Two hundred years ago, a younger Satori was walking through a forest towards a cave, carrying a jug of water and a small bag of food. She had heard legends of some kind of spider creature living inside, waylaying travelers with riddles, devouring the ones who guessed incorrectly. She herself knew not what she intended to do if the rumors were true and she met such a creature, but that was on secondary concern.
What was of primary concern was the young-sounding scream from her destination. Satori continued walking at her own pace though, watching with interest as the sight of a massive spider - far larger than an ox-drawn cart for sure - towering over two children became more and more clear. The monster laughs and drools as one of the children - a youkai with cat ears - hisses and protects the other from harm, swiping with tiny claws whenever the spider reaches in.
She stops approximately ten feet away from the scene, crossing her arms judgmentally.
"Can I help you?" the spider asks.
"No. I need competent assistance." Satori answers.
The spider's attention is drawn away from the children. It towers over the pink-haired wanderer.
"Watch your tone, Miss. I'm the Tsuchigumo of Kurodani and-!"
Mid-sentence, the spider is blasted away. Satori turns to leave when she feels a tugging on her dress. She looks down to see the children, - the other clearly had wings now that she wasn't hiding - grabbing her and looking on in awe.
"Can we come with you?" Cat-Ears says.
"No." Satori answers.
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeease?" the two children press.
"......okay. But you're walking yourselves." Satori agrees.
Two hours later, Satori returns home, burdened by the weight of two sleepy children.
~
In the present, Kamen Rider Hime continues to shout insults and throw beams at the raging Okuu, swerving back and forth as the raging Hell Raven tries to gun her down. The two continue to exchange barrages until Hime hits a pothole, causing her to spin out of control and right into one of Okuu's blasts. Envy Driver explodes as Hime leaps into the air. She's quickly tackled and slammed into the road below. She quickly rolls as a heavy cement boot buries itself a foot into the street where Hime's head had been, allowing the Rider to stand and elbow the bird in the gut, followed by an uppercut.
Okuu staggers a bit, foot still trapped, but she swings her cannon wildly, stunning Kamen Rider Hime long enough to free her foot. Hime manages to stay one step ahead, avoiding powerful-but-slow blows while continuing to get her own jabs in, verbal and physical. Okuu's eyes, all three of them, fill with fire as she unleashes a wave of flames all around her.
~
Cat-ears and Wings, now Orin and Okuu, are bust doing chores around Satori's house, cleaning up in anticipation of their mother returning home from a trip to a mountain to verify the existence of rumored creatures called Kappa. A loud pounding comes from the door and Orin walks over to open it. A dark-haired woman in battered, colorful European-style armor stands before her and bows. Orin returns the bow and asks her business. The knight begins to introduce herself, stumbling between two names, before finally calling herself Vanessa. She asks if the lady of the house is home, but Orin shakes her head. Vanessa sighs and says she will wait for her, sitting down outside the home with her eyes shut.
Hours later, Satori returns home, shocked at the visitor. Satori and Vanessa stare at each other, something going unsaid. Satori eventually orders Vanessa to follow her into the house and into her private study, telling her daughters to prepare four places at the table. The two talk for hours, rarely raises their voices loud enough to be heard outside despite Orin and Okuu's best efforts. They eventually emerge for dinner.
At the meal's end, Vanessa asks where a forge might be. Satori leads her and her daughters to the nearest blacksmith shop. Vanessa produces a generous sum of gold in exchange for the use of a forge. She asks for a fire, which Okuu generously provides, sticking her arm in the forge and causing it to erupt with flames. For hour, Vanessa works with the forge, melting down her armor until it's unrecognizable, at which point she removes it and begins to force the massive glob of metal into a new shape: a metallic belt with the word envy on it: 羨望.
~
That same belt is wrapped around Kamen Rider Hime's waist as she manages to force Okuu back with a headbutt. She lets off a sick burn that buys her a moment, but she can feel herself tiring quickly. Every hit, even her own, hurts and she's quickly running slow on strength. She gestures arrogantly and assumes a fighting stance. Hime is sent flying as Okuu plants her cement boot firmly in the Rider's chest. Hime gasps for air, throwing a danmaku as she stumbles.
