I do not own Sailor Moon or Kamen Rider Blade. They are the property of the respective creators and not me. I am not making any kind of profit from this piece of fiction. If you do not enjoy the piece than I cannot help you.

Kamen Rider Chalice: Crystal City Chronicles

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Turn 13: The Final Rider! The Wand Wielder Leangle!

Crystal Palace

Neo Queen Serenity and Neo King Endymion both sat upon their thrones, looking at the man who just presented himself to them. He was a handsome fellow wearing a black business shirt with black trousers underneath a black trench coat. His features were handsome with black hair and amber sunglasses shielding his eyes. His hands were also covered by gloves, making the man look entirely professional and serious even if he kneeled to the two members of royalty.

"Doctor Isaka was it?" asked Serenity. "We have been told you wish to see us concerning the...unfortunate crisis that our fair city has been facing."

"I have indeed, Your Majesties," Isaka nodded, looking up to the royal pair. "I have taken it upon myself to study the nature of these despicable creatures in order to try and better discern how to defeat them."

"Were you able to learn anything?" asked Endymion, officially intrigued.

"With my meager resources, I was able to learn a few facts," Isaka noted. Reaching into his jacket, he produced a small computer device. Serenity gestured to an attendant in the room who pressed a small device in their pocket. A screen then lowered from the ceiling, usually used in Serenity's parties to play music or family friendly films. Now would serve a more serious purpose for likely the first time since it was installed.

The screen lit up, showing strange green blood and skin cells which caused Serenity to cringe and Endymion to sigh. Isaka ignored their expressions and explained, "By studying the battlegrounds from previous encounters, I had found samples of these creatures' DNA. Taking those samples, I managed to learn some of their traits. One of which is their very high rate of regeneration, allowing them to recover from nearly everything."

"We suspected as much, but having proof will help us," Endymion nodded. It would allow Ami to make a better countermeasure if she had specifics. "Are there limits to this regeneration?"

"None," Isaka replied. Changing the scene, it looked like several of the skin cells which were blackened and shriveled, obviously burned. Hitting a play button, the skin cells slowly began to grow wider, regaining their green coloring, and become healthy again, "Whatever I had done to these samples, nothing could destroy them. At best, they were temporarily disabled before they recover and become healthy again."

"Oh dear," Serenity frowned.

"Then could these remains grow into a new creature?" asked Endymion with worry.

"Not without adequate nutrient sources. Otherwise they remain inert, but healthy," Isaka shook his head. "We have nothing to fear in that regard. For these cells to receive such nutrition, it would take specialized equipment in order for that process to begin. It is impossible for such an event to happen otherwise." The king nodded, satisfied with that explanation.

"Are you able to explain why our magic seems to be having. . .difficulty affecting them?" asked Serenity, choosing her words carefully so she wouldn't have to admit her trusted magic wasn't working.

"Working with modern magical theory, I believe I have an answer," Isaka replied, bringing up another image of an Undead which had a green aura surrounding it. "I believe that these creatures, if it is believed that they were the first as some of them and the rebels claim, are tied to the will of the planet. Magic goes against the will of the world because it bends nature to its will, especially magic of the other planets."

"So then would my power affect them?" asked Endymion, intrigued. His own power stemmed from Earth, making it possible for him to fight the Undead himself.

"As the King of Earth," Isaka spoke, but for one who knew how to read people (I.E no one in the room) there was a distinct distaste in his words. "There is a strong possibility that your power among all others may be able to affect them."

"Hm," Serenity frowned. "Is there no way for the other Senshi to be capable of fighting the Undead?" The Senshi were the ones who usually did the fighting and she did not wish her husband to put himself at risk.

"Perhaps, if their will can supersede the will of the planet," Isaka shook his head. Obviously he had little belief in that event occurring. "I would try to research more, but I am quite limited by my current resources. That is of course why I came to you today."

"Of course," the Neo Queen nodded. Close-minded to many things she may have been, but she was enough of a politician to know when someone was asking for something from her. "So far you have been giving us critical factual insight into our enemies. Do you think that you will be able to help create countermeasures to these creatures?"

"I have the highest hopes," Isaka replied, shutting down his computer. "My theories are sound and I am convinced they are applicable in our crisis."

"Splendid!" Serenity clapped her hands together. "I shall have the proper resources and a lab space allotted to you."

Isaka smiled and whispered, "Excellent."

(LINE BREAK)

Crystal Tokyo University - Dorms

"More painkillers!" Rubeus groaned.

"No! You had enough of them to put down a rhino!" Esmeraude snapped. "Ride your own pains out you big baby!"

"But I'm in agony!"

"Suck it up!"

The Riders hadn't come back from the battle with their own Aces unscathed. After the adrenaline rush had worn off, they finally felt their injuries. All three of the boys were put to bed and they had stayed there for two days so far. Being battered around by Category Ace Undead was never a fun experience. Kyle was likely the worst of the three since he had to fight the Mantis Undead in his human form. To avoid suspicion, Topazu had given their fun little group a leave of absence due to personal reasons. In truth, the dorm room that Demand and Rubeus shared into a makeshift recovery ward. Rubeus and Demand had their beds and Kyle was banned to the couch. Rubeus' was the most whiny about the position, likely because he didn't have a cute girl fawning over him like Demand and Kyle did with Esmeraude and Amethyst.

All three of the boys were awake, but still lying down with their injuries. It wasn't possible to sleep with Rubeus' whining. Demand was resting with Esmeraude cuddling him, trying not to aggravate his wounds while Kyle was looking at the Ace of Clubs with the Leangle Buckle on a nearby table. He was still wary of using the Ace of Clubs, even if it looked like it was properly sealed.

"So, what's so interesting about Leangle?" Topazu asked, working at the kitchen section for the midday meal.

"Well, Leangle's the strongest of the Riders in Ace Form. Heck, even my Chalice form would have a hard time against Leangle," Kyle admitted.

"Really?" asked Demand, jerking his head up from where he lay.

"Yeah," Kyle nodded, setting the Ace down. "The Leangle System was created to overcome the other three Riders and win the Battle Fight. The one behind it wanted the power of all the Undead for himself and thought Leangle would be able to hack it."

"Can it?" asked Esmeraude.

"In Ace Form, probably," Kyle shrugged. "However, Blade and Garren are able to assume a Jack Form and a King Form which overshadows anything Leangle's got in his initial form."

