Kamen Rider SideRide Chronicles: Oscura's Encore
Reprise VIII: A Little Heart 2 Heart
It was late in the evening when the Flyer Derby game finished. The Emerald Entrails had won yet again and were celebrating their victory.
"Entrails! Entrails! Entrails!" Viney cheered as she pumped her fists.
"We won and it's all thanks to you, Captain!" Hunter praised as he put an arm around Willow. Ever since the end of Oscura's rule, the former Golden Guard was left without purpose.
After the battle at the castle, Hunter went into hiding. He was spared by the human girl, but just barely after saving his 'uncle' from death. Despite his efforts, he never was able to locate Belos. When Oscura began her reign, two resistance groups formed: the WATs and the Golden Lords. The Golden Lords were mostly former Emperor's Coven Scouts, and zealous believers of Belos' whole 'speaking to the Titan' schtick.
It wasn't until later that Hunter found out that the Golden Lords were being led by Belos, which was when Oscura and her Phantom army raided their headquarters and put an end to them. Hunter was glad he did not join, since most of those witches were executed because they would not stop believing in Belos. Some of them were still a problem even now, but they were more of a nuisance than a real problem.
In any case, it was Darius who took Hunter into the WATs, becoming the father figure he needed and having him act as a secret go-between while Kikimora was spying for the WATs. When everything was over, and peace was returned to the Demon Realm, Willow decided to help Hunter out as the young witch was feeling directionless. With some encouragement from his guardian, he was able to make friends. Now, with his new Palisman companion, Flapjack, Hunter was a welcomed team member of the Emerald Entrails, and they've been killing in the Flyer Derby games ever since.
"C'mon, guys," Willow blushed as they all hung out at a cafe in Bonesborough, celebrating with a round of drinks. "We won 'coz we worked as a team."
"Yeah, sure, but you put this team together," Skara reminded. "And because of you, we've had an unbroken winning streak!"
Willow smiled at the kind words. She had found Flyer Derby to be interesting and a sport that better suited her. Also, unlike grudgby, it did not have any bullshit rules like the Rusty Smidge that gave any team that caught it an easy win. Another good thing was that she did not have to deal with Boscha.
She loved Flyer Derby and she loved this team of misfits she brought together. Contrary to popular belief, Willow was very aware of two of her team members' feelings towards her. Even now, she could see Hunter and Skara shooting her glances, trying to garner her attention. She was also aware that there was some kind of competition between them to see which of them would be able to ask Willow out first. She hated doing it, but there were several times when Willow had to play dumb or pretend to mishear them when they asked her out or suggested a date.
'Is it fair of me to keep blowing them off, because I'm still pining over a crush?' Willow thought.
But if she managed to win the DGP, then all of this would be different. Luz would be her true girlfriend, and she could undo all the terrible things that happened because of Amity and the Everlasting Oath. Yes, she realized that winning would mean that Luz would not be able to resurrect the Anne of her world, and Willow did feel terrible about tricking her crush like this.
'But if I manage to win, then that other Anne will be alive. Because we'll be going back in time to before Oscura, before the Desire Grand Prix ever selected Anne or Luz. Everything will be okay…it…it will be okay.'
[Gather Round!]
"What's that?" Gus wondered when he heard the notification.
"Sorry, but I gotta go. I need to, um…water my plants," Willow excused herself hastily before she downed her drink. "I'll see you guys later!" She then rushed off, taking out her Spider Phone.
"Welcome to the third round of the Desire Grand Prix," Tsumuri greeted.
The players were gathered in the Desire Temple, dressed in their uniforms and with their Desire Drivers strapped on. All of them were present, save for two.
"Hey, where's Luz?" Willow asked as she noted her friend's absence.
"And Sasha?" Marcy wondered as well. She had just finished a round of laser tag when she received the notification.
"The two of them are already inside the Jyamar Area as we speak," Tsumuri informed them, showing the map.
"Wait, that's in Disneyland." Marcy recognised the map.
"Yes," Tsumuri confirmed. "From what we've gathered, so far, the Jyamato have trapped many patrons within a labyrinth. Your mission is to defeat the Boss and save everyone inside. Now, Mission Start!"
After being transported, Willow found herself standing in the middle of a corridor that was lined with torches. The first thing she did was try to call Luz. Unfortunately, the call failed to go through.
"No signal," Willow frowned as she looked at her screen. Tsumuri was able to send info on the mission just fine but it appeared communication between Spider Phones was blocked.
The Jyamatos were getting crafter. When she first encountered the creatures, she learned they were humanoid plant lifeforms. Fortunately, her plant magic worked on them, but since they had intelligence, they were able to resist.
Many weeks had passed since the last game and Willow was able to recover. It had been frightening since they had to regain their Desire Drivers during the game while trying to avoid the Jyamatos. Watching Amity die made it sink in how serious the DGP was. They were basically being conscripted with the prize being used to tempt them into joining. Who could resist a wish for their heart's desire? It was not even some hoax as Luz had wished for the people that had died because of Empress Oscura to be brought back to life and her wish had been granted.
Speaking of Oscura, Luz using that power again made Willow worried about her friend, and then the display of power she demonstrated in the last round gave Willow flashbacks. It was a good thing that Luz defeated the Pinhead Jyamato and avenged Amity, but that was how it started before. Luz had good intentions but her ruthlessness terrified Willow. She just hoped her friend was not going down the same dark path again.
"Luz! Camila! Vee! Masha! Where are you!?"
Shining her way with her cell phone, Amity navigated through the labyrinth. When she woke up, she found herself alone. She tried to call for help, but there was no cell reception. Instead of panicking, she calmed herself down and began looking for everyone. They had fallen at the same time so they could not have gotten far.
