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Peace For A Moment; [CLOSED]
Topic Started: Dec 12 2011, 04:22 AM (1,578 Views)
SgtXDNX

[Time: Just after Yet more Fs/Darkness Rising]
[Location: Infirmary]


Even though Taiga was relatively light as far as people went, the weight and bulk of carrying another person in his arms mean that Saito couldn't make it very far from the mall before the Trans-AM system started to sputter out, the rider's armour starting to turn grey once again as the world returned to its usual speed around them. The only place really within range that he could think of and was relatively familiar with was BOARD HQ, and what better place was there to take an unconscious comrade?

With the still unresponsive girl laid out on one of the soft beds in the infirmary, Saito finally had the opportunity to dissolve the Exia Gear and replace it on his belt, still slightly out of breath while he took a seat at the side of the bed so that he could keep an eye on Taiga while he recovered from running so damned far.
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Ayane Isuzu
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Considering the ordeal she'd just been put through, it was unknown how long Taiga Aisaka would be gone from the world. She looked peaceful on the outside, laying on an infirmary cot with the sheets up to her neck and a slack-muscled expression. Inside, she was still driven by turmoil. Turmoil so great that her eternal partner was unable to take over and ease the pain. For an Anino, a human's unconscious state was the easiest to wrestle control from, especially if one wanted the host to not remember anything that had happened.

Yet, he couldn't do anything. He could only stand by and watch her driven to madness by some invisible force. Could only float idly by as someone else rescued her body from the battle and brought it here. Whatever had happened back there, Taiga had completely closed off her mind to him. His familiar connection, being able to hear her thoughts even if he wasn't right there was broken. There was a dead silence instead as the little girl in Taiga's mind curled into a ball and rejected the world.

So, unable to deal with silence for longer than a few minutes, Ryuuji made himself visible. At Taiga's bedside a blue haze would appear which then flashed brightly and solidified into the form of a tall hard-faced male. He looked like the sort of person you wouldn't want to bump into in a dark alley, so his sudden and unannounced appearance might surprise Saito.

Any instinct Saito had to take up arms, though, would be immediately blown to pieces by a show of formality. Ryuuji bowed at the waist until his head was below Saito's before addressing the swordsman. "I am grateful to you for saving Taiga. Thank you... His voice trailed off as he recognized his lack of knowledge towards Saito's name and stood up straight again. "My name is Ryuuji. I am Taiga's... partner." His words were spoken with a glance towards the brown-haired girl laying on the bed. Then he smiled and looked back to Saito. "To whom do I owe this gratitude?"
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SgtXDNX

Saito had almost been looking forward to seeing the spirit that looked more like a delinquent than a friendly companion once again, even if only to try and figure out the link between the rough-looking guy in the uniform and the nearly angelic girl laying in the bed between them. Another good question was what exactly he was, more out of a nagging curiosity than any real disbelief. After all, with the way he shadowed her, it looked a hell of a lot like his own relationship with a certain sentient sword. An interesting concept, considering that there weren't really any mages around that kept familiars or artifacts with minds of their own, so those two options were pretty much ruled out. That left...

"Oi, aibou, aren't you being a little rude?"

...oh, right, I should probably stop spacing out..."

"Ah, my bad. Nice to meet ya, Ryuuji! Name's Saito, and don't mention it. Ain't my style to leave a damsel in distress," the boy in blue said as he got to his feet, returning the spirit's bow with a slight nod and a smile, extending his right hand for a moment...but letting it drop back to his side when he realised how ridiculous that was. How on earth did he expect an ethereal being to shake hands?

"...looks like I was a little late, though. She looks fine, but...any idea who this Nayuki person is? It seemed to make her pretty upset, and she was yelling her name just before she passed out."
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Ayane Isuzu
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When Saito extended his hand Ryuuji did the same, leading to an awkward moment where each tried to take the other's hand only to have Saito's hand go right through Ryuuji's. In previously being able to maintain a physical form outside the ZeroLiner he had forgotten that here in Hyakuji he was but a spirit form. It made him chuckle a little as he put his arm back down, a sign that he didn't take any offense to the gesture.

The smile faded as Saito steered the conversation back to the present, to what had happened back against those... things. Ryuuji hesitated to label them 'Kamen Riders' as he had not yet experienced a Rider that was truly evil. Whatever those things were at the mall today, they were no champions of justice. They were harbringers of destruction and pain. Though he didn't know what exactly had made Taiga break like that, there was a name that had come up in the final moments. The one Saito had just provided.

