CRBA, Episode 24: The Last Trap

Care Root’s Bizarre Adventure, Episode 24: The Last Trap

>Be Princess Twilight, sitting in the middle of a disaster.
>Everything has been steadily going wrong today, like an inexorable tide of fate pulling you downwards.
>Your own forces were cut down the middle and co-opted by the Dazzlings, and you’re going to have to put your friends at Canterlot High in danger.
>Anonymous wasted a lot of your time because you were careless with using your ｢Midnight Special｣, and then collapsed completely just as you’d brought him to your side.
>The Crusaders have become a little too sympathetic with Care, even though you can’t blame them for that.
>And now, just as everything’s coming together out of those disparate threads, Diamond Tiara’s standing on the hood of your car, waiting for you to make a move.
>Sunset’s frozen only for a second, and then she springs into action.
>”｢Boulevar-”
>Before the can finish the sentence, one of the floating pink neurons appears at her throat.
>It looks like a magical sore, inflated beyond any kind of sustainability, and it wraps itself around her.
>If she were human, the pressure would collapse her windpipe.
>She looks down at it in shock - there was no motion involved, no displacement of air.
>Another instance breaks off from it, organically, and drifts over towards you, moving like a seed-pod in the wind.
>The car’s too buckled for you to open the door and jump out, and Diamond has the advantage.
>Which means you’ll have to use your ability.
>｢Midnight Special｣ appears in your hand, and-
>Then you’re stuck to the seat with the Stand glommed onto your ribs, and Diamond’s holding the arrow.
>You can feel that her Stand’s... grown.
>It’s grown tremendously.
>But she’s standing there, just as statuesque as before, with your final goal behind her.
>However unlikely it is, you can’t rule out that Care’s found some way to annihilate the gems forever.
>That would be the end of all of this.
>The end of a hope to make things better…
>She’s containing both of you well.
>The rigid plastic of the carseat cracks and disfigures underneath of you, but you know what’s going on, now.
>Your mind races to the next answer in the chain, the next solution to the next microproblem.
>Twilight Sparkle doesn’t fail, and she doesn’t give up on her friends!.
>You stare Diamond in the eye.
“Your ability lets you stop time, doesn’t it?”
>She says nothing.
>You try to make your voice as reasonable as possible.
“I’m sure you’re upset, but please, focus on the unique energy you have. If we could harness that, we could stabilize a portal-”
>”Shut up.”
>She says, and everything freezes.
>You’re aware of what’s happening, although you can’t move.
>You’ve tapped into the same awareness as her Stand.
>The whole world has a sudden curtain cast over it, as light stops moving the way it’s normally supposed to.
>Everything’s tinted a little blue and fuzzy around the edges, and the air feels thicker around your face.
>Not that you need to breathe.
>Diamond points a palm toward you and another bit of her Stand materializes, floating like a spore towards you.
>It drifts just as lazily as before, but you can’t do anything about it.
>Soon it encompasses your mouth, and Diamond decides that she’s satisfied.
>She nods.
>And then looks puzzled, probably because time isn’t moving according to plan again.
>You guessed that there would be differing amounts of time it could happen for.
>Or maybe some kind of physical or mental limit for wielding that much power.
>You can feel the world pressing around you now, trying to force you to let go of her.
>But you have more stamina, and you’re not mortal here, and it’s no contest.
>She puts a hand on her forehead and concentrates, panicking like she thinks she’s broken time.
>Then she looks down at the arrow accusingly, and at you, and she throws it away from herself.
>It stops in mid-air a couple feet away, frozen as soon as she’s stopped immediately acting upon it.
>And then, finally, time comes crashing back into motion.
>You feel the pressure forcing your head back, filling your mouth with something strange, like flavorless bubblegum.
>It crushes against you, and the pressure rattles your skull.
>You start to wonder if brain damage isn’t on the list of things you’re apparently impervious to.
>Diamond looks satisfied with her handiwork, but she shouldn’t be.
>You feel someone reaching out for your Stand, and you let it go where it will.
>The arrow reappears in Sunset’s lap, pointing straight up for her head.
>”｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣!”
>Sunset says it despite the weight on her neck, her eyes pointing at Diamond, and you can feel the Stand activating in the air.
>This is something you wanted to avoid trying, at all costs.
>If it was as simple as this, you wouldn’t have needed to go through with the gems in the first place, you’d just have established a think-tank.
>Diamond sends one of her polyps at the swirling mass of energy between the two of you.
>Even as ｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣ activates, you can feel your skull hurt worse.
>You can’t move, but you feel like the very continuity of your existence is being messed with.
>But it works.
>Diamond looks surprised, because she doesn’t understand.
>She expects there to be a gunman, or some other assassin or kidnapper there.
