Shiho Sunfast walked down the halls of the Crusaders Foundation, rubbing at her upper arm where she had bandages from her shoulder all the way down to the elbow.

It had been a week since they had returned from the Polynesian islands. Her parents had flown all the way from Japan just to see her and her grandmother in Canterlot, and speaking of her grandmother, she was currently bound to a wheelchair and a drip. After all, she had been basically sleeping for the last eleven years.

Sunset Shimmer had awoken from the tank all groggy and grumpy, and Shiho didn’t blame her. She would’ve likely felt like that too, but it was at least good to finally have her annoying bickering back. It was something she hadn’t known she wanted in her life. She also hadn’t aged a day since being taken by TWI and there was a lot she had to catch up to with the world.

"I hope the world's in the process of recovering since our last adventure..." Sunset had said.

Shiho chose not to give her a reply as to not immediately dash her dreams right then and there.

“Shiho, there you are.” Scooteronia ran over with a lightpad. She was the granddaughter of Scootaloo, one of the founders of the Crusaders Foundation. “A church in Rangiroa? Are you sure? I didn’t think you believed in this kind of thing. You want us to put in resources for this?”

Shiho shoved the pad out of the way and nodded. “I’m very sure, my friend would want that very much. In the end, real or not, perhaps that's all people need. They need to have something to believe in to keep them going.”

Scooteronia just shifted her glasses up her face and nodded. “Right. I’ll put the order in, then. Glad to see you back at it so soon after returning from your adventure.”

“It’s one way to keep my mind busy…” Shiho walked along, heading for one of the meeting rooms.

With the eruptive forces of the Ring of Fire, the air over lands around the Pacific Ocean had become ghastly and warmer, and that was nothing compared to the quakes that followed. Many countries had been hit and the Crusaders Foundation was flying aid in, doing their best to help those who had been displaced or injured.

TWI was gone, but there was plenty of work to be done to undo everything she had set up. And that was still a task for Shiho to accomplish, to make sure every trace of her would be wiped off the face of this planet.

Except for one. Subterra Shiver.

Shiho hoped she was doing well. It had been four days since she had last seen her as she left the doors of the Crusaders Foundation. After learning that she had been a creation of TWI, the board had concerns about letting her walk out and about, but Shiho and Josher had vouched for her, especially since she was the one who took TWI down.

And Shiho still stood by her choice. Subterra would never turn against them. After all, she was still her friend.

“Subterra, I hope you’re well. You’ve seen a very different world from what it once was,” Shiho said aloud to herself. “I hope one day, you’ll see a world of wonder, one of peace and perfection. The Crusaders Foundation will work to achieve this the right way.”

And till then, there was much work to be done. The world was still on the brink and they had to do their best to heal it. And it would heal. Shiho was sure of that. One day, it would thrive again.

Subterra Shiver sat down atop a large squarish rock as she arrived at the top of the mountain. She planted her hiking stick beside the rock and tucked her orange scarf higher up her face, hiding her nose behind it. She looked down at a tiny village below, one that had been mostly unaffected by the modernization of life, hidden away in the nooks of Mount Everest.

With the ice caps melting, she didn’t need to pack much gear and clothing for her trek up here, and even the people below weren’t dressed for harsh winter. “Look at them. They are content with what they have in times like this. And I must find out why. Then, maybe then, I’ll know my purpose in this world. How I can help this world I have been placed in. Should humanity be content like these simple people, perhaps things could have a turn for the better. I will find out. And I will know what I am meant to do here.”

“And you will not be alone in this adventure of yours.” Crafteon was standing beside her, its tentacles writhing. “We will find out together.”

Subterra nodded to her Stand and thought of her friends. “They are with us as well, Crafteon. I know it. They watch over us from wherever they are. Who knows, maybe Leilani was right.”

There was still much of this world she had to explore, much to learn, about it and about herself. She vowed to one day go back and help the Crusaders Foundation, but first, there was much to do and this village would be the start of her new adventure.

And she was ready.

• The End-

Author's Note

And with this chapter, we conclude Sushi's Bizarre Adventure: Darkness Manifest. Thank you all for reading this far and I hope as always to continue to get better at this and have stories for you that make you want to continue reading. Till our next adventure...