SuShi's Bizarre Adventure: Darkness Manifest

by Jojoleopard

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Equestria Girls, Crossover, Sex, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Random, Gore, Violence, Death, Alternate Universe, Original Character, Ocellus, Queen Chrysalis
Length: 107164

As Shiho Sunfast searches for her grandmother, Sunset Shimmer, and the dangerous TWI, a mysterious girl, Subterra Shiver, tries to find her purpose.

Quick note: This story takes place in an alternate reality where Sunset never left Equestria for power, instead, she left it because she felt everypony was turning against her. She also does this at a later point in time from the original Equestria Girls movie, and this now takes place sixty eight years after Sunset's adventure. In this universe, the girls never got their geodes, and so they don't have super powers. Other than Stands.
With this being the case, Twilight Sparkle had only been to the human world in the previous part, since Sunset never stole her crown.
---I>>>>>>>
It has been eleven years since TWI had turned against her friends on their adventure together, set on righting a world on the brink of destruction. It was there that TWI had taken Sunset Shimmer away in hopes of finding a way to heal this world. Shiho Sunfast has been searching for signs of her grandmother and TWI all this time, and she may finally have a lead among the Polynesian islands when a mysterious girl, Subterra Shiver, appears.
Having lost her memory, they will have to work together with new allies to find out where she came from and why TWI wants her so badly. Once again, Shiho would have to embark on another bizarre adventure, in hopes that she can still save her grandmother.

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Published 2023-04-13 12:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-09-04 10:08:51 UTC

Episode 1: Shiver me Timbers, it's Subterra

The first thing Subterra Shiver saw when she opened her eyes was the brilliant ball of light in the sky high above her, bearing down over her like some kind of vicious deity, slowly preparing her for a meal as she cooked away in her now lifeless boat.

She got up and shook her head, then recoiled as she touched her left arm. Her skin was hot to touch and she realized she must’ve been out here for quite some time to be like this. Jumping out of the boat, she trudged through shallow water, sand rows and rows of trash as she raced for the closest building, which, by the looks of it, was some kind of establishment for drinks.

“What happened?” she asked herself along the way. “Where am I? Why am I here?”

She prodded the side of her head with two fingers, but for some reason, she could recall nothing except for her name: Subterra Shiver.

“I came here by boat…” She looked back at her vehicle and proceeded on. “I didn’t bring any belongings. Did I need something…?”

She winced and clutched at her shoulder. When she looked down, she was shocked to see that her skin had blackened around a crater on her shoulder through a hole in her white shirt. She pressed a finger into it and hissed when it hurt.

People began to watch as she stumbled into the bar, propping herself up against the counter as the bartender eyed her suspiciously. Everyone here smelled of something foreign to her and whatever it was, it burned her nostrils.

“Who are you supposed to be?” the man behind the counter asked her. He had darker skin and a pair of jagged sunglasses.

“I wish I knew…” Subterra groaned and put a fist on the counter. “I can’t remember anything. I don’t know why I’m here.”

“Girl, perhaps you’ve had too much to drink, man. You look young too much to drink.” The man whipped out a cloth and began wiping down one of many empty glass cups. “But you look like you’ve had too much to drink, man.”

“I… I can’t remember.” Subterra shook her head sadly. “Could I ask, where am I?”

“Where you are, man?” He waved a hand towards the beach. “The island of Bora Bora, a popular tourist destination. You must be one too.”

“A… popular tourist destination?”

The man lifted the corner of his mouth. “A tourist, man.”

Subterra could only shrug. Then rubbed at her stomach. Whatever it was, it seemed she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for some time. “What do I do for a glass of water?”

The bartender poured out water from a tap into one of the glasses he was cleaning, then slapped it on the counter in front of Subterra’s face. She grabbed it and quickly downed its contents, never so glad to have water to drink in her life, or at least, she didn’t remember if she ever had been.

“That will be seventeen dollars, man.” He reached a hand out.

“Money?” Subterra felt around her attire, but there was nothing in her pockets. “I don’t… have anything.”

The man sighed and removed the glass from the counter. “If not for the inflation, I would give you more on the house. You’re better off elsewhere, man.”

He waved her off and Subterra slowly got off the stool and slinked out of the shelter, back into the sun as more patrons began eyeing her. “What am I supposed to do now?”

Her stomach still rumbled, but she didn’t have anything to offer anyone for food. She picked at her shirt and grimaced. She didn’t even have anything to get a proper outfit. She was going to have to try something else.

“Why bother with money, Subterra? You can always… just take it all.”

She stopped and glanced around. The voice sounded like it had come right next to her ear, but there was no one that close. “W-Who said that?”

“You might’ve forgotten about me, but your abilities remain, Subterra Shiver.”

She whipped her whole body around so fast that she tumbled to the ground, but still she saw no one close to her.

She planted a hand to the side of her head, then ran a finger down to her right ear. “Are you… inside my head?”

“You could say that.”

Subterra wanted to continue questioning it, but her stomach rumbled again and one of her hands shot to her gut.

“You should find something to eat. But you should also get out of your outfit. You’ll want to blend in better.”

“Clothes, huh?” Subterra pulled at her white shirt.

It was true. Her shirt was in tatters and both it and her pants were stained with dried mud and grass. That was probably why people were giving her such weird looks.

She trudged on through the place, finding out it was some kind of seaside resort for people from all over the world. There was a section of land that had been cleared away for two swimming pools, and there was a cave between the both of them that had a diving board at the top. The pools seemed to be filled with way too many people, but Subterra couldn’t blame them; she wouldn’t want to go swim at the beach either, seeing as it was full of trash. Not only was it disgusting, it smelled terrible too.

There were two lifeguard stations, one facing the beach and one facing the pool, and beside it was a small shack that was selling floats, swimming gear, little statues and…

“Clothes!” Subterra hobbled for the building, wincing each time her bare feet pattered against the hot stony floor.

The clouds overhead were scattered and few in number, allowing the sun’s rays to burn through the sky, heating up everything around her.

Subterra quickly made her way into the little shack, where there were two other people browsing the store’s many treasures.

“But how can I afford these? I don’t have anything,” she whispered to the voice in her head as she took out a sleeveless turquoise vest with a hood. It had luminous light strips on its collars, and an insignia on the chest that looked like stalagmites and stalactites.

“Do you think a place like this has any security?” her voice answered her. “Grab what you want. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it.”

Without much more thinking, Subterra squinted her eyes and grabbed a white and purple striped shirt, a pair of pale purple shorts and a black pair of shoes that would be used for walking through water. Then looking around to make sure no one was looking, she darted out and away from the shack, running for a trio of large rocks by the beach shore further north.

Her breath ragged and her heart racing, Subterra Shiver pressed her back to the rocky surface to take a breather, keeping her head slightly tilted past the rocks to see if anyone was coming her way. Once she felt safe enough, she swapped out her clothes before stuffing her old attire under a sizable rock.

“That’s it, Subterra. There was nothing wrong with what you did. Now find some food. You need sustenance.”

“Ouch!” She suddenly pulled her hand out of the water as the tide came in. She looked down at her wrist, which had a small cut along the bone. The salt water must’ve gotten into it, but something about the water felt off. It was as though the concentration of salt was much higher than it was supposed to be.

Screams began making themselves known and Subterra peeked her head out from the rocks to look back at the pools. People were shrieking and clambering out of the pool and there was a lot of thrashing in the waters as they fought to get themselves out as quickly as possible.

“What is happening?” Subterra had a bad feeling about this, but she left her hiding spot to investigate the commotion further.

She could see large splashes coming from the pool area and there were people clambering out of them and a woman started screaming as she threw her hands around her mouth. As Subterra got closer, she could see why.

There was a fairly large man still in the pool, struggling to get to the edge as the color of his face began to change, becoming paler and paler as he swam on.

“Heeh-Help me…!” He sputtered, taking in a mouthful of water.

A woman with short brown hair grabbed a nearby net, holding it by the head as she dangled the pole towards him. He grabbed it and yanked, but he far outweighed her and in his panic to get out, he pulled her back into the pool, head first. Instead of helping her up, the woman shoved her aside in the water, then reached for the edge of the pool, but before his chubby fingers could touch it, he suddenly froze and began floating back, away from the edge.

The woman surfaced, but as his body bumped into her, she gazed into his eyes for a second before screaming her lungs out. “H-He’s dead! He’s dead!”

She just stood there screaming until her voice trailed off and she fell on her back and became unmoving.

“T-The water, it just became so-so… salty…” a woman mumbled as a towel was thrown over her shoulders.

“One of the pipes must’ve burst that leads to the ocean,” another man tried to reason.

But Subterra wasn’t buying it as a mishap. She didn’t know what was going on, but something deep within her was telling her to watch out, to keep alert, that this wasn’t a natural occurrence. Something was happening here and it wasn’t anything good.

“On your toes, Subterra Shiver. The enemy is near.”

“What? What enemy?” she asked the voice in her head.

People began making their way away from the pool, happy to leave their troubles behind, leaving Subterra by herself as she watched her reflection in the churning water. Someone was doing this, she was sure of it, as was the voice in her head, but it said enemy. She couldn’t recall anything since waking up on the beach, but now that she thought about it, her clothes had been in tatters and caked with mud and her body had injuries all over. Perhaps she had been running from something or someone.

“Thought you could get away, did you?”

Subterra jumped, almost falling into the pool and she turned around, spotting a woman with swirly blonde hair that turned orange towards the top, making her look like some sort of strange candle. She wore a bright yellow bikini and had an orange flower attached to her left strap and in one hand, she held a glass of some kind of green beverage.

“Who are you?” Subterra would’ve taken a step back, but that would’ve plunged her right into the pool.

“Who am I? Enough games, Subterra.” She shook her head. “I, Candlewick Dancer, will take you back.”

“I don’t even know who you are,” Subterra said.

“Yeah, right.” Candlewick scoffed. “And I’m the Queen of Scotland.”

A pink and orange shape darted out from Subterra’s left and with a squeal, she ducked back under one of its clawed arms, losing a few strands of hair as the figure splashed into the water. Subterra lifted her arms to shield her face, but as the water touched her arms, it began to sting around her wounds, forcing her back as she yelled out in pain.

“S-Salt!” She stumbled away as the figure rose from the water, its back facing her. It lifted one of its clawed hands and flexed its fingers; Subterra noticed its index and middle fingers had longer claws than its other fingers. “What are you?”

“You really don’t remember any of it, do you?” Candlewick ran a hand under her chin and down her neck. “No matter. I’m here to take you back, Subterra. TWI needs you.”

That name sent shivers down Subterra’s neck, but it was only a bodily response. She couldn’t remember who TWI was or why she wanted her, but she knew enough to know that going back wasn’t an option.

“If you don’t come with me, Subterra, there’s going to be a lot more salt in your wounds…” Candlewick pointed at the pool as she swirled her drink in her other hand. “My Stand, Dead Sea, is able to turn any body of liquid within a twenty meter radius into saltwater. Really salty water. So salty that swimming in it for more than fifteen seconds would cause your heart to give out and your body to shrivel up.”

“Stand?” Subterra repeated as Candlewick’s Dead Sea turned its head to face her.

“Your fighting spirit, an extension of your will.” Candlewick walked closer, shaking her hips wildly. Then she planted a hand on her neck and held her glass to her cheek. “Which you will face if you do not come back with me now.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Subterra said defiantly. “Even if you do have some kind of a weird salt ghost power. You can tell this TWI that if she wants people to go with her, she should be more friendly!”

Subterra tried to get away, but Candlewick Dancer intercepted her and grabbed her around the left arm. She tried to shake her away, but the woman pulled hard and bent back, spinning as she threw Subterra through the air, sending her flying into the pool beside her Stand with a splash.

Immediately, everything began to sting as the salt water invaded her wounds. It wasn’t unbearable, but it did hurt a lot. Her mouth began to feel furry and as she burst through the surface, something slashed at her face and she fell back into the water, feeling a blaze of pain across her right cheek. The water around her took on a red hue as she broke past the surface again, but there was Candlewick Dancer’s Stand, poised and ready to attack once more.

Author's Note

And so our adventure begins. :trollestia:
I'm switching chapters to episodes, just because.
And with that, our Stand images are back! You can find the images of Darkness Manifest's Stands on the group thread for part 4! :trollestia:
Thanks to Cinders of War for getting these for me each part!

Episode 2: The Dead Sea Groans

This wasn’t going to end well, Subterra Shiver realized. She needed some way to stop this madwoman from using her ghost powers, her Stand as she had called it. Dead Sea’s claws didn’t cut very deep, but any broken skin that came into contact with its salt water felt like she was driving a stake through her arteries. She didn’t black out from the pain, but it still hurt like a truck.

“Use me.” The voice was back in her head. “If you do not, you will die. We will both die.”

“Use… you?” Subterra spluttered as she clutched her cheek, fighting desperately to get out of the water as Dead Sea slashed at her elbow, drawing more blood.

“Think you want to protect yourself. To defeat this enemy. You must fight, Subterra. Fight.”

Subterra tried to climb out of the pool, but Dead Sea grabbed her by the foot and dragged her back in, then pressed another hand on top of her back, pinning her underwater.

“It’s no use, you can only spend about ten more seconds in this water.” Candlewick leaned closer to the pool’s edge as she explained. “You will feel weaker, but don’t worry, I won’t let your heart give out. We still need you.”

The girl struggled and tried to free herself, spilling bubbles of air from her mouth as she worked to do what her voice said. Pain arced across her whole body, blinding at the points where it had contact with her open skin. She felt her strength leaving her with each passing second, needing to get back up and breathe, but also from the intensity of the salt in the water. Her heartbeat began to slow and stutter, and that wasn’t a good sign. Subterra shut her eyes and looked deep in herself, finding that will to fight, that will to survive.

Please…

Before it could attack her again, Dead Sea was knocked back through the water, spinning as it righted itself just in time to watch as tentacles hauled Subterra out of the water to the safety of dry land.

“So you remembered your powers, huh?” Candlewick Dancer tossed her glass aside and bent forward one one leg. “But they won’t save you from Dead Sea!”

Her Stand leapt out of the water, reaching both arms forward, but from behind Subterra, a dark shape soared out, flailing its two grey tentacles around. It had a large dark head with spikes adorning it and its body ended in a fishy shape with a tail at the end.

“So this is… this is my Stand. This is you.” Subterra watched it as it screeched at her enemy.

Images of her Stand flashed through her mind, picturing it and her in a dark room with glass panels. The light above flickered and the darkness crept along the walls, almost like it was alive.

“I remember…” She stretched one arm out to her Stand and grabbed her hood collar with her other. “Crafteon.”

“So you remember your Stand now. But what are you going to do against Dead Sea’s attacks with those tentacles?”

Dead Sea ran at them, brandishing its claws. Crafteon glided towards it, tilting its head low as the enemy slashed at it. Its arms got caught in Crafteon’s spikes, and as it raised its head, it deflected them before wrapping its tentacles around Dead Sea’s waist. Crafteon spun in the air, tossing the enemy Stand into a deck chair, breaking it in the middle before doing a spin in the air.

However, Dead Sea looked unfazed and it got up easily, charging for Subterra and Crafteon again. Crafteon weaved away from two of its slashes, then tackled its body against the enemy, lodging one of its spikes into Dead Sea’s shoulder. Candlewick Dancer winced as a wound formed across her own shoulder, and she snarled for Dead Sea to finish the job.

Crafteon lashed a tentacle out at it, knocking it under the chin, but instead of falling back, Dead Sea pressed through the blow, grabbing it around the same tentacle as it cut out with its other hand, tearing two lines of red across Crafteon’s body.

Subterra found the same wounds appearing on herself and she hopped back a few steps as she clutched her chest, trying to stop the bleeding as it began staining her clothes red.

“I’m sending you right back into that pool!” Candlewick yelled as Dead Sea swung Crafteon over its head and towards the water.

But with its tentacles, Crafteon grabbed the ground under Dead Sea’s feet, stopping it from flying back into the salty water, then dashed past it, ramming its head against the back of the enemy Stand’s knees, sending it falling on its back as Subterra retreated away from the pool, heading back down the grassy slope she had come from earlier to investigate the commotion at the pools.

“The enemy is stronger physically, but we can beat it through other means…” Crafteon whispered in Subterra’s head.

“I see it. I know what you can do,” Subterra said to her Stand. “How?”

“I am but a manifestation of your will, Subterra. All that I am is known to you.”

Subterra’s pupils darkened. She did know. She knew exactly what her Stand could do after the brief flashes of her past. “We’ll have to set a trap.”

With a running start, Subterra headed back towards the bar she had stopped at and Candlewick Dancer wasted no time in pursuing her target.

There were still people going about at the resort, with the exception of the pool, seeing as people had died there. The bar had at least four other people there when Subterra brushed past the tables and the bartender, who nearly flipped a glass off the counter.

“Get back here!” Candlewick Dancer had Dead Sea throw one of the tables into the roof, knocking it out of place as she charged after the girl.

Subterra ran and she kept running all the way to the shore where she had stopped her boat earlier. She was careful not to step over any rubbish, with the risk of cutting herself. Saltwater in her wounds wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

Candlewick Dancer slid to a stop at the edge of the beach, kicking sand up into the air as she pointed a finger at Subterra. “Where are you going? This is an island. You’re not getting away from me. Dead Sea, take her!”

Her Stand leapt into the air, bringing one arm back as it brandished all five fingers, but from under Subterra’s feet, darkness crept out like a tidal wave of black sludge, spreading across the sand and trash, consuming everything in sight. Already in the air and flying towards her, Dead Sea was unable to stop itself as it crashed into the darkness, which consumed it as well.

Candlewick Dancer soon found the same darkness around her and no matter which direction she turned, everything was black.

“What is this? Where are you?” She spun around and around.

A prickling feeling began to dawn on Candlewick Dancer, as if she were somewhere very cold. No, this wasn’t cold; it felt like there were thousands of tiny pins poking her skin, just lightly enough to cause discomfort but not enough to really hurt.

The darkness was all-encompassing, and seemed to stretch out in all directions in an endless void. In spite of herself, Candlewick Dancer found herself feeling uneasy. What kind of a Stand power was this? TWI had not given her any details on what Subterra’s Stand was able to do.

A rattling sound jarred Candlewick Dancer out of her thoughts, like the sound of an icemaker amplified tenfold. It almost sounded like something breathing, but that wasn’t possible, was it?

“Where are you, Subterra!? What have you done?”

Candlewick tried to summon her Stand. She could feel its presence, it was out and ready to fight, but she couldn’t see it. Maybe it was so dark that vision wasn’t viable.

There was a thumping coming from somewhere in the darkness, like footsteps slowly walking towards her, footsteps of something incredibly large, something that was giving off an eerie aura that spelt doom for anyone who saw it.

Candlewick had had enough. She turned around and she began running, rushing to get away from this darkness as quickly as she could. “Get away from me! Leave me alone!”

She swatted her arms through the darkness, trying to push it away as she ran, but all of a sudden she was falling, falling deeper and deeper until a splash shook her from her terror. She shook her face free of water and looked around.