"Nayuki... Minase. A girl from Taiga's home world. That girl is also a Kamen Rider, and not only that, she's something of a leader for the Riders in that world. Taiga doesn't get along well with people, she doesn't like working and she didn't used to like her duty as a Rider. Despite that... Nayuki gave her a place to stay and a reason to live. I don't know if Taiga would ever say it out loud, but I'm sure she likes Nayuki a lot. She's one of the few people that girl considers a friend."

The more he spoke, the more pained he looked. Finally, when the story about Nayuki finished it looked like he couldn't take it anymore, though it wasn't because of the story itself. It was because normally, were he to talk about Taiga's inner thoughts out loud in front of her like this, he'd end up being thrown head-first into the ground by her. To have her just lay there and do nothing was too unnatural for him. "Oi, Taiga! Wake up! Doesn't it bother you at all that I'm talking about you to someone? What if they want to be your friend? Come on, Taiga, open your eyes! Do something! Anything!!" Ryuuji reached out and placed his hand against her forehead, and for a moment his hand glowed brightly and slipped beneath her skin. Then there was a flash of light and his hand appeared to be forcefully ejected.

"...Taiga...!"
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SgtXDNX

Now that was a hell of a trick. Being able to analyze weapons by touch was pretty cool, but the ability to apparently try and possess someone simply by touching their forehead seemed pretty damned cool, even if it didn't quite work. But now wasn't the time to be gawking at whatever the hell it was was Ryuuji was trying to do. The situation was bad enough without asking stupid questions, so Saito elected to just keep his mouth shut about it for now.

"Hey, calm down, yelling isn't gonna do ya any good," he said calmly, neglecting to mention his own experience with stuff like this and instead walking over to join the spirit in his bedside vigil, deciding that it would work a hell of a lot better than trying to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Speaking of unnecessary things and shoulders....

"Feels weird being the one visiting the infimary, eh? Maybe Little Miss Midget here just needs a good rest!"

"...shut it, will you?"
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Ayane Isuzu
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Ryuuji got to his 'feet' and took a 'breath'. "My apologies, Saito. Taiga and I may argue often and not always agree on courses of action for a situation but this is the first time she has actually closed me off. I have always at least been able to talk to her. To be so empty... is unsettling."

Glancing around the infirmary, it appeared that Ryuuji was finally taking notice of where he was specifically. Using his contract to Taiga he had chosen to disappear from the mall and reappear here rather than try to follow the other Rider. It was much easier to do it that way. "This is BOARD, isn't it? Do you think Leo Emmerich would be here?" It had just occurred to him that Leo was the president of BOARD in this universe despite being a lowly otaku with engineering skills in his original dimension. Taiga didn't care for him, but his genius was undeniable. He might be able to help...somehow.



Inside Taiga's mind, a war was being waged. One side was Taiga's resilience, her blazing determination to power through any obstacle no matter how hopeless. Its objective was to reach the little girl locked away within a dungeon of fresh memories, captured by the other side. The other side... her regret, her fear. They tortured little Taiga in that dungeon, forcing her to relive the sight of murdering Nayuki over and over and over again. Forcing her to stare into Nayuki's cold lifeless gaze only to yank her back and start the scene all over again.

At the moment, it was a stalemate. The fear was just too strong and no matter how much determination the other side had, they had no weapons to break through with. If there was just some way to give them a push, any way at all to get through...

Outside, the only sign of the battle was a tightening of her forehead muscles and a groan in her sleeping breaths.
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SgtXDNX

"Don't worry, I felt the same way the last time I lost Del here. It might not be the best conversation, but I'll be damned if you don't start to miss the guy after a while," Saito said with a slight smile, glad that Ryuuji seemed to be taking this so well. He hadn't reacted so calmly himself the last time something like this had befallen him, so he had been somewhat worried that the spirit would freak out and do something he might later regret. Instead, the only thing he seemed interested in was their current location and the whereabouts of the organisation's president, both questions that were pretty easily answered.

"Yeah, I'm sure he's around here somewhere, that guy's always workin' on something or other. If you wanna go look for him, I can hold down the fort here," the swordsman helpfully suggested, moving back to the other side of the bed so that he could sit down again. This was so far out of his league that there wasn't anything he could really do besides provide moral support, but goddamnit, he had to do something!
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Ayane Isuzu
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Ryuuji bowed his thanks to the swordsman, looking rather happy considering the situation. It was just the way Ryuuji was--he had enough hope for the both of them. Or in this case, for all three of them. "Thank you, Saito! I shall leave her in your care, then." Without for an instant questioning Saito's trustworthiness Ryuuji ran from the room phasing straight through the door. While he could disappear and reappear, he could only do that between two places--the ZeroLiner and Taiga. Any other destination had to be reached the old-fashioned way.

