Kamen Rider SideRide Chronicles: Oscura's Encore

Intermission: Interview with the Ex-Empress

The players were sent home to wait for the next round. After Boscha finished giving Sasha and Marcy the full rundown of what Luz had done back in the Demon Realm four years ago, she left the lounge.

As Marcy got up to leave, Sasha grabbed her arm and whirled her around. The blonde teen had a furious look on her face as she glared at the Taiwanese girl in front of her. To Marcy's credit, she did not cower.

"What the Hell, Marcy!? I needed you to back me up there and you just chose to side with Noceda!" Sasha yelled accusingly.

"Sasha, we're all on the same side here!" Marcy retorted as she crossed her arms. "She wants to bring Anne back, and so do we! If we work together, then no matter which one of us wins, we all get what we want!"

"I can't believe you, Marce," Sasha said incredulously. "After everything Boscha told us about her, about all the pain and suffering she caused to her people, you'd rather side with a devil than me?!"

"How much of that is actually true, Sasha?" Marcy challenged. "This Boscha girl could be gaslighting you. Even I could tell she didn't like Luz the moment she laid eyes on her."

"Because Noceda was an evil, tyrannical, murderous bitch! And now that she's a Rider again, she can become that all over again!" Sasha argued.

"Her wish card didn't say, 'I want to rule the world'!" Marcy pointed out. "How is bringing Anne back to life part of some world domination scheme?"

Sasha growled in frustration as she paced about the lounge. She had to make Marcy see that Noceda was a villain.

"Think about it, Mar-Mar! She's calculating! If she wins this time and gets invited again, her next wish could be to rule over both worlds! And then she'll be able to rule over you, me, and everyone else! She just wants Anne back so she has a complete collection for her servant staff! Probably wants to make us into some kinda kink slaves or something?!"

Marcy blushed at the idea of being made into someone's kink slave, but putting that aside, she was growing increasingly frustrated with Sasha's desperate need to validate her hatred for Luz.

"I just can't deal with you right now, Sash! You're so hung up on wanting to get back at Luz, you're willing to believe any stupid thing that Boscha tells you! If you keep listening to her, she'll end up costing us our chance to get Anne back!" Marcy yelled before she turned to leave the lounge.

"And I'm telling you, Noceda's up to something! I know she is!" Sasha shouted back.

Marcy stopped walking, turned around, and shot Sasha an angry look.

"UGH! Can you just think about someone other than yourself for once Sasha?! You can't control everything in your life!"

Sasha was taken aback by the angry tone in Marcy's voice, and the look on her face. They had been friends since they were little, and she had rarely seen Marcy look so angry.

"M-Marcy…"

"I'm not that naive little thirteen-year-old from way back when! It was hard at first, being separated from you two! But after a while, I grew! I met other people, and you know what? I was amazed at how they treated me! I thought, 'No one is going to treat me as well as Sasha and Anne did', and while you guys are dear to me, I found other friends who cared about me! They took an interest in the things I liked, and asked for my opinion!"

"Marcy, listen–"

"No, Sasha!" Marcy stomped her way back to Sasha and got right in the blonde girl's face, a move that was so unexpected from Marcy that it made Sasha take a step back. "You need to listen! I'm not just going to blindly follow your orders, or do whatever you tell me! I may still be a gamer-weeb, but I'm not a pushover anymore! I want my best friend back! And if someone is willing to help us do that, then I'm all for it! And also, it's foolish to dismiss what those other witches said! They defended Luz! Do you really think they would've done that if she was the horrible person Boscha says she is?"

"Brainwashing is a thing, too, Marce!" Sasha retorted. "How do we know they aren't some fanatics?! Disciples of a cult that worships her?! Plus, there's Blight! She had, on multiple occasions, tried to kill Noceda when she was sitting on the throne! And now she's suddenly the most protective and devoted girlfriend in the world?! I call BS on that! You can't tell me that there isn't some kind of brainwashing going on there! Boscha even told us they were going out before Noceda happened!"

Marcy was highly sceptical of that whole thing about Amity Blight ever being Boscha's girlfriend, but she had to admit, Sasha had a point. Considering everything Boscha said Luz had done as Empress Oscura, why would Amity just suddenly become so loving and devoted to her?