“W-What, I’m in the water? The beach?” Candlewick Dancer found herself off a pier, likely the pier people docked at to visit Bora Bora.

A buzzing sound drew her attention to the right and she only had enough time to gasp as a speedboat went right over her.

“We did it…” Subterra clutched at her salty wounds as she watched Candlewick’s body float back up, face down in the seawater.

“Very good, Subterra. You have recalled the powers of my darkness and how they create a primal fear within those who see the darkness,” Crafteon’s voice echoed in her ears as it floated along her legs. “Those inflicted by my power cannot help but panic from the vast unknown it holds.”

“What did she say these things were called, Stands?”

“Yes, I am your Stand. Your fighting spirit, manifested in form. I’m afraid with your loss of memory, your will has been greatly limited.”

“I… I don’t know. What should we do now? People are after me?” Subterra walked away from the beach. By now, people had gathered by the pool again and security was fishing out the two bodies floating in it.

“We need to find someplace to collect ourselves. It will be difficult to battle any more enemies with your mind in such a state, but there is nothing we can do about that for now. Maybe if you calm down, you will remember more.”

She watched one of the security guards asking some of the vacationers questions and that told Subterra that she should get away from here and find some other place to hole up while she tried to recall more of why she was here.

“Why is this… TWI after me? What does she want?” she said to herself as she scurried along the resort, heading for the jungle at the edge of concrete. She had more questions than answers right now, but she was sure she would figure it all out eventually.

A clatter of footsteps rang about a marble hallway as a man in a fancy suit approached a lone woman sitting on a red velvety couch, holding a folded envelope close to his chest. He coughed when he stood beside her, getting her attention.

Shiho Sunfast dropped her magazine and looked up at him, noticing the emblem of a shield on his breast pocket, the emblem of the Crusaders Foundation, a company set up long ago by old friends of her grandmother to help those in need. In this day and age, more than ever, this world needed all the help it could get as it raced towards destruction.

“Miss Sunfast, this is for you.” The man held out the envelope to her.

Shiho grabbed it from him and unfolded it, recognizing the sigil stamped into its top right corner. “From Daring…?”

Daring Do had adventured with her eleven years ago when they fought to save the world from Die Die Riches, an activist group that aimed to eliminate the rich to solve the world’s economical problems. Suffice to say, that had ended up crashing and burning, only for one of Shiho’s allies to rise from the flames like some kind of demented phoenix to continue Die Die Riches’ goal in the name of improving the world. Shiho had dealt her a grievous beating with her Stand before she had been forced to retreat, but with her grandmother, Sunset Shimmer, in tow.

She and her friends had spent the last few years looking for TWI and her grandmother, but somehow, she had eluded them for eleven whole years. She didn’t leave behind any traces to follow.

“What has she got for me after all this time?” Shiho muttered, using her fingernail to open the envelope and take out the contents. While she thought that Daring Do was a bit too theatrical and dramatic for her tastes, Shiho did not deny the adventurer’s skill and experience, not to mention the power of Daring Do’s Stand had helped her out of many a pinch.

The envelope contained a short letter, as well as a small assortment of photographs. Wondering why Daring hadn’t simply used the internet to send this to her, Shiho picked up the letter and began reading.

Shiho,
I hope you’re well. I’m sorry I haven’t had anything for you in so long, but I think I found something you’d want to see. With this letter, I have added photographs taken on the island of Bora Bora, one of the Polynesian islands, by various tourists.

Shiho sifted through five photographs, depicting images of dead people in a swimming pool, one of security standing around looking puzzled, and the rest of a strange girl with black hair being chased by a woman in a yellow bikini from different angles.

Witness accounts say that the water in the pools became incredibly salty. Salty to the point of heart failure for the deceased. And it had all started once that girl began running from the woman. Once they were gone, the water in the pool returned to normal. I cannot be a hundred percent sure, but I think this is the work of an enemy Stand. This could point us to TWI, which could lead to your grandmother.

I am sorry I am unable to come with you, as I’m helping out with a warlord incident in Gambia right now. Things are getting worse in Africa, with more people rising up against their governments. But do not worry for me, I have Yesterday and we hold out for a better future for all. Be careful out there, Shiho.

Your dear friend, Daring Do IV, AKA AKK Yearling.

Shiho put down the letter and got off her couch.

“Good grief,” Shiho said aloud to herself. “Finally, after eleven years, a possible lead on the location of TWI and my granny. I’ll have to investigate this. Rojas, I’ll need a boat.”

As Shiho walked off, she failed to see someone else sitting on a nearby couch, watching her over the edge of her tablet. She got up as Shiho left down one of the halls, straightening her pink suit before following behind her.

“Finally, for my parents, for my aunt, for her boyfriend, and her dog… Your family is going to pay, Shiho Sunfast.”

Author's Note

Here we go again. :trollestia:
Find Crafteon here! :trollestia:

Episode 3: Will Your Heart Go On?

Shiho Sunfast had always trusted the Crusaders Foundation to get her what she needed when she needed it, but this time, she had to give them credit.

“They really went beyond here.”

As she stood on the docks of Canterlot Harbor, a private boat had rolled around the corner, coming out from one of the many warehouses that dotted the area. It was a pristine white shape under the sunny sky, complete with a visor to shield its pilot and passengers from the wind, along with beige leather seats, two in front and two rows facing each other behind. It sped over almost soundlessly and listening carefully, Shiho knew it was using a prototype transmuted oil engine, something the world had developed in the last eight years to combat the exhaust of regular fuel that was destroying the atmosphere.

Having studied mechanical engineering in college now, she could appreciate the cutting-edge technology that the Crusaders Foundation had used for this boat. With its new fuel injection system, it could easily travel for over a week before needing to refuel. And when it did, all that the boat needed was some water in the tank mixed with the special tablets which were stashed in the front of the boat. Together, the two elements would combine to make a cleaner compound that the boat could use to power its engine, reducing the destruction to the environment.

The name, Brandy 1, was written on the side in luminous blue paint, which reflected the sea. Her Crusaders Foundation representative, Red Rojas, tapped on the boat’s holographic controls, powering it down as it stopped beside her. Rubber grips pushed out of their compartments on the side of the boat, latching it onto the pier as the red haired man got out of the vehicle, adjusting his also red tie as he cleared his throat.

“Your boat for your travels, Miss Sunfast,” he said politely. “The Brandy 1 is capable of speeds up to ninety knots, and has an inbuilt gyroscopic balancing system that makes it nigh impossible to capsize. The hull is made of a highly durable flexisteel that can withstand impacts of up to two G’s, and the navigation system is state of the art, with our satellites providing constant geolocation from anywhere on the planet. It also comes with a collapsible roof in case you want to shelter from the sun or some inclement weather. Also, the Brandy 1 is also armed with flares in case you should get shipwrecked or the like, so that other vessels can see you even in the brightest day or blackest night. In addition, should you find something you can’t outrun, there’s the emergency feature button under the dash, the red one. It’s fingerprint sensitive so nobody but you or your crew can activate it.”

“That’s nice,” Shiho said as she pulled at the collars of her grey jacket. It wasn’t a cold day, so she had her sleeves rolled up, but the winds around the water tickled at her neck. “Is there a cooler on board where I can stash some drinks?”

“You don’t need to trouble yourself with that, Miss Sunfast. Drinks have already been put on board for you. You will find them in a pullout cooler by the wheel.”

“Just what I need.” She nodded at the vehicle’s holographic console. “Thank you, Rojas. I’ll check the systems before I head out to make sure everything is how I like it.”

“Yes, Miss Sunfast. Oh, and good luck.” He waved as he left. “I hope you find your grandmother.”

Shiho looked over at the horizon past the water. “I hope so too, Rojas.”

Left on her own, she took some time to gather her thoughts about the coming adventure. She let herself exhale as she pictured her grandmother, old and wizened.

“That old crone would be eighty-something by now, old as a bat. That TWI better be looking after her health…” Shiho thought about her cigarettes. It had been ten years since she had quit, but occasionally, she would think about the taste of nicotine in her mouth, along with the whiff of smoke she let out when she breathed. “I’ve got to have a clear head when I find TWI so I can beat her to a pulp and rescue my granny.”

Whatever she was planning, wherever she was, it couldn’t be good for the world, even if she tried to convince everyone that it was.

Shiho spat into the water as she watched two cans clink against one of the pier’s beams. “I’ll find you, granny, and I’ll beat you, TWI. Mark my words.”

“Out to kill more people, are you? I couldn’t expect any less from your family.”

Shiho turned around faster than a speeding bullet and her Stand, Curtain Call, appeared behind her, grabbing its purple cloth in both hands.

Behind her, against a transformer, was a woman in a pink suit and pink heels. She grabbed the corner of her collar, then the bottom of her coat as she bent her left knee slightly. “I’ve been watching you for days, looking for the right time to strike. And now here you are, all alone.”

“Who are you? I don’t have time for this.” Shiho groaned.

“Trust me, you have time.” A blue aura burned up around her. “Shiho Sunfast, granddaughter of Sunset Shimmer, daughter of Summer Shine.”

Shiho rolled her eyes. They never get to the point. “Yes, you know my family, but if you fight me, you’re going to regret it. What do you want?”

Anger burned within the woman’s eyes and she pointed a finger at her. “My name is Flurry Heart. You killed my parents! And my aunt and her boyfriend. Most importantly, you killed my aunt’s precious dog!”

Shiho blinked twice. She knew this story of people coming after her family for the death of a dog, but this was her first time experiencing it. “What have you been smoking? That wasn’t even me, I’ve never met them. And judging by when that all happened, neither have you. At least not your aunt, her boyfriend and their dog.”

“I may not have, but they were family and you took them away from me. I could’ve had more people in my life.” Flurry Heart thumped a fist in her chest. “And I have pictures of that dog. That precious dog, Spike, he was so cute! I could’ve had lots of time cuddling him!”

“Spike again… Always with Spike… Seems I can’t get away from this.” Shiho ran a hand through her purple hair. "You realize dogs don’t live that long anyway, right? You never would’ve met him.”

"Don't you try to talk your way out of this!" Flurry Heart ranted. "With all the advances since then, who says we couldn't have extended Spike's lifespan?"

"Well, we'll never know now, will we?" Shiho said, sounding unimpressed. "It was just a freaking dog who by all accounts was trying to kill someone. Get over it and go home before one of us does something she'll regret."

“I’m not going to regret anything.” Flurry Heart narrowed her raging eyes. “My name is Flurry Heart, and today I’m going to remove one from your family! My Heart Will Go On!”

A blue and green humanoid twirled away from Flurry Heart, spinning on its toes with a mad grin plastered on its face. Its swirly eyes looked back at her each time it spun around and it lifted its arms up, holding them high as it continued spinning on the spot.

Shiho flicked a piece of torn paper from her pocket, throwing it high as Curtain Call wrapped it up in its cloth. When it was removed, the paper had become a metal ball, and it tossed it at the enemy Stand. To a little of her surprise, the enemy did nothing to avoid it, but the metal ball went right into its body, disappearing with a small ripple.

“Thanks for that…” Flurry Heart smirked. “Just wait till you see what else I can do.”

Shiho was about to say something, but something flew past her arm and she looked down to see a bloodstained metal plate fly by towards My Heart Will Go On before entering its body like the ball had done. Inspecting her arm, she noticed it now had a long cut near her elbow, dripping blood on the pier’s surface. There was only one place it could’ve come from.

Turning, Shiho ducked low and rolled as another two plates and a handful of screws flew past her previous position, heading right for My Heart Will Go On.

“You shouldn’t have avoided that. You would’ve been cut right in half and my job would be done.” Flurry Heart clucked and bent low, stretching her arms behind her back. “My Heart Will Go On is able to attract metal to itself. Anything in the path of the incoming metal will get diced, like you!”

Shiho examined her boat, which now had part of its console missing thanks to My Heart Will Go On.

"Good grief. I just got this boat and it's already being trashed." Shiho changed direction and began sprinting towards Flurry Heart aiming to end the fight quickly so she could get on with her quest.

But she spotted her mistake a second too late as the metal pole with the warning not to swim here curled down, aimed towards the enemy Stand as its base threatened to dislodge. It smashed Shiho in the face and she flipped on her back, scrunching her eyes shut as she fought against the sudden blow.

“I’ve always wondered how Spike’s fur would feel like in my fingers…” She could hear Flurry Heart’s footsteps getting closer. “He and I would’ve been best friends. Friends for life. But you killed all of them. For nothing. For nothing! That’s just pathetic. At least when I kill you today, I have a reason for doing so.”

My Heart Will Go On stopped spinning and leapt at her, dropping through the air with its heel aimed for Shiho’s head. She summoned Curtain Call, which whipped its cloth around, tying it around the enemy’s leg before pulling to the side, sending My Heart Will Go On crashing into the bent pole, bending it further.

Covering the top half of the pole with its cloth, Curtain Call reached into it and removed a baseball bat before swinging it against My Heart Will Go On’s chin. The enemy Stand staggered back a step, but looked unfazed by the blow.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you something important…” Flurry cackled. “The more metal My Heart Will Go On absorbs, the more durable it gets. Keep it coming!”

Her Stand began spinning again and the steel shutters to the first warehouse tore off its hinges, smacking Shiho on the back of the head, knocking her on her face. Her vision blurred and she thought she had passed out for a second, but she was quick to get out of there as more metal began flying out from behind her, making their way towards My Heart Will Go On.

It must’ve been the loss of blood, but her color of vision seemed to have shifted. The blue sky and sea had turned piss yellow and the road and buildings around her had become a pale blue hue; even her purple hair had changed in her eyes, becoming green, while My Heart Will Go On had become yellow and purple instead.

Shiho rolled her way to the boat, then dropped in and out of sight from My Heart Will Go On as it approached the vehicle, maintaining its spin, drawing in all the nearby metal to itself.
Shiho began pulling out anything she could remove from the boat, covering it with Curtain Call’s cloth before throwing the new shapes at My Heart Will Go On. Gears and plates flew through the air, flowing right into the enemy Stand’s body, disappearing from view.

Flurry Heart bent back with laughter and pointed at Shiho’s rough position on the boat. “You fool! I already told you no metal will be able to harm My Heart Will Go On! I know all about your Curtain Call’s ability to turn objects into other objects. Your favorite objects are metal spikes or metal ball bearings, but news flash, Shiho Sunfast, they’re all metal! And you can forget about wood or plastic damaging my Stand!”

But Shiho didn’t stop. She continuously hurled more metal at My Heart Will Go On, transforming various objects she could grab before having her Stand toss them.

“Because of you, My Heart Will Go On has become tough enough to withstand even one of your punches without feeling a thing!” Flurry began boasting as she thrust both arms down at her side. “If you think you keep feeding it metal, it’ll eventually blow up, then you’re wrong! There’s no limit to how much metal it can absorb! You’ve played the wrong hand and now, revenge will be mine! For my parents! For my aunt and her boyfriend! For my precious dog, Spike, whom I could’ve loved with all my heart!”

“Good grief. I’ve just about had it with these people obsessing over one dog. It wasn’t even that significant,” Shiho said to herself as Flurry Heart continued to rant. “You’re acting like I killed the president or something; hell, I didn’t even kill your dumb dog! You’re about sixty years late!”

Flurry waved a finger through the air. “It doesn’t matter! Your grandmother did it, and so I will kill her granddaughter!”

Shiho sighed, then grabbed the corner of her jacket and stood up. Curtain Call did the same behind her, throwing one last piece at her; it was a red ring that glinted under the sunlight.

“Too bad. I would’ve given you a chance to walk away,” she said. “But your resolve is strong, I’ll give you that. Even though you fight for something totally unnecessary.”

A crooked smile widened across Flurry Heart’s face as she curled a finger towards herself. “I’ll show you how much I’m willing to go through to end you.”

Shiho brushed a hand through her hair and pointed a finger at her. “Big talk for someone who’s about to lose.”

“Oh?” Flurry was intrigued. “How do you plan on doing that? You’ve given My Heart Will Go On plenty of metal to bolster its durability. You can’t stop me now.”

“You didn’t think I was just throwing metal at you because I’m stupid, right?” Shiho said as she shoved a hand in her skirt pocket.

“I assumed you were so.”

Shiho snorted. “I studied mechanical engineering. Surely you knew that from your… extensive research on me to kill me.”

Flurry cut a hand through the air. “Yes, I know all about your profession, but so what?”

“Not very bright, are you?” Shiho shook her head. “Curtain Call had turned all the objects into various pieces of metal before throwing them at your Stand.”

Flurry Heart wasn’t impressed. “Yes, I know that. So what?”

Shiho lifted an eyebrow as the red ring continued to fly towards My Heart Will Go On. “You really didn’t suspect anything, huh?”

Flurry Heart made a suppressed laugh. “I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

“I am.” Shiho nodded. “Because of my field, I know how to fix things. I know how to make things. And what I’ve been giving your Stand was pieces of an explosive.”

Realization finally dawned on Flurry Heart and she looked over at her spinning Stand with a face of madness. “Then why hasn’t it detonated, then? You’re bluffing.”

Shiho waved a hand. “You believe what you want. But this fight is over.”

As the red ring was absorbed into My Heart Will Go On, it clicked into place with the rest of the mechanism inside. Shiho held up her hand, which was holding a small device that had a single button in the center.

Flurry Heart pointed at it. “What is that? What are you holding?”

“Do I really need to explain everything to you?” Shiho moved one finger over the button. “This is what will end you.”

“Not yet!” Flurry Heart dropped to a crouch and pointed two fingers at Shiho, one on each hand. “My Heart Will Go On will stop you!”

Her Stand stopped spinning and immediately dashed for her and Curtain Call, reaching both arms out like it was trying to grab her neck, but Shiho’s finger was faster. With the push of the button, My Heart Will Go On’s chest began to glow orange. Its body began to vibrate and waves rippled out from its center before it expanded and burst, disappearing in a ball of orange fire.

“No-no!” Cracks formed along Flurry Heart’s chest, trailing up to her chin. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this! Your family ruined mine! Vengeance was to be mine! Mom, dad. Spike! Spiiiikkeeeee!”

And she joined her Stand in another explosion, finally dying in a conflagration of heat and flame.

Shiho looked down at the remains of Flurry Heart and tossed the detonator down onto the ground.

“Good grief. When you see your damn dog in hell, tell him he’s still a douche.” She turned her attention back to her boat and groaned. “Now I’ve got to get this working again.”

Shiho didn’t have to feel bad about what she had just done. Flurry Heart’s family had started this almost seventy years ago with her grandmother, with that Twilight and Spike helping an evil principal. Her family had been on the wrong side of things, and now she had been too.

“And now I’ve got to go find my granny as well. The ride never ends, does it?” Shiho took out a stick of fish-flavored gum and put it into her mouth, something she had taken up to avoid smoking. “But rest assured, mom, dad, I will find her. And I’m going to end TWI as well.”

Author's Note

And another bites the dust. :trollestia: Will this be the end of the way too long revenge trail? Who knows...

Find My Heart Will Go On's chart here.