"Considering how we got our asses kicked, we'll need him," Rubeus grunted. "Speaking of which, where's Safir anyway?"

"Well…" Topazu winced. "After the last time he was here, he's been kind of upset…"

Why was Safir upset? Simply put, the Ace of Clubs hadn't reacted to him. After the Spider Undead had been sealed and the motley crew had escaped, Safir immediately volunteered to take on the mantle of Leangle to defend Crystal Tokyo while the others recovered from their wounds. When he took up the Ace of Spades, he expected to see it react like the Ace of Spades, Diamonds, and Hearts did for his friends. Instead, the card remained inert, and Safir had not taken it well. To his credit, he didn't rage or bemoan, but his friends could tell he was bitterly disappointed and left to 'let off some steam.'

Safir hadn't dropped by the dorm room since, making the young men fear he would do something stupid. Such a rash action was certainly out of his character, but Topazu insisted he had been banking on trying to help the others as the fourth Rider. He wasn't the kind of guy who liked sitting by when his friends were in the middle of something dangerous. Being denied that was a big blow to him.

The Spider Undead sealed within was probably mocking them by not acknowledging Safir. It caused Kyle no end of aggravation since they were at a time where the last thing they needed was the Ace to get snobbish over who used it. Chalice, Garren, and Blade were down for the time being. The only Rider they had was Leangle, but if no one could use the Buckle then any Undead that decided to cause trouble would be unopposed unless the Senshi got their acts together. Neo Moon and Saturn might have been able to handle it, but Kyle doubted they were in any better condition than the Riders were.

"Will he be okay?" Kyle asked, concerned for his friend.

"Give him time," Topazu advised, a sad look on her face.

(LINE BREAK)

Crystal Tokyo - Streets

After taking a walk, Safir sat down on a bench. He let out a sigh. He knew he was probably worrying his friends now, dropping out of contact with them for two days. Still, the frustration, disappointment, and dare he say bitterness was still festering in his chest like a tumor. Just what was wrong with him? What was he missing? He had taken hold of the card, hoping that it would react to him. Unfortunately, he had failed to make it react. It hadn't glowed like the others.

Ever since his friends had donned the mantles of Blade and Garren, he had wanted to help them. Kyle said that together, the Kamen Riders were an unstoppable team. He would've become the fourth member, Leangle. He would have completed them team and together they would have made sure that Crystal Tokyo really was safe instead of making a lie to the naive masses like the Senshi did. However, even though he wanted to be, it seemed that he couldn't become Leangle. That meant someone else would carry the mantle. It would also mean that his friends would continue to risk their lives while he had to sit on the sidelines.

As Safir held his face in his hands, he did not notice when someone else sat down on the bench next to him.

"Are you alright, young man?" the man asked and Safir looked up at him. He seemed oddly dressed and was carrying a bird cage with a yellow canary inside.

"Oh, it's nothing," Safir said as he leaned back against the bench, regaining his composure. "I doubt you'd want to hear about my problems."

"People seem to think if I asked, I did not truly care," the man replied. "Sharing your troubles can help ease the burden on your soul. I am not one to judge others harshly so do not feel as if you cannot speak for fear of repercussions."

Safir looked at the man before looking to the ground again, "Feeling like I've failed something important is the best way I can describe it."

"Failing is perhaps depressing to be sure, but hardly worth believing that your life has gone askew," the man commented.

"Were it something so mundane I wouldn't feel so bad," Safir rubbed the bridge of his nose. "But in this case, I have failed my closest friends. They are off risking themselves for our city and when the opportunity came for me to do the same I missed it."

Safir's companion nodded as he heard the explanation, "Was this your only opportunity to help your friends in this endeavor?"

"Likely my last one," Safir sighed. "For whatever reason, I was just...unsuited to the task."

"Do your friends think you're worthless?" asked the man.

Safir for once chuckled and shook his head, "No, no they don't. They still want me around and they don't speak out against me. I just...feel so worthless. There is not much else that I can do for them like our other friends. They can offer medical, moral, or other support. All I can offer is some financial assistance."

"Then you are not completely worthless. You are an important piece of the whole. Take a clock for instance. So many parts are used to make it but if one part is missing or damaged, then the clock can no longer function,"

Safir blinked and looked to the man, "So you are saying while I cannot show my support the way I prefer, I can still be integral to what we are trying to do?"

"What do you think?"

Safir looked down at the ground, but he couldn't help but smile. The man was right, his friends wouldn't consider him useless or a burden. They would just ask he still remain their friend and offer his support in any way he could if he couldn't be a Rider. They were each other's supporters since they didn't have anyone else in the city to help them against the Undead. Perhaps Sailor Saturn and Neo-Moon were on their side, but they seemed more like wild cards for the time being. So any confirmed bonds that they had between each other was going to be precious and not carelessly tossed away.

"You're right," he finally nodded. "I may not have the role I want, but that doesn't mean that I can't support my friends through other ways."

"You see? You are not unable to assist like you thought," the man smiled. He then stood up, taking a moment to allow his songbird to get comfortable. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must get going. I'm sure you have your own business to tend to."

"True, true," Safir nodded, likewise standing up. "My friends are probably starting to get worried about me since I was being away from a few days."

"Then I won't keep you," the man nodded, "Good day to you." He then began walking down the street, leaving Safir alone with some of the weight lifting from his shoulders.

(LINE BREAK)

Sailor Senshi Memorial Park

The park celebrating the battles and sacrifices of the Sailor Senshi was devoid of civilian life. After the attacks from the Undead, repair crews were trying to get the statue and other damaged portions of the park repaired. Sanitation department members were also trying to clean up the residue of green blood stains or whatever biological remains were left. They weren't having an easy time of it, having weak stomachs. A bit of blood was such a terrible thing.

A soft buzzing noise began to echo through the clearing, causing several men to look up in confusion. Insects were somewhat rare around Crystal Tokyo unless they were held in special sanctuaries.

"Is it an effort to pollinate the plants or something?" asked one construction crew member.

"I don't know," one of his co-workers shrugged.

The men aimed to ignore it and continue with their work, which was no doubt going to take a long time since they only had so many men to do the job. Who really needed construction work done in Crystal Tokyo? Before the Undead appeared, no one did so any jobs they had was limited.

The men heard the buzzing grow even louder, and soon all of them were stopping in confusion. What was it? Where was it coming from? Should they tell a supervisor? Ignore it? Tell someone else in authority?

