CRBA, Episode 21: Midnight Special

Care Root's Bizarre Adventure, Episode 21: Midnight Special

>Be Sunset Shimmer.
>You're running through what used to be the final destination for this whole game.
>You didn't think you'd be back here, ever.
>But of course, the Dazzlings used whatever they had available to meet their goals.
>Including all of these people...
>Twilight...
>You can see her, unmoving, slumped against the ground.
>Aria Blaze steps closer to her, with her guard focused completely on you.
>Adagio stands back, speaking to Care, who's... gone.
>You were hoping to deal with these things one at a time, but as long as you can get back to ｢Midnight Special｣...
>You don't drop speed as you charge towards Aria.
>Your Stand has no effect on the Dazzlings; they don't die in the regular timeline, no matter what.
>And likewise, hers is completely useless in broad daylight.
>Which means this could come down to a fistfight, a standstill.
>She must know this, but she doesn't flinch as you head towards her.
>She looks almost bored, as if she's seen what you're about to do before, in a dozen other places.
>But then everything goes dark overhead.
>It's like the...
>Sun just went out.
>It's night again, and you can feel the magic radiating from Care and being lost into the air, utterly wasted.
>You can feel it fade a little more from the world.
>Equestrian magic, gone forever.
>He doesn't react.
>And as the note of despair rings in your heart, Aria's Stand whips against you like a car crash.
>A band of darkness like some giant's belt whips you off of your feet, and hit the concrete headfirst.
>It smarts, but you open your eyes through the hurt and check your position.
>In the darkness it's still hard to make out who's who, but you can see the fuzzy outline of the body slumped on the ground, closer to you than any other figure.
>It drove you parallel to Twilight, and away from Care.
>If you weren't immortal, it would have killed you at the same time, but it doesn't matter.
>You get back up to your feet, and before your back straightens you can hear the whistle of another tendril coming for you.
>You duck, waiting a moment in surprise that it didn't knock you over anyway, and then dash towards Care.
>Adagio'll be trying to get the gems out of him, you already know.
>If you can just put a damper on that, things can still work out.
>Without the Equestrian magic that helped you out the first time, you don't know if you can get your Canterlot High friends to 'pony up' now.
>Which means the only way this can go badly is if the Dazzlings gain all three gems.
>You've always had the Crusaders around to make that impossible, of course, but they haven't had a chance to get near Care in the last week.
>So if it were ever going to happen, it would be now, maybe right this minute.
>You have to stop Aria and Adagio before that can happen!
>Another tendril whips out of the darkness for you, coming in low.
>You jump over it, clearing it like an Olympic hurdle, but then the blurry figure of Aria dashes closer to you.
>She flung herself into the air, just slightly, tossing herself like a skipping stone into your path.
>You curve slightly, heading around her, not even stopping to trade blows or try to unbalance her.
>It won't work.
>You're only a few feet away from Care and Adagio.
>And if he attacks you at all, he'll be creating light that makes it harder for Aria to fight effectively.
>You just have to get into the right position...
>You catch a snippet of them, her voice mellow and his dead.
>"Now, send out for those gemstones and bring them back to us."
>"I... already did."
>He sounds despondent, lost.
>Like somewhere inside himself he knows that this isn't right.
>He just can't escape her spell like this, not without your help!
>Both of them ignore you as you close the distance, not slowing down.
>You're going to ram both of them like bowling pins if you have to!
>And then your legs give out.
>It's like they're suddenly encased in concrete, they go completely stiff.
>Your body locks up tightly, and then you fall forward, about to smash the concrete again.
>But you don't make the impact.
>In fact, the ground gets further away.
>Your stomach tightens as you get pulled back, darkness pressing against you like a coffin.
>You see Aria below you, looking up.
>And Care and Adagio, further away.
>They're too smart to ever let you actually get nearby.
>And then, all of a sudden, you're slammed down to earth like you're a fly caught in some impossibly large palm.
>The impact rattles your bones, and presses you into the earth.
>Another lift upwards, much shorter, and you're slammed down again.
>You can feel the spikes as they penetrate, the Stand energy itself passing into you.
>It's numb as the rest of the pain, but still not a pleasant experience.
>And then you're suddenly flung away, with your limbs moving again, falling the last few feet to the earth.
>You're further from Care now, facing the crowd of people.
>The Shadowbolts are there, walking forward, and so are Trixie's former brigade, and the magician herself.
>You can't take them on without hurting them, and they don't deserve that.
>To your left is Twilight's body, and in the same rough direction you can hear Aria stepping closer.
>You get up off of the ground and charge towards her.
>And make it all of five feet before you're knocked back to the earth, the latest attack coming from above you.
>You don't try to get up this time.
>You just move across the ground, closer to Aria.
>Another strike, and you stop crawling.
>You're right next to Twilight now, nowhere near Adagio or Care.
>And you can start to feel the song, now.