>But Sunset wasn’t looking at her.
>She was looking into the rearview mirror.
>Directly at your other self!
>And in between the two of you, fitting awkwardly into the space, is a second Princess Twilight Sparkle!
>Diamond’s eyes widen - she has context for what’s happening.
>She hasn’t been through the long task of understanding everything.
>It always starts with Midnight Sparkle breaking the connection between the universes, and you arriving just too late to do anything about it.
>Then, once you’re trapped in this universe and running out of magic, you tap into her technology and solidify your magic into ｢Midnight Special｣.
>And from there, there are only two real possibilities.
>Either you use it on Sunset, and enter into communication with all of the other timelines with ｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣, or...
>You use it on your other self, trying to make some kind of feedback loop and force a portal open.
>The polyp impacts the other you just as she materializes, and she reels back.
>She doesn’t know what’s going on - she was just ripped out of whatever she was doing completely, like a fish with a hook in its mouth.
>But she reacts defensively, and her version of ｢Midnight Special｣ appears in-
>Augh!
>Your heartbeats pounds behind your eyes for a moment, and you have to fight to stay conscious.
>Fear wells up in you, and you feel a sudden, morbid certainty that this really could kill you.
>As far as you can tell, no other version of yourself has needed to do something like this.
>And obviously you don’t just go around killing people, so there’s no chance of Sunset just summoning another version of you by accident.
>But suddenly your vision brightens, and you’re drawn to something.
>A flash of blue light, close to the heart of the other version of you - you can’t make it out, she’s facing away from you.
>And then Diamond’s Stand activates.
>Everything freezes again as she stumbles backwards and off of the hood.
>She falls slower than normal, and gets her feet back under herself.
>Once she lands, she breathing heavier, with her hands clenched into fists.
>You want her to tire out as much as possible.
>You’re reasonably sure that she’s actually stopping all time, in the world and the universe in general.
>If she were only stopping it for a small area around herself, the rotation of the planet would’ve sent the rest of it flying out from underneath of you.
>Which means, therefore, she’s losing stamina without holding you back for any extra time.
>Things are moving according to plan.
>Diamond dusts herself off, and she hops back up onto the hood.
>Then she kneels down and reaches inside.
>With a firm grasp, she pulls the arrow out of your other self’s grasp, and hoists it up, inspecting it.
>Then, nodding once, she turns and plunges it for your chest.
>It freezes in place a moment before it can finally impact, but there it is, hanging in the air in front of you.
>You can’t move at all to stop it, and even with it frozen in this molasses air you can feel the awful energy in it rending at you.
>Diamond hops back.
>Time crashes back onto track, and you can feel it burning you as it jabs into your skin.
>You feel your grip on your own power tighten.
>All of the ones you’ve created, a giant feedback loop spread out across this city…
>It wouldn’t need to actually puncture you to do the brunt of its damage, but it hurts.
>Sunset can only hear your muffled, frothy cries of pain as your other self gets restrained.
>”Wh- Sunset, what’s going on, why is-”
>Sunset doesn’t make eye contact with her, looking only at Diamond, who looks back at her just as resolutely.
>It’s a silent negotiation of surrender.
>And in an instant, the other Twilight has faded out of existence again.
>It takes a moment for the rest of the power to unhook from inside of you.
>It spools out, agonizingly slow, and Diamond keeps her eye on you.
>She doesn’t seem to enjoy it, at least.
>If she’s checking to make sure you don’t make any sudden moves, you aren’t going to.
>Not to mention you can’t.
>Even against the worst villains, you don’t know if you’ve ever felt this out of it.
>But you hold on and let your body relax again, splaying out even with her Stand restraining you.
>She looks down on you, as callous as you’ve ever seen her.
>”I should’ve trusted my instincts. I knew you were hiding something, but I didn’t know what.”
>”She just… wants to go home! She… wants to be with her friends!”
>Sunset struggles to say, shoulders working against the Stand.
>She doesn’t have the strength to summon up ｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣ again just yet.
>Neither of you can easily access your Stands right now
>Which is perfect.
>”Words are always the last thing you reach for. I don’t want to hear them.”
>Diamond says, and another polyp stretches out of the one at Sunset’s neck.
>It grows like a demented fungus, sticking to her face, and she doesn’t fight it.
>And then, suddenly, there’s a burst of bluish light, a little ways away from her neck.
>Diamond’s eyes catch on it.
>You know in her heart there’s that moment of terror.
>The question, “what if Care was doing that somehow?”
>And that moment of hesitation is enough.
>You can feel the power rushing up from behind you, something like ｢Midnight Special｣ but not taken all of the way.
>Like your old unicorn form.
>Maybe that’s why you didn’t suffer the same effects with her, the human version of you.