The labyrinth felt creepy and, honestly, she did not like being alone. Today was supposed to be fun, all of them enjoying themselves in Disney World. But now, they were trapped in some kind of underground maze after the ground collapsed under them.
Amity could see a figure ahead of her.
"Who's there?"
The figure emerged and it looked like one of the park's mascots, except it did not wear the head. Instead, the creature before her wore Mickey Mouse ears and was carrying an axe.
It was a Pawn-type Jyamato, designated as a 'Mascot Jyamato'. The Mascot Jyamato caught sight of Amity and rushed straight at her with its axe. In a moment of panic, Amity cast a spell that caused a wall to rise in front of her.
*WHAM!*
The Mascot Jyamato ran straight into Amity's wall and stumbled back in pain. Seeing the monster distracted, Amity turned around and ran. Seeing its prey flee, the Mascot Jyamato gave chase.
All of a sudden, Amity tripped and fell, allowing the Mascot Jyamato to catch up to her. As Amity saw it raise its axe, all she could think of was Luz.
[TACTICAL SLASH!]
A green energy slash suddenly ripped through the Jyamato, destroying it as it exploded. As the smoke faded, Amity saw a new figure step forward. They were clad in green and silver armour over a black bodysuit and their helmet resembled a bee.
"...No way...a Kamen Rider...?" Amity uttered when she saw them, not believing her eyes.
"Amity?" the Rider asked.
And the Rider knew her name. Wait, why did they sound familiar? Where had she heard that voice before?
"Wait, Willow? Is that you?" Amity questioned as she got up. Honey wanted to deny it, but Amity was pretty sharp so she would know she was lying. She removed her Ninja Buckle from her Desire Driver and revealed herself to Amity, surprising the pink-haired witch. "How are you a Kamen Rider!?"
Willow said nothing, still having mixed feelings about Amity. She had been devastated when Amity died in the last game but the reset, fortunately, brought her back to life. Then she remembered that Amity was engaged to Luz and unconsciously clenched her fists.
"Come with me if you wanna live, Blight," Willow said coldly before she turned her back to Amity and began to walk away. Amity quickly followed after her.
"How are you here, Willow? What's going on? How are you a Kamen Rider?" Amity asked. Willow did not answer since Amity was a civilian and she was forbidden from telling anyone about the DGP. She could not afford to be disqualified.
"Don't worry about it, Amity. Just stick close to me and I'll protect you," Willow told her.
"Wait, we need to find Luz and the others," Amity insisted.
"Don't worry. Luz can take care of herself."
"How do you know that?"
Willow silently cursed herself. She had said too much already. As far as Amity knew, Willow had not seen Luz in four years.
"Who else is down here?" Willow asked, changing the subject.
"Luz's mom, her little sister and her enbyfriend."
Luz had told Willow that her mom had adopted a basilisk from the Demon Realm named Vee. Basilisks were supposed to be these terrifying, magic-eating monsters, but if anyone could befriend one, it would be Luz. Right now, Luz would definitely be looking for her family.
"Let's go find them then," Willow decided. Amity walked beside Willow.
The two continued to walk in awkward silence, which was torture for Amity. She was usually able to start a conversation quite easily, and yet she did not know what to say to Willow.
"So, it's really weird to see you here in the Human Realm," Amity started. "I mean, what are the chances? Did they fix the portal door or something?"
"No, we didn't. After the portal door was destroyed, all the pieces were incinerated," Willow informed Amity.
"So, how did you find your way to the Human Realm then? Does it have anything to do with you being a Kamen Rider?" Amity asked.
"I can't really say, Amity."
"Oh, right. Secret. I get it," Amity sighed.
"That's a nice ring, Amity. Where did you get it?" Willow asked, noticing the ring on Amity's finger.
"Oh, this?" Amity smiled, blushing as she remembered Luz's proposal. "Luz gave it to me when she proposed."
"She did, did she?" Willow's right eyebrow twitched.
"Yeah, and she even quoted Azura. It was so sweet of her."
"...Why?" Willow muttered.
"Huh, what did you say?" Amity asked.
"Nothing, it's nice," Willow lied.
"So, how are things in the Demon Realm since I left?" Amity questioned.
"After you and...Luz left, the council took over as the governing body and we've been working to rebuild. So far, everything's running smoothly. Though, some people still preferred the Coven system over how things are being run now," Willow explained.
"But the Coven system was oppressive," Amity argued. "It limited us."
"Yes, but there are people who believe it helped maintain order," Willow retorted.
"Even after they found out Belos was a fraud? That he could never speak to the Titan?" Amity could not believe this. How could there still be witches and demons who wanted to follow the Coven system even after learning the truth about Belos?
"It's been a difficult transition. Everything's been following the Coven system ever since Belos began his rule. It's hard to change."
"I see..." Amity sighed. "I think, despite everything Luz did, abolishing the Coven system was a good move. It's funny. Before I met Luz, all I wanted was to be in the Emperor's Coven. But, looking back, I realised it was what my mom wanted. I never really had a choice."
"No, but you still followed your mom's lead, Amity," Willow reminded. "You broke our friendship because of her. You didn't even fight for it."
"She said she'd make sure you never got into Hexside," Amity reasoned. "I was just trying to protect you."
"I know, but you didn't have to be such a jerk about it when I was failing the Abomination track," Willow retorted.
"I'm sorry about that too. I've been sorry about a lot of things. My decisions caused a lot of misery in our world," Amity admitted.
"And yet...you get to be with Luz...after everything that happened," Willow growled in frustration. "Of all the people in this world, why did Luz choose you!? You hurt her, you broke her, and you took the one thing she wanted in her whole life! You stole her hope! So why did she choose you!?"
