CRBA, Episode 17: Hey Soul Sister

Care Root's Bizarre Adventure Episode 17: Hey Soul Sister

>Be Derpy.
>Your drive home is unrewarding, and the dark strains your eyes.
>Thankfully, no one else is on the road around now.
>You and Care stayed up talking, but you couldn't stay.
>Mom and Dad will freak out even worse than they already have if you aren't in bed in the morning.
>You won't hide that you went to see Care, though.
>You'll just wait it out a little while longer, for when they'll be ready to accept that.
>Maybe after you've moved...
>Your hands grip the steering wheel tighter, and you fixate on your breathing for a minute.
>It's paradoxically easier to sneak around your parents right now.
>The grief has made it harder for them to keep an eye on you, and you're taking advantage of that, and you know it.
>...
>You've done what you had to.
>The drive back is a lot slower than the one over.
>You keep imagining Mom outside, arms folded, makeup smeared halfway down her cheeks.
>Dad, stern, and Silver, still mad at everyone.
>Damn it, you told Golden not to come!
>After your breathing calms down again, you finally arrive.
>The car's mercifully quiet despite its age, or maybe that’s Mr. Rich’s work, and you manage to get inside the house without much noise.
>Everything's dark, and none of the lights turn on.
>Your parents aren't waiting in the kitchen to ambush you with teary-eyed lectures.
>Okay, okay, okay.
>You need to get some sleep.
>First, you make sure that ｢Spinal Tap｣'s set to bring you another piece of the gem in the morning.
>Then, you head upstairs for your bedroom.
>On the way, you pass by Silver's room, which used to be yours too, once upon a time.
>She shut the door, for maybe the first time in her life.
>She only does that when she's awake, or pouting about something.
>Maybe things are different now, but the thought of her sitting in bed staring at a wall for hours on end is too much for you.
>You open it, gingerly, turning the doorknob all the way before you push.
>The room beyond has the curtains drawn over the window, not even letting the moonlight in.
>You stand in the doorway and feel silly for a minute and a half before you think your eyes have adjusted.
>You can almost make out the posters on the walls, mostly cut out of boy band magazines.
>And yes, there's the bookcase with her middle school certificate, a few soccer participation trophies, her home ec projects.
>You approach closer to the bed, closing each of your eyes in turn.
>No.
>No, you're seeing just fine.
>You go turn on the lights just to be sure.
>Your little sister's not in bed.
>And after another minute, you know she's not anywhere else in the house either.
>She couldn't have taken the car, even if she'd been able to drive it, since you had it.
>Which means she left on foot, sometime around when you did.
>Which was hours ago.
>You make sure she didn't leave her phone behind.
>No, she has it, unless she threw it away somewhere.
>Then you turn off the light, close the door, and head back outside.

"Come on, come on, we need to get moving!"
>Be Sugarcoat, trying to convince your legs to work with you.
>The buildingfronts are meshing together, becoming interchangeable.
>Nighttime generalizes the bourgeois.
>"I'm trying not to go faster than you!"
>Flare bites back at you, using up air she could be using to run faster.
>Your landspeed's pitiful, and your team's under attack.
>You want to say that they'll kick ass all on their own, but of course you do.
>The headache's going away as long as you've got the wind blowing it towards the back of your skull.
>Maybe it'll hit the blood-brain barrier and go to sleep.
>You miss the days of trashy romance novels and overlong stakeouts.
>Or of just being the voice of reason in a group of hyped-up prep-schoolers.
>You were a beacon of rationality, a few months ago.
>So much for your Stand, though.
>If Lemon was with you, you'd just swap a leg with her and have ｢Lemon Demon｣ run you straight there by competing with itself.
>If that would even work.
>｢Message Man｣ could at least throw you most of the distance, you bet.
>You don't want to act like you're underestimating ｢Royals｣, though.
>Sunny's your girl, she'll prove herself when the time's right.
>Once she stops bellyaching, you guess.
>She's not the type who believes in running shoes.
>Overblown unfunctional fashionista...
>Another crosswalk, the traffic lights shining out onto the road.
>They're all blinking yellow on and off, like the city's just thrown up its hands and told the drivers to govern themselves.
>You run on.

>Be Diamond.
>It’s been hardly 24 hours since the last skirmish, but you’ve really made something of this one.
>It took some coordination with Silver to get the full idea, though.
>After you called her, she had to slip away, and then get picked up.
>From there, your dad put dozens of little microphones and trackers on the Crystal Prep girls’ uniforms before they woke up.
>And then, naturally, you had to antagonize them.
>And make them think they’d swiped a gem off of you, so they’d run straight for home base.
>You’re amazed it work, to be honest.
>But they led you right where you needed to go, and with all three of your Stands it was no trouble getting Sunset alone in a room.
>Although now it’s more like Sunset and SIlver are the only ones here.
>Silver's standing over her like an avenging angel, and her words come out heavy and imposing.
>"You killed my sister. You made it so she had to die... Now you're going to bring her back. "
>The leader of the Rainbooms looks up at her almost disbelievingly.
>You expected her to break out into laughter, but she's more... confused.
>Guarded, defensive, but not aware enough to mask it on her face.
>Your strategy blindsided her, and now you just have to keep tipping her over.
>It should only take another couple of minutes for this to be resolved and all of you to get out of here.
>"I don't... I don't understand."
>Sunset says.
>"You're going to use your ｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣ to bring her back. You're going to call her out of another universe and bring her to this one. And if you don't, or you try anything funny, I will tear your team to pieces."
>Silver's tone is dead serious, all of the venom coming out through one tiny opening.
>This isn't the same voice she would put on when someone didn't give her a turn on the swings. >It's not even the kind you used to drape over yourself when someone really, really forgot their place around you.
>Silver's your BFF, but you're honestly glad she's pointed away from you right now.
>"That's not how my Stand works, Silver Spoon. Even if it were safe, I would need to pull in a version of her who killed someone-"
>"That's why you're going to use it on Diamond."
>Silver hooks a thumb over her shoulder and at you.
>Sunset looks surprised, and then her eyes meet yours for a minute.
>You're sure that you're not nearly as intimidating, but you can still make out a kind of fear buried in her, a sense of intimidation that probably has more to do with this situation than any one of you.
>Good either way.
>Let her be afraid for a little while.
>Silver continues.
