Kamen Rider Wizard: Festival of Fate - Chapter 1 "The Invitation"
Rarely was there mail for Wajima’s antiques. Aside from the generic bills like water, electricity and rent, never did a letter ever arrive to one of the three residents who took refuge there. It isn’t like Haruto nor Koyomi had any parents to send them sweet notes detailing the mundane intricacies of life, and the gift of knowledge asking for a novel in return. Questions like: How is school? Are you eating well? Any girlfriends? Neither of them have ever written a letter of the sort, so mail was a bit of a foreign concept. Besides, even if Koyomi did have family out there, because of course she has to - then how would they ever know she was residing here in Tokyo? It was the largest city in the world, you may spend years searching for a lost relative. Aside from their allies, Haruto and Koyomi were two people who may very well be shadows to the world. Two lost souls in a sea of faceless figures.
At least they had each other, after all. How long has it been now? Eight months? It’s been nearly a year since they met on that beach that fateful day. A lot has happened. Along the way they’ve met new friends, made new enemies and throughout their daily triumphs they have become stronger. Not only Haruto with his magic, but Koyomi in discovering her will to not just survive - to live. In each other and in their allies the duo has newfound hope, and no longer are either of them alone to deal with the curse of being survivors of the Sabbath. What was once a valiant venture has become a routine, and fear has turned into comfort in routine. Save one person, save the world.
But what if a world outside of their scope existed? Would their comfort turn back into fear, and spiral into despair? If that world beckoned the question: is magic a gift, or merely a well masked curse, would Haruto and Koyomi - would all of them be able to climb out from the hole of doubt and embrace the light once more? If magic is a curse, and stands as a natural force then what is the true nature of the world itself? A canvas to paint whatever your heart desires, or a cruel cage of fate that twists every free turn around your neck with the only release offered in suffocation being the clarity that your destiny was rigged from the start? There were times when Haruto himself wondered if being a wizard was a choice or not. After all, the driver was passed down to him by the White Wizard. He was chosen as the wizard, but then again… It is his choice to act with it.
How much of Haruto Soma and his fate truly belonged to him?
Perhaps, the new world may hold his answer. In the form of an invitation to be exact, a vanilla coloured letter with a primrose seal.
“A letter?” Haruto asked, Koyomi handing him the envelope. “That’s not something we see everyday.”
“No,” Koyomi shook her head. “It came in the mail this morning while you were out hunting a phantom.”
“Are you sure this isn’t for Wajima-san?” He inspected it more closely. Holding it up to the light, he hoped that the material would be thin enough to see inside. Unfortunately, it was not. Its material is too thick, and although looking like paper, feels much more like ephemera.
“I can’t tell.” Koyomi sighed, resting her elbow against the back counter. “This could become troublesome…”
“It’s just as you said.” Haruto smirked, snapping in her direction, his index finger pointed right at her gloomy frown. “We can’t tell, right?”
Without another word, he carefully removed the primrose seal. He handed it to Koyomi, much to her dismay. A kind gesture, but she wasn’t in the mood to be flirted with. “What’s this for?” She asked.
“It fits you.” Haruto shrugged. “Man, this thing feels ancient…” Little did the young man know he was much closer than he imagined. As he inched his fingers towards the seams of the envelope a bright light enveloped the room! “I can’t see a thing!!” He shouted. The bright light shifted colors, integrating the scheme of a rainbow and blasted itself in figures of waves and dots all around the walls. On instinct, Haruto dived behind the couch, and Koyomi picked up a frying pan.
It levitated in the air and spun around rapidly, the beams of light almost acting like bullets with how quickly they spat against the wall. It wouldn’t harm you, of course, but it would turn you into a different colour! All objects on Wajima’s shelf, ancient magical antiques were now discoloured mashes of shapes. “Haruto!” Koyomi screamed in reassurance of his safety. She didn’t dare to peek from beneath the counter.
“I’m OK!” He shouted back.
Suddenly, the doors to Wajima’s shop opened up.
“Good morning!” It was Shunpei Nara, strolling in without a care in the world and no knowledge of the catastrophe that lie before him.
“Oi, Haruto, Koyomi-chan!!” Who was the unfortunate soul behind him? Rinko Daimon, of course. Before either of them knew what was going on, they were flogged with several bullets of energy that shot right through them. After one last flash of light the storm was over.
“Are you two okay?!” Quickly, Haruto rushed to their side.
“Am I… dying Haruto-san?” Shunpei asked in a weary voice. He looked weak, and frail whilst he clung tightly onto the young sorcerer’s collared jacket. The end was near for his assistant. That was it, wasn’t it, huh? To die just like that. Suddenly, without time to think back on his many life regrets. Well, he had a nice time. It sucks that it had to be cut short so soon, before Shunpei could perform real magic himself.
“No.” Haruto said. “Not even close, you seem fine.” He helped him get to his feet. “Although… You might want to take a look in the mirror. You too, Rinko-chan.”