Episode 4: The Ghost That Carried Us Away

Subterra Shiver didn’t know how many hours she had sat there on the beach that night, gazing out at the waters beyond the shore as it reflected the purplish night sky filled with stars of all shapes and sizes.

Something about the dark intrigued her more than she could understand. Perhaps it had something to do with her stand, Crafteon, or perhaps it was the silence she related with, but whatever it was, the night gave her a sense of calm like no other. But through the calmness of the night, one question continued to tug at her heart.

“What was I before I got here…?” she wondered. “What did I use to do? What do I do now?”

Her Stand appeared beside her, resting its large head against hers. “You make your own path now, Subterra. What would you like to do?”

“That TWI, whoever that is, is after us…” Subterra looked at her hands. They were caked with a light layer of sand, which she began dusting off. “What does she want with me? How did she even find me?”

“Stand masters are drawn to each other, Subterra,” Crafteon whispered. “Surely they will find us again. You will have to be ready.”

“So we can’t just find somewhere to hide, huh?” She got up and dusted her butt. “That woman, Candlewick, she said she was going to take me back. Back to TWI. Why did we even leave? Did she do something to me?”

“I cannot help with lost memories. But do not fret, I am here with you. You are not alone in your predicament.”

Subterra mused over her mysterious beginnings. Running away meant that there was something to fear about TWI. Perhaps she had been some kind of prisoner, snatched away from her family to be some kind of indoctrinated believer, or perhaps she had discovered some malicious secret this TWI was keeping and she escaped to let the world know, only to lose her memories and make her escape pointless.

“I don’t want any of this…” Subterra admitted. “I just want to be left alone. But it can’t be helped… I can’t stop them from coming after me to bring me back.”

“We should focus on accommodation, then. You will need time to rest, to recharge for another day.”

Subterra stuck her lips out and started walking back towards civilization. Perhaps she could get into one of the resort’s rooms with Crafteon’s help. She just had to make sure they were empty so she didn’t have to kick someone out.

A woman in a grey jacket suddenly walked out from between some bushes, waltzing down the small slope towards her. In the darkness, it was hard to make out most of her features, but because of the light strip on her jacket collar, Subterra could see the light bouncing off the bottom of her stern face. Shadows were cast over her cheeks from her neck-length hair, giving her mouth a sort of demented look, so Subterra steeled herself and kept an eye on her movements. Whoever this was, she gave off a familiar vibe, similar to Candlewick Dancer from earlier.

“Subterra Shiver?” The woman flicked on a light on a rectangular device in her hand, a blinding pinpoint in a world of darkness.

Subterra had to lift a hand to shield her eyes. “Who are you?”

“My name isn’t important at the moment, but I have reason to believe you can help me out here.” She walked closer, until Subterra took a few steps away. The woman raised both hands and nodded her head, then flicked her light off. “I’m not here for you. But you have something I need.”

Subterra kept a foot behind her back, ready to go if anything happened, but so far, the woman didn’t look like she was going to attack her. At least for now. “What do you want?”

“I’m looking for my grandmother. Eleven years ago, she was taken away by a powerful monster known as TWI,” she said as she chewed on something in her mouth.

“TWI?” Subterra seemed to relax a bit. “You’re looking for her?”

The woman nodded. “I am. And I take it you know where she is?”

Subterra shook her head. “I’m sorry. I cannot help you. I’ve… somehow lost all my memory. I don’t even remember why I’m here.”

“You… lost your memory?” The woman rubbed her chin. “Tell me what you know.”

“Uh…” Subterra rubbed her head.

She started on how she had woken up on the beach in a boat, then how she had been attacked by Candlewick Dancer and her Dead Sea Stand. She recounted how the strange woman in a bikini had tried to take her back to someone called TWI, someone she had apparently run away from. All this while, the newcomer had listened to her intently, nodding at intervals, her eyes darting up and down Subterra’s smaller frame like she was assessing her, trying to find out her value.

“You came all this way by boat…” She raised an eyebrow in question. “Of course. My earlier assumptions were right. That’s why I couldn’t find TWI all this time. She was out here, hiding amongst the islands where our radio signals from the other side of the world do not reach thanks to the failing ozone layer. But you don’t remember which one?”

Subterra shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember anything except for my name, Subterra Shiver.”

“And I thought I finally had it…” The woman planted a hand on the top of her head and whirled around. “I’m so close…”

Subterra rubbed an arm. “I’m uh… sorry. That I can’t help you more…”

The woman shook her head and stuck an arm out, which Subterra hesitantly took. “It’s fine. At least I have a big lead now. I know she’s out here. She’s on one of the islands. I’m Shiho, by the way. Shiho Sunfast. Do you have anywhere to go?”

“A-Anywhere to go?”

“If you need a place to stay, I’m sure the Crusaders Foundation can arrange for something.”

“But… TWI. She’s after me,” Subterra said. “If she continues to come after me, I might… put you all in danger.”

“Yes, Stand users do attract other Stand users. I suppose that’s how I found you in the first place.” Shiho nodded.

“You have a Stand too?”

She slipped a hand into her jacket pocket and a pink and purple being appeared behind her, grabbing a purple cloth off its shoulders. “This is Curtain Call. My Stand. It has the ability to turn any object into another singular object.”

“That sounds useful.” Subterra brought Crafteon out. “This is mine, Crafteon. It creates a fearful darkness, I suppose. One you can’t help but run from.”

“Can’t help, huh?” Shiho rubbed at her chin. “Interesting.”

Subterra nodded in acknowledgement as an orange tinge began to spread across the sky. It had seemed that she had sat here much longer than she intended and the sun was already making its way up from beyond the horizon line.

She turned to Shiho, thinking to ask more questions about TWI when her eyes caught something in the bushes Shiho had come from. She spotted a faint red glow from inside and all of a sudden, the entire bush began to shrink, almost like it was being sucked away.

“Behind you!” she called out as Shiho whipped her body around, taking one step back as her Stand materialized.

From the bush came a small shimmering pale form, gliding along the grass like a slug. The grass disappeared in the wake of its trail and its body bubbled and seemed to expand, creating a dark shape in the middle where a multitude of yellow orbs appeared.

Shiho stretched an arm out in front of Subterra and pushed her back. “This has to be the work of an enemy Stand!”

Her Stand, Curtain Call, whipped its cloth out at lightning speed, forming its tip into a razor-thin point. It smashed against the little blob-like Stand, leaving behind an imprint that pulsed out across its body, but otherwise had no detrimental effect on it.

They looked at the edge of Curtain Call’s cloth and it was already starting to smoke, almost like something had burned the ends of it. Meanwhile, the enemy Stand continued to slide forward, eating away at anything in its path.

“Subterra, can your darkness do something about this?” Shiho stepped back to her.

“I’ll try.” Subterra gulped as Crafteon waved its tentacles around.

Darkness began to spread out from under it, crawling towards the enemy Stand like some kind of evil specter, and once it hit it, it spread out like a bubble, consuming the Stand and everything around it within a meter radius. But to her surprise, it did nothing and the Stand slithered out of the darkness, coming right for them.

“Th-That can’t be. Crafteon’s darkness should affect anything, regardless of how brave you are.”

Shiho had Curtain Call hold out its cloth like a matador. “This must be something else. A long range Stand with a single goal in mind. It will not have the emotions of its master.”

She had Curtain Call turn a nearby lamppost into a crowbar and as it approached, Curtain Call grabbed the iron tool and swung it against the enemy Stand. The Stand didn’t react, nor did it leave the ground. Instead, the crowbar bent around it before being absorbed into its body, enlarging it as it continued its advance.

The two women stepped back, moving away from the shore to avoid being cornered as the enemy Stand changed paths, following after them. Crafteon grabbed a few inflatable rafts from a nearby shack, tossing them at the enemy Stand as they retreated back up the hill towards the resort, but like with the crowbar, all they did was help the enemy grow in size. Before, it had been no bigger than a small pot, but now, it was about the size of a beach ball.

“This thing feeds on anything it touches,” Shiho surmised. “We can’t beat it by beating the crap out of it.”

Subterra glanced at the older woman. Even in this predicament, Shiho looked firm and calm. “What do we do?”

“First we need to get some distance between it and us. If possible, we should try to locate the Stand user as well. While only a Stand can hurt a Stand, there’s nothing stopping us from beating the crap out of the user if we can find them,” Shiho instructed. “Come on, this way.”

Shiho dragged Subterra up and past the pools, heading towards the main building as the sun rose higher in the sky, now casting long shadows across the ground at its low angle. She turned back to see the enemy Stand continue to pursue them, gliding up the hill with ease as it sucked up a row of tiles along the ground. All of a sudden, it stopped, turning its entire body to face the pool. Then it tossed itself into the water, diving deeper to the bottom.

Subterra would’ve stood there to watch, but Shiho dragged her on. “Come, we need to find the master.”

Subterra pointed to the pool. “B-But what is it doing? Why did it stop coming after us?”

Shiho grunted. “This Stand mustn't be tracking us based on sight. It must be something else.”

“But if it’s in the pool now and it absorbs it…”

On cue, the Stand burst forth from the pool as the water began to swirl away. The bottom of the pool was now a gaping hole underground and the enemy Stand was now the size of a small car and it continued to grow as it slid out over the pool’s edge, picking up anything in its path, faster than before.

Part of its body bubbled and a tendril shot out with lightning speed, forcing Shiho to tackle Subterra down as it sheared off the top half of an outdoor bar, pulling it back into itself.

“It keeps eating…” Shiho frowned. “We can’t go to the buildings. We have to stay out here.”

“What?” Subterra asked, looking between the Stand and Shiho. “But what about the Stand master?”

“If this thing gets to the building, who knows how powerful it could get.” She stood up and straightened her jacket. “We have to bring it away. Back to the waterfront.”

As the morning light shone in, Subterra and Shiho headed back around, using the remains of the bar as cover as the enemy Stand slid towards them, sprouting more tendrils from its body.

“Goooooooood morning, guests!” Both of them spotted a speaker above one of the poles in the resort spurt to life. “What a lovely morning we have. Cloudy with a chance of activities and with a low chance of rain! Today, we’re pleased to say the yoga instructor has returned from his vacation to Rurutu with exercises beyond your comprehension! He will begin at-”

The Stand’s tendril had stopped before the bar, then in a blink, it swung around itself, spearing through the speaker before grabbing it and pulling it to itself. Another appendage burst forth from its body, heading for the bar. Shiho and Subterra got ready to defend themselves, but instead, it yanked out the entire cooler beside the counter and lifted it into the air.

Seeing their opportunity, Subterra pulled Shiho’s arm and motioned for them to get away while they could.

“You saw that?” Shiho said as they ran back towards the water. “The speaker. Then the cooler at the bar. It went for those instead of us.”

Subterra thought about it. Then snapped her fingers. “Vibrations! Sound and machinery vibrates. And before that, we were quite still. They would’ve been vibrating more than us. That’s why the Stand changed targets.”

Shiho nodded. “Just what I was thinking- Get down!”

She shoved Subterra down the hill before throwing herself to the side just as one of the Stand’s tentacles sailed over their heads.

Already, it was the size of a pickup truck, and it could move as fast as they could.

“Subterra, distract it. I have a plan.” Shiho crawled for some bushes. “Just don’t get eaten.”

The girl plucked grass from her black hair and got up. “Easier said than done. Crafteon!”

“My darkness is ineffective against this Stand,” it said, but spread out its darkness anyway. “It does not see with its eyes as well.”

“We’ve just got to keep up our vibrations. Umm…” She pointed to the ground.

Crafteon glided low and began drumming its tentacles against the soil to the point where bits of it began bouncing up and down.

The enemy Stand’s own tentacles shot out towards them, sending Subterra rolling back as Crafteon dodged them in the air before sailing back over to her side, continuing to slap the ground around them. The Stand took the bait and followed, sliding down the hill, eating away at loose soil and grass.

“As it continues to absorb everything around itself, it will get faster and stronger,” Crafteon told her as it soared beside its master. “We will not be able to outrun this thing forever.”

Subterra looked behind her, watching the enemy Stand catch up to her as more tentacles sprouted from its gelatinous body, and behind it, she spotted Shiho Sunfast by the docks under the rising sun, putting something metallic together as her Stand began transforming the planks of the boardwalk into metal. She had to buy Shiho more time.

“You got a problem with me, huh?” Subterra called out to the enemy Stand. “Voices are vibrations through the air. Surely you’ll sense that and come over here.”

She bent backwards, dropping on her back as a tentacle shot out in a straight line, grabbing at empty air where she had once been standing. Subterra quickly rolled away as it then lashed down against the sand, smashing it up into the air and all over her body, but it didn’t stop there. With a spin, the tentacle smacked Subterra’s left leg and instantly, she felt a searing burn through her limb, almost as though she had dipped it in a vat of molten acid on steroids. It was the most painful thing she’d ever felt. She dropped to the ground, cradling her injury as Crafteon dragged her away from the next attack, bringing her closer towards Shiho’s position.

The skin around her ankle was gone and below it, it was just smooth red meat, eaten away revealing a little bit of bone as the enemy Stand turned to follow her movement. Crafteon latched on to Subterra’s back and used its tentacles to pull her away from the Stand’s next attack as it flailed two tentacles around itself wildly, trying to catch them. She bent down and picked up a stone, chucking it in its direction, but by now, its tentacles were much too fast and it caught the stone right out of the air, absorbing it into itself.

“Shiho, you better be ready…” Subterra said to herself, unable to distract it any longer.

She could see it now. She was inserting what looked like a propeller into some kind of contraption that somewhat resembled an hourglass in shape.

“Get over here!” Shiho had her Stand pick up the machine, running over towards them. “Duck!”

Without looking, Subterra threw herself down, having Crafteon stop her from falling flat on her face as two tentacles shot over. This time, she had her Stand drag her forward before using its tentacles to spring her back up on her feet, shooting her forward faster than the enemy Stand’s appendages could smash down on the sandy shores.

She ran behind Shiho as Curtain Call dragged the machine out. With a push of a silver button, it began revving, spinning the propeller faster and faster as its entire body began to vibrate. Only now did Subterra realize what Shiho had made. It was some kind of motorboat engine.

Subterra could feel the attention of the Stand divert to the motor and with a mighty throw, Curtain Call tossed it far into the water. As soon as it touched down, it began speeding off in a zig-zag pattern, chugging up water in its wake.

The enemy Stand immediately picked up on the sudden amount of vibration and reached its tentacles out for it, but it proved to be faster and zipped out of its reach. With a bellow, the Stand charged into the water, pulling itself forward in pursuit of the motor.

Shiho gave Subterra a pat on the shoulder, then pointed over to the resort. “Come. It’s time to find that son of a Stand master and end this before the Stand comes back.”

Author's Note

As always, Stand charts are over at the Sushi group. :trollestia:
I had wanted to base this Stand off the one in Spongebob, but it didn't really fit the purpose.
And yes, I know the 'To be continued' has stopped working. Again. I think I'll have to see about making my own...

Episode 5: Come Join the Forest Rangers

“I know, I know what was asked of me, but I can’t help it, you know?”

Against the bar, Seacrest Crescent, a follower of the esteemed TWI, swirled the contents of his vodka tonic as the female bartender close by rolled her eyes for the fourth time that morning. She had only just opened when Seacrest walked in. At first, he had been harmless enough, but he already likely had too much to drink and she just wanted him gone.

“My Stand, Seabear, it has a mind of its own,” he continued. “It will continue to attack vibrations. The bigger the better. And it’ll just eat and eat and eat until it’s done. You see where I’m going with this, darling?”

The bartender ignored him for a while, but eventually she heard the tapping on an empty glass on the bartop. She sighed and turned back around.

“Fill ‘er up,” Seacrest Crescent said, tapping his empty cup.

The female bartender resisted the urge to roll her eyes again and brought over the bottle. This man clearly thought he was someone special, and the bartender had seen her share of tryhards in this establishment. However, drinks were not cheap, and as long as the money kept coming in, she supposed she could put up with this strange man’s antics.

The bartender poured out another drink for Seacrest, who slapped down some money on the table. Sweeping it up, the bartender went back to polishing the mugs behind the bar.

Slouching over the bar, Seacrest drank his beverage slowly, savoring each sip and mouthful. Working with TWI has been one of the best decisions of his life. She seemed to have an unlimited amount of riches, and she generously doled it out to her followers as long as they followed her instructions. Besides, TWI’s end goal was to improve the world, and Seacrest believed she could do it. He remembered reading on the internet about times when the world hadn’t been this garbage, when things were still good, before the dark times had come and swept the planet into a crisis. If anyone could fix the world, TWI could.

At the moment, she was still weakened from an encounter years ago, but soon, she would be back to her full strength and when that happened, she would heal the world. She would bring it peace.

Seacrest could sense his Stand out there, growing larger and more powerful all the time. If it stopped consuming matter for a while, or it was defeated or recalled, it would shrink back to its original size, but nobody had ever beaten him. It was just more convenient to recall Seabear when it wasn’t needed, as its corrosive nature could prove dangerous to people he didn’t want to harm.

Seacrest continued to sip his drink. He would have enjoyed it more if he could drink it under the sun on the beach, but ever since the ozone layer had gone, it was safer to stay indoors and not risk melanoma. “I don’t know how Imbibed Man does it, lying on the beach all day. He should’ve died from radiation by now.”

It was no secret that the world was dying. Years of greed and the need for comfort have brought this planet to the brink, but TWI could solve this all. Seacrest knew it. When she had come to him all those years ago, with money and a plan, he had been more than happy to join her. It was there that she had spiked him with an arrow with a crystalized tip that seemed to have been carved from some kind of jewel. He thought it had all been a trick at first, but it was through that arrow that he soon developed his Stand, Seabear.

With Seabear by his side, he could now do things he normally couldn’t. One of which was to talk to a beautiful woman, like this bartender here. “She’s totally digging me now. Just a few more pushes, a few more drinks, she’ll be right here with me.”

He picked up his glass, putting it to his lips, but instead of the biting liquid flowing down his throat, there was a sharp biting pain on his lower lip instead, forcing him back away from the counter as he threw his glass forward. At the bartender.

“What was that?!” he pressed at his lip, coming away with blood. The bartender flipped wet hair from her face and growled at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. Something bit me!”

The bartender threw her towel down, then stomped off to the backroom. Seacrest attempted to follow her, but it was as though a hand grabbed him around the ankle and he fell, smacking his forehead against one of the stools. As his vision spun, he looked down to his leg, trying to see who was doing this to him, but there was nothing there.

“What have I been drinking…?” He let himself wobble a few rounds before smacking a palm against his left eye. “Where are you? Who are you? What do you want?”

He got up, but something bit his left index finger and he looked down, widening his eyes. Around his fingertip, just before the fingernail was a small round creature with four legs and what looked like two arms. It was munching on his skin with its blue mouth, tearing away his flesh like it was paper off a toilet roll. Its body was entirely in green and orange.

“Begone!” He smacked at the creature with his other hand, but no matter how many times he did so, he could not crush it. More appeared from the bottom of his hand and crawled up his arms, biting away at his skin as he got to his feet. “This-This has to be the work of an enemy Stand!”