"…I won't lie, that is a bit strange. But at the same time, we're only getting one side of the story. If we want the whole story, we'll have to talk to Luz. And honestly, that's the pot calling the kettle black," said Marcy.

"Excuse me?" Sasha asked, confused.

"Brainwashing? Manipulation?" Marcy ticked off her fingers. "Two sides of the same coin, Sash. You're no better than that."

Sasha's brow furrowed as her hands tightened into fists at being compared to someone like Luz Noceda.

"Take that back! I'd never hurt either of you! And I've never 'manipulated' you guys!"

Marcy genuinely laughed when she heard that, and when she was done, she decided to lay it all out for Sasha.

"Oh-ho, please! You told Anne to give you her new pencil case, a brand new one that her mom bought for her, and you never gave it back!"

"Okay, so I forgot! Big whoop! It doesn't make me–!"

"We threw a dance party on top of the roof of the school, and when we got caught, Anne took the fall for us! Even though it was you who said to do it, she got grounded for a week for us!" said Marcy, interrupting Sasha.

"That's…S-She did it herself! I never told her to take the blame for it!"

"You didn't have to. You just expected it." Marcy lowered her gaze as she recalled her own role in that incident. "I'm not saying I wasn't in the right either, because even after it was over, neither one of us thanked her for it. We just patted her on the back like it was expected of her."

Sasha opened her mouth to bring up a counterargument, but whatever she was going to say died in her throat. Because, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Marcy was right. All she did was pat Anne on the back, give her a smile, and go back to their daily routines like it was nothing. Like it was expected that Anne or Marcy were to do something like that.

'I…I never wanted her to do something like that. I…I was ready to take the blame but…but Anne did instead…' Sasha's fists unclenched a bit. 'Did…Did she really think I expected that of her?'

Noticing that her arguments were possibly chipping away at whatever perceived notions Sasha may have had, Marcy decided to press forward in an effort to, hopefully, make her friend see reason and to get her onboard with Anne's resurrection by working with Luz instead of against her.

"Whatever Anne had that you liked, she gave it to you! Whatever you asked Anne to do, she did it! All of it! Without question! And be damned if she did, because any time she did try, you shut that down immediately with your infamous, 'end of discussion' line! It took me four years to finally see how toxic we were to each other, for each other! And you, Sasha, were at the centre of it!" Marcy accused.

Sasha took offence to that as she scowled at Marcy.

"Oh, and you were just the sweetest little saint?! You pushed Anne into doing stuff just as much as I did! She was always jealous of how smart you are! She even told me she felt dumb being around you! But when you left, I pushed her!" Sasha pressed her right hand against her chest as she continued. "I made Anne study harder because I could see her potential! I built Anne up! Is that what a toxic friend would do?! Huh?! Mar-Mar?! And let's not forget, I had soooooo many chances to ditch you two for a cooler, more popular friend group, but did I? No! Because I love you girls! You're my real friends! How is any of that toxic?!"

Marcy let out a sigh.

"I know I'm not a saint, and I had a feeling that was the case with Anne. I wish she had told me directly so we could've resolved it as friends. Because then I could've told her all the ways I was jealous of her," Marcy admitted. "And at the same time, the things I was jealous of her about, were the exact same things I admired about her. We've all made mistakes, Sasha, and I'll own up to them. But I've grown since leaving Cali. You haven't, and what you did for Anne, while helpful, will only make her dependent on you. Which is just how you like it."

"Shut up, Marcy! I'm not like that!" Sasha retorted with shaking fists.

Marcy, unafraid, stepped closer to Sasha and she began poking the blonde teen in the chest with her index finger.

"Yes, you are! You're the Queen of Manipulation, Sasha Waybright! In the end, it was because of your actions that Anne died! Because it was expected of her. Because you made her so devoted to you that she felt she had to give up her life for yours!"

*SLAP!*

Marcy was thrown backwards as she landed against the couch. Her left cheek throbbed and stung. She could even taste a little blood in her mouth. The Taiwanese girl looked up and saw the furious expression on her friend's face as she panted. Marcy didn't know what to say. Her mind knew she was in pain, but it was taking a minute for her to comprehend that it was Sasha who hit her, who hurt her just now.