>But Diamond notices her just as the second explosion of energy comes, inches from her face.
>All of the Stands being brought out in succession stirred up enough energy to wake her up.
>And unless Diamond is completely heartless, she can’t take out an ‘innocent’ the way she would fight you or Sunset.
>The fact that she didn’t restrain the other version of you is evidence for that already!
>With that conflict roaring in her heart, she’s vulnerable!
>Midnight bursts through the inside of the car and grabs Diamond by her collar.
>She’s stronger, now, just by dint of all the energy she’s taken in.
>You would’ve preferred to keep her under until a crucial moment, but…
>Diamond’s face passes from shock towards asphyxiation, and her legs kick.
>She’s lifting up into the air, even as more polyps drift lazily for Midnight.
>And too late, the internal struggle becomes external.
>Stands aren’t as potent as raw energy, being inside of people multiplies the Equestrian magic.
>Even so, you have to hope that each one Midnight absorbs gets you a little closer to your threshold.
>If you can get to Anonymous and pierce him with the arrow again...
>Time slows down again, and you can feel it, but you’ve lost your handhold.
>You feel suddenly that you can’t move, and in the next instant a new reality has crashed into being.
>Diamond’s gone.
>She’s retreated, with her new power still intact.
>Not the best outcome, but you won’t squander freedom of movement.
>Further ahead, the container’s been righted, and it’s still closed tight.
>They’re still trying to get rid of the gems, probably.
>TIme to retrieve them.


>Be Silver, weak and disoriented.
>Your Stand’s been doing some big things lately, and you’ve just about had your fill.
>Not to mention having your soul mangled by whatever kind of power that was.
>By the time you can get up, Diamond and the car are gone, along with Twilight and Sunset.
>Mr. Rich and Anonymous are both staying down.
>You really don’t want to check either of them for signs of breathing right now.
>But Anonymous looks much worse for wear.
>If you turned him over you might find out that he’s bleeding out.
>But again, that’s not information you need right now.
>Around you, the sky’s gone back to the right color and there’s no green fishbowl surrounding the battlefield.
>You peer around, and scoop your tiles off the ground as you make your way to your other conscious ally.
>She’s sitting up from being thrown out of a car, and she looks at the ground, dazed.
“Hey, Trixie.”
>She looks up at you.
>”Wh-where, did they…?”
>You offer her a hand, and help her get back on her feet.
“I don’t know either. I can’t see the car through all of… this.“
>You wave at the mess of boxes everywhere.
>Her mouth sets, and she mutters.
>”Twilight and Sunset are… working together, somehow. All of this was a long game... Trixie knew it was too lucky to get an ally that way!”
“If we’re going to help them now, we need to get back to the car. Can you jump us over there?”
>You motion as you talk to the distant image of Care’s-
>Wait.
>Care’s car is actually getting closer to you.
>It’s getting closer to you fast!
>You can see the wheels spinning, but it swerves left and right drunkenly, barely staying in contact with the ground itself.
>Who could be in it?
>Did one of the Dazzlings manage-
>No, you realize as it gets closer.
>There’s no one inside of it!
>And behind, moving quietly and sanely by comparison, a large yellow school-bus.
>You realize, belatedly, that it’s going to run you over if you stand here any longer.
>Trixie seems to think so, too, because she puts out a hand.
>｢Abracadabra｣ flickers and snakes around her arm, coalescing at her fingertips.
>She reaches up with her other hand and grabs the star out of her hair.
>She stands still for a moment, and you wonder if she’s really all there.
>Then, as it comes closer and you wonder if you’re supposed to dodge out of the way, she hurled the star toward the car.
>It goes wild, towards the left.
>And then, as the car passes, it suddenly shunts to the right.
>It squeals just as badly, but veers around the two of you, crashing into one of the containers.
>The bus comes up after, and squeals for a moment.
>Your muscles tighten and you freeze up as the same collisions play themselves out in your head.
>And at first you think it’s stopping, but it’s just swerving out of your way too.
>They must have thought they’d clear you out of the way by destroying Care’s car.
>This is Sunset’s backup, the ones she called for.
>The Rainbooms.
>Even after all of this, you don’t know what you’re dealing with when it comes to them.
>Not that you haven’t tried to research them.
>They clearly have powers, it’s just that nobody seems to know what they are.
>The bus passes you, heading in deeper - and you’ve got no way to follow.
>Trixie throws out a hand again, and it’s suddenly thirty feet further along.
>It squeals and loses speed again, turning violently and fishtailing into the metal.
>But in a couple seconds it’s back on track, turning onto its original path.
>Trixie shakes her head to herself and keeps an arm out.
>”｢Abraca-”
>”｢Simple Plan｣!”
