Kamen Rider SideRide Chronicles: Oscura's Encore
Requiem F: Re-Arise of the Dark Empress
A large shadow was cast over the city as a giant pirate ship loomed over it. The main sail had the image of the Jyamatos' emblem as its Jolly Roger. It had cannons on both starboard and port sides as well as a huge rafflesia flower on the bow of the ship. Vines crept across the surface of the galleon with tendrils hanging from the sides. There was a crew of Pawn Jyamatos dressed as pirates on the deck, waving cutlasses and pistols as they cheered.
Curious people took out their phones to take pictures or record the Galleon Fortress Jyamato's appearance. Suddenly, the Galleon Fortress Jyamato fired its cannons, blasting buildings apart. People fled, screaming in panic as they ran for their lives. People at the edge of the Jyamar Area found themselves trapped as they hit the barrier. Meanwhile, people on the other side of the force field were trying to get to their loved ones who were trapped inside. Fires and smoke rose from the onslaught as many people had already lost their lives from the initial assault.
Pirate Jyamatos appeared on the streets as well, hunting for any stragglers. One Jyamato caught a man as he was trying to flee and then stabbed him in the chest. Another Jyamato stopped a family as they were trying to escape and cut down the parents before it struck their child down mercilessly. Several Jyamatos gunned down civilians in cold blood as more and more people fell victim to the Jyamatos.
Back at the Desire Temple, the remaining Riders and Tsumuri could only watch the carnage in horror.
"What is this?!" Amity questioned. She knew the Desire Grand Prix was violent, she just never expected it to ever come to this level of destruction.
"The Final Boss," Tsumuri informed them. "The last round has begun. Defeat the Final Boss and you will have your wish granted."
"No rest for the weary. Fresh off the last round and straight into the next. Okay," Sasha cracked her knuckles. "C'mon, Anne! Let's win this thing!"
"Really wished Marcy was here," Anne frowned but Sasha patted her shoulder.
"Let's win this for her," Sasha said encouragingly and Anne nodded. "And no hard feelings if I win."
"I hope you won't have any hard feelings when I do," Anne retorted.
"Three of you have gained Boost Buckles from the last round," Tsumuri said. "Use them well."
[BOOSTRIKER!]
In a flash, three identical red motorbikes with large exhaust pipes appeared on the platform. The only thing that set them apart were the symbols on the front, matching their corresponding owners. Luz smiled as she saw her Boostriker and Amity shared her expression.
"Alright!" Sasha got on her Boostriker bike and put on the helmet. "C'mon, Anne. Hop on!" Anne got on behind Sasha and put on the helmet. "Hang on tight!" Anne put her arms tightly around Sasha as she revved the engine. "Let's go!"
"Wait, are you seriously gonna–" The bike took off, racing towards the edge of the platform before it flew off. "SASHAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Amity, good luck," Luz said to her girlfriend before she climbed on her Boostriker bike and put on the helmet.
"I'll see you at home after this is over," Amity promised as she put on her helmet and climbed on her bike.
The two raced off the platform and fell off the edge. As soon as they did, they were instantly transported to New York, riding on the street.
"Good luck, brave Kamen Riders," Tsumuri said as she watched the live feed. The Final Boss was the Rider's greatest threat and it also yielded the biggest reward. The player who successfully defeated it would have their ideal world granted.
"Get away from us!" shouted a man as he shielded his boyfriend. The couple was cornered by a gang of Pirate Jyamato who had chased them into the alley. With nowhere to run, all they could do was wait for death.
All of a sudden, the monsters were frozen by a blast of ice before they were shattered to pieces by Qrok's fists.
"GO, RUN!" Qrok prompted and the couple ran off. Her Spider Phone went off and she checked to see that she had earned points for destroying the Jyamatos.
"They didn't even stop to thank us," Soaron said, annoyed. "At least we've got some points for that." She checked the screen of her Spider Phone to see they had earned points for rescuing civilians. A large shadow was cast over them and they both looked up at the Galleon Fortress Jyamato.
"So, how are we supposed to beat that thing?" Qrok asked, wishing Marcy was here. That girl would have come up with a plan in an instant. Without her, they had lost their tactical advantage.
"Relax, Anne. First, we'll beat the small fry and then we can focus on the Final Boss," Soaron said and Qrok nodded, trusting her friend to know what to do.
Meanwhile, Gato and Lechuz were elsewhere, battling another gang of Pirate Jyamatos. The cat-themed Rider furiously cut them down with her chainsaw sword while Lechuz gunned them down with headshots. There were just so many of them, but the two Riders worked together to take them down.
[TACTICAL BREAK!]
[MAGNUM TACTICAL BLAST!]
The Jyamatos exploded as the two Riders executed their finishers. Seeing some wounded, Gato went to help them. They were frightened by her appearance, but she de-transformed to let them know she wasn't a threat.
"It's OK," she said to the wounded people. When Amity and Luz found them, they were attacked by the Jyamatos. She saw some cuts and bruises but nothing too fatal. "Let me help." She cast a healing spell, healing their injuries. "Now, get to someplace safe."
They did not question her and ran off. Luz de-transformed and walked up to her girlfriend.
"That was a nice thing you did," Luz said as Amity stood up.
"I had to learn a lot of healing magic when I was–"
"Trying to kill me," Luz finished. Amity frowned sadly. "Sorry. Didn't mean to–"
"No, I brought it up." Amity looked up at the sky, staring at the Galleon Fortress Jyamato that hung over the city. "Did not expect to fight something that big."
"It's not called the Final Boss for nothing, Amity," Luz replied. She saw several Pirate Jyamatos come to their position to surround the couple. "Damn pests."
[Set!]
"Since this is the final round, we better give it our all, Luz," Amity said as she attached both her Zombie and Boost Buckles to her Desire Driver.
[Set!]
"Right," Luz nodded as she also attached her Magnum and Boost Buckles to her Desire Driver. "Henshin!"
"Henshin!"
[Dual On!]
[ZOMBIE & BOOST!]
[GET READY FOR BOOST & MAGNUM!]
[READY, FIGHT!]
Gato shouldered her Zombie Breaker and did a 'come here' gesture with her Berserclaw.
"Come and get it, you freaks."
Lechuz smiled as she twirled her Magnum Shooter and levelled it at the Pirate Jyamatos. The monsters immediately rushed at them and they showed no mercy.
Lechuz fired at the Jyamatos as they charged forward, gunning two of them down. Punching one in the face, she knocked it down as she moved forward, mowing them down with her Magnum Shooter. Fire burst from the Boost Kicker pipes on her greaves and she delivered powerful kicks, sending Jyamatos flying. They swung their cutlasses at her but she blocked with her gun before she dropped to the ground and performed a sweep kick, knocking them down. Rising up, she shot them in the heads.
Several Jyamatos had climbed onto a car and had their pistols aimed at her. She ran to avoid their shots before returning fire, knocking them off their perch with several rounds. She jumped onto the car in front of her to avoid being slashed by the Jyamatos chasing her and then jumped down the other side. Turning around, she kicked the car and sent it skidding across the street, pushing the Jyamatos back and pinning them to a building. She fired repeatedly at the car until it exploded, taking out the Jyamatos.
Meanwhile, Gato was throwing fireballs at the Pirate Jyamatos while swinging vines at them with her mixed magic. She stamped the ground, causing spikes to shoot out, impaling the Jyamatos. With a flick of her wrist, she shattered the rock spikes and sent the pieces flying like flechettes, piercing their bodies and skulls. Spinning around, she blocked a Jyamato's cutlass and slashed it across the chest. Several Jyamatos fired at her with their pistols but she blocked with the flat of her blade as she charged at them.