'Sasha…Sasha just hit me…'

Sasha managed to calm down, and when she did, she realized that her right hand stung. She looked at it, and then at the splayed-out Marcy who was now on the couch, cupping her left cheek, with tears forming in her eyes. That's when it all hit her at once.

"Oh, my God! Marcy I…I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to do that! I-I just lost my temper! P-Please forgive me! H-Here, l-let me help–!"

"Stop."

Sasha froze. She was about to go over and help Marcy, but the tone in her friend's voice told her not to get any closer. Marcy managed to pick herself up, and the whole time she could see how desperate Sasha was to come over and apologize, to hug her, to comfort her, to try and do or say something to convey how sorry she was. But that was the problem.

"That right there, Sasha, is the reason why I don't think we can be an effective team right now. You let your anger control you, and while I get that you're angry and sad over Anne's death, you're also looking for someone to blame other than yourself. Your vendetta against Luz is going to end up with none of us winning."

Marcy turned her back on Sasha as she headed for the exit.

Sasha slowly followed as she kept apologizing.

"Marcy…Please…Please don't leave me! I'm sorry! I'm really, really sorry! We have to be a team! We have to fight to get Anne back! You and me!"

Marcy stopped walking, keeping her back to Sasha.

"I'm going to form an alliance with Luz."

"What…?"

"Right now, she's the only other person focused on trying to bring Anne back. Your little one-on-one is just so you can get revenge on her, with Anne's resurrection as a consolation prize," said Marcy.

"Marcy–!"

"When you're finally able to see past yourself, I'll be waiting for you to join us," Marcy interrupted. "Until then, we're not enemies, but we're not allies either. We're just two players with a common goal. The only real consolation about all of this is that if Luz wins, we won't remember this argument, and we can go back to being friends. Not saying that this might not become an issue later on, but at least we'll be together – all three of us – when it does."

Marcy passed through the door of the lounge. After she did, Sasha fell to her hands and knees and began crying.

Marcy lay in bed, scrolling through her phone. She swiped her finger across the screen, looking at old photos of herself, Sasha and Anne back when they were younger. Things seemed so much simpler then, much more innocent than they were now. Marcy just did not see the signs then as she just wanted them to stick together. Her time away from Sasha allowed her to reflect and see what kind of person the blonde was. Sasha cared about her and Anne, no doubt, but she often forced them to do things her way and they were just expected to go along with it.

No, not this time. Not when Anne's resurrection was on the line. That was why she was willing to work with Luz, despite all the horrible things she heard about her. Luz had not refuted any of it, but Marcy knew there had to be more to the story. There was always more than one side and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

She saw Sasha had texted her but she ignored the texts. She also ignored Sasha's calls. She really did not want to talk to Sasha right now, not after the argument they had.

Taking out her Spider Phone, she looked through the contact information and sent Luz a message asking her to meet her at the lounge tomorrow. Hopefully, she would get Luz's side of the story.

After leaving the Desire Temple, Luz returned to Gravesfield. She arrived some distance from her house, giving her time to think as she walked the rest of the way back. Luz was mentally exhausted from everything that had happened today. Boscha, Gus, and Willow were now participating in the Desire Grand Prix. Odalia died, again. Sasha was on a revenge kick. And when the final round came, Luz would have to fight her for the right to become the God of Desire.

Honestly, this was stupid. They both had the same wish to bring Anne back, but thanks to Boscha, Sasha had it in her mind that she was the monster of her past and not the person she was now. Although, it was a surprising twist to find out that Marcy backed her up. At least one of them was reasonable.

One thing was for sure, this new season of the Desire Grand Prix was going to be hectic. Thankfully, Sasha wasn't allowed to attack her during the game until the final round. So, she could rest easy in the fact that the blonde teen would not enact a preemptive attack. The same could not be said about Boscha, though.

"LUZ!"

The Latina snapped out of her inner thoughts as she heard her name called. When she looked ahead, she saw Amity running down the sidewalk with a worried expression on her face.

"Amity? What's up?" Luz asked.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" she questioned with an angry tone.

"W-What do you mean?"

"I've been calling and texting you for hours! You haven't answered me practically all day! I went around town looking for you, but no one's seen you!" Amity exclaimed. "Even Camila, Vee, and Masha were out looking for you! You scared us, Luz!"