Amity was taken aback by Willow's anger but she could not blame her ex-best friend. Everything Willow accused her of was true, so why did Luz even choose her?
"Honestly...I ask myself the same question every day." Amity grabbed at the hem of her shirt and clenched it tightly. "There are days when I ask myself: 'Did she just choose me because it was convenient'? 'Did she go out with me because she believes I owe her?' Sometimes I think it's the latter and, considering everything I took from her, all the suffering I put her through, I really don't have any right to deny her. Heh, I'd even go so far as to say that I'd be more than willing to be reduced to her slave. It was the very least I deserved."
"Ugh! Stop that!" Willow snapped, hating listening to Amity depreciate herself like that. "You know Luz isn't like that. She chose you because…because she loves you." Willow punched the wall to her left in frustration. "Sometimes, I wonder if I had decided to go with Luz to the Human Realm, instead of you, maybe we could've grown closer."
"Willow, that's crazy! You couldn't just leave your dads. They'd be heartbroken if you just up and left them," said Amity.
Willow turned to her right to look directly at Amity.
"Oh, please! Like you have any room to judge me? You just abandoned your family! Your dad, your big brother and sister! If there's anyone who has the right to call me out on that, it sure as heck isn't you!"
Amity looked down at the floor, feeling the old shame and guilt over her decision coming back to her.
"It wasn't easy for me to make the decision, Willow. I did what I did to protect them. I left that house to make sure the Phantoms wouldn't attack them if and when they searched for me. I left them behind in the Demon Realm because you and I know that at some point my role in Oscura's rise was going to become an issue. It's not that much of a secret," Amity explained. "You know, Gus knows, Boscha sure as hell knows, and even Eda and Lilith know. One way or the other, I was going to be punished for my part in bringing about the tragic events that came about, so, I decided to punish myself."
"You could also call it running away," Willow retorted, scoffing at Amity's reasoning. "Or did you forget that you made a spectacle when you attacked Lilith after finding out from the other Luz that she planted a power glyph on you before your duel with our Luz? But I won't deny that, out of everyone, you had the best chance at stopping it. All you had to do was unbind the Everlasting Oath. As the caster, you were the only one who could do it. Now that I think about it, who taught you that spell? That's not a spell they normally teach back at school."
Amity gripped the hem of her shirt harder.
"It was Odalia…she taught it to me," Amity confessed. "She said it was a good spell to know, just to make sure whoever I was doing business with would uphold their end of the deal…"
"Oh-ho! Big effing surprise!" Willow exclaimed. "Once again, you did something your bitch of a mom taught you! You know what? I'm glad she's dead! She deserved to die a second time!"
Amity quirked an eyebrow in confusion as she raised her head and looked at Willow.
"Wait, what do you mean 'die a second time'?" Amity asked. "She was killed four years ago."
'Dammit!' Willow mentally cursed. "Just forget what I said about that woman, and let's just keep moving."
Amity was starting to get a little agitated with Willow's attitude. Not only that, but the more she looked at the Driver around Willow's waist, the more she couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen it before.
"You know, Willow, I haven't seen you in over four years. I'm actually happy to see you again and I thought you'd feel the same. But for some reason, you're so cold to me. Did you just grow to hate me in these last four years?" Amity inquired.
"Amity, seriously, I don't want to talk about it. We need to find Luz and her family," Willow adamantly stated as she sped up to walk ahead of Amity.
"No, Willow!" Amity protested as she caught up with her. "We need to talk! I want to know why you're so angry with me! And why–!" Amity reached out and grabbed Willow's Desire Driver, with her thumb grazing the ID Core. "–do you have a Driver?!"
"AMITY! NO! LET GO BEFORE–!" Willow warned her but it was too late as the pink-haired witch recoiled from her. "Amity...?"
"…I died!? I-I was killed by that Jyamato! I…I was…Oh my Titan…I…" Amity started to hyperventilate a little as the trauma of the horrific event started to sink in.
"Oh, no." Willow slowly approached the panicking witch. "Amity, calm down. You're alright, you're alive. C'mon, please don't fall apart on me right now. Luz will kill me if something happens to you, again."
Amity took a moment to calm herself down, breathing in and out. She was alive, she was alive and breathing. The more Amity reminded herself of this, the quicker the panic attack subsided. It took her a couple of minutes, but Amity was able to calm down.
"You good?" Willow asked.
"Y-Yeah, I'm good now," Amity answered.
"Sweet Titan, why did you go and grab my Driver like that?" the Plant witch admonished.
"It just looked so familiar to me, that's all. Guess the memory resets aren't perfect. Deja vu." Amity held her hand against her head as she tried to remember more. "I don't remember what happened after that. I mean, I remember being reset back to before that Slasher Game started, but how did you guys win the game?"
"…Luz avenged you and defeated the Jyamato that killed you," Willow answered.
"Oh, Titan, Luz…" Amity groaned as she realized something. "No wonder she's been extra clingy lately."
One night, Amity was asleep when she felt her bed shift. She did not wake up until she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her. She knew who it was.
"...Luz, is that you?"
"Sorry, batata. I...had a bad dream."
Amity turned around to wrap her arms around Luz. Luz buried her face into Amity's chest as they drifted back to sleep together.
Since then, Luz would frequently sneak into Amity's bed because of bad dreams. Just like when Amity insisted on sticking close to Luz when the Latina failed to respond to their calls and messages all day. Of course, she didn't know at the time why Luz was doing this. She thought that Luz just missed her after being apart for two weeks. It was not as if Luz did not make the occasional trip to her room, which would lead to the two of them having some fun together, and sometimes winding up with Luz staying with her until the following morning.
But these recent visits were happening almost every night and Luz never initiated anything. In fact, Luz would just hold Amity as they slept together. At first, Amity thought nothing of it as it was just cuddling.