[Poison Charge!]
[TACTICAL BREAK!]
Pumping poison into her Zombie Breaker, she slashed mercilessly, destroying the Jyamatos with her chainsaw sword. Gato took a moment to watch her girlfriend who seemed to be doing well against the enemy.
After finding the Oscura Buckle and confronting Tsumuri about it, Amity secretly used oracle magic to look into her girlfriend's future. She was worried about her and, honestly, after everything that happened back in the Demon Realm because of Oscura, she was not about to take any chances. Unfortunately, any attempt to look into Luz's future involving the Buckle was clouded. It only made her worry more, but she had to have faith in Luz. She had to believe that her girlfriend, her lover, wasn't going to fall into the darkness again. And if Amity was able to win then…
Pirate Jyamatos came at Lechuz from two different directions and so she deployed her Armored Gun blasters as she spread her arms to blast them. More came at her from the front and behind and so she spun in place, gunning them down. They dropped like flies as her bullets hit them. One Jyamato managed to reach her but she delivered a kick that sent it flying, knocking it back to its comrades.
The Jyamatos all exploded upon their death and Lechuz received a notification for her scores. However, she ignored it and looked up at the Galleon Fortress Jyamato. She looked at her Spider Phone and her eyes went to the app to call the Mission Box that contained that Buckle. She shook her head and decided she would do this without using her power.
"So, what's the plan?" Gato asked after finishing off the rest of the Pirate Jyamatos.
"I think we need to find a higher vantage point," Lechuz suggested. "Then, maybe we can bring it down."
"I'll help," Gato offered.
"Alright, follow me."
They climbed on their Bootstrikers and raced off.
[TACTICAL THUNDER!]
Lightning bolts rained down, electrocuting the Jyamatos until they exploded.
"Anne, how are you doing?" Soaron asked.
"All clear here, Sash," Qrok said as she finished off the last of the Jyamatos.
"Seriously, these things are annoying," Soaron remarked unhappily before she eyed the Galleon Fortress Jyamato. Defeating that thing was key to winning this game and finally getting her wish. "We need to get closer."
"If we want to do that, we need to get on top of a building," Qrok said. New York had plenty of skyscrapers and they needed to find the one closest to the Galleon Fortress Jyamato.
"Good idea, Anne," Soaron smiled and summoned her Bootstriker. The bike rolled over to them and she mounted it. "Hop on! We're winning this dang thing!"
With the elevators out of order, Lechuz and Gato had no choice but to use the stairs. They had to climb up several flights before they reached the rooftop entrance and kicked down the door. When they arrived, the two of them were exhausted.
"So…many…stairs…" Lechuz panted. They had to climb thirty flights of stairs and even though their Boost Armour helped to enhance their speed, it did not do much for their stamina.
"Here." Gato cast a spell that rejuvenated Lechuz. A blue aura surrounded the Latina who felt refreshed.
"Thanks, gatita."
Gato cast the same spell on herself to remove her fatigue.
"Well, well, well," Soaron remarked as she stood on the rooftop with Qrok, looking at them. "Look what the cat dragged in."
"Oh, you're here too," Gato frowned. She should have expected Soaron to have the same plan to get close to the Galleon Fortress Jyamato.
"Yeah, we got here first," Soaron boasted. "Took the expressway too." She put her hand on the handlebar of her Boostriker. "Pretty handy."
"You rode up the side of the building?!" Lechuz facepalmed. "Why didn't I think of that?"
"So, you came up here to beat the Final Boss too, huh?" Gato asked.
"Yeah, we figured we needed to be close enough to do any real damage," Soaron reasoned. "So, you both can scram. Anne and I got this."
"No," Lechuz refused.
"Fine, suit yourself," Soaron shrugged. It would not matter. Lechuz might be good but even she could not defeat the Galleon Fortress Jyamato with just her peashooter.
[Rifle!]
Standing at the edge of the rooftop, Lechuz looked through her scope and aimed at the Galleon Fortress Jyamato.
[Charge!]
[TACTICAL SHOOT!]
Lechuz pulled the trigger, firing a piercing round that hit the Galleon Fortress Jyamato's starboard side. Pulling the trigger repeatedly, she fired several more rounds, hoping to do some damage.
[Poison Charge!]
[TACTICAL BREAK!]
"Hit it with everything you've got!" Gato swung her sword, throwing poisonous energy slashes at the Galleon Fortress Jyamato. The attack struck and left gashes with smoke rising from them across the Galleon Fortress Jyamato's body.
[TACTICAL FIRE!]
[MONSTER STRIKE!]
[MAGNUM TACTICAL BLAST!]
Soaron shot fireballs at the Galleon Fortress Jyamato while Qrok threw punches, sending energy fists flying. At the same time, Lechuz fired a charged orange blast from her Magnum Shooter. Explosions erupted all across the body of the Galleon Fortress Jyamato. However, while their blasts did hit it, the explosions looked like firecrackers going off on its side.
The Galleon Fortress Jyamato still did not take too kindly to the attacks and lashed out with its vines, prompting the Riders to stop and evade. The vines latched onto the rooftop like grappling hooks and its crew of Pirate Jyamatos ran across them to reach the Riders.
"Jya! Jya jya!"
"Alright, who wants some!?" Soaron challenged and she charged for the fray. Gato, Lechuz and Qrok joined in as well, fighting the Jyamatos.
The rooftop became another battlezone as Lechuz fired off with her wrist-mounted guns and Magnum Shooter. Gato and Qrok worked in tandem as the melee fighters, slashing and bashing through the hordes of Jyamatos that were inundating the roof. Soaron was starting to get into this fight a little too much as she continued releasing thunderbolts and fireballs, gradually getting a bit further away from her fellow Riders. The Pirate Jyamatos were weaklings, and it was easy to tear through them. However, that would prove to be Soaron's undoing.
The Galleon Fortress Jyamato saw that one of the Riders had broken off from the pack and aimed its cannons right in Soaron's direction. As Qrok knocked the Jyamatos down with her fists, she noticed the Galleon Fortress Jyamato had its cannons pointed at Soaron.
"SASHA!" Qrok kicked a Jyamato away and ran towards her friend.
Soaron froze as she heard the cannons fire and watched as several energy balls came flying her way. She was too far away from the edge of the roof to jump off, and there was no cover to hide behind.
This was it. This was how she got eliminated from the game.
Her wish would never be granted.
Suddenly, she felt herself being pushed out of the way.
Several explosions went off around the rooftop simultaneously knocking the Jyamatos and Riders off and sending them plummeting to the ground below. Luckily, their suits absorbed the impact as they landed roughly on the ground while rubble rained down around them. As for the Jyamatos, they were obliterated by the cannons.
As the Riders lay amongst the rubble, their transformations were cancelled due to the damage they took.
"Goddammit, that hurt," Sasha complained as she painfully picked herself up.
"Thank the Titan our armour was strong enough to protect us," said Amity as she breathed a sigh of relief.
Luz picked herself up, getting on her knees as she moaned and groaned from the pain. She looked around the area and noticed someone missing.
"Hey…Where's Anne?" Luz asked.
"Anne?" Sasha looked around and began to panic. "Anne! ANNE! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Luz and Amity got to their feet and they aided Sasha in searching for Anne. It took a minute, but Luz eventually found her. Anne was lying on the ground and she was alright, save for some bruising and bleeding scratches.