He attempted to flee, but his foot suddenly detached from the rest of his leg and he tumbled down, crashing so hard that he rocked the two nearest tables, dropping their contents all over himself.

“Wh-What? How?” He looked at where his foot used to be and it was still on the ground behind him, being swarmed by more of those little creatures.

More of them swarmed over him and he squealed as he flailed his arms around, but he was unable to stop them climbing all over him without Seabear here with him.

“Somebody help meeeeeeeeee!” he cried out. Before they swarmed across his face, they just stopped and he could see a pair of turquoise legs appear before him. “W-Who are you?”

He angled his head up. It was a woman with curly pink hair and she had a look of disdain over him, as though she had just stepped in a puddle of mud. “TWI sent you. I want to know where she is.”

She was dressed in a short orange tank top that had what looked like two shiny eyes on it, along with a pair of similarly orange shorts.

Seacrest gulped. “I d-don’t know what you are saying…”

One of the little creatures jumped into his eye, or rather, through his eye. Blood sprayed up into the air and Seacrest screamed as the little creature began eating it from the inside.

“Tell me!” the woman barked again.

“Stop! I’ll tell you anything, just stop!” Seacrest cried out. Almost immediately, the little creatures scuttered off his body, leaving him a wrecked mess lying in his own blood. “TWI is… on an island.”

Seacreast looked left and right as he struggled to flip himself over. By now, Seabear would’ve already been recalled, wherever it was. He would have to worry about securing the girl later. This woman was a more immediate danger, but she was soon going to regret not finishing him off from the beginning.

“Where is she?” she asked again, taking one step closer.

“She’s…” Seacrest suddenly lunged up and thrust one arm forward. “Far away from you, harlot!”

Seabear appeared over his forearm, slithering forward as it flung itself off at her, back to its normal size again, no bigger than an eight ball. Seacrest was about to let out a bark of laughter when his mouth suddenly exploded in a wave of blood. He clutched at his throat, then staggered back as he realized his mistake. Not all of the enemy’s Stand had left him.

“Did you think I wasn’t prepared for this?” The woman shook her head and sidestepped his Stand. “My Stand, Forest Rangers, is capable of tearing you apart limb from limb, given the time. I left a handful in your mouth, ready to take you apart from the neck up if you called back your Stand. If you tell me where TWI is, I’ll make it quick. Otherwise, you can suffer all the way down to hell.”

“W-W-Who are… y-you…” Seacrest gagged, his throat nearly destroyed. He could no longer breathe. “I will… say not-nothi-nothgguagh…”

Just then, there were footsteps and Shiho Sunfast and Subterra Shiver appeared from around the entrance of the bar. The woman spotted them and narrowed her eyes. “You’re too late.”

She kicked a foot down against Seacrest’s chest. He coughed out blood, then dropped his head to one side.

Shiho looked down at the bleeding Seacrest, then back at her. “You must be the Stand master.”

The woman seemed to ignore her and pointed a finger at Subterra. “This girl. This is the one they’re after.”

Shiho put an arm out in front of her and scowled. “Well, you’re not having her.”

“I wasn’t asking.” The woman began glowing green.

Shiho was about to do something, but her feet suddenly lost their grip and she found herself lying on the ground with her face pressed to its concrete surface. Two little creatures waltzed in front of her face, clacking their fingers together as they gave each other a high five.

Curtain Call appeared from within, sending its fist crashing down on top of them, but from the corner of her view, more of the creatures appeared, climbing on top of each other as they pulled tight against one another, forming themselves into something bigger.

Shiho had her Stand smash a fist into the forming shape, but it expanded around its arm, avoiding it before falling down on top of Curtain Call like a wave. In only three seconds, more of the little creatures had arrived, forming together and pulling close to transform themselves into a humanoid orange and green figure with spider-like appendages coming out of its back.

It grabbed Curtain Call around the neck with its bulging biceps and tugged up. Shiho dropped to her knees, trying to breathe, but the enemy Stand held Curtain Call with an almost unbreakable chokehold.

“An enemy Stand!” Subterra warned as more of the smaller creatures made their way towards her and Crafteon.

She tried to run to Shiho’s aid, but the rest of the little critters formed into hands and grabbed both her legs, stopping her in place. Crafteon swiped its tentacles around, knocking them off in places, but more just swarmed in and filled up the space.

“I’m not letting you get away.” The woman lifted a hand at a forty five degree angle, then touched it down to her right knee. “You’re coming with me.”

Subterra shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere with you. Crafteon!”

Darkness began to spread from its back, creeping across the floor of the bar towards the enemy and her little Stands. It touched one of them and almost immediately, the woman leapt back a step and clutched at her shoulders, shivering.

“Forest Rangers, back!” she yelled as her Stands scurried away, avoiding the dark.

Subterra quickly changed the darkness’ direction to Shiho and the rest of the enemy Stand, Forest Rangers. As soon as it engulfed them, the woman cried out and pulled an arm back. From within the dark, a multitude of little Forest Rangers swarmed away, coming towards Subterra and Crafteon. She immediately dropped the darkness, allowing Shiho time to breathe as she shook from the experience.

“Are you okay?” Subterra called over to her as she ran to her side.

Shiho rubbed her throat, looking more irritated than ever. “No lasting damage. Come, let’s get to the boat and get out. We don’t need to fight her.”

“Don’t think you’re getting away that easily!” The woman shook off her stun and pointed at them with both hands. Her Stand combined together again, standing behind her with its fists together in front of her chest. “Come join the Forest Rangers.”

Shiho groaned. “Good grief. How about no.”

She pushed Subterra and the two of them fled out of the bar, rushing for the shoreline and the nearby docks where she had stopped the Brandy 1.

Crafteon began whipping away pursuing Forest Rangers, but a few managed to get up Subterra’s legs and bit into her flesh. She squealed in pain, but Curtain Call managed to pluck them off with incredible accuracy, tossing them aside as they kept running, never once losing speed.

“If we can get to my boat, we can get to one of the other islands, away from this mad woman,” Shiho began explaining as she looked back to make sure she wasn’t following them. She was. “There are thousands of islands out here in the ocean. Thousands to search for TWI, but at least we’ll likely lose her.”

“What do you think she wants?” Subterra couldn’t shake off the feeling that they were missing something. “She killed the other one, the other Stand user.”

Shiho shook her head. “Can’t be anything good. There, my boat’s the first one at the docks.”

The Brandy 1 sat there under the glare of the sun, moving in place on the pristine waves washing ashore. But something was wrong. It was rocking a whole lot more than it was supposed to be when it was tied to the docks.

“Did I leave it untied?” she questioned herself. “But that can’t be. I was sure I tied it down. If it sails away from us now, that would be a real problem.”

And then she saw them. From further away, it had been much too hard to see, but as they got closer, she could see tiny specks of green and orange crawling across the rear of the boat. Bit by bit, the boat began to disappear, starting with the line, followed by the engine and then parts of the leather seats. More of them were jumping off the pier into the water to get to the boat, swimming with their tiny legs, trying to cover the expanse of water quickly.

“They’re taking my boat apart.” Shiho stopped in her tracks. “Our enemy is clever. But not clever enough.”

Subterra looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

“I’ll need to construct something to beat this.” Shiho ignored her question, then pointed to the enemy. “Subterra, I need you to get Forest Rangers out here.”

“W-What?”

“No time to explain. Just trust me. I’ll get things ready.” Shiho nodded as Curtain Call whipped its cloth around its head, then grabbed its ends with both hands and squatted low.

Subterra ran out to meet the charging woman, sliding to a stop as she brought Crafteon out beside her. Its huge head leaned close to hers and it wrapped one tentacle around her shoulders.

Subterra put both hands on her coat collar and pulled at them sharply, before sliding a finger of one hand out towards the woman. “Crafteon, do your thing.”

The woman stopped before her as her Stand swarmed around her. “You’re coming with me.”

“Not. Yet.” Crafteon was no longer beside Subterra.

The woman looked around, getting herself ready as she tried to locate her Stand. From the corners of her vision, darkness began to build, creeping closer towards her as a pit began to form in her stomach. She eyed Subterra, knowing just how dangerous her Stand’s ability could be.

“Your darkness holds nothing,” she began speaking to Subterra. “It is simply just darkness, but somehow it sends signals to my brain to fear it. Impressive.”

Forest Rangers scattered from her, splitting off into two directions as they curved towards Subterra. Crafteon reappeared, slinking out of the shadows by the water, swatting at one group with its tentacles. Darkness continued to pool in from around it, forcing Forest Rangers away from it.

Subterra turned and ran, keeping a good distance between herself and the attacking swarm. She dodge to the side at one point, just barely avoiding Forest Rangers as it formed into a sickle-like appendage before swiping at her.

She spotted Shiho and Curtain Call taking apart what was left of her boat as her Stand began turning part after part into pieces of glass.

Forest Rangers formed together, returning itself to its humanoid form as it sprinted after her now, easily covering the distance with its powerful legs, at the same time, avoiding Crafteon’s darkness.

Its sudden burst of speed caught Subterra off guard and she could only get her Stand forward about three feet before one of Forest Rangers fists clubbed her in the cheek. She dropped to the ground, her vision spinning as she snorted blood from her left nostril.

She struggled to get up, to crawl away from the approaching Stand as it reached a hand out, but it had been a hard hit and it was almost as though it had stopped her legs from working properly. She needed time to recover from the blow, but as of now, time wasn’t something she had.

“You’re coming with me…” the woman stopped before her head as her Stand reached for Subterra’s coat. “You’re taking me to TWI.”

“You- TWI didn’t send you?” Subterra attempted to crawl to the side of the docks.

“Sent me?” The woman scrunched up her brows. “I have no part with TWI. No longer. She has changed. She was not the ruler she once was since coming to your world. No, I am not with TWI.”

Subterra stopped, confused for a second. This woman was not here to take her back to TWI. Not exactly.

Before more could be said, Curtain Call barreled into Forest Rangers before it could reach Subterra, pushing it off the docks as it swung a big box-like structure made of glass at the Stand. Forest Rangers attempted to spear Curtain Call through the chest with its spiny appendages, but it tucked and rolled over it before slamming the box down on top of the Stand, smashing it hard into the water as they both fell.

“I’ve got you now, woman.” Shiho joined them at the docks, sliding a finger down her coat collar, leaving it hanging off its light strip. “I figured your Stand out. While it can be everywhere at once and incredibly versatile, their tiny bodies make them susceptible to dense environments like the sea, which also makes it harder to maintain its body.” She pointed a finger at the woman as Curtain Call pounded its fists together. “Now without your Stand to back you up, prepare yourself.”

“Shiho, wait…!” Subterra called, but she had already begun.

With a yell, Curtain Call began smashing its fists against the woman’s body, repeatedly pummeling her all over as it yelled. “Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!”

“Shi-Shiho, wait!” Subterra lunged up, sending Crafteon over the older woman’s face, blinding her.

“What are you doing?” Shiho grunted, but stopped Curtain Call as the woman dropped to the ground, bleeding and bruised.

Subterra stretched a hand out. “She’s not with TWI. She wants the same thing.”

“She… what?” Shiho eyed the woman through narrow slits, contemplating her options. “Who are you? What are you after? Speak.”

The woman lifted her head off the ground, panting hard as she wiped blood off the corner of her mouth and the side of her head. “I am… Ocellus, one of the Young Six.”

“The what?” Subterra tilted her head to one side as her mouth hung open in question.

The woman called Ocellus shook her head as she pushed the rest of her body up slowly. “It doesn’t matter. I’m from Equestria, the world mirroring yours, where TWI was from. She had come here many years ago to study this world, explained to her from the notes of her predecessor, Princess Celestia.”

She paused to make sure the other two were still following. To her surprise, they looked like this wasn’t the first time they had heard something this bizarre.

“You don’t seem perturbed by the revelation of different worlds…” Ocellus said.

Shiho shared a look with Subterra, then sighed. “Good grief. I would never be. My grandmother’s from your world. TWI captured her, so I’m looking for her to get her back and stop that madwoman.”

“You have ties to Equestria?” Ocellus put a hand under her chin and wiped more blood from it. “This girl, the one you protect, she’s the only one who can lead me to TWI. You see, my mother is with her. After my friends and I tried to stand up to TWI’s change, my mother was sent after us, putting the rest of my friends in a hospital in your world. I’m the only one able enough to track them down. I have to bring my mother to justice and stop TWI.”

“See?” Subterra waved a hand. “She wants the same thing.”

“Good grief…” Shiho turned her attention to the water, where Forest Rangers was still struggling to maintain its form to break out of the box. It seemed it was only able to take apart organic matter quickly. “Curtain Call, get it off.”

Her Stand complied and lifted the glass container from Ocellus’ Stand. It tossed it on the trash-riddled shore before turning it into a similar-sized rock.

“You… uh, sorry. For attacking you.” Subterra put a hand out to help her up the rest of the way.

“It would be better if you found out who you were attacking before you attack,” Shiho said. “That way, I might not have almost accidentally killed you.”

Ocellus managed a smile. “Please, you wouldn’t be able to if you tried…”

Shiho smiled at the corner of her lips. “We’ll see. Anyway, you’ve destroyed my boat with your Stand.”

“Yeah…” Ocellus grunted. “Sorry about that. I have a little dingy at the other end of the island. That’s how I got here.”

Shiho shook her head as she pulled out her lightphone. “No need. I’ll call in a favor. I’d feel safer in a state-of-the-art boat.”

Subterra watched as she dialed in something as a face appeared on her phone’s projected screen. It was nice to know that these two women were after the same thing, but as her thoughts drifted to TWI, a dark feeling passed over her and she gripped her chest. She still didn’t remember anything before getting here, but it definitely wasn’t anything good. And now she was trying to lead them back to TWI, wherever she was.

Subterra swallowed hard. She just hoped she was doing the right thing here.

Episode 6: Arrival at Tikehau

Tikehau, another of the islands that consists of French Polynesia, was a popular tourist destination known for its amazing waters and the creatures that live in it. Sadly in this day and age, overfishing has made it more difficult to see fish and other aquatic animals and the chances of anyone sighting one of these majestic creatures has become a rarity.

But it didn’t stop people from their continued effort to fish these waters dry. In a boat just off the edge of the atoll sat a couple of fishermen, lounging on plush leather seats as they eyed the bottom of their bottles and occasionally, their fishing rods, held to the floor with metallic hooks and a round piston, which would help with maintaining control of the rod should something take the bait.

“This blows…” one of them, Rory Reef, said as he tossed his bottle over the side. It landed in the water before being washed up along with more rubbish on the atoll’s shore. “I’m hungry. I need a drink. We’ve been here days now. And we’ve only caught one fish.”

“You’ve had three bottles already. And it hasn’t even been five hours yet,” the other one, Rice Borough said. “I swear, I saw a hammerhead shark earlier, circling the boat.”

Rory turned to face him. “Now you’re the one making stuff up.”

“I’m serious, how can I mistake a hammerhead of all sharks?”

“They’re all gone. The last one was fished up five years back,” Rory continued. “I ain’t seen a shark since.”

“I’m tellin’ you, I saw it!” Rice protested. “I swear on me mum.”

Rory decided to forget it. “Imagine how these waters used to be fifty years ago. Or even a hundred years ago. Imagine this endless blue, teeming with fish, with sharks, rays, whales.”

“Whales ain’t fish.”

“Same thing. They swim in these waters and we fish ‘em.”

“It’s a pity them blue whales went extinct twenty years ago. I still remember the fish whale meat I’d eaten back in the tavern over on Picadilly.” Rice rubbed his belly. “Never had anything like that before, and I never will again.”

There was a tugging on Rice’s fishing line and Rory stomped his foot before pointing at it. “Oi, you got something!”

“No way!” Rice threw his bottle overboard before grabbing his rod and thumbing the button to reel it back in.

The line came back with no resistance and he soon realized why. He grabbed what was left of it as soon as it exited the water and eyed it curiously. “Where’d the rest of it go?”

His fishing line had been cut somewhere in the middle. It was made of a military grade carbon fiber, something that wouldn’t be cut by a fish or even a coral bed.

“What could’ve done this?” He turned to face Rory, but something was wrong.

Rory was holding his hands to his throat and gasping and red began to run down his arms, staining his blue floral shirt, pooling on the floor along his feet. His eyes went wide and his fingers soon fell off from his hand, cut so cleanly that it looked like they had just decided to jump off his body. He tipped back and fell over the side of the boat, disappearing from view, before the railing he was leaning against slid in half as well, dropping into the water behind him.

“What is that?!” Rice shuffled back till his back was to his own railing. He could still see Rory’s ten fingers on the floor, lifeless among his own blood before a clicking sound could be heard at the top of his boat.

Just over the cabin stood a dark skinned man with a really big mouth, crouching down with his arms on his knees. He had on an unbuttoned red shirt with trumpets printed all over it, a pair of white shorts and green flip flops.

He pushed aside a gnarly head of vibrant blonde hair before clicking his tongue against his teeth. “You fishermen are the reason we don’t got anymore fish here. And still you fish. Madmen, I tell you.”

“Wh-Who are you?” Rice grabbed the railing. His trembling hands shook it all the way to the stern. “I ain’t done nothing.”

“Not today, anyway.” The man hopped down from his perch and walked slowly towards Rice, swinging his arms menacingly as he angled his body back. “All you people do is make the world worse. So I’d like to thank you for being here today. So I can kill you.”

He raised a fist and Rice panicked, throwing himself over the side. He figured if he could swim out to the atoll, perhaps he could just lose him on the other end before finding a boat and getting to another island.

But there was nothing more he could do. There was a swish of water and Rice’s body split into seven pieces before it even hit the water below.

Subterra Shiver leaned on a plush leather seat at the back of the new boat Shiho had called in. Even though the waves rocked around them and the wind whistled through her ears, they did nothing to turn down the heat of the sun from above.

From what she gathered, Shiho had this big company called the Crusaders Foundation helping her out with her search for her grandmother. They would provide her with whatever means they could, and that meant boats out here among the islands.

This one had the name ‘Brandy 2’ painted along the sides, a light blue colored vehicle as opposed to Shiho’s earlier white boat. This one was slightly larger, fit with two powerful motors in the back and a glass panel behind the two front seats, ideal for fish-watching, if there were indeed any fish left in the ocean. Subterra heard they were mostly all gone now thanks to humans, but perhaps a few had evaded capture and would eventually multiply again to fill the ocean.

She could only hope that was the case.

Ocellus sat in the back with her, her eyes trained on the tiny islands in the distance as they rode along the waves. Shiho sat at the wheel, one hand on the steering apparatus and the other one clenched around a can of beer. She would occasionally take a swig of the alcohol; Subterra remembered that Shiho had told her that the brand of beer she liked best had switched to biodegradable packaging to help save the environment. It was made of some kind of waterproof wafer that could be eaten once she was done with her drink.

“Anything look familiar to you, Subterra?” Shiho called back, breaking Subterra’s attention on the beer can. “According to my map, there are at least six islands in our proximity.”