They didn't have to bother. The source of the buzzing came to them, diving down from above and crashing into one of the workers, stabbing him through with a harpoon on its wrist. The man of course choked and died, leaving his attacker momentarily confused. It then shrugged and stood up, looking towards the fleeing men.

The Bee Undead intended to find its opponent among all of the ones who wore his image. One of them had to be the Human Undead. It would find him and defeat him, no matter what!

(LINE BREAK)

Crystal Tokyo University - Dorms

"GAH!" Kyle cried out, clutching his head as the familiar grainy images of an Undead on the prowl appeared in his mind.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The noise coming from Esmeraude's computer didn't help his migraine any. Demand and Rubeus both began to groan as they tried to get up. Kyle was shaking his head, trying to get the fuzziness out of his vision as he tried to get up and report on what he saw. Amethyst of course began fretting, trying to get him to stop moving.

"Stay down, both of you!" Esmeaude snapped, pushing her boyfriend down as she picked her laptop from her bag and opened it up. Tapping a few keys, she pulled up the alert, "Okay, it's an Undead. The sensors near the Memorial Park are going off so it has to be there."

"Okay," Kyle grunted, trying to stand. "I'll go deal with it."

"No!" Amethyst cried out. "Kyle, you're still hurt! You can't go!"

"No one else can!" Kyle retorted. "Maybe if I change into Chalice some of that Undead healing will pick up...ugh." He hunched over as a jolt of pain went through his gut.

"Yeah, good luck with that," Esmeraude frowned, getting up. "You're in no shape to fight and neither are Rubeus or Demand. You go now you're likely going to get killed."

"Well someone's got to do it!" Kyle grimaced, trying to ignore the pain.

"And someone will!" Topazu nodded. Walking across the room, she passed the Leangle Buckle, snatching it, the Club Rouze Cards, and the Ace of Clubs before heading to the door.

"TOPAZU!" the three men yelled out, struggling to stop her and failing rather epically with their injuries slowing them down.

"Someone has to do it and I vote myself so just shut up and let me do it!" Topazu snapped back before she exited, slamming the door behind her.

"FUCK!" Kyle yelled, falling over onto the floor. If it was in frustration or from the pain of the sudden jolt from his spine, no one was really sure. The fall sure hurt though. "Dammit! Someone get my cards! Ow…"

(LINE BREAK)

Topazu swiped Kyle's bike and quickly roared off in the direction of memorial park. Getting through the traffic which only got thicker as people noticed what was happening and tried to flee as she got closer. When the mob got too thick, she had to pull over and run the rest of the way. Dismounting the bike, she ran the rest of the way, coming into the construction zone that covered the middle of the park and the statue of the senshi.

She didn't have to look far to find the Undead, standing in the midst of a bunch of corpses, actually poking at them in confusion as if it was wondering why they were dead instead of getting back up again. Topazu also recognized the bee-like qualities of the Undead, knowing that it was one of the Undead that had gotten away during the Spider Undead's rampage.

"No running away," Topazu muttered to herself, both to the Undead and to remind herself of what she was going to do.

She pulled out the Leangle Buckle and the Ace of Clubs. She stared at the card in her hand, swearing she could see the image on it flash blue for a moment but she ignored it. Taking the card, she placed it on an insertion tray before sliding it all inside of the Buckle. The machine came to life, giving off a pulsing noise which served to catch the Bee Undead's attention. Abandoning her fear, Topazu set the buckle at her waist which attached itself with a purple belt.

"Fuuuu!" Topazu let out her breath before tapping the switch on the front, allowing the Buckle to open and reveal a stylized club in the centre.

"Open Up!"

The center of the open buckle flashed and produced a large screen of purple energy which was imprinted with the image of the spider on the Rouze Card. Rather than stand still like the other screens did with the other Riders, the screen slowed down before moving back towards Topazu. The blonde girl kept still and waited as the field touched her, triggering the transformation process.

YOU WILL DO FOR NOW.

The field passed over Topazu, covering her in a new suit of armor and arming her with her new weapon. She was adorned in a green bodysuit that could be attributed with dark emeralds. She wore dark green gloves which had gold bands on the ends and the wrists with green belts wrapped between the bands. Her boots had gold toes and kneecaps. Her torso armor was gold and obviously outfitted for a man, but had three silver discs near the abdomen which created the club symbol of the final Rider. The shoulder pads were cylindrical pointing up with studded gold bands at the edges. Finally, the helmet was cylindrical with large purple eyes with the faceplate before decorated with a large gold spider with the abdomen on her forehead and three red stones as a decoration. Gripped in her arm was a battle staff, one end being adorned with a trio of circles with spikes on the tips in a club formation. The other end had a blunt abdomen which acted as the Rouzer for the new Rider.

The final Rider had risen, Kamen Rider Leangle!

The Bee Undead was less than impressed, giving of a threatening buzz as it began stalking towards the new Leangle. The gren Rider took another calming breath and shifted her grip on her staff.

'Why a staff?' she wondered to herself, staring down the Undead, leading it approach at its own pace. 'Safir's the one who knows how to fight with one of these! I only know how to use senbon!'

The Bee Undead let lose another cry and lunged for Leangle while stabbing at her with its stingers. Leangle squeaked in fright and swung her Rouzer wide, hoping to block the strikes and get a blow in at the same time. The spiked tips clanged of the stingers, but Leangle's inexperience with her weapon left her open, allowing the Bee Under to move in with another jab which sparked of her chest, knocking her back. She cried out in pain, but she tried to ignore it so she could go back to fighting. Again she swung wide with the staff, but the Bee Undead blocked the blow. She didn't get stopped by the recoil though, instead trying to press her bodyweight into the Leangle Rouzer to try and steer the Undead away.

The Bee Undead was having none of it though, pushing the Rouzer away to strike at Leangle herself.

"Eep!" Leangle yelped dipping to the side before using a shoulder thrust on the Undead, knocking it away. The Bee Undead was off balance for a moment, allowing Leangle to stab at it with her weapon. She caught it in the chest with a splash of green blood, causing it to hiss and stumble back.

"Yes, I wounded it!"

Her jubilation was short-lived when the Bee Undead recovered and retaliated with a harpoon strike to Leangle's chest. Sparks erupted from the impact as the Bee Undead continued its relentless assault upon the new Rider.

"Argh!" Leangle cried as she went tumbling. "Dammit!"