"Guys, she's over here!" Luz called. When she looked at Anne, her eyes widened when she saw the red-black static appear on her body and she knew what that meant. "No…not you too…"
Sasha and Amity ran to where Luz was, and when they saw Anne, both girls gasped. The blonde teenager quickly shoved Luz aside and dropped to her knees next to Anne as she held her friend's right hand.
"Anne, look at me! It'll be okay! Just hang in there!" Sasha assured her.
"Sasha…it's not going to be okay," said Anne with sorrow in her voice as the red-black static aggressively crackled across her body, causing her pain as her ID Core began to crack.
Sasha tried to think of something, anything she could do to prevent Anne's death. In a desperate fit, she looked to Amity with pleading eyes.
"HELP HER! YOU HAVE MAGIC POWERS, RIGHT?! USE THEM TO FIX HER ID CORE! SAVE HER!" Sasha pleaded desperately.
Shaken by Sasha's yell, Amity quickly knelt beside Anne. Casting a healing spell, she got to work. Unfortunately, it did not seem to be working. There seemed to be some kind of force preventing Amity from healing Anne.
Was it magic fatigue? She had been casting spells nonstop during this round. No, she could still feel her magic flow through her. Amity focused and poured more of her magical power into the spell; she couldn't do anything to save Penn, but she could at least try and save Anne. The blue glow of Amity's spell ring became brighter, but that was when an invisible force wave blasted forth from the Desire Driver, shattering Amity's spell circle as it knocked her onto her back.
"W-What was that?! Did it work?! DID IT?!" Sasha asked.
Amity sat up and rose to her feet, with tears flowing down her face.
"I…I can't…Sasha."
"No…Please, I'll do anything! Give you anything! Just don't let her die!" Sasha took out her Spider Phone to call Tsumuri. "TSUMURI! ANNE FORFEITS! SHE DOESN'T WANT TO PLAY ANYMORE! SO RETIRE HER! NOW!"
"Sasha…"
The blonde teenager looked down and smiled at her friend as her eyes continued to cry.
"Hey, hey, it'll be alright. Just tell Tsumuri you want to forfeit! Just tell her right now, Anne, and you'll be okay! I promise!" Sasha assured frantically.
"I don't think it works that way, Sash…" Anne said as she squeezed Sasha's hand. "I'm sorry…In the end…I wasn't able to stand next to you. I only held you back…" More cracks appeared on her ID Core.
"No! You shut your lying mouth! You never held me back! I never thought of you like that!" Sasha chastised.
"It's okay…I mean…at least Marcy's safe. You two can do a lot more than I ever could. I'm just…" Anne began to cry. "I'm just happy I could be your friend for this long…"
"You'll always be my friend Anne! Now and forever! We'll never be apart! I still need the Break Up Queen for all the stupid exes I'm going to probably make in the future! We still have a lot of slumber parties to have! C'mon, just say you forfeit and you'll be OK!"
"ANNE!" Luz cried.
Amity held Luz back from going to Anne, the couple crying as the scene continued. More and more red-black static began to cover Anne's body as she grunted in pain.
"No, Anne! Stay with me! You gotta stay with me!" Sasha pleaded. "I can't…I can't do this without you!"
"Sasha…" Anne groaned. "Please…don't give up…"
[Mission Failed!]
The red-black static engulfed Anne's body as she completely disintegrated, leaving behind the Monster Buckle as the only remaining sign that she was ever there. Sasha was still kneeling on the ground, and her hand was still positioned where it was when she held Anne's hand.
"AAANNNNNEEEE!" Sasha screamed.
Anne Boonchuy/Kamen Rider Qrok: [LOSE]
Tsumuri looked sadly at her tablet as she saw the large 'LOSE' beside Anne's name along with an 'X' across it. Another Rider had died in this game but she did not let Anne's demise affect her. She had seen it happy so many times already and she would see it happen many more times in the future. While she did care about the players, she never allowed herself to form any attachments with them.
Luz couldn't believe it. Anne was dead. Memories began to flash in her mind, recalling the battle that freed her from her state as Scyn Oscura. It was not only Alt Luz who saved her but Alt Anne too, as the two of them fought together to save her. That Anne risked her life to save her, like this Anne risked her own to save her best friend.
'And what did you do?'Oscura asked. 'Nothing, that's what.'
'I…I…'
'Anne's dead, because of your inaction.'
The dark world appeared around Luz again, and so did Oscura.
"You could've summoned the box at the beginning and ended this fight long before this ever happened!" Oscura ranted.
Luz remained silent as she fell to her knees and sobbed into her hands.
"Anne…I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she wailed.
Oscura growled as she walked over and grabbed Luz by her shirt, hoisting the Latina up to her feet as the dark empress glared into her eyes.
"Pathetic! When you were me, you had nothing left to lose. But things are different now…You have far more to lose now! Not just Mom, but Vee, Amity, this whole world! They're the only things worth saving, and these monsters want to take them away from us!"
"But…I…I don't want to become a monster again…I don't want to hurt anyone again!"
Oscura released Luz, pushing her away.
"And yet someone did get hurt, Luz! ANNE'S DEAD!"
"I just wanted to do the right thing, to make everything right!" Luz cried as she grabbed the sides of her head. "So, why did Anne have to die?! Why did she have to die when we were trying to do the right thing!?"
"Darkness will always be a part of you, Luz. The other you acknowledged that it exists within her. And when she embraced it, she became powerful enough to destroy me and save you. But right now, your light is small and surrounded by the darkness that you fear. So, perhaps it's time you embraced it, but this time on your terms."
Luz looked up at Oscura in confusion.
"On…my terms?"
"Darkness is power, just as light is power. But how you use that power is what determines if it is good or bad. The other Luz is familiar with the light and uses it for good. You are familiar with the darkness, and so you must use it for your own sake and the sake of everyone."
Luz removed her hands from her head as she absorbed Oscura's words. It was true that she had suffered a lot. She had been steeped in darkness, and even now she still felt its touch on her soul. But at the same time, she did not feel the dark impulses she had when she was in that state of mind.
"Do you want to see them all die? If it were me, I would lay waste to all these bastards! You want to fix all the damage we did, don't you? Then you can't play the goody-goody hero like Witch! You must be ruthless! You must be strong! You must become me once again! No, you must become the one thing we couldn't!"
Oscura opened her left hand and summoned something into it. She handed it to Luz, and when she looked down, Luz saw that it was her Spider Phone.
"If we're going to protect what we treasure from these monsters then we must become an even bigger monster! A monster that protects what we love and destroys anything that dares to harm that which we cherish! You know what you must do! So! PUT! ON! THAT! BUCKLE!"
The dark world shattered around Luz, ushering in the light. And when the light faded, she found herself back in New York, with Sasha still wailing and sobbing over Anne's death. Luz looked up at the Galleon Fortress Jyamato, the thing that had taken Anne's life.
"Luz…?"
The Latina looked to her girlfriend and then followed Amity's gaze to the Spider Phone that was gripped in her hand. Her thumb hovered over the app icon that would summon her Mission Box and what it contained.
"Amity…Please forgive me," Luz apologized and Amity understood what she was going to do.
Amity bit her bottom lip for a moment before she calmed down and took a step forward to kiss her girlfriend on the cheek and hug her.
"I'll always love you, don't forget that. You have people who love you, Luz," Amity whispered, reminding her.
Luz hugged Amity back before letting her go and taking a few steps back. With a tap of the app, the Mission Box teleported in front of Luz. She caught it before it could drop to the ground, took off the lid, removed the Buckle, and tossed the box away. The clattering of the box was enough to snap Sasha out of her crying fit as she glanced over her shoulder to see the new Raise Buckle that was given to Luz from the previous game.
