CRBA, Episode 26: Epilogue

Care Root’s Bizarre Adventure, Episode 26: Epilogue

>Be Care.
>You don’t really know how many days it’s been, not for certain.
>You haven’t gone anywhere.
>Right now you’re only keeping track of one date in particular, and when you sleep and wake up isn’t really important.
>Today’s the day that Derpy and her family fly to France.
>She should be heading for an airport soon, which means she’s outside of your influence.
>You couldn’t show up to school or go anywhere else on the off-chance that she’d be there, and get hurt.
>Part of you screams internally that this is your final chance to talk to her and really say goodbye, or sorry, and you tell that part of you to shut up.
>You still have her phone number, but if it would make things better you wouldn’t be able to dial it.
>Right now your entire life boils down to a single controlled descent.
>Hit the bottom without killing anyone else, that’s your new goal.
>You think even ｢Timbuk Three｣ wouldn’t consider achieving that to be a happy moment.
>You hope.
>Slowly you peel yourself off of your couch and trudge off into the freezing day.

>Be Silver, putting the last of the suitcases in your dad’s car.
>Everything’s been packed since before the sun came up.
>The trip out’s been delayed just for you, now.
>Although it’s not like they’d have been able to coax Derpy out of her room any sooner.
>”So, this is it.”
>Diamond says, and you turn to her.
“Just for now. With ｢Tin Cup Chalice｣ I don’t think it’s possible to take me too far from CHS.”
>She smiles.
>”I’ll probably be moving to another city, actually. I have to stay with relatives until I’m old enough.”
>Her tone’s casual, but you know it’s an affectation.
>She doesn’t want to compare lost loved ones with you, even though she took a hit just as bad as yours was.
>This is a setback, though.
>You were hoping there would be more than one person left to clean up all of this.
>For a moment you imagine begging your family to let her come with you.
>But there’s no way that you’re going to let this be the last you see of Diamond Tiara.
>The girl you wanted to be, once...
>You dig into your backpack - it’ll be in the backseat with you in a minute - and pull out two of the tiles.
>As long as you have two, you can erode away pieces of the floor and summon them through those - so you’re lousy with them.
>You can even repair the floor afterwards.
>You’re starting to realize exactly how much you can do with your Stand without involving combat.
>But hers, on the other hand.
>She takes them from you, smiling politely.
>”I’ll send you useful things.”
>You smirk, and nod.
“And make sure to practice with your Stand. There’s no way that’s not going to change the world.”
>She looks a little sheepish, and then startled.
>”Actually, I have somewhere to be. Sorry.”
“It’s-”
>She vanishes into thin air.
>You stand in the fresh air next to your freshly-abandoned house, and feel the breeze.
“-Fine.”

>Be Flash Sentry.
>You’re sitting in one of the faculty offices at CHS - a perk of having friends in high places.
>Or, uh… friends that used to be in high places.
>Twilight’s the only other one here, and she’s way more nervous than you remember.
>Last night made her more approachable, more… human?
>You don’t know the word.
”It’ll go fine.”
>She stares at the smooth white table and the set-up chairs.
>The school reopened today, although there’s still minor fire damage along the hallways.
>”This is the last chance I have to do something, Flash. I… I don’t have anything left after this.”
“Aw, come on, you’re the smartest girl around. You’ll figure out a way through it!”
>You try to smile at her so that she’ll smile back.
>But she’s not looking at you.
>In fact, she seems more tense.
>”Flash, I don’t… I don’t like you.”
>The words hit you a little off guard.
“Woah. Twilight, that’s a little out of nowhere. Is there something-”
>She shakes her head, suddenly.
>”No, I just… I know that you’ve been a part of this because you… thought we could be something, and we can’t, and I need you to know that now.”
>She...
>Goodness.
“Twilight, I didn’t just start this because I wanted something from you. I wanted you to… to be happy. And if you don’t want me to stay, then - I can leave!”
>Your voice rises a little without you wanting it to.
>She winces.
>”No, of course I don’t want you to leave, but Sunset’s in another world now, and there’s… there’s no chance of there being anything between us. I’m sorry.”
>You want to brush the words off, but they dig in deep.
>You didn’t even ask her.
>You had to keep the secret, and pretend like she was someone else.
“If that’s really true, then why did you come save me on your own?”
>Being stuck with Anonymous hadn’t been the greatest, but you were asleep for most of it.
>It wasn’t like you’d need counseling or anything.
>But she came, all on her own, without sending any backup after her.
>“I couldn’t trust anyone else to make it past the Dazzlings, and anyone who could might still be a liability.”
“But that’s just it. Why rescue me at all?”
>She looks up at you, wounded.
>”I wasn’t going to let them kidnap you, just because! We all wanted to have you back!”
>You can’t help but smile at that.
>There’s still hope.
>The first of the Shadowbolts comes in.