>"When Mr. Rich got his Stand, he tried to kill everyone in my family. I know that you know about that already, since you're the one who made it happen.”
>"I didn't-"
>Silver doesn't give her the time of day.
>"But at the end, it came down to a standoff between him and my big sister. If I hadn't done something, he would have killed me, and she would have killed Diamond. Which means you can use ｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣ on her to bring my sister back!"
>The way Silver talks about both of you being killed by your family members makes your skin crawl.
>Sunset looks at her for another moment, and then clears her throat.
>"Silver, I... I'm sorry about what happened to your sister. I know you don't believe me when I say that, but I am. I never meant for anyone to get hurt in all of this..."
>Silver crouches and leans forward a little so both of them are exactly at eye-level.
>"I don't care what you meant to have happen. My sister was killed because you destroyed Care's future. You made it so that one of us would have to die so that his future would look the way it's supposed to."
>"I didn't know, really! I just couldn't have any competition at the end, I only meant to keep him from interfering!"
>"What, by stopping you from killing anyone else?!"
>Silver raises her voice, but then Sunset's rises even further.
>"Do you think I WANT people to die?!"
>She bellows.
>"I'm doing everything that I can so that harmony can be restored, and everything can be balanced again! I'm just trying to help the people who matter to me, and every step of the way I have dozens of people like you getting in the way of that!"
>Her face is flushed with raw emotion, or she’s an amazing actress.
>She's close to tears, but she doesn't let herself go over the edge.
>Silver flinched back at the rise in volume, but by now she's standing up straight again.
>"I don't care. You made sure that I would have a Stand just to make Care suffer a little more. Then you did the same thing with Diamond's dad, and nearly killed everyone I care about. You even tried to kill Care after you thought you'd already won! Now use your Stand on Diamond before I do something worse to you!"
>Silver's voice goes from monotone to seething as the list goes on.
>Sunset looks defeated.
>"...I can't, Silver. I'm sorry."
>"You will."
>"It's not even that I don't want to, but... the universes aren't the same. All of this was never supposed to happen... I can't bring Golden Harvest back to you because she would never have killed anyone in the normal timeline. And if I use my Stand on Diamond or anyone else, what comes out might seriously hurt someone."
>Silver doesn't say anything for a moment.
>She mulls, and then asks:
>"What's different?"
>"Huh?"
>"If that's your excuse, if that's the reason you're going to give me for why my sister isn't standing in this room with me right now, then you'd better make me believe it. What makes this timeline so special?"
>Sunset bites her lip for a half-second, exhales, and then speaks.
>"｢Timbuk Three｣."
>Silver stays quiet.
>Sunset goes on.
>"When I got my Stand, I started checking other universes for evidence of what would happen to everyone. I learned that the same things happen over and over again, no matter which universe you're in. Things worked out for a lot of people, but they weren't perfect, so... I tried to make them better."
>She's not being entirely honest right now.
>You would think that Sunset was a master of deceit from the original days she spent ruling CHS, but she was never one for outright lying.
>At least, not to anyone's face; she was too blunt for it.
>"When I gave Care a Stand, I wanted him to be... stronger. I wanted him to become better than he'd been before, but he wound up turning into an even bigger threat. I... I-I got scared, and I tried to keep him busy so that he wouldn't blow up one day and ruin what we'd all worked for."
>Care Root, Destroyer of Worlds?
>You don't believe that for a moment.
>Thankfully, neither does Silver. "Do you really expect me to believe that crap? You invited him to come bring his gem to you! You manipulated him so you could have him in your corner against the Dazzlings, and then you threw him out like yesterday's trash when you thought you didn't need him any more!"
>"I was trying to help him! If he'd had ｢Counting Crows｣, then Derpy would have-"
>"Don't say her name!"
>Silver's voice gets loud enough that you're surprised no one comes walking back into the building after you.
>Sunset is undeterred.
>"I tried to do things differently, so that she would be safe and he'd be happy with her! I gave Golden her Stand so she could protect your family! And then, if it worked, in all of the versions of this that haven't happened yet I'd be able to use my Stand to see what goes on when someone tries something different! I'd be able to make things better for all of the CHSes!"
>She looks like she's close to tears again, or shouting 'Those fools at university!'
>Her hands are gripping at the floor.
>She still hasn't made any moves, or torn her eyes away from Silver for more than a few seconds at a time.
>So you speak up.
>"Why give him one at all?"
>Both of them turn to you, Silver just looking over her shoulder.
>Her face softens when she looks at you, like you're a trusted advisor whispering in her ear.
>Maybe you are.
>"If you didn't want Care to do something awful to Derpy, why wouldn't you just not give him a Stand? You -are- the one who decides who gets them and who doesn't, aren't you?"
>She finally breaks eye contact, looking at her own hands.
>"...It's not just for me. I need... I needed something more than Equestrian magic, just in case everything else failed. I was trying to do things differently this time, I thought I could..."
>The words are barely spoken to either of you.
>Silver's about to get back to the interrogation when someone’s phone rings.
>Everyone’s startled, Silver most of all.
>It takes a second to realize that it’s coming from her.
>Then, with sudden speed and purpose, Sunset makes her move.
>"｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣!"
>And in front of Silver, hurtling and larger than should fit in the room properly, comes a grey bus.
>You throw a hand up, your Stand already in front of your best friend.
“｢Pink, Act 2｣!”
>It moves faster than the bus, which Silver stares down, frozen.
>And then hits Sunset, turning for the exit.
>The bus disappears, and suddenly the room seems smaller again.
>Sunset wheels back around, eyes scanning for evidence of what you just did.
>Before she can get any, it’s your father’s turn to shout.
>”｢Johnny Cash｣!”
>And just like that, the exit’s blocked off.
>A massive block of some really solid glossy metal fills the doorway completely!
>Yes!
>Sunset realizes that she’s trapped a moment after you do, and doesn’t move.
>Silver hasn’t moved either.
>Their eyes lock again.
>Silver’s tone is final, like a headmaster to a delinquent.
>“This is your last chance.”


>Be Sour Sweet
>The Dazzlings are outside this cramped, panicked bus.
>They’re already heading back towards you out of the darkness, and no one will SHUT UP!
>”She has to be hiding somewhere!”
>”No, I swear, one of the sirens jus’ took her!”
>Everyone scrambling, looking for Sunset Shimmer.
