Kamen Rider SideRide Chronicles: Oscura's Encore

Intermission: Grieving

Amity and Luz returned from the Desire Temple, feeling exhausted. When they arrived in Gravesfield, all signs of the Jyamato assault had been erased, as it had never happened.

"Mom, we're back!" Luz called as she entered the house with Amity.

"Hey, guys," Vee greeted from the couch. "Mom's in the kitchen getting dinner ready."

"Oh, she is," Luz smiled.

"Hey, girls." Camila stepped out of the kitchen to greet them. "Dinner will be ready soon. So, how was your day?" Luz was quiet for a moment as she looked at her mother, remembering how she had gotten shot earlier. Overwhelmed with emotion, she went and hugged her. This surprised Camila.

"What's wrong, mija?" Camila asked.

"Nothing's wrong, Mama," Luz answered. "Just glad you're OK."

After dinner, Luz went up to Amity's room with her. They lay in bed together, just cuddling and processing the last round.

"Today's round hit too close to home," Luz remarked.

"Yes, it did," Amity agreed. "And poor Penn."

"I know," Luz's frown deepened. This game was dangerous, they knew that from the beginning, but watching another Rider just bite the dust like that finally made them realize how dangerous it was.

"Now there's just seven of us left," Amity said. "And Waybright's at the top of the leaderboard."

"She deserves it," Luz said. "She took out the Boss and avenged Penn."

"You know she only did it because we both beat her last time," Amity reminded.

"I know, but I won't let her win next time," Luz resolved. Her wish was too important and she would win the Desire Grand Prix no matter what. The only cost she was not willing to pay was Amity's life. "Amity, are you sure you want to continue?"

"Of course." Amity raised an eyebrow. "You're not asking me to drop out, are you?"

"I just don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you either, you dummy. So I'm not dropping out."

Luz smiled. How did she deserve such a wonderful girlfriend? Even after she killed her mom and made her suffer for months, Amity forgave her. She had also forgiven Amity a long time ago as well. They just needed to heal, without any grudges or resentment, and start over. And now here they were, a couple and players in a life-or-death Rider tournament.

"Molly, are you OK?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, Libby."

It was a couple of days after the last round of the DGP and Molly decided to go out for some fresh air. She had called Libby to hang out but she was not her usual bubbly self. A fact that Libby quickly picked up on.

"Is something wrong?" Libby inquired.

"No, nothing's wrong," Molly answered, forcing a smile.

"You know, if something's wrong, you can talk to me."

Molly wanted to tell her everything, about her being a Kamen Rider, about the DGP, but she was told that was forbidden. She could lose her spot in the tournament and her wish was too important. Although, after the last round, she was now beginning to wonder if it was worth it.

"Thanks, Libby, but I'm fine," she lied. "I'm gonna head home. It was nice seeing you today."

As Libby watched her best friend leave, she felt upset when she saw that Molly would not confide in her. She hated seeing her friend bottle things up like that, but she could not force Molly to open up to her.

Molly did not immediately go home after hanging out with Libby. She decided to take a walk around town to clear her head. Tsumuri had told them that death was a possibility in the DGP but Molly was just so happy to be a Kamen Rider. She was a real superhero! However, she failed to save Penn who died before her eyes.

She took out her Spider Phone, wondering if she should call Marco to talk. They had started out as acquaintances but they had bonded after this tragedy. He was basically her closest friend in the DGP. There was also Marcy, Luz and Amity, but she did not want to disturb them right now.

As she walked around town, she saw how everyone was so blissfully ignorant. They did not know about the Jyamatos that threatened the world or the DGP that was set up to recruit people to become Riders to fight them. Perhaps it was a blessing that they did not have to carry this burden.

Hours passed before she decided to go home. When she entered the house, she saw her family sitting in the living room and watching TV while the evening news was on. She saw a picture of Penn on the screen.

{His parents and friends are imploring anyone with any information on his whereabouts,} the anchor reporter.

Molly clammed up when she saw that and quickly ran up to her room without greeting her family. She slammed her door shut and threw herself onto her bed. Burying her face in the pillow, she began to cry. Moments later, she heard a knock at the door.

"Go away!"

"Molly, sweetie, it's mom. Are you OK?"

"I'm fine, Mom! I just need to be alone!"

"Well, I'm respecting your privacy by asking your permission but I'm asserting my authority by coming in anyway." The door opened and Molly's mom came in. Molly quickly tried to wipe her tears away, but she failed. "I knew it, something's wrong."

