunset inserted the Gaia Memory into the slot and pressed down to connect it to the Driver. A sphere of energy surrounded Sunset, bombarding her with turquoise lightning as her armor materialized and transformed her into Kamen Rider Unicorn. Once she had transformed, the tornado started to die down, allowing the Dopant inside to float out of it and land on the ground as the tornado completely disappeared.
The Dopant had a more humanoid appearance than the Fang Dopant. Its body was made up of green and silver exoskeletal armor, and a kind of black colored skin underneath it. The creature's body was half and half. The right side of the monster's chest was covered in more silver exoskeletal armor, with a pauldron that possessed a gold stripe that ran around its right bracer. The left half had more of the green exoskeleton, with part of the armor appearing thicker and wrapping around to cover the left pectoral, shoulder, and wrapping around to the middle of the back. The Dopant's face had more of the armor covering it like a helmet. The right half of its head had a larger, compound eye, while its black, fanged face had a smaller yellow eye.
"Don't suppose you're going to tell me why I'm here?" Unicorn asked.
"Kill…Unicorn…!"
"Yeah, that's the response I thought I'd get."
Unicorn dug her heels into the ground and dashed towards the Dopant. She cocked back her right fist and threw a punch at the monster, to which the monster responded by raising its left arm to block. The Dopant managed to deflect the punch and was about to counter, but Unicorn was quicker as she struck with a left hook to the Dopant's right side, causing sparks to fly from the impact. The wind generating monsters snarled and as it raised its left hand and came down with a slash, using its wind powers to create a cutting force that slashed Unicorn across her chest. More spark littered the air as they were released from Unicorn's armor, but Unicorn was not deterred as he began throwing a series of punches at the monster, forcing it to block. Some of the blows landed, while the Dopant got a few in on her.
Their exchange ended when Unicorn tried to punch the Dopant again, but a wall of wind appeared between them and blasted Unicorn away, causing her to go airborne for a few seconds. Unicorn's crystal horn glowed as her turquoise aura wrapped around her body. Before she could hit the ground, Unicorn used her magic to stabilize herself, and float in the air in a form of self-levitation. Once stable, she brought both of her hands together, and thrusted them out in front of her. A sphere of turquoise light formed before shooting from Unicorn's hands.
The Dopant summoned forth its green tinted winds and used them to alter the course of the incoming projectiles, throwing it off to the side where it exploded a moment later. Unicorn landed on the ground, but then ran in a circular pattern around the Dopant as she continued to fire more mana blasts at the monster. The Cyclone Dopant formed a barrier of turbulent wind around itself, keeping the energy blasts from reaching it by throwing them off course. Some of the blasts hit the school, others hit the soccer field, the street, and one came dangerously close to the car where Anne and Luz were taking cover.
Damn it! Unicorn thought as she paused and stopped firing. If I keep shooting I'll end up hitting the girls!
The Cyclone Dopant glanced at the two girls hiding behind the car and decided to turn its attention to them.
"NO!"
The Cyclone Dopant focused its wind power and launched wind blades at the car. Unicorn teleported to the car, putting herself between the attack and the car itself. The crystal horn glowed as Unicorn formed a barrier around herself and the car. The wind blades struck the barrier, slamming against it with great force and making Unicorn grunt from maintaining the shield.
"Guess I shouldn't expect a monster to play fair!" Unicorn criticized. "You guys okay?!"
"For now, yeah!" Anne replied.
"Good, keep your heads down!"
Unicorn narrowed her gaze at the Cyclone Dopant, and that's when an idea formed in her head. The magical hero swiped her right hand through the air as she formed five spheres of magical energy. With another swipe of her hand, Unicorn launched all five of them at the Cyclone Dopant. Instead of having them hit the Dopant directly, Unicorn gave them a command to strike the ground in front of the Cyclone Dopant. All five spheres hit, and five explosions erupted in front of the Dopant, kicking up a dust cloud that obscured its view of Unicorn and the girls. There was a flash of turquoise that the Cyclone Dopant saw through the dust cloud, making it swipe its hands and generate a whirlwind that blew the smoke away. When it was clear, Unicorn was gone.
"Looking for someone?!"