>Be Anonymous.
>You’re rapidly running out of motels.
>Sonata stands by the window, watching carefully.
>You’re on the edge of town, past everything you grew up with.
>And you’re catching your breath.
>Your legs are still patching themselves up, but you can walk.
>It feels like there are bungee cords under your skin, snapping and then coming back together.
>All of it depends on the small patch of glowing red at your chest.
>You’re wearing it as a pendant now to keep it close to your heart, but later on you’ll figure something else out.
>｢Nowhere Man｣ needs to recover, too - you can summon up one whole ghost now.
>You can still remember how it felt, to be that close to opening a portal.
>To have even Twilight Sparkle, the goody-two-shoes hero of the day, begging for your help.
>And to nearly get Sonata through...
>She tenses at the window.
>｢Listening Chair｣ hasn’t changed.
>”They’re coming.”
>She says, and she’s deathly serious.
“How far away?”
>You ask, and then feel stupid.
>She’s already moving, grabbing your wheelchair from the corner of the room.
>”Close.”
>Your best bet is to get out before you even have a chance to see each other.
>Sonata hasn’t spoken much in the last couple of days, but ever since she resurrected you she’s seemed more hopeful.
>Now she’s looking in all directions - no, listening.
>Her hair moves this way and that, and she looks distractedly beautiful.
>You try to remind yourself that your life is in danger, but it’s not.
>If she’s right, you might be just like the rest of her little ‘family’ now.
>The big thing to worry about isn’t death, it’s starvation.

>Be Sugarcoat, sitting in a backseat and waiting.
>The whole car’s crowded - the Crusaders and the Shadowbolts are carpooling.
>The situation’s grim.
>You’ve been the one staking out Care Root’s house, keeping an eye on his movements.
>Or lack of them.
>You’re also the only one out of your group to have noticed that Twilight didn’t win and open a portal.
>All of you have spent time in the hospital, but he’s the one who physically damaged your Stand.
>It still won’t reappear for you, and now you can’t even have ｢Nails for Breakfast Demo｣ back.
>The story is that she just erased all of Care’s memories with her Stand and sent him on his way.
>But, of course, she needs you to pull off one last job.
>You can’t tell if she’s still trying to keep to the agreements you made or not.
>Either way, she couldn’t give you a jolt to summon back ｢Pavlov’s Daughter｣.
>And you doubt she can erase all the memories of Crystal Prep’s finest students.
>But… this was all meant to save the world, and you have to be unselfish.
>If there’s anything you can do for Equestria, anything that can make things better, it’s down to you to make it happen.
>Even if it means being lied to, or someone’s lackey - all of that comes with having a job in the first place.
>Even if it means waiting for the right moment and killing Care Root.