That all changed during one particular night…
"Don't leave me, Amity. Please, don't leave me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Luz was talking in her sleep which woke Amity up. She saw Luz crying in her sleep and holding on to her tight, as if Amity would disappear at any moment. Amity had no idea what kind of nightmare her fiancée was having. Perhaps it had something to do with their past, from Luz's time as Oscura. Titan knows how many times Luz would wake up screaming in the middle of the night. But there was something that she figured out that could help Luz, something related to Bard magic.
With her free hand, Amity drew a spell circle and let it float around them as she drew in a deep breath.
"You're okay~
You're alright~
I'll never, ever leave your side~
I will stay and I will fight
With you~"
Amity sang the lullaby with all the love she had for Luz, soothing and comforting her. As she sang, the spell circle released a gentle light, creating purple sparkles that danced in the air around the couple.
"Aah~ aah~ aah~
Aah~ aah~ aah~"
An aurora of colours began to dance along the walls and Luz's grip on Amity relaxed as the song soothed her fear-idled mind. Happy memories and thoughts rose and overcame whatever dark nightmare threatened Luz's peace, calming her down. Throughout the song, Amity held Luz close to her, rubbing her back, and stroking her fiancée's hair soothingly.
"You're okay~
You're alright~
I'll stay here through the darkest night~
All the way, I will fight,
With you~"
"You're okay...You're alright..." Luz whispered softly in her sleep, now more relaxed.
"That's right and I'll never, ever leave your side, Luz," Amity swore as she kissed her on the forehead.
The lullaby helped Luz to sleep better and, since then, she did not appear to suffer from any more nightmares. She still insisted on sticking close to Amity, though. She frequently came to the library where Amity worked during lunchtime. She did not bother Amity and sometimes she would help her girlfriend put away the books that people left on the reading tables.
Now, Amity understood why. Luz has been having nightmares of Amity's death and her insistence on sticking close to her was a way for her to cope with the trauma.
"So, I guess she went to town on that Jyamato then?" Amity joked.
"That might be the biggest understatement of the century, Blight," Willow replied, furrowing her brow. "It wasn't even a fight, it was a complete one-sided slaughter and she did it with Oscura's power."
"What did you say?" Amity asked as her eyes widened.
"Luz used Oscura's power to win," Willow confessed, surprising Amity. "We didn't even know she still had that power and then, right before our eyes, she transformed into Oscura, the real Oscura, and it scared me!"
Willow hugged herself as the memories of Luz's original transformation into Oscura flashed through her mind. It was honestly something she would never forget so long as she lived. It was the moment her best friend, her crush, transformed into a being of unimaginable power and began her descent into evil.
"It was like I was watching history repeat itself. The first time Luz tapped into her dark powers was after Lilith accidentally killed Eda. That was the push she needed to transform and it was the same catalyst that allowed her to forge the first of her Seven Sin Rings, Wrath. And honestly, when she killed that Jyamato, it's an understatement to say she was pissed. She was beyond furious, like she was wrath incarnated. What made it worse, is that she used the same damn spell that she used to kill the Coven Scouts that came with Lilith.
"Amity, she can't keep doing this! It started out the same way. With each fight, each transformation, she continued to justify her actions as just 'protecting us' or 'for the good of the Isles'. She's going to end up falling into the darkness again at this rate! I know she said this is the last time she'll play in the DGP, but what if she decides to change her mind?"
Willow moved her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I really don't like quoting Boscha here, but Luz could very well decide after this to play again in another season to wish for her ideal world. What that might be, I don't know, but if she's under the influence of that dark power again, then it'll turn out the same way, but worse!" Willow removed her hand from her face and clenched it into a fist. "That's why…That's why I have to win. I have to win and stop that from happening."
Willow watched as Luz walked over to the two human girls on the other side of the platform after writing her wish on the Desire Card. She glanced over at Gus, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what he wanted to wish for. Luz's last wish brought back all the people she killed or were killed by her Phantoms during her time as Oscura, as a means to atone for her sins. That was just like her. It was the nature of the girl she fell in love with all those years ago. Luz had no way of knowing for sure if her wish would be granted, but even so, she fought to make it happen, and it did. Willow had little doubt that whatever Luz was going to wish for this go around, it was probably going to be something selfless.
And that made writing her true desire all the harder. This game was set up so that the player who won would get their ideal world. Luz proved the people behind the DGP had the power to reach across dimensions to make her wish come true, and even had power over life and death. While that was a terrifying thought, it also meant something else. It meant that not even time was an object for these people. With that in mind, Willow wrote down her true desire. She dared not show this to Gus, or Luz. She wouldn't understand. While the wish was selfish, it was also for Luz's benefit as well.
Willow looked at her Desire Card after she finished writing down her wish. Once everyone had written down their wishes, the Desire Cards disappeared, logged in and locked for when one of them eventually won the game. Luz walked back towards them, having finished her conversation with the human girls and looked at Willow with a smile on her face.
"So, Willow, what'd you wish for?" Luz asked.
Willow put on a fake smile.
"That's a secret, Luz."
'I'm sorry, Luz, but you'll thank me later.'
Willow's wish was: 'I want to go back in time and stop Luz Noceda from ever becoming Oscura.'
Amity moved closer to her old friend and placed a hand on Willow's fist.
"Willow, you don't need to worry. Luz won't become like that again," Amity assured.
"You don't know that!" Willow retorted.
"I do because she's the same girl she was four years ago," Amity insisted.
Willow growled angrily and swatted Amity's hand away.
"IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU, SHE CAN NEVER GO BACK TO BEING THAT SAME GIRL! THE GIRL WHO BECAME MY FRIEND! THE GIRL WHO CHANGED MY LIFE! THE GIRL I FELL IN LOVE WITH!"
