Subterra Shiver awoke on the sands of the beach to the waves beating against the shoreline. Half of her face was caked in sand and she gave it a good, but pointless wipe before pushing herself up. Some of Jellyfish’s tentacles still lay beneath her body, undulating up and down like they were faintly breathing. She blinked and followed the trail of tentacles all the way back to Leilani, who was lying not too far ahead.

“Leilani… no.” Subterra crawled to her on her knees.

The Polynesian native was lying in a pool of her own blood, bent and broken from the fall. Her left leg and arm were gone and her chest and right arm had broken bones protruding out of her body.

Subterra crouched by her body, trying to think of how she could help her friend, but there were too many thoughts going through her mind for her to think of something, of anything viable.

“You saved us… Shiho and I.” She looked to where Shiho was lying close to a group of rocks. She was still holding on to her grandmother’s tank, which had been dented, but still intact, and she too had a cluster of jellyfish’s tentacles under her. “You should’ve… you should’ve saved yourself as well… There was still so much you planned to do. To reopen your church, to save more people…”

Already, Jellyfish’s tentacles began to shrivel and flake away, meaning that Leilani’s life force was about to follow.

“She didn’t need to die, you know?” TWI stalked up towards them, completely unharmed, save for a few cuts along her striped attire. “Who am I kidding? Your whole group will die, Subterra, for what they’ve done to Spike and Flurry Heart. Except for you, I still need you.”

“Like I would come with you after what you’ve done!” Tears fell from her eyes. “This isn’t how you change the world!”

TWI placed two fingers against her forehead and snorted. “This isn’t how you change the world? And what the Crusaders Foundation is doing is the way? Wake up, Subterra. They’ve done nothing. Nothing! The world gets worse by the day! The only way to change them is to change the leadership. Under me, Equestria has seen peace unlike any ruler before. Sure, I have the occasional criminal or evildoer, but I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my Equestria. And I will do so for this world, like it or not. Why are you so resistant to change? Surely Crafteon agrees with me.”

Subterra was taken aback. No one had ever asked her about Crafteon. “How do you know what Crafteon thinks?”

TWI angled her head up and laughed as if she had just heard a fantastic joke. “My dear girl. Of course I know your Stand. It’s a part of me more than anyone else. And so are you.”

Subterra blinked a few times, then widened her eyes. “W-What do you mean?”

“You don’t know?” TWI waved a hand. “It’s not your fault. I guess I never told you. You were created, Subterra.”

Subterra’s legs wobbled upon that statement. “Created?”

“Yes. You were created. Right here on my island,” TWI continued as she took a few steps around Subterra. “As were all your other cloned brothers and sisters.You were made with artificial flesh I learnt to conjure.”

“Cloned? Artificial?”

TWI nodded. “Of course. Think of yourself as a… as a homunculus. A body given life. You were all created from me. From my DNA. Though you were a little different, which is why you were the only one to develop a Stand, I suppose. You have the blood of Sunset Shimmer as well. Why, you could call us both your mothers if it makes you feel better.”

“I’m created…” Subterra froze on the spot as her brain began to compile all this new information. “That’s why… that’s why you want me back. You’re trying to make an army of Stand users!”

“Correct, but don’t be like that, Subterra. It’s not like I only treat you as a weapon.” TWI began to walk closer. “I gave you a place to stay, I fed you, I clothed you. I helped you train your Stand powers. I cared for you as a mother would their child. And what did you do? You escaped, you fled me and my island.”

“You had me fight everyday, pushing me on even after I’ve been beaten and bruised! You only treat me as a means to your plan.”

“No, what I did, I did for your good!” TWI put a hand out. “It was for the good of this world! Come back to me, Subterra. Together we’ll make the difference the world needs.”

“I… I…” Subterra intertwined her fingers together.

“I cannot do this without you. This is what you were created for, Subterra. Fulfill your destiny now by coming back. You were not meant to side with the likes of Sushi or Jojo.”

“Not so fast!” Josher crashed into the ground with Down Under, blasting sand into the air as he faced TWI. “Now we know why you want Subterra back. Let me be the one to tell you that you’re not having her.”