>This must be what it feels like, the energy from her Stand being inside of you felt wrong, not like Equestrian magic but some kind of perversion.
>You can feel her need for control in your bones now, like some kind of parasite.
>If she just hits you enough, you could be turned over to her side.
>You reach out a hand stiffly, and place it over Twilight's.
>Then Aria pulls you up again, this time by your throat.
>Your feet touch the ground briefly, and then leave it, hovering an inch off.
>She stands in front of you, staring you down as her spell works its way through you.
>Your hands clutch at your throat as she steps closer, completely serious.
>"You can't die, just like us, but you can still break."
>She speaks to you like an interrogator or a torturer, looking up into your face.
>"As soon as we get back our gems, you're going to kill every person here. Each one will step forward so you can hear their name and their life story and their family tree, and then you're going to use your Stand on them. We can make this night last as long as it has to."
>Her face breaks out into the worst kind of smile.
>"And at the end of it, we'll stop controlling you, and leave you alone. That way you can live with what you've done. Maybe we'll take the pain away from you again and put you back under, if you beg us for a hundred years. But maybe not."
>You lower slightly, as she stands inches from you, staring into your eyes intently, searching for any weakness.
>Your hands drop from your throat.
>And then drive forward, towards her.
>She doesn't react, and then it's too late.
>Her eyes go wide as she feels it plunge into her chest, and the glow is powerful enough to unbind you.
>As the binds around your neck disintegrate, you shout the name.
"｢Midnight Special｣!"
>A column of raw magic rips into her.
>For a normal person, this might shred her insides.
>And for a normal Stand user, who could really be altered by it...
>Thankfully she's not one of those.
>You twist it in further, sending her deeper into shock and stumbling backwards.
>Adagio's shrieking siren-voice comes in, and the crowd mobilizes towards you, but you press your advantage.
>Aria gets driven down to the ground, gasping in an almost religious rapture.
>She wanted Equestrian magic for a thousand years at least, a taste of real power.
>Now, she's choking on it.
>You pin her to the ground with the arrow, letting it pierce through her heart and work its way through her bloodstream.
>After a few more seconds, her eyes roll back in their sockets and her limbs start twitching against the ground, beating strange drumbeats on the concrete.
>You go deeper, trying to feel out the source of her Stand.
>And then, as best as you can, you annihilate it.
>She goes still all of a sudden, and you rip the arrow back out.
>She's incapacitated, at least.
>Before you can celebrate, a giant fist of light smashes into you.
>You don't fall this time, skidding backwards on your feet with the impact as it envelopes the front half of your body.
>And then the surface becomes rough and tears at your hands, forcing them open.
>The light bends your fingers away and rips out the arrow, pulling it away from you.
>Care looks as deadeyed as ever, but his Stand delivers ｢Midnight Special｣ right into Adagio's hand.
>He speaks.
>"The gems are about to arrive."
>She turns the arrow over in her free hand, grinning at it.
>Then she looks up at you, eyebrow cocked.
>"So this is the secret weapon? I knew I felt a source for it all somewhere, but she never gave us a good look when she came on her little rescue mission."
>You try to call back the arrow, but it doesn't come.
>Adagio's willpower is anchoring the magic, just like during the Battle of the Bands.
>The pit drops out of your stomach again.
>Adagio smiles at you as you rush towards her, relishing in your panic.
>One of the gems falls gently down in front of her, drifting out of the sky in its red glow like a shooting star.
>She closes a hand around it, and her eyes glow.
>Her song starts up, and this time you're really not gonna make it.
>The sky itself starts to glow red.
>And then she stops, and jerks forward.
>Her face mirrors Aria's expression, for a moment.
>And then the red leaves the sky, and the song stops completely.
>Your ears ring with the sudden gulf of silence.
>And then she falls forward, clutching at her throat.
>Care steps back, gasping and free from her control.
>And as it turns back into daytime, you struggle to see what just happened.
>Laying in front of Adagio is a gem, but... her hand is still clenched shut, the other grasping at her throat.
>Then the other had already come?
>No, her throat… no, that’s it!
>Care must have planned to be under their spell from the beginning.
>Obviously, once they had control of him, they’d force him to fly in the gems from wherever he'd been keeping them, so he sent for them early.
>One went to her hand, to lull her into a false sense of security.
>And as she gained in power, she wouldn't notice the other one curving around behind her!
>The second gem pierced through her neck before she could react, a part of her self capable of hurting the rest of her!
>It sliced right into her vocal cords, and her song died in her throat.
>You pull back the arrow from her with a thought, returning the Stand to your hand.
>It keeps its power, and you try to pull some of her energy with it.
>Meanwhile, Care's stepping back, eyes scanning in all directions.
>Behind you, everyone's coming to, including the police.
>Adagio's still moving, breathing, but she's not going to attack anyone soon.
>You have to uncomplicate this, quickly.
>As soon as you can get all three gems, you'll be golden.
>Care notices you.

>Be Care.