>The voice is shrill, and it seems to come from nowhere.
>And then there’s a blur of motion.
>It turns into a person in its final seconds - Rainbow Dash.
>She doesn’t even notice you.
>And by the time you’ve registered her she’s hit her destination.
>Trixie turns too late, and Rainbow hits her.
>It’s something between a punch and a full-body lunge forward, but it connects with her ribs.
>Trixie goes flying.
>Literally, at an angle and up into the air, sailing over the containers like a home-run.
>And you stand there and watch, with a dumb look on your face.
>Rainbow turns towards you for a moment, and on instinct you bring up your hands with ｢Tin Cup Chalice｣ ready to go.
>Her eyes linger on you for a moment, and she smirks, and then she calls back the way she came.
>”Silver Spoon should be a good one.”
>Following in her footsteps is one of the Shadowbolts, one of the ones who tried taking the gem from Diamond.
>She’s jogging towards you, pink-and-purple bangs shaking across her face.
>You don’t remember what her ability was - making copies of things branch off from them?
>At any rate, you don’t want to be near her.
>Rainbow turns back to you, smiling her cocky smile.
>”Sorry about all of this, Sil-”
>A steel girder bursts out of ｢Tin Cup Chalice｣ and smashes her in the chest, blowing her backwards in a mess of blue energy.
>She lands on her feet, but you’re already moving.
>You had a week to work for this!
>Do they honestly think that you didn’t prepare yourself?
>The Shadowbolt runs closer for you as you head over for the two bodies.
>You have first aid supplies in it, if you can just wake up Mr. Rich...
>Rainbow’s suddenly in front of you, her shoes squealing like tires and kicking up a wave of coins as she stops.
>You try to strafe around her, but her foot connects with your shoulder and forces you off-balance.
>Her fist comes next, and it smashes into the closest chunk of tile.
>You feel it suddenly tear itself out of your grasp, and move like a bullet through the openings between containers.
>You can’t-
>The next kick hits you in the stomach, and you drop the other tile as you double over.
>Then Rainbow stands over you, a foot away.
>”Just stay still, kid. It’s all going to work out okay.”
>She doesn’t even sound angry.
>She sounds like a fucking babysitter!
>The Shadowbolt is coming closer, and you don’t want to know what she’s going to do.
>You weave past Rainbow, and making a desperate jump for Mr. Rich.
>The ground is hard and unforgiving, but you land next to him.
>Your hand goes for his jugular, patting for his pulse like making sure you’ve got your keys.
>But...
>Rainbow puts both arms across you like a wrestling hold and then picks you up off the ground.
>You barely notice.
>Not again.
>After everything you did, all over again...
>Because of you...
>Rainbow says something, and then you’re hanging there, facing the Shadowbolt.
>She bites her lip in concentrating, sweat on her forehead, and something else appears.
>The Stand Diamond mentioned, maybe.
>Wasn’t that another user, though?
>The helmeted figure’s shaky, like a mirage, but it stalks closer towards you.
>There are only a few feet between you, but it crosses them deliberately.
>She’s not used to it, maybe.
>Shouldn’t you be struggling?
>The though’s distant, over the guilt.
>You try snapping back through the whole series of changes that have come over you, looking for something to deal with it.
>And then you imagine Diamond’s face.
>Is that why she’s gone?
>Did she just abandon the whole scheme in a moment of despair?
>The Stand’s on top of you, and the Shadowbolt speaks in a strained, prim voice.
>”｢Nails for Breakfast Demo｣.”
>It grabs hold of you for a moment, and then its hands sink into your arms.
>It feels like Anonymous again, but you can at least struggle and feel the goosebumps now.
>And after a moment...
>”Finished?”
>Rainbow asks.
>The Shadowbolt nods.
>Your head swims as you’re lowered back to the ground.
>”Sorry about all of this. Twilight’ll probably fix it all up later, and all that jazz.”
>You shake.


>Be Sunset.
>You’re on shaky footing, but you’re walking.
>Deep breaths, now.
>The container’s not locked, you should be able to open it without a problem.
>One of the doors was busted, but it’s facing away from you now.
>However, there hasn’t been any movement inside of it, which bothers you.
>If they were making a break for it you’d be more understanding, but if they’re just waiting with their powers pointed at the entrance, then they’re a little too desperate.
>Scootaloo was on the phone with you not that long ago, before something happened.
>You really don’t want to break the news about Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom to their sisters, especially not in the middle of all of this.
>Both Twilights come closer to the entrance, human Twilight just as quiet as ever.
>You have to check yourself to stop holding your breath, and then you pull at the door.
>It opens, and you can see straight through.
>It’s not empty.
>All three of the Crusaders are present, although Scootaloo’s the only one still walking, plus Derpy and Care.