"Noceda…?"
Luz looked at the Raise Bucke and furrowed her brow. She remembered all the bad memories she had, of giving into the darkness and the sins she committed. At the same time, she recalled all the good memories, the dates she had with Amity, her sisterly bonding with Vee, and the fun activities she shared with her mother.
She would not don the power of darkness to satisfy her desires but to protect those she treasured with her heart. Once she affirmed these feelings, Luz slotted the Raise Buckle into the Desire Driver.
[Set!]
The holographic logo appeared with the word 'OSCURA' spelt out in black text outlined in purple. The name overlapped a heptagram with a coloured circle on each tip of the seven-pointed star.
Luz slotted her middle right finger into the ring on the side of the Raise Buckle and hovered her left hand over the right side of her face.
"…Henshin."
She tugged on the ring switch, causing the seven coloured stones around the Oscura Mask unit to light up.
[OSCURA! DARKNESS, NOW!]
The metal ring that formed the Entry Raise suit appeared as the holographic logo shattered like glass. Instead of the regular mechanical apparatus, a set of black wings appeared behind Luz and wrapped around her before they exploded into a cascade of feathers to reveal her new Rider form.
The chestplate was made of a pure violet crystal that shimmered in the daylight. Above her chestplate was a black mantle with gunmetal grey edging and black spikes that curved up from the shoulders. She was cloaked in a sleeveless white coat with black lining and black flame-like markings on the hem. She wore a set of matching bracelets with rounded tops that were filled with violet gems, and similar-looking armbands around her biceps. She wore metal greaves on her shins with violet cross-shaped gems on them. Finally, her Lechuz Head was replaced by a new Rider Head with a purple visor that had a silver metal frame that was shaped to resemble sharp eyes with bladed edges on the sides, a matching mouthplate and crowned by a pair of horns.
Tsumuri was looking at the leaderboard on her tablet when Luz's name momentarily glitched.
₭₳₥Ɇ₦ ⱤłĐɆⱤ ⱠɆ₵ⱧɄⱫ
*static!*
₭₳₥Ɇ₦ ⱤłĐɆⱤ Ø₴₵ɄⱤ₳
*static!*
₭₳₥Ɇ₦ ⱤłĐɆⱤ ⱠɆ₵ⱧɄⱫ
*static!*
₭₳₥Ɇ₦ ⱤłĐɆⱤ Ø₴₵ɄⱤ₳
*static!*
Her Rider name kept glitching back and forth for a couple of seconds before finally settling on 'Kamen Rider Oscura'.
"The Dark Empress rises again," the Game Master said as he stood beside Tsumuri. He was a figure clad in a black and white robe with a hood and he wore a bone-white, skull-like mask over his face.
Within a dimensional space removed from this one, a holographic screen floated before a floating platform. On the screen was Luz, but now in her new Rider form. Across from the screen was a wooden coffee table, with a bottle filled with red liquid. There was a large red velvet couch and a similarly styled chair on the right of it. Sitting on the couch was a young adult woman. She had golden eyes with long turquoise hair that went down her back and covered the sides of her head. Her clothes were exotic, to say the least. A pair of black heeled boots, and dark stockings, led up to a red leather skirt, a red leather jacket, and a black tube top. Her skin was smooth and tanned, with nary a blemish to be seen.
In the woman's right hand, she held a glass with that same red wine-like liquid from the bottle. As she saw Luz transform, she stood up and held the glass towards the screen.
"And so it has been done. Through Qrok's courageous sacrifice, the true hero of this game has finally found the strength to wield her great power once again. I lament that it took Qrok's death to make this happen, but at last, she has arisen. To the sacrifice of Qrok! For it was not in vain!"
The young woman took a sip of the drink before tossing it off the platform with a flick of the wrist. She then threw her arms out and smiled broadly.
"NOW, SHOW THEM YOUR POWER! SHOW THEM WHAT A TRUE HERO LOOKS LIKE, KAMEN RIDER OSCURA!"
[READY, FIGHT!]
The wind howled and blew past them as Oscura's coat flapped. Amity had mixed feelings from seeing this form. Despite some minor differences, it still looked very similar to how she remembered it.
Sasha was speechless. She could just feel the intensity of this form, just like when Luz glared at her.
Pirate Jyamatos swung down from the Galleom Fortress Jyamato's vines and landed on the street a few feet away from the three Riders. Upon seeing the Jyamatos, Oscura started walking in their direction, passing Amity and Sasha without much of a word spoken.
"LUZ!" Amity shouted, gripping the leg of her baggy pants. She was afraid that she had lost her girlfriend. She prayed to the Titan that she was still in there.
Oscura stopped and turned her head slightly in Amity's direction.
"…Wait here, hermosa. This won't take long."
The Pirate Jyamatos released their war cries and charged for Oscura. Not afraid in the least, Oscura confidently strode towards them, not deeming the oncoming Jyamato as any kind of threat at all. Oscura raised her right hand and held it across her chest.
"Now, it's showtime. Explosion…NOW!"
Oscura swiped her hand out in front of her. Immediately upon doing so, several explosions went off in a horizontal line in front of the Pirate Jyamatos. With their ranks disrupted, Oscura broke into a full sprint as she threw herself into the horde. The Rider of Darkness struck one of the Pirate Jyamatos in the chest with a punch, and the force of the strike sent the monster flying backwards as it carved a line through the horde, throwing its comrades in different directions. A few of the Pirate Jyamatos tried to slash her from behind, but she was ready.
"Defend, NOW!"
A shield of violet light appeared behind Oscura, blocking seven sword blades that were about to hit her. Oscura performed a spin kick as she shattered her shield, knocking the blades away, and sending the shards of her shattered shield flying into the Jyamatos, impaling them.
"Onyx Flame, NOW!"
Black fire coalesced around Oscura's right fist as she struck another of the Pirate Jyamato releasing an intense burst of dark flames that engulfed its comrades behind it, causing them to shriek in agony as they were burnt to cinders.
Seeing as there were still more to be wiped out, Oscura decided to summon some assistance.
"Doppelganger, NOW!"
A second Oscura appeared from the first, and the copy began her own assault.
"Dark Root, NOW!"
Oscura #2 slammed her hands against the ground, causing it to rumble and shake violently. Within seconds, huge black vines sprouted up and began whipping through the hordes with their razor-sharp thorns. The Galleon Fortress Jyamato tried fighting back with its own vines, but that was what Oscura wanted. The vines changed targets and shot towards the Galleon Fortress Jyamato's vines, wrapping them up and essentially anchoring them in place.
Oscura #1 recalled Oscura #2 and melded back with her. The Rider of Darkness jumped away from the horde and landed a distance away.
"WRATHFUL DESTRUCTION, NOW!"
The red-coloured gemstone on the Oscura Buckle faded as soon as she called out the spell. Her right hand became engulfed in raging crimson flames, and with a thrust of that same hand, a fiery crimson beam of light roared like a mighty dragon, flying straight towards the Pirate Jyamato horde. Instantly, the horde was obliterated as a huge explosion took place, bathing the area in a crimson glow.
The Galleon Fortress Jyamato managed to turn itself just enough for its starboard cannons to get Oscura in its sights. All the cannons on that side fired at once, and a moment later, the spot where Oscura stood was buffeted with several powerful explosions.
"LUZ!" Amity screamed as she witnessed Oscura being engulfed by the explosions.
A couple of seconds passed and it would appear that Oscura had been killed. Suddenly, the flames and smoke swirled, before they dispersed to reveal Oscura standing with six black feathered wings spread upon her back.
