CRBA, Episode 18: Sometimes the Good Guys Finish First

Care Root’s Bizarre Adventure, Episode 18: Sometimes the Good Guys Finish First

>Be Sunset, a couple months ago.
”I’m... sorry that we have to do this.”
>”I know.”
>She says, not making eye contact with you.
>Between her own guilt and the giant shipping container, the whole atmosphere’s bleak.
“I promise, I’ll make sure you’re not lonely. I’d just… put you up in a hotel or something, but...”
>You scratch the back of your head and look apologetic.
>”No, I understand. This is my fault, and… you might need me, if things go wrong.”
“I just need other people to not know where you are. If the Dazzlings understood what you’re capable of…”
>You trail off again.
>You don’t want to scare her with what you’ve heard from the other universes.
>What happens when she really does get involved.
>When she loses control...
>”It’s for her, too, though. Isn’t it?”
>You clear your throat.
”Yes. If we’re going to do things different this time, I’m going to do them right.”
>She doesn’t quite respond to you.
>”I see the way you look at her. Both of you.”
>You feel your face get a little warm.
“I-it’s not like that! It’s just... what we have to do.”
>”For Equestria.”
>She deadpans.
“For Equestria.”
>”Then as long as my family’s okay, that’s fine. Them and the Crystal Prep girls.”
“I’m going to keep everyone safe. I…”
>The word hitches in your mouth, but then you force it out.
“I promise.”
>She looks sidelong at you, and then nods.

>Be Diamond.
>You're in the middle of a standoff right now.
>And it's one you could've helped, if you hadn't just used your ability!
>｢Pink Act 2｣ is still recharging, in whatever part of you it rests in.
>But Adagio Dazzle is here, looking like Golden Harvest.
>She's choking your best friend in the world, and your dad can't help!
>And she knows about you.
>'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. Which does raise the question of how you could have missed her, really.'
>That's what she said about you!
>You should've expected it, but it still makes you clench your jaw tighter.
>Her side can't have figured out the real way your power works, not if it changed since the last time you fought any of them.
>But you can't even use it on her to shut her up!
>Not in time to stop her tearing Silver's throat out!
>The only thing that you can do is wait for your dad or Sunset to make a move, or hand over the gem.
>It's a maddening standoff between the three older people in the room, with you and her completely helpless!
>Finally, after a few seconds of seeing her paw at the monster's hands, your dad's hand moves silently to his pocket.
>"Fine."
>Sunset's voice cuts into the room, harsh but certain.
>She's holding half of a gem in her hand!
>You've been observing her as closely as you can tonight, and you've seen her reactions to pressure.
>She really did seem to care that you were hurt, or when Silver wanted her to use her power on someone.
>Despite everything, she even seemed fine taking the moral high ground!
>Her thoughts and actions are those of regret, a person trying to do better, but...!
>There's no way.
>Your eyes move instantly to Adagio's.
>They're readable even if they're not the right color.
>She doesn't deign to notice you right now, but she's suspicious enough.
>It's harder to read her deeply than a normal person, not because she's ever trying to be too deceptive, but just because there's an undercurrent of superiority always present on her face.
>She's a person who honestly believes she's 'all that'.
>She croons.
>"Very good, Sunset! I'm glad to see you care."
>Sunset's face is dark.
>"Let her go and I'll give it to you. There's no reason for us to fight in here."
>The Dazzling laughs a little.
>"What, four against one? You'll have to make it more worth the risk than that. I can still smell more of our power here."
>Shit!
>Sunset doesn't even look back at you.
>"We don't have any more shards, and stalling for time isn't going to help you!"
>Her poker face is incredible, but why wouldn't she rat you out?
>You try not to think about it as Adagio's eyes sweep over you.
>Whatever she reads in the room, she smirks.
>"That's not what I heard. You were on the brink of tears a minute ago. Maybe I should take care of this troublemaker for you?"
>Huh?
>Without meaning to, you blurt something out.
"How long were you waiting out there?!"
>The threat to Silver's life panics you, and it comes out a little more whining than demanding.
>"We've heard everything you've said tonight, Diamond Tiara, no matter how far away we were. You are responsible for the ones who are still hiding right now, aren't you? I would've thought you'd signal for them by now."
>Your dad's grip tightens into a fist in his pocket.
>You're sure that if he could've, he'd have crushed the gem into nothing.
>You can't let her have it, she'd be able to brainwash people again!
>Her voice would become a weapon even worse than her hands!
>Silver's breathing weakly now, not moving, her eyes moving from you to the center of her vision and then beyond.
>You don't think she can see anything right now.
>Inches above, Adagio's eyes are still piercing you.
>"Well, aren't you going to use your new superpower to make everything alright? I was hoping you'd pull it out by now, unless it's limited somehow..."
>She even heard that.
>It was true that you could take a bullet for Silver Spoon.
>You had several times, in fact!
>But your new power wouldn't let you ｢erase｣ any of this!
>You'd felt it out today, as much as you could, and its time period only starts once it reactivates!
>In other words, the mistakes which happen while your power is dormant are permanent.
>You can't make the world forget them!
>She smiles.
>"That's what I thought."
>Sunset cuts in, her voice filling the room.
>"None of them are a part of this. This is about you and me and Equestria, and I'll drop this down a sink to stop you from having it if you won't help me!"
>She holds up the gem.
>You don't know whether she's bluffing about that or not.
>Adagio's not convinced.
>"After everything you've been through? Please. You're going to hold onto that for dear life no matter what. Or is it not worth it to 'show the other timelines a better way', or whatever line you've been feeding them?"
>Sunset's shoulders raise, and her reply is genuinely upset.
>"It's the TRUTH! You were supposed to kill so many innocent students at that factory, even if we won in the end! We couldn't stand for that when there was something else to try! We did everything we could to make sure that half of them didn't show up!"
>As far as you can see, she's telling the truth.
>Adagio smiles darkly.
>"Then you'll give me back my things whenever it's a matter of life and death for a mortal? You shouldn't make promises like that, even to yourself. Especially when I know that you're holding back on me."
>Your dad's going to do it.
>You know the kind of person your dad is, and exactly how much pressure will make him change his mind on something important.
>And this is like a vice, choking both of you!
>If Silver died here you would have to explain it to Derpy, to her family!
>It would be two people taken away by the Dazzlings' side!
>And all for what, some magical land of talking horses?
>You're sure it's nice and all, but what would any of them want with that?
>They're immortal here, almost unstoppably powerful!
>That's the part of Sunset's story that doesn't ring true for you!
>She wants to open a portal to Equestria, but not to go through it!
>Your dad's hand comes out of his pocket, and he clears his throat.
>But Sunset's voice comes over him, and her eyes are locked with Adagio's.
>"Fine."
>She reaches into her other pocket, and pulls out a smaller sliver of a gem, maybe a fifth.
>Adagio looks more satisfied than usual.
>”I knew you’d come around.”
>She holds out her free hand.
>Sunset throws both of them over, and Silver drops to the floor at the same time.
>But then...
>A screen of blue comes up!
>The pieces of the two gems bounce off onto the floor!
>With Golden’s face, Adagio scowls.
>She puts a hand up to the field of light.
>Her hand changes color a little, revealing her true identity again.
>Care?!
>No, this must be his ability!
>It’s doing something to ｢cut off the future｣!
>But you can’t imagine that there would be any happy memory for him if the Dazzlings had the gems!
>Silver’s still on the ground, and you take the chance to rush over to her.
>You have to lift her up by her armpits, and all of her weight falls on you, but you pull her over.
>The light’s coming back to her as she looks at the fake of her sister.
>Adagio waits a moment, frowning pensively, and the force-field disappears.
>Then she crouches, and reaches out a hand for the gems again.
>Each one is suddenly lost inside a tiny cube of light!
>Her hand tries to pierce one, and it shines with a sudden intensity, but doesn’t break!
>This is the power of ｢Timbuk 3｣, an absolute destiny!
>She scowls, and then raises her head.
>A stream of harsh clicking noises come out.
>Half of them you can barely hear - it just looks like her mouth is moving and someone’s synced up a broken radio to it.
>But she stands up again.
>And then, in a flash, she’s jumping for you.
>You call up ｢Pink Act 2｣, and it appears in front of you.
>But so does another wall of light.
>She slams into it and then kicks off, the image of Golden in tatters.
>Patches of her real face look out at you like a strangely-patterned burn across her skin.
>But you realize it.
>There’s no way for her to attack you!
>She figures it out too.
>And just as quickly as she entered, she leaps decisively back out into the darkness of the outside cafe!