>They probably think she’s mortal, which is kind of funny.
>You learned that she wasn’t when she helped all of you strength-test your Stands.
>｢Message Man｣ could body her through a building and she would still be in one piece.
>Pinkie Pie is still up in the front, sitting in the driver’s seat.
>｢Party Rock｣ belongs to her, and she’s mostly outside of the rabble going on.
>Her eyes are locked on the three girls sauntering back into the streetlight.
>They look no worse for the wear, and they never will.
>It’s one of those times in life where you just have to run away.
>Lemon is chattering to everyone, trying to raise her voice above theirs.
>Even you can’t make it out.
>But the gist is that they won’t leave without Sunset, no matter what.
>They can’t lose her and Flash to the Dazzlings.
>Before they can start moralizing about not leaving anyone behind, the bus lurches.
>All of you were standing in the main aisle, surrounded by the leather seats.
>Most of them go stumbling back, but you stand firm.
>The Rainbooms have no experience with subways, apparently.
>”Pinkie!”
>Rarity’s shrill voice pipes up, as her group sprawl into different seats.
>The pink girl in the front doesn’t respond, foot mashing the pedal.
>You have no idea if schoolbuses can naturally go this fast, but you know they at least need time to accelerate.
>The nature of ｢Party Rock｣, like the other Stands belonging to the Rainbooms, is unknown to you.
>But you doubt they have anything very good.
>Sunset didn’t want them to be put in danger for a reason.
>The Dazzlings don’t move as you all barrel towards them.
>It’s a game of chicken they can’t lose, but running them over would be a little helpful.
>If they chase you, at least it’ll be possible for Sunset to get away down an alleyway somewhere.
>The tires screech down the rest of the street, buckling through the asphalt.
>All three of the Dazzlings are smiling, standing still.
>The purple one’s arms are outstretched as she draws nearer and nearer.
>She’s going to use her St-
>You put out a hand, ｢Message Man｣ halfway activated, and then the whole bus moves around you.
>This time, your feet leave the floor.
>The floor itself wheels away as you go soaring past the seats for the windshield.
>Your Stand grabs one and then latches onto you, and you body snaps all over like some kind of ragdoll.
>Pinkie’s neck-deep in an airbag, and your stomach’s weightless underneath of you.
>You feel a familiar hatred of rollercoasters well up inside of you.
>Then you hear the pained thumping of bodies on metal.
>The Rainbooms, some crying out, some just yelling, hit the ceiling as it rotates beneath you.
>Then you hit the ground, and everything bumps savagely.
>Like hitting a speedbump you didn’t know was there exactly when you were getting your speed worked up.
>You can feel that big vein in your neck bulge at the memory.
>The shock drops you out of ｢Message Man｣’s grip.
>Then you make the fall yourself.
>It hurts, but then your legs are under you and you’re getting a look at your surroundings.
>”What the heck just happened?!”
>Rainbow shouts, standing up from where she’d collided into a pile of Wonderbolt students.
>Her shrill voice is the starting gun for general confusion.
>You don’t have time for this.
>Since you’re the closest one to Pinkie you navigate your way over to her.
>She’s still buckled into her seat, between the airbag and the leather.
>Her arms hang limply, swinging like avant-garde chandeliers.
>｢Message Man｣ unbuckles her, and she drops in a mess of pink into your arms.
>Oof!
>You stagger, and you have to lower her to the ground immediately, but you break her fall without snapping something.
>You push down your growing annoyance with the noise in the back and scan for the Sirens.
>They must be out there somewhere, and they’d have to be coming closer instead of further away.
>What would your next move be?
>The sound of smashed glass answers the question for you.
>Whipping your head around, you can see the blue one lunge into the main aisle.
>She’s not even damaged, and she lands on all fours, facing you.
>In the hoodie she looks like some kind of amateur grim reaper.
>As soon as she straightens, she grins, with teeth.
>And she’s not looking at you.
>Her eyes are locked on your legs.
>On Pinkie.
>｢Message Man｣ materializes between them, and she frowns.
>Her eyes lift up to yours, piercing.
>There’s something about them that unsettles you.
>It’s not just that she’s an alien from the pony dimension, or something like that.
>She’s something… freaky.
>As you stare back at her, something grips your leg.
>No, it...
>It goes inside of your leg, like slicing into the tendon without any pain.
>Like an ice chip pushed into a bowl of pudding, that feeling crawls up your body.
>You feel half-paralyzed.
>You’ve been in the hospital a few times and the injuries were nothing like this, always something hot, your body screaming at a volume you couldn’t adjust to.
>This is like giving up on pain.
>You glance down at it, and see from the floor there’s one of those ghosts Sunny told you about.
>You’re about to bring your Stand to bear on it, but as the thought forms ｢Message Man｣ fizzles out of existence like a disconnected TV.
>She jumps at you.
>And then pulls back, in mid-air.
>It takes a moment for you to realize what’s going on, as her head tilts back, scowling.
>The rest of her body follows her, snapping towards you.
>Behind her silhouette you can see the greenish glow cast along the walls.
>Lemon, with her Stand fully activated, gripping the Siren’s ponytail.
>Wrenching her backwards!
>You stand and watch as Lemon’s hands glow much, much brighter, piercing the night.
>And she spins on her heels, throwing your assailant into the wall.
>There’s a satisfying thud, and you have to clamp down on your own giddiness while Lemon rushes over to you.
>”What’s the matter?”
>You’re about to communicate the problem to her when - suddenly - you can move again.
>You glance back down, and it’s completely gone.
”The ghosts are here.”
>It surprises you how calmly the words come.
>Then another window shatters, and the next one comes in, further down the aisle.
>She falls perfectly and lands on her feet, kicking off, and you can see the shadow trailing behind her.
>It comes up as she turns away from you, a solid black curtain that separates her from you.
>And the Rainbooms from your end of the bus.
>You fumble for your phone, jogging towards the darkness.
>The ‘ground’ is uneven and jagged, here.
>Lemon rushes beside you, then past you with a burst of energy.
>Yes, the glow from her body can--!
>She suddenly stops, in mid-stride, and falls forward violently.
>You can see the ghost-hand gripping her leg, the arm submerged inside.
>You want to help her, but it’s a choice between her and the Rainbooms.
>The Rainbooms have to come first.
>You don’t know what’ll happen to you if they get fucked up.