>Be Diamond.
>Your phone buzzed in your pocket when Trixie got a fix.
>She’s got the last of the gem-readers, as far as you know.
>｢Pink Act 3｣ takes it out of you, but you have all the time you need to rest in-between stints of movement until you deactivate it.
>So long as you get enough sleep at night, you can get from one end of the city to the other in the blink of an eye.
>So when she gave you coordinates, you only had to turn your Stand off and catch your breath a handful of times.
>You arrived eighty three seconds after you got the message, on a hill overlooking an incredibly unpleasant-looking roach motel.
>Trixie’s crouching and staring out through a pair of binoculars.
“Are they still inside?”
>You whisper - you still don’t know exactly how powerful their hearing is.
>”Unless they’ve disappeared.”
>Trixie says, drawing out the sounds thoughtfully like testing the answer to a crossword.
>You stand frozen, keeping yourself perfectly still, and replenish your natural stores of energy.
>Trixie watches on with infinite patience.
>A minute or two later, there’s a disturbance.
>The sound of something breaking, the falling of glass -
>And from the far side of the building, Sonata Dusk running, carrying Anonymous in her arms.
>She’s moving at a good sprint, heading for cover among buildings and trees -
>No one’s outside right now except for her and - the two other girls following her.
>The plan is a go.
>”｢Abracadabra｣!”
“｢Pink Act 3｣!”
>And then everything freezes.
>You take a breath, and notice the way light’s moving around Trixie.
>The space around her is starting to warp and bend a little, like she’s bunching up a blanket behind herself.
>Huh.
>You meander down the hillside - you have enough time.
>Sonata’s frozen in mid-run, barely touching the ground at all - and she’s wearing the pendant just like her sisters.
>Anonymous has some of it glowing on a pendant of his own, and you wonder if taking it off would kill him.
>Right now, without him ever knowing it, you have the power to decide if he lives or dies.
>The kind of power you would’ve killed for, back before you got ｢Pink｣ in the first place.
>The world stretches out around you, vast and heavy and quiet.
>No one would even know.
>...
>It takes a number of frustrating tugs to get it up over her head, and then it’s yours - about half of a gem.
>Now.
>The closest one is Adagio, which means Trixie’s called dibs on her.
>Further away’s Aria Blaze, still looking haggard from earlier this week.
>Or maybe that’s just how she looks with no gem to support her.
>Either way, you stroll past Adagio.
>Aria’s lagging behind her, not getting in the strokes of the run, so you can’t throw her off her pace by pushing her a few degrees to one side.
>You grip the gem in your hand - it has sharp, jagged edges along one side.
>Then you judge the point of impact - she’ll be running into it, which should help.
>｢Pink Act 3｣ spawns one of its nodes, floating wet and organic in the air behind you.
>You put the shard up to Aria’s head, judging the exact entry-point.
>You’ve been looking at a few diagrams, but you’re still not certain in the heat of the moment.
>Hopefully you’ve found the precentral gyrus...
>It just barely resists hitting the skin - a side-effect of the frozen time.
>Then the node floats ahead and wraps itself around her face, ready to push it in.
>Now, time will flow.
>While you watch from a couple feet away, Aria runs and then stumbles forward into your trap.
>And then the shard gets shoved in, and her body spasms forward.
>Her legs go out from under her and start kicking up dust on the ground.
>There’s a muffled scream, and Adagio stops behind you.
>Then Trixie’s next to her, grabbing her shoulders.
>”｢Abracadabra｣.”
>Even Sonata slows down and looks back at you.
>You look back at her and Anon, steadily.
>And then raise your voice, loud enough to call across the gulf.
”If you want to live, then run before I change my mind.”
>The echo rings out, and Sonata freezes, watching you like a frozen deer.
>And then, after a moment, she turns toward a corner and sprints away.

>Be Sunny Flare.
>You woke up in a hospital, far away from the carnage and chaos.
>And, unfortunately, surrounded by most of your teammates.
>Once you were all able to communicate, you polled the hallway.
>No one had stopped Sonata.
>No one had stopped Diamond Tiara or Care’s group either.
>The former was sitting in the
>Even the Rainbooms were out for the count, and most of them needed more care than the rest of you.
>Twilight never showed up to see them, and within a couple of days your group filtered out.
>Now you’re being sent on the mother of all wild goose chases, even with the portal opened.
>Care left his home late in the morning, and it takes a few minutes of searching to find him.
>The Crusaders get out on his doorstep and scan through it with their Stand for a good five minutes.
>Sniffing out the lines of destiny, or something.
>The way his Stand works - or worked, as you’re led to believe - it should stand out a lot stronger than anyone else’s.
>They talk to each other in hushed tones, holding a map between the three of them.
>Somehow they aren’t deathly cold, even though the air wants to snatch your breath from you the second you leave your car.
>You have no idea how it hasn’t snowed yet, but the sky’s dark-grey and pregnant.
>”Do you guys have a bad feeling about this?”
>Lemon asks, from the driver’s seat.
>Sour scowls next to you.
>”If it’s what we have to do.”
>Sugar’s riding passenger, and she looks at both of you in the rearview.
>“Don’t sound so defeated. We’re up against someone who can’t win by definition. This is just cleanup duty.”
>That doesn’t sit well with you.
“I know what Lemon means. We were aiming to gather the gems and open the portal, not to be someone’s personal assassination squad.”
>Of course you knew you might have to hurt people to get by, but...
>But you still haven’t used your Stand for that.
>Out of all of the people who fought these battles, almost everyone made it out in one piece.
>You start to wonder, if it was just another person, at random, would you have still tagged along to kill them?
>A knock on the window rouses you out of your thoughts.
>Sweetie Belle’s at the front of the triangle right now, and she looks grim and determined.
>Lemon opens it to let them back in, and you prepare to get smushed into the window again.
>Sweetie speaks with total conviction.
>”We know where he’s going, and we can catch him if we get there soon.”

>Be Derpy.
>Stop thinking about it.
>Just, please, stop thinking about it.
>You’re looking out of the window with your head cradled against your hand.
>The landscape rushes by around you.
>You’re leaving him - behind, after everything - after EVERYTHING.
>You don’t want to start crying in front of your parents.
>All of your things are still inside of the house, they’ll need to be moved out over the next few months.
>You try not to focus on France or home, holding yourself in some in-between state where nothing is real or important.
>If you can just hold yourself in that state, you can get through this.
>Your misery spreads throughout the car, dampening the mood and keeping everything quiet and still.
>Soon they’ll try to cheer you up, and that’ll be worse.
>And worst of all, it’ll work eventually, and you’ll betray everything built up in your chest right now, throw it all away for the sake of a retry.
>You want to open the door right now and jump out of it.
>Away from the people who can’t reach out to you any longer.
>｢Spinal Tap｣ is still somewhere out in the world.
>You wish it could bring you him without destroying itself.
>You wish you could be anywhere else.
>The airport stretches into the distance.

