Welcome to Gaia! ::

We should get you to where the others are. You need some time to rest and recover. *As Era helped Ryan by getting his motorcycle to him, Ardence struggled with what happened some more. He was very sure it was the same person, but everything else pointed another way.

Deciding to play things safe for now and not reveal who he was, he decided not to follow up on Ardence's introduction and say who his real name was or pry for that matter into who Fang and Fury were.* I should head out. Thanks for the help again Era. *Waving before rushing off, Ardence went a way out of his way before untransforming and sneaking back into his guarded house. Dropping on the bed, Dalton took a brief nap to recover.*

Kio nodded and sighed while Rio just sat there, speachless. "I agree with you Kira. For now its us, fang and Era...as far as i know. Heck i cant find Ankh..but if i know that greed is is hot on the trail of his missing core medals."

"W..what do we do now?"

"Now? i think we should stick together. Its our best option."

Just then, rio grabbed the side of his head, around the ear and winced slightly. He felt something..odd. Like a fangire was attacking and bloody rose was calling him to arms. "What the hell?"

(Gonna do it in the next post.))

(Gonna make this a quickie))



Kio blinked and looked at Rio. "Uh?"

Rio stood and sighed. "Dang it. Kira..love uh please stay here with Kio. It seems there is something i need to take care of. I promise to be back soon."

He kissed Kira's cheek and walked out to his bike, revving it a bit before heading away.


Meanwhile, downtown, the rook Fangire/Dopant reaked havoc upon the citizens. It destroyed everything in its path, laughing crazily. All the while Nabuhiko watched from a roof top. He smiled and tapped his chin. "Seems he is just like his old self. Good that shows i managed to copy his personality perfectly. Oh and look it seems the Kiva rider is on the way to battle."

Rio sped into the area, he spotted rook and gasped as he stopped the motorcycle. "K..kivat is that who i think it is?"

"It certainly looks like him but how is that possible? He was destroyed years ago, long before you were born."

Rook turned to look at Rio. It cracked its neck and shoulders. "Who are you?"

"I...i am...I am the one who is going to stop you. Kivat! henshin!"

Kivat bit Rio's hand who promptly placed the bat onto the belt, transforming into kamen rider kiva. He charged in, arms spread like he had wings. Rook roared in anger, remembering Wataru who he faught before. The fangire shot energy bolts right at Rio, hitting the ground and causing him the do a flip in the air before landing face first. Rio groaned and stood to his feet and grabbing a fustle. "Dragoon Saber!"

The sword flew through the skies, getting caught by rio's open hand. Instantly his armor changed and he let out a feral growl. Rio charged, sword over his shoulder. Rook just stood there, smirking. Rio slashed but the sword was caught right on the fangire's shoulder. Rook laughed and shoved rio away, making the rider fall and skid across the concrete. Rio groaned and got to his feet, not ready to give up just yet. He charged again, slashing over and over, trying his hardest to do some kind of damage to the monster.

Again rook just laughed and shot Rio point blank with an energy ball. Rio was sent flying, sparks errupting from his armor as he hit a building and fell to his knees in pain. "Rio! Quick we need to think of something."

"I...know kivat. But what? How can we defeat such a monster?"

"If only you were able to become emperor form. Wait..i got it! The fustles! Use them all at once!"

"But that much power could..."

"Its the only option..do it!"

Rio gulped and grabbed the other two fustles and slotted each in turn. "Taka! Magnum!" "Catastrophe Hammer!"

Two more orbs flew through the sky and shot past Rook. He growled and knew just what the kiva was doing and shot multiple blasts of energy right at the rider. Dust and fire concealed Rio from Rook's view who waited to see his prey defeated. But instead, standing there was Rio, all the forms combined with his normal rider form. Rio cracked his neck and roared, a shockwave sending a large dust cloud around him.

Rook took a couple steps back, but then charged in. He tried to plow through the rider but instead got caught. Kio then slammed his elbow right into rook's right shoulder, a spot he read was rook's weakpoint. The fangire yelled in pain and stepped back, the ornamantation on his shoulder cracking and falling off. "No...not yet. Not game over! I will defeat you kiva!!!"

Rook began to form a huge ball of energy in his hands, lifting it over his head. Rio just stood there, grabbing a fustle and slotting it in kivat's mouth. "Wake! Up!"

Rio crouched down while kivat flew around and cut the chains off Rio's right leg. The sky turned dark and a full moon appeared in the sky. Rio jumped high into the air, his batlike winged leg lifting him up. Rook shot the energy ball right up at rio, laughing crazily. Flipping, rio's leg pointed at the energy ball and rook. He flew downward, the energy ball exploding but revealing an unharmed Rio who continued to fall. Rook yelled as he was hit, pinned to the ground by Rio's kick. The crest of kiva suddenly appeared beneith them both, ornamenting the ground. Rio's leg returned to normal and he walked away from rook who exploded...not shattered.

Rio looked back and saw the shocker grunt laying there for a moment before fizzling into ash. In its place was a gaia memory wich then shattered. Rio knelt down and picked up a piece of the gaia memory and gasped, on it was written Rook. He clutched the piece as he de-henshined. He suddenly gasped and felt dizzy, apparently the fight's earlier wounds catching up to him.

He sighed and sat there on the ground, needing a moment to himself before standing once again. With a groan he drove back to Kira's home. Once there he staggered towards the door but only managed to lean against it for support. Kivat flew in through an opened window to get his friends. "Quick...Rio needs help. He is totaly exhausted."

Kio sighed and after about 30 minutes of talking about random things, mostly core medals, he began to get worried. "Rio should be back by now...oh i think i hear his bike now."

Indeed he did but he jumped up when Kivat flew in asking for help.

Kio nodded and helped support rio gently. He helped Kira take rio to her room to rest. "Dude..what happened? You look horrible."

"A fangire...at least i thought it was at first.." Rio pulled out the piece of the gaia memory he had and showed it to them both. "It looked like a fangire called rook."

"Whoa...so in other words..a fangire/dopant? Yikes."

Rio nodded and relaxed on the bed. "It was one of the checkmate 4...a long dead one."

"Checkmate 4? sounds nasty."

"They were years ago but now..the current king is a good person and helped train me. There isnt a rook or a bishop...but there is a queen. I guess i should say she is my aunt."

"Hmmm...so like chess...i should have guessed with a name like checkmate 4. So..what does that make you?"

"nothing..i am just one that could be the next king if the current one dies. But i doubt it...i wont make a good king."

Rio blushed deeply and placed a hand over his face. "T...thanks Kira."

Kio chuckled and smiled. "Okay i will leave you two alone for a while. I should go find the others and inform them of this latest problem. You two stick together from now on...got it?"

"Uh..y..yeah."

Kio smiled and walked out the door, whistling as he got to his bike. He hopped on and sped away, heading into town. Meanwhile Rio gulped and looked at kira. "Uh...your bed is very soft."

Rio blushed and looked her in the eyes. "Ummm...stay please."