Willow's words echoed into the long corridor. Amity was a little stunned to hear Willow's confession. She knew that Willow once had a crush on Luz a long time ago. However, it seemed that, even after four years, she was still carrying a torch for her.
"Willow…You…You're still in love with Luz?" Amity asked.
The cat was out of the bag now, no point in denying it.
"Yes, Amity, I still have feelings for Luz," Willow confessed, running a hand through her hair as she sighed dejectedly. "I've tried, Titan knows I've tried, to let it go but I can't. I'm still in love with Luz.
"I know that I messed up. I know I-I should've been the one to stop it all. I should've stood up for her when everyone else was against her. And even after she told me she didn't care about me like that anymore, I still felt that way about her. Skara and Hunter, they like me, like I like Luz, but I can't move on."
Willow moved up the sleeve on her left arm and showed off her forearm to Amity.
"Whenever I see Luz, I still see the same girl who was in her room, drawing glyphs, desperately trying to use magic but only hurting herself more and more. I stopped her and got a scar of my own for my effort. It's a scar I wear with pride because I got it from saving the one I love. But I still couldn't do a thing to stop the new scars she would give herself. Even now, whenever I see Luz, there are times when I see her how she used to be, sad, torn, heartbroken, hopeless, and of course, scarred for life…"
"Willow…"
The Plant witch's sorrowful expression turned to one of anger as she glared at Amity.
"And that's why I can't stand it!" Willow began advancing on Amity and started poking her in the chest, making the other witch back up against the wall. "I should be the one that Luz proposed to in a cheesy romantic way! I should be the one getting married to her! And I should be the one who helped her heal! NOT YOU! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM HER! YOU CRUSHED HER HOPES AND DREAMS! YOU MADE HER BECOME A MONSTER!"
Amity was now against the wall as Willow grabbed her by the shirt. Willow's eyes narrowed as tears flowed down from them, gritting her teeth as the anger boiled over.
"GIVE HER BACK TO ME! GIVE ME BACK THE GIRL I LOVE! GIVE HER BACK…GIVE…GIVE…give her back to me…before she becomes a monster again…"
The strength started to seep out of Willow's legs as she slowly fell to the ground and brought Amity down with her but the latter held on as they both went down on their knees. Willow started to sob hard. She had been holding these emotions in for so long and they just all finally came bursting out. She wished she did not sound so selfish and jealous but did she not have the right to be selfish just this once? To want something? To be happy?
'Amity's going to hate me…Luz is going to hate me…She's trying so hard to bring back someone who died…and…and all I can only think about myself…'
"I must sound so selfish right now..." Willow sobbed. She gasped when she felt Amity embrace her. The pink-haired witch rubbed Willow's back soothingly, holding her close. "A-Amity…?"
"You're not the only selfish one here, Willow. I lied to Luz during the last DGP. When we entered, she told me her wish, and I made her believe that I wanted the same thing but the truth is, I didn't," Amity admitted.
"W-What did you wish for?" Willow asked.
"I wished to undo my greatest mistake, the Everlasting Oath," Amity confessed.
Willow's eyes widened in shock and she pushed away from Amity. Amity's wish was more or less the same as hers.
"You wanted to change the past, but…if you did that, then you and Luz…"
"Would never be together. I knew that was a risk going in. Luz chewed me out on the dangers of messing with the past, saying that even if I did that, there was no telling whether we'd stop Belos' plans or that she and I would even fall in love. Heh. Now, after hearing you, I guess she would've been right. You would've been her girlfriend instead and, honestly, Willow, you would make such an awesome girlfriend," said Amity.
"Don't flatter me, Amity…" Willow snorted.
"I'm not, I'm telling you the truth," Amity insisted. "If there was anyone I would be happy seeing Luz with, it would be you."
"Then…You know why I have to win. I'm going to go back, back to that moment when I should've confessed to her when I should've helped her not just as a friend, but as a girlfriend and stop Oscura from ever being born," said Willow.
"I understand, Willow," Amity replied. "Believe me, I understand that fear very well, and Luz more than understands. It's because of that fear that she originally refused to use Oscura's power. But what Luz said to me during the Slasher Game, is what makes me believe she will never become like the Oscura from four years ago again."
"And what did she tell you?" Willow asked.
"She's not running away from the darkness, she will use it as her sword to protect those she loves, and she will not let it ever rule her again. The other Luz was filled with light and our Luz still has light in her heart but she also knows the darkness. She isn't Empress Oscura anymore, Willow. Luz is Kamen Rider Oscura, the warrior who wields darkness in the name of light. She will never become that monster again."
Willow kept her eyes on Amity when she said that. Her eyes were not just so full of hope but also trust.
"You trust her that much…?" Willow asked.
"I do, Willow," Amity nodded. "I trust Luz with my life, and she trusts me. It's what made us a good team during the last DGP. Four years of us learning more about each other, and healing each other, despite all the pain we both went through, has helped us grow in unexpected ways. I understand now why Luz doesn't want to change the past. We need to move forward and look to the future and learn from the past to keep those mistakes from happening again." Amity raised her right hand and looked at the ring. "And I want to see what kind of future Luz and I will make, for all the good and bad times ahead."
'Move forward…I'm stuck in the past. I'm stuck wanting to change the past, but Luz, she's looking ahead,' Willow thought. Willow sighed as she broke the embrace and slowly stood up. Amity did the same, wondering if her old friend was now okay.
"Amity, I'm sorry. You didn't deserve any of that," Willow apologized.
"It's alright. I think I was long overdue getting chewed out by you," Amity half-joked.
Willow playfully punched Amity in the shoulder.