“I didn’t ask you, Jojo.” TWI placed her hands on her hips and slid one foot ahead. New Order appeared slightly behind her, copying her movement. “I won’t let you stand in my way of making things better. Once I’m done with all of you, it’ll be time to get to work. You don’t stand a chance against New Order.”

“Oh yeah?” Josher flexed one arm and fixed TWI in his steely gaze. “I know how your Stand works. You need line of sight to speed us up or slow us down. With the Stand geode, your Stand’s ability has increased drastically, stopping us completely as though time has slowed or to speed us up so fast that it seems time has passed.”

“What, you want an award for figuring that out?” TWI chuckled while clapping mockingly. “I thought it was pretty obvious. You’ve gotten worse with age, Jojo.”

Josher continued, ignoring the comment about his age. “And I know you can’t keep this ability up as long as you used to. You need to concentrate much harder to speed us up or slow us down.”

TWI gave him a sarcastic single clap. “I’ll give this one to you. You’ve always been a sharp one, Josher. Yes, with the power given to New Order, I can only slow down or speed up anything by about five or six seconds. But that’s still more than enough to destroy you.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Josher grinned and took out his deck of playing cards. He shuffled them in an arc behind his head before they slid down to his left hand.

TWI spun and skipped into the air, landing on her toes as she placed both hands above her head and behind her back. “Then come closer.”

“Like I said, line of sight is important for you. What if I took that away? Calypso!”

Calypso and Soldier Poet King dropped from above, descending down from a rocky ledge above. It slammed two king towers into the sand in front of TWI and New Order, then shoved them towards her at great speed.

New Order reached out and the two towers stopped completely, but this was exactly the opening that Josher had been waiting for. Down Under positioned itself behind the towers and once they started moving again, it leapt high over them and brought its anchor down with both hands. New Order evaded it with ease, appearing to the anchor’s side in a blink. Down Under’s blow shook the earth beneath their feet, kicking up a spray of sand and rock in all directions and showering the area with debris. Seawater splashed in from below, coming in with the tide deep under the sandy surface, eroding the earth below and sending both Stands knee deep into the salty liquid.

Now in contact with water, Down Under swung its weapon with enhanced speed and power, barreling away through sand as it tried to get a good hit on New Order. TWI’s Stand hopped back and was about to slow it down, but Soldier Poet King intervened, relocating its towers in between them again before swapping heads and slinging a stinging whip of words around New Order, tying it down around the arms and waist.

Subterra sat by as the battle against TWI raged, not paying attention to anything as her mind continued to process that she was some kind of artificial human.

“I’m not… real,” she said to herself as she sat on her knees, gazing out into nothing beyond the shore. “I have no purpose. I don’t even have anywhere to go back to. This island is really all I’ve ever known.”

Crafteon slid to the sand beside her, scooping up a handful of sand and running its thumb over it. “So what if you were created?”

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “What do I do? I joined Shiho and the others to save the people of this world from TWI. But I don’t even belong to these people.”

“So? Go back to TWI, then.” Crafteon looked at her eye to eye, the Stand’s face betraying nothing.

“No, no. I can’t. All those people…” Subterra wiggled her fingers. “I can’t let all these leaders die. Even if they’re terrible people.”

“Terrible people deserve to die. Isn’t that why you’re here fighting against TWI?”

“B-But…” Subterra didn’t know what to think.

“Your life is in turmoil, Subterra Shiver. Will you let this revelation control you or will you choose your own path?” Crafteon spun in the air, flapping its tail.

Subterra had never chosen anything in her life. Everything had been dictated for her from day one, ever since she was apparently created by TWI. And now even her Stand was telling her to decide for herself.

Josher flew by her, digging a hole in the sand as he slid to a stop beside a boulder the shape of a ‘T’. Subterra returned her attention to Soldier Poet King and New Order.

Soldier Poet King was evading New Order’s power by moving around its king towers, at the same time whipping up a storm of words above New Order as it descended in a string of rope above it. Safe behind its towers, Soldier Poet King could remain unaffected by New Order’s powers.

“Soldier Poet King’s king towers are invulnerable,” Calypso said. “Even with all your strength, New Order will never get through them. And if you can’t look past them, then you can’t slow my Stand down!”

“You think I need to slow you down to stop you?” TWI lifted both her elbows, then aimed her fingertips forward. “Observe.”