Righting herself, Leangle tried to focus on the fight, treating it for what it was instead of some spectator event or dramatic act like some radical plays or games went. She was fighting for her life now and if she didn't wise up, she knew that the Undead was going to kill her.

She opened up her Rouze card holder, hoping to find something to help her turn things around. She grasped the Rouze Bank on her belt and pulled out the first card she could get her fingers on. That card turned out to be the Rush Rhino which she quickly slashed through the end of her Rouzer

"Rush!"

The power of the card was absorbed into her suit, prompting Leangle to charge at the approaching Bee Undead, "HYAAAAH!"

The Undead buzzed a snarl and lashed out with its stingers. They sparked against Leangle's armor, but her charge came in too fast for it to react quickly enough for a critical hit. The green rider smashed against the Undead in a blast of sparks, throwing the Undead off of its feet where it crashed down a set of stairs. It tumbled further down the stone steps, landing in a heap at the bottom. A cough splattered some of its green blood, indicating internal injuries.

"Alright, let's finish this before the Senshi show up," Leangle decided. It was weak and primed for another attack. She grabbed two more cards before she slashed them through.

"Blizzard! Bite! Blizzard Crash!"

"Hup!" Leangle leaped up, pointing her Rouzer at the slowly recovering Bee Undead. A spray of arctic force erupted from the end, covering the Undead in a thick coating of ice. Coming down the stairs, she delivered a powerful scissor kick, smashing the ice and erupting a scream from the Bee Undead. It rolled along the ground with a groan. It twitched for a moment before it finally stopped, erupting in an explosion.

"Woah!" Leangle flinched. She knew the Undead would release their energies in an explosion when they were beaten, but being close to it was different from a distance. Standing up, she watched the flames died down to reveal the Undead, it's belt snapped open. "Okay, let's seal this."

She approached the downed Undead and slipped through her Rouze Bank, finding a Proper Blank. A casual toss to the Undead had the card land on it, turning it green before drawing the kaijin inside, and then flying back to Leangle's hand. It now depicted a bee with a piston-style stinger, marked as a Category 2, Stab Bee.

"Whew…" Leangle sighed, stretching slightly. One fight and she felt like she was running on fumes after just a short exchange. How were her friends able to do this so frequently? She would need to do some physical training to improve her stamina.

Looking around, Leangle saw that no authorities had come around yet. So she decided to start her escape and shut her belt. She passed through the purple field as it appeared and it stripped her armor off, turning her back to normal. She took a breath and moved to leave, but found her vision was starting to blur and her balance began to fail.

"Umph!" Topazu gulped, feeling a wave of nausea pass over her. She dropped to her knees and took several breaths to try and get her balance back. It took a few moments, but she managed to recover and get back to her feet, "Wha...what was that?"

She groaned and shook her head to get the rest of her dizziness away before she began heading away from the scene of the fight. She didn't want to be caught by the Crystal Guard with her buckle and Rouze Cards on her. Walking a few feet, she felt her legs start to give out, forcing her to sit on a bench.

She should probably call her friends to come get her.

She didn't hear the dark, although weak, chuckle coming from the Ace of Clubs.

(LINE BREAK)

Kyle was able to recover the fastest and went to look for Topazu on Demand's bike. His only lead was the Undead's last known location.

Topazu had taken the buckle and card before they could even find out if they were compatible with her. What if they weren't and the Undead had already killed her?

He came to a stop at the edge of the Senshi Memorial Park which he knew the Undead was found. He pulled himself off the bike and gripped his Ace in preparation for a fight. He couldn't feel any Undead visions in his sights nor could he hear sounds of battle, making him fear the worst.

He ran/limped into the park, coming into the middle where the damaged statues were. More bodies were found, but there were signs of recent battle. Looking around, he eyed where anyone could be found. He found dead bodies, but he then found a familiar head of blonde hair hunched over on a bench.

"Topazu!" Kyle cried, moving to his friend. "Are you okay? Where's the Undead?"

Topazu leaned back, looking slightly pale. She had a huge grin on her lips and she lifted up a Rouze Card, depicting the Stab Bee, "I got him. I sealed an Undead myself."

Kyle sighed with relief to see his friend was okay. Still, he didn't like how pale she appeared. Maybe he was being a worrywart, but he didn't like how she seemed down with just the one fight, "You're not looking so hot there, Topazu."

The blonde shook her head dismissively, "I'll be fine. I just need to sit down for a bit."

"We're in the middle of a park with dead bodies. The guards are gonna arrest us and take us for questioning. And they'll ask questions we won't be able to answer without incriminating ourselves. Now, come on. We gotta go home."

He helped Topazu to her feet and she was able to stand, but she leaned on him heavily at first as she got her feet under her. As they walked, she managed to get some of her balance back and she was able to walk on her own. She was still pale, but once she got moving, she seemed to be fine again.

He just hoped she did not fall off the bike while he drove them back home. He may have been able to survive it with his part Undead nature, but Topazu certainly would not.

(LINE BREAK)

Kyle was able to safely drive them back home. He brought Topazu into the room and gently set her down on the couch. Her color was slowly returning, but she still felt a little weak. She was adamant that it was because of the adrenaline and because of her lower stamina compared to the other Riders.

"Topazu!" Amethyst gasped, dashing over to her friend.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," the blonde insisted as she took her seat. "I'm just not used to fighting like the guys are just yet."

"I don't think I saw Demand or Rubeus as pale as you are when they first fought," Esmerude frowned, approaching to check on her friend.

"Pure adrenaline," Topazu sighed. "But forget about that. I managed to fight off and seal that Undead. Scratch another off the list!"

"Good job!" Rubeus cheered from his bed. "Let's celebrate! More painkillers!"

"Forget it!" Esmeraude snapped back.

Kyle ignored the antics of his friends as he kept his eye on Topazu, "You did good, Topazu, but it was risky and you are not looking so well," he pointed out. "Maybe you need to see a doctor."

"I said I'm fine. See?" Topazu stood up and for a few moments; she was able to stay on her feet. She wobbled slightly before she sat back down again. "I just need a bit of rest. After that, I'll be fine."

Kyle sighed, seeing that he wasn't going to win this argument. Perhaps he was being overcautious, but he knew just how dangerous the Ace of Clubs could be if it wasn't properly watched. Still, it wasn't like he could take it away from her either, not without one good reason his friends wouldn't be able to back her up against.

"Fine, for now," He relented. "But if I see so much as one green gill on you, I'm taking the buckle away and we'll just stash it until we find someone who can use it."