>You come to, to Adagio fallen on the ground and Sunset staring at you.
>She's holding the arrow, looking caught between decisions.
>You were successful.
>But you don't give her an opening from here.
>｢Timbuk Three｣ reaches out into the surrounding area and plucks the gems.
>One, two... three.
>They come flying into the air, and you snatch them out.
>She stands there, still watching you, her grip tightening on the arrow.
>You can't cut her arm off this time.
>"You know that I need those. Whatever you're planning to do with them, it's not going to work out."
>Her voice is soft, and metered, like she's trying to talk you off of a ledge.
>Yours is harsh and dry, like you're using it just after you wake up.
>You're not having this argument again.
"The Crusaders told me what happens to you, the way this usually goes."
>That seems to widen her eyes.
>She didn't think you'd bring that up?
"They said you die in the end, trying to open the portal up again, but... they couldn't explain to me how they knew it. Is that really true, or is it just something you made them say to make me feel bad?"
>She stands still for a moment, processing it like it's entirely new information.
>Her lips move as she remembers something, staring into the middle distance - or maybe she's just putting on a show for you.
>Then she shakes her head.
>"I-I... don't know what you're talking about."
>She really looks like she doesn't.
"You expect me to believe that?"
>What would she get out of lying now, though?
>At least, with a lie that she wasn't aware of her own future?
>Where would the Crusaders have gotten the information from, if it wasn't from her?
>It doesn't make sense!
>When she looks at you, it's with the same, steady gaze she's worn every time you've spoken with her.
>"It's the truth. I've tried to be honest with you, Care. I don't want to have to hurt anyone to finish this, but I'll do it, even if it does mean that I don't make it through in the end."
>She lowers her eyes a fraction and her voice softens.
"If I hadn't come here from Equestria in the first place, maybe none of this would have happened to start with."
>There's suddenly a coughing nearby.
>You turn in the direction, almost afraid of what you'll see.
>It's Twilight.
>She's stirring!
>Her eyes open halfway, and her body shakes a little.
>In fact, she's trying to sit up!
>It's astounding, but she must have struggled through what happened to her.
>Your mind races to figure out how she doesn't have a hole in her chest.
>You don't know how the power works directly, but maybe the shadow-spike could have passed through her without actually penetrating the skin.
>Then, whatever damage it did, it wasn't enough to kill her.
>Or... no, maybe the attack was never meant to be fatal.
>The Dazzlings had plans for her - as a hostage, or for whatever it was Adagio was talking about.
>Your eyes flick back to her, on the ground, and she's gone still.
>Still breathing.
>"C... Care..."
>Twilight says, trying to prop herself up on an elbow.
>Her glasses lie a ways away, but she meets your eyes.
>Her jaw is stained red.
>Oh no.
>At the same time you notice that, Sunset raises up the arrow, pointing it straight for you.
>She's heartless, single-minded.
>But you knew that already.
>Like clockwork, ｢Timbuk Three｣ seizes the moment.
>From where they'd been lifted off the ground behind her, four bodies swoop in between her and yourself, shielding you like a short guy in the back of a group picture.
>Derpy, Diamond, Silver and Trixie!
>For reasons beyond you, Mr. Rich wasn't among the people here.
>You'll have to think about it later.
>For now, all four of your allies jerk, backing up closer to you.
>Sunset withdraws the arrow as fast as she can, but suddenly they're all looking around, coming out of it themselves.
>You were hoping it would at least activate their Stands and give you an opening, but this is much better.
>Then, as Sunset steps back, looking for a next move, you reach out again.
>A field of light draws in around the arrow, and Sunset notices.
>The energy inside it crackles against you.
>But then she lets go of it, and it disintegrates into the air.
>You let it go, and it doesn't come back to her immediately.
>Instead, she puts out her other hand.
>｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣ summons up another version of you, close enough that it starts to hurt.
>You have a minute before he understands what's going on.
>You just have to get out of here.
>And figure out how to get Twilight out and to safety, as fast as--
>Something cold and slimy slips under your skin, through your back.
>It's something you've never felt before, like someone injecting icewater into your spine.
>Your whole body stiffens.
>And then it grabs at your throat.
>You feel ｢Timbuk Three｣ dissipate from around you.
>Some other Stand from the alternate version of you?
>No, Sunset stiffens the same way.
>At the same time she does that, the other version of you actually dissipates back into the air.
>So much for that.
>As it grips your heart, your body shakes for a second.
>Your muscles spasm, and then your hand opens.
>All three gems fall out onto the floor.
>Swooping over Twilight comes a translucent green ghost.
>Oh no.
>Another song starts up, haltingly, and one of the gems glows faintly on the ground at your feet.
>Trixie and Silver both turn to see you, and they start to piece together what's happening.
>Stepping up behind Sunset's frozen form is the third of them, Sonata.
>She's shaky, singing almost under her breath.
>Her eyes are shut, and she takes short, mincing steps.
>If she were a normal girl, her voice wouldn't even carry.