Oscura took off into the air until she hovered above the Galleon Fortress Galleon. She then plummeted straight down and impacted hard against the deck of the ship, shaking it. The Pirate Jyamato that were on board all turned to face the spot where she landed and watched as her wings disappeared in a cascade of black feathers before she got into attack position.
"PRIDEFUL STRENGTH, NOW!"
The yellow stone on her Buckle lost its glow next as Oscura's body was suddenly wrapped in a flaring yellow aura, causing her to roar ferociously into the air as her body received a huge boost in her physical strength. Oscura held out her right hand as a magic circle appeared, and then reached inside to pull out a sword-gun hybrid weapon.
[DesWizarSwordgun!]
"Time for you to walk the plank!"
Amity had some flashbacks of her previous fights with Empress Oscura going through her head the entire time she watched Oscura battle the Jyamatos and then she stopped to remind herself that this was not Empress Oscura. This was Luz and when this was over it would be Luz and not Empress Oscura who came back to her.
Sasha was freaking out right now. Luz Noceda seemed like a skilled fighter when this all started, but after transforming with that buckle, it seemed that she had just become a force of nature.
"Seriously, what the hell is she!?" Sasha demanded as she looked at Amity. "TELL ME WHAT SHE IS?!"
Amity looked down at Sasha. There were several ways she could answer that question. She was a girl, she was once a tyrant, once a villain, once an empress, once a scarred and hurt person, someone who was once lost to the darkness. But right now, there was only one answer Amity could give.
"She's a Kamen Rider." Amity looked back up to the Galleon Fortress Jyamato. "C'mon, Luz. Be the hero you were meant to be."
Oscura swung with her DesWizarSwordGun and the force behind her swing flung several Pirate Jyamatos off the ship. One of the Pirate Jyamatos tried to attack her, but Oscura easily caught the cutlass with her bare left hand and shattered the blade like fragile glass. The Pirate Jyamato looked at its broken sword with fear as it gazed back at Oscura. The Rider of Darkness chuckled before throwing an uppercut, launching the Pirate Jyamato high into the air. Oscura switched the DesWizarSwordGun into gun mode and fired a single shot into the sky where it hit that same Pirate Jyamato, and it exploded.
The Pirate Jyamatos all rushed her at once and threw themselves on top of her in a dogpile. Once on top of her, they began stabbing and shooting with their weapons, disregarding where their fellow Pirate Jyamatos may be in the pile, just aiming at the centre to try and kill the monster that had come to kill them.
Suddenly, Oscura roared and burst forth, sending the pile flying in different directions.
"SLOTHFUL SLOWING, NOW!"
The glow of the blue gemstone on her Buckle faded just as a wave of blue light washed over the area. The Pirate Jyamatos were now starting to move at a snail's pace. Oscura could also feel her Herculean strength fade along with the yellow aura surrounding her. She looked down at her Buckle and noticed that three of the seven stones were no longer shining.
"I see, I can only use each of them once and not at the same time. Good to know."
Oscura dashed for the Pirate Jyamatos, slashing left and right while switching her weapon between sword mode and gun mode. Shots were fired and slashes were delivered as Oscura went up and down the deck, taking out all the Pirate Jyamatos in rapid succession before returning to where she began her onslaught. The moment the blue glow of her Slothful Slowing faded, the Pirate Jyamato that she had attacked all began feeling every blow she had given them before they exploded around her. Unfortunately, that was not the end of them as the Galleon Fortress Jyamato started to spawn more from the deck.
"Oh, to hell with that! Black Ice, NOW!"
Oscura flipped her DesWizarSwordGun into a reverse grip and thrust its blade into the deck of the large Jyamato. The creature screeched in pain as black ice suddenly spread out from that point, covering the entire deck in ebony frost as some of the spawning Pirate Jyamato were caught mid-spawn and frozen solid.
What a rush! This power, this intensity, this excitement, she missed this! Honestly, destroying the hordes of Pirate Jyamatos was fun, and toying with this thing was even more so. But, it was time to end this game here and now.
The six black wings sprouted from Oscura's back as she took to the skies once again. The Rider of Darkness flew up until she was way above the monster, and as high as the Jyamar Area would allow her.
Oscura took her stance as her dark power raged around her body. A magic circle appeared behind her, shining bright with seven different points of light.
'This is for you, Anne…'
"Time for the finale!"
Oscura pulled on the ring switch on the Raise Buckle and activated her finisher.
[GRAND DARKNESS VICTORY!]
Oscura shot down like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for the Galleon Fortress Jyamato. She flipped around and thrust out with her right leg. At the same time, the seven points of light on the magic circle merged with her right foot, and then wrapped it in shadows, creating a dark aurora of light.
The Galleon Fortress Jyamato finally got the bright idea to aim its cannons at the dark vines that kept it anchored and managed to start moving, angling its port cannons into the air and unleashing a barrage at Oscura. Explosions went off all around her, but nothing was going to deter her from ending this monster once and for all. Oscura released a loud battle cry as her visor glowed bright and the aura around her foot doubled in intensity.
"HIYAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
The Rider of dark power burst through the hull of the Galleon Fortress Jyamato. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen until a second later when the entire Galleon Fortress Jyamato exploded in a dazzling display of fire, light, and black cascading feathers. Some of the Galleon Fortress Jyamato crashed onto the ground, and exploded once more, creating a huge fire that burned that section of the road.
From the flames, Oscura emerged with her visor aglow and her wings still flared out while her coat flapped in the winds generated by the intense heat of the fire behind her.
[MISSION CLEARED!]
Back at the Desire Temple, fireworks went off as Tsumuri happily cheered. Behind her, the huge holographic screen displayed both Luz's civilian and Rider names with a crown on top.
Luz Noceda/Kamen Rider Oscura [GOD OF DESIRE!]
"A new God of Desire has been born! Congratulations, Kamen Rider Oscura! Yahoo!"
Oscura walked until she was about three feet away from Amity and Sasha. Her entire body glowed for a moment before her armour dispersed in a cascade of black feathers, leaving only Luz Noceda in the place of the Rider with her eyes closed.
Amity carefully approached Luz with fear gripping her heart. She wanted to believe, she wanted to hope that the person standing before her right now was Luz Noceda, not Empress Oscura. Amity didn't know what she would do if she ever returned. She loved Luz too much now to even try and kill her. Right now such a thing would be impossible. The old her had been replaced by this girl who now loved this human, and was hoping desperately with all her heart that the girl she loved was right there.
The witch teen stopped in front of Luz. She carefully reached out with her left hand and cupped Luz's cheek.
"Luz…?"
Luz slowly opened her eyes, and when she did, Amity cried. The Latina's eyes were dark brown, devoid of any sinister or malicious intent, nor was there a violet glowing slit in them. They were the eyes of the girl she had fallen in love with.
"It's still me, mi amor," Luz raised her right hand and placed it over Amity's left, crying as she did so. "I'm still here."
Relieved, Amity smiled as she leaned forward and kissed Luz deeply, throwing her arms around her as she held the Latina tight, fearing that she would disappear if she did. Luz reciprocated, kissing Amity back as she wrapped her arms around the witch's waist. When they broke the kiss, Luz and Amity pressed their foreheads against each other.
"I won't become her, but I will use her power to protect you and those I love," Luz swore.
"So long as you're still you. That's all I want," Amity responded.
Luz turned towards Sasha, her heart growing heavy. The Latina ended their embrace and walked over to her, clenching her fists as she tried to stop more tears from being shed.