"Really, Mom, I'm fine…"

Sharon McGee walked into the room and sat down next to Molly on the bed. It didn't take long before her mother's mere presence made Molly break down and reach out towards her. Molly buried her face in her mother's shoulder as she cried. Her mother had no idea why Molly was so upset, but that didn't matter as she held her close and gently rubbed her back. It took a few minutes but Molly eventually calmed down. Mrs. McGee took some tissues and wiped her daughter's face before offering Molly one to blow her nose.

"Okay, something happened. Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"I…I want to, but at the same time, I can't," Molly explained.

Sharon raised a suspicious eyebrow at that answer.

"That doesn't really instil a lot of confidence or relief in me, sweetie."

"Mom…" Molly looked down at the floor. "If you were given the chance to make your wish, like, your deepest desire, even if it were impossible, come true, would you take it?"

"W-Well-"

"Even if it meant having to fight for it? Probably metaphorically and literally? Even if it was dangerous? Even if your life was on the line? Even if-!"

"Molly!" Sharon interjected. "Slow down, honey. Why are you asking me a question like that?"

"Please, Mom, can you at least try to answer it? Is obtaining your deepest, most desired, wish worth anything and everything?" Molly asked in a desperate tone.

Sharon knew that Molly was always a bright and cheerful girl. Even now as a teenager, her drive to 'enhappify' people had not dwindled in the slightest. She was a kind and cheerful girl, always willing to help others or to help out for a good cause. Part of her worried that Molly would experience something that would completely snuff out that bright spark. Whatever was eating at Molly, she could see that it broke her daughter.

"Okay…well…That's not an easy question to answer. At least for me, because I'm happy right now. I have you and Darryl, and also your father. Sure, do I wish we had a bit of extra spending money? Oh yeah! Do I sometimes wish that we were filthy stinkin' rich and lived in a mansion with no financial worries? Definitely. But, at the same time, I like where we're at. I have a daughter who's full of life and sees the good in everyone. A son who is crafty and brilliant, even though I would like it if he used those talents for better reasons. And my husband who is a great Urban Planner and is contemplating running for mayor."

Molly smiled when she heard that. Their family hit some rough patches along the way, both before moving to Brighton and after, like when they lost their house and were forced to live in the woods. That was until Andrea gathered the town together and helped to pay for their house so that they could stay.

"I guess, the real question is: Is there something you want so bad that you think it's worth risking that much?" Sharon asked.

"You know that I want to enhappify everyone, even the world. And I know it's a huge goal that I might not achieve, but…do you think it's worth fighting for? To bring about peace and happiness to the world?" Molly responded.

Sharon reached out and hugged her daughter again.

"I think you need to ask yourself that question, Molly. You have an ambitious goal but a lot of people who fought for peace and happiness had to sacrifice a lot to make their dreams come true. Through their efforts, their wishes came true and still impact the future. Maybe one day, someone in the future will be inspired by your wish to make the world a happier place." Sharon watched as her daughter digested her words. " Sorry if it's not the answer you wanted."

Molly shook her head and smiled at her mother.

"No, it's a good answer. Sorry that my question was so random," said Molly.

"Okay, and while I know you haven't told me what's really going on, just know that we're here for you." Sharon kissed her daughter on the forehead and left the room.

Molly plopped onto the bed and sighed as she looked up at her ceiling.

'Is my wish worth everyone losing their lives for?'

Marco was at his dojo in Echo Creek. He had asked Sensei Brentley for some one-on-one training. Right now, he was sparring with his instructor who observed how strong his strikes were.

"Easy there, Marco," Sensei Brentley said as he ceased the session. "You look like you could use a break."

"No, I can keep going," Marco insisted. "Just one more round."

"Listen, I'm happy that you're taking your training seriously and you want to improve your skills, but you need to slow down. The caterpillar did not grow into a butterfly in a day."

"I just need to become stronger, Sensei," Marco pleaded. "I have to."

"Why do you need to be stronger, Marco? Why do you seek strength?"

"Because I don't want to fail someone ever again."

Molly woke up early to take a jog around town. She was trying not to think about what happened in the last round of the DGP and focus on the next round that could begin at any time. She made sure to carry her Driver, Raise Buckles and Spider Phone in her backpack as she began her run.

Ever since she first discovered the Kamen Rider series, she was hooked. The special effects, the costumes, the storylines, they were all amazing. Though, as she grew older, she managed to decide which series were her favourites. Despite being fictional, Kamen Riders were an inspiration for her. That was why she resolved to bring joy to the world.