Luz took out her regular cellphone and saw that there were dozens upon dozens of missed calls and unanswered texts from Amity, Vee, her mother, heck, even Masha was blowing up her phone as well.

'Dammit…Luz, you fool, how could you forget to send them a message?!'

"I'm sorry, Ams, I had my cellphone on silent. I just wanted to be alone for a bit, so I took a walk through the woods," Luz answered.

Amity's eyes started to form tears as she threw herself at Luz and hugged her tight.

"Dammit, Luz, I was scared! You looked so down after that rejection letter! I…I thought you…"

Luz's heart ached when she heard the fear and sadness in Amity's voice. She so badly wanted to tell her the truth, but right now, there was just too much at stake to do so. Luz hugged Amity back and caressed her lover's hair soothingly.

"Mi amor, it's alright. I wouldn't do anything like that," said Luz.

"Luz, don't lie to me. You were so depressed after we came to the Human Realm, even your mom was afraid you might do something. That night when I saw you holding those scissors in your hand…I was so afraid, more afraid than back during the final battle in the Demon Realm! I thought I was going to see you die in front of me! And the thought of you disappearing like that when I could've stopped you…"

Luz didn't really have a way to counter that argument. There were times when she got low, real low, to the point that she questioned if she should even continue living after all the pain and suffering she had caused. But it was Amity, Vee, and her mother who helped her stay in the light, and not get consumed by a different darkness.

"I-I'm sorry," Luz apologised. "It was a stupid mistake. I promise it won't happen again."

Amity gently released the hug as Luz wiped her tears away with her thumb.

"It's alright if you silence your phone, just…just at least text me or call me that you're doing that or tell us where you are just in case we need to find you. You had us all really worried, Luz," said Amity.

"Guess I have a lot of apologizing to do when I get back, huh?"

"Damn right, you do, estúpida."

After vigorously apologizing to her family, everyone was able to breathe a sigh of relief and have dinner together. Amity stuck by Luz a lot that night. During dinner, she scooted her chair super close to her girlfriend to the point that their shoulders rubbed against each other.

"A little close there, Ams," said Luz.

"Deal with it," Amity retorted firmly.

"Yes, Ma'am."

And when going to shower.

"AAAH! Amity!" Luz exclaimed as she quickly wrapped herself up in her towel. "I'm just going to take a shower!"

Amity stood there with a white towel wrapped around her body.

"So? The tub's just big enough for two people to shower together. Plus, it'll conserve water, and save on time if we both shower together."

"Hmm, or, perhaps you were thinking of doing other things in the hot steamy shower, eh, hermosa?" Luz smirked, punctuating her question by pulling at the towel ever so slightly to give Amity a peek at what was hidden behind it.

Amity was not amused in the slightest.

"No, we're getting washed up. Now get in that shower!" Amity ordered.

"Okay," Luz squeaked.

One uneventful shower later, Luz was in her bedroom. She wanted to make another video diary entry. But, yet again, Amity was not letting her out of her sight. When Luz thought she might get some privacy after the shower, she found out how wrong she was when she entered her room and found Amity's clothes placed on the desk.

"You put your change of clothes in my room?" Luz asked.

"Until tomorrow, you're not leaving my sight."

"This is kinda getting kinky, and I like it," Luz teased.

"Noceda, get your head out of the gutter and dry off," Amity ordered.

This was frustrating on two levels. The first one was the lack of privacy. The second one was the lack of any fun. They were teenagers, and have been together for four years now. So, yes, they've done all the typical couple things, going out on dates, giving each other gifts, and of course, the more X-rated things whenever they could get some alone time. This was why seeing Amity nude this many times and not doing anything was torture for Luz's teen libido. If it wasn't for the fact that Amity was worried about her, Luz knew that she wouldn't object to any advances. But right now, she was not having it.

'I really did scare them that bad. I have to be more careful. I need to start thinking of good excuses for my long absences. That last excuse won't work a second time around,' Luz thought.

After they finished drying and getting dressed, the couple sat on Luz's bed to watch a movie on Luz's laptop together. Luz had her back against the wall as Amity rested her head against Luz's chest. Her pointy right ear was pressed close to her girlfriend's heart, and Luz knew she did that just so she could hear her heartbeat.