>Be Sunny Flare.
>Your legs are burning like someone set them on fire!
>And you were almost certain that you’d be attacked on the way here, but the streets are too dead for it.
>You just felt like you were being watched, the closer you got.
>And now your gauntlets have a layer of sweat inside of them that it’ll take forever to wash out!
>One of the Dazzlings rushes to the front of the Sweet Shoppe with inhuman speed.
>When she skids to a halt she’s parallel with the front of the building, looking at you.
>Aria, the one who killed Indigo.
>She can what, control shadows?
>For a moment you wish Care Root were here to do the ‘second sun’ trick for all of you.
>But you’re just not that lucky.
>You can’t make out everything, but you can see that almost everyone’s in the direction she came from.
>Which means the goal has to be to get over there!
>Sugarcoat’s having a harder time catching her breath than you, but even with her hands on her knees she’s staring at Aria intensely.
>Her hair’s clumped, and she’s shaking, but she knows why she’s here.
>“You again. Didn’t I kick your ass hard enough the last time?”
>She says, half chuckling.
>Aria doesn’t say anything, or even look angrier than normal.
>She just waits for you to make the first move.
>If Sugarcoat can just get close enough to use ｢Nails for Breakfast Demo｣, this will immediately become a fair fight!
>You’ll be able to beat them back, save the rest of your team and figure out a way to safety!
>You hope you’re that lucky.
>Sugar steps forward, raising herself up.
>”I don’t even want to fight you, you know that? It’s just not worth it for someone like you. All three of you are so used to being on top of everything that you can’t do anything when it all comes out from underneath you!”
>You don’t get what she’s talking about.
>But then the Stand, the part that looks like Indigo, appears next to her.
>”I’ve grown since our last fight, because I had to. But you’re always going to be stuck with your weaksauce power, because you’ll never have to change it!”
>She declares this like it proves her victory on the spot and Aria should just walk away.
>You scan the distance, trying to count people and see who’s misisng.
>There’s at least one lying on the ground, but...
“I don’t see Sunset.”
>You say, sotto voce.
>”She’s fine. I can feel it.”
>Sugarcoat says, utterly unconcerned.
>The Stand-Indigo cracks its knuckles..
>”So are we gonna throw down, or what?”
>You get to the other side of her, heading closer to the building.
>As you do you can see something moving inside.
>No, someone.
>The leader! Adagio!
>You take a step back, staring at her.
>She hardly notices you.
>Back outside, Sugarcoat and Aria are stomping towards each other.
“Sugar, it’s a trap! Adagio’s inside!”
>She doesn’t turn her gaze, or slow down.
>Her ear doesn’t even twitch!
”Can’t you hear me?!”
>”It doesn’t matter.”
>Your mouth hangs open, whatever response you just had dying in your throat.
>You’re not going to convince her.
>And without Sunset, you really don’t have a way to supercede her!
>She suddenly breaks her even stride and rushes for the Dazzling.
>Aria reaches into the darkness.