~
Vanessa leaves as soon as the belt is finished, telling Satori only that she's turned her power into something she can hide but still have when needed. She looks over her shoulder one last time before recommending Satori do the same. She then says "Good bye, old friend." and the two never see each other again. That night, Satori announces to Orin and Okuu that they will be moving. The two daughters question leaving their fine home and community, but Satori answers that they are no longer safe on the surface and they will build a new home underground. Confused but obedient, they begin packing. As much as they can carry is loaded onto a spider-drawn cart and the three make their way underground.
Though there is no natural light underground, young Okuu is able to produce enough for the family to see as they cross a massive underground bridge. Satori shivers a bit, reminded of stories from her youth about a bridge to Hell. She mutters to herself that her situation seems to warrant such an analogy. Eventually, they reach a massive cavern. Large enough at least to build their new home. Satori releases the spider from her service and gets to work, channeling ancient magics that she had almost forgotten.
~
Present-day Satori glowers at Kamen Rider Pluto for being at her tower instead of at the power plant, but once the situation is explained, she orders her Rider to take her to Okuu at once. The two hop on Pluto's motorcycle and race off for the edge of town.
Kamen Rider Hime briefly wishes she weren't wearing a helmet so she could spit out the tooth Okuu's last punched knocked loose. She manages to land a few strong punches and a chop on Okuu, but the Hell Raven seems unphased and clobbers Hime with her cannon. Hime lashes out, kicking at Okuu's knee, but Okuu grabs the Rider's leg and slams her to the ground, raising her cannon.
~
Twenty years after moving underground, Satori has managed to build a small community around her as she began to tame the wild underground, bringing peace to the youkai who bickered and battled constantly. She smiled, watching workers set up some magical lights so they could see better. She felt content for the the first time in years, but it wasn't enough. More youkai were beginning to hear about the new Bridge City and were flocking towards it. Resource production wouldn't be able to keep up and quite possibly the peace would break. She sighs and tells herself to stop talking to herself. She shakes her head and gets back to work, but not before Okuu and Orin overhear.
The two discuss the issue throughout the day, trying to come up with ideas on how to provide for everyone. A voice from behind them makes a suggestion: on the surface, there is a god who can provide them with sunlight they can bring underground so they can grow food. The sisters turn, greeting the purple-haired speaker. Orin dismisses the woman as a quack and goes back to her own chores, but Okuu stays to listen.
"Amaterasu," the woman says. "Seek him out and devour him. Then the power of light and life will be yours."
Okuu asks who the woman is and she remarks that she is simply an out of work goddess who still tries to do something good from time to time before she is gone. Okuu considers the goddess' words and leaves for the surface immediately. She is not missed until lunch when she doesn't show. Satori idly wonders if she's gone off looking for angels again when Orin mentions the purple-haired woman.
Satori stiffens, demanding details before heading off to the surface herself.
It's the dead of night when Okuu arrives at the mountain where Amaterasu is said to be. She begins to search, finally coming across a strange, giant eye in the midst of slumber. She wonders if this is Amaterasu, but remembers the goddess' words and simply swallows the thing whole, its eye opening before it can save itself. Okuu stumbles to the ground, clutching her stomach and passing out. Satori manages to find her later, muttering that she should have brought Orin as she begins to carry Okuu back to Bridge City.
Weeks pass and Satori spends much time examining Okuu for side-effects to eating the Amaterasu. She radiates heat and she has a shorter temper, but seems no worse for wear. Satori begins looking into ways to harness Okuu's energy.
Weeks pass, Okuu's energy grows, and Satori finds a way to turn that into fuel for an artificial sun, allowing the youkai to begin establishing farms to feed themselves. All is well.
At least, all is well until Okuu blows up a house after the owner accidentally bumps into her. She rages at the youkai until Orin drags her off. Satori sees the incident and grows concerned.
Okuu's temper flares with violent results over the course of weeks. Complaints about her behavior pile up and Satori is stuck between a rock and a hard place as she tries to find the cause of Okuu's increasing rage and power. She finally links it to the god she ate, still living furiously within her and causing her to lash out at the world.