Now, she was a real Kamen Rider but the reality proved to be much more different than television. She was still fighting to protect people from monsters, but she was also fighting for a wish. That was why she needed to win.

And yet, what use was her wish if she could not bring joy to Penn's family?

"Hey, Molly!"

The voice caused Molly to blush as she saw Andrea running next to her. Andrea Davenport was the daughter of Maxwell Davenport who owned the Davenport Department Store. That meant she was rich and spoiled. She even had problems with people mispronouncing her name. Anyone who dared to do it would earn her eternal ire.

They had a rocky start when Molly first moved to town but after several misadventures, they gradually became frenemies before becoming close friends. Over the last couple of years, Andrea had grown up to be a stunning teenage girl.

"Hey, Andrea," Molly greeted back, attempting to force a smile on her face. This did not go unnoticed by Andrea.

"OK, what's wrong?"

"What makes you think something's wrong? Why does everyone keep asking me if anything is wrong? Nothing's wrong! Nothing!"

Andrea raised an eyebrow at Molly's denial.

"Because you look like something is eating you up inside, plus Libby told me yesterday that you weren't acting like your usual self." Molly sighed. Of course, Libby would tell Andrea something was wrong. "Look, maybe you don't want to tell me now, but do you want to join me at the juice bar after our run? My treat."

"...Sure."

The lounge of the Desire Temple was accessible by the players at any time. Currently, Sasha was using it to host a celebration for her victory in the last round.

"And I'm Number One!" Sasha declared as she raised her glass.

"Congratulations, Sasha," Marcy applauded and the blonde grinned. However, Anne was just staring at her drink without any enthusiasm.

"Hey, Anne, what's wrong?" Sasha asked. "C'mon, this is a party!"

"Oh, sorry," Anne apologized. "I just can't stop thinking about Penn."

"Who?" Sasha asked.

"Kamen Rider Tai-Ger, the one who got killed in the last round," Marcy recalled.

"Oh." Sasha's smile fell as she sat down.

"Sorry for bringing down the mood," Anne apologized. "The last round was brutal."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Marcy agreed. "I needed to write down a new entry about Jyamato abilities. I had no idea they could grow like that."

"So, Marcy, did you get what they were talking about?" Sasha asked.

"Um, who?"

"Noceda, her mom and Blight. You took Spanish, right?"

"I may have taken an online Spanish course," Marcy admitted.

"So, what were they talking about?"

"I can't say, Sasha."

"C'mon, Mar-Mar, just between friends. If we can use this to our advantage, you should just tell us."

"Sasha, no. I'm not going to tell you what I overheard and that's final," Marcy said firmly. Finishing her drink, she stood up. "I gotta go. I have things to do. See you guys in the next round." With that, Marcy stormed out of the lounge.

Sasha frowned. This would not do. Marcy was not being a team player. Whatever, she'd come around.

"Guess it's just us, huh, Anne?"

"Why are we celebrating after seeing someone die, Sash? What's wrong with us? And what if that's just the beginning?" Anne questioned. "We could really die! I'm just scared."

"Hey, Anne, there's no need to be scared, alright?" Sasha said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We just need to make sure we're always together when we fight. That way, nothing bad will happen to us. As long as we stick together, we'll make it through to the end."

"But, to die like that, it's scary. Nothing's left of us. I'm betting Penn's family is wondering what happened to him." Anne took Sasha's hands in hers and gave her a serious look. "Sash, I need you to promise me. Promise that if anything were to happen to me, you'd tell my folks, alright?"

"Anne..."

"Please, promise me! If anything happens to me in this game, my parents should at least know!"

Sasha placed her drink down on the table and drew Anne into a hug.

"Okay, Anne, I will. But believe me when I say that's never going to happen. Not to you, or to Marcy. No matter what, all three of us are making it to the end. And when this is over, one of us is going to get their wish granted," Sasha reassured her.

Anne felt a sense of peace and calm in Sasha's arms, and returned the hug.

Sasha meant what she said, and she needed Marcy to give up what she knew. It could mean the difference between all three of them getting eliminated, or the three of them ending up in the finals together. Although she had every intention of winning and getting her wish granted, she wanted the two people she cared about most in this world to be there at her side when she won. That was how it had always been. Even when she became the most popular girl in both middle and high school, Sasha never abandoned either Anne or Marcy. If it wasn't for Marcy being made to move away, she would be at her side right now just like Anne.

