Kamen Rider Zero Hour Ep. 35

Kamen Rider: Zero Hour

Episode 35: Into the Forest…

By: Ziginz

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The forest wasn’t the dark, menacing place Tamiko had expected it to be, though it was quite gloomy and almost…alien. Though the trees weren’t that unusual in shape, their blue leafs and the bizarre plants that grew around them very much were. Of course growing from the vines that enwrapped the trees were the all too familiar purple fruit of the Inves. Daisuke hadn’t needed to remind Tamiko that consuming the fruits would likely lead to her turning into a Kaijin, but he had anyway, several times now. Strangely he didn’t treat Tsubaki with the same zealous caution, likely because he had drilled the information into her time and time again. That wasn’t to say he wasn’t treating her like a child, just that he was being more subtle about it.

“The terrain gets a little lose up ahead so watch your step.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“The branches get low here. Make sure not to scratch yourself.”

“Yeah…I know.”

“Keep your eyes open. There could be Inves around any corner.”

“I know!”

“I wasn’t talking to you Tsubaki.”

It was clear from the look on her face that Tsubaki was barely containing her rage, which was making Tamiko ever so slightly anxious. She wondered if it was always this way when the two old acquaintances traveled together or if Daisuke’s words were just dredging up old emotions in the other girl. A flustered Tsubaki took a long draw from her water bottle, the shade of the forest doing little to assist against the midday heat or how much exertion the journey was requiring of them. She felt eyes staring at her and knew instantly that it was Daisuke silently scolding her for using up so much water in such a short period of time. The needle that broke the camels back came when he turned to Tamiko, who was also taking a drink, and gave her a warning indirectly meant for the other girl, or so it seemed.

“Be careful about how much you drink. That water has to last until tomorrow.”  

Tsubaki let out an agitated yell and marched over to Daisuke, shoving her water bottle into his chest before letting loose a half days worth of aggravation upon him.

“If you’re so worried about our water why don’t you manage it than!?”

“You’re an adult, I shouldn’t have to.”

“Than maybe you should start treating me like one for God’s sake!”

“I will when you start acting the part.”

She noticed him glance down at her broken arm which caused her anger to burn even hotter than before. She shouted louder because of this and soon even Daisuke was raising his voice. Tamiko was standing off to the side and was more over whelmed than anything, having never expected to find herself witness to a civil dispute in the middle of a monster infested forest. Wait a minute…didn’t Daisuke say something about Inves being attracted by noise? Uh oh. Sure enough as soon as Tamiko started looking around she saw a few elementary Inves skulking behind trees and coming out of the brush in response to the growing disturbance. She tried once, than twice, and finally a third time to get her friends’ attention, but alas they just ignored her and continued with their argument. With the Inves getting ever closer Tamiko finally decided to resort to her mother’s method for ending bickering; a technique the girl had been on the receiving end of after getting into more than one fight with her siblings.

“ORA!”

Daisuke and Tsubaki were both completely caught off guard when they felt something like a vice grip latch onto their ears and pull so hard that they actually feared loosing them. Tamiko released the two and both looked at her with a mix of shock and puzzlement until they finally heard the familiar sounds of the forests residents around them. Neither could believe so many Inves had wandered into the area without either noticing, or that Tamiko had waited so long to tell them as much. Without missing a beat they both looked at the red head and in unison said words that left her almost as dumbfounded as her ear pinch had them.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner!?”
“Why didn’t you say something sooner!?”

Tamiko raised a clutched fist and for a moment thought about smacking them both but another growl from the encroaching Inves distracted her from the notion. Daisuke quickly took count and could see something like twenty of the creatures with likely a few more out of immediate view. He and Tamiko could likely destroy the bulk of them easily enough but the commotion would only attract more, making a swift retreat the safer option at the moment.

“We aren’t far from my place. We can hide there until they loose interest.”

“Oh no, not that smelly hole in the ground.”

“You never used to complain about it.”

“I was ten and stupid.”

“You weren’t stupid.”

“Oh…shut up and run.”

Daisuke led the way as the three broke into a run, the Inves reacting by giving chase as best they could. Tamiko looked back and could tell the oddly shaped creatures were hard pressed to keep up due to their more bulbous upper bodies. Suddenly a buzzing caught her ear that she didn’t quite recognize at first but soon registered in her brain as being something similar to…insect wings…

“Guys…don’t tell me they can-“

Fly. The word didn’t make it out of her mouth before two winged Inves flew over their heads, maneuvering around the forest foliage with a surprising amount of grace for such un-aerodynamic creatures. Tamiko put on her Driver and readied her Ichigo Lock Seed when she witnessed Daisuke perform an incredible feat of acrobatic skill, kick jumping off a tree and punching one of the Kaijin out of the air! She was taken aback by this, but the sound of two more of the monsters approaching snapped her back to reality.

[Soiya! Ichigo Arms! Shushutto Spark!]

Tamiko threw a series of kunai into two of the creatures as they flew over head, stunning one enough that it crashed into a tree. The other was more determined to capture one of the human being before it, swooping low with every intention of grabbing Tsubaki!

“Tsubaki!”