Subterra shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m not picking out anything familiar.”

“Well, what do you expect her to do?” Ocellus waved a hand. “Do you think she can recognize anything from this distance? You’ve got to get closer.”

Shiho grumbled, but complied, taking the Brandy 2 towards the closest island. A fairly large wave licked against the boat, splashing up water into Subterra’s face before she ducked back. She wiped what she could away with the back of a hand, but some of it got into her mouth.

“It’s… actually salty,” she said.

“You’ve never been out here, have you?” Ocellus leaned forward, taking her attention away from the sea.

She shrugged. “I can’t… remember anything. I just woke up on Bora Bora and that’s all I recall besides my name, Subterra. I don’t even remember what this TWI looks like.”

“She’s no simple opponent, that I’ll give you,” Shiho said from the front. “I didn’t get the chance to get rid of her the last time and she got away after a tough fight. I won’t be making that mistake again. If not for Spike, I would’ve prevented all this.”

“Spike? Who’s Spike?” Subterra asked.

“Some flipping nobody who put his nose where it didn’t belong,” Shiho snorted. “He had been a friend, just like TWI, but they decided to kill everyone. Apparently he shares his name with some dumb dog who a lot of people have a weird obsession over and have been making attempts on my family because of it. I had to deal with one of these before I left Canterlot.”

“A dog?” Ocellus repeated, looking confused. “Why would people obsess over a dog? Was it a magical dog?”

“Beats me,” Shiho said. “The whole dog thing happened before I was born. Anyway, TWI won’t escape me this time. We’ll find out where she’s hiding and finish her once and for all.”

“Now arriving at Tikehau,” a voice on their boat’s system chimed.

“We’ll look for landmarks.” Shiho turned and rested an arm over the back of her seat as she pressed a button for the boat’s auto-docking function. “Anything that would get you to recognize something, Subterra.”

“What are the chances of TWI being on the first island we decide to look?” Ocellus brought up the fact. “I don’t think it’ll be that easy.”

Shiho narrowed her eyes at the approaching island. “Only one way to find out.”

The boat picked up speed, almost flying over the waves as it got closer and closer. The island ahead was an atoll according to the map, a ring of land around a lagoon. Like with Bora Bora, there was a resort along the edge of the trash-filled shore, another reason why fishes had begun dying out. There was more rubbish in the waters than ever before and it didn’t seem like humanitarian efforts were working.

The group stopped the boat alongside a small pier that led to the resort, walking past a sign that read, ‘Welcome to Tikehau’.

“So what’s the plan, Shiho?” Ocellus was the first to jump out of the boat. She grabbed the rope tossed by Shiho and began tying it to its post. “How are we going to find TWI out here?”

Shiho pointed at Subterra, who was still seated in the back. “We’ll have to jog the kid’s memory. I’m sure familiar sights would trigger some sort of remembrance.”

Ocellus lifted an eyebrow. “Are you sure it works like that?”

Shiho took a swig of her flask. “It’ll have to. There’s thousands of islands out here in the ocean. TWI could be on any one.”

“You’re the boss.” Ocellus just shrugged and carried on down the pier.

“Good grief.” Shiho turned to Subterra and motioned with her head to get out. “Go on. See what you can dig up. I’ll finish dealing with the boat.”

Subterra complied and got herself onto the boardwalk. Following behind Ocellus, she noticed the older woman’s back had all kinds of scars running down its length, healed over time, but still visible. Whatever it was she did, hero or something, she must’ve been doing it for a long time now.

The resort began with a stairway leading up a grimy white pathway, making a sharp left to a lobby made out completely of wood.

“How are so many vacation spots still open?” Ocellus asked herself. With the pollution of the oceans and the decaying ozone layer, she didn’t see much of a market left for tropical island getaways.

She knew the state of this world well. That was why TWI had wanted to right it, but Ocellus didn’t agree with the methods she wished to use. Something had changed in her when she came to this world for her first visit, something that made her hard and cruel, and that was something she and her friends could not accept.

“See anything that looks familiar?” Ocellus asked Subterra. “I have to say that this doesn’t look like the lair of a delusional princess. How about you?”

Subterra looked from the woman behind the counter to a pair of people lounging on plush sofas, then to a cluster of trees just beyond the lobby railing. Nothing seemed at all familiar to her.

“This island is a whole ring, anyway,” Ocellus said. “Perhaps if we walk around it, something might seem familiar.”

“If you say so,” Subterra shrugged and followed Ocellus as she went out of the shade. “What about Shiho?”

Ocellus waved a hand and kept going. “She’s resourceful. I’m sure she can find us when she’s done.”

The two women had to walk through shallow water to get to the next part of the atoll, which was mostly just jungle. They kept to the shore, hoping to see any landmarks that would leave a mark on Subterra’s memory, but there was nothing remarkable out here. That was until they got to a rather bizarre sight.

There was a boat beached up on the shore, looking like it had just sailed through a hurricane. It stood at least a storey up and they couldn’t see most of the deck from here, but the damage was evident. Bits of it were broken off, almost like something had cleanly cut them off. The cabin glass had been shattered and its rooftop seemed to be crumpled; they didn’t see any signs of life on it.

“Now what do we have here?” Ocellus approached it slowly.

“Looks like someone was drunk sailing,” Subterra suggested.

Ocellus shook her head. “I don’t think so. Look at the damage. This wasn’t caused by a crash or bad weather. It’s like someone took a huge sword and hacked bits off it.”

Subterra nodded. The railings had been cut into pieces by something really sharp. There was no way it would’ve broken off on impact. She ran a hand along its side. “This hasn’t been here long.”

Ocellus suddenly pulled her back, then threw them both to the ground as something sliced across the air from the hull of the ship, cutting a straight line through it, hitting the sand hard enough to send particles up into the air.

“Why if it isn’t Subterra Shiver! Didn’t expect to see you here!” A dark man walked out of the smashed cabin, brushing his blonde hair out of his face as he flashed them a wide smile. “I’m lying of course. I knew you’d arrive here eventually.”

“Someone you know?” Ocellus looked at her companion.

Subterra shook her head warily.

The man put his hands on the railing and leaned closer. “I would’ve gotten you if not for this tough woman here. But then if I had gotten you, TWI wouldn’t have been pleased. She wants you back, Subterra. And I’m going to bring you back. It’ll be your choice whether you go back in one piece or without your arms and legs. Surfer Blood and I will make sure of that.”

“So another Stand user, huh?” Ocellus got them back on their feet and stood in front of Subterra. “Who are you?”

The man leaned up and straightened his red shirt with trumpet imprints. “I am Doo Doo Doot, one of the many who has gained the truth working for TWI. She has opened our eyes to the state of our world. You don’t see it, but I see a way of saving it. The world’s destruction is not inevitable, you know?”

“Wait, your name’s Doo Doo? For real?” Ocellus repeated. Then she snorted with laughter. “Wow. Your parents must have really hated you to name you that. Why not just call yourself Manure Man and get it over with?”

In spite of the danger and the appearance of this new enemy, Subterra had to agree with Ocellus on this one. She giggled, much to the anger of Doo Doo Doot.

“I’ll have you know I am named after one of the most famous composers in the world!” The man raged at them. “Laugh all you want now. You, pink hair, you’ll be dead before you know it, and I’ll be off to TWI’s island with Subterra.”

"Counter offer," Ocellus replied, dropping all levity and humor. "You tell us where TWI is, and you get to walk away from here in one piece. In case you haven't noticed, we outnumber you two to one."

"Numbers mean nothing to one so skilled as I," Doot sneered back. "My Stand and I are unmatched in battle. You don't stand a chance."

"Last chance, Fertilizer Face," Ocellus replied as she settled into a gunslinger’s stance, both hands hovering above her hips. "Give us TWI's location and we can all leave here unharmed. Unless of course, you want to catch a beating."

Doot scowled and straightened his stance. “TWI found me at my lowest point when I had just flunked out of my musical career. She opened my mind, gave me my Stand abilities with her arrow. And with these abilities, I will now smear you all over the sands to never be found again.”

From within the hull of the ship, rectangular dents made themselves known before the entire thing burst open, revealing a blue and grey Stand flexing its muscular arms and legs. It had tubes running down its body from its head and where its hands would be were two boxy shapes with rectangular slits at the ends. Its featureless face watched them through a red slit and it raised both arms in one swift motion.

Water began pumping through its tubes before its arms reeled back from firing two disc shaped projectiles at them. Ocellus called up Forest Rangers, who attempted to smack the attack away with its left arm, fast enough to hit it out of the air. Ocellus was about to smile when she noticed her Stand’s arm was completely gone, flying away in the air as the disc projectile dissipated against the sand past them, knocking more up into the air.

“You may be fast, but you won’t be as strong as the water Surfer Blood wields!” Doo Doo Doot began laughing, throwing his head back. “At the speed and power it fires its water, nothing, not even the strongest of metals can stand against it. Water gives life to our dying planet, but it can also take it away.”

Ocellus looked down at her bleeding arm and wiped what she could away. If Forest Rangers had been a solid singular Stand, she might’ve just lost her arm right there and then. She had underestimated her enemy here, but as she looked at Subterra, she knew it wasn’t time to give up, not yet. She still had to find her mother and TWI and this pile of Doo Doo wasn’t going to stop her.

-To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Hello, so I've decided to just type out the 'to be continued' bit, seeing as the ones I'm getting off the internet stop working constantly. I do hope you're still reading alongside my release of the chapters, I've slowed considerably, and I hope to get back up to speed, at least a little.

Episode 8: Coarse and Rough

To their shame, Subterra and the others didn’t find anything that could jog her memory, even after walking around the entire lagoon of Tikehau. They had spotted a diving team that worked to clean out the rubbish around the atoll, but there was nothing else significant here.

Shiho grumbled all the way back to their boat, muttering about how it was a whole waste of a day and how TWI was getting stronger the longer they took.

“Your attitude isn’t helping. Stop being so irritable, Shiho,” Ocellus said as she brushed past her. “Let’s just move on and hope we find TWI on the next island.”

Subterra stopped by Shiho as they watched Ocellus carry on. “I’m sure she doesn’t mean that. She just has a lot going on.”

“Good grief. Don’t we all?” Shiho tugged at her jacket and looked up at the moon in the sky.

Subterra shrugged. “At least the view of the sky is still something.”

Shiho shook her head. “I’d give it another seven or eight years. Pollution’s going to block out the stars even out here.” Then she kept walking.

“What a world we live in.” Crafteon creeped its head close to Subterra’s. “Are you sure it isn’t better to help TWI make the world better?”

“We can’t, not in the way TWI’s going for.” Subterra shook her head. “She wants to kill so many people so she can take control.”

“Is that so bad? According to her, these people are the ones sending the world down to its destruction.”

Subterra kicked at a can on the sand. “According to her. I’m sure there are good people out there too.”

Crafteon’s tentacles lingered on a broken bottle of wine and swept it away. “You can tell yourself that, but the beach here speaks enough. But you’re my Stand master. I respect your wishes.”

“Right. We’re not going to harbor this thought anymore. Let’s get going before TWI sends another Stand master after us…” Subterra ran along to catch up with Shiho and Ocellus.

The three women spent a night at the hotel right at the docks. The room was an open air one, letting the seabreeze in from a balcony overlooking the jungles and the shore. With the world’s temperature heating up over the years, the night breeze was no longer cool, but it was certainly better than the hot wind blowing in the day. Ocellus and Shiho didn’t waste time in drifting away in their sleep, but Subterra found herself lying there for quite some time, staring up at the wooden ceiling above them.

She found the darkness soothing, almost like a calming presence that made her feel like everything would be alright. And perhaps everything would be alright. There would be no way of knowing, and she still didn’t feel easy about leading them back to TWI, the person she had apparently run from. But Shiho needed to find her grandmother and Ocellus her mother. She hadn’t gotten as much details from Ocellus as Shiho, but her mother was working for TWI, who had hospitalized her group of friends. What Ocellus was probably after was revenge, but Subterra didn’t want to accuse her of anything, at least not out loud.

As the waves continued to crash on the shores outside and with her attention on the dark ceiling, Subterra eventually fell asleep, waking up only when a mosquito landed on her face, just under her left eye. She swatted it away, then sat up, finding both Shiho and Ocellus had already roused. Ocellus was standing at the balcony, leaning against the railing as she watched the sun rise. Shiho sat at the other end of the bed, drinking from her flask. Subterra had shared the bed with her last night and Ocellus had taken the couch. According to her, she had slept in worse places, but then again, that sounded like something anyone would say.

“The next island isn’t far,” Shiho said as she slipped her grey coat on. She tossed her lightphone over to Subterra, who caught it after it bounced off her hands twice. It projected a detailed map of their surroundings and it had a red arrow pointing above the next island. “It’s called Rangiroa. It’s another popular diving spot with a bit more to civilization than this dump here.”

“We should grab a bite before heading out.” Ocellus sat on the couch and slipped her ankle-high boots on. “No good going out there with an empty stomach.”

“For once I agree with you.” Shiho nodded as she stood up. “We already paid for breakfast anyway.”

In no time, they were cleaned up and ready to head out, first going back down to the restaurant to get some food. The restaurant was an open air locale consisting of a thatch roof held up by tiki poles. Everything here was dark brown, including the floorboards and the tables, making it a little more difficult to tell the tables from the ground from afar.

Shiho grabbed a few buns and slipped them into her coat pockets, while Subterra got a basketful of eggs in her hoodie. Ocellus didn’t have much room to hide anything, so she slipped a couple of sausages into her shorts. That hadn’t been the best of ideas, especially when she walked by a mother and her little girl. The woman had gone on a huge lecture about being indecent near children. Shiho quickly scurried out of the restaurant, but Subterra, unable to just leave Ocellus to such a fate, sent Crafteon out to knock over a tray of rice.

There was instant mayhem and Ocellus took the chance to slip away from them, holding tightly to the sausages in her shorts as she ran to keep them from falling out.

“I’m never doing that again…” she groaned, her cheeks bright red. “Next time I’m carrying a bag for this.”

“Good grief. Of all places…” Shiho shook her head. “Let’s just get out of here. The faster we find TWI the better.”

Once they were back on the Brandy 2, Tikehau was soon behind them as they sped off to the next closest island. Rangiroa was just east of Tikehau, having a bigger land mass and a larger lagoon. They could see two people wading through water, picking up rubbish with claws coming from backpacks on their shoulders. At least there were still people apart from TWI trying to make a difference.

They found another resort to dock at on the north side of the atoll and this time, not wanting to risk anything, Ocellus and Subterra stayed with Shiho as she docked the boat.

“Anything ringing any bells yet?” Ocellus asked as she tapped a foot against one of the boardwalk’s poles.

Subterra looked at the resort ahead. It looked just like any resort on the last two islands. There wasn’t really anything special about it.

She shook her head. “Sorry. No.”

Shiho frowned and shoved her hands in her coat pockets. “Come on. Let’s get going. We’ve got a bunch to cover.”

As they traversed the atoll looking for anything outstanding through the islands of Polynesia, the three women spent a lot of time walking along the beaches and Subterra did her best to try and jog her lost memories, but unfortunately, after three hours, they hadn’t found anything, just like with the previous island, though there was still much ground to cover here compared to Tikehau.

With the loss of the ozone layer, it was getting unbearable to walk about in the hot sun. Subterra had pulled her hood over her head, but it did little to provide her reprieve from the intense heat searing over her skin. Ocellus, having the most skin exposed of the three, found that her skin was already starting to turn red. She touched her arm and Subterra swore she could hear her skin sizzle on contact.

“Good grief, this heat…” Shiho put a hand above her eyes and attempted to look up. “Still nothing, Subterra?”

The younger girl shook her head. “I’m sorry. None of the resorts are getting anything. And everything else is just… coarse and rough sand.”

“It’s irritating, I’ll give you that.” Ocellus looked at the underside of one of her boots.

“And it’s getting everywhere.” Shiho groaned as she gave her foot a shake. “I have plenty of sand in my shoes.”

“Maybe we should get to cover,” Ocellus said, pointing to a cluster of large boulders. “Give our bodies time to cool down.”

“We need to find TWI,” Shiho countered.

Ocellus slapped a hand to her forehead. “Look, we’re not going to find her if we die from melanoma. I’m not asking, Shiho. We’re going to take a break. Come on, Subterra.”

Subterra looked between both of them, then gave Shiho an apologetic look as she followed Ocellus. She wanted a break too.

“Good grief…” Shiho said as she shut her eyes, but she followed along soon after.

“Right there. Right there.” A dark skinned woman in a black bikini with a red floral sash tied around her waist waved a hand as she watched two men finish laying down a banner over the front of a decrepit old building. Two of the planks on its facade were already starting to get loose. “Parfaite. Merci, messieurs.”

She brushed aside her long black hair from her front, tucking it behind her right ear as she took a few steps back to admire their work.

She rested her hands on her hips as she read the words on the banner. “Rangi Church welcomes all. Come seek the presence of God.”

“You think this will be enough, Leilani?” one of her companions, Big Horse Rock, asked as he dusted sand off his shins. “You think they’ll start coming back?”

“We can only hope, Big Horse,” she said. “In times like these, there is no better place to look than the House of God.”

This woman was Leilani Seabell, a native to Rangiroa. She had spent most of her life on this island, especially in the Rangi Church itself. Her father had been the priest here and his father before that. She had left Polynesia many years ago to pursue a different path, one where she had been sure would make a better living than that of a church worker. It was there, all the way in New York that she had realized that path wasn’t for her. She had been led astray by debauchery and money and if she hadn’t set her sights back on God, perhaps she would already be dead at the back of some shady alley.

“And it’s nice to be back here again,” Leilani said.

She couldn’t believe the state of the church when she had returned here. Since her father’s passing, there had been no succession to him and the congregation had started shrinking until only the shell of a building was left.

“Some of the natives won’t be happy to see the church back up again,” her other companion, Rain Bull, said. He was a friend who had followed her over from New York. “Most people don’t have religion these days, with the state the world is in.”

Leilani shook her head and narrowed her bright yellow eyes. “Religion should be the first thing they look towards in this bleak future. Only God can save us now.”

Her dark skin glistening with sweat, Leilani wiped her face with a hand before looking up as high as she could at the near cloudless sky. It had gotten hotter and hotter out here among the islands and in a few more years, she didn’t know if people could still walk around in the open. It felt as though the sun was approaching the planet, ready to swallow them whole.

“All we can do is wait for the second coming now…” Leilani sighed and sat herself down on the church’s front steps.

The wood creaked under her weight, but didn’t break. That was another thing they would have to do in the coming days: refurbish the structure and clean up the inside. Through a hole in the roof, leaves had gotten in and the entire floor was littered with dead and dry leaves, along with weathering from the occasional storm.

If not for the mysterious powers she had been born with, the whole building would’ve already collapsed a year ago. She looked at the shiny pink tendrils curling around the building, holding the rotten planks in place. It was something only she could see, for some reason. Big Horse and Rain Bull could not see them, even if it were in front of their faces.