>But as she works, there's nothing you can do to stop the same song crawling up your brainstem.
>Twilight gets touched, and goes limp again, like returning to sleep.
>You try to summon up ｢Timbuk Three｣, to help her somehow, but you can't.
>Derpy turns to you for a moment, still too dazed to understand her situation.
>Her mouth moves to ask you something, but as she draws the breath your power pulses inside of you.
>The grip inside your chest loosens for a second as your power flares up anyway, and it clamps down tighter, useless to stop it.
>It hurts, bad enough that you’d stop it, if you were doing it.
>But without your active involvement, a blue field shoves all four of them up and away from you, throwing them into the air.
>｢Timbuk Three｣'s second effect isn't suppressed here.
>You feel the internal cold drain away for a second at the sudden flare of your Stand, but not enough.
>It reasserts itself, and you focus on Sonata again.
>She’s opened her eyes, staring at Sunset instead of you, and...
>She’s crying.
>But she doesn’t say anything as she stands next to Sunset, and puts a hand on her arm.
>And then… something appears in the air between them.
>Sunset’s shaking herself, and then it blocks most of your view of her, a Stand you haven’t seen before.
>It sounds like the one Diamond saw, but… why would Sonata have it?
>Unless she’s controlling the Shadowbolts already, just taking over from her sisters.
>You need to focus on that, what she has available.
>Why use it here, though?
>There's a moment where the jumpsuited figure materializes between you, solid and real.
>The siren's grip tightens, her fingers digging into skin.
>Then, after this apex, it turns fuzzy again, and drifts out of existence completely.
>Nothing seems any different, but Sonata lets out a breath of relief as she lets go.
>Without any further looks at Sunset, she starts singing again.
>One of the gems glows underneath of you, blinking like a cell-phone.
>Then, gradually, the Morse blinking speeds up, turning into a strobe and then a single continuous glow.
>As it rises off of the ground, you can hear her song grow louder, and the other two rise with it.
>The glow spreads between them, and they orbit one-another as they float towards her.
>You flex ｢Timbuk Three｣ against the force inside of you.
>It doesn't help, the pain returns like a block pressed against your back.
>You can only watch in horror as she reaches out and grabs all three of them.
>Her eyes gloss over with opaque, glowing red.
>And then, just as quickly as you'd come out of it, you go back under.
>You fight, trying to force your Stand to do something.
>Trixie, Silver, Diamond -
>Derpy...
>You have to let them know...!

>Be Silver.
>You're not sure where you are, or if it's safe to stand up.
>Diamond's to your right and Derpy's to your left.
>There's a whole bunch of people standing completely still or lying down, some of them policemen.
>And then the song comes floating down, and you remember.
>All they had to do was sing, and the gem lit up.
>Derpy went first, and then you tried to escape with the others before they could get you.
>But ｢Spinal Tap｣ came out of half of the paintings and keepsakes, you couldn't dodge around it!
>And then... you wound up here.
>You only really came to flying through the air.
>And now you can feel the song pressing down against you, again.
>There's a flash of blue coming from the opposite direction, brief, just long enough to catch your eye.
>You turn, trying to focus on it instead of the cloying sound of the siren's voice.
>You can see her in your mind's eye now, the one who didn't show up in your house before.
>It's two things, separate items against the concrete and ground.
>One of them is a steering wheel - from Care's car.
>And the other's just a piece of rubble.
>The only one, actually.
>Something happened here, before you woke up.
>This was a... building.
>You realize where you are, and then you fight twice as hard to get away from the noise hitting your ears.
>Half-standing, you lunge forward and grab onto both of them.
>And then you feel something else pass over you.
>Trixie's voice cuts across the song, quiet and close.
>"｢Abracadabra｣."
>The world shunts away beneath you, and then the song falls a little further away.
>You can still hear it, and then you're pushed further away.
>It's you, Derpy, Diamond and Trixie, kept in a rough cluster.
>She musters a little more strength, and then you're finally out across the street, a block away from the source of the conflict.
>And Care's still there.

>Be Sunset.
>You can't move.
>You can't even access your Stand.
>It's not there any more.
>｢Nails for Breakfast Demo｣ brims under your skin, just as impossible to call up right now.
>You shouldn't have underestimated Anonymous.
>In the regular timeline he didn't do anything important, but something must have happened differently and changed his impetus to use ｢Nowhere Man｣.
>Sonata's put Care under, but she hasn't bothered to do it to you.
>She could, if she really tried, but she seems to think you're useless without ｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣ to help you.
>Or maybe she's just superstitious about bringing you under her control.
>If she tried it on Twilight, it wouldn't end well.
>Her eyes are unreadable now, but her voice is omnipresent.
>It pauses the melody and clicks for a moment.
>And the frozen forest of people comes to life, parts of itself rearranging.
>You can only hear the shuffling now, but you see who she just called forth as they pass in front of you.
>A wriggling of the ghost, and you can speak again.