>A little further and you’ve almost bridged the distance, phone out.
>Flashlight, flashlight...
>You turn it out, and then suddenly your wrist is twisting.
>Sonata Dusk’s face is a few inches from yours, grinning.
>She has too many pointed teeth for a human.
>You get the premonition that you should’ve saved Lemon instead of rushing ahead like this.
>The feeling of failure starts to color the world again, spiraling downwards.
>No.
>No, focus on the situation.
>｢Message Man｣ appears just behind her, and she tightens her grip without looking at it.
>You let out a strangled groan through your teeth and drop your phone.
>It clangs onto the metal of the ceiling as your knees half-buckle beneath you.
>You don’t think you can hang onto your Stand like this, not well enough to maneuver it.
>Have to… use the saved attacks.
>｢Message Man｣’s saved fist smashes for her head, hard enough to take it off her shoulders.
>It impacts, and she slides a few feet down the aisle, dragging you with her.
>Your shoes tear against the edges of the metal, and she doesn’t relinquish her grip.
>But you’re closer to Lemon!
>Maybe halfway!
>If you can get a little closer you can attack the ghost!
>From there, you can save its next appearance to ward it off.
>WIth your partner back in the game, she can break this wall while you distract the Dazzling.
>Your ability throws another punch at the same target, the neck joint.
>Clearly you’re not going to do anything that really hurts her.
>But faster than you thought was possible, she cracks her head out of the way of the black fist.
>It’s fast enough that for a second you think you’ve taken her head right off.
>People shouldn’t bend like that!
>You don’t feel horrified by it, you just feel angry.
>’Mistreated by the universe’.
>This girl is really pissing you off.
>And then you feel her fingers twist your arm.
>You didn’t think she could clamp on harder, but suddenly the world’s spinning and frayed at the edges.
>You grip onto the feeling of anger.
>You find yourself facing away from Lemon, back toward the wall of black.
>There’s no way you’re going to twist out of this, even if you really want to!
>You’d dislocate your shoulder first, and then she’d grab onto something else!
>She marches you towards the shadow, throwing her weight against yours for each step.
>You’re running out of options!
>Your Stand’s third punch connects with her side, as hard as it can.
>She twists your arm, intending to break it, but (thankfully!) the attack knocks both of you in the direction she’s twisting.
>There’s a moment of weightlessness where you leave the ground completely, and your heart rises up in your chest.
>Then you collide with the bus wall.
>No, with her.
>She dented the material, but she doesn’t have a scratch on her.
>You’re pulled after her, finally getting a chance to turn around so you’re facing her again.
>And you’re still too far away from Lemon.
>You only managed to move sideways, pressing her up against one wall like you’re the stronger one here.
>But all of a sudden, she’s frowning.
>You see a kind of understanding in her eyes.
>Whatever kind of creature she is, in whatever other magic world, she’s not stupid.
>She knows it was pointless of you to try getting to Lemon.
>”｢Message Man｣!”
>She twists your arm to the breaking point, snapping it like a chicken bone.
>You save the fracture automatically, and bypass the pain.
>All you really needed...
>...was a route outside!
>Your last punch comes from behind her, through the metal of the bus itself.
>This time, it grips tight around her throat, and slams her backwards.
>She’s surprised, but she’s not in any danger.
>A chokeslam into solid sheet-metal won’t hurt her.
>But it will fuck up the metal!
>On the third pull backwards you activate the snapping of your arm.
>You cry out, and your Stand weakens, but it doesn’t matter now.
>With that sudden snap to the side, she loses her grip.
>And without any tether to you, she goes straight through..
>A Dazzling shaped hole into the night air!
>Hunched over with bulging eyes, gasping at the hole you just made, you strain your voice.
“Mmmhhh. ｢Message｣.”
>It comes out in the sugary voice this time, as much as it fucking can.
>You’re subconsciously happy about your victory.
>Your Stand appears beside you, widening the hole.
>You stumble outside, and don’t see her.
>Retreated, maybe.
>Even if she’s out here, you just need to smash back in a few feet down the line.
>You’ll be in the Rainbooms’ ‘compartment’ that way.
>Your Stand keeps to your back as you slog the next few steps.
>It’s like walking alongside the skeleton of something huge and industrial and nasty.
>You need to get out of the city, your arm is fucking killing you!
>You need five hundred aspirin right now!
>But thankfully, it should only take a few direct hits, three or four.
>With both hands free, your Stand could do that even if you were six feet underground!
>｢Message Man｣ rears back a fist and -
>Something catches your eye.
>Through the pain, even because of it, you have to look.
>Down the street, at the Sweet Shoppe, it’s Sunset.
>Whatever happened to her, she escaped!
>You can’t see her expression from here, but she wobbles as she walks.
>You tear down the street towards her like a sprinter.
>The bus might have been a Stand, but it was still heated.
>Now the night air is sinking into you, putting extra needles into your arm.
>Where’s Sunny when you need her?
>After a few more stores you get close enough to see the look on her face.
>She’s completely confident, even though she’s… shambling.
>It’s like no one’s told her she’s injured.
>She smiles through you, heading towards the rest of the group at a staggering pace.
>You feel like she’s some kind of wounded child, walking it off out of pride.
>The honeyed part of you hasn’t gone away, even in the pain.
>It springs up in your heart like some kind of infestation, like something beautiful and difficult to hold onto, a big bass slapping around your arms in a tight hug.
“Sunset, sweetie, is everything peachy-keen?”
>You get closer, looking for injuries.
>Not that there could be any, you realize.
>She hardly even notices you exist, until her eyes meet yours.
>They’re not right.
>A wave of revulsion builds up, overtaking the sweetness.
>But before you can ride it to a defense, her hand comes out for you.
>It connects with your arm, and not the broken one.
>The grip is weak, disinterested.
>A squeeze...
>And then she lets go, moving a little to the side.
>You stand there, watching her for a moment, paralyzed.
>What kind of Stand would take her away and then bring her back in a state like this?!
>Especially someone like her?
>She lurches another step, and you bring out ｢Message Man｣.
>”Don’t worry about her.”
>The voice comes out of the darkness next to the Shoppe, bemused.
>The orange one steps closer to you.
>”Must be a shame to be separated like that.”
>You realize you left Lemon behind in the bus!
>All of the Rainbooms are still in trouble!
>You HOPE they’re still in trouble!