"Alright, now that we've gotten some of our emotional baggage out of the way, let's go find the girl we're both crazy in love with. First one to see her gets to kiss her," Willow challenged.
"Hey, that's my fiancée you're talking about, Park. I'm the only one allowed to kiss her," Amity retorted as she gave Willow a little shove. But in the process only succeeded in pushing herself back. "Jeez, Willow, you got swole in four years."
"And I've got the stamina for days. Maybe I could take both Luz and you," Willow teased.
"Okay, you need to chill, Park," Amity blushed in response.
Willow and Amity started to laugh. They hadn't laughed together like this for years and it felt good, especially when it seemed they were able to bury the hatchet. After they were done, Willow and Amity started travelling down the corridor again, with renewed determination to find Luz and the rest of Luz's family. All the while, Willow would sneak glances at Amity as her old friend's words about Luz echoed in her head.
'Luz is looking to the future…Maybe…Maybe it's time I started to as well."
Willow checked the map on her Spider Phone. According to it, Luz was nearby and it looked like she had several civilians with her as well. The other players were scattered across the map. She saw Red-Pan's logo deep in the labyrinth and frowned. It would be best to just avoid her. The two stopped when they came across a couple of Jyamatos that were dressed as Goofy. Despite how silly they looked, the Mascot Jyamatos were still dangerous.
[Set!]
Willow stepped forward, preparing to transform. She would protect Amity, for Luz.
"Henshin!"
[NINJA! READY, FIGHT!]
Once her armour formed, Kamen Rider Honey separated her Ninja Dueler into its Twin Blade Mode and got ready for battle. However, she was completely unprepared when the two Mascot Jyamatos did something that took the two girls completely by surprise.
[Desire Driver!]
"Are those...Desire Drivers?" Amity's eyes widened as she witnessed the two Jyamatos strap on their own Desire Drivers. She did not have a good look at their ID Cores, but they were yellow with cracked surfaces. Both Jyamatos then took out strange Raise Buckles which resembled metal plates with vines crawling all over them.
"Hen...shin..."
The Jyamatos inserted the Buckles into their Drivers, initiating their transformations.
[JYAMATO!]
Thick vines burst from the Drivers and enveloped the Jyamatos in cocoons before a burst of green energy shredded them, revealing their transformation.
"Jyamato Riders!?"Honey gasped.
"That's...different," Amity remarked. She had seen Jyamatos wear a variety of different costumes but this was the first time she had seen them transform into Riders themselves. Honey recovered from her shock and steeled herself for combat.
"Don't worry. I got this," Honey claimed as she drew two spell circles. A green aura surrounded the Jyamato Riders, rendering them frozen like statues. Unfortunately, that did not last long as they resisted the plant-controlling spell and began to move forward. It was slow at first but then they broke free and charged at the witch. Honey gasped and ducked under a swing before blocking another from the second Jyamato Rider. The two of them then delivered kicks to Honey's chest, sending her crashing against the wall.
"Willow!" Amity shouted.
"Stay back!" Honey warned her as she got back to her feet. She twirled her Ninja Dueler around and then charged at the Jyamato Riders, slashing them with her blades. However, they did not go down and retaliated with their punches. Fortunately, she managed to stay on her feet. She threw a punch, knocking one of the Jyamato Riders away before she delivered a kick to the other, sending it skidding back to join its comrade.
The two Jyamato Riders stood up straight, looked at each other and nodded before raising their left fists and slamming them against their buckles.
[JYA-JYA-JYA STRIKE!]
They stomped on the ground, sending a multitude of thick vines surging straight at Honey. They struck her violently in the chest, causing her to cry out as they forced her out of her transformation. The Ninja Buckle also came loose and fell to the ground.
"Willow!" Amity cried out as she helped her childhood friend up. She could cast a quick healing spell but she doubted the Jyamato Riders would give her a chance. Casting a construction spell, she raised a stone wall between them and the Jyamato Riders before dragging Willow to safety. The wall should hold the Jyamato Riders off long enough for her to heal Willow. "Come on, we need to get to safety."
Amity could hear the Jyamato Riders pounding on the earth wall. Fortunately, she managed to reinforce it but it was only a temporary solution. Right now, they needed to get away, recover, and get help because these Jyamato Riders were on a totally different level.
Amity followed the corridor which led into an empty chamber.
"Thanks for saving me," Willow said gratefully.
"What are friends for?" Amity smiled. "How are you feeling?"
"Sore," Willow grunted as she rubbed her chest. "Those things can hit hard."
"Come on, sit," Amity prompted and Willow complied as she sat on the floor. Amity knelt in front of her, drew a spell circle and performed a healing spell.
"You've gotten pretty good with your magic," Willow praised.
"I've been practising while in the Human Realm," Amity answered, remembering the few times she had to heal Luz in the past. Some kids could not accept that Luz had changed or stand the idea of her being happy so they attempted to 'put her in her place'. Fortunately, Amity did not need to intervene since Luz was able to kick their butts. Those kids did try to get Luz in trouble, but Amity learned how to use her phone to record the fights and even called Camila. They threatened the school that they would release the video on social media if the bullies were not punished.
"So...I'm guessing Jyamatos turning into Riders is not exactly common in this game, huh?" Willow asked.
"That never happened before," Amity confirmed. "This is totally new territory for me. I sure hope Luz is OK by herself." Suddenly, the entrance they came in through was sealed shut, locking them in. "What the heck!?"
The two girls got up and tried to get the door open, only to fail.
"We're trapped," Willow said as she saw that there was no other way out. This room was a dead end.
"Can this get any worse!?" Amity shouted and the room began to rumble. Looking up, she saw the ceiling descending and it was covered in spikes. "Forget I asked!"