"Fair enough," Topazu agreed.

(LINE BREAK)

Crystal Palace

"We managed to find you a space for your research, Professor," Ami explained as she and Isaka entered the area which would be his lab.

Isaka looked over the area with a critical eye. It was meticulously clean and glaringly white, making it almost painful to look at without his sunglasses. A theme which the queen seemed to insist on in her kingdom wherever she could. Moreso in the palace itself.

It had multiple computers and plenty of scientific equipment for sample collection and analysis. It had all the resources he would need, all the equipment a scientist would require, plus all of the space he could ask for in regards to conducting his experiments.

"Thank you. This is sufficient," Isaka told Ami.

"If you need anything else, don't be afraid to call."

Ami left Isaka alone and he immediately sneered. These humans were such fools. From everything he had seen, the Queen ruled her kingdom like some kind of fairytale land with no violence whatsoever. Also, its people were just sheep who blindly followed her orders with only a small minority being an exception. Well, that just made things easier for him.

What made things harder for him were the Kamen Riders; they were here. It was unlikely to be the same group who had thwarted his kind before. Considering the year, likely they were a new generation who existed as part of the minority, like the black sheep in a flock. Already, they had sealed a handful of his fellow Undead. Despite being new to their positions, their willpower and competence so far saw them through.

But the Kamen Riders had earned the ire of the kingdom by being violent extremists and vigilantes. They broke the laws of the land which insisted that all conflict be settled without any violence or death. They frankly had much of the whole kingdom turned against them. They were cut off from major support and had limited resources, making any real actions they could take outside of battle extremely limited. These Riders were alone, unlike the ones before who had BOARD on their side.

And now Isaka was here as he had proposed a way for the kingdom to counter the Kamen Riders. They were just so eager to find a way to stop these radicals that they never thought to question him further. So blind was their trust. He just had to make it seem like he was sympathetic, and they all but threw him everything he needed.

It was almost pitiful if it wasn't so pathetic.

"Now then," Isaka spoke, walking to one of the computers. "Time to get to work."

(LINE BREAK)

Topazu was lying in bed. She was still a bit lightheaded but otherwise fine. Currently, the Radicals, as Rubeus had described their circle of friends, were standing around the table that had the Ace of Clubs on it. As she was resting, the others were having a meeting.

"OK, we can all agree that this card is bad news, right?" Rubeus frowned, sitting gingerly in his chair.

"Something went wrong with the sealing. It hasn't influenced Topazu yet but if she kept using it her personality might be overwritten." Kyle frowned. He could tell the Ace was sealed, the gold background confirmed it. Still, somehow the Ace was still causing problems for them. "The Ace shouldn't be able to do this, but clearly Topazu has gotten sick from something. I'm not entirely sure what might happen if she keeps using it."

"So it could corrupt her." Safir frowned, worry clear on his face.

"Yeah, and it would be bad. It'd make the kingdom hate us even more if Topazu went and attacked people as Leangle." Kyle nodded. "We've got the Senshi coming down on us hard enough by just being violent radicals."

"So we can't let Topazu use it again." Demand nodded. "Although I fear she may be stubborn enough to keep using it until she does get sick."

"She will," Safir sighed. "With the stakes, she will keep using it unless we take it away."

"This is exactly why I didn't want anyone else to get involved. This whole mission is dangerous. And you guys had normal lives before you met me," Kyle said regretfully.

"Normal and boring,"

"Normal, boring and safe."

"Yeah, but safe is dull."

"Safe means alive."

"Oh enough you two," Esmeraude sighed. "What's done is done. We're involved and now we need to see it through. Right now the Ace of Clubs only had a bit of influence, or poison, whatever it is, with Topazu. Let's just keep her from using it and let the boys recover before the next Undead shows up."

"Let's just hope another Undead doesn't show up now." Demand winced, rolling his shoulder.

"Dude, don't jinx it!" Rubeus snapped.

(LINE BREAK)

With no new Undead sightings or attacks, the Radicals continued to distribute their newsletters throughout the city. It was pretty risky which was why they always did it under the cover of night and with masks to hide their identities. Kyle was surprised so little was needed to cover their movements, but the complacency of the Crystal Guard despite their vigilance made their task as simple as it was before. Word spread and people still received word of what was going on in the city concerning the Undead.

The Radicals were not afraid to report the truth, all of them believing the people needed to know how the battle with the Undead, and the Senshi's interference was faring. Queen Serenity just wanted a peaceful and passive society that was free of violence. While her intentions were pure, she went to extremes to make sure her vision of her perfect society was not tainted. Worse, she had things filtered through a frankly childish and naive set of ideals. She did not believe that her Crystal Kingdom, her Crystal Tokyo was flawed at all. It was just radicals trying to cause trouble. Not inherent flaws in her governing style or mindset which kept doing the damage..

The worst offenders in her mind were the Kamen Riders who used violent tactics to fight these new monsters that emerged. The Royal Guard and Senshi were the ones tasked to defeat such enemies and they did it in a more elegant and honorable manner. Bloodless, deathless, and with the power of magic rather than physical harm. The Kamen Riders, on the other hand, were just violent brutes that were dressed up as knights.

As such, they were unofficially declared Public Enemy #1 for their actions. However, Queen Serenity and King Endymion still owed Chalice for saving the life of their daughters and were willing to grant him and his cohorts amnesty if they were to renounce their violent ways.

While most of the populace agreed with Queen Serenity, there was a small percentage of the society that weren't afraid to think otherwise. Oh, they didn't make it known but they were beginning to notice flaws in the laws of the kingdom. However, they were just a minority and there was little they could do. Plus, if they dared to speak up, they could put their families at risk so they kept silent. However, the Radicals' newsletter was starting to stir things up in Crystal Tokyo.

Queen Serenity did not believe change to be a bad thing but why was there a need to change such a perfect utopia?

You could not question Queen Serenity without being labeled a radical but there was nothing to stop the Radicals from being the voice of the people who desired change.

Plus, if it pissed off the Queen and her Senshi, well, that was a bonus.

It was a common topic for the Radicals who were hanging out at a cafe. Topazu was still pretty weak from her experience at Chalice but she had recovered enough to go out with her friends. At the moment, they were checking the feedback on their newsletters and how the people were reacting to news of more Undead incursions

"Seems like we're gathering 've got more hits and posts that say there are people who are questioning how Serenity is running things and they're not 100 percent happy." Amethyst reported from her laptop.