"Is it beating strong?" Luz asked.

"Mmm, alive and strong. I like hearing it," said Amity.

"I'm sorry, again. I didn't mean to worry all of you."

"I know, I know. We…I…overreacted. You haven't done anything to make me or anyone think you would do something like that, not since the first year. I guess, we're all just still afraid that something might trigger you," Amity admitted.

"Amity, thanks to you all, I'm way stronger than I once was. The younger me was fragile and hurt, a broken person. But you all helped put the pieces back together, and since then, they've held strong. I won't sink into that darkness ever again," said Luz.

"Promise?"

"I swear it."

Hours passed and it was eventually time to go to bed. Vee had slithered up into the top bunk, but not before going over to her big sister, hugging her tight, giving her a kiss on the cheek and telling her goodnight. Amity still didn't leave Luz's side, choosing to sleep in the same bed with Luz. The bed was big enough for one person, but with two it was kind of cramped, but that just gave both the excuse to cuddle.

As Luz was about to slip into her sleep, she heard a familiar beeping sound. Luz quickly reached under her bed and took out the Spider Phone. When she checked it, she saw there was a message from Marcy.

[Can you meet me in the Desire Temple lounge tomorrow? I want to talk to you, alone. Don't worry, Sasha won't be there. I…I just need to talk to you, Luz. After what happened today, I know you have no reason to talk to me, but…I need some answers.]

Luz sighed heavily and typed her reply.

[You do deserve answers, Marcy. I'll text you when I'm heading to the Desire Temple. I'll answer any questions you have for me. I promise.]

Luz went out the following morning and assured Amity that she would call her and text her to let her know she was OK. It would be fine. She would just be visiting the Desire Temple to meet with Marcy.

Luz found Marcy in the lounge, sitting at the bar. She was having breakfast and it smelled good. Marcy was having toast, scrambled eggs, bacon and orange juice.

"Hey, Marcy," Luz greeted.

"Morning, Luz," Marcy smiled. Luz took the seat next to her.

"Would you be having anything?" Mr. Butler asked.

"Coffee and a bagel, porfavor," Luz ordered.

Luz sat down next to Marcy as Mr. Butler brought her a hot cup of coffee and a bagel. The Latina took a sip, nodding appreciatively to the older man before he went back to his duties. Marcy finished up her breakfast and sat there with Luz in silence for a couple of minutes. There was no point in delaying this any further. Marcy turned her seat around and faced Luz directly, prompting Luz to do the same for her.

"There are a lot of things I need to know, Luz. Because, right now, I need to know if I can trust you, and I need to know just how sincere you are about bringing Anne back," said Marcy.

"I figured you would want answers after that scene yesterday." Luz took another sip of her coffee before putting it down on the counter. "I don't intend to hide anything from you. Not this time. So, I'll answer anything you want."

"Okay. First of all, was it true when Boscha said you were once an evil empress? That you called yourself 'Oscura'?" Marcy asked.

"It's more complicated than that. It's a bit of a story, really," Luz answered, sighing.

"I don't have anywhere to be right now."

"Okay. Then this is the tale of a girl who became the Dark Empress of the Demon Realm, 'The Ballad of Oscura'."

Luz began her tale. When she was fourteen years old, she stumbled upon the Demon Realm and decided to stay in that world to learn about magic to fulfil her dream of becoming a witch like Azura. At first, it wasn't that bad. She had a few misadventures and made good friends. It was great but that all changed on the day of the Covention and it all went downhill from there.

She told Marcy about the Everlasting Oath that Amity cast and how it would scar her body every time she tried to perform magic. She told her about Gus, Willow, Eda, King, and Hooty, and how they all tried to help her through that difficult time. But in the end, Luz became desperate, so desperate that she sought ancient forbidden knowledge and rituals to help break the Everlasting Oath.

"But before that, I went to Amity. I got on my hands and knees, and I begged her to lift the curse. I even promised I would study magic seriously and, if she wanted, I was willing to be her servant," Luz explained. "But, in the end, she didn't. I got even more desperate so I told her I knew a way to break the curse and that all I needed was her access to the forbidden books in the library. She refused me, again. So…I took what needed. In my desperation, I grabbed a 'Good Witch Azura' book, and I smashed it across Amity's head, knocking her out."