As New Order leapt up, Calypso had her Stand maneuver the towers between them, negating the slow effect again, but with its barbed ponytail, New Order grappled itself into the tower with a thunk before using momentum to swing around it, aiming a powerful kick forward faster than Soldier Poet King could relocate its towers. Instead, Calypso had her Stand quickly drop the towers and switch to its soldier face, throwing a heavy punch at its enemy. Its fist connected with New Order’s foot, both strong enough to send the other flying back. New Order landed faster and recovered by kicking off the beach in a spray of sand, propelling itself at Soldier Poet King like a bullet with one fist already drawn back to strike with deadly accuracy. Soldier Poet King raised its arms to block the attack, but it was like getting hit by a truck and New Order’s punch broke through. Soldier Poet King’s arms fractured from the impact as the punch connected.

Left with no other choice, Calypso had her Stand drop its guard and lean to one side as New Order breezed past. However, TWI was wily and used her Stand’s ponytail to grapple around Soldier Poet King’s waist and throw it to the ground before it slammed a hoof down against its chest with a vicious stomp. Calypso dropped to her knees, wincing in pain from the blow. Soldier Poet King seized New Order around the leg with its hands, but TWI’s Stand spun around and dropped an elbow to its face with one swift motion, breaking Calypso’s own nose and sending her reeling.

Without its towers in the way now, New Order had nothing stopping it from slowing down Soldier Poet King to a standstill, freezing it in place on the sand.

“I’ll admit, it was a good effort.” TWI pranced over to Calypso, who was also slowed in place, and gave her a mocking pat on the back. “But you were never going to win. With the Stand geode, my Stand has evolved into the ultimate lifeform. You couldn’t beat me before, and you definitely can’t beat me now.”

Calypso struggled and strained to break through New Order’s slow field, but no matter how much she fought against it she remained in place, unable to even blink.

TWI slid out a thin, razor-edged knife from under the back of her shirt, taking it from her room where Curtain Call had thrown it. She traced it down Calypso’s back, then jammed it into her body at the small of her back.

“Honestly speaking, I don’t even know who you are. I don’t even know your name.” TWI walked around then, dragging the knife through her skin. Calypso couldn’t even yell out in pain. “But don’t worry. None of you will be remembered once I’m done here.”

TWI grabbed a fistful of Calypso’s green hair, then as New Order’s slow field dissipated, she yanked her down and tossed her to the sand as she drew the knife out, splashing a line of blood across the ground beside them.

Calypso had the wind knocked out of her, opening her mouth in a silent scream as her body began to react to the pain of her torn side. Blood pooled into the sand around her and she reached for her injury, trying to keep her insides from spilling out.

Soldier Poet King attempted to attack New Order while its back was turned, but with her willpower failing, New Order caught the offending arm easily enough with little to no effort, holding it in place as TWI smiled to herself.

“You may join your friend now.” TWI said as New Order twisted Soldier Poet King’s arm to the left side before punching clear through its chest with its other arm.

New Order’s fist came out its back and Calypso’s chest erupted in a flood of red and white. Droplets of her blood splattered onto Shiho’s face and her eyes weakly fluttered open, looking into the bright sky above. She squinted and laboriously dragged her right hand over them before wiping the blood from her face. When she realized exactly what it was, she shot bolt upright and quickly took in the scene of the battle.

Calypso lay gasping on the ground with a big gaping hole in her chest as Soldier Poet King’s body began to crumble from the hole in its own chest.

“No… TWI!” Shiho roared as she staggered to her feet unsteadily, using her grandmother’s tank for support.

“Ah, look who it is.” TWI dusted her hands and spun the knife between two fingers like a top. “Finally decided to join us, have you? It’s almost over, Shiho. Just give up now and let me get on with my plans to, I don’t know, save your world?”

Shiho gave her nose a swipe with a thumb, baring her teeth at TWI. “No chance in hell.”

TWI laughed, then looked down at Calypso as her life drained away. “Then you’ll end up like your friends. How about that? Can’t you see what I intend to do is for the good of everyone living on your miserable planet?”