"She just wants to maintain things as they are. She just doesn't understand that for a society to prosper that she's going to have to make changes." Kyle shook his head. "She thinks it's perfect so she doesn't want it to change even if flaws are starting to show."

"Good luck with that. She just wants her pretty crystal kingdom to be all pretty. We're like a stain that she can't get rid of and we show there are cracks in her 'perfect' utopia." Rubeus snorted.

The problem with utopias was that they would eventually stagnate, rot, and then crumble. Kyle had read how many civilisations had fallen in the past. Nothing could last forever, including a seemingly perfect utopia. If nothing grew, changed, or was invented, the utopia eventually crumbled as the world changed and it could not adapt. Serenity was close to a utopia, but her inflexibility was already showing, especially when the Undead appeared and caused numerous cracks to appear in her foundation. A massive change came to the status quo and Serenity just could not adapt to it, much less the people who happily followed her doctrine. She was essentially flailing, trying to make her methods work despite time and time again they failed.

And what was the definition of insanity?

"Good idea to put out a list of what all the Undead are," Safir commented, "At least the people who do believe in us and what we do will recognize the signs of what Undead is on the prowl and how to avoid them."

"It still leaves the majority of people blind to them, since they still blindly believe in whatever Serenity says," Esmeraude reminded him. "She says everything is fine, people will happily ignore any bad sign since they just believe her when she says there is nothing to worry about."

"At least it keeps people from panicking. We can only do what we can do. If it saves a few more lives then it works," Kyle sighed, massaging his temple. He sorely wished more people would just listen when the Riders tried to warn them about the Undead, but being raised from cradle to grave with Serenity's fairy tail delusion just made them dig in their heels and block their ears at the signs of anything remotely negative happening.

Kyle dismissed the thought, not wanting to send himself in one frustrated spiral of thoughts. Finishing his coffee, he stood up, "Anyway, I'd better head out. My afternoon classes start soon so I'd better be on time before the teachers report to Mercury or something."

"God forbid you skip a class," Rubeus laughed. "Well, good luck to ya."

"Gggh," Kyle groaned, throwing his share of the bill onto the table. "See you guys tonight."

Getting a round of goodbyes, Kyle headed to his bike and started the machine up. Helmet on, he began driving down the streets, heading back to Crystal Tokyo University. Although he was still sore, he had been healing the fastest, which helped make a cover for he and his friends. If they recovered at different times, or at least looked like it, they could back up their various sick day stories which the school oddly never checked out. The blind trust the faculty had in the students was amazing. Still, if Kyle didn't attend school, when Sailor Mercury herself put him in the program, he could get a lot of undue attention which was the last thing he needed as Chalice.

He came to another intersection and waited for the light to change. For a moment, he let his mind wander as he pondered personal subjects. The one that kept coming up was what were they going to do once all of the Undead were sealed. Kyle didn't see himself living as a fugitive for the rest of his life and the power of Chalice, much less what Joker powers he had, would refuse to be just set aside and left to stagnate inside a locked box.

Eventually, they would need to seal away the Joker to prevent an End of the World scenario. Kyle just hoped they could seal him and maybe even the Albino Joker before either one of them could be the last Undead.

As the light changed, Kyle found his vision blurring before he saw an aerial view of an intersection which was starting to move. From the corners of his vision, tendrils of some kind appeared before preparing to strike. They tensed and…

SMASH!

A pair of cars being smashed interrupted the vision and Kyle's eyes widened as he saw a pair of tentacles responsible and coming from above. Looking up, he saw the tentacles coming from the form of the Squid Undead, snarling as it lowered itself into the middle of the intersection where people and cars were scrambling to get away.

"About time you raised your pointy head," Kyle frowned, pulling his helmet off. Dismounting his bike, he drew his Ace. "No getting away this time. Henshin!"

"Change!"

Adorned in his armor as his bike changed, Kamen Rider Chalice took off after the Undead. The Squid Undead didn't need an invitation as it charged back, swinging it's tentacles in a frenzy at its target.

Sparks clashed as Chalice parried the blow before launching himself at the Undead. He swung wide, catching the Undead across the chest with sparks and a splash of green. The Squid Undead shrieked before one of its tentacles came in wide and smashed Chalice in the side, sending him skidding backwards with a grunt of pain.

Suspending itself with its tentacles, the Squid Undead looked down at Chalice. Raising two of its tentacles, it swung them down to hammer Chalice to the ground. The pavement cratered under the force and Chalice felt something snap inside. Only his Undead side's familiarity with pain kept him from screaming, but the green blood dripping from his helmet showed he did take damage.

'Dammit...not, recovered enough…' Chalice thought as he struggled with the tentacles.

A roar of an engine began getting closer to the fight. Chalice couldn't see due to the angle, but the tentacles suddenly jerked as he heard a screech before he fell to the ground, suddenly freed. He opened his faceplate/mandibles and spat out the green blood in his mouth before he managed to look up. The Squid Undead had been struck head on by a motorcycle before the Rider dismounted, tossing her helmet off.

"Topazu?" Chalice grunted, getting to his feet.

"Just in time I guess," the blonde grinned. She pulled up the Leangle Buckle from her side and loaded the Ace of Clubs into it before letting it strap to her waist.

"Topazu, don't do it!" Chalice shouted, starting to run towards her.

Topazu ignored him, "Henshin!"

"Open Up!"

The purple field passed over her, adorning her in the Leangle armor. She was quick to action, extending her Rouzer before she charged for the recovering Squid Undead. Chalice sighed, but knew there was no arguing about it anymore before he followed her. The Spider Undead would have a smaller chance of affecting her if the fights were short.

The Squid Undead hissed before belching a cloud of black smoke to hide itself. The two Riders had to stop, wary of the effects of the smoke. It was all the Undead needed as four tentacles came out of the smoke, aiming at the pair like organic spears.

"Damn!" Leangle swung her rouzer alongside Chalice, blocking the tentacles as best as they could. As weird as it looked on land though, the use of its tentacles were quite better as they darted around the defenses of the Riders and managed to strike them at awkward angles. Both were knocked back, stumbling against abandoned vehicles while the smoke cleared to show the smug-looking Undead.

"Okay...this one's tougher," Leangle grunted.

"Yeah," Chalice agreed. "Are the others coming?"

"Rubeus and Demand may have to ride together since I took Safir's," Leangle replied. "But you know they're still recovering too."