>Be Sour Sweet.
>When you all pull up, Care’s car is already outside of the house.
>It’s a house in a quiet, sunny, la-di-da neighborhood, with a great big tacky tree in the front yard.
>You’re especially out of balance today, and you’re rearing to break him into small pieces.
>The air around is all dour and down, blue and hopeless.
>You feel like nobody really wants to go to war again.
>You’re not like that.
>When someone puts you in a hospital, you’ll damn well repay the favor.
>You’re pushed up against the door with the handle digging into your ribcage, and you pop it open as soon as you’ve rolled to a stop.
>｢Message Man｣ ripples into the air next to you as soon as there’s room for it, and you feel especially excited.
>Sugarcoat and Sunny are making their little comments, but you’re not listening.
>You head over towards the car - but after a few steps he’s obviously not in it.
>Then you notice him - around the side, looking in through a window like he’s about to rob the place.
>He’s a sitting duck, barely even aware of you.
>By now everyone else is finally piling out of the car, and you’re losing the element of surprise.
>Time to go on the attack!


>Be Twilight, standing in the scarred remains of the school.
>The wait is murdering you.
>You’ve been spending too much time in these halls.
>Especially inside of Silver’s Stand, the whole chunk of it you can still feel in your fingertips.
>With time and effort, maybe you can recreate your ｢Midnight Special｣.
>But first you just need to get the message out, what worked and what didn’t.
>There’s no way that this can’t work, but...
>You’ve stopped believing in sure things.
>The lingering effect of his Stand’s the only reason you’re not going yourself.
>That and that you’re useless now.
>But it doesn’t matter, even if he manages to survive he’s got nowhere to go.
>You’ve had his house staked out, and he never leaves it.
>If he comes back tonight unscathed, you can pick him off carefully in his sleep.

>Be Scootaloo.
>The Shadowbolts rush ahead of you, heading for Derpy’s house.
>Really it’s not her house any more, but you remember looking down on it with Twilight.
>You felt so frickin’ clever back then, didn’t you?
>You were the one who suggested that Silver should be given a Stand, and you were the one who ran around setting things up so that she’s go meet Anonymous.
>Hell, you were even behind the Factory going badly, if you look at it the right way.
>And this guy whose life you shaped has finally noticed what’s going on.
>He turns slightly and jumps backward at the small army of Stand users coming for him, and then he bolts around the back of the house.
>His car’s out here, and he’s going to come back for it.
>He ducks around the next corner, coming around the right-hand side of the building, racing across the yard.
>A chunk of dust and wall goes flying out into the lawn, with ｢Message Man｣ trailing behind it.
>Sour’s face is red, and she’s running after him as vehemently as she can.
>He locks eyes with you for a moment, maybe judging if you can beat him to wherever he’s going.
>He hasn’t swerved off to his car yet.
>And then you realize why.
>The tree’s glowing, with cracks of faint blue in it.
>He stops at it, and then ｢Message Man｣ is on top of him.
>You flinch preemptively - but when it strikes for his head, there’s a crack as ｢Timbuk Three｣ blocks it.
>Sour stumbles backwards - she doesn’t understand.
>But ｢Lemon Demon｣ appears next to him, and then Lemon Zest with it - and they strike for his abdomen.
>This time it hits, and he goes sprawling closer to you.
>You take your opportunity and race towards him with ｢Steam Powered GIraffe｣ out.
>He sees you coming, eyes judging distances - and he rolls out of way as you bring the fist down where he was sitting.
>Zest hasn’t caught up to you yet, but she finally reaches the spot - too late.
>It takes her just a little too long to readjust ｢Lemon Demon｣, and Care reaches the tree.
>At this point Sour’s on top of him again, and she aims her punch downwards.
>She gets the idea, now - wound instead of kill.
>｢Timbuk Three｣ won’t allow any attacks that would kill him without any pain.
>But just as much, it won’t force him to go through that pain if this is already going to be a bad memory for him.
>You’re rushing over to him when he leaps into the path of ｢Message Man｣’s fist.
>Something cracks in his side, but he splays out his arms and grabs around the base of the tree.
>It’s weathered now, mostly leafless, with a few discarded yellow skins dotting the ground underneath of it.
>And then the cracks in the tree grow wider.
>The whole thing makes a nasty, groaning sound, like a dozen pieces of ripping tape.
>And then he moves around one side, still hugging it, as it falls down.
>｢Message Man｣ holds it up, but the blue light crackles against it, and Sour cries out.
>The tree jerks around as she throws it off, light exploding off of it - and it hits the front of the house.
>The branches snap, but the trunk breaks through the wall like wallpaper, digging a furrow-shaped window into it.
>Just inside, you can see what Care saw.
>The faint light, in the distance but then switching to a new target as the last one disintegrates.
>｢Timbuk Three｣, destroying everything Derpy owned, one piece at a time.
>Sugar and Sunny have finally made it around the side of the house - and now the light’s grazing them.
>They look up and duck as a glowing teapot soars over their heads.
>Sour’s straining, ｢Message Man｣ gripping at the tree.
>Care’s rushing back to his car - Lemon’s running for him, but you can beat her to it.
>You rush forward for him, swinging ｢Steam Powered Giraffe｣ - and he dodges again.
>Lemon’s just overtaking him, and she runs into the fist, throwing her hands against it to slow herself.
>Bits of the house are popping and fizzing with light now, jumping out of the furrow.
>She vaults over you, but she’s been delayed too much.
>He jumps into his car from the passenger - and the tree flies through the air like a missile.
>It whistles past you, throwing wind in your face, and then crashes into a layer of light sandwiched six or seven layers thick.
>It stalls in the air and then crashes back to earth, shaking the ground under you.
>He has enough time to get into the front seat - you run for him but -
>He slams on the gas, and gets running.
>The tree starts to roll into the road, and there’s no time to think.