“What, did I get something on my face?” She clasped at her cheeks, rubbing them up and down to ensure that there was nothing present, or that she wasn’t oddly misshapen from being slapped to the floor by the pelting of beams. Slowly, Rinko rose to her feet. Anxiety coursed through her veins as she came head to the frame of the shelf mirror. Why was everyone staring at her with such restraint in their hearts?
Rinko turned around without another thought. She screamed.
“I think the colour looks great on you, Rinko-chan.” Shunpei whispered encouragingly, trying not to tick her off. Blonde suited her. It really brought out the fire in her eyes, or maybe that was just the unwavering fury.
“Of course you’d say that!” She shouted, twirling the brindles in her hair in a dim manner. “You look like a rainbow!”
“Doesn’t he always?” Koyomi asked, watching from afar. It was then that Haruto came back into the main room carrying a box labelled only as PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATION.
“Here,” He reached in and tossed a few random assortment of rings out. “Try them on and let’s see what happens.”
“A-ah!” Shunpei barely caught his batch, having to dive right over the table. “You have to be more careful with this!!” He cried out, his heart nearly dropping into his gut. “Mr. Wajima instructed us not to go back into his closet next to the workshop.”
“Maybe for you, because you’re an apprentice.” Haruto said smugly. “Besides, we can’t exactly wait around for him all day.”
“Are you sure those rings can help?” Koyomi had her pan by her side in case it all went awry.
“We can’t tell.” He snickered.
“You should stop saying that…” She sighed. They tried out the rings one by one. Wajima didn’t exactly label them, as he was the main man handling all of their equipment up until lately. It’d been only a few weeks since the old man had decided to take upon the klutzy assistant as his apprentice in being a ringsmith. It’s been a rough start, and most of his rings have yet to do anything substantial, but if Shunpei was a man of anything, he was one of resilience and ambition. His love for magic was unrivalled, surpassing the likes of Haruto. One day, he would be a brilliant craftsman - even if he had a lot to learn.
“Let’s try this one out.” Haruto suggested, handing it to Rinko. With some reluctance, she tried it on.
BEEFCAKE, PLEASE!
Suddenly, the muscles on Rinko Daimon expanded. In a matter of seconds she had the body of a competitive weightlifter! “Guess that’s not the one we’re looking for…” Haruto muttered.
“Hm, I don’t know.” Rinko twirled in the mirror. She was admiring her new physique. Maybe they’d let her keep this one? “I could get used to this.” Shunpei tried on his first, but only after some prodding from Koyomi. These rings could do anything, after all.
Shunpei was now shorter than Koyomi. All of them gathered around, watching in amusement as he started freaking out. It was like watching an action figure sprout to life out of the blue. “He’d make for such a cute doll. Koyomi, do you have any dollhouses around here?” Rinko asked, sticking her finger right in the poor man’s face.
“Not that I know of.” She shook her head. The gang tried out several other rings.
Shunpei turned into a round blob. They rolled him down the street much to his dismay.
Rinko was now covered in zebra stripes.
Rinko’s entire torso was shaped like a pyramid.
Koyomi was now 6’0 tall. Why did she try on a ring? Well, she got curious.
After at least a dozen rings, Shunpei and Rinko returned to normal.
“Let’s leave the testing to Mr. Wajima next time…” Shunpei said, ironing out the cricks in his neck. “Um, Haruto… What even happened in the first place?” Haruto’s eyes jolted right open. He had nearly forgotten!
“This right here.” He reached for the letter. This time he was much more careful about opening it.
“A letter?” Rinko said, examining it up close. “That’s what caused this? Shouldn’t we take this to the police? It could be a danger to you.”
“Do they have a section for magic?” Haruto asked. “Besides, I’m sure it’ll be fine now.” The letter was opened once more.
“HARUTO SOMA, INHERITOR OF THE DRAGON; GRAND MASKED WIZARD. YOU HEREBY HAVE BEEN FORMALLY INVITED TO ATTEND THE SUMMER SOLSTICE CIRCALIA FESTIVAL ON CELESTICE ISLAND. YOU ARE WELCOME TO BRING A MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF FOUR GUESTS. NO TRAVEL EXPENSES REQUIRED, ALL ATTENDANTS WILL BE ACCOMMODATED FOR. SIGN BY JUNE 19th IF YOU ACCEPT THIS OFFER. IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT, AN USHER WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOUR RESIDENCE.”
The disembodied voice was loud and carried throughout the house. Even the neighbours got a whiff of the speech! When it was all said and done, no one knew what to do next. Haruto picked up the letter to ensure he heard it right and there in writing was the transcript. As it turns out, he did hear that correctly. “Celestice Island?” He scratched his head. “Never heard of it.”
“Wooooow!” Shunpei was all over him, breaking any sort of physical boundary between the two as he reached for the letter, much to Haruto’s dismay as he held it high above his head. “Haruto’s been invited to a festival! Are you bringing us along?!” Shunpei fell into despair for a moment. “Oh, please say you’re taking us with you!”