>Be Derpy.
>”We’re here! We went around like you said.”
>Twilight’s next to you, on the phone with Care.
>He had you run around instead of following the same path that Silver and Diamond must’ve taken, to avoid falling into some kind of trap.
>Their car should be somewhere nearby, but he didn’t look too hard for it.
>He only knows what’s going on inside of the Sweet Shoppe!
>Which is why, when you come down the road, you’re surprised to see the crowd of people fighitng.
>The Rainbooms are all here!
>And standing in the middle of all of them, Sonata!
>She’s pushing against some kind of branches coming out of Applejack.
>And Fluttershy’s on the ground!
>You almost run into the sidewalk and have to refocus on driving.
>They all stop for a moment when they see your car.
>Twilight speaks hurriedly, not looking at them.
>”We’re really not alone here! Are they still okay?”
>She listens, and you try to tell apart the buildings in the darkness.
>You think you see it.
>Yes, there are two people fighting in front of it.
>Then a wall of solid black forms in front of them!
>You step on the gas, ignoring the pain behind your eyes.
>Driving while you’re tired is really unsafe.
>But you have to get this sorted!
>You have to bring her back home!
>”...What?”
>Twilight asks.
“What?”
>She doesn’t answer you, holding the phone closer to her ear, squinting.
>You approach the dark, trying to organize in your mind’s eye what you have available for ｢Spinal Tap｣.
>Lately you’ve been focused on grabbing the gems, so you only have what you’ve stockpiled.
>Before you left your house you grabbed a handful and put it in a few pockets.
>There might be a few laying around this car, too, if you really went digging for them...
>It’s definitely less than ten in total.
>Maybe more like five or six!
>”They left!”
>Twilight says to you.
“What do you mean?”
>”He saw them just… sink through the floor!”
>Oh no.
“Were they attacked?!”
>She starts to repeat your question to the phone.
>”Were they- no, they weren’t resisting it! They just went along with it!”
>Then they have a plan!
>”And Sunset was carrying gems! They have them!”
>Your eyes widen.
>No way.
“They took them from her?”
>”No, she let them take them! Care used his Stand to block them a couple of times from a distance, and she thought that it was destiny that she was supposed to give them up!”
>He...
>He used the weakness of his Stand as an advantage, without even being on the battlefield...
>You suddenly miss him again, the way you did in the first few weeks you were together and he would have to leave.
>There’s something solid steel inside of him that even he doesn’t see.
>And because of that, you’re going to protect your little sister!
”Tell him to track her phone again!”
>Twilight doesn’t repeat your words, but she listens more.
>”He’ll have to call her to do that. We’ll be out of contact for a few minutes.”
>You nod.
>And then drive closer to the Shoppe, keeping your eyes peeled.
>They’re probably around the back if they’re anywhere.
>The material black has crept out onto the street, but it doesn’t reach out for you.
>You keep your distance, slowing down your driving as the black thins out into a latticework of thorny vines.
>The whole side of the building’s like that, and then past that it gets even more tangled.
>The back is completely inaccessible!
>But if they could somehow move through the floor, thanks to someone’s ability…
>”He said that Diamond had a different ability than before.”
>Twilight says, as if making casual conversation.
>You nod.
>It was hectic, and he didn’t try to narrate it all for you until afterwards, but you have the basics of what happened inside of that backroom.
>”Do you think he’ll be able to do the same thing? Grow his ability?”
>You keep scanning.
>There’s movement in the darkness, the regular no-streetlight kind!
>And then, suddenly, the world shifts around you.
>Your car’s pulled up against the sidewalk, and you’re close enough for your eyes to adjust.
>There are several people standing in the dark, but one stands in front.
>Holding a finger to her lips, as serious as death.
>Trixie!