>Be Lemon Zest.
>He’s getting away.
>｢Lemon Demon｣ can only get you there faster than him if you’re using the same method.
>And you’re having really awful luck right now.
>You rush back to the car as fast as possible - wait - how long will it take to get the rest of the group?
>Too long.
>The closest person is Scootaloo, with the other two kids hanging back by the doors.
”Get in!”
>You shout at the three of them, and they come to life and scramble for the doors.
>｢Lemon Demon｣ takes hold again, and you flip right over the roof of the car.
>The world goes psychedelic and upside-down around you as your hair trails in the air.
>Then all at once, you’ve landed, reached out, opened the door and jumped in.
>No time for seatbelts.
>You swerve around the tree and ram the gas.
>At first you’re not sure that you’ve found him, but then the bright sheen covers the car.
>You keep the street rolling underneath of you, as fast as possible.
>You hope they managed to -
>Yes, they closed the door and made it inside.
>Which means it’s four to one!
>Those are still perfect odds!
>Something was going on with him and Sour, something with the tree, and you still don’t get it.
>But no matter where he’s running, you can be there first.
>In a one-on-one fight, with that giant monster Stand to back you up when things go south, you’re golden.
>You blow a corner and -
>There he is!
>Heading out of the suburbs, and further from the city.
>Maybe to the highways?
>｢Lemon Demon｣ can get you there first no matter what, just as long as you have a rough idea.
>If he can even get there!
>It travels up your arms and you take the next turn sharp.
>Another turn and you’re next to him - hitting his side.
>He speeds up while his car shudders around him, and you speed up more.
>You can keep this up all day!
>And then something jolts you.
>From behind, traveling up your arms, at first you think it’s a problem with your Stand but-
>It grips just above your elbows and doesn’t let go.
>You feel something change, and ｢Lemon Demon｣ falls away.
>It goes out like… the tide.
>Care pulls ahead, he’s gaining distance, and you try to match pace with him, but you need to know what’s happening and-
>The hands have closed around your arms.
>｢Steam Powered Giraffe｣!
>Somehow!
>You twist to get a look at the Crusaders, and they’re all staring back at you.
>They don’t even look nervous.
>Sweetie Belle speaks.
>”We have to catch up to him at the right pace. Making him desperate won’t help anything.”
>Making him desperate won’t help anything.
>What?
>You just have to ram him hard enough to send him out of - he’s getting away!
>You try to regain control of your Stand, but it won’t show up.
>You can’t even wriggle out of the seat and jump out of the car.
“What are you doing?”
>You shout at the top of your lungs.
>They stay silent for a moment, but you can see in the rearview mirror that they don’t look away.
>You come up on the next turn, and your hands move for you.
>Sweetie talks again, grimly.
>”We’re taking this to the end ourselves.”

