Fanfic / Kamen Rider SideRide Chronicles: Oscura's Encore

Cover art for the fanfic.

Kamen Rider SideRide Chronicles: Oscura's Encore is a Fusion Fic between The Owl House and Kamen Rider, specifically Kamen Rider Geats, written by Dr. Exposition. While Michael Ravencroft isn’t the writer of the story, they have received permission from Dr. Exposition to post the story as a part of their ongoing fanfiction series, Disney Riders.

Four years after being exiled from the Boiling Isles as punishment for her crimes as Empress Oscura, Luz Noceda is given the chance to become a Kamen Rider again through the Desire Grand Prix. Luz uses the chance to start attoning for all the mistakes she made all those years ago, but someone is interested in seeing her become Oscura again for some reason. Can Luz prove that she is more than her past actions define her, or will she fall to darkness once again?

The fic, part of the Disney Riders series, can be read on Archive of Our Own here, and on Fanfiction Dot Net here.

Kamen Rider SideRide Chronicles: Oscura's Encore contains examples of:

• Adaptational Explanation: It was never specified what exactly caused Manny Noceda to pass, but in this fic, we learn he had cancer, and he competed in the DGP so he could wish to be cured. Unfortunately, even though he was said to be a very good player according to Tsumuri, his cancer progressed, so he was forced to retire.
• Adaptational Superpower Change: Luz, Amity, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy all gain different sets of Kamen Rider powers courtesy of the Desire Grand Prix.
• Affectionate Parody: The "Slasher Game" played for second round of the Reprise Arc is one for horror movies, down to playing with tropes and cliches from the genre and even theming one Jyamato after Pinhead.
• Ambiguous Situation:
  • It’s not clarified if this fic’s versions of Molly, Penn, or Marco have been on the same adventures as their canonical counterparts.
  • Tsumuri still being the navigator raises the question if characters like Ace, Keiwa, and Neon were ever involved with the DGP in this continuity.
• Armor-Piercing Response: When Sasha angrily asks Tsumuri why Amity is allowed to use her magic in the DGP when none of the other Riders can do it, Tsumuri asks her this:
  Tsumuri: Tell me, Ms. Waybright. Is it cheating that you and your companion, Ms. Boonchuy, are more athletically gifted than some of your fellow competitors?
  Sasha: (faltering a little) Well... no, but...
  Tsumuri: Is it unfair that Ms. Wu is incredibly smart and quick-witted?
  Sasha: I mean, no, that’s just how we are! We can’t help it.
  Tsumuri: Correct. These are natural gifts, talents, and abilities. Not everyone is born the same; some are swifter, stronger or smarter. These are things that you are born with. Ms. Blight’s magical powers stem from a biological organ within her own body that allows her to tap into magical energies to cast her spells. Since she is not a human being, her anatomy is different from your own. But in her home world, such a thing is natural. If I disqualified Ms. Blight for such a thing, we would have to disqualify you, Ms. Boonchuy, and Ms. Wu from any further participation, to make it "fair" as you say.
  Sasha: Never mind... you're right.
• Asshole Victim: Once again, Odalia is this.
• The Atoner: Even after four years, Luz still regrets everything she did as Oscura, and the wish she wrote down would resurrect all the lives lost to her forces when she became Oscura.
• Badass Normal:
  • During the Slasher Game arc, Masha manages to kill Boscha when she isn't even a DGP contestant. Of course, Boscha is revived thanks to the rules for this round, but Boscha herself is still shocked that even happened to her Masha again during the labyrinth game at Disney Land. Luz finds Vee and they come across quite a sight. Masha acting like a pirate and sword fighting Jyamato. They don't win but they do manage to hold them off for a moment before Luz has to step in. It's no surprise that Masha eventually becomes a Rider themself.
• Battle Couple: After joining the DGP, Amity and Luz are always seen working together.