It was a strange looking thing, resembling a mushroom and a jellyfish at the same time. She had taken to calling it Jellyfish.

“The name isn’t super original, I know,” Leilani said to herself. “But it’s easy to remember. I wonder why my parents were not gifted with such abilities. They surely had stronger faith than I do.”

“With some paint, this building is going to look brand new, Leilani,” Rain Bull said as he finished inspecting its perimeter. “You’ll see. The banner is but the first of many steps to revitalize the church.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “My father would want that. The revival of the congregation here on Rangiroa. I know we would-”

One of Jellyfish’s tentacles started vibrating and Leilani’s attention immediately flicked to the sand ahead. She saw nothing, but something had entered Jellyfish’s radius. When she had used its tentacles to hold the church in place earlier, she had also spread them out across the beach, a natural act for someone like her.

“I’ve had to deal with other people with abilities all these years. Now would be no different and I was right to leave Jellyfish’s tentacles all around the beach. Something is here, something stepped in,” Leilani said, not quite just for herself. “Whatever it is must’ve gotten quite the sting. Jellyfish’s tentacles are able to deliver a brief shock that sears the flesh on contact, leaving it sore and numb for a few hours. But that’s weird, because I still don’t see anything. What triggered my trap?”

“Rain Bull, Big Horse! Be careful.” Leilani quickly shot to her feet, backing up till she was against the church doors. “Jellyfish has picked up something.”

“That strange power of yours?” Big Horse rounded over from the other side of the church. “Is it someone else with powers?”

Rain Bull clutched tighter to the broom in his hands. “It could be more of those atheists. They really don’t want to see the church thrive.”

Leilani pursed her lips. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“Well, whatever it is out there, we won’t let them touch the church.” Rain Bull spun the broom, then planted its end down against the sandy ground.

Leilani felt another of Jellyfish’s tentacles vibrate, this time about ten yards closer than before. And it was getting closer still.

“Rain, it’s-!”

She wasn’t fast enough and from under the sand, something burst out, grabbing both of Rain Bull’s legs. He squealed and threw the broom high and he was gone before it could even hit the ground, disappearing into the depths of the sandy beach.

- To be Continued...-

Episode 9: The Sandy Beach Fossil

“Did you hear that?” Subterra Shiver stopped in her tracks, cupping one hand over an ear.

“What, where?” Ocellus looked around, still leaning against a large crescent-shaped boulder.

“I don’t know. It sounded like a scream.” Subterra put her hand down. “We should go check it out.”

“People die all the time.” Shiho Sunfast put her flask back in her coat. “We’re not living in 2010. Even then, I’m sure people died all the time back then too.”

“But… but…” Subterra shared a look with Crafteon as it appeared beside her. “We can’t just leave them if we know they’re dying.”

“Why not? We don’t know them,” Crafteon said.

“We can’t just… we can’t just leave them.” Subterra stared into her Stand’s purple eyes. All she saw was her own reflection. “If we can do something about it, we should.”

Shiho sighed and closed her eyes for a second. “Fine. If we’re dealing with pirates, they’ll be an easy job anyway.”

“Lead the way, Subterra.” Ocellus gestured with a hand.

Breaking into a sprint, Subterra went in the direction she thought she had heard the scream come from. In another seven feet or so, they heard another scream, this time louder. It was a woman’s scream.

Running up a short slope, the three women soon found themselves overlooking a mostly flat sandy shore that ended in a line of grass further up. There was an old rickety building that looked like it was barely being held together by pink rope. On it read the words, ‘Rangi Church welcomes all. Come seek the presence of God’.

In front of the steps was a woman in a black bikini spinning around as she kept her eyes on the sand. She looked like she was in some kind of trouble. Subterra was just about to run in there when Ocellus’ foot stepped against something rubbery. All of a sudden, a shock passed through her leg and she dropped to her knees, only to cry out in pain more.

“I can’t feel my leg!” she said. “Some kind of current. My leg’s going all numb.”

“I don’t see anything…” Shiho frowned. “Curtain Call.”

Her Stand appeared and thrust a hand under the sand. In a blink, it came up with a pink tendril of sorts and there was a sound of crackling before Curtain Call let go of it as Shiho fell back, looking at her hand.

“It stings. Like a jellyfish.” She tried moving her fingers, but it was like she had lost control of her body. “Careful. I have a feeling the whole ground is trapped.”

Before she could move another muscle, something else burst forth from underneath, grabbing ahold of Curtain Call’s left thigh with its jaw. It was a skeletal creature without legs, whose spine ended in a single spike. It growled as Shiho’s leg spat out blood.

“Crafteon!” Subterra called as her Stand wrapped its tentacles around the creature.

It tried to yank it off Curtain Call, but its jaws had latched on tight and each pull only seemed to make it worse for Shiho.

With nothing else she could do, Subterra had Crafteon unleash its oppressive darkness, sending it towards the bony Stand and Curtain Call. Darkness enveloped them completely and in only two seconds, Subterra observed that Shiho was no longer in pain and she had taken a few steps back as she clutched at her shoulders tightly. Crafteon released its darkness and dashed forward, lashing out its tentacles, hoping to get the enemy, but all it did was hit the sand.

“Thank you, Subterra. This is the work of an enemy Stand…” Shiho breathed shakily. “Whatever it is, it hides under the sand.”

“Do you think that woman is the master?” Ocellus pointed at the woman standing under the church banner.

“Only one way to find out,” Shiho grunted. Curtain Call picked up a loose piece of wood off the ground and transformed it into a metal spike.

“Wait, you’re not thinking of throwing that at her?” Ocellus had Forest Rangers form up and grab Curtain Call’s arm. “She doesn’t look like she’s after us. She looks like she’s looking for something in the sands. Could be the same as us.”

Without warning, the spine end of the bony Stand shot out of the ground, piercing Shiho through the right shoulder before tunneling back under the sand.

Shiho clutched at her wound and dropped to one knee as Curtain Call tried to toss the spike at it. It hit the sand, but from the side, the enemy Stand leapt out from the ground and grabbed it before disappearing on the other side.

“We need to get high ground!” Ocellus warned and had her Stand form into a slope for her to get up on top of a large boulder. “It senses movement on the sands. Hurry, get up here!”

Subterra grabbed Shiho and pushed her towards Forest Rangers, which began moving her up through its tiny hands. Before Subterra could take two more steps, the sand began moving and something under it began tunneling towards her position.

“Subterra, hand!” Shiho had Curtain Call whip its cloth through the air.

Crafteon’s tentacles emerged from Subterra’s back and grabbed the cloth in midair as Curtain Call gave it a quick tug. The black haired girl soared through the air for a second, feeling as though she could fly just as the enemy Stand burst from the sand, just missing her foot. She landed on the rocks with the others as the enemy Stand burrowed away, vanishing from sight.

“You good?” Shiho gave her a pat on the back.

Subterra straightened herself and her coat. “For now… Just what are we up against?”

“This Stand burrows underground and waits for vibrations we create,” Ocellus speculated. “But those jellyfish things… they don’t seem to be a part of this.”

Shiho looked at her hand. “I still can’t move my fingers. This sting is potent. Perhaps we can use that to our advantage. Get that lady’s attention.”

Subterra began waving both arms at the woman in the bikini. Once she noticed they were trying to communicate with her, she held up a hand.

“It’s you. Be careful, there’s something under the sand!” she yelled over.

A man came out of the church door behind her, looking shell shocked. There was blood trailing down his head and part of his shirt was torn off.

“You have to get on something solid!” Subterra cupped her hands around her mouth. “Your church doesn’t look like it’ll last long!”

“It’s been here for years! It’ll hold!” the man shouted back.

“You have to be careful, most people can’t see this creature under the sand!” the woman added. “I have been bestowed special powers by God that lets me see it, but you might not be able to!”

“Powers by God? What is she going on about?” Shiho raised a hand for a second. “Unless she thinks Stand power is from God. Lady! We have powers too! We can see the Stand under the sand!”

“Stand?”

Shiho blinked. “You… Nevermind. We’ll explain later. Just get on something more solid!”

To prove her point, the church building shook and both of them struggled to maintain their balance.

“It’s somehow avoiding Jellyfish’s tentacles! It must be because it's underground with the tentacles. They’re not hidden from it!” the woman said as she looked around wildly. The tentacles around the building loosened after the next impact and planks began falling off the building’s frame. “No, please. Not the church.”

“You’ve got to get over here!” Subterra waved for them. “Get on the rocks!”

The woman looked between them and the church, but before they could make a choice, the wood under them blew up in splinters, sending them and most of the church raining all over the beach as the bony Stand launched high into the sky, spinning in a spiral. The pink tentacles around the church disappeared as the woman hit the ground. With the last reinforcement of the church gone, the four walls fell apart, dropping to the ground in pieces as the roof fell with a deafening bang.

Shiho took this chance and had Curtain Call toss its spike at the enemy Stand as it was falling back to the ground. The spike went under its rib cage, but speared through its right arm, drawing blood as it tunneled back through the sand.

There was a yelp from somewhere under the sand and from a spot beside the church, the Stand surfaces, glowering at them with its orange eyes as a dog appeared below it. It was a tan bull mastiff with a small sailor’s hat perched over its left ear. It had a pink ribbon under its neck and it growled at them before sinking back under the sand.

Unknown to the team, this dog was Capstan Mastiff, a stray from the country of Ireland. On a desperate search for food, she had accidentally stowed away on plane that took her all the way to Canterlot. It was there that she had crossed paths with TWI, who took pity on her. Back then, her body had been thin and malnourished. All she had eaten for years was the trash humans left on the streets, but trash was never filling, nor was it healthy for her body.

TWI had taken her back to an island, where food had been given to her in the form of steaks and sausages. Another thing gifted to her was through an arrow pierced to her neck. After that, she had developed the power of her Stand, Beach Fossil, a Stand capable of swimming through sand and sensing the vibrations above. Since then, she had been a faithful follower of TWI, doing all she could to take down humanity wherever she could, payback for all the years they mistreated her on the streets. Because of TWI, she had never felt more alive.

“Are you for real… Good grief, not another dog…” Shiho rubbed her temple. “My family has had enough of dogs…”

“A dog’s after us?” Subterra tilted her head slightly. Then she pointed to the woman and man on the sand, still lying flat on their faces. “W-We have to help them. They’re on the sand now, that Stand might get them!”

“We’ll have to distract that thing.” Ocellus breathed and split her Stand up into tiny little Forest Rangers. “I’ll send some of them out onto the Stand towards the shore. That might get you enough time to get them to the rocks.”

“We can’t just use up your Stand like that,” Subterra countered. “Won’t you run out of Forest Rangers?”

Ocellus shook her head, then drew a thumb across her cheek before giving her a thumbs up. “Forest Rangers regenerate given time. By the time I’m down to my last Forest Ranger, I’d be dead anyway.”

“Subterra, you help them. I’ll keep watch with Curtain Call.” Shiho shoved a hand into her pocket, while the other one tapped the side of her head. “That Stand’s not going to survive once I kill it.”

“Uh… ye-yeah.” Subterra didn’t know what to say.

As Forest Rangers flung themselves from the rocks, they began scuttling across the sand in a frenzy, spreading out in an arc away from the woman and man. The enemy Stand sensed their movements and a bulge under the sand could be seen traveling towards them. As it spun, it slashed two Forest Rangers to pieces before charging through a swarm of them.

Cuts appeared along Ocellus’ arms in flashes of red. She winced, but she knew what she had to do. Subterra waited till the bony Stand was far enough before sliding down her rock. She rushed for the others, reaching the woman first as they began to stir. She looked up and took Subterra’s hand as she held it out towards her.

“Thank you. I didn’t expect to see you here again. We’ve never been introduced,” the woman said. “I’m Leilani Seabell.”

“Subterra Shiver. Y-You know me?” Subterra was stunned.

“You were here. You… don’t remember?”

“I… I can’t remember anything.” Subterra shook her head sadly. “I lost my memory.”

She wanted to ask more, to know what this lady had seen, but as the sound of sand shifting close by made itself known, she knew she didn’t have time for this, not now.

“We need to get back on the rocks.” She pointed to where Shiho and Ocellus were. “Can you move?”

“I might have hurt my leg from the fall.” Leilani touched her right ankle. “Big Horse, are you able?”

The man pushed to his elbows and nodded. “I’ll follow. Get her to safety first.”

Subterra nodded as Crafteon’s tentacles sprouted from her shoulders, wrapping around Leilani as she shrieked. “It’s okay. It’s just my Stand, Crafteon.”

“S-Stand?”

“Manifestation of your…” Subterra couldn’t remember the sentence. “I’ll tell you later.”

She began running back to the rocks. Already, she could see the enemy changing directions, attracted to her larger vibrations. It moved fast, tunneling through sand like it was water.

“We’re not going to make it in time,” Leilani said.

There was a thud in the sand and they both turned their heads to see Big Horse throwing wood away from them.

“Go! I’ll distract it!” He waved them on as he picked up another plank to throw.

The Stand changed direction again and lunged out to grab the next plank just as it hit the ground. It grabbed it in its jaws and bit it in half before disappearing back underground.

“Come on, Big Horse!” Leilani called as she and Subterra reached the base of the rocks.

Crafteon let go of her and they began climbing as she waved for Big Horse to get going. The man picked up another plank and chucked it high above the destroyed church, running only when he heard the piece of wood bounce against the debris.

The enemy Stand attacked the church again, and Big Horse took the chance to make a mad sprint for the others. But it didn’t take long for the enemy Stand to tunnel back under and sense his footsteps.

“Big Horse, get on the rocks! This way!” Leilani began waving wildly as the ground behind him began moving.

Big Horse broke into a faster run as he tried to get to the rocks. However, he had been wearing loose-fitting sandals and the harder he ran, the more the footwear slapped against the ground, sending up little puffs of sand.

“He’s not going to make it!” Subterra exclaimed in horror.

Sure enough, not two meters behind Big Horse, a bony spine stuck out like the dorsal fin of a shark, slicing through the sand and hot on Big Horse’s trail.

With one final effort, Big Horse leapt into the air, aiming for the rocks. Subterra used Crafteon to stretch out a tendril to grab the man, but before Crafteon could reach Big Horse, the Stand in the sand emerged and bit into Big Horse’s leg, stopping him in midair before dragging him back down into the ground.

“God, help me!” Big Horse had time to say before he disappeared beneath the surface of the sands, never to be seen again.

“Sweet Celestia,” Ocellus gulped. “What a horrible way to go.”

“And upon this rock I will build my church,” Leilani recalled from the Scripture. “I didn’t think it would be quite this literal.”

The others didn’t even spare her a glance.

“Right,” Shiho said, making sure not to put even one toe over the side of their stony protection. “We need to defeat the enemy Stand before that thing finds another way to kill us.”

“Like by scratching away the rock from below,” Ocellus suggested.

“Don’t give it any ideas,” Shiho growled back. “We can’t stay here indefinitely anyway. I have a pony princess nutjob to hunt down and a granny to rescue. Now, our enemy is a dog. A mangy mutt. It’s not going to be as smart as us. We have to find a way to outwit it.”

“At least we have the high ground. It can’t get us up here,” Ocellus said.

As if the universe had something against them, their rocks shook and began to sink into the ground. A bony spine stuck out from the sand, swimming circles around their safe zone.

Ocellus picked up a rock and threw it as far as she could. It was intercepted seconds after it landed and pulled under.

“Is it just me or is it even faster now?” Ocellus asked aloud.

Shiho grumbled. “It must be its renewed vigor. It knows we’re cornered and it is on the verge of victory.”

“But it’s not, is it?” Subterra spoke up. “On the verge of victory, that is. We can beat it.”

“We can if we can predict where it's going to be.” Leilani crouched down on the edge of her rock. “But without a clear line of sight, we might as well be shooting fish in the ocean. If there was some way we could make it come out…”

The rocks began to sink lower, but without warning, the Stand leapt from the sand, slashing at the rock, just barely missing Leilani’s face, but as its spine curled around, it grabbed her around the waist and it pulled her down. Subterra sent out Crafteon, which grabbed her hand with one tentacle. Curtain Call and Forest Rangers grabbed on to Subterra as she pulled Leilani, keeping her from going into the ground with the enemy Stand, but at the speed the enemy was going it, even two muscular Stands could not keep Subterra on high ground and she was pulled down with Leilani.

Subterra swallowed a mouthful of sand as she landed, but knowledge of her situation got her back on her feet in a blink as she attempted to climb back up the rock. The enemy dived out again at her, swiping a bony paw at her. Crafteon dashed at it, ramming its hard head against the enemy’s arm, but it raised its spine and jabbed forward, catching it through a chink of its hard skull, drawing blood. Subterra staggered back as blood sprayed from a wound on her side.

“Subterra, we will not win by sheer force and will. We need to do something,” Crafteon said as it dipped lower to the ground.

“The enemy thinks it has won bringing us down here…” Subterra clutched her side. “But it’s not over. Not yet. Because I know what to do, Crafteon. By falling down, we’ve made it think it has won. With an injury on us like that, we surely can’t fight back. This Stand knows it and its cockiness is what’s going to help us win.”

Crafteon, its thoughts linked with its master’s, knew exactly what she wanted. “Then let us show it who the victor is.”

It floated higher, then stretched its tentacles out to its sides. Subterra stumbled back, putting her back against the rock as she brought a hand up in front of her face, covering one eye with two fingers. Darkness spread out from Crafteon, heading for a row of trees close to them. In the trees were a whole slew of parakeets, chirping away as they watched the battle from the safety of their perches. As the darkness crept up the trees, the parakeets began to panic and they dived from their homes as one, swooping low and away from the darkness, attempting to escape with everything they had.

Shiho and Ocellus covered their ears as they flew by squawking like it was the end of the world. That was when Subterra let a smile form across her pale face.

Leilani saw her smiling and scratched her head. “How does this help us?”

“I might not have my memory, but I still remember that sand, like water, is dense,” Subterra started. “Sound is more compact under these surfaces as compared to the air. If this enemy senses vibrations, it's going to get one really big vibration.”

As the flock of birds flew over the beach and towards the jungle line, their squawks echoed across empty air and under the sand. There was a shrill cry as both enemy Stand and master burst from the sands, flying into the air as the dog covered its ears with its paws.

“Dogs also have better hearing than humans,” Subterra went on as the dog began running its face against the sand, trying to drown out the sound.

“And we’re not letting it get back underground as well. Jellyfish!” Leilani called out as an orange blob with yellow spots slid its pink tentacles into the sand around its master.

From around the dog, pink tentacles shot out of the sand, wrapping around its forelegs. Instantly, its eyes widened as it barked from the sudden sting. It dropped on its face again, unable to move its forelegs.

“Now’s our chance. Shiho! Ocellus!” Subterra turned to her friends.

Curtain Call and Forest Rangers surged forward, fists ready to strike down their enemies. Ocellus targeted the enemy Stand, while Shiho sent her own Stand at the immobilized dog.

“Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!” Curtain Call bellowed, driving its punches into the dog, each blow sounding like a shotgun blast.