>You didn’t catch them off guard after all, they’re looking right at you.
>But Care doesn’t make any sudden moves.
>He can’t, you know - the blue light of Midnight Sparkle coalesces around him and he spasms backwards a little.
>Belatedly, you realize that his power might give you the gems itself without any real hassle.
>Derpy doesn’t have anything left to summon her ｢Spinal Tap｣ from, which means if you play it right...
>”Not any further.”
>Scootaloo says, stepping up next to the pair.
>She’s not looking at you.
>Twilight stares back at her, sad and distant.
>”Scootaloo, I’m sorry.”
>She says, and then points the arrow at her.
>Scootaloo backs up half a step and convulses her shoulders like she’s about to vomit.
>Then ｢Steam Powered Giraffe｣ comes up, your ultimate ace in the hole.
>At its full towering power, part of it can’t be fit into the container.
>You make your move next, concentrating on Derpy.
“｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣!”
>The normal version of Care starts to materialize, and the regular Care looks even more miserable.
>He shrinks backwards against one wall, holding his head.
>You can admit that you feel bad for him.
>But you can’t stop now.
>Care represented the biggest hope for this whole plan to go differently, and he became the biggest threat to it working at all.
>Twilight takes the next step she has to - ｢Steam Powered Giraffe｣ smashes a single fist into his stomach.
>His spine goes ramrod straight against the wall, denting it slightly.
>And then it’s done, and the Stand retreats.
>The other version of Care, finally materialized, stands nearby him and keeps him on the ground, ｢Counting Crows｣ circling around him.
>Twilight speaks, to Derpy.
>”He can’t defend himself against my ｢Midnight Special｣ now. Scootaloo’s already lost her memories of the last hour, and she’s going to come to in a few moments. Before then, you can hand over the gems and stay here under supervision until the portal is open.”
>She’s been standing there throughout all of this, not even looking back at him in pain.
>The sound only caused her eyes to go wet.
>She has your sympathy, of course.
>She always did, even if there wasn’t anything you could do to prove that to her.
>It’s just that there are bigger concerns, and you wish saying that made it any easier to take, and it doesn’t, and...
>You don’t know.
>”If you don’t, I’ll make him use the last of his power to take the gems from you and give them to me, and it’ll be your fault.”
>But standing in the aftermath of this opening volley, and with the sounds of ｢Party Rock｣ screeching to a halt outside, she finally answers.
>”He’s so willing to be hurt, just to keep me safe. The first time you tried this on us, he held onto my Stand just to come to me, so that it would bring him to me. He delivered himself right to me, every time, and you… can’t stop hurting him.”
>She looks down at the gems, one in each hand, and then up at you.
>Both of you, one eye on each.
>”That ends now.”
>The Care summoned out of ｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣ suddenly goes flying, smashing partially out of reality.
>As he fractures, the next blow comes, knocking Scootaloo out where she stands.
>By the time Twilight can bring up the arrow, it smashes her arm, and she’s outside of the container.
>You didn’t think it was possible, but she did it, somehow.
>｢Spinal Tap｣, summoned through the injury Twilight gave to Care!
>This is just getting annoying!
>Thankfully, human Twilight is still powered up and in control of herself.
>A bolt of blue light cuts into ｢Spinal Tap｣ even as it moves for her.
>And the energy of the Stand flickers as it’s gradually absorbed.
>At best she would normally only have a couple of minutes, but now...
>No, you don’t give her the benefit of the doubt.
>Maybe she’s stalling for some extra special backup plan.
>Maybe she’s got a hundred secret ways to summon up her Stand and she can hold you in stalemate for the rest of the day.
>You don’t have the patience or the naivete any longer, you just lunge forward.
>And with her so focused on both Twilights and where else to throw her metaphysical weight around, she doesn’t see you coming.
>Not until your hands are locked on both gems.
>You have to lean a little bit to grab them, but then they’re yours.
>There’s no way you’re letting go.
>｢Spinal Tap｣ turns around to come at you again, and it fizzles again, caught up in the raw twisting energy of Midnight Sparkle.
>And then you’ve yanked them both away.
>A second later ｢Spinal Tap｣ is in front of you, but you’re already turning and bolting out.
>And just your luck, Flash is rushing towards the container.
>He’s the only one you see off the bus just now.
>And he’s carrying a bag you bought, a long time ago when this all started.
>｢Spinal Tap｣’s tail crushes around your chest and pulls you back like a demonic seatbelt.
>But you put your limbs up against the lip of the door, holding yourself steady.
>He closes the distance as you’re pulled in, and you throw them for him.
>With his history as an athlete, catching them inside of a moderately-sized woman’s bag is child’s play.
>And then he activates ｢Beat Street｣, and everything you understand changes.