"Fuck. Okay, hard and fast!" Chalice grunted before he and Leangle charged for the Undead. Chalice fired with his Chalice Arrow and managed to land a few hits before the Squid Undead started to deflect his shots. Meanwhile, Leangle was deflecting the tentacles the best she could as they came her way, lashing out at her with speed and killing intent.

The battle was soon joined before another motorcycle pulled up to the scene of the battle. On it weren't Demand and Rubeus though, but instead were Safir and Esmeraude. The remaining two Kamen Riders, although presentable to the public, were in no shape to fight despite their boasts otherwise. Kyle had mentioned that trying to transform without compatability with the Ace was dangerous, but both Safir and Esmeraude both agreed that they had no choice with the current circumstances.

"Already started," Safir frowned as he and the verdette dismounted. Both saw the fight and retrieved from the pack a pair of familiar buckles.

"This is going to bite us," Esmeraude frowned, looking at the Ace of Spades and Blade buckle in her hands.

"Not much choice though," Safir replied

Chalice ducked under several tentacles that came at him but they ended up hitting Leangle who got sent flying. She hit the ground with a violent crash and grunted in pain. As she tried to get back up, a sharp pain attacked her body and she started to feel weak. It would appear she had not fully recovered from the last time she had used the Spider Undead's card. However, she bit back the pain and rolled onto her front to pick herself back up. She rose on her hands and knees and got up on shaking legs, her knees feeling like jelly and ready to give out. She supported herself with her Leangle Rouzer when her friends came to her side.

"Topazu!" Safir called.

"I'm fine!" Leangle snapped, standing up. "Just a little-GCK!"

*BMP-BMP!*

"Guh….no…." Leangle groaned, visibly trembling and her vision turned blurry. She struggled to stand, but dropped to her knees from nausea. She clutched her heart, feeling it beat wildly in her chest as she felt what felt like a fever, nausea, chills, and every other sickness all at once. The Leangle Rouzer dropped from her numbing fingertips before her legs gave out.

SO THIS IS YOUR LIMIT. DISAPPOINTING.

"Topazu!" Safir cried, catching his girlfriend's shoulder as she began to fall. Esmeraude was quickly at her free side as they helped her stand. Knowing they were sitting ducks, they moved to a spot hidden by cars to take cover.

"You fool," Esmeraude frowned as she and Safir pulled Leangle to a safe spot behind a car while Chalice continued to fight the Squid Undead, keeping it distracted. "We told you that you the Ace was having some kind of effect on your body! Why did you try to fight!"

"You told us you'd only fight if Kyle was having trouble!" Safir added, looking more panicked than any time before. "It looks like you changed the moment you got here!"

"Had to…" Leangle murmured out. "Someone...has to...fight. He...can't do...it alone…"

"Topazu," Safir grimaced.

Esmeraude sighed. She knew Topazu had strong convictions. One couldn't be a radical unless they believed strongly in something, otherwise they were just like the common folk. Still, to risk herself like this? Battle was one thing where they could take steps to survive, but whatever poison the Ace was giving off was something else entirely!

She looked up and grabbed the Leangle Buckle, closing it and shutting down the transformation. Tanding up, she watched the loading tray with the Ace of Clubs ejected from the belt. As it appeared, the ace lit up and showed it's symbol before fading. The sight made Esmeraude frowned, but she couldn't turn down the opportunity.

"Someone does have to fight, but right now that's not you."

"Esmeraude?" asked Safir, looking up from his lover.

"Get her out of here. I'm going to help Kyle," the verdette spoke as she turned towards the battle.

"You can't!" Safir stood up. "That thing will poison you too!"

"I can make it for one battle! Just one!" Esmeraude snapped back. "And Kyle's still wounded! He needs someone to help him!"

"But…!" Safir began.

"Go!" Esmeraude shouted. She then ran for the battle. Safir went to follow, but then looked to Topazu who had become deathly pale. Forced to decide between his friend and his lover, he chose Topazu and helped her stand before heading away from the battle. Demand may hate him for it, but Safir had to make a choice.

Esmeraude reached the edge of the battle where Chalice was slapped by one of the Undead's tentacles, smashing him into a wall with enough force to crater it. His movement was sluggish and sloppy, showing he was still recovering.

"One time," Esmeraude promised herself. Pressing the buckle to her waist, she felt it secure itself to her, pulsing at it prepared to be used. She held her palm in front of her face, like when she used her battle fan, before she closed it and opened her eyes.

"Henshin!"

"Open Up!"

The rectangular energy field which depicted the card's face was projected by the buckle and she stepped through it. The armor appeared over her body and fit well. For a moment, she felt another presence trying to influence her but she shook it off.

"Let's do this." Leangle drew the Leangle Rouzer from subspace and charged into battle.

"Hyah!" Leangle swung her Rouzer at the tentacle holding Chalice and it released him. A deep gash opened up on the pale white flesh, forcing it to release the mantis Rider from it's grasp.

"Topazu?" he gasped, getting his footing back.

"Guess again."

"Esmeraude," Chalice recognized her voice. "Wh-what are you doing?!"

"Saving your ass! Now come on and let's seal this thing!" Leangle snapped back as she dashed forward. She weaved between the tentacles and speared the Undead in the chest. It shrieked as green blood burst from the wound. It spat a glob of ink into Leangle's visor, blinding her. "Shit!" She tried to wipe the ink away from her eyes.

It was enough to have her glimpse the Undead's tentacles before they smashed into her, knocking her to the ground. Shaking he head, Leangle watched the tentacles charge stab down at her. Leangle acted quick, arching her back and lifting herself on her hands and feet before flipping back and landing in splits. Grabbing her Rouzer, she swung wide, piercing tentacles which came close.

"Back off!" Chalice shouted, shooting down the tentacles fending him off before planting a bolt into the Undead's side, causing it to scream in pain. This gave Leangle the breathing room to slip back up to her feet.

The Squid Undead snarled and belched a black cloud of smoke at Chalice, making him cough as he tried to escape from the murky darkness. With him distracted, the Squid Undead turned and charged for Leangle, the weaker of the two Riders in its mind.

Leangle drove her Rouzer into the ground and held it tight as she twirled around it. She planted several kicks into the Squid Undead before it stumbled back. Grunting, it lashed out with tentacles again towards Leangle.

"No touching!" Leangle taunted, flipping around the strikes before pulling the Rouzer out of the ground and striking the tentacles away.