Fortunately, Ryuuji could read directions and make connections just fine. BOARD's interior had a simple layout and convenient maps. Not to mention it was rather simple to locate the room belonging to its creator and president, Leo Emmerich. Top floor. Largest office. "社長" in massive gold kanji. If that wasn't where he was, Ryuuji would just have to go back to the infirmary.

Once he reached the doors to that office, however, Ryuuji had a momentary dilemma. Politeness dictated that one knocks before entering. Unfortunately he had no means with which to knock. Enter without knocking? Try to find someone to knock for him? No, what if that freaked them out? It wouldn't be right. After a moment's hesitation he chose to enter without knocking, stepping straight through the doors.

"Leo Emmerich...?"



Back in the infirmary it was like a scene straight out of End of Evangelion. Saito and Taiga were alone. Taiga lay detatched from the world under a single layer of pure white sheets, breathing and occasionally mumbling something or other but otherwise unresponsive to external stimuli. Saito stood watch over her in this room of stuffingly sterile whiteness, trying desperately to restrain his urges to...!

Oh wait, no. I don't think that's how this one is going to go. Or is it? Find out next time in SAITO HIRAGA'S POST!
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SgtXDNX

All alone in the sterile whiteness of the infirmary with naught but Taiga's unconscious form for company, Saito didn't really know what to do. The last time he'd been in a situation like this, he was the one stuck in the bed. With Ryuuji off looking for Leo, it all fell on him to make sure that the palmtop rider didn't get any worse. It was all he could think of to take one of her tiny hands between both of his, give them a reassuring squeeze and lean a little closer to try and hear what it was she mumbled about every so often.

"Come on now, you've gotta wake up! You can't let some fake Riotrooper bastard get you down like this! For god's sake, are you a Kamen Rider or what!?" he muttered, mostly out of frustration over not being able to do a damn thing to help his comrade through this. Anyone that fought by your side was an important ally, even if you'd only known them for a few minutes, and staying by your allies' sides was what a proper knight did!
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Yosuke

When Ryuuji entered the room unannounced, he would be facing a man holding some strange weapon attached to an overly large backpack, aiming it at the ethereal intruder. "You have until the count of ten, to get your lousy, undead butt out of my office or you're gonna get stuffed in a tiny box!" not the best threat in the book but he seemed to be also pointing at something set up just in front of him, also with a long cable and a switch next to his feet.

Yeah...Leo never actually saw what Ryuuji looked like away from Taiga...
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Ayane Isuzu
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As Ryuuji didn't catch the reference in Leo's weaponry, he ignored the silly-looking devices for now and tried to laugh it off. The man was a genius, that much was certain--but had he really figured out a way to harm an Anino without one around to test it on? It was certainly possible but for now, Ryuuji felt no fear from the threat.

"Come on, Leo! Is that any way to greet a friend? It's me!" Blinking, he paused then seemed to remember why Leo might have such a reaction to someone he should already know. It was one of those things a friend doesn't think about, mostly because friends don't usually become friends through someone else's body. "Ohhh! I get it, were we not formally introduced? My mistake, apologies. I am Ryuuji, Taiga Aisaka's partner."

Formality aside his hazy incorporeal expression turned more serious. Either that or it just turned back to normal, since his neutral expression looked serious enough by itself. "Taiga's in the infirmary, Leo. It looks pretty serious. Would you..." Ryuuji suddenly got down onto his knees and put his head against the floor. It was rather intriguing how he could maintain form above a floor yet couldn't knock on a door. "Would you please go see her!?"



"...Kamen...Rider..." Taiga mumbled.

In her unconscious world the avatar of Taiga's battered psyche hung suspended by chains around its wrists in a dungeon. Its lone captor stood smiling down at it, relishing in how pitiful and filthy it looked. It reminded that aspect of her of way back before all this Kamen Rider nonsense, before she had even bothered to get involved with Nayuki and the others. Back in the simpler times when living in alleys and killing for food was just a daily occurrence. In fact, that gave it an excellent idea.

"That's right, 'Kamen Rider'. A... 'hero of justice', is it? Disgusting. So you get some new power and all of a sudden you're not the person you were, is that it? What happened to the Taiga Aisaka who knew how to fight for her life? The one who killed when she needed to just to make it another day! The strong warrior! Now look at you. You think you have power... but look at you!"

"I'm not... a...killer... anymore..." her psyche replied weakly. Her captor immediately leapt forward and shoved a picture into her face, the one of Nayuki Minase's corpse staring blankly into death. She shut her eyes against it, turning away.

"Tell that to Nayuki! Come on, go ahead! Tell her you're not a killer! Oh... that's right, you can't. She's dead. You killed her."