>Be Trixie.
>Adagio doesn’t know what’s hitting her.
>One moment she’s on the ground, and by the time she’s wriggled around in your grip enough to look back at you, she’s a couple hundred feet off the ground.
>This is a strain, but you’re well-rested, and you might just be able to do it.
>She looks at you with infinite disdain, not even bothering to speak, and then her hands are turning to grab at you.
>Her grip is like iron, raw and crushing, and you can feel your skin bruising already.
>But you’re not focused on your body.
>You’re looking at the part of yourself that’s outside of that, the power of Stand that illuminates your way!
”You think so you’re so indestructible that you’re not even worried about getting away from me! Maybe with some Equestrian magic you’d be dangerous, but you have no understanding of strategy!”
>The air isn’t very conducive to shouting, but you know she can hear you.
>Her grip tightens, which is exactly what you want.
>Higher, higher, further from the reference point and from breathable air.
>You just have to leave enough to sail back down...
>Your eyes have popped, now, and you’re starting to get lightheaded, but you’ve got further to go.
>Adagio doesn’t have this problem - she digs in deeper, and you cry out.
>Maybe because she’s figured out what’s about to happen.
>She’s not even resorting to her Stand, which you were worried about - she’s decided to kill you, or force you to throw her off.
>You struggle underneath of her as her fingers sink into the skin of your arm and your shoulder.
>She could rip it out of the socket if she really wanted to.
>This creature from another world who controlled you, who hunted you and your friends, who made all of this mess necessary from her side to begin with...
>You relax, and ｢Abracadabra｣ throws her off.
>A fall from this distance could kill anyone.
>But Adagio’s not really a person, and you know not to underestimate her.
>You don’t even know if it’s possible to kill her, but you have to clean up the mess here.
>Her smug expression bottoms out into confusion as she realizes that she’s not falling.
>You are.
>There are black spots in your vision, but you push her further and further away from you.
>You have to stretch that line to the ends of your sanity!
>Come on!
>Out into...
>Space...
>She becomes imperceptible, and you fall.

>Be Sweetie Belle.
>He’s stopped at the outskirts of the city.
>You finally catch up to the car - it’s on the side of the road, near a bridge over the highway.
>You make Lemon slow down, and then chart the next part of her route, selecting for it among the possible destinations.
>She slows down, and then ｢Steam Powered Giraffe｣ reaches up a hand and stops her carotid artery.
>Scootaloo jumps up between the seats, puts it in park and rips out the key.
>Lemon struggles, but she goes under.
>You’ll figure out what to do with her later.
>She was very susceptible to your Stand - just tapping it was enough to send her off on her own and away from the others.
>You and Bloom stuck behind and affected the car a little, enough that it wouldn’t be damaged and you’d all be in it.
>The rest of the Shadowbolts are still at the house for all you know - Lemon’s phone is ironically the only one that actually works right now.
>You, Scootaloo and Bloom all have yours turned off, of course.
>You come up on him on the overpass, overlooking the cars with his hands on the railing.
>He’s judging the distance.
>You picked this place for him - low enough that it might work, or else ｢Timbuk Three｣ might not allow him anywhere near it.
>He’s lost in thought, and you cough so you don’t spook him.
>It doesn’t work.
>He turns towards you - shocked, and you hold up your hands.
>｢Steam Powered Giraffe｣ is held away, underneath your collective aura.
“We’re not here to hurt you.”
>You lie through your teeth.
>He stops backing up by a half-step, and then watches you.
>There’s something less than human about him, now.
>He knows that there’s no hope, maybe more than anyone who ever lived.
>You helped turn his life into a Beckett play.
“We’re going to help you, Care. If you run away the rest of the Shadowbolts will find you, and Twilight or Flash will take care of you all on their own. This is your last real choice.”
>His eyes shift from you to behind you - but no one’s coming.
>Then he sighs.
>”Look, Twilight wanted to turn you against me and she manipulated things so that you wouldn’t be able to fight on my side. If you want-”
“We know.”
>”-to take whatever - what?”
>You smile, and Bloom smiles beside you.
“We know you tried to help us. None of us are very happy that you hospitalized everyone besides us-”
>Scootaloo grumbles beside you.
“-but we know you were doing your best. And, well…”
>You look to Scootaloo, and her arms are still folded, but she steps forward and next to you to talk.
>”Both of them could see you bringing them back to life, and a little bit of whatever happened after that. They talked about the memories with me, and figured out that I was missing too many. But whatever you did to help us, it still wasn’t right to go after Rainbow Dash like that!”
>He doesn’t respond to the barb, and having said it, some of the strength goes out of her.
>You take the lead again.
“By now you know that Twilight wanted to keep Sunset safe. We couldn’t tell you that before, but now that you have the whole picture you should also know that we can still help you.”
>He looks like you’re about to sell him a car.
>”That’s… very generous of you, if it’s true, but I can’t turn off my Stand to let you try and make any changes.”
>You try to broadcast your smile past the greyness of his thoughts.
“Your Stand’s stuck you into a certain destiny, based on having the right beginning and end. We don’t know if it picks the same one every time or one completely randomly, but it’s only you that it affects.”
>He listens and then, faintly, nods.
>You point to your two best friends, each in turn.
”We have free will to do whatever we want, no matter how your Stand works. It’s only interested in stopping people from making you feel better, not anything else they do.”
>He waits a moment, and takes another sighable breath.
>”It stops me from having a happy memory about whatever I’m doing. I’ve looked for ways around it, believe me, and I really do appreciate it, but if there was a way out then it wouldn’t be possible.”
>With the finality of the words, he glances back to the road.
>｢Steam Powered Giraffe｣ appears above you, and his head snaps back.
>You try to keep your voice level as the three of you stride closer to him.
“It’s not going to be a happy memory.”
>He tries to vault over the edge, but he’s too late.
>｢Steam Powered Giraffe｣ grabs him by the arm and lifts him backwards and away from the rail.
>And then there are a number of precise, carefully-aimed punches.
>｢Timbuk Three｣ has routes to reassert itself, ways to take over for the rest of the day.
>You feel out one and then another as they break underneath of you, trying not to break any bones.
>Skin bruises, sprains form, he groans in pain.
>You wince and close your eyes.
>It’s just lights, just the way the lights intersect with his life.
>Throwing him back out of his car - severing a limb - crushing the three of you -
>Each one falls away, one at a time, but it takes minutes.
>The more of them you break away at the roots, the more long branches of misery disappear from his life.
>One by one, the long fingers of the Stand get drawn out.
>And then, just as you’re getting halfway, his eyes roll back in his head and he faints.