Forest Rangers clubbed the Stand with its own fists, punching it so fast that it began to float off the ground as cracks formed along its bones, which then shattered, blowing its Stand to bits. The dog’s eyes bulged in its sockets as Curtain Call delivered one final uppercut, launching it into one of the many palm trees on the beach. It got stuck up in the center of its leaves, remaining there as the tree swayed from side to side.

“Ahhh…” Shiho sighed as Curtain Call faded away. “Nothing like defeating an enemy to make the day better. That, or an ice cold beer and some katsudon, but I’ll take what I can get.”

Leilani walked forward a few steps, then dropped on her knees as she looked at the state of her church. “It happened. After seventy-seven years… Everything my grandfather and my father gave for this building.”

“It’s alright. You can just rebuild it.” Subterra gave her shoulder a pat.

“Or you can help us stop the ones who did this.” Shiho joined them. “They’re out to change the world. Their leader, TWI, aims to kill her way to become ruler of all to reshape the world as she sees fit.”

“There’s only one being in charge of our world. And that’s God.” Leilani picked up a pile of sand in her hand and rubbed it off her palm with a thumb. “Ça ne peut pas être fait. No one person should be in charge of the whole world. No one can be, not even if they mean well.”

“We can’t do nothing while TWI does what she wants with this world.” Ocellus folded her arms and looked at the horizon.

“Is she like us, then?” Leilani asked. “Does she have powers given by God?”

“These are called Stands, manifestations of your spirit,” Shiho explained. She was very used to explaining this by now. “Magic spills into your world from another world, Equestria, whenever the portal between worlds opens. Ocellus here is from Equestria.”

“P-Portals? Other worlds? Magic?” Leilani’s eyes became so wide they looked like they would pop out. “No, magic is the devil’s work.”

“Good grief. It’s not what you think.” Shiho shook her head. “Whatever. The point is, TWI is dangerous and she needs to be stopped before she overturns the world. And she has my grandmother. I have to save her.”

Leilani pushed to her feet and once again gazed at the ruins of her church. “The church my father and grandfather worked for all their lives has been destroyed. Perhaps… Perhaps this is a sign from God. To not be so rooted in place, that I’ve spent too much time thinking this church was everything. It isn’t. He’s telling me to go out there, to do His work for the world with the power of His Holy Spirit within me.”

“No, it’s…” Shiho reached a hand out, then she shook her head and pursed her lips. “Sure.”

“Very well. I, Leilani Seabell, will help you stop TWI.” Leilani pulled on one of her bikini straps and her other hand slid against her right thigh as she raised that leg on its toes. “For the glory of God. Jellyfish and I will aid you. What can I do?”

“For starters…” Subterra walked closer to her. “You… remembered me? What else do you know about me?”

“You’ve really lost your memory?” Leilani ran a hand through her black hair. “I’m sorry, you didn’t tell me much. You came seeking directions. You said someone was after you and I offered you shelter here in the Rangi Church. However, you decided to go, because you didn’t want to put us in danger, even when I told you God will protect you.”

Subterra didn’t remember this, but for a second, flashes of something came to her mind. She was inside the rundown church, looking at a rusty cross standing behind the altar. Leilani stood to one side and moonlight shone in through one side of the church. She felt cold and tired and wounded, like she had just faced something, barely winning.

“I… I think… I remember that.” Subterra blinked. “Do you, uh, remember which direction I came from?”

The woman smiled. “You told me you sailed from the north, from an island of storms.”

“Island of storms…” Shiho put a hand to her chin. “There aren’t many islands north. None discovered, anyway.”

“Malden Island, that is the closest north-most island I know,” Leilani said. “I-I can direct you there. I know most of these islands well.”

Subterra nodded and returned the smile. “Thank you, Leilani.”

Ocellus gave her a pat on her shoulder. “I’m sorry about your friends and your church. But rest assured, they’ll be avenged.”

- To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Another dog down, I'm afraid. Nightshroud, don't take any offense to this, please. :trollestia:

Episode 10: The Ripple Goes On and On

Malden Island. This triangular atoll is part of the nation of Kiribati and it stands as a sanctuary for wildlife, or at least, what remains of animals today. The waters around it had once been protected to safeguard the marine population, but illegal fishing had decimated their numbers years ago. Birds inhabit the island, along with a few species of crabs and other tiny lifeforms.

In 2076, governments of the world attempted to airlift various endangered animals here, including the elephants, walruses and other types of larger mammals. Unfortunately, poachers had ambushed one of the transports, eliminating the last two elephants of the world just for their tusks. After that, the world thought it would be better to just protect the other endangered animals in their own habitats, doing what they can to keep poachers away. Zimbabwe had become the final sanctuary for the last two lowland gorillas of the world, having built up an impenetrable wall around their enclosure with automated turrets along the perimeter as a poacher deterrent.

“Good grief, you call this the closest island to the north?” Shiho Sunfast looked at the radar on the Brandy 2.

“It’s not that far.” Ocellus sat beside her, leaning her arms against the side and the seat. “It’s barely a mile away.”

“It’s the heat. It makes it feel as though we’ve been traveling for long.” Leilani shielded her eyes with one hand as she looked as high as she could to the sky. “The islands were never this hot, not when I was still a teenager. The world is really changing.”

Subterra pulled her knees up to her chin. Was there even a point to save this world from TWI at this rate? She couldn’t quite answer that, but for now, she knew she had to stop her from killing her way to leadership. That was not the right way, even if Crafteon sometimes said otherwise.

“We should have installed some kind of roof over this boat,” Shiho grumbled. “The sun might just kill us before we get there.”

“Oh, don’t be so overdramatic…” Ocellus blew air from her lips as she slid her body lower down her seat. “We’ll be there soon. It’s just clear sea all the way. Be thankful we’re not in a storm.”

Shiho looked up at the sky. “At least a storm will cover up the sun.”

“Just… Just keep going…” Ocellus was in no mood to let it go back and forth more.

“There. I can see land now.” Leilani stood up and pointed. Her black hair whipped around in the wind, flying all over her face and behind her. “Malden Island. Do you remember being at any animal sanctuary, Subby?”

Subterra didn’t at first realize she was talking to her. “O-Oh, you mean me. No, I have nothing except flashes of your church.”

Leilani’s gaze steeled. “Then perhaps we’ll find something for you there. Trust in God. He will deliver.”

Subterra just nodded and kept her eyes on the approaching island. She had never once thought of the concept of gods, and here Leilani was, so sure that there was indeed one. She found herself wondering why God would let the world run on in its ruined state. Everything was only getting worse and there didn’t seem to be a bright future ahead.

Her thoughts were jarred when the boat suddenly jammed to a stop, lifting its rear a bit, almost tipping Leilani and her out of their seats.

“What the hay, Shiho, what did you crash into?” Ocellus leaned out of the boat to check.

“There’s nothing. There’s nothing there.” Shiho pointed at the screen.

“Well, something clearly is there.” Ocellus waved both hands. “What’s the damage? We better not be swimming to the island.”

Shiho tapped away on her console, bringing up different holographic screens of words and numbers. “The front of the hull is cracked. Nothing serious, but we don’t want to risk hitting something else.”

“It could just be a rock,” Leilani explained. Some rocks reach the surface. We can just go around it.”

“I’m telling you, there’s no rock,” Shiho turned back and hissed. “There’s nothing there at all. It can only mean one thing.”

Subterra didn’t like the way she said that. “Is it another enemy Stand?”

“You guessed right,” a voice said behind them.

Everyone turned around to see a man in a tan-colored fedora standing behind them, equipped with a blue lifevest and white shorts. He had piercings all over his chest, running from his abdomen all the way to his neck.

He flipped up his shades over his eyes and grinned at them. “Allow me to introduce myself. Will. I. Knoe.”

“Know what?” Leilani asked him.

“No, that’s my name.” The man spun on the spot in a circle, then stuck a leg up against his chest as he thrust a palm out towards them. “I am Will. I. Knoe. And I have no problems with you. I’m only here for the girl. Give her to me and no one has to die out here far from land.”

Subterra looked down at where he was standing. Somehow, his feet were standing atop the water’s surface as though it was concrete.

“Then I’m afraid you’re in for a beating.” Ocellus slid a foot back and bent lower. “You’re not taking anyone.”

The man shook his head and flicked his shades back down. “I was hoping you’d say that. Ripple, let’s take care of business!”

From the other end of the boat, behind everyone, a blue and purple Stand that looked like an olympic swimmer shot out of the water like a drill bit. It spun three times before coming to a stop on the water’s surface without making even one splash.

“Curtain Call.” Shiho immediately sent her Stand out, swinging a punch at it.

Curtain Call’s first attack missed as the enemy Stand bent to one side, but Curtain Call grabbed its cloth in its other hand and flicked it at the enemy, smacking it in the side of the head. Will. I. Knoe flinched to one side, but his Stand was already moving, delivering a powerful blow under Curtain Call’s right arm. There was a blast of air and Curtain Call flew over the boat, crashing into the water to the boat’s left. It swam back up towards the surface, but the enemy’s Stand, Ripple, released three punches against the water’s surface. It created the slightest of ripples, seemingly doing nothing, but when Curtain Call attempted to breach the surface, it bumped its head against it before pressing both hands against it.

“Curtain Call’s trapped!” Ocellus exclaimed as she called out her own Stand between her and the enemy.

Shiho grabbed her throat, unable to breathe, but otherwise didn’t panic. She looked at the others and nodded.

“We’ll have to take care of this…” Ocellus cracked her knuckles and folded one corner of her lip. “Forest Rangers!”

Her Stands formed into a singular form and leapt out of the boat at Ripple, throwing a punch at it all in the same motion. The enemy Stand dodged, but before Forest Rangers could land in the water, Leilani’s Jellyfish had already moved, spreading out its tendrils from a spot on the Brandy 2, leaving a web of orange across the water’s surface that Ripple easily avoided. Forest Rangers expertly landed on one of these such tendrils, using it as balance as it raised both arms to fight.

Leilani saw Subterra looking and gave her the answer. “Jellyfish can decide if a target can step on its tentacles without being stung. I allowed all of you to do so. Your Crafteon can join the fight.”

The black haired girl nodded and sent her Stand out there to help Ocellus.

“Why fight, Subterra?” Will stretched both arms out parallel to the ocean line. “You can’t win. You should know that. You’ve faced Ripple before.”

The girl winced as Ripple danced atop the water’s surface. Something about the way its toes bounced on the water with barely a ripple sent a flash of blue through her mind. A sunny blue sky. The roaring of wind as a fist hit her Stand. Unfortunately, that was all she received.

“You think standing here is going to help you beat me?” Will. I. Knoe spun around and threw both hands forward. “Ripple has amazing footwork. Plus, anything it hits changes density. I could sink your boat right now, but where’s the fun in that?”

“I’ll show you fun.” Ocellus covered one eye with a hand and placed the other one on her neck as she twisted her body to one side. “Forest Rangers!”

Her Stand dropped to all fours, scuttling across Jellyfish’s tentacles as it jabbed its four spider-like appendages at the enemy. Ripple stepped back with each attack, avoiding each one as it shifted its body around expertly like that of a dancer. Forest Rangers reared its body up, punching at it, but Ripple continued to avoid it and Jellyfish’s tentacles at the same time, stepping across the water’s surface with the smallest of ripples.

Crafteon flew to Forest Rangers’ aid, swinging its tentacles around, trying to catch one of Ripple’s appendages as it spread its darkness out from another corner.

With another step, Ripple punched down against a portion of the water, then scooped its hand into it and flung it up at Forest Rangers. Punching the water again, it transformed it into solidified balls, sending them crashing through Ocellus’ Stand as it staggered back and off Jellyfish’s tentacles. Before it could hit the water, Ripple turned the surface back to its original form. Forest Rangers fell into the water and began splitting apart, unable to maintain its form.

“Two down.” Will beckoned for Subterra to continue. “I told you. Come back with me and this doesn’t need to continue. You can’t win, Subterra.”

Subterra looked at her last teammate, Leilani. “That won’t stop me from trying! I’ve got a cause now. And that’s to stop you and TWI and everyone else trying to do what you’re doing!”

“And don’t you see that what we’re doing benefits everyone?” Will shrugged and pointed a finger to the side as he shifted his black-tinted sunglasses down his nose. “It may look wrong, but look past that. In the future, this world will be righted! Imagine a world without the sun scorching over your head like it is now. Imagine a world where people stopped throwing trash into the ocean. Imagine a world where everything wasn’t so expensive! Think, Subterra!” He pressed two fingers to the sides of his head. “TWI knows what’s best for the world!”

TWI knows what’s best for the world!

That resonated in Subterra’s head and she put a hand up to it to steady herself. Crafteon floated over back to her, its large head pressed closed towards her.

“You know it. Do you not?” Crafteon spoke in her head.

Another flash of imagery came to Subterra. It was Will. I. Knoe again, standing before her as she gasped for breath. Ripple pounded its fists together and smiled as it disappeared.

“Not good enough, Subterra. You are meant for greatness. This isn’t it.” White boots walked around her field of vision. Purple fingers ran under her chin and tilted her head up. Now she gazed right into the orange glow of TWI’s eyes as she curled her mouth up into a smile. “The world needs you to be great. It will not go on if we fail. If you fail. You must rise up. Again. Will. I. Knoe is a talented Stand user, but his fear of tigers and lawsuits holds him back. He can be so much more, but he too has yet to realize his true power. Use that against him.”

As TWI limped away, Will spun on the spot and flared both arms out as Ripple appeared in front of him doing the same. “That hurt. But TWI knows what’s best for the world! If change is to happen, then you have to harness your powers and show her what you can do!”

Crafteon attacked, creeping its darkness across the floor, but even as Will’s hairs began to rise, he had Ripple avoid the shadows, dancing its way to Crafteon. Subterra’s Stand flailed its tentacles about, but Ripple grabbed one before pulling it in and smashing it between the eyes with its other fist.

Subterra fell back and hit her head on the floor as TWI walked back into her blurry vision. She ran a soothing hand down her head, then grabbed her by the hair and hauled her back up.

“That was pathetic. Again!” she said.

Each time Subterra attempted to attack, she was put down again and again and again. Ripple was just too fast for her and each time, TWI would get her back on her feet to fight again.

“No… I don’t… I won’t go back to that life again.” Subterra shook her head, returning to the present. “You won’t take me back!”

“You’ve lost every match against Ripple in the past…” Will jumped and kicked his feet together. “And now it’s just you and that big stupid jellyfish. I’ll have you back to TWI in no time.”

“You’re not hurting her.” Subterra threw a hand in front of Leilani, having a new burning desire to protect her friends. Shiho and Ocellus needed her help too and she wasn’t going to let them down, not after everything they’ve done for her. “These people are my friends. And friends protect their friends!”

Crafteon waved its tentacles around, then charged at Ripple. Ripple pounded its fists together and smiled, then followed suit, rushing to meet between the two of them. However, as Ripple struck it with its fist, a cloud of darkness exploded around Crafteon and the approaching darkness made Will recall his Stand, afraid of the shivers it would bring him.

Subterra stared at the cloud of dark, unsure what exactly had happened. She hadn’t asked her Stand to do that, but something felt weird. She could feel a change within the darkness, as though something was solidifying inside.

“Well done, Subterra…” Crafteon said in her head, but something about it was different. It sounded more… feminine. “The time has come.”

Subterra felt a welling of power surge within her soul, like something had touched the strings of her heart and imbued her with strength she never knew she had. Leilani continued to look between her and the cloud of shadows, and Will stood there with his arms folded, leaning back as his Stand did the same closely behind him, waiting for Subterra to make her move.

- To be Continued...-

Episode 11: The Darkness of Crafteon

“Taking your time, aren’t you?” Will. I. Knoe tipped his hat lower as he adjusted his shades. “If you’re not coming out, then I’m going for it!”

Ripple pointed both hands forward, one on top of the other. Rings around its arms began to glow a bright blue and as it pumped both arms forward, energy blazed from them and hit the closest of Jellyfish’s tentacles. The tentacles went slack and dissolved into liquid, merging with the ocean.

Leilani clutched her arm and fell back against her seat as she wailed in pain. It began to bubble and dissolve, turning into liquid. Jellyfish released its net of tentacles and disappeared, giving Ripple a direct line to Subterra and the others, but this time, she was going to protect them.

A hand emerged from the darkness, metallic and sharpened, grabbing Ripple as it attempted to pass. The enemy Stand raised a fist, intent on melting away its sudden captor, but as it swung, the darkness in the air spread out, sending it skating back along the water’s surface in fear of being enveloped by the darkness. As it spread out, it slowly began to thin and instead of the floating Stand with a large head, in its place was now what looked like a mermaid, floating in the air above the water. It now had a more humanoid face on top of its neck, which snarled at the enemy. Instead of hair, it had tentacles trailing back down its neck and its eyes were now on its face, staring and unblinking at Ripple as it waved its arms around as though some unseen current was pulling them.

“What happened? Impossible.” Will took off his hat and wiped the top of his scalp with a cloth. “Stands can’t do that. They can’t change for no reason!”

“What do you know about what Stands can or can’t do?” Ocellus pointed a finger at him.

“I’ll show you! I’ve never been beaten by Subterra before!” Will spun around, then flicked the corners of his opened shirt. “Ripple, take her down.”

Ripple leapt over the boat, aiming a fist for Crafteon’s head, but it glided back, raising both hands as its fingers began moving as though it was casting some kind of ancient magic. Darkness spiraled out from its back, wrapping around Ripple’s arms before tossing it over to the other side of the boat. Will. I. Knoe’s body followed suit, but he slid against the water’s surface and got back up, unharmed.

Ripple got back on its feet and punched at the darkness, but nothing happened and the tendrils remained wrapped around its wrists.

“Darkness has no state,” Subterra explained. “It cannot be solidified and it cannot be liquified. You may have beaten Crafteon before, but now that it is Crafteon ACT2, things are going to be different.”

“I’ll show you different.” Will clapped his hands together. “You haven’t seen everything Ripple can do. I only save this for when I’m certain of my victory. And I am certain now.”

The rings on Ripple’s arms began to glow a bright red and Subterra had Crafteon fling it to the side with its shadowy tendrils. Ripple crashed against the water’s surface, but flipped itself from a roll, getting back on its feet as the water around it began smoking.

As Ripple spread its fingers open, streaks of yellow light shot out towards Crafteon across the water’s surface. They traveled under Crafteon, but because it was floating, nothing happened.

Subterra looked at Will, but he seemed unfazed. He snapped his fingers and flashed her a grin. “Wait for it.”

The water bubbled under Crafteon where the yellow streaks had appeared and suddenly exploded in a flash of energy. Subterra drew back and shrieked as her arms began to boil. Her skin turned red and began bubbling at the spots her Stand had been hit. She pulled back Crafteon, sending it spinning to the opposite end of the boat as she fell back against the side, grabbing her injuries.

“Plasma is another state of matter. In case you didn’t know.” Will drew circles with a finger in the air. “It’s not something I go around showing off, but for you, Subterra, I’m making this exception. TWI didn’t say how I needed to bring you back. As long as I bring you back alive, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Subterra grimaced and gritted her teeth as her Stand floated along beside her.