>Be Lemon Zest.
>Sonata and the rest of you saw Derpy’s car move past, and Twilight in the window.
>Which means that everyone’s involved in this.
>There’s a chance that this could turn into the Factory sitch all over again!
>The siren gets back into the rhythm of the fight just fine, and you step up to fight her.
“｢Lemon Demon｣!”
>As your Stand trades blows with her and drives her away from your group a little, you try to think.
>A way out’s just opened itself up to you, but...
>You’ve got to get Sunset, Sugarcoat and Sunny to regroup with you!
>You can’t just abandon them.
>”Things changed for you, didn’t they?”
>Sonata asks, no longer fighting back.
>Your punches do nothing to her, of course.
>But she’s gauging your reaction.
>You don’t give her one, withdrawing your Stand and getting further back.
>”Something you were waiting for came through for you, or it’s about to. You’ve got a lot more hope than you did before.”
>Her teeth glint in the streetlamps.
>”Too bad most of you aren’t going to make it out of here, even if you can use it.”
>You stop.
”...That’s your Stand, isn’t it?”
>She cocks her head to one side.
”You can read into things, somehow. You get more information than other people do.”
>She smiles.
>”I hear the music.”
>The music?
>”What’s that supposed to mean?”
>Rainbow calls over.
>You realize you drove her back a good twenty feet down the street.
>”The background music.”
>She says, as if it’s obvious.
>You don’t know what to say to that.
>”It’s different for everyone, but it’ll always show me where you are, what you’re doing, and whether it’s going to work out. When you give up, or you win, or you’re just about to lose, I can hear it perfectly.”
>She smiles.
>”Back there, they’re just about to lose. And listening to all of you, I can tell exactly which one of you is the weakest.”
>Then you’ll just have to do something about that!
>Things aren’t going to get any easier for you otherwise, if she really has this up her sleeve.
>She runs for you while you’re reaching into your pocket, and your Stand rushes to defend you.
>But then she jumps over it!
>Are these girls Olympians?!
>You spin on your heels and run after her, letting your Stand take over.
>Come on, come on, focus…
>It takes a lot more concentration to hold onto it than you were hoping for.
>And even with your Stand you might not beat her there.
>But as the pavement passes by under you, you finally pull it out!
>She turns in her rush forward, and her eyes go wide.
>The golden, glowing arrow!
>Weren’t expectnig that, now were you!
“｢Midnight Special｣!”
>Whatever happens next, she claps her hands to her ears.
>Her mouth opens a couple inches too wide as she stares into the sky.
>You keep it trained on her as she crumples down to the ground.
>Then you hear everyone gasp, down past her.
>A body hits the ground.
>”AJ!”
>Rainbow shouts, and the others gather around.
>The farmgirl’s unconscious.
>Oh no.
>You have to hold the arrow still, and you can’t move like this.
>You’re no pushover, but it has to aimed and focused on to keep running.
>You can’t use two Stands at once!
>Next goes Rarity, going stiff and unable to breathe.
>She falls over without swooning or anything, looking up at the stars.
>You yell over to Rainbow.
”She has a ghost with her! It’s going to come for you next, you have to hit it with your Stand!”
>She gawks back over at you.
>”...S-sure!”
>This is one of their only fights, isn’t it?
>They were mostly meant to protect the students at CHS.
>But without anything to worry about there, they never got a chance to push themselves.
>When you get out of this, you’re giving them some damned training!
>She fishes a quarter out of her pocket.
>”Uh, where should I be aiming?!”
>She looks at Rarity, and then all around.
>But not at the ground.
“It’ll come from--”
>Sonata screams.
>It’s a high-pitched red sound, something that comes between your voice and Rainbow’s ears.
>It’s like trying to shout at a concert after the biggest song!
>She keeps looking everywhere like you’re watching kids’ TV.
>’Over there, over there!’
>Then Rarity loses consciousness of her own, her arms reaching out into the night sky for something.
>It’s coming!
>You edge closer to them, but you’re going to have to circle around Sonata for it.
>And she’s still screaming!
>It’s like her lungs are infinite!
>It pops out of the ground, something green half the size of a person.
”There!”
>You shout, and hope she hears you.
>She doesn’t, but she sees it!
>You read her lips as she shouts ‘｢Simple Plan｣!’
>And then the quarter blasts into the ground, kicking up a small shower of asphalt.
>Then the ghost fizzles out of existence!
>Ha!
>Rainbow’s smiling, but then she turns back to the rest of the Rainbooms.
>”AJ! AJ, are you okay?”
>She shakes her friend’s shoulders, but she doesn’t get up.
>Then the ghost comes up from behind her.
>No.
>No, you saw it destroyed.
>This is a different one!
“Rainbow!”
>It grabs her heart through her back.
>And then she collapses onto her friend, her body twitching weakly.
>Damn it!
>You break the connection to Sonata and run past her.
>She stops screaming.
>It’ll take her at least a few seconds to recover, so you can’t race her there.
>You just have to get there first on your own!
>As soon as you’re past her, you point the arrow at Rainbow, trying to feel out the ghost.
>It’s like probing a riverbed with a long pole, but you feel something different there.
>You don’t have the words to describe it, bad juju?
>You bite down on it with the Stand, and it disappears.
>Good.
>You’re standing next to a pile of unconscious high schoolers, but you’re still okay.
>You’re not too tired yet!
>Another ghost comes out of the ground, and you zap it immediately.
>You played too many arcade shooters to fall for that!
>Next you spin around, and point it at Sonata.
>She was two feet away from you, and she bridges the distance as she wails again,
>In spite of whatever she’s going through, she clamps both hands down on the arrow.
>She’s trying to take it from you!
>NO!
>You kick her in the stomach.
>Except she doesn’t move.
>You feel it inching out of your hand!
>And then the cold slithering of the ghost seeping in through your left shoe!
>You wrench yourself a few steps backwards as Sonata moves with you.
>And then you can’t walk backwards any more.
>She smiles crookedly, her grip getting stronger and stronger.
>”S-ssso much for that hope.”