>Be Derpy, waiting at a terminal.
>People bustle past, tugging along suitcases like chunky grey-black pets.
>You’re going to be in the air soon, far away from all of this.
>As far as you’re going to get, the last moment of transition.
>You hang onto your seat and wait for them to start boarding.
>It’ll be another couple hours, but it’s not like time matters to you any more.
>It’s up to you to sit and wait and let time do its damage.
>Maybe once you’ve built up a big enough arsenal with ｢Spinal Tap｣ you can come back here and sort everything out.
>You try to focus on that, although it feels as slim and far away as a goal can be.
>Silver answers her phone.
>Your own was vibrating earlier, and you shut it off.
>Now she gasps, and turns her head to you.
>”Yeah. Yeah, just a minute.”
>She treads over to you, and you’re not in any place for this.
>You hold a hand out to ward her away as she waggles the phone at you.
>Then her voice comes out, a little annoyed.
>”It’s Care.”
>You look up at her, hurt and angry - is this some kind of joke to her?
>You snatch the phone and put it to your ear.
“Hello?”
>”Derpy.”
>Oh, god.


>Be Care.
>You finish telling her the plan and lower the phone.
>The Crusaders haven’t moved, so they heard the gist.
>Sweetie steps forward, still beaming at you.
>You’re sore all over, and it’s only going to get worse, but you’ll have time to lay back and air out soon.
>She reaches up on her tiptoes and grabs your collar, adjusting it a little.
>Then she pats off your shoulders, as well as she can.
>Her hands dig in for a second, and then the less harmful effect of ｢Steam Powered Giraffe｣ runs under your skin.
>You try not to wince.
>”Good luck.”
>She says.
>You nod back at her, and stagger off to your car with your legs like jelly.
>At least you’re a little well-rested now.
>You move past the car that was chasing you earlier and try not to think about Derpy’s house.
>None of the others have found you yet.
>But once you get into your car, you pull out your phone and take a breath.
>Then you beat the glass against the dashboard.
>After a moment time stands still and you stare at the screen.
>Please, please, please...
>｢Spinal Tap｣ bursts out of the phone, suddenly filling the car.
>Showtime.
>It phases through and grabs the bottom, lifting you up into the air.
>It’s a familiar and oh so sweet feeling.
>And you jet forward.
>You have to make one final stop, and then get to the airport.