Marcy gasped when she heard that. Compared to how Amity and Luz were so protective of each other back during the last Desire Grand Prix, she wouldn't have ever thought they could harm each other like that. But given how desperate Luz was back then, Marcy could see why she did it.

Luz continued her story, about how she used the ritual to devour her Inner Phantom and gain the power of a Philosopher's Stone. With it, she created a Driver, the DesWizarDriver, which allowed her to transform into Kamen Rider.

"Why a Kamen Rider?" Marcy asked.

"It was just a test. I wanted to see if the ring worked, and it made it. I just went with that from then on, 'cause, well, now that I had magic, I could start being a real heroic witch, you know?" Luz explained.

Marcy nodded in understanding, the Taiwanese teen doubted she would act any differently in that situation.

Luz continued her story of how she gradually gave into her dark emotions and how the stone amplified and fed off them, creating a sort of feedback loop. She spoke of the evil Emperor Belos, and how she defeated him and exposed his wicked plans to the entire residents of the Boiling Isles. Unfortunately, no one believed her. She saved them from a tyrant who wanted to commit a mass genocide of every witch and demon on the island, but no one was on her side, not even the ones she called her friends. They just looked at her with scorn, like she was the evil one. So, Luz decided to become the villain they all saw her as.

She became Kamen Rider Oscura.

"I chose the name 'Oscura' because it means the opposite of my name," Luz said.

"Oscura means 'dark', and your name means 'light'," Marcy said.

Luz nodded.

"I tried to make the Boiling Isles a better place, but at the same time, I couldn't escape the darkness that I created for myself. Because it was that same darkness that drove me to go to Amity's home. I went there with the sole intention of hurting her family in some way. Do you remember Kamen Rider Fowl?" Luz asked.

"Yes, I do. She died in the last round."

"That was Amity's mother, Odalia Blight. With my new powers, I went around to gather information on her and I found out that she was not a nice person. I had her gather her family together and with my magic I made her tell the truth. Although, I didn't ask the questions, not all of them. I had her own family ask them. And…she said the most vile and despicable things about Amity's twin brother and sister, about her husband, and how she saw Amity as a tool. And regarding Boscha's whole 'girlfriend' BS, she was probably referring to a deal her family made with Odalia that would someday see her and Amity dating and eventually being married. I even heard how Boscha wanted to make Amity into an obedient wife," said Luz.

Marcy balled up her right fist. She knew that Boscha girl was full of it, and now she confirmed it.

"Did you really kill her?" Marcy asked.

"I did. I was so disgusted with her that I saw no way for her to redeem herself, especially after she told them how she really felt. I may've been an evil empress, but she was a monster too. So…I executed her. I vaporized her right in front of her family. Part of me did it to get rid of that vile woman, she was also the one who convinced Amity not to remove the Everlasting Oath. And, the other part of me, the dark part, got some satisfaction out of it."

Luz explained how she shut out her friends and found family, and how Amity tried to assassinate her. The Latina even told Marcy about the twisted game she played with Amity, about how she wasn't allowed to die until she managed to kill her. And if Amity managed to do so, she swore that she would take her own life soon after, as penance for bringing about the rise of Oscura.

The story continued on, and Marcy kept listening. When it was over, Luz sighed heavily and took a sip of her coffee as she turned towards the counter.

"And that's it, that's how the Ballad of Oscura came to an end," said Luz.

"So…that news report, about those three beings fighting over a town in Connecticut, that was you as Oscura, along with your Alternate Universe self, and an Alternate Universe Anne?" Marcy asked.

"Yep." Luz took another sip. "My alternate self and Alt Anne saved me. That is why…when our world's Anne died in front of me…it hit me hard. I felt like I failed that other Anne, the one who helped to save me from my darkness. That's why I couldn't use the Buckle until Anne died. I was so afraid of becoming that woman again. I was so afraid that I would lose myself to the darkness and become the evil I renounced."

Marcy turned to face the counter as well as she brought her hands up and clasped her hands together.

"But, you didn't become evil again, did you? You seem the same as you were when we first met," said Marcy.