Willow looked around, trying to find something to help them when she spotted a picture on the wall. It was not a complete picture as there were pieces broken off and a pile of rubble sitting under the broken picture. A lightbulb lit up in her head.
"Amity, I think we need to solve a puzzle to get out!" Willow yelled and she went to the picture. She picked up the pieces of rubble, examined them and found that they had bits of the picture on them. She just needed to fit them in the right place. Amity did not see any other way out so she went to help Willow. They needed to be quick or else they were going to become pancakes. Finally, they fit in the last piece, completing the picture.
[Secret Mission Cleared!]
A Mission Box with Willow's ID Core logo appeared, and she quickly opened it up to reveal a new Raise Buckle. It was yellow like a construction vehicle with black stripes on the semi-circular central piece. There was a grip that sat open a slot that appeared to contain a small Raise Buckle inside.
"Alright." Willow swiftly attached the new Buckle to her Driver.
[Set Creation!]
She then pulled on the grip handle, activating it.
"Henshin!"
[DEPLOYED POWERED SYSTEM!]
As Willow's Entry suit formed, a giant manipulator arm with a pincer held the Powered Builder Armour as it formed from the logo before it equipped the suit to her.
[GIGANT BLASTER!]
Kamen Rider Honey was equipped with the Powered Builder armour. It was yellow like her buckle with metal pincher claws mounted on her shoulders, her gauntlets and across her chest. She also had a thick yellow chin strap on. The armour made the eyes of her helmet turn red. What really drew Amity's eyes was her weapon, the Gigant Blaster. It was a large cannon-like weapon with a thick barrel and a bayonet blade attached to it.
"Alright, let's bust our way out!"Honey yelled as she replaced the Gigant Blaster Buckle with a hammer-shaped Gigant Buckle.
[GIGANT HAMMER!]
Her Gigant Blaster was replaced with a huge mallet-like blue hammer. She gripped it tightly in both hands as the thruster behind the head ignited. The jets of flame boosted the momentum of her swing and she smashed the wall open.
*BOOM!*
"Come on!" Amity yelled.
"And that's when we found you," Amity finished.
"Good thinking using Escape Room logic, Willow," Luz praised her friend.
"It just seemed so obvious," Willow smiled, blushing under her praise.
"So, does anyone need healing?" Amity offered.
"Luz does," Camila said.
"Mom, I'm fine," Luz whined.
"No, mija. You need some healing," Camila insisted. "You may have internal injuries so it's best to let Amity take a look at you."
"I'm going to need direct contact," Amity said. "So, Luz, I need you to take off your jacket."
"Amity, you want me to undress in front of everyone?" Luz teased. Amity rolled her eyes but smiled. It was a good thing that Luz still had her sense of humour. The pink-haired witch lightly bopped her fiancée over the head. "Ow!"
"Saca la cabeza de la alcantarilla, perro cornudo. (Get your head out of the gutter, you horn dog.)"
As Luz removed her jacket to let Amity examine and heal her, Willow approached Camila. She recognized her from the pictures Luz had shown her on her phone and she could see the resemblance.
"Hi, I'm Willow," Willow introduced herself to Camila. "You must be Luz's mom. She told me a lot about you."
"Really?" Camila smiled. "So, you're Willow, my daughter's best friend."
"Yeah," Willow nodded.
"Luz has told me all about you and Augustus, and I'm so glad she was able to make friends." Even if Luz had to go to another world to find friends, she was glad that her daughter made them. Luz had told her about Willow, about her skills with Plant magic. She had even seen some of the pictures of Willow that Luz kept on her phone. She could tell the girl was gentle but also possessed a fearsome fighting spirit.
"Can you tell me what's going on?" Camila asked. "How is my daughter a Kamen Rider again and how are you a Kamen Rider? My daughter never mentioned that."
"It's a long story," Willow answered.
Amity finished healing Luz as her wounds faded away.
"Luz, I think you should tell them what's going on," Amity suggested as Luz put her jacket back on.
"And let my mom freak out? No way. You remembered what happened the last time, right?" Luz asked. "Besides, after this round is over, they'll forget everything that happened tonight."
"What do you mean by that, mija?" Camila asked, having overheard her daughter.
"Dang it," Luz cursed. "Mom, look, after tonight, you won't remember any of this."
"How come?" Camila questioned. There was something her daughter was not telling her. "Luz, please, talk to me. Don't shut me out."
"Mamá..." Luz's fists shook. Why was this so hard? "Mamá, if you need to know what's going on, all you need to do is to touch this." She pointed at her ID Core. "Then I'll explain everything."
Camila nodded, trusting her daughter and went to touch the ID Core. All of a sudden, Camila's mind was flooded with forgotten memories. She remembered her husband being a Kamen Rider, the events of the Witch Hunting Game, and seeing her daughter transform. She stumbled back but Vee and Masha caught her before she collapsed.
"I...remember..." Camila uttered, holding her head.
"It never gets easier," Amity sympathized. Having those lost memories come back in a flash would be shock-inducing and she had already experienced it twice.
"Luz, why are you playing this game again?" Camila asked.
"Game?" Masha echoed, puzzled. "What game?"
"The Desire Grand Prix," Luz started. "It's a game where players become Kamen Riders and fight to have their wish granted."
"So, did you lose last time? Is that why you're playing again?" Camila asked.
"No, Mamá. I won and my wish was granted."
"So why are you playing this dangerous game again?"
"Because there's something I need to fix and this is the only way."
Camila could see that her daughter needed to do this. Luz was not going to give up when she had a goal set in mind. However, Camila could not help but worry since her daughter was putting her life on the line.
"Alright, just promise to be careful, Luz," Camila advised.
"Then we better keep moving," Luz said as she checked the map. "If we keep moving forward, we should be able to get to the exit."