>Be Twilight.
>You’re crouching in the hallway, focusing on the magic inside of it.
>Spiderwebs of quasi-Equestrian magic lead up through the walls and move in swirls from ceiling to floor.
>The last echo of another world, you can almost feel it.
>Just focus on the arrow in your mind, try to think of the magic that was making it up.
>This could take years, but you have them, that and necessity.
>Once Care’s out of the way, it’ll be a matter of time to get that, gather what remains of the gems and try to build...
>Maybe some kind of focusing apparatus?
>Sunset’s journal still doesn’t have a link - you check it several times a day.
>But besides that, there might be natural sources of native magic somewhere in the world.
>If there are you might have time to find them - maybe more than Sunset has.
>You let your mind drift away from that while you try to work with what’s available to you.
>Flash is at Care’s house, he’ll be able to incapacitate him if he decides to go back home somehow.
>But why haven’t your forces reported back yet?
>You learned long ago that no answer is the worst answer.
>No sooner do you think that than the outer wall explodes at you.
>You cover your face instinctively, and then the car’s in the hallway with you.
>You look up at--
>Care.
>At first you expect to be thrown back in a burst of light, but you haven’t done anything to him yet.
>He steps out of the car and nearly falls on his hands and knees - he moves like he’s on something.
>And he’s ignoring you - ｢Spinal Tap｣ rushes ahead of him and smashes into the floor.
>The car starts to glow and disintegrate behind him as he grabs hold of two large chunks of flooring.
>｢Spinal Tap｣ disappears, and you seize your opportunity.
>You have to!
>He doesn’t turn around, but you put your fist into the side of his mouth.
>You feel like an animal, but at least he goes faltering down.
>Then the car blows up in the standard explosion - and he goes flying.
>You don’t - in fact, you can catch him and end this!
>He’s either playing dead or completely unconscious, and you calculate the distance carefully.
>And you move to one side and grab for him.
>He smashes into you, and the explosion rushes with him - you go sliding backwards.
>You push against it.
>He’s limp in your arms, and there’s no blue light guarding his body.
>You can barely believe it.
>If you just reach down and grip his neck with both hands and...
>You’re frozen for a moment, staring at him.
>He’s a battered wreck of a human being, something alien you should never have encountered.
>Like a wounded animal somewhere deep inside of a dark forest, wailing in its misery.
>This isn’t the time to just - freeze...
>Why couldn’t the Shadowbolts have been here?!
>They nearly finished him off, but maybe Derpy helped hold them off somewhere.
>For all you know Diamond Tiara or Trixie or someone else could come busting in right behind him, you shouldn’t have let the shock stop you - and you need to seize on your chance!
>Down the hallway the energy shifts, and the car starts to reform.
>｢Spinal Tap｣ appears out of it again, snaking towards you.
>Now’s your last chance.
>You look down at Care and steel yourself.
>Behind his eyelids, his eyes flutter.

>Be Derpy.
>You’ve excused yourself a little bit for some fresh air, trying to hide the pep in your step.
>Silver covers for you.
>Outside it’s bitter cold, and you can barely tell.
>Your space is limited, and you want to make sure that he doesn’t get shot down as an unknown aircraft.
>There’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to pull him after you across the ocean.
>Just as long as he can make it here.
>As long as you don’t need to take it blindly that he’s out there.
>The cold freezes into your bones with that moment of doubt.
>Goodness is your heart pounding!
>You have no idea of exactly which direction you’re facing in, so you don’t know where he’s coming from.
>The sun’s so bright - you wish you had some of those tacky plastic sunglasses, even in the winter - there!
>Maybe it’s a plane that’s very very far away, but -
>No, it’s boxy, smallish, and worn out.
>You try to concentrate on ｢Spinal Tap｣, but it moves almost on its own.
>There’s no great alarms or shouts from the rooftops, but after a moment you focus.
>Really, no point risking it this close.
>Cars are visible, but no one can see Stands.
>｢Spinal Tap｣ sets the car down in a lot nearby, or behind a building somewhere.
>Then it takes him out and carries him on his way.
>You hope he doesn’t mind the manhandling - and he’s up.
>He’s lying limp in your Stand’s bridal carry.
>He’s not--
>No, there’s no way.
>He has to have made it the rest of the way!
>Your Stand floats him down into the world again, and he looks...
>Bad.
>Really bad.
>You rush closer to him.
>Oh, Care.
>You mutter to yourself under your breath and try to take his pulse.
>Your hand moves up and down his wrist looking for the right vein, feeling his skin.
>He...
>You can touch him.
>He lets out a rattle, and then a cough into the open air, and his eyes open as slits.
>You reach over and hug at him as hard as you can.
>And behind him - ｢Timbuk Three｣!
>It floats in the air, but it’s -
>Breaking into pieces, just like the alternate version of Care.
>His voice comes rumbling against your collarbone.
>”Augh. H-hey, Derpy.”
>You lean back and look at him through blurry eyes.
>He kept his promise.
“You came back.”
>There’s a note of the same blurriness in your voice now, too.
>He looks up at you for a moment, looking somewhere between sleep and wakefulness.
>His eyes switch from one of yours to the other and back again, searching.
>At last, he speaks, half-groaning.
>”Sorry. I knocked down your lemon tree.”
>You stare at him for a moment, processing that.
>And then you giggle.
End of Act 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APGJM37aRy0

[spoiler]The End[/spoiler]