Although she had to admit, this time away has changed Marcy. She pushed back a lot against her suggestions and ideas. There was a time before when Marcy would've divulged the information she wanted without hesitation. Now, Marcy was so tight-lipped about it. Either what she knew was terrible or she was just looking out for Blight and Noceda. It really ticked Sasha off that Marcy would put those two above her and Anne.

Sasha separated from Anne and saw that the girl was blushing and sniffling a little. The cheer captain smiled softly and used her right hand to wipe away the tear from her best friend's face.

"C'mon, Anne. Don't cry, you're way cuter when you're smiling," said Sasha.

Anne blushed harder.

"Oh, uh, s-sorry, I…I guess this kinda got to me more than I realized," Anne replied.

"Don't be sorry. It was a sad thing to see someone die like that."

"I…I don't want this to come off as insensitive. But, Sasha, you don't look too torn up by Penn's death."

Sasha sighed as she leaned back on the couch.

"I know. I don't mean to make light of Penn's death, and I know that it's sad that he died. But, I just don't feel anything about his death. Do I feel bad that he died? Yes. Am I all that sad about it? Not as much. If it was you or Mar-Mar…" Sasha paused as the thought crossed her mind and her heartache at the thought. "I…I don't think I could bear it…I care about you two too much to ever let that happen…more than you'll ever know."

"Sasha," Anne whispered as she held her friend's hand. "I get it. But you might want to let Marcy know. She's taking this pretty hard too."

"I know, I'll talk to her."

'For more than one reason.'

Luz took Amity to visit her father's grave. This wasn't the first time they had come to visit his grave. Every year, on the anniversary of his death, Camila and Luz would pick flowers and put them on his grave.

It was hard during the first year after Luz came back. When the anniversary came around, she felt so ashamed by the things she had done that she refused to visit her father's grave. It had taken a lot of talking from her mother and Amity to finally convince Luz to go and visit his grave. Of course, Luz got down on her knees before his grave and begged for forgiveness, wailing loudly in front of his headstone while her mother and Amity sat next to her and comforted her.

Since then, Luz had made it a point to keep up their tradition of visiting his grave. Sometimes she would go and talk to him for the sake of it. Today, though, was a special occasion. Because today, Luz came to honour her father for what he did. He was a Kamen Rider, a hero who fought to protect others so he could cure his cancer. He fought hard, not just in the hospital, but also on the battlefield to stay with them for as long as he could. It was a shame that her mother forgot again. Luz would've loved to bring her here today, but so long as the rules were still in play, she had to obey them or risk disqualification.

After a bit of a walk, Luz and Amity arrived at his grave. Amity, who had been carrying the bouquet, gave it to Luz who set the flowers down before Manny Noceda's headstone.

"Hey, Papá," Luz smiled. "So, I just found out you used to be a hero, a Kamen Rider. Guess I know where I got it from. You remember Amity, right? Well, she and I are both playing the same game you played before you died. I know you only did it to cure your cancer, but I know you saved a lot of people in the process."

Amity laced her right hand into Luz's left, giving it a reassuring squeeze as she saw her girlfriend's eyes start to tear up.

"I've done a lot of terrible things in the past, Papá. But…of course…you know all about that." Luz gave a shuddering sigh. "I hurt and killed so many people, and almost…I almost destroyed one world and nearly took over another. But now I have a chance to at least make up for what I did. "

Luz slowly dropped down to her knees along with Amity.

"We lost someone during the game. He wanted to be a hero so badly, but…he lost his life. The first death in the game. I can't imagine how many players you had to watch die during your time in the DGP, but considering who you are, I know it must've been hard." Luz reached out with her right hand and placed it on the headstone. "One of the other players…she was devastated by his death. And…honestly, I felt it too. We knew we were putting our lives on the line for this game. But seeing Penn die…it just drove home how much we have to lose."

Luz briefly glanced at Amity. Despite how she used to feel when she was Oscura, Luz couldn't imagine losing Amity.

"Even after that, I'm not going to give up, Papá." Luz's expression became one of determination. "I'm going to get my wish and bring back all the people who died because of me."

"And I'll be fighting alongside her," Amity promised, holding Luz's hand tighter. "I won't let your daughter fight alone."

Luz smiled and leaned over to kiss Amity on the cheek, causing the witch teen to blush. The two teenage girls rose back to their feet as they both put their hands on his gravestone.

"Wish us luck, OK, Papá?"

Dr. Exposition: Another aftermath interlude. We see how Penn's death impacted the other players. Let's hope that Molly gets her spirit back up. I don't like seeing her sad like that.