>Be Sugarcoat.
>The first thing Aria does is throw out a whole wall of darkness, past where you even started running from.
>She wants to separate you from the outside world.
>You don’t really care!
>｢Nails for Breakfast Demo｣ rushes ahead for her, and she moves out of the way.
>A-ha, so she did learn her lesson about touching hands with you!
>She rushes for you herself, trailing a handful of darkness behind herself.
>Boxing you in.
>It’s only right now that your headache subsides.
>You’re in your element.
>Her element.
>There’s still something deeply wrong with all of this inside of you.
>You can tell it’s going to rip you apart soon.
>But first, you can take care of this!
>Aria comes up next to you, fist coming for you.
>The dark is on two sides of you, now, putting both of you in a little corridor.
>You put your hands out to catch hers, but she just lifts up her fist.
>A rope of pure black loops around your hands and ties them together.
>And then she headbutts you, driving you backwards.
>You hit the black wall at the end of the sidewalk, biting your tongue hard enough it bleeds.
>Not cool.
>Suddenly the world ripples around you, and you’re back inside of the building.
>You and Aria are both in the back room again, still staring each other down.
>Did you move?
>No...
>It takes you too long to figure it out.
>You should’ve noticed automatically, it’s what you...
>What you DO.
>Something about that thought makes your body decide to rev up the headaches again.
>You walk through the back door and see Sunny crouching by the front, with her hand to the glass.
>On the other side, there’s the actual Sweet Shoppe.
>You stumble over and she sees you.
>”Sugar! Hold on, let me help you!”
>She fishes in her pocket, and then remembers that she doesn’t have a phone.
>You step closer with your hands tied, and grab her wrist between your fingers.
>”What are you-”
>And pull it away from the glass.
>The building disappears.
”Don’t interfere!”
>”W-what? What are you talking about!?”
“I’ve got to beat her so hard that she never comes after us again! I’m going to show her the truth, that I’m on a completely different level than her!”
>｢Nails for Breakfast Demo｣ appears behind you again as you turn to face her.
>There are no more walls of darkness now, just her and you staring each other down.
>Sunny listens to her and stands back.
>There’s nothing that’ll stop you from beating her.
>From showing her the ｢truth｣ of her situation!
>That’s who you are!


>Be Lemon.
>You can’t give up this close to an exit!
>Sonata slurs her words a little against the force she’s fighting.
>”I can tell whether someone’s faking being conked out, and all of them are down for realsies. You can’t move that many people at once.”
>You step against her, twisting the arrow desperately.
>There’s no way that you’re giving this thing up!
>When you pull it up so it starts pointing toward yourself, she doesn’t fight you.
>But as long as you’re still holding onto it, she can’t use it on you!
>The ghost under you can’t stop you completely, either!
>As long as you have that, you have hope!
“｢Midnight Special｣!”
>You shout, pointing it at your own heart.
>｢Lemon Demon｣ appears, and your hands glow with twin infernos of yellow-green.
>Your hair stands on edge from the sudden force of it.
>You wrench it, twist, pull, but she won’t let go!
>All that happens is that it’s not pointing at either of you.
>It’s pointed at the pile of your friends, and your Stand evaporates as quickly as it started.
>You suddenly feel a lot more tired than you were before.
>”You just gave up on fighting me.”
>Sonata says.
>Without it pointing at her, she’s just fine!
>”I can hear the battle music. It’s fading out. You’ve given up!”
>You grit your teeth.
“That’s where you’re wrong! It’s ended because this fight is over! You’ve lost!”
>She blinks.
“｢Midnight Special｣!”
>It took you a little work to feel out the right one, but you get it!
>Pointing it straight at Pinkie, you activate ｢Party Rock｣!
>The bus appears in the air around you, thankfully right-side-up.
>Everything that was broken in it’s still that way, but there’s no broken glass anywhere.
>You’re on the far wall, with the arrow plunged into it.
>On the other side, Sonata’s been shaken off!
>The back’s torn up, seats shredded and deep grooves worn into the walls.
>But the front’s mostly intact!
>While she’s still wrapping her head around it, you point the arrow at Rainbow and put as little push into it as possible.
>The bus starts moving!
>You race for the driver’s seat.
>You wanted to save this until you could find the others, but now your hand’s been forced.
>You’ve got to get to the rest of them!