• Big Brother Is Watching: The DGP keeps watch over its contestants to make sure they don't violate any rules outside of the game, with Tsumuri somehow managing to teleport into Amity and Sasha's respective rooms to remind them of the rules they are close to violating.
• Bilingual Backfire: Luz, Camila, and Amity's conversation in Spanish about Luz's past is overheard by Marcy, who seemingly speaks the language. Marco heard it too, but chose not to say anything until the end.
• Break the Cutie: Considering how dark the proceeding story was, this is to be expected.
  • Penn's death does a number on Molly, as the two were starting to become close friends.
  • Seeing Amity die right in front of her pretty much makes Luz snap.
• Composite Character:
  • Several characters from various Disney properties become Kamen Riders in this fic, and they all use the same Raise Buckles the Riders in Kamen Rider Geats used.
  • As the fic goes on, Sasha gradually takes on traits shared by Michinaga/Kamen Rider Buffa. Not only does the resort to backstabbing other Riders to advance in the DGP, once Anne is killed by the Final Boss Jyamato, she blames Luz for not using her Oscura Buckle to defeat it until after the grief from Anne's death gave Luz the motivation to finally use it, similarly to how Michinaga blames Ace for not being able to save Tohru. Chapter 11 reveals that her dad is connected to the DGP, something Neon/Kamen Rider Na-Go also had to deal with.
  • To a lesser extent, Luz is similar to Ace/Kamen Rider Geats by virtue of being the most experienced Rider of the main cast, in addition to primarily using the Magnum Buckle in battle. Her primary motivation for competing in the DGP is also to use her wish as a way to resolve something from her past. For Ace, it's to find his Missing Mom, and for Luz, it's to revive the people killed by her and her forces when she was Oscura.
  • Towards the end of the Reprise Arc Willow willingly gives up her spot in the DGP so Amity can take her place, just like Ittetsu/Kamen Rider Keilow did for Keiwa in Geats.
• Didn't Think This Through: Sasha's plan to steal Luz and Amity's Raise Buckles with Anne's help falls apart before she can even implement it because doing so during a round is against the rules. If it wasn't for Tsumuri and Marcy telling Sasha that said rule was always there, Anne and Sasha would have been automatically disqualified.
• Discard and Draw: During the second arc where they have to find new Raise Buckles, Luz, Sasha, and Marcy obtain the Zombie, Monster, and Magnum Buckles respectively as opposed to using the Magnum, Beat, and Ninja buckles last season.
• Everyone Has Standards: Sasha may have teamed up with Boscha as a way to get revenge on Luz, but as soon as she learns of Boscha's attempted rape of Amity, she immediately apologizes for helping Boscha get that far in the first place.
• Expy: Peter Prospects/Kamen Rider Smog and Sebastian Krabbs/Kamen Rider Clamp are humanized versions of Stinky Pete and Sebastian the Crab respectively. While they weren't given dialogue and were only mentioned as part of the Riders who didn't make it past the preliminaries, Louis, Hubert, and Dewford McDuff are humanized versions of Huey, Dewey, and Louie, .
• Go Out with a Smile: Compared to the last two contestants, Sebastian is surprisingly calm when they're eliminated.
  Sebastian: (sighs) Guess this is it for me, man. It was fun while it lasted.
• Godzilla Threshold: After Luz initially refuses to use the Oscura Buckle, it takes Anne's death to finally convince her to use it, becoming Kamen Rider Oscura once more.
• Heel–Face Door-Slam: Despite being unaware of the true circumstances behind Anne's death (in this new world, she was supposedly killed by a drunk driver), Sasha seems to be doing a decent job adjusting to life after the DGP. While not completely over her grief, she vows to ask out Marcy when she moves to California as a way to make up for never confessing her love to Anne when she was still alive. Unfortunately, once Tsumuri hands Sasha back her ID Core, she remembers how Anne actually died and vows to win the next season of the DGP to bring Anne back to life. As of the Slasher Game, however, Sasha is starting to have her own doubts...