>Suddenly you don’t know which way to go.
>Defending Sunset, protecting your wards, rescuing Lemon, fighting the enemy...
>You turn and then turn back, pulled in two directions by your rage and your worry.
>Then she moves, bridging the short gap between you like nothing.
>Her speed is nightmarish!
“｢Message Man｣!”
>You save whatever impact she just sent your way and kick off away from her.
>But she’s already coming at you again!
>She must’ve taken the gem from Sunset!
>You save her next grab, a wheeling strike that carries her past you.
>And then, without warning, feel her back leg collide with your broken arm.
>The pain explodes again, and you have to take a knee, suddenly unable to handle the weight of it.
>Her hand grips your shoulder, too tight.
>”Now then.”
>She lets out a contented burst of air, a hmph.
>You feel yourself shaking with anger, and then her grip tightens hard enough that you think something new must’ve broken.
>”I can crush your bones into liquid if I have to. Tell me about my gems.”


>Be Derpy, on the phone.
>”The same as when I tried to find you?”
>Care asks on speakerphone.
>It’s getting harder to hear him the harder you accelerate.
“Yes! Just like that!”
>You know that it’ll cost both of you a lot.
>A lot a lot.
>But… you have to make sure that she’s okay, and bring her home safe.
>No more of this!
>The tragedies have to end, tonight!
>”Do you have some kind of signal for when I should use it?”
>What’s that mean?
“Right now!”
>”No, I mean in the future, when you need something to happen the right way and ｢Timbuk Three｣ might interfere! If you can just signal me that I should keep the second ability distracted, then I can do that at a weaker rate than just using it all up normally.”
>That’s not a bad idea, but you don’t have time.
>There’s another closeby person whose help you’re going to need.
“We’ll have to talk about it another time.”
>”Okay. I’ll ask Trixie where my car is and I’ll get involved if I have to.”
>You both wait a moment, reluctant to hang up.
>He does first.
>You redial with a few taps of your thumb, and the phone rings three times before she picks up.
>”Hello?”
>The voice comes slightly uneasy, but not tired.
>She must be up late.
“Twilight! Silver’s not home, and I think she’s gone to take things into her own hands!”
>You’ll know if that’s true in a moment.
>”What?!”
“I think she’s going to attack whatever group she can find directly!”
>You want to believe that she just went to Diamond’s place for comfort.
>The two of them have a tendency to sneak around constantly, nowadays.
>But you aren’t going to risk being wrong about that!
>You don’t know your sister later, and she might really do something that crazy!
>”What can I do about that? I-I could get the Rainbooms involved, but - but I don’t think you’d want me to!”
“I need you for support, and an extra pair of hands! If she’s going up against someone you’ll know things about them I don’t!”
>Care texts you a picture, which you can’t look at right now.
>Twilight seems paralyzed on the other end of the phone.
”Which house do you live in? I know you mentioned the neighborhood earlier.”
>”1542. Are you just… showing up?”
>You nod.
>It takes some squinting, and you have to slow down a little, but you make out the nearest mailbox’s number.”
>1322
“I can’t risk being unprepared. I’ll be there for you in a moment, so just be outside.”
>”O-okay. I’ll be in my driveway in two minutes.”
“Good!”
>You hang up, and then slow down to look at the text.
>It’s a photo of an image cast on his kitchen counter.
>A bird’s-eye, with Silver’s phone highlighted as a little blip of light.
>She’s on a main road, at...
>The Sweet Shoppe, the one Pinkie Pie works at.
>It’s one of the favorite hangouts for students.
>Probably the Rainbooms.
>Okay.
>Another picture arrives, of a room from above.
>One of side there’s Diamond, Silver and Filthy Rich.
>On the other, Sunset.
>You stare at it for a moment, trying to wrap your head around it.
>...You need to get there.

>Be Sunset, still frozen.
>You’re not in a good situation right now.
>Hopefully the rest of your group’s holding out, but you can’t leave here.
>Not unless you attack them, and even that wouldn’t be preferable.
>No matter what you do, things won’t stop spiraling!
>But you really can’t do what she’s asking for!
>You think of the bodies you saw as you escaped the Factory.
>Indigo and Golden...
>Both of them were punches to the gut, unnecessary casualties.
>Problems cropping up in this new line you’re trying to steer your way down.
>You feel like you’re at the bottom of that crater again, after you turned into a she-demon.
>With her standing over you, looking down, passing judgment.
>You’d grown since then!
>You were able to take control, to keep an eye on everything!
>It was your responsibility, for introducing everything!
>You remember something.
“You.”
>Diamond Tiara startles.
>You glare at her.
“How did you get a Stand?”
>You knew that they’d been able to handle Mr. Rich, obviously.
>But since he was still alive and he wasn’t palling around with them, you didn’t think he was a big threat.
>You just let him fall by the wayside...
>Suddenly you feel something tug your hair.
>Silver grabs two bunches of it and pulls your face level with hers.
>She doesn’t speak, just looks in your eyes.
>Your voice raises on its own, edged with frustration.
”It isn’t going to work! All three of you are just going to die!”
>”Don’t pretend like you care who-”
“I DO!”
>You push her back and off of you, hard enough that she stumbles a bit and falls over.
>She’s still so small, fragile.
>For all the horrible things you did, you never put your hands on someone.
>Filthy steps closer, materializing something, you can’t be bothered to notice.
“Golden Harvest was a great reader in English class and she meant a lot more to Mrs. Harshwhinny than she wanted to admit, and Principal Celestia was trying to sort out her attendance problems so that she could put her test scores to getting good scholarships, and I helped Pinkie Pie bake her a carrot cake for her birthday half a year ago!”
>You can see the pain flashing on Silver’s face.
>She looks like someone punched her in the throat, a moment of shock.
>Then tears, and teeth.
>”Stop TALKING ABOUT HER!”
>She throws two pieces of something in the air.
>They look like chips of plastic or something, maybe taken off of a road.
>But between them, there comes a crowbar.
>She grabs it as it hangs in midair and rushes you.
>You let her swing it, and grab the end.
“I didn’t want her to show up! I don’t want anyone at my school or any other school or anywhere else to get hurt! Golden Harvest was a person with her own future, and I would bring her back if I could, just like I’d bring back Indigo Zap, or Anonymous! But I ca-”
>”SHUT UP!”
>Both syllables are roared, loud and long.