Events come to a head as Okuu's fury threatens to destroy Bridge City. Okuu is in the middle of a field, ranting and raving about getting the respect she deserves for bringing light and heat to the underground. Satori tries to calm her down, demonstrating that many of the people do in fact hold her in high regard for her contributions. Okuu snarls, raising her hand as a massive cannon forms around it and a ferociously red eye appears on her chest. Okuu fires searing heat into the middle of a field. Satori is frozen in place, shocked into inaction until Okuu's fury seems to turn upon Orin.
~
Kamen Rider Pluto remarks at how hot it's beginning to get as she drives past the ruined power plant. Satori grits her teeth, trying to steel herself for what she must do to bring an end to the threat her daughter poses. Flashes of light and explosions come from the distance, the wreckage of Envy Driver still smoldering. Pluto stops her bike and rushes forward in time to stop Okuu from vaporizing Kamen Rider Hime and begins to plead with the Hell Raven to cease her attack, to remember who she is. Okuu backhands Pluto and turns her fury on the other Rider, relentlessly thrashing and trading blows, slowly whittling away at a Rider who hesitates to fight back.
The beating continues until Satori says a single word.
"Stop."
~
"Stop."
With a single word, Satori brings Okuu's rampage in old Bridge City to a halt, prompting daughter to turn on mother with a blast. Satori deflects it with a magical barrier and begins throwing rings around the rampaging raven's limbs, attempting to bind her but Okuu manages to break out of each one, though it takes more and more effort with each consecutive ring. She continues spewing vitriol and fire though, causing massive destruction even as Satori is slowly bringing her under control.
Finally, Okuu falls asleep, her strength expended even as Satori continues binding her. Orin tearfully rushes over to comfort her sister, but Satori halts her with a gesture.
"She is not the Okuu you once knew," Satori says. "The god inside her has corrupted her into a vile kind of demon, a Hell Raven."
"What can we do?" Orin asks.
Satori looks down sadly and shakes her head. "She must sleep until I can find a cure."
That evening, Satori and Orin construct a chamber covered in runes to contain the beast within. Satori looked at the community, already beginning to rebuild and muttering grateful praises to Satori for stop the rampaging beast and sealing her away. Satori glares, angry that nobody but Orin seems to understand what this "victory" has personally cost her. She begins building her tower the next day, growing it ever larger as the chamber becomes the Reiuji Power Plant and Bridge City grows into the bustling community it is today. Shortly after Okuu is contained, Orin begins walking around with a new belt.
~
In the present, Satori and Okuu stare at each other. The air flickers as it suddenly grows hotter. The concrete begins to melt and nearby vegetation erupts in flames as the Hell Raven begins walking towards her mother. Satori stands her ground, eyes not leaving Okuu's gaze even to blink. The two are soon next to each other as Okuu looks down at Satori, berating her for locking her away and using her like a tool for centuries. Satori nods and agrees. The taller woman snarls and lifts her cannon, preparing to vaporize Satori "like she should have done centuries ago", but Kamen Rider Hime intervenes, tackling Satori out of the way..
"Weakness. Now." Kamen Rider Hime demands.
"I won't help you kill my daughter," Satori counters.
"Then give me another way!" Hime says. "Something! Anything!"
After a moment, Satori sighs. "The third eye. It is the source of her power."
Kamen Rider Hime cracks her knuckles and rushes forward again, rain punches upon the bright red eye that burn her even through her armor, though Okuu is visibly staggered. The Hell Raven clubs Hime and prepares to blast her when a SECOND Hime grabs her from behind. The first Hime remarks how much she hates cloning herself in a fight, but what is she going to do?
She's going to leap into the air, that's what, and, while Okuu breaks free and destroys the second Hime, deliver her Stars Above Kick to Okuu's third eye, causing huge cracks to form in it. Okuu immediately drops to her knees, gasping for breath as she clutches the bright red eye. The air immediately cools as Satori walks over.
Okuu looks up at her mother, tears in her eyes, begging not to be sealed away again. Satori kneels and wraps her arms around her daughter. Nobody will be sealed away, she says. She knows better now, chanting an incantation and plucking the broken third eye from Okuu's chest and sealing it away. Kamen Rider Pluto stumbles over, remarking that with the Amaterasu's Wrath sealed away, the power of Pluto is fading, leaving only Orin behind.
For the first time in centuries, the family is reunited in a loving embrace. Kamen Rider Hime shrugs and begins walking back to Bridge City, more than a bit envious at their love.
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