>The bag’s empty now.
>The gems were where you left them, inside of your bedroom in the attic of CHS.
>To everyone else they were here, or else you wouldn’t all be fighting, but there’s no way that could be, because they’re where you left them.
>Thinking about this too much is going to hurt your head.
>｢Beat Street｣ was like the Rainboom’s Stands, a contingency instead of a necessity.
>But now the gems are back where you left them, and nothing Derpy can do will bring them back.
>At least, until the sun sets.
>A final confused burst of energy, and you’re thrown outwards again,
>The door shuts behind you, and that’s the end of it.
>The last time you’ll have to worry about ｢Spinal Tap｣.

>Be Twilight.
>You’ve climbed into the bus and put Midnight Sparkle back to sleep.
>She’s got a lot more energy than normal, but still...
>Sunset looks at those assembled - Pinkie Pie in driver’s seat, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Flash and Sugarcoat.
>The rest of the Shadowbolts aren’t going to be feeling too hot just now, but as far as you know they’re still alive.
>They’ve been through hell.
>You’ll make sure that each of them gets what they’ve been after.
>”Alright, we’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that we’ve come to the end of the line, and we’ve only got a couple more things to worry about. Our main goal is just to keep Care Root from leaving this place and following after us.”
>Not that it would matter, he might use up what he has left just chasing after you, if you led him for a while.
>That’s not what worries you.
>”Our second priority is to make sure that nobody else gets away, or does anything that might mess things up. We might need you to secure Anonymous and bring him to us, but hopefully we can handle it all from here.”
“We still need to confront Sonata.”
>Everyone turns to you, looking uncomfortable.
>Applejack speaks.
>”I thought that the Dazzlings were a done deal. Rainbow and Sunny Flare even got out to keep guard over Anonymous and Trixie.”
>If they were successful, that means they’ve taken care of Trixie and Silver Spoon.
“There are only a few random variables left here. Derpy and Care are still inside of that container, but they have almost no power. If you hold them off for two minutes, you’ll have them beaten for good.”
>Fluttershy gulps.
>Her Stand isn’t really suited to combat, but you were afraid to try strengthening it.
“The other two are Diamond Tiara and Sonata. Diamond can stop time itself, and her Stand can crush bones before you know what’s happened, but she’s in hiding. She’ll probably try to rescue someone here, so overwhelm her the moment you see her.”
>Rarity’s mouth becomes a line.
>”Are you sure we should be so… set on the offensive?”
>You scowl, mostly at yourself.
>You only wanted the CHS girls to have Stands to defend themselves, in case anyone figured out what you were doing and tried to ransom them.
>They were only ever useful for keeping the peace in the school and emergency missions.
>Sunset takes over.
>”It’s alright. Believe me, I’ve seen what Diamond Tiara’s made of, and she’s not going to go easy on anyone. Mr. Rich got really hurt when we were fighting Anonymous, and the only way to calm her down right now is to stop her using her power any more.”
>She says all of this in a tone of utter concern.
>You wonder if she really believes it herself.
“But our third problem is Sonata. She was originally inside of that container too, and she took one of the gems away before we could get inside of it.”
>Judging by her character, what’s her next plan of action?
>Maybe just to escape, but...
“It seems like the next thing she’ll do is come to collect either her sisters or Anonymous. We still need to track her down and take the last gem back from her before we can leave, so we’ll need to gather all of them in one-”
>Sunset shakes her head confidently.
>”Actually, we don’t need to worry about that at all. If Sonata comes around, keep out of her way. If she threatens something you’re trying to do, overwhelm her the same way you would for Diamond.”
>She has a point, maybe you shouldn’t be so worried.
>As long as they don’t have the gems, Sonata should leave them alone.
>And if she tries to control them with her singing, they should be safe.
>Except for Sugarcoat, of course.
“We still have to figure out where she’s hiding, though. Fluttershy might be able to track her…”
>You don’t have a quick solution to this one, but you don’t want to lose momentum.
>You’re also assuming that Sonata hasn’t ditched this whole situation and run for the hills.
>One of you might have a sensor still on you, which would make it a matter of hunting…
>Unless this is somehow a way to distract you...
>Sunset smiles.
>”I don’t think we’ll need to. When we were escaping from Diamond, I summoned something that might help us.”
>She - what?
>You give her your whole attention.
>And then she tells you.


>Be Derpy.
>Care’s still shaking, in the weak light filtering in through the busted door on the far end.
>He’s slumped down now, waiting for the conclusion.
>You put a hand out for him, and it doesn’t connect with his shoulder.
>Your fingers stop, firmly, against one of the shields.
“Care, there has to…”
>Be a way?
>Be something you can do?