>Silver punches you in the gut, and nothing happens.
>The pain exists, but it’s muted.
>You’re not supposed to deteriorate here, because you’re not supposed to be here.
>Just like the Dazzlings, you’ll stay about the same age forever, until you decide to go home.
>If you do.
“I can’t endanger your lives any more than this. My friends are in danger right now, and at least one of them has been kidnapped! Some are them are going to die too, if you won’t just let me go!”
>The crowbar smashes into your throat, smarting and forcing you to one side.
>”You don’t have any right to talk about her! Not if you took her away and you won’t BRING HER BACK!”
>Another impact, this one directly on your skull.
>She’s not listening to you any more.
>You drop to a crouch as she lets out another one, and another one.
>Diamond Tiara and her father make no move to calm the girl down.
>In fact, as the blows keep coming, you can hear her between them.
>Mouth working, on the road to sobbing.
>The heart starts to leave her swings.
>You try one more time, with your voice soft and clear.
“Please, Silver… please. I’ll prove to you it doesn’t work, and then you’ll let me go. That’s all I want.”
>She relents for a moment, breathing heavy.
>You put a hand to the floor after a moment.
>And you stand up a little bit.
>You look at each of the eyes of the people staring at you.
“Three times. If it doesn’t work in three, it won’t work in a hundred. I’m going to summon it and dismiss it quickly, but keep prepared for anything.”
>No one nods or acknowledges your words, but they can’t peel their eyes off of you.
>You take a deep breath.
”｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣!”

>Be Lemon Zest.
>You are not in a good position right now.
>Sonata Dusk isn’t attacking you right now, she’s just making those weird mouth noises outside.
>You can move a little bit, but not use your power.
>The ghost’s traveled upwards towards your chest, so your legs can kick okay.
>You’re inching your way to the hole Sour made, mad slow.
>Suddenly, she steps in.
>Sonata.
>She strides over to you, and you prepare to have a chunk of yourself torn off or something.
>But then she passes you.
>Oh no.
>Pinkie.
>They’re trying to take another hostage!
“S-Sonata! Listen, you have to stop this! If you take Pinkie Pie out of here, it’s not going to work out for you!”
>Your voice is naturally louder than other people’s, even when it’s muffled and weakened.
>She stops clicking in her alien horse language as she hefts something off the floor.
>Pinkie.
>”Let us know when you want to give our gems back!”
>She’s almost cheerful.
>”In fact…”
>You try to think of something you can offer her.
>They like music, but probably not the music you like.
>And not enough to take that over godlike power or a path to Equestria.
>You try to conserve your energy, plotting your next move.
>Then her boot knocks into your head.
>It smarts, and you go limp, playing possum.
>She’s not the brightest of them, as far as Sunset could tell when she briefed you.
>She’ll fall for it.
>Come on, just tell the ghost to come with you, it’s totally not going to hang around here...
>It takes forever, but she finally takes her the boot off of your head.
>You feel your teeth separate again, and taste blood from your lip.
>Lay still and hope she doesn’t do it again.
>Just wait until you’re free of this…
>She clicks into the air a few more times, and then the clicks get more distant.
>You can’t use ｢Lemon Demon｣ here, and you can’t move even if it wouldn’t blow your cover.
>She walks over to the hole made with her own body.
>With no problem, she passes through, carrying Pinkie over the threshold.
>Your eyes snap open.
>Finally!
>Exactly what you were waiting for!
>The ground shifts under you.
>As soon as Pinkie’s body leaves, the bus dissipates.
>And you drop through the metal, rolling to one side automatically.
>The ghost’s still floating in the air, and ｢Lemon Demon｣ appears over your shoulder as you get a good look at it.
>It disappears back into the ground before you can make a good attack on it.
>And Sonata’s looking at you, head waving between you and what used to be the rest of the bus.
>The Rainbooms are standing there.
>Most of them.
>And in the center, the purple one, breathing heavily.
>Bands of darkness litter the air, and she hardly seems to notice that the bus is gone.
>Then, in all the head swiveling, you see Sunset approaching.
>She doesn’t look well.
>Rainbow notices at the same time you do and rushes towards her.
>｢Lemon Demon｣ lights up your legs, and you race over to her first, hands clapping on her shoulders.
>You’re no doctor, but...
>Something’s wrong with her.
>Her pupils don’t dilate when you bring your eyes closer.
>You’re taking up all of her vision, and she doesn’t register you.
>Rainbow pushes you out of the way.
>”Sunshim! Sunshim, helloooo!”
>She waves a hand in front of Sunset’s face.
>Your instincts tell you to turn around.
>Before you can get halfway to doing that, there’s Sonata.
>｢Lemon Demon｣ helps you step into her way, and then you put a hand up.
>She’s racing at you too fast to stop herself, and you manage to grab a handful of her hoodie.
>Then you punch her directly in the mouth.
>Your fist burns with righteous yellow-green light, blazing into the light.
>And you drive her backwards!
>She doesn’t react like it hurts, but you scuff her!
>You knock her away!
>It feels nice, like pumping some noise in your bloodstream!
>Rainbow yanks Sunset’s arm, pulling her towards the rest of the Rainbooms.
>The purple one comes lumbering towards them.
>Oh, no you don’t!
>｢Lemon Demon｣ helps you intervene again, skating into that path.
>She turns on the spot, pulling a long spiked chain out of her shadow.
>Rainbow flinches.
>It goes sailing through the air for you, close enough to hit before you can reach her.
>But it doesn’t matter!
>You enter a defensive stance, throwing your arms in front of your head.
>You can’t compete to get closer, but you can compete to defend yourself!
>This is much better than that flinch!
>｢Lemon Demon｣ lights up your arms and your upper body with green fire.
>The end of the weapon dissipates like a cigarette butt, unable to touch you!
>”｢Simple Plan｣!”
>Rainbow shouts, and then a small rock impacts the purple one in the forehead!
>When it hits, she falls backward with it.
>You run over to Rainbow and help support Sunset, who goes limp to help you.
>She still hasn’t said a word.
>You could really use ｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣ right now...
>Sunset doesn’t make any motion on her own now..
>With both of the Dazzlings still getting to their feet, you can pull slightly ahead.
>It’s enough time for you to see the rest of the Rainbooms.
>The yellow one, the one with no personality, is curled up on the ground.
>She looks like she’s in pain.