>Sugarcoat stands silently in front of you, looking about the same as usual.
>She folds her arms, and her Stand appears floating over her shoulder, spinning end over end.
>She speaks as the singing continues in the background.
>"If you don't answer this question immediately, she'll execute one of the people here. If you lie, ｢Pavlov's Daughter｣ will drive you insane."
>That's it.
>While she has you under her control, she must not be able to get the information she needs out of you.
>You stand there, quietly, waiting for whatever she wants from you.
>"After you gathered all three of the sirens' gems, how were you going to open the portal to Equestria?"

>Be Anon, sitting in the passenger seat, cradling your gun in your lap.
>There's something creepy about being surrounded by police cars.
>You haven't been watching the action, trying to trust that she's got a handle on it.
>And when she comes up in the rearview with a small parade in tow, you're pleasantly stunned.
>Her eyes are glowing, and there's a pair of short, insectoid wings coming out of her back.
>You wonder if they're solid.
>You followed her instructions and put the earplugs in a couple minutes ago.
>Now, who are all of these people?
>There's more than you could fit in this car, especially since your seat's leaned back all the way.
>Two of the Shadowbolts, carrying both of... her sisters.
>Aria and Adagio are both out cold, slumped and unconscious.
>Unless, somehow...
>No, never.
>No one would be alive in there if Sonata's sisters weren't okay.
>Even if there was no way to get them home, or negotiate with them, or... anything.
>And then, behind them, a woman in uniform, carrying the limp body of Twilight Sparkle, and...
>Care Root, as dazed and out of it as the rest of them.
>You unlock the doors and Sonata gets into the driver's seat.
"Any sign of them?"
>You ask, you're not sure at what volume.
>She shakes her head, mouths words you don't hear.
>This all went pretty smoothly, but you aren't going to feel okay until those two brats have been neutralized.
>You were sure they'd be with Care, so they're probably in the area.
>Your fingers tighten around the gun.
>The back door opens, and both of her sisters get laid into it, slumping against each other in the backseats.
>The others pile into a police car.
>You recall your ghosts back into ｢Nowhere Man｣ after they're situated.
>Then you try to make out the words she says as she holds up the gems.
>'Sunset', 'plan', 'portal'.
"Is ｢Listening Chair｣ giving you a good feeling about it?"
>She nods.
>'This is', 'the end'.
>You don't ask her for the particulars.
>She looks almost happy, if not for the fact that her sisters are both out like lights in the back.
>Then she starts driving, and the other car shoots ahead, surrounded by a yellow-green aura.
>Yours follows after it eagerly.
>You're... really going to get through all of this.
>This is how you get to Equestria.
>Your escape route from this shithole of a world!

>Be Care Root, suddenly awake and present again.
>You're in the back of a car in a high-speed chase, it seems.
>Except nothing's chasing you.
>And it’s a police car.
>"We finally... pulled ahead."
>Twilight's voice comes from next to you.
>She's splayed out on your lap, dried blood all over her.
>"There's not much time. Sonata’s taken control of everyone. She didn't take a good enough hold of either of us, but we're the only ones who can do anything now."
>Who--?
"Sonata?"
>She nods, weakly.
>She needs a hospital.
>"We're going to get there before her because she had Lemon Zest drive us, but we’re only supposed to be the advance guard. Once she arrives, it's going to be too late."
"Where?"
>"For the ending of Sunset's plan. She's going to open up Sunset's biggest power source and try to use it to open a portal of her own. If we can get it out of her hands before she arrives, then we can keep her from controlling all the pieces on the board."
>You check the front seats through the metal mesh.
>You recognize them - the users for ｢Message Man｣ and ｢Lemon Demon｣.
>They've given no indication of hearing either of you.
"What should we do with it, if we can get it?"
>She doesn't answer for a moment.
>You try not to shift too much, but the bumps and turns really aren't yours to choose.
>"Whatever you were going to do with the gems should work."
>...
>Alright, you'll have to think about that.
>Somewhere back there, all of your friends are probably still under the spell.
>And Sunset Shimmer was back there, too.
>With the other two Dazzlings down for the count, the two of you are the last hope before this all ends.
>You race onwards, past rows of buildings at the edge of the city, and then the car pulls toward a massive junkyard.
>The gates are open, and you head in through chainlink and scrap.
>There are dozens of these long, rectangular containers moving across your vision.
>Mr. Rich's car was parked back there, a ways back.
>You keep an eye out for him, but he’s not out in the open anywhere.
>At least the Sirens didn’t leave him somewhere as a hostage.
>Twilight goes on.
>”Okay, we’ll have about seven minutes from when the car stops. Don’t draw attention to yourself and we’ll be fine.”
“I’m sorry I can’t get you to a doctor.”
>You say, and she pauses.
>”As long as we can keep the portal away from them, it’ll be okay. You’re going to have to move with me, though - there’s no way I can stay here.”
>You nod.