"Sasha…I'm…I'm sorry. Anne…Anne was–"
"Damn you…Noceda…" Sasha growled and Luz went silent. "You had a powerful Raise Buckle like that this whole time…" The blonde slowly stood up, stumbling a bit, but regained her balance. "You could've used it at the start of this entire game…Yeah, you would've won…but Anne…Anne would still be alive right now…"
"I know…It's my fault that Anne's dead…If I used the Buckle, she would still be alive. And I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life," Luz conceded as she cried.
"GRAAAAH!" Sasha yelled as she punched Luz in the face, nearly knocking her down. The blonde teen grabbed Luz by her jacket and glared daggers into her eyes. "IT'S YOUR FAULT! MY FRIEND! MY…" Sasha paused, almost as if she wanted to say something else, but shook her head. "…MY BEST FRIEND IS DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU KILLED HER, YOU BITCH!"
Luz had no words to refute Sasha's accusations. Sasha was right. Because of her fear and hesitation, Anne was dead and it was her fault. Yes, Luz had her reasons but that didn't change the fact that Anne would still be alive if she had used it earlier.
"SAY SOMETHING! C'MON! SAY SOMETHING! YOU HAD A GOOD REASON, RIGHT?! RIGHT?!" Sasha screamed.
" …I don't, Sasha…At least, not a good enough reason that would make this whole thing any less painful," Luz admitted.
Sasha threw Luz to the ground as she balled up her fists, filled with rage.
"I will never forgive you for this, Noceda! I swear to God, I will make you pay for this!" Sasha threatened.
Luz slowly got back up and sighed sadly.
"You should hate me, but…you won't remember any of this."
[Retired!]
Blue pixels began to appear on Sasha's body. She looked at herself and tried to shake them off, but it was no use.
"NO! NO! I WANT HER BACK! I CAN'T GO BACK WITHOUT HER! NOT LIKE THIS!" Sasha held her murderous glare with Luz. "You better pray I never remember you, Noceda…!"
With that last threat made, Sasha vanished in a haze of blue pixels, her Desire Driver falling to the ground.
As the city was slowly starting to repair itself around her, Luz cried. She won, she got her wish but at the cost of someone else's life ending, indirectly, by her hands, yet again.
Amity walked up behind Luz and hugged her.
"I wish I could remember what happened here with you. It's not fair that you'll have to carry this burden yourself," said Amity.
"I wish you could remember, too. But I know you'll be there for me. You may not know why I'm sad, but I know you'll do everything you can to help me. And I'm so thankful to have you in my life, Amity," said Luz.
[Retired!]
Blue pixels began to appear on Amity's body and the witch sighed as she began to vanish.
"I'll see you at home, batata," Amity whispered into Luz's ear.
"Yeah, you too, gatita."
Luz no longer felt Amity's presence but heard the clattering of her Desire Driver. As the world around Luz rebuilt herself, she wondered if it was all worth it, if her wish was truly granted and if all the damage she had done to the Demon Realm was undone. She would never know but she could at least take solace that she was able to save this world.
She closed her eyes as the entire world changed around her.
The Demon Realm existed in another dimension and it was the source of many of Earth's myths as creatures would sometimes cross over from this realm to the Human Realm due to wild portals. However, the connection between both worlds has been cut for a very long time now with the last known portal destroyed to prevent the return of a tyrant.
Four years ago, a human girl came to the Boiling Isles and stayed to become a witch. Unfortunately, circumstances were not too kind to her and this resulted in the birth of the worst tyrant that ever existed in the history of the Demon Realm. Even years later, the effects of Empress Oscura's rule still lingered.
She had abolished the Coven System, allowing everyone to mix magic freely. It took time for the older generation to adapt after years of conforming to the Coven System, but the younger generation enjoyed the freedom of being able to mix their magics without repercussion.
The Empress went mad, intending to destroy the Demon Realm so that she could open a portal and spread her evil across the Human Realm. But two warriors from another world came and saved their world. They defeated the Dark Empress, saving both the Human Realm and Demon Realm.
That was the official history of the Dark Empress Oscura, but Eda Clawthorne knew the true story, the one that most of the new High Council of the Boiling Isles would rather keep secret.
She told her daughter how Luz the human was a wonderful young girl, full of light and wonder, and how she tragically had that light taken away from her in a series of unfortunate events. These events pushed her to a point where she sought out power to end her curse. After breaking the curse and gaining great power, she tried to be a hero by defeating Emperor Belos and exposing his true colours. Only now did they realize, thanks to some leftover documents and other evidence, what his "Day of Unity" plan really entailed.
Unfortunately, she went about it impulsively and aggressively, killing a lot of people along the way. And when she turned to the people she cared about most to help her and make the people understand, they turned their backs on her. To this day, that was a moment in the past that Eda was still not proud of. But Eda did tell her daughter that Oscura was saved by another version of herself and a friend, so some of the history was correct.
Eda had decided a long time ago that she would make sure her family knew the full truth about Empress Oscura, because there was no doubt in her mind that further down the line the story would just get more muddied and distorted to make her seem evil from the start. Such was the way of history and legends.
She did this as well so that her daughter, Luz Anne Clawthorne-Whispers, would not feel shame or resentment towards her namesake. That it was a name that belonged to someone whom her mother saw as a daughter, and whom Eda had hoped, one day, her daughter would call a sister. But that was just wishful thinking on her part. There was no way for Luz to return to the Demon Realm. The destruction of the portal door made sure of that.
Eda Clawthorne-Whispers was making breakfast and her eyes lingered on an old framed photograph of herself, King, Hooty and a human girl who was like a daughter to her. She missed the girl but banishing her was for the best. It would give her a second chance as she would be far away from the place that caused her great pain.
"Hope you're doing OK, kid," Eda said. She missed her old apprentice even if most of the Boiling Isles were happy to be rid of the human girl. She could not blame them, though. Oscura had been a madwoman with great and terrifying power. However, to Eda, she would always be the girl who touched her heart. Now, she had a family, married to Raine, and they even had a daughter.
Luz Anne Clawthorne-Whispers was playing with King. Eda had adopted the creature as her son right after the Fall of Oscura, with official paperwork and everything. King loved being a big brother to little Luz, electing herself the kid's protector. He had also grown in the last couple of years as well. King had seen human Luz as a big sister, so being able to play the big brother to Little Luz helped to ease the pain of never seeing the human girl again.
"OK, Luz, always remember when a stranger offers you candy, kick him in the shins and steal their candy," King informed her.
"Right!" Luz nodded.
"Hoot! Someone's at the door!" Hooty called.
"I'll get it!" Luz called as she got up and went to answer the door.
Eda heard the sounds of footsteps approaching and felt a tug on her skirt. She looked down to see Luz smiling at her.
"Hey, Little Owl," Eda smiled as she put down the mixing bowl. "You want breakfast now? Sorry, but you gotta wait."
"Mommy, someone's at the door. It's for you."
"OK," Eda nodded and patted her daughter on the head.
Putting down the bowl, Eda went and opened the door. If it was solicitors again, she would send them away like the last ones.
"Look, I'm not interested in joining the Titan's Witnesses…" Eda's jaw dropped when she saw who it was at the door.
"Hello, Edalyn," Dell Clawthorne said, smiling warmly.
"We're back," Gwendolyn Clawthorne said, smiling widely.
Eda's eyes rolled back to the inside of her head and she fainted.
The alarm went off and Luz woke up in bed. Was all of that real? This was a question that burned in Luz's head. After the Final Boss was defeated, Luz was engulfed in a blinding light, and when she woke up, well, she was here, back in her house as if nothing ever happened.