>You’ve thwarted Sunset and Twilight, at least.
>You have your Stand, and your memories, and they don’t have all of the gems, and they haven’t killed either of you.
>But after all of this, the Dazzlings, Anonymous, switching bodies, you’re out.
>Neither of you have gifts left to use up.
>The sun will probably set soon, which would let you grab one of the gemstones from...
>From wherever it… no.
>”I’m sorry.”
>Care whispers.
>”I’m sorry I’m still conserving it. I just can’t bear to let it go.”
“Then don’t! We… we still have to try!”
>You can feel your face getting warm.
>He doesn’t meet your eyes.
>”They won’t come after us if we stay in here. They’re waiting for us to make a move, so all we have to do is sit tight while it happens.”
>You wish he never had to be in this kind of pain.
>If there was anything you could’ve done differently, any way to go back...
>You can’t just let it fizzle out and die like this!
>Behind you, you can hear the schoolbus peal out.
>It moves parallel to your container, and your heart drops for a second.
>But then it keeps moving.
>They’re heading out as fast as possible.
>Probably to look for Sonata.
>You would’ve expected them to interrogate you, but they probably got a little spooked by your using ｢Spinal Tap｣.
>You, Dernier Piege, the last hope of a boy heading down a dark road.
>Is this the closest thing to a victory you could achieve?


>Be Twilight, back at CHS.
>The ride over was uneventful, the streets mostly empty.
>School’s winding down, but no one’s left yet.
>Principal Celestia understands part of what’s going on, so you and Sunset have keys to the back doors.
>You entered in through the auditorium and move quietly, heading through the hallways for the attic.
>All of your friends from CHS have cell phones, and you made sure they would call you for advice if anything untoward happened.
>But nothing’s gone on, as far as you can tell.
>Sunset only updated you once - Rainbow found Filthy Rich and Anonymous both knocked out, and she’s taken care of Trixie and Silver, just like you hoped.
>With enough applied pressure, everything can work out according to some kind of plan.
>Even if it’s a prototype, you may be able to avoid the one thing you were afraid of.
>Maybe, this time, you don’t have to lose Sunset to save Equestria.
>You don’t let yourself hope, even though you feel nearly home free.
>They should be fine, and Pinkie’s coming back to help them, and there’s no way they can stop you once this gets started properly.
>You just work on setting yourself up.
>You’ve wound up in the school’s somewhat spacious basement, deep inside the main building and underneath of the theater department.
>Sunset temporarily left to reach the attic, where she remembers the gems being.
>｢Beat Street｣ is an unpredictable Stand, usually only good for removing things from your current situation.
>For a normal person, it would simply throw the object into some distant point in their past.
>But for someone who spent most of their life in another universe, and who spent the rest of it mostly inside of a single building, it’s the perfect way to transfer objects.
>Sunset didn’t remember having all three gems, which means Flash couldn’t have found Sonata and taken hers.
>And of course, if two were enough you wouldn’t have spent all of this time trying to get a third one.
>You need all three together or else the spark won’t happen.
>But...
>”Do you think after all of this, everything can still go back to normal?”
>Your other self asks.
>She’s sitting in a chair a ways away from you, looking like a patient in a doctor’s office.
>Everything down here is dusty and dark, full of old abused books and board games and bits of equipment from everyone who’s ever come down.
”I have to hope so.”
>You say, going through all the steps again in your mind.
“I can’t promise that everyone’s going to be happy, especially not as much as I’d like them to be. But I can still keep my word to everyone who helped me, and I can keep both sides of the portal safe and peaceful. If I can do that, and not have to pay for it with someone’s life, that’s more than I can ask.”
>You feel an ache in your heart at that.
>Of course you put people in danger, but never without knowing that they’d get through it.
>Celestia did the same thing to you, with dragons and Discord and everything else you went up against.
>She could have stepped in and stopped it all, she could have kept you and your friends safe from any kind of trouble.
>But if she had, there would be no Princess of Friendship, and there would be no big picture, and there would be no way for her to change things when the big picture didn’t work.
>Giving Diamond Tiara power she couldn’t handle was just a way to motivate Mr. Rich at first and keep pressure on Care.
>But give it some time, and she and Silver are strong enough to take one of the gems from Anonymous.
>They change the outcome of the showdown inside of the Sham Factory, and set everyone running in a completely different direction.
>And now, at last, getting away from her forced Sunset to summon a version of yourself she never would’ve tried.
>An action no one’s thought to do before, forced by necessity through this one path!
>This is why you, Twilight Sparkle, are in the right!
>The actions you take multiply and come back to you, all in the name of harmony!
>”You really love her, don’t you?”
>Your other self asks, and of course she can tell.
“I do.”
>You say, quietly and deliberately, in case Sunset’s coming back down.