As the Cyclone Dopant turned its head in the direction of the voice, Unicorn came in with a roundhouse kick to the side of the monster's head. The Cyclone Dopant was sent flying in another direction. As it flailed through the air, the monster managed to use its command of the wind to stop its momentum and reorientate itself. When it looked to see where Unicorn was, she was gone. A flash of turquoise light went off to its right, and Unicorn appeared again. She punched the monster in the face and teleported again, appearing in front of the Cyclone Dopant before hitting it in the gut with a knee strike.
Unicorn teleported again and reappeared above the monster and readied to hit the monster's head with an ax kick. However, before Unicorn could land her blow, the Cyclone Dopant's eyes glowed and created a rotating spherical barrier of wind. The moment that Unicorn's kick landed, the winds took her and threw her like a ragdoll towards the CHS building. The former pony crashed through several walls before exiting through the last one and onto the soccer field.
"Ow…"
Unicorn managed to get up and teleported back to where the Cyclone Dopant was. When she arrived, she saw the Dopant was still in its barrier. Apparently it wasn't about to take any chances with Unicorn's teleporting power, and so took precautions to keep the hero from getting that close again.
"Great, how am I going to–?"
"SUNSET!" Luz yelled.
Unicorn glanced over her shoulder as she saw Luz waving her arms to flag her down.
"USE THAT OTHER THING! THE MEMORY THAT YOU GOT FROM THAT RAPTOR!"
"The Fang Memory? Wait a minute." Unicorn looked at her left hand, and when she did, the Fang Memory materialized into it. "Luz did say I might be able to use it like a power up or something. If the right port lets me use my finishing attacks…then I guess the left one is for utilizing other Gaia Memories?"
Unicorn returned her gaze to the Cyclone Dopant and tightened her grip around the Fang Memory.
"Better something than nothing! Let's do it!" Unicorn shouted as she pressed the button on the Gaia Memory and inserted it into the left hip port.
FANG!
{ FANG! MIMETIC DRIVE! }
Suddenly, the Fang symbol appeared behind Sunset. The symbol disappeared and the energy wrapped around Unicorn's body. The pauldrons of her suit became curved and sharp, the tips of the fingers gaining sharp claws. The heels of her feet grew two long, curved spikes, while her arms grew segmented plates, along with the legs. Finally, Unicorn's crystal, metal wrapped horn grew a couple of inches and curved like a katana blade. Parts of the suit were colored white, just like the Fang Dopant, but mixed with Unicorn's colors as well.
Luz and Anne's eyes widened as they gasped in awe. The Latina quickly grabbed Anne's shoulders and began shaking her in excitement as she repeated, "FORM CHANGE! FORM CHANGE! SUNSET JUST DID A FORM CHANGE!"
Unicorn let out a primal growl as she widened her stance and held out her hands in a clawed manner. The eyes of her helmet flashed as the sunlight gleamed off the sharp edges of her armor.
"Unicorn: Fang Edge!"
The Cyclone Dopant seemed to flinch when it saw the transformation, and then launched more wind blades at Unicorn. The magical hero crouched low, practically on all fours as she dashed straight ahead with greater speed than she had before. As the wind blades approached, Unicorn pressed down on the left hip port once.
\ ARM FANG! /
Unicorn held out both of her arms as two curved blades formed from her wrists. As soon as the wind blades neared, Unicorn slashed with her Arm Fangs. Two cyan blades of energy were released as soon as she slashed, hitting the incoming wind blades. The crescents grinded against each other as sparks danced in the air, but a few seconds after making contact, the cyan crescents cut through the wind blades, forcing them to break apart and disperse back into the air.
The Cyclone Dopant was shocked by this result and began launching more and more wind blades at its enemy. Unicorn retaliated with her own slashing attacks, using the power of the Fang Memory to counter the wind blades as she cut them down and dispersed them. Not only that, but the increased attack power and speed allowed her to weave around the ones she wasn't able to slash. The Cyclone Dopant let out a distressed noise as it waved its hands around and released a bellowing column of green tinted wind towards Unicorn. Upon seeing the incoming attack, Unicorn pressed on the left hip port twice.