"I am, but I feel like I've changed a little. When Tsumuri invited me to join the Desire Grand Prix again, I swore that I wouldn't hold back." Luz placed her right hand over her heart. "The other me accepted the darkness and the light inside of herself in order to make herself powerful enough to stop me. I may not have as much light as she did but I will not succumb to the darkness. I will use my darkness to right my wrongs, and bring back a life that was needlessly taken. And all the while, never lose sight of my true self."

"You're really amazing, Luz," Marcy smiled. "You've been through so much pain, and yet you're here, standing tall and strong. I feel like this whole thing is going to crush me at any second, but I know I have to keep it together in order to get Anne back."

Luz reached over with her left hand and gently placed it on Marcy's right shoulder.

"It wasn't easy and I wasn't alone. My little sister, Vee, my Mom, and Amity, without them, I don't think I could've recovered the way I have. And I think you're plenty strong yourself, Marcy."

"Thanks, Luz."

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Luz asked.

"Only if I can ask you one after," Marcy bargained.

"Ooh, well, that's fair." Luz twiddled her thumbs as she asked, "Do you love Anne and Sasha? A-And I don't mean platonically."

Marcy had a small, yet sad, smile on her face as she lowered her gaze to the counter.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't have those kinds of feelings. I was so in love with them both. Still am, even after…"

"After what?"

Marcy sighed and explained what happened with Sasha yesterday. Not only that, but she also went into detail about how the relationship between the three of them went when they were growing up together.

"I just…I just want Anne back, and I want Sasha to help. But she's so wrapped up in her vendetta against you that she's not willing to set aside her anger and pride. I know you set up that challenge, but she didn't have to accept it. It feels like it's relegating Anne's resurrection to some kind of consolation prize instead of it being the main goal of this tournament," said Marcy.

"Sorry…I just didn't know any other way," said Luz.

"I get it, but it's still on Sasha. She didn't have to accept, she could've just let it go and agreed to work with us." Marcy sighed again. "I'm sorry that you'll have to fight against your Demon Realm friends in order to bring back Anne."

"Don't worry about it. They'll understand once I explain it to them. They may not join in, but they'll probably help to a degree. I can already tell that Gus probably wants to wish for a permanent gateway between the Human and Demon Realms, but I'm not sure what Willow desires."

"Do you ever miss it? The Demon Realm?" Marcy asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," Luz answered, sighing wistfully. "I know I wouldn't be welcomed there anymore but part of me misses that weird, strange, and fantastic world. Plus, I miss Eda, King, and even Hooty. I know Amity does too, and I'd love for her to have a way to visit them and her family, or at the least communicate with them."

"At least you have Amity, so part of the Demon Realm will always be with you," Marcy said positively.

"Hey, when this works out, I'll look you up, and we can become friends. Then, I can become your wingwoman and help you snag those girls," Luz offered.

"Y-You'd do that for me?" Marcy asked, blushing at the notion of Luz being her wingwoman.

"I'm a sucker for love stories, and this is one I'd like to see come true."

"Speaking of love stories, how are you and Amity together now? You seem so much in love, but after I heard what you've been through, I thought you would resent each other. How did she go from wanting to kill you to becoming your girlfriend?"

"I used to wonder the same thing," Luz admitted, running a hand through her hair. "I love Amity, even after everything that happened, but there were times when I wondered if she truly felt the same. There were times when I thought Amity wanted to punish me like this whole relationship was her way of keeping an eye on me. Then she would break my heart as a way to get her revenge."

"That's terrible."

"I know it's not the healthiest thing but sometimes I feel like I still deserve to be punished." Luz smiled as she thought about her beloved. "Call it codependence, call it an unhealthy relationship, but all I know is, if Amity wasn't with me, I don't think I'd be here right now."

Marcy took note of the way Luz had said that.

"Did you…?"

"Contemplate suicide?" Luz sighed. "Yeah, I did. For the first year after I came back. But thanks to my family, those thoughts are far removed from my head," said Luz.

"Well, now I understand why you're so protective of each other," Marcy smiled sadly. "I wish I could have that with the girls."

"You will, Marcy. I promise, even if it means I have to join the DGP again and have my next wish be you three being a happy loving throuple," said Luz.