>And then, with a screech, the car grinds to a halt in the shadow of one of these massive boxes.
>Lemon Zest puts it into park, and then extracts herself from the car with no further fanfare.
>Twilight pushes herself up, gingerly, and motions with one hand for you to open the door.
>Surprisingly, it’s unlocked.
>You pull her out, and follow her directions, walking in the wake of the two Shadowbolts.
>She has you lay her in the shade of one of these boxes, and then head forward.
>On to Sunset’s secret weapon.


>Be Sunset.
>As the song leaves range, you can finally move again.
>You’re sprawled out on the floor, and you take big, floundering gulps of air.
>Sonata didn’t change you.
>She had to give you her Stand, so she could use ｢Listening Chair｣ to tell who would be important to bring along with her.
>Of course, it was possible to fool, with ｢Midnight Special｣.
>The only problem is that you need ｢MS｣ right now, very badly.
>You get a bearing on your surroundings, and most of the people are still standing stock-still.
>She didn’t have any use for them, not yet.
>Really, she just wants to go through the portal, and escape back into Equestria.
>But if the process means burning out someone immortal, and she’s doing it without you, then she’s not going to use her sisters, which only leaves one option.
>No.
>No, you have to trust that things are going to work out better than that.
>You push yourself to your feet and try to call on ｢Midnight Special｣.
>It’s harder, but with a little tugging, it reaches you.
>You hope you aren’t interrupting anything.
>Then, quickly, you point it at your people.
>Sugarcoat, Flare and Flash all come to.
>Care really shouldn’t have shown you that you could do that.
>Unfortunately, you’re still stuck with this Stand, and you’ll get nowhere without yours.
>In the distance, you can see most of his people gathered around one streetcorner.
>Silver’s crouched low to the ground, and then they all scatter back.
>And from nothing comes Care’s car, much less damaged than the last time you saw it.
>You move over to Flare, while she’s still out of it, and transfer Indigo’s spirit into her.
>She breathes in sharply, and then settles again.
>You can deal with that in a second.
>First, you sprint for the car.
“Wait!”
>You shout, as loud and convincingly as you can.
>They’re all piling in, and they turn to you, apprehensive or outright angry.
>Trixie raises a hand towards you, ready to use her Stand.
>No one’s going to hear you out.
>So you shout.
“You won’t know where they’re going if you don’t take me with you!”
>You beg the universe to just let them be convinced so you don’t have to take them all on and steal this car.
>You can’t let this just happen.
>”Why should we trust anything you have to say?”
>Diamond asks, her eyes leery.
“Because I need to get there too, and I don’t know how to hotwire a car!”
>It’s true.
>Diamond’s about to say something else, but Derpy holds out a hand.
>She’s thinking.
>You try to capitalize on the opportunity.
“I know it’s not the best idea for you to bring me along, but we both have to get there! We can’t finish this if Sonata finishes it for us!”
>Derpy pauses, inspecting you.

>Be Sweetie Belle.
>Bloom and Scootaloo are standing as close to the box as feels safe, with you the furthest away as a lookout to complete the triangle.
>｢Steam Powered Giraffe｣ thrums between all three of you.
>You made it impossible for her to open the doors or break the surface of the container herself, which is what she'd been hoping for.
>But that's not to say that you can just leave her inside and wait for her to cool off, either.
>There's someone else in there, or what used to be someone else.
>Scootaloo caught sight of the body, but it's not safe to extract it.
>Even with ｢Steam Powered Giraffe｣, you can't risk getting too much raw energy too close to her.
>So you're doing the best you can until Sunset arrives with the gems.
>And if she doesn't, for whatever reason, you're sealing this thing as tightly as possible for the next 24 hours and following a meticulous evacuation plan.
>But there's really no way that something could go wrong from here, so long as all three of the gems still exist.
>Someone's coming.
>A group of people, three or four.
>They round the corner past one of the containers and see you, closing in.
>Sour, Lemon, Twilight, and...
>Care.
>The Shadowbolts look robotic, brainwashed.
>Not a good sign.
"Girls, we've got company."
>You say, uneasy.
>Both of them turn from the box and look down, past you.
>No one has their Stand out, so you have a moment to think, but that also means there's no urgency just yet.
>Therefore, they don't have the gems.
>If they were going to create the portal, surely they'd be running here as fast as possible.
>But if they're all being controlled, then the Dazzlings have them.
>And if they have Care and Twilight, too...
>"This really isn't going to be pretty."
>Scootaloo says, going through the mental connections at the same time you do.
>With the next strike, ｢Steam Powered Giraffe｣ makes the container impenetrable to ｢Timbuk Three｣.
>That isn't even the hard part, all three of you have thought about how to take on Care if he somehow learned to come here.
>Ultimately, you could just let him open the doors if it came down to it.
>But he's not who you're worried about.
>As the group enters earshot, Sour and Lemon stand still.
>Care and Twilight move out from behind them, breaking the pattern.