>Applejack is standing over her, resolute, and her eyes are hawkish.
>Rarity’s arm is bleeding from a dozen points, leaving a mess of red across her clothes.
>You can’t believe you don’t have ｢MS｣ right now!
>This is the kind of situation where you need to beat feet and get the hell out of Dodge, and you could really use it right about now.
>Things get louder as the two sirens start clicking into the air, and then get up.
>You bring your fists back up and ignore any tiredness, ready to duke it out again.
>But the purple one retreat without looking back, running in the direction of the Sweet Shoppe.
>Down that same route, you can see a body slumped over.
>It’s hard to make out whose for a moment, but...
>Sour!
>No one else has noticed yet, they’re all too busy gathering around Sunset.
>Rarity shrieks, and everyone else gasps.
>You tear your eyes away from Sonata for a moment to see what the deal is.
>And then you see it.
>It’s not Sunset.
>It’s the girl that was guarding the Factory!
>You don’t understand.
>”It’s one of their Stands!”
>Applejack declares, looking at the glazed eyes of the teenager.
>You look back at the retreating figure, and see Sonata walking closer.
>This time her steps are slow, easy.
>She’s smiling.
>But beyond her, near the Sweet Shoppe, there’s someone else.
>Two someones.
>You feel a risk, staring at them too long, getting distracted.
>But you make out a little bit of color.
>Blue, both of them, blue!
>Sunny and Sugarcoat!
>They finally arrived!


>Be Silver Spoon.
>You’re not worried about time running out.
>It’s obvious that things could fall apart quickly as soon as you did anything.
>You’ve been planning since this afternoon, because you knew you’d only get one shot.
>Sunset’s decided to try bargaining with you, because she knows she can’t weasel her way out.
>She’s not going to get her way any longer!
>”｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣!”
>She shouts, holding a palm out at Diamond.
>Something appears.
>A man in a facemask, holding a long chunky gun the length of his arm across his body..
>By the time you can tell his color, he’s already reacted.
>There’s no bewilderment, he only raises up the gun towards Diamond.
>Your heart skips a beat as his finger hits the trigger.
>And then Sunset moves her arm back down, and he blinks out of existence.
>She takes another breath, and repeats her gesture.
>Diamond hasn’t moved for this, but her dad stands closer to her, his own hand ready.
>There’s a fire in his eyes.
>Another man appears - the same one.
>He’s the same light blue, still dressed up like that, and as far from Golden as you could get.
>The thought forms, and you shout it as soon as it comes.
“Are you trying to mess with us?!”
>Sunset startles, turning to look at you.
>And the man unslings his gun and points it at Diamond, faster this time.
>She doesn’t move her hand in time looking at you, hoping for an explanation.
>And by the time she turns back to it, those couple of seconds afterwards, it’s too late!
>He starts firing!
>Mr. Rich’s arm throws out, and the stream of bullet transforms into dollar bills.
>But that ability usually works with touch.
>In order to move it, he has to see each one in time!
>He has to try to cover that entire area!
>The masked man is terrified and confused now, but his hands don’t react that way.
>They’ve been trained.
>Your best friend in the world cries out and drops low, wounded.
“DIAMOND!”
>You shout, as if you were a whole battlefield away from her.
>Did you really just sacrifice her for a chance to get ahead?!
>Are you capable of that?
>The man finally disappears, Sunset looking at you grimly.
>You stare back at her, feeling suddenly unprotected.
>Suddenly ‘not in the right’!
>Her dad’s already next to her, trying to do something.
>Blood’s staining the whole of her jacket, her shirt...
>She coughs with pain and tries to wave him off.
>”Just… let me... ”
>You feel something completely unbearable for the second time.
>A ｢sister’s loss｣!
>The removal of something which cannot be replaced!
>You’re about to turn to Sunset again.
>But her eyes pierce you.
>”I promised you three tries, but if you really want me to do this to her again, I’ll really start fighting you.”
>”Sh-shut up!”
>Diamond’s voice comes across the room.
>Both of you turn to her.
>She’s laying there with one arm propping her up, blood running out of her mouth.
>”That man is some kind of a mercenary, isn’t he? Someone who kidnaps the children of rich men for ransoms! That means normal things don’t stand a chance of killing me!”
>Sunset gets taken aback.
>”Diamond, you’re-”
>”I was born with natural luck! It’s how I became the daughter of the Rich family and not someone else on the other side of the world! I can’t be killed by anything that isn’t meant for me! And that’s why the next thing you summon will definitely be Golden Harvest!”
>Sunset doesn’t react for a moment.
>Her shoulders quiver for a moment, like she’s suppressing some ultimate rage.
>You get ready to defend yourself against her for real, shifting a step closer to Diamond and the silent statue Mr. Rich has become.
>But then you see what’s really happening.
>She’s crying.
>It looks almost like she’s shivering for warmth with her head bowed, but you can see the tears hit the ground.
>”Stop… stop trying to make me do this! I can’t dismiss them any faster this close together, and I can’t live with anyone else’s blood on my hands!”
>Diamond’s voice calls over hers.
>”Just hurry up, before time runs out! Summon her!”
>You see the determination on her face.
>Hesitant, Sunset raises her hand again.
>Her arm shakes.
>Diamond bellows across the room, two words.
>”Stop hesitating!”
>”｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣!”
>The world shifts for a third time, and another figure steps through.
>Same getup.
>Same mask.
>Powder blue skin.
>Your heart pounds painfully against your ribcage.
>He repositions the gun even faster now.
>You race to get between him and Diamond, grabbing ｢Tin Cup Chalice｣ off of the ground.
>There’s no way to block all of them, but if she lays down again she’ll be a small enough target!
>You can block all of them!
>But before you can get that far, you can see Sunset running up.
>She tries to put her body in between Silver and the gunman!
>He tries to reorient the gun around her.
>It’s something to do with the Stand itself!
>He’s unable to aim at her!
>She blocks Diamond with her whole body, turning around to him.
>But he dives out of the way to one side, holding the gun out.
>Now he’s aiming at Diamond and her dad!
>You rush towards him.
>Sunset’s ahead of you, trying to run faster.
>Time slows down as you both head for his diving body.
>But before he can finish sliding, he pulls back the trigger.
>Bullets spray.
>And then, all of a sudden, you’re standing back where you were a minute ago.
>So’s Sunset.