>Be Sugarcoat.
>Aria rushes for you.
>She’s never going to let you touch her hands if she can help it.
>Another one of those scimitars comes out of the darkness, swinging effortlessly for your head.
>｢Nails for Breakfast Demo｣ claps its hands on either side, and it changes shape!
>You feel your hands bleed from the points stuck into them.
>But there’s an opening!
>While your Stand holds the blade steady, and keeps her occupied, you rush her yourself!
>She keeps her hands up and away from you, neither advancing or retreating.
>But that’s exactly what you want!
>You have Indigo’s reflexes, her dexterity!
>Your shoulders crack as you jump the last foot, and you press your bleeding hands into her eyes!
>She lets go of the sword and knees you in the stomach, knocking the wind out of you.
>Her hands grab you as she does it, and you spin in the air.
>By the time you can see what’s happening again, you’re looking up into the sky.
>But you’re not on the ground.
>She’s holding you in the air!
>With a sudden, forceful motion, she presses your back to her knee.
>She’s going to break it!
>Even worse, you’re getting another wave of this migraine!
>This isn’t what’s supposed to be fucking happening!
>She hasn’t acknowledged your superiority yet, you can’t lose!
>”Sugarcoat!”
>Sunset shouts.
>You lower your eyes and see her, standing next to Sunny.
“Don’t interfere! Figure out what the other one’s doing! I’ll take care of this one!”
>You shout back, mouth on autopilot while ｢NFBD｣ appears next to you.
>It throws a fist for her, but it doesn’t connect.
>She steps out of the way and jabs the small of your back with her knee.
>But you don’t give up.
>It lashes out for her again.
>Except this time it hits something else.
>Your hand gets a lot worse, and you can see why.
>A pillar of thorny shadow.
>A wall of it, not one of the original ones.
>But where did it come from?!
>Sunny (Flare) seems to read your mind.
>”Adagio used her Stand to make it look like a clear area while you were both inside the building! It’s probably full of traps! We’re going to get you out of there!”
“No!”
>You shout back at her.
“Damn it, don’t you understand what I’m trying to do here!?”
>...Do you even understand it?
>Is this who you are?
>The question echoes, and you feel suddenly separate from your Stand.
>And then the pain gets a little too great.
>｢NFBD｣ appears above you now, driving a leg down toward Aria’s face.
>It doesn’t even land - she leans back completely out of the way!
>But you have your opportunity!
>It grabs the rope around your wrists, and throws you off!
>You tumble in the air, and then hit another one of these walls.
>It tears into the back of your uniform in a few places, and pulls up a big chunk of black.
>Now you can’t see Sunny or Sunset.
>Good.
>You can focus.
>Aria steps out of your range and turns to head down the sidewalk.
>Down there you can see something that you couldn’t before.
>Adagio, holding someone from behind.
>...Sour.
>She’s standing completely still, but she doesn’t look conscious.
>Aria reaches into the dark and pulls out a short spear.
>They’re going to...
>No!
>You get up and run after her.
>And hit another wall.
>This time your shoulder gets cut up, and it’s bad enough that you have to catch your breath.
>Come on, come on!
>If you can just get close enough to touch her hands, you can...
>You’re never going to.
>It’s a pointless exercise, she knows that you’re coming and will never let you have the opportunity.
>Right now she’s just taking advantage of how stupid you’re being.
>Your inability to tell the ｢truth｣ from the illusion of this situation.
>You won’t survive that!
>But you have to!
>Who are you, if you can’t?
>Your head feels like it’s caving in.
“I’m the one who gets to the bottom of things! I make a path by seeing through all of the lies and ugliness of the world! And I’ll die if I keep down this road!”
>The pressure lifts by a few degrees.
>...Yes.
>Yes, that is who you are.
>You notice this oscillation, the way that ｢NFBD｣ comes away from you and then back.
>It’s almost like it’s weakening its hold on you.
>And then its full nature strikes you.
>...Oh.
>Sunset finally gets far enough down the strip to see what’s going on.
>She looks back at you.
>”Adagio’s going to use her Stand to trick you somehow! She’s not any good in a straight fight!”
“I don’t need any help!”
>You shout back at her.
>You’re not backing off of that.
>When you beat these two and save Sour, it’s going to be because of you, yourself!
>You’ve got to beat them down hard enough that they think twice of messing with your team again!
>Besides, you knew that already.
>You straighten up and let ｢NFBD｣ move in front of you.
>It picks up rocks from the sidewalk and throws them in sprays at the air in front of you, revealing the labyrinth.
>Ahead, Aria continues her slow lumbering forward.
>You don’t waste time, turning one corner and then another.
>She created a whole tunnel of darkness just to waste your time and make you panic.
>Because she can’t engage with you on her own.
>It’s her weakness, she thinks she knows what ｢Nails for Breakfast Demo｣ can do.
>Now she’s just trying to exhaust you mentally and physically.
>When you stumble out of the final one, you’re bloody and cold, and the Stand’s withdrawn.
>You don’t need it any more.
>You feel like you could throw it off, like torn-up laundry or Christmas ornaments one day afterwards!
>You run the same path that Aria’s been walking, a straight line.
>She stops a few feet away from Sour, just looking back at you, condescendingly patient.
>You race to catch up with her, breathing much harder than you should ever have to.
>Then you trip.
>There was nothing on the ground, but she laid a rope across her path!
>You go falling for a huge pile of sharp material!
>As the black bed of nails appears, you exert a final push of energy.
>｢NFBD｣ flickers into existence just long enough to shove you to one side.
>You’re standing again, hopping a couple feet, and then you’re past it!
>Adagio stares at you with infinite bemusement.
>Bitch.
>You keep your mind on Sour Sweet, and stop a little short of Aria.
>They wait for you to breathe.
“What do you want?”
>”Hm?”
>Adagio asks.
>”Your leader over there told us that she made all of this mess trying to keep us from doing any damage to her people. We’re just going to teach her that she’s not so clever after all. Blame her if you don’t like it.”
>Aria says nothing, gripping the spear tighter and raising it up.
>Shit.
>Sour wouldn’t survive being impaled through the heart, no matter how tough she is.
“What if I offered you something?”
>Their eyes meet, and Aria pauses.
>Adagio continues to speak for the two.
>”What are you proposing?”
“I’ll work for you! I’ll stop being a Shadowbolt and use my Stand to help you gain all three gems and do whatever you like with them, so long as you leave my team alone!”
>She cocks her head to one side, considering you.
>Her eyes never leave yours.
>”Why, what a considerate offer. You must really care about little Sour Sweet here. But how do we know that you’ll be able to keep up that offer?”
“Because I’m going to leave with you, and as long as you don’t try to mind control me you can do whatever you want with me! And if you kill her instead, then I’ll use my Stand to hound you for the rest of time, no matter how powerful you are.”
>She reads you a little longer.
>And then laughs.
>“You’ve got a very funny sense of morality.”
>She pauses, weighing decisions in the air.
>“Alright, then. It’s a deal.”
“You’ll leave all of them alone, and leave them to me?”
>”Absolutely.”
>Something clicks.
>You let out a sigh of relief loud enough that Sunny and Sunset can probably hear it.
>It worked.
“You’re lying through your teeth.”
>She frowns, and then shrugs.
>”If you’re not happy with that deal, we’re happy to take care of Sour and then finish you off ourselves.”
>You chuckle.
>Just because you’re scraped up all over and can’t walk much further and are coming down from a headache, she’s underestimating you.
>Both of them look at you standing there, laughing.
“Indigo Zap was the heart of my team, and now her heart beats in my chest. But it’s not because she gave me her Stand! That was only an accident, a curse in disguise!”
>Sunset and Sunny are looking on from the sidelines.
>And from up the street, ｢Party Rock｣ is on its way down to you.
“Whoever has this Stand becomes Indigo, but only because if they’re not strong enough to know who they are. And I know that I’m not her! I’m the one who digs down into the ｢truth｣, through every white lie and trick in the book! And that’s why you’ve lost to me completely!”
>You point at Adagio like your index finger could delete her from reality.
>They’re both tired of your theatrics.
>Aria plunges the spear into Sour’s chest.
>Except it doesn’t go in.
>It’s like trying to impale someone with a sword made of pudding.
>it splashes around her and then fades into nothing.
>Aria looks at her hands for a moment and then reaches into the nearest patch of shadow.
>But it’s retreated from her.
>She has to look for one, and when she finds it nothing comes out.
“You’ve been in this world too long. You don’t remember who you are, deep down.”
>She’s become the new user!
>Adagio looks annoyed, and a little let down.
>”Then I’ll just snap Sour’s neck myself. Then my sister will come hold you down and end you with your dead friend’s Stand.”
>She’s not wrong.
>Having ｢NFBD｣ would be an advantage for Aria, for the moment.
>It’ll at least take a few days for it to bite her in the ass.
>But that wasn’t the only part of your plan.
>She didn’t see the movement in the dark and the excitement, but you can tell from her eyes when she feels it.
>They flash with a sudden surprise.
“You lied to me. You shouldn’t have done that, because now you’ve fallen under the effect of ｢Pavlov’s Daughter｣! I can create a hunger you can’t resist!”
>She understands what’s about to happen while Aria’s still recovering.
”I’ve given you a hunger for your sister’s trachea! Now: let go and chase it!”
>She struggles internally for a moment.
>Obviously, she wants to attack Sour first.
>But the power of your Stand won’t let her!
>Fulfilling its condition becomes the first priority for her!
>She shoves Sour out of the way, and she falls to the asphalt.
>And then Aria’s holding her sister off of her as they tumble across the road.
>You rush over to Sour and try to lift her.
>She’s too heavy, or you’re just weak, but another pair of hands helps you.
>And a third.
>You look up at your two teammates in a daze.
>Sunny’s smiling at you, but Sunset’s looking at the Dazzlings worriedly.
>Your Stand won’t last long when you get out of range, but for now they’ll stay occupied.
>It was their natures that lost them this fight.
>Hopefully that teaches them something.
>They start moving Sour before you.
>And you realize that the bus already arrived.
>It’s beaten up, but it’s here.
>You do your best to help them get her in.