• Heel–Face Turn: Zoe after the Slasher Game. Suffice to say being left for dead by the guy you were hooking up with, nearly being murdered by plant monsters dressed up as slasher villains, and being saved by Luz and her friends is enough to make you look back on your life. Zoe apologizes to Luz just as the round is over after Luz gets revenge on the Pinhead Jyamato for killing Amity. Come the next chapter and, while Zoe doesn't remember what happened due to the reset, she does realize again how much of a jerk she's been and apologizes to Luz, Amity, and Masha and starts on the path to improvement.
• Massive Multiplayer Crossover: In addition featuring Luz, Amity, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy like in the previous entries of this series, this fic also has Molly McGee, Penn Zero, and Marco Diaz becoming Kamen Riders. The fic also features Woz as the narrator while Tsumuri remains the navigator of the DGP.
  • And then there's Penny Proud, Bonnie Rockwaller, Wendy Corduroy, and Mertle Edmonds in the background!
• My Greatest Failure: Luz views her time as Oscura as this, to the point where she stopped collecting Kamen Rider toys because of how much they reminded her of it.
• Mysterious Backer: Luz receives a Raise Buckle specifically designed to emulate the same powers she had as Kamen Rider Oscura, and the final chapter reveals that one of the DGP's viewers was hoping Luz would use it. This woman eventually meets with Luz in person where she eventually reveals herself as Lumina Clawthorne, Eda’s long time descendant from the future.
• Mythology Gag:
  • In Chapter 2, Amity starts recording video diaries recapping the events of the previous chapters, very much like what Keiwa did during the “Encounter” arc.
  • Speaking of Keiwa, a running gag involves Sasha getting hit by the Boost Buckle after someone uses it, even herself.
  • Anne's death in the final round of the Requiem Arc is similar to how she dies in Amphibia as she dies by sacrificing herself and disintegrates soon after. Only, in this case, she does not come back to life.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Despite being brought back to life thanks to Luz, Odalia blames Luz for supposedly turning her family against her and leaving her homeless, not only ignoring the fact that Odalia had treated her family poorly and said she didn't even love them, but also that one of the biggest reasons Oscura rose to power in the first place was because Odalia's mantra about a Blight never going back on their word kept Amity from undoing the Everlasting Oath.
• Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: Due to being a witch trapped in the Human Realm, Amity has the advantage of being able to use her magic in addition to her Rider powers in the DGP, something none of the other contestants can do. Of course, when Sasha demands Tsumuri disqualify her for "cheating", Tsumuri compares the bile sac Amity uses to cast her magic to Sasha and Anne being more physically fit and Marcy being extremely intelligent.
• Only Sane Woman: Compared to Anne and Sasha, Marcy has a more sensible approach to the DGP, and is willing to stand up to Sasha for her and Anne's sake.
• Pain Mistaken for Sex: Marco and Molly overhear a training session between Sasha, Anne, and Marcy, and the things the latter two say about how exhausted they are sound very suggestive. It doesn't help that all three of them come out of the training room drenched in sweat.
• Reformed, but Not Tamed: Although Luz wishes to atone for her past as Oscura, she still has some of the darker tendencies she had four years ago. Just ask the first Boss Jyamato who made the mistake of injuring Amity.
  Luz/Kamen Rider Lechuz: You hurt my Amity. Now I’m going to make you suffer.
• The Reveal: Whenever a contestant is eliminated, the chapter's notes reveal what their wish was.
  • Requiem Arc:
    • "I want to be the richest and most powerful man in the world." - Peter Prospects/Kamen Rider Smog.
    • "I want to become a real hero" - Penn Zero/Kamen Rider Tai-Ger.
    • "I want to be a universally famous and rich musician" - Sebastian Krabbs/Kamen Rider Clamp.