\\ LEG FANG! /
The two blades on Unicorn's wrists disappeared, and when they did, crescent blades formed from the ankles on the right and left leg. Unicorn flipped into the air and came down with a diagonal, slashing kick that sent a bigger crescent energy blade towards the incoming column of twisting wind. The wind tore up the ground, while the cyan energy blade formed a gash in the earth as it traveled. The two attacks met in the middle, creating a horrible screeching noise as they fought for supremacy. Unicorn used her self-levitation spell to spin herself around in midair as she slashed with the other leg, sending a second crescent flying towards the wind column. The two crescents merged, forming a large "X" that managed to push through the column of wind. The green tinted wind blast was quickly dispersed, cutting a path forward as Unicorn followed behind it.
The Cyclone Dopant realized that it couldn't stop the attack, so it canceled the attack and quickly ascended into the air as the "X" shaped cutting attack hit the school behind it, slicing through several layers of concrete and metal before finally fizzling out halfway through. The wind monster thought it was safe, but that's when a flash of turquoise went off overhead. At that moment, Unicorn pressed down three times on the left hip port.
\\\ HORN FANG! /
The two ankle blades disappeared as Unicorn's horn elongated and became a curved blade. Unicorn flipped around, and as she descended towards the monster. Unicorn reared her head back and brought it down. The Horn Fang glowed, creating a longer construct energy blade that managed to slice right through the wind barrier that protected the Cyclone Dopant, and thanks to that, the monster was exposed. Unicorn didn't waste any time as she used her clawed fingertips to slash at the monster's chest, throwing sparks into the air with each successive hit. The magical hero brought both of her hands together and fired another mana blast, hitting the Cyclone Dopant right in the chest. An explosion erupted, sending the creature hurdling straight to the ground. However, before the Cyclone Dopant could hit the ground, its eyes began to glow. A powerful gust of wind erupted around the monster which managed to keep it from crashing, but it didn't stop there. Unicorn teleported back to the ground and watched as the Cyclone Dopant started to create the green tornado once again.
"So, you're going all out? Alright, then I'll do the same! It's time to restore harmony!"
Unicorn pressed on the left hip port four times.
\\\\ ALL FANG! /
The horn fang remained as the arm fangs and legs fangs appeared yet again. Unicorn took out the Fang Memory, inserted it into the right hip port, and pressed the button.
} FANG! MAXIMUM DRIVE! {
All five blades on Unicorn's armor glowed bright cyan. An aura of cyan and turquoise began to glow around the Rider as streaks of cyan and turquoise appeared and disappeared around her. The Cyclone Dopant's tornado rapidly grew and was threatening to engulf everything if Unicorn didn't stop it.
"FANG RAZE!"
The streaks of light began to appear and disappear more rapidly as Unicorn dashed straight for the tornado. The magical warrior aimed directly for the center as she jumped and transformed into a beam of dual light that pierced into the tornado. For a moment, Luz and Anne wondered if Sunset was okay, as nothing happened. But that's when the tornado began to shine with turquoise and cyan light. The green tornado was starting to wobble back and forth, becoming unstable. The center also started to bloat, becoming bigger and bigger like a bubble was forming inside of the tornado. That's when blades of turquoise and cyan slashed through the entire tornado before it burst apart. Unicorn landed on the ground as the Cyclone Dopant remained stationary behind her. Eight blades of light slashed through the monster at once before the Cyclone Dopant exploded in midair.
"So cool…" Luz and Anne gasped.
The Cyclone Dopant hit the ground a few feet behind Unicorn. The magical hero walked to the monster, still ready to fight should it rise again. However, when she approached, the Cyclone Dopant glowed and disappeared, leaving behind the Cyclone Gaia Memory. Unicorn bent down and picked up the new Gaia Memory, she recognized it for sure, just touching it felt familiar. After acquiring the Cyclone Memory, Unicorn teleported back to the car, and once there, she disengaged her transformation and returned to civilian form.
"Whew…you guys okay?" Sunset asked.
"Yeah, we're good," Anne confirmed.
"I knew it! You can power yourself up with other Gaia Memories!" Luz exclaimed.
Sunset smiled and ruffled Luz's hair. "Thanks for that, by the way. It didn't even cross my mind until you said something."