'Was…Was all of that a dream? Did…Did it all really happen?' Luz thought.
At this point, she wasn't sure. Perhaps it had all been an elaborate dream, something her subconscious cooked up to try and help her make peace with her past. In any case, if it was all real, and her wish did get granted, there wasn't any way for her to confirm it. Heck, the people behind the Desire Grand Prix could have just been lying to them all along and were just making everyone fight for their pure, sick, entertainment with no intention of granting anyone's wish.
"Well, if it was a dream, then it doesn't really matter, does it?"
Luz got out of bed and headed to her closet to throw on some clothes. After getting dressed, she came downstairs, smelling breakfast being cooked. As she headed to the kitchen, Luz found Vee watching TV in the living room.
"Morning, Sis," Luz said with a yawn.
"Morning, Luz," Vee greeted.
Luz stopped for a moment, turned around, and hugged Vee from behind, slightly startling the basilisk.
"Uh…Luz, you good?" Vee asked.
"Sorry, I just wanted to give you a hug. I love you, Vee. You're the best little sister I could ever ask for," said Luz.
Vee didn't understand why Luz was being so affectionate this early in the morning, but at the same time, she was okay with it. She loved Luz, too, and moments like this helped her to feel that her adopted big sister was getting better after everything that happened four years ago.
"Yo también te amo, hermana, (I love you, too, Sis,)" Vee replied.
After giving her little sister a hug, Luz went to the kitchen and found Amity helping Camila make breakfast. Smiling, Luz went behind Amity, wrapped her arms around her waist and gave her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek.
"Buenos días, batata."
They all sat down for breakfast. As Luz was about to take a bite, there was a knock at the door.
"Who could that be?" Camila asked.
"I'll go see," Amity offered as she stood up and went to the front door to see who it was. A few moments later, Amity came back. "Luz, it's for you!"
Luz sighed, annoyed that her breakfast was interrupted and went to see who it was. She walked over to the door and opened it. When she saw who it was standing in the doorway, she froze.
"Tsu-Tsumuri!?" Luz gasped and she stepped out, closing the door behind her. "What are you doing here?!"
"I wish to congratulate you, God of Desire," Tsumuri smiled.
"…So it wasn't a dream." Becoming a Kamen Rider, participating in the Desire Grand Prix, destroying the Galleon Fortress Jyamato and winning the game, it all really happened.
"Indeed, it was not a dream, Ms. Noceda."
"Tsumuri, was my wish granted?" Luz asked hopefully.
"Yes, it was," Tsumuri confirmed and Luz felt a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders. "But that's not all I'm here to tell you." Luz watched as Tsumuri held out her hands, and in a flash of light, a Mission Box appeared between them. "Luz Noceda, as the winner of the Desire Grand Prix, you must now defend your title as the God of Desire. Do you accept this invitation, Kamen Rider Oscura?"
Meanwhile, in LA, Sasha Waybright woke up. She was not much of an early riser…not since…
"Anne..." Sasha sobbed.
It happened not too long ago. Anne Boonchuy, her best friend since preschool, was dead. It was a freak accident that took her life. The two of them were out partying at a friend's place. Sasha had left the party early with Anne since one of her exes was there and was trying to hit on her, again. The blonde eventually gave him a swift kick in the nuts before storming out of the party with Anne in tow. Even now, she could still remember the conversation she had with her.
"UGH! What is his deal?! How many times do I have to tell him it's over?!"
"Sorry, Sash. I should've driven the point home that he had no shot with you," Anne apologized.
"Screw him! You know what? We're heading to my place! My Mom's out of the house, so it'll be just you and me! We'll party like we're thirteen again! Hell, we'll screen time Marcy if we have to too, but we're gonna have our own party and have way more fun!" Sasha declared.
Anne chuckled at Sasha's declaration, and Sasha couldn't help but laugh as well.
"I miss those times when all three of us were together. I know we can talk to Marcy anytime we want, but still…" Anne sighed.
"It's not the same. Yeah, I get it. Sometimes I seriously think we should have all run away together when she told us she was moving away on your b-day," said Sasha.
"Worst thirteenth birthday, ever. And, seriously? You would've wanted to run away? All three of us?" Anne questioned.
"Back then, the last thing I ever wanted was to be separated from you two. Still do." Sasha put her hands in her jeans pockets and looked down at the sidewalk. "I hate that Marcy's dad just decided to upend their entire lives here and drag Marcy off to another state on the other side of the country. I was so afraid that she was going to get bullied or that someone was going to hurt her and we wouldn't be there to protect her."
"You're right, it does suck that her dad just dragged them off to another state," Anna agreed, smiling as she listened to Sasha being all protective. "But at least it sounds like she's doing alright. I know I was worried she was going to fall in a ditch somewhere or ram her face into a locker door."
"Oh, my God. How many times did you stop that from happening? Like, what ten, twenty times? Oh, man, remember that time she wandered into the zoo when all those snakes were set loose?" Sasha asked.
Anne paused as memories of hundreds of slithering, hissing serpents flooded her mind. The things she did to save Marcy on that day would probably be considered war crimes and punishable by the Geneva Convention.
"I will be haunted by my actions of that day forever."
The cheer captain chuckled in response.
"Anyway, I mean it. About running away with you girls back then. I love you two a lot."
"Aww, dude, Mar-Mar and I love you, too."
Sasha glanced at Anne and smiled. She didn't know how much Sasha loved them. Sasha had long since come out as bisexual, but Anne and Marcy were still so supportive of her. Sasha's popularity at school didn't take a hit when she came out. If anything, it kind of went up since now even the girls had a shot with her. That being said, no matter how many girls or boys she went out with, she knew that they were only substitutes for the real thing.
She could never cross that line with Anne or Marcy, despite how accepting they were. If she confessed to either one of them, their friendship would never be the same. And it had already changed so much since Marcy left so Sasha dared not risk losing Anne.
There was a longing in her heart that would forever be there, so she had to do what she could to fill it with the happiness of friendship and pray she never let herself act on those feelings.
Sasha hooked an arm around Anne's head and laughed out loud.
"Aww, Boonchuy, that's so sweet of you!"
"Sash! C'mon!" Anne whined as she struggled against the headlock. "Damn, why are you so strong?!"
"Cheerleading and weight training, Boonchuy! I got muscles and a rockin' bod," Sasha bragged.
"Huh, yeah, well…" Anne swiftly brought her hands up and started tickling Sasha on her sides. The blonde teen began laughing uncontrollably until she released Anne.
"AHAHA! HAAA! No fair, Anne!" Sasha lunged to try and grab Anne to pay her back, but missed.
"You may have a sexy bod and muscles, but I'm still lean and fast, Waybright!" Anne teased while sticking out her tongue.
Sasha growled as she tried to catch the fast-moving Thai teen, but paused in her thoughts for a moment.
'Huh, wait, I said I had a 'rockin' bod', I never said 'sexy'…Wait! Could Anne–?!'
"SASHA!"
It all happened so fast. Sasha heard screeching tires, she saw bright lights, but then she felt something push her hard. The next thing she knew, she hit her head against the sidewalk and blacked out. When she came to, there was a loud ringing in her ears. She felt nauseous, and the world was spinning a bit.
'C-Concussion…d-definitely a concussion…'
Sasha and her cheerleaders had multiple lessons about how to spot if someone was concussed. Given how dangerous their routines were sometimes, it was not uncommon for a head injury to occur.
"A-Anne…A-Anne I…I think I need to g-go to the hospital…I-I need you to g-get the car…Anne?"