As the group was about to make their move, they heard a loud boom coming from the hole Willow had made. The two witches knew what it was. The Jyamato Riders emerged from the hole and confronted the group.
"Oh, no," Amity grimaced. She still could not believe that Jyamatos had gained the power to become Riders of their own. "Luz, they're much stronger than the usual Jyamatos."
"I know, I fought a couple of them before. Don't worry, Amity. Willow and I can beat them. Right, Willow?" Luz smiled at her friend.
"...Right," Willow said with less confidence. She had tried to use her Plant magic on the Jyamato Riders but their armour seemed to make them resistant to her powers.
[Set!]
[Set Creation!]
"Henshin!"
[OSCURA! DARKNESS, NOW!]
[DEPLOYED POWERED SYSTEM!]
[GIGANT HAMMER!]
The two Jyamato Riders stretched their hands to the side. In a burst of vines, they each summoned a scythe.
[READY, FIGHT!]
As Honey and Oscura charged at the Jyamato Riders, the others stood back and watched. Amity had her fists clenched as she watched both Luz and Willow fight to protect them.
[DesWizarSwordGun!]
Oscura summoned her weapon and sparks flew as she countered a slash from her Jyamato Rider. It followed up with a swing of its weapon but she parried it before she delivered a punch to its chest. Her opponent staggered from the blow but recovered quickly to deliver an overhead slash. Oscura caught the blade with hers and sparks rained down on her. She then twisted her body around and delivered a swift elbow strike into the Jyamato Rider's gut, knocking it back. As it moved to attack again, Oscura cast a spell.
"Onyx Flame, Now!"
She unleashed a stream of jet-black flames from her hand but her enemy pushed through it before finally reaching her. The Jyamato Rider swung, slashing her across the chest before knocking her back with another swing.
Oscura felt strange, like the power behind her spells had gone down. What was going on? Her Jyamato Rider came at her with an overhead swing and raised her sword to block. The impact of the attack was stronger than she anticipated, making her body tremble and she was forced to her knees.
"Luz!" Camila cried.
"Something's wrong," Amity observed. "She's usually more powerful than this."
"Shadow...Now!" Oscura gritted out, turning her body into intangible shadow matter to disengage from her foe. The Jyamato Rider's scythe pierced the floor but it dislodged it before charging at Oscura.
A weapon like the Gigant Hammer should be cumbersome to use, but not in Honey's hands. She delivered heavy swings and her opponent was forced to dodge each strike. When she delivered an overhead strike, she missed as her enemy dodged and her hammer made a crater in the ground.
[JYA-JYA-JYA STRIKE!]
Honey's Jyamato Rider opponent landed on its feet and stomped the ground, launching huge vines at Honey. They grabbed her Gigant Hammer and wrenched it from her hands before they swung it back at her, sending her tumbling painfully.
Her opponent then took out Willow's Ninja Buckle which it had picked up and inserted it into its Desire Driver.
[Set!]
[NINJA! READY, FIGHT!]
The Ninja Jyamato Rider slashed the vines holding the Gigant Hammer with the Ninja Dueler and they dropped the weapon in its free hand. As Honey picked herself up, she was slashed by her own Ninja Dueler and then bashed by the Gigant Hammer which sent her crashing into the wall. The Ninja Jyamato Rider then put away the Ninja Dueler and gripped the Gigant Hammer tightly before it raised its arms back to strike her down.
"Willow!" Oscura shouted as she disengaged from her opponent and kicked it away to help her friend. "Transport, Now!"
Honey was teleported to Oscura's side as the Gigant Hammer made a crater on the floor.
"Shadow, Now!"
Oscura created a pair of whips made of shadows which ensnared both Jyamato Riders before tying them together. They struggled to free themselves but it was too late.
"Gluttonous Devouring, Now!"
As Oscura thrust out her hand, the two Jyamato Riders were caught by the spell as they were struck by a wave of purple light. They writhed in agony as they tried to resist, but their green-tinted life energy was being sucked out of their bodies and into a dark hole that appeared in the centre of Oscura's palm. Within seconds, the two monsters had their life drained from them, turning them into husks before they crumbled to dust.
"You OK, Willow?" Oscura asked.
"I'm fine, Luz," Honey replied. "That was scary."
"Yeah, those things were tough," Oscura agreed. "We better keep moving before more of them show up."
"Luz, wait," Amity said, getting Oscura's attention. "We need to talk."
Oscura and Honey removed their Raise Buckles, reverting to civilian mode. Luz grimaced. It was never a good sign when a girlfriend said, 'We need to talk'.
"What is it, Amity?" Luz asked.
"I don't think the Oscura Buckle will be enough to get us out of here if we have to face more Jyamatos like that," Amity answered.
"What?" Luz let out a snort. "C'mon, Amity. It's my strongest Buckle and I've defeated every enemy I've faced with it."
"Yes, I know," Amity acknowledged. "But you were struggling against that Jyamato Rider when you could have wiped the floor with it. I think the Buckle's losing its power."
Luz looked at the Oscura Buckle. Only two of the seven stones surrounding the Oscura were still shining. She shook her head and pocketed the Buckle. She gave her fiancée a confident smile.
"It's fine, Amity. It just took me by surprise. It won't happen again. Besides, if I find myself in a pinch, I've got Willow as backup."
"But, Luz-"
"We're almost at the exit," Luz interrupted as she turned away. "If we keep going down this path, we'll reach it; and if we bump into any Jyamatos, Willow and I can deal with them."
Willow collected her Ninja Buckle and the group walked away. After they left, two new Mascot Jyamatos came across the remains of their fellow Jyamatos. They picked up their Desire Drivers and put them on.
It was time to continue the hunt.
"Hen...shin."
[JYAMATO!]