Luz blushed and rubbed the back of her head bashfully. "W-Well, y-you know. My nerd knowledge has to come in handy at some point, right?"
"That's for sure," said Anne. "Hey, did you remember anything when you got it?"
Sunset looked at the Cyclone Memory again, and sadly shook her head. "Nah, nothing. I can't feel anything. But I do feel like I've used this before. Well, anyway, let's head back home. We have a slumber party to plan."
"Yeah, let's call off the party," said Anne.
"After all that, you're probably beat, right?" Luz asked.
"Won't lie, I kinda am. But to be honest, I need a slumber party. After two back-to-back disappointments, I need to have some fun. So, let's go raid the closest grocery store and live it up tonight!" Sunset declared.
Luz and Anne smiled and cheered as one, "YEAH!"
(Nighttime)
Night had fallen and yet another day had passed. Not only had they raided a grocery store, but they also raided a clothing store for some sleep wear. Apparently, while the journal wasn't there, her clothes were, so only Anne and Luz needed some sleep wear. The girls took turns showering while Sunset threw their clothes into the wash to get the grime and dirt from the last three days off. Thankfully, Anne also managed to grab some new clothes that wasn't a school uniform. After they got washed up and got everything ready, the girls gathered around Sunset's couch, with the table filled with various snacks and drinks.
"Think you guy's got it?" Anne asked.
"I think so," said Luz.
"Heh-heh, lets do it," Sunet confirmed.
All three girls glanced between each other and then chanted as one, "Pajamas, junk food, and gossip galore! Pillow fights, movies, and tearing up the dance floor! And listen up, 'cause this I won't repeat! Never ever go to sleep!"
At the same time, Anne, Sunset, and Luz laughed once the chant was over.
"Heh, thanks you guys. Sorry if it was a little cheesy," said Anne.
"Please, after being to a few Pinkie Pie parties, you grow to appreciate cheesiness."
"And I'm all about the cheese, so, no complaints here!" Luz replied.
Anne smiled at how understanding Luz and Sunset were. The Thai teen swirled her can of soda around and sighed. "I wonder if my parents are freaking out by now…?"
"Well, I guess I have that much going for me. My mom thinks I should be at that camp by now. She probably won't start noticing something's wrong until after the camp is over," said Luz.
"I know my friends are probably freaking out, and so is Principal Celestia. She's kind of been like a mom to me since I came here. Ironic considering that Princess Celestia, my old mentor, wasn't just my mentor, but also like a mom." Sunset took a swig of her soda and sighed. "Guess that's why it stung a little more when she wouldn't let me become an alicorn like her. All for the best, in the end. I was so arrogant that I'd probably end up blowing up Equestria."
"Yeesh. Hey, Sunset, can I ask a favor?" Anne inquired.
"What's up?"
"Can I see one of those Gaia Memory things?"
Sunset looked at Luz who shrugged. The flame-haired teen took out her Unicorn Memory and carefully handed it over to Anne. The Thai teen examined the Gaia Memory for a minute, which caused Luz and Sunset to wonder what was going through Anne's head.
"Everything okay, Anne?" Luz asked.
"…This is going to sound weird, but…I feel like I've seen this before," said Anne.
"Wait, what?!" Sunset exclaimed. "You've seen a Gaia Memory before?"
"It's hard to describe. But…I feel like I have, but…I dunno…Ugh! This whole missing-memories-thing is the pits," Anne stated as she returned the Unicorn Memory to Sunset.
"Agreed," Luz and Sunset proclaimed in unison.
"But that's probably a good thing, right?" Luz pointed out.
"How?" Sunset asked.
"Maybe there's another connection we don't see. The universes that we come from have Gaia Memories?" Luz theorized.
"It's about as good a theory as anything else right now. Oh, and sorry I can't provide any more entertainment than just movies and some non-online games. Considering we're…somewhere…no internet," Sunset apologized.
"Well, like you said, we have movies. Aaaand…" Anne glanced about the room as her eyes landed on the guitar. "Hey, you said you can rock. Why don't you show us?"
"Heh, you really want to hear me play?" Sunset questioned.
"Yeah! Please!" Luz exclaimed eagerly.