The endangered woman looked back to see the Kaijin coming in close but also Tamiko unsheathing her Musuo Saber. The Rider tossed it handle first to her friend who grabbed it before spinning around to slash the Inves! This was more than enough to persuade the monster into changing its course which soon led to it crashing; however Tsubaki had also fallen onto her back after the awkward counter attack. Naturally the jar from hitting the ground sent a shockwave of pain through her still healing arm and prompted her to let out a sudden, agonized cry. Daisuke and Tamiko both responded to this in kind, rushing to the girl’s side to aid her. No sooner than they helped her up she yelled for them to keep going, the small hoard of Inves hot on their trail. Tamiko saw the creatures coming and decided to try and buy them a bit more time with a change of tactics.

[Soiya! Nashi Arms! Whirlwind! FuuFuuFuu!]

As soon as the Nashi Ams was finished unfolding over her and its fan appeared in her hands, Tamiko grabbed and pulled the lever of her Driver thrice in quick succession.

[Soiya! Nashi Sparking!]

Emerald energy surged from her body as she began swinging away, whooping up a massive gale burst that buffeted back the approaching Kaijin! By the time the creatures had recovered from the turbulent winds the three they had been pursuing had already fled deeper into the forest. Though a few continued the pursuit, most deemed the effort unworthy of their energy and went back to foraging for fruit. However one Inves stepped away from its elementary brethren and let out a determined growl, a familiar scent driving it to continue its pursuit. The yellow Kaijin bore aspects akin to a predatory bird while still maintaining a generally humanoid shape, and a human like grudge to go with it. It had fought and nearly been destroyed by one of those humans before, but now it had a chance to free itself from that threat. It was one of the females; the one with hair that was colored the same as the fruit it craved constantly…

It hated that color now.

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Tsubaki and Tamiko both sat against a tree after having ran for nearly half an hour through the rough terrain of the forest, but it seemed their efforts had paid off. There were no Inves in sight and Daisuke’s home was very close by. Daisuke himself didn’t seem winded at all and watched the surrounding area carefully for any signs of danger while his friends rested. Tsubaki looked over to make sure neither of her companions were watching before gently rubbing her arm, though she instantly regretted doing so due to its increased sensitivity. She was worried her fall might have undone whatever progress the bone had made toward healing, but she didn’t voice those concerns aloud. Daisuke would only lecture her if she did, which was inevitable anyway, but she wasn’t going to incite his judgmental words if she could avoid it.

“You girls ready to move?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Tsubaki?”

“”Y-Yeah, let’s get going.”

The three continued along their way, soon reaching a vertical incline which looked too shear to be climbed without some hefty gear. There wouldn’t be any need though as Daisuke walked over and pressed his hand against the facing, activating a switch that caused a section of wall to shift open and reveal a downward stairwell! It was only then that Tamiko realized that she wasn’t looking at a natural piece of geography, but an old building that had been almost completely consumed by the forest! She looked around and started recognizing more shapes that were hauntingly familiar to her. Then it clicked in her mind as she caught sight of a particularly tall tree; a small clock tower she knew all too well partially sticking out of its bark.

“No way…is this…”

“Osaka University, or at least what’s left of it.”

Daisuke had said this more nonchalantly than he had intended, rubbing his eyes as he wondered just how numb to the past and present he had become. For Tamiko though it was all new; the heart break of seeing places she had known and frequented as nothing but ruins. It wasn’t as bad as when she had looked upon Osaka from the suburb hill top for the first time after finding herself in the future, but seeing her old stomping grounds in such a state was still quite a shock to her system.

“I took classes here. Used to meet my friends in the court yard for lunch. Helped with the community garden. Took cat naps in the library. The librarians used to get so ticked off. Said this was a place of learning not dreaming. I would say, what’s the point of learning if it doesn’t help you make your dreams come true? They never bought it once though. Kicked me out every time. It’s so weird…I was here, doing all that just over a week ago. But it hasn’t been a week. Maybe for me, yeah, but for everyone else…for the rest of the world. Oh God…”

Tamiko tried to hold back her tears, having promised herself she was done with crying over the past and what she had lost, but it was harder than she had expected it to be. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulders, looking over to see Tsubaki, her eyes filled with sympathy for the sorrowful girl. It helped, it really did, and she nodded in gratitude of her friend’s kindness. Daisuke watched the two from the doorway, understanding to some extent what Tamiko was going through. He looked around and could still remember the school as it was in its glory days, before everything had gone so wrong. It felt like an eternity ago; a different man living a different life, a good life.

But that time was over; washed away in by the Wave.

“We should get inside.”

Daisuke said this with a dull tone that made him seem almost uncaring, Tsubaki shooting a glare at him because of it. The weary professor had already turned away and started walking down the stairs toward his home, leaving the girls to do as they pleased. Tsubaki knew that Daisuke was a good man with a kind heart, but it was easy to forget this with the way he acted sometimes. It was almost like he was protecting himself from disappointment by burying the good under a fine layer of stoicism. She was worried that Tamiko wouldn’t understand this though and tried to find a way to explain it to her, but there wasn’t any need.

The kind hearted youth could tell Daisuke was in pain, probably far worse than she was, and her heart hurt more for him than for herself…