Chalice fired several shots, forcing the Squid Undead to pull its attack back. He approached Leangle, eyeing her for a moment, "Where...did you learn to fight like that?"

"I'm not," Leangle shook her head. "It's just some aerobic moves I do to keep in shape."

"..." Chalice shook his head. He did not want to say that it looked like pole dancing but it looked like pole dancing. Somehow, although Crystal Tokyo no doubt banned things like that, he shouldn't have been surprised that the Radicals knew about it.

And then he pictured how Esmeraude would look like as a pole dancing belly dancer. Demand was a lucky guy...and Esmeraude was sure flexible...

'Focus you idiot!' Chalice mentally chided himself. "How do we do this? I hit high and you hit low?"

"Oh, I'll hit very low," Leangle nodded. "Let's go!"

Chalice fired his Chalice Arrow as he charged at the Squid Undead. He leaped over a tentacle that tried to trip him up and lunged forward. He grabbed a tentacle that came at him and fired at the Squid Undead as it tried to shake him off. Leangle exploited this as she drove her Leangle Rouzer into the Squid Undead's stomach, causing it to double over. Chalice landed on his feet and slashed again, sending the Undead staggering as green blood splattered the ground. Leangle then leaped forward and struck the Squid Undead upside the head.

The Squid Undead stumbled, spitting out the green blood before it screeched and launched more tentacles at the pair. Chalice quickly began firing shots from his weapon to knock them out of the air. Leangle began spinning her rouzer like a baton, striking the tentacles down at they got new her. They pulled back and slowly regenerated before launching at her again, seeing an easier target than the one who held the power of the Legendary Undead.

But the pause is what gave Leangle a chance to use her own abilities.

"Blizzard!"

Leangle scanned the card and fired an arctic blast at the tentacles. Almost immediately, they all froze in the air before shattering under their own weight. The Squid Undead screeched in pan, thrashing as if it's back was on fire.

"You see what happens to bad boys who don't obey the rules?" Leangle teased, drawing another pair of cards. "They get punished!"

"Stab! Rush! Rushing Impact!"

Leangle hefted her Rouzer like a lance before she dashed forward in a blur of green and gold. Coming up to the undead, she stabbed it hard in the gut, almost creating a sonic boom and displacing the air from the strike. The impact made a wet cracking noise before the Squid Undead was hurled back several feet before it landed with a final thud. The explosion which followed was almost unneeded as the Undead was clearly beaten with it's buckle snapping open.

"Nice one," Chalice nodded.

"Thank you," Leangle nodded back, approaching the downed Undead. Pulling out a Proper Blank, she casually dropped it on the Undead's body. She watched as its body transmuted into green energy that got sucked into the card before it flew back into her hand. It depicted a squid spewing a cloud of purple smoke,

It was the 9 of Clubs: Smog Squid.

As the field removed the Leangle Armor, Esmeraude's form was revealed again. Chalice was expecting her to be pale and sickly like Topazu, but what he got was quite different.

"Whew! I feel so…wow!" Esmerude giggled, her cheeks rosy and she appeared almost vibrant. If anything, she looked like she was itching to start breaking out into a dance or run a race.

"Are you okay?" Chalice asked cautiously, worried Esmeraude would begin suffering the effects Topazu did.

"Yep, yep! I feel fine. Woo!" Esmeraude swooned. "Adrenaline's a loopy thing!"

"Right," Chalice muttered before he swiped the Spirit Human through his Rouzer, returning himself to his human form. "So let's get going before the Senshi or the Crystal Guard appear?"

"Oh, yes!" Esmeraude gasped, but then giggled again. "Demand's probably all pouty and worried about me! Topazu's not feeling good either. We'll have to see if she's okay!"

Kyle quirked an eyebrow as Esmeraude continued to act more valley girl than the mature young woman he came to know.

AMUSING.

(LINE BREAK)

Isaka looked over the message sent to him by the queen before he promptly deleted it. It was some subtle admonishment for not getting results and meanwhile two more Undead had appeared and gone on a killing spree, looking for the Human Undead no doubt. He recognized the Bee and Squid Undead from the descriptions. Without a higher class Undead to guide them, rampaging was what the lower classes would always do.

With the queen's ineffective guilt trip discarded, Isaka looked to what he had been working on. It was a continuation of his previous work of creating the Leangle Buckle. Thanks to his sharp mind, he easily recalled how to build another. Watching Leangle in action, he tweaked the designs with a new weapon, designed a more 'appropriate' color scheme and design to keep the queen and her court of children happy. It may shock them to see a Kamen Rider system of their own, but knowing their tastes, make it appear valiant and good she would swallow it without any argument.

His true challenge was how to power such a device. With all four Kamen Riders being active, all four Aces were sealed and in use. If he wished to have a Rider System mightier than any of the four Riders, he needed to create a Category Ace card for transformation. A problem for some, but he already had an answer to it.

"Well, I'll just have to make one, won't I?" Isaka looked at the palm of his hand and sliced it open with a knife. He dripped the green blood into a beaker.

Contrary to what many would have thought, the Undead were not completely dormant after they were sealed. They were aware, although it was almost like a dream. Sharper minds among the Undead, such as the Royals, were able to follow events happening around them. Sometimes it was a curse rather than a gift, but after his own sealing at Tachibana's hands, Isaka had seen much.

He learned of the TRIALS, organisms which were grown from splicing human and Undead DNA together. He also learned about Titan, BOARD's servant which was a fusion between the Chameleon and Scorpion Undead. What truly got Isaka's attention was learning about Keroberos, the artificial Undead which BOARD's chairman attempted to use to win the Battle Fight and become a god over the new world, only to fail.

Isaka was keenly interested in Keroberos and thanks to Tachibana learning about the TRIALS, he could make an educated guess about how to make one. Of course, Isaka would not be so foolish to release any Undead without safeguards or sufficient motivation. Of course, the key would be to create an Undead based off an animal which hadn't been represented in the Battle Fight. To create a double may cause issues with the Master.

Again though, Isaka had an answer to that.

"After all," he grinned, uncaring of the pain in his hand as he began filling 13 beakers with his blood. "Should not the creatures who came before us deserve a chance to take part?"

To Be Continuned...

TFP: Okay, here is my attempt to get back into fanfiction writing. It's been a long time and maybe I'm a little rusty. I had gotten sucked into tabletop RPG games like D&D and being a working stiff. Now though, I am going to try and, for now, update one story a month in a slow return to writing my stories and at least finish them.