>Be Silver.
>You didn’t manage it.
>You didn’t bring your sister back...
”I-I’m sorry, everyone.”
>You say, sitting a few inches from the shadow briar patches.
>They all look back at you.
>Mystery Mint’s been worried ever since Sunset saw her using ｢Snakadaktal｣ for you.
>But you asked Trixie to help recuit anyone she could to help you.
>You thought it would be an all-out war, but your part was almost nothing.
>You look up at Derpy.
“She, told me she can’t do it. I wanted to bring her back, but… I couldn’t do it. ｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣ can’t... stop what I did.”
>The words come out hollow.
>They don’t change the way she looks at you.
>It’s not pity, just… shared hurt.
“The rest of you, go home. I’ll… go pack up my things and get ready to go to France.”
>Diamond puts a hand on your shoulder.
>”Don’t be that way. We’ve got parts of all three gems now. We can put an end to this.”
>You snort, wetly.
”How soon?”
>Twilight speaks.
>”It would only take a few more days to get the rest of the pieces. As long as we can keep them together and with us, it would all be finished.”
>Trixie raises an eyebrow, but keeps quiet.
>Derpy looks down at you.
“I know. It doesn’t matter.”
>There’s nothing you can say to her, is there?
>She crouches down a little closer to you.
>And then, tightly, wraps her arms around you.
>”I-I miss her t-too, Silver.”
“I know you do-”
>”I don’t blame you for what she did! She would have come with or without you, that’s the kind of sister she was. It’s the kind of sister all three of us are. We just have to live with that!”
>You don’t know what to say.
>She keeps talking.
>”I came out here to protect you, just like you came to protect me at the factory. Th-there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s what sisters are for! We just have to stop doing it in secret!”
>She squeezes you harder, and you squeeze back.
>You feel your eyes get wet for the first time since it all happened.
>Your muscles go limp against her.
“I’m ss-sorry.”
>You choke out, quiet enough that you can hardly hear it.
>”It wasn’t your fault.”
>She says, persistent.
>”She wouldn’t want you to feel responsible for it. If she hadn’t come all of us might have been done for.”
>Your grip gets hard enough that you dig in your fingernails and your fingers start to hurt.
>You want them to.
>With your eyes closed, it’s easy to forget that you’re surrounded by people, half of which you’ve barely met.
>She doesn’t move.
>”Shhh.”
>Your breath catches in your throat and turns into a wet, choking mewl.
>”We’re going to protect each other from here on out, okay?”
>She asks.
>She sounds so… patient.
>You break, tears streaming down your face.
>And you wail into the night.
”I’M SORRY!”