"...wasn't...my fault..."

"Hmph, excuses. It's better this way, though, don't you think? Before you ran into her, you were such a proud, strong, self-sufficient girl. I guess now that she's dead you can return to being that girl again. Give up all this 'Kamen Rider' nonsense. Forget this 'hero of justice' act and just go back to living strong!"

A series of loud explosions outside made the captor turn and frown. "Well, looks like some people are impatient. I'll be back, my beloved Taiga. Consider what I've said." The door to her cell opened and the female left, leaving her psyche all alone. What else could it do but think? Her sense of justice was out there, breaking down the doors to try to save her. Her old, criminal self was trying to break her, only leaving to go push back against justice.

For now, she was alone with her thoughts. Yet strangely, a warmth surrounded her bound hands. In sensing that warmth, tears began to fall down her cheeks. She didn't want to become a murderer again. She didn't want to face what she'd done. She didn't want any of this! She wanted to wake up and have everything be back to normal. To go back in time and prevent it from happening, or simply realize it was all just a horrible nightmare and nothing more.

Yet here she was, trapped by guilt with no one to save her.

"...Ryuu..ji..."
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Yosuke

"Aw at least let me finish my speech."

...Leo had very strange priorities it seemed. Still, once Ryuuji actually did explain himself Leo didn't think too hard on it and just tossed his gear aside as if it was nothing. "Also I don't know if I'll be able to help her, I'm an engineer not a doctor!" Leo commented as he jogged towards the infirmary, running through Ryuuji as he did so.

"Mind filling me in on why she's back here too?"
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Ayane Isuzu
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"To... make a long story short, Leo, there was a time quake here. We came here to investigate why this world seemed to be at the center of yet another disturbance. Rather than finding the source of a time quake, though, we ran into... Kamen Riders." He spoke as they walked, rode the elevator and proceeded towards the infirmary. "Yet, they were different. They looked like Riders we knew, but were different somehow. Their appearance was..twisted. Not to mention they were attacking civillians... and us."

As they proceeded back into the infirmary where Taiga lay watched by Saito, Ryuuji finished the short version of the story. After all, it would be more clear now that they were standing over her bed. "One of them guarded himself against Taiga's strike with an underling. That should have been fine, but... Taiga broke down after destroying it. She didn't say what was wrong and she won't let me inside. All we know is she mentioned Nayuki."

Taiga... Leo's here. You remember, Leo Emmerich? I know you two didn't really get along, but... come on, can't you at least greet him?
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Yosuke

"I'm probably not the best for this job, really." Leo began simply enough, just observing Taiga in the state she was in. Still, he had to do something, after all he did say taking care of everyone was part of the job quite often. Even if the person is question was someone who hated him for quite a number of reasons, justifiable or not.

"Pull yourself together Taiga, I know you're a lot stronger than this! Hell, I know you'd be trying to kill me now for seeing you in the infirmary right now!"
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Ayane Isuzu
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Probably to everyone's surprise, Leo's simple words seemed to get a reaction from the small sleeping girl. Her facial muscles and fingers twitched, crinkling then going back to a relaxed state. Still... it was a start. It was something. "L..eo..."



Inside Taiga's mindscape, the battle didn't seem to be going well for those who owned the castle she was being held captive in. The walls were being torn down, the moat crossed, the grand entrance blown apart. Faced with imminent defeat the captors headed back to the dungeon. They couldn't hold off their enemies much longer--this world was collapsing quickly. If they had any chance at a victory, it was a gamble.

Taiga looked up as the door to her cell opened, her captor running in and undoing the chains that bound her wrists. "Well, well... looks like your friends were a little stronger than we thought. But don't you worry, Taiga... we'll let you go before they get here."

"...why...?"

Her captor smiled and leaned over, kissing the little girl and vanishing inside. Because I love you too much to lose. I can't let you forget what you really are... Then there was a great sound as hundreds of soldiers stormed the dungeon, its walls collapsing as a bright white light permeated the dank space...



Taiga's eyelids slowly opened. Though she didn't move her body her eyes turned to the left then swept right. There was a boy holding her hand to her left. There was Leo Emmerich and Ryuuji to her right. The soft but impersonal accomodations meant this was an infirmary of some kind, probably one at BOARD if Leo was there. So that left one question to take care of. Her eyes returned to Saito, glancing down at how tightly he was squeezing her left hand.

"Who...are you...?"

"Taiga, you're okay! I'm so glad! You had me worried. I knew calling Leo was a good idea."

"I'll deal with you and Leo in a minute. Right now... why does this kid look like he's trying to propose..."
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