“I’ve had enough trying to reason with you.” Shiho pointed a closed fist at her, the fury coming off her in waves like heat. “You’re going down, TWI. Let’s finish this once and for all.”

“Yes, let’s finish this, Shiho.” TWI took a huge step forward, but kept her other foot planted where it had been. “Come. Approach me.”

Shiho gave her grandmother’s sleeping face one last look, then placed a hand against the tank before sending Curtain Call charging towards her enemy like a bullet, its cloth raised in both hands.

“New Order!” TWI pointed two fingers at her, a savage smile on the princess’s face.

New Order was about to slow Curtain Call down, but to TWI’s surprise, Soldier Poet King leapt onto its back, wrapping an arm around its neck and bending low, throwing TWI’s Stand off balance just for a moment and allowing Curtain Call to close the distance.

“G-Get her, Sushi…” Calypso croaked and glared daggers TWI in her furious eyes as she breathed one last time.

Soldier Poet King crumbled into dust, blown away in the wind, but Calypso’s final effort had hindered New Order just long enough for Curtain Call to wrap its cloth around New Order’s head, pulling down on the edges, preventing New Order from getting a proper hold on the piece of fabric.

“Get off!” TWI clutched at her own neck, her oxygen cut off with Curtain Call’s cloth basically going down New Order’s throat.

“Subterra! Josher! Come on, we need to take her on together!” Shiho beckoned her friends for aid.

Josher was busy plucking his face out of the sand and Subterra sat slumped there with lifeless eyes, unmoving. Shiho groaned in frustration, but pressed her attack, getting Curtain Call to smash TWI in the face as her Stand struggled with the cloth. Finally, New Order whipped its ponytail around, the sharp tip slicing through the air, cutting Curtain Call in the shoulder. With one of its arms momentarily separated from the cloth, New Order easily slipped out from underneath, driving a leaden fist into Curtain Call’s abdomen before speeding it up, sending it crashing hard to the ground.

But TWI’s feet were suddenly filled with stinging pain and she hopped around, only making the pain grow. Turning her attention downwards, she could see that her shoes were gone, turned to paper, and the sand under her feet was no longer sand. Instead, each particle of sand had become spiky balls of metal, stabbing through the paper and into her flesh, spilling blood all over.

“Ow! Ow!” TWI leapt more, stabbing her feet into more of the spiky objects.

This little distraction was all Shiho needed. Curtain Call twisted its cloth till it was extremely tightly wound, then flicked it forward and released all its built up energy at once, striking New Order right above its exposed lip, lacerating its blue skin with unearthly precision.

Tears stung TWI’s eyes as the concentrated pain sent signals blasting up in her brain and Curtain Call took advantage of this to close the distance, fists at the ready to deliver its signature beatdown.

“Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!” It pummeled New Order all over, sending cracks snaking all across its golden armor.

“No, not… yet!” TWI opened her eyes and directed them at Shiho.

Before Curtain Call could slam another fist into its body, New Order snapped its head to one side, dodging the punch at the last second before grabbing ahold of Curtain Call’s right arm. Grappling its legs around its waist, New Order tipped itself backwards, allowing its full weight to drop down onto Shiho’s Stand.

With her hands now free, TWI turned to see Subterra sitting on the ground and Josher up on his feet, his back to her as he dusted his shorts.

“Perfect…” TWI smirked, wiping the blood at the corner of her mouth with the back of one hand. “You’re gonna have to catch, Shiho!”

Flipping the knife around in a flashy display, she then hurled it with a sharp twist of her wrist, sending it flying straight towards Josher.

“No!” Curtain Call kicked New Order in the forehead, then ran for the projectile, but that was exactly what TWI had been waiting for.

“New Order!” She raised both hands to the sky as everything within range crawled to a halt, Shiho and Curtain Call included.

“You take me for a fool, Shiho. To think that I would be done in by a simple beating.” TWI adjusted the hair around her face, doing her best to put each strand back into place. “Now you will watch as I remove the last piece of support you have.” TWI retrieved the knife from the air and walked around till she was now facing Josher. “Hello there. I’m sorry I have to do this, Josher. But for the good of your world, you must all be eliminated.”

She flicked the knife through the air, and New Order rotated around them to freeze it in place, allowing Shiho the chance to move again.