“Was that ever out of the question?!” Haruto shouted, trying to keep his clingy friend off his back.
“Aren’t you being rather hasty about this?” Koyomi asked, an upturned frown finding its way on the corner roots of her mouth. “We don’t know anything about this place. What if it’s a trap?”
“If it isn’t?” Haruto said. “We’d be missing out on something pretty cool here, wouldn’t we?”
“Right, and after all…” Rinko laid her arm on his shoulder. “All we’ve been doing is battling phantoms. We deserve a break, don’t we?” It was at the mention of phantoms that Haruto turned his heel on the whole idea. He plopped the letter back onto the desk and turned around, pocketing his hands.
“Nevermind.” He shook his head.
“What?” Rinko raised her brows. “You were so cheery about it just a minute ago…”
“I can’t just abandon my duties here.” He crossed his arms. “If we take some time off, who knows how many gates could become victims of the Phantoms?” There goes his savior complex; a trait that all of them had studied quite well. For better or worse, probably worse - Haruto never took a day off as a hero. In fact, he had forgotten what it was like to take a vacation, so the enticing idea of a tropical adventure ashamedly allowed his responsibility to slip away. “I can’t afford to leave, even if it’s for a few days.”
“That’s not fair.” Rinko argued. “The last part of this year you’ve put your life on the line for everyone else, us included. If you don't take a day off at some point then you’ll never do it.”
“I have to agree.” Koyomi chimed in. “If you overexert yourself then you might not have enough energy in the future.”
Haruto plopped onto the couch, thinking it over. It was true, he hadn’t had a single day of rest since the Sabbath. Every minute of his life was spent attending to potential victims and assisting Gates whilst ridding of Phantoms. He was unable to remember the last time he ever did anything to his own leisure. “Still, if I’m gone, who's going to ensure the safety of Gates?”
“We’ve met quite a few allies along the way.” Koyomi suggested. “There should be someone out there who can handle it.”
“How about Nitoh?” Shunpei suggested. Haruto shot him a look that said ‘I would rather not, but it’s worth a try.’ He reached into his pocket for his cell phone and dialed Kosuke. Thank the stars he managed to get his number. With a guy as nomadic as him, it’s hard to pin down where he’ll end up. He waited for the dial tone, but nothing came up. Nothing but a voicemail. Trying again, he hoped it was just a fluke. Still, nothing.
“Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“But there has to be someone else!” Shunpei cried out in desperation. “Right?!”
“... There is one guy I know.” Haruto stretched out his legs. “It’s a longshot. I’ve only met him a few times.” Everyone sat in a circle around Haruto and prayed for their last hope: the mystery man who would grant them all a delightful vacation. A second passed, nothing. Another second passed. Again, nothing. This third second was the make or break for them.
“Hello?” Haruto said. He picked up! They all cheered, Shunpei prancing around the room. Haruto stood up, wandering off from the living room. “It’s been a while, and it’s a lot to ask but I have a favor to ask…”
The rest of the group stood by the corner, listening closely for who this mysterious man could be. The bits and pieces they made out with weren’t enough to be discernible for the elusive hero’s identity. “Hm? Just like that, huh? You’re a lot friendlier than I imagined…” Haruto laughed. “Right, right. Anything for a friend. Well, that’s cool. We haven’t seen much of each other, but… I appreciate this. A lot. Thank you.” He was about to hang up, but he figured he needed to add one more tidbit. “Look, if anything gets out of hand I need you to call me as soon as possible. I believe you. Once again, thank you - and I owe you one.”
Haruto walked back into the room, and the trio of snoopers dropped to the floor.
“So?” Koyomi waited for the deciding answer.
“Pack your bags. We’re going on vacation.” Everyone cheered again, this time much more loudly, celebrating the once in a lifetime opportunity. There was a lot that needed to be done.
Later that night, Haruto lay in his bed with his head to the clouds. He couldn’t believe he’d actually accepted this offer. That mystery hero came in for the clutch, and he was glad that someone out there still considered him a great friend in spite of their scarce meetings. Still, he had to wonder what this festival was all about. The earlier doubts of Koyomi lingered in his head. Was there any deeper meaning to this invitation? For all he knows, he very much could be walking right into his end. Still, the thought of getting away and meeting other magical beings was too enticing to pass up. He’d been on his own for far too long, and he has to know for himself if there are others out there like him and Nitoh. Maybe he wouldn’t have to play hero alone for much longer.
A thousand leagues beneath the sea, in a deep dark hole hid a powerful force that lay restless adjacent to our hero. Imprisoned by those it once trusted, this unstoppable being of immense strength poked its head past the dense bars placed to keep its impending destruction dormant. The moon was bright tonight. It shined like a diamond, sprinkling a tiny glimmering beam of light to the center of this spiraled cage. The cries of the damned, the hopeless filled the air as it made its presence known once more to the world. It has waited too long for a night like this. The day it longed for has finally shown its face. The presence formed a dark grin; its lone heart had never held this amount of excitement.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/43914396/chapters/110414802
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