>She deserves to know that.
>After all, it’s one of the reasons another version of you ran her into the ground.
>At first having another you in the world disturbed you.
>It made you think too much about your brother’s wedding, and Queen Chrysalis, and you expected something else to come jumping out of her at any second.
>But when you realized that she was just like you without friends, that she was almost Moondancer...
>You lost the ability to fear her or sympathize with her.
>She’s someone else, a pony you used to be.
>You hope she can be happy, in the middle of all this.
>You hope that you’re not too late getting home.
>Ah, maybe that’s the problem.
>Maybe in all the timelines where nobody dies, there’s no way to spread the information through ｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣.
>You want to believe that.
>If this weren’t all so complicated, if you really could just tell everyone involved what you wanted from the beginning and have them all agree to it...
>You hear Sunset’s footsteps coming down the stairs.
>She enters the room, and she’s got them, one in each hand!
>”No one even saw me come down here. We’ve got them without a hitch!”
>She smiles.
>You look from them to your other self and back to Sunset.
“Ready?”
>Both of them nod, and Sunset hands the gems over as the first thrums of Midnight Sparkle start up.
>You ease off the pressure keeping her magical side from manifesting, and she concentrates on the gems.
>First one, then another.
>Then, you make sure you’re as far back as you can manage.
“｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣.”
>Sunset says, and something else appears between the two of them.
>A third version of you, just like before, but now you can see what ｢Timbuk Three｣ was highlighting for you.
>The story plays out in your mind, maybe not perfectly, but close to accurate.
>In another version of events, you had been desperate to go home.
>You combined your magic with Midnight Sparkle, trying to distill it.
>But instead of making ｢Midnight Special｣ normally, you just kept pouring in energy.
>Or after you had it, you kept trying to control her.
>If you could push past her mental barriers, you could open a portal.
>Whatever justification you used, it didn’t work.
>And after that, someone looking for a way to open the portal would go for the next best source.
>The Dazzlings.
>Your other self, not fully a part of this world yet, has a necklace on.
>And a single red gemstone on the end of it.
>It becomes solid before any of the rest of her, and Midnight’s magic seizes on it.
>Traveling from that point, it wraps itself in tendrils and coils around the rest of the other Twilight’s body.
>Her ｢Midnight Special｣ is something you can feel from here, but you can still move and act rationally.
>Your eyes stay glued to the stairs.
>This is the slim window where something can still go wrong.
>If there’s any extra Stand users who haven’t revealed themselves, or any backup plans from the Dazzlings, or Sonata herself coming towards the school, this is when they’ll show up.
>But nothing happens.
>The gems all light up, and start to spin and hum in the air.
>Everything’s tinted red, but they don’t fly off in random directions or break down or vanish.
>You can feel from here that the harmony’s unstable, it’s not what was supposed to happen naturally.
>But if you can force it, just a little bit further...
>Sunset steps forward, to the two versions of you cannibalizing each other, and puts a hand out for the gems.
>Once she’s close enough, she closes her eyes.
>Her hair lengthens, and her head sprouts ears in bursts of magical energy.
>Then she thinks of Equestria.
>You step forward yourself, and ｢Boulevard of Broken Dreams｣ doesn’t affect you as badly as you thought.
>All of the normal interference is too muffled by Midnight.
>You feel your old ears, and your tail, and the magic sings out to you like it did before you came here.
>You feel almost like you could teleport again, just with a thought.
>And you focus on that.
>You push it forward, and make it a little more real.
>Thoughts of home, of the Castle and your friends and Starlight trying to find herself, and that big mirror right at the center of Ponyville with your one-way ticket between the worlds.
>And then, finally, your part is over.
>The gems start to bloat and shift in the air, letting out flickers of sharp red from something twinkling deep inside of them.
>Everything Equestrian in this universe, gathered together in one beautiful energetic cluster.
>It comes together, bursting into a single point, so small as to be invisible.
>And then it broadens.
>All of the ghosts that Midnight absorbed go into it.
>It would be best if this was outside, on the front lawn, where it was supposed to be.
>But if you can seal off this basement, it’ll work.
>It opens up further, becoming nearly as tall as a person, and you can’t see the gems any longer.
>And through the swirling chaotic madness of Limbo, or whatever it is you’re looking at...
>A glimpse of color, snatched back down by the tide.
>Your castle.
>Equestria.

｢To Be Continued and Concluded｣

Stand: ｢Pink, Act 3｣
User: Diamond Tiara
Ability: Stops time. Only the user can move in the frozen time, for an equal number of seconds as they’ve stood still in regular time. However, both stopping time and interacting with the frozen world require a great degree of stamina, and it’s entirely possible for the user to run out of energy before they run out of time.