"S-Sasha…"
"Anne?" Sasha tried to focus, but her head throbbed. There was a brown blob that looked like Anne's mess of curly hair. So she focused on that and kept doing so until her vision started to come back into focus. "Anne…?"
When she could see, she wished she hadn't. Sasha beheld the state of her best friend, her crush, pinned against a brick wall by a car.
"Anne…Anne…! AAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNEEEEE!"
Sasha cried again. That memory would haunt her for the rest of her life. She later learned some damn drunk driver fell asleep at the wheel and swerved towards them. Sasha was right in his path when Anne pushed her out of the way just before the car could hit, sacrificing her life to save Sasha's.
At first, when she was told what happened at the hospital, she thought they were lying to her, but she couldn't forget the sight of Anne's lifeless body pinned by that car. She wept uncontrollably that night until the anger set in. The doctors and nurses had to sedate her several times whenever she threatened to kill the driver who took Anne away from her.
Marcy had received the news and begged her parents to send her overnight to Los Angeles. When she arrived, her first stop was the hospital. The Waybrights agreed to put her up in their house.
If it wasn't for Marcy, Sasha was sure she would've gone full vigilante and killed the guy with her bare hands. The man was rightfully put behind bars and received the maximum sentence for manslaughter, but that did little to comfort Sasha. One of the people she loved most, was in love with, had been taken from her, and Anne would never know how she felt.
Sasha had contemplated telling Marcy how she felt, but with how everything was at that time, Marcy would've either said yes to her feelings as a form of comfort, or not taken her seriously due to the grief. No, it wasn't the right time, her heart ached too much.
After getting showered and dressed, Sasha went out for a morning run. In her sweatpants and sports bra, she ran out of her home. All of that happened a few months ago and every day since then the world hasn't been the same for her. It was like a part of the world was gone, her world at least. Even now as she ran to her destination, the colours around her felt muted, along with its sounds. The students at school would say "sorry for your loss" or "we miss her", but in all honesty, she knew most of them didn't give a damn about Anne. Most of them criticized her, made fun of her, and believed Anne had no business being friends with Sasha Waybright.
'To hell with them all!'
Sasha kept running and stopped when she reached her destination, the cemetery. She walked the rest of the way, knowing the location of Anne's grave by heart. Sasha remembered going to the Boonchuys' house and apologizing to them. She practically got on her knees in front of them and cried how sorry she was.
She expected them to hate her. If she hadn't dragged Anne out to that party, their daughter would still be alive. But, to her surprise, they didn't hate her. If anything, they hugged her and wept with her. They knew how important Anne was to Sasha, and how important Sasha was to Anne. The Boonchuys may not have known about her romantic feelings, but they understood that their friendship meant a lot to each other.
Sasha walked through the rows of headstones until she finally arrived at Anne's. The blonde teen sat down at the foot of Anne's grave and smiled as if she sat there.
"S'up, Boonchuy. It's Saturday, another day in a world without you in it…" Sasha looked up at the sky for a moment. "I keep replaying that night in my head so many times. If I had paid more attention…or maybe if I hadn't made such a fuss at the party, none of this would've happened. Or even further than that, I shouldn't have made you come with me…"
Sasha began to cry as the tears flowed down her face.
"You were always quicker than me…and you used that speed to save my life…I wish I was fast enough to save you…"
Sasha wiped her eyes the best she could, they were already getting red and puffy, but she didn't really care.
"Marcy's thinking of moving back here to Cali. She wants to go to CalTech, because of course, she does. She's a genius. But, I also know it's because she wants to be near you, near us. I think she might blame herself for not being there. Probably thinks she could've warned us about the car sooner. I don't know, it's just a guess."
Sasha went silent for a moment as she collected her thoughts.
"I'm thinking of asking her out. You know how she came out as pan to us, right? Well, I'm going to take my shot. I regret – and will always regret – never telling you how I really felt about you. But…I loved you, Anne Savisa Boonchuy. I loved you as more than just a friend. I know it doesn't mean much now that you're gone…but…God, I wish you were here…"
Just then, Sasha heard someone approaching the grave. She turned her head to look over her shoulder and saw an Asian woman in a black and white dress walking up to where Sasha was. The woman had a strange box cradled under her left arm, and in her right hand she had two roses, one black and one white. She knelt down and placed them on Anne's grave, much to Sasha's confusion.
"Who…Who are you?" Sasha asked.
"Tsumuri," she answered.
"Did you know Anne? Are you a relative or…?"
"I briefly knew her. But to be honest, Ms. Waybright, I came to see you," said Tsumuri.
Sasha stood up and took a cautious step back.
"Why, and how do you know my name?"
Tsumuri stood up, with a calm smile.
"We also know each other, but you simply don't remember."
'Great, I came here to see my friend, and now I have to deal with a random crazy person.'
"Listen, thanks for the flowers but could you please leave? I'm…I'm not in the mood to talk to you, or anyone right now," said Sasha.
"I think you'll want to hear what I have to say. Since it is something that you want."
"How could you possibly know what I want?" Sasha scoffed.
Tsumuri reached into her skirt pocket, making Sasha raise her fists in preparation to fight this woman. Despite the aggressive stance, Tsumuri didn't seem intimidated and continued rummaging through her pocket until she produced a fancy card and handed it to Sasha.
The blonde teen cautiously grabbed the card and looked at it. On the card, there was writing that read, 'I want a world where I can be together with Marcy and Anne, as my lovers, where we can be happy forever'. Sasha's eyes widened. This was her handwriting, but she didn't remember writing this or giving it to this person.
"Lady, you have ten seconds to explain why you have something like this before I put you in a hurt locker," Sasha threatened.
"I could explain, but I don't really need to." Tsumuri brought up the box she had under her arm and opened it to reveal some sort of strange device and next to it was a circular item with a heron symbol in the centre. "Congratulations, Sasha Waybright. You have been chosen to become a Kamen Rider in the Desire Grand Prix. And if you truly want an explanation, touch the ID Core and you shall have all the answers you seek."
Sasha kept giving this woman a dubious glare.
'Kamen Rider? Like that Japanese TV show that Marcy's into? Did Marcy set this up or something?'
Still, despite her doubts, Sasha's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the device. There was something about it that felt familiar, but she didn't know why. She then looked at the circular item that Tsumuri called an ID Core and lightly touched it with her fingertips. There was a jolt and all of a sudden, Sasha's eyes went wide as the memories came flooding in.
Tears fell from her eyes as she finally remembered everything.
"…Anne…" Then her eyes narrowed with anger as she remembered the true cause of Anne's death. "…Noceda!" She looked at Tsumuri and smiled viciously as she took the Mission Box. "Nice to see you again, Tsumuri."
"You as well, Ms. Waybright. It's unusual for former participants to be summoned again after losing, but the Game Master believes you would make a fine participant in this new season"
"Oh, does he? " Sasha looked at the Driver and ID Core. 'Anne, I'll avenge you. I'll bring you back, tell you how I feel and make Noceda pay along the way.'
SEE YOU NEXT GAME…
Dr. Exposition: And so we end Oscura's Encore, at least for now. Because it seems a new season of the Desire Grand Prix has begun and both Luz and Sasha will be in it.
And the four final wishes:
"I want to bring back all the people that were killed, either by me or by my Phantoms army, to life." - Luz Noceda.
"I wish I never cast the Everlasting Oath with Luz Noceda." - Amity Blight.
"I wish to have the courage to tell Sasha Waybright I have feelings for her." - Anne Boonchuy.
"I want a world where I can be together with Marcy and Anne, as my lovers, where we can be happy forever." - Sasha Waybright.