“TWI!” Shiho stumbled, finally able to move again, and reached out as she and her Stand ran for them.

TWI simply smiled serenely at her and snapped her fingers. New Order’s slow field depowered and Josher only had enough time to open his mouth when the knife sank into his chest, just below his neck.

“Aaaaah!” Josher was thrown backwards from the force, flailing his arms around as he fell, the blood painting a crimson trail as he slowly toppled down on his back. He met eyes with Shiho for a second and groaned weakly. “Shi… ho… I’m sorry…”

And he dropped to the sand with a squishy thud. Blood began to pool around Josher’s upper body.

“You’ll pay for this, TWIIII!” Shiho screeched and threw her grey coat off. “Curtain Call!”

With a bellowing ‘Neigh!’, Curtain Call sailed through the air towards them and grappled with New Order as they swung around in circles above their masters with the occasional fist to each of their faces.

Subterra still sat in her own little world by the rocks, gazing into nothing as Crafteon danced in the air in front of her. “What will it be, Subterra Shiver? Clock’s ticking.”

“I… I don’t know, I don’t know what to do…” She covered her face with her hands as she looked at the still bodies of her friends. “What should I do? What if it’s not the right thing to help them?”

“What is it you want, Subterra? You must decide!”

“I don’t know! I told you, I don’t know!” Subterra pulled at her hair and buried her face.

She pictured TWI destroying the world’s governments in her mind. With nothing left standing in her way, it was only a matter of time before every government would fall to her New Order. But through this destruction, TWI would give rise to a new world, one that isn’t steering on towards extinction, but one of peace and life. There was still a chance TWI would never achieve this goal, even with Shiho and the others out of the way, but there was also the chance that she could very well achieve everything.

But Subterra still had reason to run from TWI. Even though she had food and shelter here, TWI’s plan had never sat well with her. The followers she recruited certainly weren’t as benevolent as she was and that reflected TWI’s true character to her as well. The decimation of hundreds of thousands was not what she wanted, even if it was for the sake of the rest of the world.

It was through running away that she had first met Shiho Sunfast, a stern but caring woman who wanted to find her grandmother. It was through this first meeting that Subterra eventually met the rest of those whom she could call friends. And now most of them had sacrificed themselves attempting to stop TWI and her mad goal.

“Subterra, you have to help Shiho,” she could hear Ocellus’ voice whisper in her ear. “For friendship.”

“For friendship,” Calypso echoed.

“For friendship.” Subterra felt Leilani’s hands on her shoulders, almost like she was actually there. “Keep the power of friendship alive, Subterra.”

“That’s right…” Subterra removed her face from the sand, her eyes red and bloodshot but determined as ever. “That’s all my friends have ever done. Protect me on the journey back to this island. They have been there for me more than TWI or her followers ever had. If it’s anyone I owe my life to, it’s them…”

“So your choice has been made, Subterra Shiver?” Crafteon stopped floating, descending towards the girl until its tail was touching the sand.

“I’m standing by my friends. To the very end.” Subterra nodded and pushed her knees off the sandy ground. She clenched her fist in resolute understanding. “Crafteon, we’ll stop TWI and we’ll fight for what’s right. That’s my purpose, that’s what I was created for. To fight alongside my friends to the bitter end.”

Crafteon’s mouth curved up into a toothless smile. “And that is what we shall do. Awaken, Subterra Shiver, your true power… The power of darkness manifests from your will and of those you have faced...”

Crafteon was enshrouded in flowing shadows, an absolute darkness that came in from all directions. TWI and Shiho stopped and covered their faces as the shadows whirled around them, pooling towards Subterra and Crafteon like a whirlpool of ink.

“What…is going on?” TWI looked through a gap in her arms as the wind got too strong for her eyes to stay open. She felt herself being pushed back as the wind buffeted her body.

A purple glow began to make itself known within the shadow, opening up like a giant eyeball in the dark. More purple lights popped up all over, making the darkness look like a planetary landscape around a giant waking monster.

Subterra spread her legs apart and bent low till her left hand was touching the sand. Then she stretched her right up straight up, pointing a single finger into the air. “Manifest now, Crafteon ACT3!”

• To be Continued...-

Author's Note

The end comes and revelations are a plenty.
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