"Okay, okay. Hmm, well, since there's no one around us, guess I don't have to worry about disturbing the neighbors." Sunset picked up one of her guitars and hooked it up to the amp. "Alright girls, today's been crazy, and so has this whole thing. So, let's forget about it for now and just have fun!"
"YEAH!"
"YEAH!"
Sunset began strumming her guitar as she played one of the songs she composed with the other Rainbooms. Luz and Anne danced as they listened to Sunset's ballad, and how well she sang. The girls continued to party like this, drinking their sodas, snacking, playing what video games they could. Sunset even put on a few movies that she had collected, and Luz and Anne found them interesting, almost like parodies of the ones they were familiar with, but still fun to watch either way. The night dragged on, and eventually, Sunset knocked out on the couch with Anne and Luz sitting in front of the couch as their older teen protector laid sprawled out.
"I figured she'd be out first," said Anne.
"Well, she is doing all the fighting. I feel bad that we can't do anything to help out," said Luz as she watched the movie.
"I know how you feel. I want to help her and not be a burden, but there's no way either of us can fight those Dopants. We're not Kamen Riders like Sunset, we'd only get in her way," Anne explained.
"True…"
The girls sat in silence for a while longer before Anne asked, "So…totally cool and all if you don't want to tell me…but…what did you mean earlier about having a 'bad experience'?"
Luz's expression fell.
"Hey-Hey, like I said, you don't have to tell me. I just thought…maybe I could help you? Or maybe me and Sunset can help you?" Anne offered.
Luz didn't know why, honestly she hadn't even told her mother about it. But for some reason, Luz felt like she could trust Anne. She really did feel comfortable around her, and she was easy to talk to.
"…I knew I liked girls and boys, it took me a little while, but I finally came to realize that I'm bi. Although, when you're considered the 'weird girl' in school, being known as the 'gay weird girl' doesn't exactly help. There was one girl that I thought…maybe…was the same way. Her name was Zoey, and she's the captain of the cheerleaders. And, ahem, she's cute."
"Mmm-hmm," Anne hummed.
"One day, I worked up the courage to tell her how I felt…and she laughed," Luz confessed.
"What? She laughed?" Anne questioned with an incredulous tone creeping up.
"She pretty much threatened to out me to the entire class, that's if I didn't become her gofer for a while," Luz explained.
"WHAT?!" Anne shouted.
"SHH!" Luz hissed as she threw a thumb at the still sleeping Sunset.
Anne put her hands over her mouth and paused to see if Sunset would stir, but she didn't. "Dude, that's messed up! She really blackmailed you like that?!"
"Yeah…But she did keep her word, and eventually let me off. After that, though, I decided to just keep how I feel to myself. I guess you could say I'm afraid of getting hurt again like that," Luz explained.
"You don't think Sunset's like that, do you?" Anne asked.
"No, and I don't want to believe she is. She's already gone this far to protect us, and still is protecting us. I just…I just don't want to be hurt like that again." Luz released a nervous chuckle as she rubbed her arm. "I'm sorry, I must sound like such a coward…"
Anne furrowed her brow, reached out with her right arm, and wrapped it around Luz as she pulled the Latina in a hug.
"A-Anne…?"
"You're not a coward, you just went through something bad and had no one to help you through it. I'm sorry," said Anne.
"A-Anne, it's okay. It's not like we even knew each other, and if we are from the same universe, then you're all the way in California," Luz reasoned.
"I'm still sorry that that happened. You didn't deserve that. I promise, if we are from the same universe, we're getting in contact with each other. I'm not letting you be alone anymore," Anne promised.
Luz felt her heart swell as she leaned against Anne and let a few tears fall. "Thanks, Anne…"
"Tch…Another Dopant destroyed, and she hasn't even fought that one," the mysterious figure complained. "Guess I need to up the ante a little bit."
The mysterious figure held a pink Gaia Memory in their hand and pressed the button on the side.
QUEEN!
That same figure tossed the Queen Memory into the air before thrusting their right hand forward. A beam of energy shot forth from their hand and struck the Gaia Memory. Within seconds a pink silhouette formed as purple eyes stared back at them.
"And this time, you won't be alone."