    • "I want everyone in the world to be happy!♥️" - Molly McGee/Kamen Rider Joy.
    • "I want to explore the world and live a life filled with adventure" - Marco Diaz/Kamen Rider Kata.
    • "I wish that there was no longer any form of discrimination so Anne Boonchuy, Sasha Waybright and I could be together." - Marcy Wu/Kamen Rider Newtonne
    • "I wish to have the courage to tell Sasha Waybright that I have feelings for her." - Anne Boonchuy/Kamen Rider Qrok.
    • "I want a world where I can be together with Marcy and Anne, as my lovers, where we can be happy forever." - Sasha Waybright/Kamen Rider Soaron.
    • "I wish I never cast the Everlasting Oath with Luz Noceda." - Amity Blight/Kamen Rider Gato.
    • "I want to bring back all the people that were killed, either by me or by my Phantoms army, to life." - Luz Noceda/Kamen Rider Lechuz.
  • Reprise Arc:
    • "I wish to be the SUPREME EMPRESS of the Demon Realm!" - Odalia Blight/Kamen Rider Fowl.
    • "I want a new portal that connects the Human Realm and Demon Realm." - Gus Porter/Kamen Rider Mirage.
    • "I wish to go back in time to stop Luz Noceda from ever becoming Empress Oscura so we can be together." - Willow Park/Kamen Rider Honey.
    • "I wish to make Luz's wishes come true." - Amity Blight/Kamen Rider Gato.
    • "I wish for Luz Noceda to have never existed, not in the Human Realm, not in the Demon Realm! I want her erased in body and soul!" - Boscha Barbtalone/Kamen Rider Red-Pan.
  • The unknown backer who gave Luz the Oscura Buckle. Luz’ fated meeting with her is so far one of the biggest reveals in the entire story. Luz is being sponsored by a witch from the Boiling Isles. She knows all about what Luz went through and done as Oscura. She specifically wants Luz to become Oscura but this time as a true hero. She is from the far future and is none other than Eda’s long time granddaughter, Lumina Clawthorne. Years in the future, people just stuck with cursing Luz as an unforgivable monster and forgot the good she did. Only the Clawthornes remember to pass down the real story. Lumina was just so sick of the hatred that she found a way to go back in time and give Luz the means to become a real hero.
• Revenge Before Reason: Odalia is so focused on murdering Luz as revenge for what she did to her while she was Oscura, she is too fueled with rage to notice how many points she's losing, or the Jyamato about to kill her.
• Revolving Door Casting: Due to the nature of the DGP, there are multiple Riders present for each arc.
  • Requiem Arc: Luz, Amity, Sasha, Anne, Marcy, Molly, Marco, Penn, Sebastian, Peter.
  • Reprise Arc: Luz, Sasha, Marcy, Gus, Willow, Boscha, Odalia.
• Sacrificial Lamb: Penn is the first contestant to be killed in the middle of a round, and got more focus compared to Peter and Sebastian, the first two contestants to be eliminated.
• Sacrificial Lion: Anne's death at the end of the Requiem arc affects Luz, Sasha, and Marcy heavily.
• Sequel: This fic follows up on the alternate version of Luz who became Oscura in Kamen Rider Witch Alternative: The Ballad of Oscura and Kamen Rider X Kamen Rider Witch & Amp: The Dark Side of Hope.
• Sequel Hook: After winning the DGP and getting her wish granted, Luz is offered the chance to defend her title, while Sasha vows to win the next season in order to bring Anne back to life once she is given her ID Core and Desire Driver back.
• Time Skip: It’s been four years since the events of the previous fic to feature Luz/Oscura.
• Wham Line: After Lechuz gets the Boost Buckle and gets ready to fight the Boss Jyamato, Tsumuri and Mr. Butler discuss something that reveals they know more about Luz than they let on.
  Mr. Butler: Looks like our former Dark Empress hasn’t lost her touch.
  Tsumuri: It was why she was chosen. Her experience will make her a top contender in the game.
• Wham Shot: As a reward for getting the highest amount of points during the previous round, Luz gains a special Raise Buckle made specifically for her. When she opens it, she's horrified to learn that it's themed after Kamen Rider Oscura.

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