"Thanks," Marcy responded, blushing. "But you've been through enough already. Let this be the last time."

"Well, worst-case scenario, I can always talk to Amity about making our relationship into a polycule," Luz suggested. "You are really cute, and I don't think Amity would mind a smart and cute girl like you. I know I wouldn't."

"L-Luz, stop joking around!" Marcy sputtered. "You can't do that to Amity."

"Polygamy is totally a thing in the Demon Realm, so I could convince her to do it if needed."

"Why do I get the feeling that Amity has to deal with this every day?" Marcy deadpanned.

"See? You're gonna fit right in."

"Oh, boy."

Luz laughed. She picked up her bagel and took a bite out of it. The two hung out for a bit, talking about whatever until Marcy had to leave to return home. Luz decided to stay in the lounge for a bit. There was something she needed to do and now was her chance.

"Mr. Butler, do you have footage of my father's time in the DGP?" Luz requested.

"Yes, for our own records, we keep footage of all participants, present and past," Mr. Butler said. "It will, however, cost you some Desire Money."

"I'll pay," Luz said and Mr. Butler tapped on his tablet to bring up the archival footage before handing it to her. Luz's eyes widened as she saw her father on the screen, looking healthy before his cancer rendered him unable to fight anymore.

"Henshin!" Manny shouted as he initiated his transformation.

[MAGNUM! READY, FIGHT!]

"He used Magnum too!" Luz exclaimed as she watched her father transform. His Rider Head resembled a honey badger. She also saw her dad's old Rider name.

"He was known as Kamen Rider Valiente," Mr. Butler informed her.

"'Fearless'," Luz translated as she took the tablet with her and sat down on the couch. Her eyes watered as she watched her father bravely fight the Jyamatos, using skills she never knew he had. She also watched him save lives, which was like second nature to him. He had been a firefighter, after all.

Luz watched all of her dad's videos until the last one where he willingly withdrew from the game once his condition worsened. It was sad to see him give up since he died soon after. She shed tears after she watched the last video.

Boscha was not just one of the most popular students in Hexside due to her athletic ability, but also because she excelled at potions. She could make potions that could do anything and they were beneficial when she joined the resistance. Since the days of Oscura's fall, she managed to continue her education after Hexside was rebuilt. She even graduated with flying colours and found work as the grudgby coach.

Still, it would have been so much better if she had Amity by her side, but that bitch Oscura had to take her away from her.

"She won't be around for much longer," Boscha grinned wickedly as she brewed a potion in her cauldron. "Because, after she takes this potion, Oscura won't be a problem anymore."

Facing Oscura head-on was not a good idea. Boscha knew she was outclassed by the human, loathed as she was to admit it. Even now, she still had the power to completely obliterate her if she chose. The only thing stopping her was the DGP rules that prevented Riders from fighting each other. Well, Boscha would not be fighting her. Instead, she would do something devious.

Oscura deserved to die for everything she had done. The council were fools to just banish her to the Human Realm. Boscha knew it was just a matter of time before she regained her power and this game allowed her to do that. If Oscura won and then played again, she could wish to rule both the Human and Demon Realms and there would be nobody to contest that.

No, Boscha would do everything in her power to prevent Oscura's rise again. She would be the hero her world needed.

After Oscura, Boscha had a low opinion of humans, but this Sasha Waybright person was definitely someone she could see as being her equal. She may not have magic, but she had charisma not to mention a cunning mind as well as a never give up attitude, things that Boscha could appreciate. Boscha could even call them friends. Sadly, Sasha was just a useful ally. What made her suitable was the grudge she held against Oscura for her friend's death. Boscha would need someone who hated Oscura as much as she did. It was the only way to get ahead in this game.

Sasha did not want Oscura to be eliminated so soon since she wanted to have one final battle between them to settle things and get the wish to bring her friend back. Boscha could respect that, but she could not allow Oscura to have a chance at that wish. She needed to be stopped before it was too late.

Dr. Exposition: A bit of an intermission chapter, showing the aftermath of the last round. But we also see Boscha plotting and brewing a potion like the wicked witch she was. What does she plan to do to Luz? Guess we'll find out as we continue this season of the Desire Grand Prix!