>Be Anonymous, a day later.
>You’re still chairbound, but they’ve managed to steal you a wheelchair.
>Flash is still under.
>All three of the sisters are doing bad.
>Sonata’s tried to be close to you, but you’re not in any state to take care of her.
>You could hear Aria arguing with Adagio last night while you were pretending to sleep.
>”I can get rid of it!”
>Aria says.
>”You can, but I’m not taking it on. It could still be useful to us.”
>Adagio says, nonchalantly.
>”I’ve felt it out, if I just use it on her it’ll transfer straight to her--”
>”No. Not after all of this!”
>”If I just look into her eyes--”
>”Then how will she get rid of it? Doesn’t she mean anything to you?!”
>Silence.
>Adagio went on.
>”When the portal’s opened, we can deal with it, and us, and her. Until then, keep some control.”
>And that was the end of that conversation.
>...
>You’re not sure what’s going on between the three of them, but you know that if you had to you’d even fight the two of them for her.
>It’s early morning when you hear a knock at the door.
>Mailman?
>Missionaries?
>You don’t bother answering, but then another series of knocks comes.
>They sound persistent, and calculated to annoy.
>Police?
>You don’t have any great way to hide Flash, although...
>There’s no way they’d be able to prove you were psychically keeping him under or something.
>It would still be too messy.
>You studiously ignore it, but the pounding only gets worse.
>Finally one of the sisters staggers over and opens it.
>By the footsteps, Adagio.
>After she throws it open, there’s a moment of silence.
>You wheel your way over and look through the bullethole you made in the wall.
>The voice on the doorstep is calm.
>”I’ve come here for Flash. I know you have him, and I’m not leaving without him.”
>You finally see the face.
>Purple.
>Twilight Sparkle.

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

｢To Be Continued｣

Stand: ｢Listening Chair｣
User: Sonata Dusk
Ability: Allows the user to hear the ‘background music’ of any particular place or person’s life, giving them information about current feelings, situations and dramatic tension.

Stand: ｢Midnight Special｣
User: N/A?
Ability: Imparts, charges and activates Stands. In weaker targets or through prolonged use, also produces periods of amnesia.

Stand: ｢Snakadaktal｣
User: Mystery Mint
Ability: The user, and whatever they’re touching, can travel through any solid surface as if it were made of water.