>Above her shoulder, something…
>Pink!
>Your eyes dart across the room, and Diamond’s standing again.
>She’s undamaged!
>Your heart jumps into your throat and you race across the room.
>Throwing your arms around her, feeling the plushness of her jacket.
>You feel relief you never thought you’d feel again.
>She was never in danger, of course, not with her Stand at the ready.
>Allowing herself to be shot must have been painful, but you got swept up in it.
>Of course at the end she’d use her new ability to undo the damage!
>There was a worry about running over the time she needed, so she had to make Sunset hurry up, but that was the only way it could go wrong!
>So long as she activated it, it would cancel out the second and…
>Third…
>Summonings.
>The pit falls out of your stomach.
“D-Diamond.”
>She locks eyes with you, still standing proud even with your arms around her.
“What would you have done if Golden really did appear?”
>She doesn’t answer you.
>Mr. Rich steps forward to be closer to her himself.
>You have no idea how he feels now.
>To see your own child...
>You think of your mother.
>Of how she must feel right now, if she’s awake.
>”Okay.”
>Sunset’s voice breaks you out of your moment.
>”That’s all that’s going to appear. I don’t think I can use my Stand much more tonight anyway, and I still have to help my friends. Let me go.”
>She does actually look exhausted.
>Seeing her stand in the way of those bullets...
>It could’ve been an act, but she had no reason to pretend with you.
>If she just ran at a wall fast enough a few times, she’d be out.
>She was never going to make you into some kind of pawn.
>And yet...
>She tried to defend Diamond.
>Something’s not right in all of this.
>A trick, maybe.
>If she knew that you were holding a complete gem right now, she’d kill all three of you.
>But without that incentive, that ruthlessness just doesn’t come to the surface!
”Tell me one thing, first.”
>This was originally something you were only going to clear up if you had the chance.
>But now, with this unreadable behavior...
>She looks at you, waiting for it, her face suddenly calm.
“You aren’t really doing this to go back to your home at all, are you?”
>Her face tightens a bit.
>You don’t know what that means, but a glance at Diamond’s expression tells you everything you need to know.
>You’re on the money.
“Why are you really doing this?”
>”I’m opening up a portal to Equestria to set things right, back the way they’re supposed to be.”
>She looks dead serious, almost righteously angry.
>Another look back at Diamond, and...
>This one wasn’t a lie.
>But what does that mean?
>What could be the difference between those two things?
>Suddenly, you hear something new.
>Muffled, through the wall.
>”Silver?”
>At first you think your phone’s on somehow, but as you pull it out you find it’s still off.
>And that’s not where the acoustics line up.
>Everyone’s looking at the same point, the wall.
>Or… through the wall.
>The voice comes over, raised higher.
>”Is anyone there? It’s… dark in here. I can’t see anything.”
>You make out the words clearly.
>And the voice...
“Golden! We’re in here!”
>”Silver? What is this place? What happened?”
>Sunset’s suddenly on edge.
>”That’s not my Stand.”
>What’s she talking about?
>It must have been some interaction, between ｢Pink, Act 2｣ and ｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣!
>Some third option you’d never seen coming!
>You motion at Mr. Rich, and the block of metal disappears from the exit.
>There’s nothing but a sheet of darkness beyond.
>You wonder if you were hearing a ghost for a moment, waiting for someone else to say something.
>Squashing your doubt down to your ankles...
>Then she steps into view.
>Wearing the same clothes she was that night.
>She got pulled through!
>It must have been a long shot, but she did it!
>Golden Harvest, your sister, steps into the room.
>She looks lost - maybe her eyes haven’t adjusted yet.
>Darkness to darkness, but she could have been pulled from a point where the bullet was bouncing off all of the lights.
>You feel faint, all of a sudden, you head flush.
>Diamond steadies you.
>”I’m telling you, that’s not my Stand. This is some kind of enemy attack.”
>Sunset repeats.
>That’s ridiculous.
>Who would attack someone by looking like your sister?”
>But Diamond, who sees further than you do, finds something in those words.
>”She’s right. We can’t take unnecessary risks. Stay over there for a moment!”
>Golden just looks confused, still slowly moving closer to you.
>”I don’t understand. Wasn’t there a fight…?”
>Sunset throws out a hand, and it takes her a moment to say it.
>”｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣!”
>In that time, you’ve already broken off from Diamond.
>Whatever this is, using that Stand again might ruin it!
>Or summon something else, and...
>Nothing appears.
>You’ve strafed directly between Sunset and your sister, planting yourself in their paths.
>You won’t take this miracle for granted!
>-grrk!
>A hand grips you by the throat and lifts you upwards.
>Golden couldn’t move that fast.
>And it’s not her hand.
>”｢Gold Guns Girls｣.”
>You choke in her grip, your horror matching what you see on everyone else’s face.
>It’s the leader’s voice.
>Adagio.
>Sunset grits her teeth.
>”Let her go!”
>Your arms shoot up to the hand, but its grip is unbreakable.
>｢Tin Cup Chalice｣ is still in your pocket, but even if you could aim the shot right...
>”I can hear at least one of our gems in this room. I think we might have to… come to an agreement over it, hmmm?”
>Crap.
>Mr. Rich keeps an excellent poker face, and so does Diamond, but Sunset hardens.
>”I’m not letting you get your hands on even one of those ever again!”
>Adagio makes a kind of throaty laugh you can feel rattle against your windpipe.
>”You’re a little weak lately, aren’t you? All of the other Rainbooms think you just disappeared. They definitely weren’t expecting -her- Stand.”
>She motions grandiosely with a free hand at Diamond.
>”Which does raise the question of how you could’ve missed her, really.”
>You start to see spots in your vision as the three of them stare between her and you.
>Sunset pulls a big chunk of red out of her pocket, as if to hand it over.
>And then stares at it, in the palm of her hand.
>Paralyzed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxZceAcZ5l8 [Timbuk Three - Big Shot in the Dark]

｢To Be Continued｣

Stand: ｢Party Rock｣
User: Pinkie Pie
Ability: A schoolbus that can squeeze to fit in small spaces. Damage done to the bus repairs naturally over weeks or months, and it runs on the user’s energy instead of fuel.

Stand: ｢Simple Plan｣
User: Rainbow Dash
Ability: When the user touches a target, it suddenly moves at 60mph in a straight line.