>Both of them are under their own control.
>You breathe a sigh of relief and hold up a hand to the other two, who've been watching silently.
>They approach, quietly, not looking back at the other two.
>You move forward a little on your own, changing the triangle to iscosceles as you meet them halfway.
>Over it's still daytime, which means this could all be over by nightfall.
>Maybe in the next couple minutes.
>Care speaks.
>"There's not much time. Sonata Dusk and Anonymous are coming here, and they're going to open a portal to Equestria and go through."
>That's...
>Not good?

>Be Care.
>Sweetie Belle, the porcelain-skinned member of the trio, looks puzzled.
>"Isn't that what was already going to happen?"
>You pause, and wonder if you're barking up the wrong tree.
>Twilight takes over.
>"If the portal opens and stays open, and they make it into Equestria, it's only going to be because they burned something out to get there. And then all three of the Dazzlings are going to be at large again. Last time it took the strongest unicorn in the land to get rid of them, so who knows what kind of damage they'll do!"
>Sweetie's eyes widen, and she nods periodically throughout this.
>You don't know anything about that, but you don't want to let Anonymous into another world if you can help it.
>And besides which, you're not going to be turned into some kind of battery.
>You think of searching out Derpy and the others, pulling them here.
>But it's not safe, this is where everything's supposed to come together.
>You just need to get out as quick as possible.
"It doesn't matter, anyway. We're only going to get rid of Sunset's last power source, and then regroup outside of here."
>She looks at you, bewildered, almost angry, and then she closes her eyes and shakes her head.
>"Fine. You'll have to open the door yourself. But I really, really, really don’t think it’s a good idea."
>She says defeatedly, motioning to the box.
>You want to make sure that this isn't some trick by them, an attempt to catch you off guard and then take Twilight hostage or something.
>But they all step out of the way, and their Stand disappears.
>They just look...
>Well, sad.
>Like whatever they were doing before, it was just ruined by getting some kind of bad taste in their mouths.
>Twilight steps forward with you, leaning on you a little for support.
>She's tougher than you'd given her credit for, a lot tougher.
>You whisper to her, quiet enough that none of the girls hear you.
"Do you actually know what's inside?"
>She shakes her head minutely.
>Well, if Sunset has access to this arrow that grants people Stands, maybe it's wherever the arrow came from.
>Some kind of artifact, or a big hunk of magic golden rock, or something.
>Probably something from her world, brought over just before the doorway between the universes closed.
>Twilight leans harder on you.
>"We're - almost out of time. They should be getting here in under a minute."
>You try to up your pace, but it's difficult.
"Are you sure you don't want me to set you down somewhere? My Stand can-"
>"No, no, I'll be - fine. We need to focus on our top priority."
>Ahead of you, the shipping container looms.
>It has a life of its own, almost, an energy around it, even though it mostly seems dark and musty.
>And a familiarity.
>The other two Crusaders back away, their eyes on Twilight instead of you.
>You don't blame them, and you don't waste time rubbing in what happened to her.
>She'll be okay.
>She'll be okay, and the rest of them will be okay, and you and Derpy will be okay together.
>You just need to think about what to do after this...
>If you jet back to Derpy, you can just create three sunrises, have ｢Spinal Tap｣ collect the gems, and then try to blast them away somewhere.
>Maybe bury them somewhere in the mantle, if you can manage it.
>A car comes screeching to a halt behind you, and you realize you're frozen in front of the door.
>No time.
>As you hear its engine shut off and the doors open, you put a hand against one of the towering doors and shove.
>It gives way like something hollow, swinging inward on itself and casting a little light into its own self-contained tunnel.
>You see some signs of some kind of... living quarters.
>And then, the arm of a business-suit.
>A greyish hand.
>Mr. Rich!
>You summon up a spark of light in the middle of what you now think of as a room.
>With it comes a scream of alarm.
>You're torn from the limp form of Diamond's father to the furthest corner.
>On a bed, there's a girl sitting with her legs pulled up to her chest, only her hair visible in a kind of bun.
>Her body glows blue for a moment, and you can feel your Stand being tugged against the same way the arrow had messed with it.
>You rein it in a little, stepping closer as the light dims again.
>She calms down a bit as the blue outline fades away around her.
>"Is it over yet, Princess?"
>She asks, and... no.
>No, that can't be what you're hearing.
>"Almost. I'm sorry it took so long, but it's up to you now."
>Twilight says beside you.
>The corner girl breathes in, and you up the light again to make sure what you're seeing.
>"Okay, I'm ready."
>She says in the same voice, nodding.
>The outfits are different, the hairstyles set slightly apart, but apart from that...
>They're identical.
>You look down this container and see a second Twilight Sparkle looking back at you.
>Suddenly, as you wheel to the side, the Twilight beside you pushes you away from her.
>And then, in the hand closest to you, there's the arrow.
>She speaks low and grim.
>"｢Midnight Special｣."
>And suddenly your power tears out of you, forcing itself into the world.
>But you've already got somewhere for it to go.
>A beam of light the width of a pencil shoots through her shoulder, cutting right through the muscles and nerves holding her arm up.
>But nothing happens.
>As soon as the light dissipates a second later, you can see she's completely unharmed!
>It's just like Sunset, or the Dazzlings!
>She's...
>She's from Equestria.
>No sooner do you realize this than some explosion from behind you throws you against a wall, pressing it with your whole body a foot off the ground.
>More and more geometric patterns of light fill up the interior of the container, as random spotlights go shooting off in random directions.
>And then, suddenly, you feel the pull again, this time successfully latching onto your Stand.
>This is the other Twilight.
>You look up in the direction of the pull, and she's floating in the air, a pair of black wings the height of a person shimmering into existence on her back.
>As the arrow doubles down against you, the nearer Twilight's voice softens.
>"I really am sorry, Care. For whatever it's worth, it'll be a great service to-"
>She turns away as Sonata's loud singing picks up, overtaking her voice even for you.
>And as she steps out, the door closes shut behind her.

>Be Anon.
>Something fucked up.
>Sonata rushes out first, clicking in the midst of her song, and suddenly the girl with the yellow and pink hair is running next to her.
>The other one, yellow-green shag down to her waist, rushes over to the car and scoops you up in a bridal carry.
>If you hadn't already discussed this on the way, as best as you could, it might even have been embarrassing.
>But you're too busy aiming.
>There's no sign of Care just now, which leaves four targets.
>Three kids and Twilight Sparkle.
>As she faces down Sonata, the blood that was covering her falls away, turning into rubble.
>She summoned up Adagio's Stand while she was laying on the floor, to make herself more convincing.
>As if any of you would fall for it.
>And yet, if it came down to this fight...
"Get to her."
>You shout as you point to Twilight, and she speeds along towards her.
>Sonata has to dodge around an attack from the three kids' fuckoff-huge Stand, and its fist splits the pavement as she jumps out of the way.
>They see you coming, aiming themselves again, moving like some kind of freaky hivemind.
>But it's not enough.
>｢Nowhere Man｣'s had enough time to send your servants underground.
>They rise up, three at once, and the three kids are paralyzed.
>Their Stand dissipates, completely, and the girl carrying you bounds on unawares.
>Twilight's stance and expression are the same.
>You're not going to let her hurt Sonata again!
>You're not even going to let that be a possibility!
>You fire the gun at her, knowing it'll be ineffective.
>But she turns the arrow towards you instead of towards the ghosts in her three stooges.
>And that's all you need.
>You squirm in the girl's arms, keeping yourself a small target, and for a moment the arrow affects her.
>She speeds up, just a little!
>And that's all you need.
>"Throw me."
>You say, and after a few more paces, she obeys.
>You go sprawling through the air sideways the last ten feet,
>You're covered in a yellow-green aura as you rocket for Twilight, and the arrow can't stop it.
>Then you hit her, like a brick wall.
>She doesn't respond, letting it happen.
>She wants to make sure to line up her next attack, to stop you from bothering her any more while she destroys the love of your life as best she can.
>Good.
>You fall to the ground at her feet, legs cracking against it, and your jaw seizes up with the pain.
>But you manage to grab one of her legs.
>She looks down at you for a moment, almost pitying, and you look up at her.
>And smile.
>The hand of the fourth ghost in ｢Nowhere Man｣ passes out from your hand, grabbing her.
>Rooting her to the ground!
>The rest of it pulls a little ways out of your chest, getting near enough to travel up her body.
>And there goes her Stand.
>...
>There goes...
>Sonata's song rings in your ears for a moment, even through the earplugs.
>She's worried.
>But there's-
>You-
>You can feel the arrow.
>It feels strong against you, and you can feel her pushing with it, without moving it.
>Like taking your power and shoving it back into you.
>Back into you, double.
>Triple.
>The world fades away around you as you feel ｢Nowhere Man｣ brimming underneath you.
>Boiling, shuddering.
>The ghost passes out of your skin, and you feel the arrow fly from her hand into your shoulder.
>Your vision goes golden, completely golden.
>You're blind, and the light goes inside of you.
>In some corner of your mind, the jar fills up, the jar becomes you, glowing as hard as every bit of your perspective.
>And the jar breaks.
>Falling backward and away onto the ground, almost convulsing, you can feel them sliding out of your skin.
>Ghosts, dozens, hundreds, like rain in reverse.
>Sonata...
>Nata, where...?
>Where's the portal to Equestria?

｢To Be Continued｣

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrj5Kxdzouc
[Credence Clearwater Revival - Midnight Special]

Stand: ｢Midnight Special｣
User: [spoiler]Princess Twilight Sparkle[/spoiler]
Ability: Channels and directs Equestrian magic from nearby sources into the target. Can be summoned at will and wielded normally by those the target cares about, or sent to anyone nearby.