“Destroy him, Subterra. He is not fit to continue existing.”

Subterra agreed with her Stand. As Ripple pummeled its fists together, generating its arm rings with more energy, Crafteon twisted its arms through the air, creating more shadows between its fingertips.

A searing bolt of plasma shot at Subterra, but she dodged it at the last second and the projectile hit the water, sending up a huge gust of steam and vapor.

"Stay still!" Ripple continued throwing plasma at Subterra and Crafteon. Fortunately the shots were very bright and noticeable, and Subterra was able to evade the next volley. The missed shots also hit the water, hissing and spluttering as more steam filled the air.

Leilani and Ocellus ducked down, just narrowly avoiding one. Subterra dodged another, then saw Shiho underwater, still hammering against the surface trying to get out. She had already been there for four minutes and surely she was running out of air. Whatever she and Crafteon planned, she had to do it now.

“End it…” Crafteon whispered.

As her stand weaved together its shadows, Subterra watched as Ripple pummeled its fists against the water’s surface, turning it into plasma bit by bit. It seemed generating plasma took more time and energy from it, unlike how it could alter something to the other states. With each smash, streaks appeared across the water, boiling and warping the air around it. In a few seconds, it would reach Shiho, and she wouldn’t survive swimming in a sea of plasma. She had to finish this fast.

Crafteon placed the shadows between its two hands and with a push, the shadows expanded forward, flying to Ripple like a fireball.

It kicked up a splash of plasma at it, but the shadows surrounded it anyway, swarming around it like a small tornado.

Will shut his eyes and geared himself for the feeling of dread that followed Crafteon’s shadows, but this time, nothing happened. He blinked and ran his hands down his body before making Ripple leave the shadows.

“Ha! You’re losing your edge, Subterra. I’m not afraid!” He pointed at her. “What are you going to do now?”

Subterra lowered her eyelids and assumed a neutral stance. “Are you sure about that?”

A growl came from the darkness and instantly, Will’s heart dropped in his chest and he eyed it with wary suspicion. “N-No…”

A striped paw emerged from the dark, touching the surface of the water gently as two shining eyes pierced out of the gloom. As it approached, a growl revealed a row of fangs, sharp and bloodstained. A scar ran down the side of its furry face, and Will immediately recalled his childhood.

It had been when he was only seven years old. His father had taken him to a meat shop to get beef after finding a bag of cash just outside their apartment. Back in the day, meat was scarce, because without a job, his father could not keep up with the rising prices of luxuries like meat. It was at this shop that they encountered a tiger that escaped from the zoo.

Like a coward, he had hidden in the darkness under a stained table as the fierce tiger devoured the butcher, two other people and his father, who would do everything he could to make life better for him. After everything his father had done, he could not find it in himself to save him as the tiger ate through his stomach while he was still alive, pleading for Will to save him.

Will remembered the scar on the tiger’s face, an injury it had supposedly received by gamers on a safari. And now it stood there, looking back at him with burning eyes; it had unfinished business with him.

“N-No, you can’t be… you can’t be here…” He backed away as his Stand stood between them, arms raised.

It roared and leapt at Ripple. Will ducked instinctively as his Stand swung a fist at the tiger. It missed as the tiger went low, slashing at Ripple’s abdomen, drawing blood before sinking its fangs into the Stand’s right thigh.

“Aaaaugh!” Will clutched his leg and fell back on the water’s surface as his Stand’s power began to falter.

Leilani’s arm reformed itself, solid once again as the sea around the boat liquified, allowing Shiho to breach the surface with a huge gasp of air.

As Will’s fighting spirit began to fall apart, the plasma that he had created fizzled away, and the water’s surface beneath him no longer remained solid. The Stand user fell into the salty liquid, flailing his hands to try and remain afloat. As he breached the surface, a sudden rush of clarity hit him.

“Wait a minute,” he said. “This is the middle of the ocean! There’s no tigers here.”

Will grinned and summoned forth his Stand, but something else appeared first.

A black-painted speedboat drew up alongside the Brandy 2, crewed entirely by men and women in crisp black suits.

“Are you Will I. Knoe?” One of the people in suits asked formally.

Will’s skin began to crawl as he looked at the people in the black boat. A sprout of unease began to make itself known in his head. “No… I mean, yes, I am.”

The suit who had spoken nodded to his companions. “Mr. Knoe, we are here on behalf of the global government. You’re being audited.” Holding up a roll of paper, the man in the suit unraveled it, revealing a series of class-action lawsuits written on the paper’s surface. “Here’s the date; we’ll see you in court. Fail to comply, and you risk being incarcerated and fined.”

“L-L-La-Lawsuits!” He clutched his head as his eyes grew to the size of baseballs. “N-Not the lawsuits!”

The lawyers suddenly grew claws and their eyes became red burning coals as fangs emerged from their mouths. They snarled at him and jumped at him from different directions.

“N-Not tigermen lawyers! My worst fears!” Will shrieked as he dived under the water’s surface, trying to flee.

But the tiger lawyers dived in after him, and water churned and splashed all around beside the Brandy 2. In only a few seconds, blood bloomed out from the deep, spreading along the surface as Shiho climbed back into the boat.

“Good grief, these TWI followers…” she pushed her hair back out of her face as she removed her outer coat. She put a hand over her eyes and looked up to the sky. “How long have we been out here? The seats are burning.”

“Hey, at least you had a dip in the water.” Ocellus rubbed at her arms, which were starting to glow red. “It’s all thanks to Subterra that you’re even back on the boat.”

Subterra pulled her hood over her head as Crafteon’s darkness returned from underwater, disappearing into its arms. She hadn’t really paid attention to the heat the entire fight, but now that Shiho had mentioned it, she could feel her arms blazing as though someone had lit them on fire.

Ocellus pointed ahead. “The island’s just over there. Step on it and we can get under some trees to cool off.”

“Or…” Leilani adjusted her shoulders till a crack was heard. “We can just go for a swim.”

And she jumped into the water before swimming downwards.

Ocellus and Subterra shared a look before the former shrugged. “I don’t yet know how to swim effectively with this body, but a dip sounds nice.”

And she jumped in after Leilani with a big splash.

Shiho wiped her face again and groaned before starting the boat. “Good grief.”

- To be Continued...-

Author's Note

I apologize for slowing down greatly. I do hope to pick up speed again, but of that I am unsure. Thank you for understanding for the time being. :trollestia:

Episode 12: Island Home

“Smolder, you can’t possibly be thinking that!” Yona exclaimed as the orange dragon tugged at the straps of her pack on her shoulder.

“We have to. This isn’t TWI speaking. It isn’t,” she said resolutely. “Something’s… changed. I don’t know what happened to her in the other world, but this is not who she is. What she’s doing isn’t what she stood for. It’s not what we can stand for.”

“I’m with you, Smolder.” Gallus flapped his wings and lifted the corners of his mouth.

“As am I.” Ocellus nodded her head. “It’s not right.”

“We need to remind TWI of what she stood for.” Sandbar pounded a hoof against the ground.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Gallus said and immediately disappeared through TWI’s portal machine.

“No time like now!” Silverstream followed after him without wasting another second.

One by one, each of them entered the portal until only Ocellus was left. She rubbed a hoof against the back of her head as she peered into the swirling vortex before her. TWI had been their great leader and teacher, showing them the magic of Friendship as they took over as Equestria’s protectors. And now here they were, hoping to convince her to stop her conquest of another world.

Even if she meant well for them, even if she wanted to help them, killing all those who stood against her wasn’t the way. She had taught them that there was always a way with friendship. Whatever happened on her journey there had changed her mind, and it was their duty to change it back.

With one last swallow, Ocellus dove in, traversing through a rainbow tunnel as her body began to warp and change, turning into something else. As a changeling, she knew what it was like to turn into something or somepony else, but this was different. It was as though the very fiber of her being was changing, turning her into something that was no longer a changeling.

On the other end of the portal, the first thing Ocellus saw was the school TWI had told them about: Canterlot High School. It stood cold and empty, devoid of life as she looked past other buildings to the moon above. In this world, the sun and moon moved according to some other force instead of the power of princesses. It was hard to believe, but TWI was intelligent. She knew she would find out all she could about this world, even if she planned to kill thousands.

Once she had gotten her bearings of her new body and that of her friends, it wasn’t long before green bolts of energy struck the ground around them, forming dark circles in the stone as a figure from Ocellus’ past dropped down from on top of the school building.

She stood and brushed her teal hair from her dark face, giving them a devious smile as she drew a line down the side of her neck to her left shoulder as she tilted her body to one side. She had on a green and purple top that left her left shoulder and right abdomen bare, and she had on pants that flared out at the bottom, ending in tears that snaked up to just under her knees.

“Chrysalis… what are you doing here?” Sandbar said with a gasp of surprise.

“Excited to see me?” She chuckled. “I know.”

Ocellus stepped forward, putting herself between her friends and the changeling who had once been something more than just a villain. “Mother, you’re not su-supposed to be he-here… You’re supposed to be… how did you escape Tartarus?”

Chrysalis laughed again. “My dear Ocellus. I didn’t. I was just given a deal. Think of it as a way of shortening my term. I do what Princess TWI wants and I don’t have to be in Tartarus for a lifetime.”

“She’s getting the help of these villains now?” Silverstream asked the others.

Ocellus shook her head. “You-You’re lying. TWI would never!”

“On the contrary…” Chrysalis played two fingers through her long straight hair. She had a little crown with a crooked horn perched on top of her head. “And it’s not just me… For reduced sentences, we’ll put up with her demands. For now.”

Smolder pushed past her friends. In this world, she had on a black jacket over an orange tank top and a pink skirt. “We only want to talk to her.”

“Unless you want a beating, you better stand away.” Gallus gripped a fist together. He had on a puffy brown jacket with a white trim. “You can’t possibly stand against the Young Six alone.”

“Firstly, you underestimate my power.” Chrysalis tilted her head down, casting shadows across her eyes. “Since coming to this world, I have become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”

“What’s the second thing?” Yona asked. She had a green shoal over a beige dress with red and white diamonds along the ends.

“What?” Chrysalis said flatly.

“You said firstly. It’s usually followed by something else.”

“I don’t care.” Chrysalis balled a fist, then took one step back and put her other arm behind her back. “Princess TWI said to keep anypony away, especially you Young Sixers. She didn’t say how I would do it.”

Smolder took another step forward, but all of a sudden, she was thrown back into the statue behind them, cracking off one of its arms as she rolled to the side. Just to Chrysalis’ right, a faint figure appeared out of thin air, mimicking Chrysalis’ stance. It was some kind of figure clad in a white suit that looked like it was made for low oxygen areas, though there was a single cracked hole in its visor. It had a backpack behind it, fitted with pipes and tubes and along its entire body was what looked like purple eyes staring back at them. Each of them moved individually, looking in every direction at once.

“Why you-!” Sandbar charged at her and her companion.

With a smack, the white figure knocked him aside, then fired a single beam of purple at Yona, sending her crashing back to the ground as a smoldering hole appeared on her shoulder.

“Mother, stop!” Ocellus ran at her, sliding under the next punch by Chrysalis’ ally. She grabbed her mother’s legs, then spun to a stop as she pulled against her knees.

Chrysalis lost her balance and tumbled, but the figure swooped in, catching her as its purple eyes came close to Ocellus’ face. Instantly, her mind was filled with images of tentacles and bizarre colors, followed by fire and destroyed buildings.

The figure grabbed her by her halftop straps and tossed her aside before flying over to deliver a powerful blow to Gallus’ jaw.

Ocellus rolled to a stop and looked back at Chrysalis, but from behind the school building, she spotted something. Whatever it was stood behind the structure, half concealed as it turned its head towards her, millions of red eyes now staring right into her soul. Where its mouth was was instead filled with five or six tentacles, squirming and writhing as it reached a hand out, pointing a finger at her.

“W-What is that?” Ocellus asked aloud as Sandbar helped her up.

“What’s what? Chrysalis’ magical friend?” He pointed at it. “It can’t seem to be hit.”

Ocellus shook her head and pointed at the large tentacled creature. “No, not that. That. The big one. It’s coming right for us!”

“I don’t see anything!” Sandbar looked into the air where Ocellus was gesturing to.

Yona flew by them, only for Sandbar to catch her. One of her eyes was bruised shut and her shoal was in tatters.

Gallus slid to a stop beside them, panting hard. “We’re… not used to these bodies… And we can’t hurt that ghostly thing.”

“Magic isn’t working here!” Silverstream lifted her hands, brushing them together before wiping them against her shimmering sleeves. “We can’t take on threats like we normally do.”

“There has to be some way we can defeat her!” Smolder wiped the corner of her mouth and rubbed her cheek. “We have to plan a surprise attack.”

As her friends leaned in to discuss their plans, Ocellus’ mind went away from their words, instead focused on the large creature coming towards her. For some reason, none of her friends could see it and with each step, it got closer and closer, already reaching out a gnarly hand towards them.

“I have to draw it away…” Ocellus said.

“What?” Smolder asked.

Without another word, Ocellus ran off in a sprint, moving her two legs faster than she had ever done so. She stumbled a few times, still unsure of how to run with them effectively, but it was better than nothing.

As predicted, the creature changed directions, coming after her as Chrysalis laughed behind them. “Fools! You’ll never beat me and my Stand!”

From the side, Smolder smashed a plank of wood into her face, knocking her down, but before she could hit her again, the white figure stopped the plank between them. It swiped it out of Smolder’s hands before shattering it in two and stabbing her in the abdomen with one.

Smolder’s smile quickly faded as she doubled over in pain, gasping for air as she was pushed aside. Sandbar was the next one to launch himself at her and following behind him, Silverstream kicked off his back, flying in with a kick aimed for Chrysalis’ face. The thing called a Stand floated forward, its feet barely over the ground as it smashed a fist into each of their faces faster than they could even fly through the air. Both of their bodies spun back, hitting the ground hard as the Stand kicked them both in the side, sending them sprawling over to Smolder.

“Friendship is stronger than anything…” Gallus raised his arms. “We can do this. TWI taught us that we can achieve anything with friendship.”

Chrysalis waved a finger. “Not today, young one. Today, you’ll learn there’s a new power in town, and that’s Stando Powah.”

“What?”

“Did you not hear what I said?” She scoffed. “I said Stand power.”

“It definitely didn’t sound like that.”

“Speak only when you are spoken to when you are before royalty.” Chrysalis had her Stand throw a punch at him.

Gallus raised both arms to protect himself, but the punch shattered both his arms and threw him back, tearing up more of the dirt as he screwed his eyes shut in agony.

“This day, you’ll learn you can never stand against TWI and our new powers…” Chrysalis’ eyes glowed green as an aura formed across her body.

Ocellus woke with a startle, feeling around her body as the face of the tentacled horror left her mind. She allowed herself to breathe and look out over the flowing sea as the stars of the night sky twinkled towards the horizon.

She had that dream again. One of the many dreams she had been having night after night for months now. The image of the creature would always fade when she awoke, as though her mind was rejecting the thought of something like that existing, but when she was dreaming, it always felt so real, like it could literally walk the space between dream and reality to devour her whole.

Thunder above them rumbled through the air as she pushed herself off her bed of palms. The sky above them was black, concealing the stars directly above the island as rumbling continued.

“Oh, you’re up.” Leilani walked around from behind a palm tree, carrying a pile of wood. She set it down in front of palm branches they had laid across the grass earlier. “This island has changed much over the last few years. There never used to be this many trees here. In fact, there were barely any trees at all.”

“That’s new. You’d think everything in this world was just getting worse.” Ocellus patted the palms beneath her body.

Leilani nodded. “All in the efforts of trying to make this into a sanctuary for all animals. Perhaps if we are lucky, we could find the rare black rhinos of Africa. How are you feeling?”

“Like a rock.” Ocellus spat. “But it’s not going to stop me from getting to TWI.”

“This TWI sounds like a real piece of work, non?” Leilani sat down beside her, leaning back as she looked up at the dark clouds. “We should’ve built a shelter of leaves. So, tell me your story. Why come to… to our world?”

“TWI was my princess. Our great princess who led us to years of peace. A golden age,” Ocellus said, remembering when times were still good. “But everything changed when she came to this world. She returned with a dark need to right your world. To do that, she hired Equestria’s greatest criminals. One of them was… is my mother, Chrysalis. She put my friends in the hospital and I’m all that’s left of Equestria’s defenders to stop TWI’s madness and hopefully return her to normal.”

“May God be with you in your quest, Ocellus.” Leilani smiled and gave her a pat on the shoulder. “I know we can still turn this turmoil around. God isn’t going to let the world go up in flames.”

“Right…” Ocellus gave her a weird look. “We might not have gods where we’re from, but it’s good you have something to give you hope.”

There was a streak of lightning across the sky, followed by a boom of thunder.

“We really should’ve constructed a shelter.” Leilani looked over to the ocean where Subterra was sitting by the water, looking out at the sea. Shiho was busy strolling up and down the shore, looking at something on her lightphone. “Do you think she’ll remember something here? Subterra, I mean.”

Ocellus pictured Subterra’s Stand in her head. It had changed form, turning into something more humanoid. Whatever it had been, Subterra’s spirit had strengthened. Perhaps it was because she remembered more of her life before losing her memory. There was no real way of knowing and Ocellus hadn’t been in this world long enough to understand the full extent of Stand power.

“She’ll have to. There are so many islands out here. Who knows which ones she had been to before.”

“Once she remembers the way back, we’ll have our shot at taking TWI down and rescuing my grandmother.” Shiho walked over, pocketing her phone. “I spotted a couple of tigers. We should continue to keep watch into the night. I’m not ending up as animal food after everything we’ve had to get through to get here.”

Thunder above rumbled again.

“And we need some shelter or this storm’s gonna be all over us…” Shiho grumbled. “Good grief, as if things couldn’t get any worse.”

Lightning crashed into the ground almost too close to their position, shearing a tree in half as a flock of parrots took to the air, squawking in fear. Ocellus had jumped back, frightened by the sudden encroachment of danger.

“There has to be a cave here somewhere that we can wait in.” Ocellus looked up at the rumbling sky. A streak of orange passed through one of the clouds. An odd color for lightning. “This storm’s getting out of hand.”

“I second that.” Subterra was by their side now, ducking a little as the next bout of lightning blazed the sky overhead. “But this… something is wrong. Something is familiar about this storm.”

She didn’t know what it was, but the hairs on her neck rose up and her skin felt like it was bubbling beneath them. A memory pushed at her head, trying to surface, but it was as though Subterra was trying to catch it with her bare hands instead of a fishing rod. It constantly slipped away just as something familiar was about to return.

“Watch the skies, Subterra. You must feel it as I do,” Crafteon appeared by her side. “We have company.”

- To be Continued...-

Episode 13: I of the Storm

Thunder and lightning broke the clouds above and one snaked its way through the skies towards them, buzzing with power as it glowed from orange to white-blue near its tip.

Leilani dived to the side, but called up Jellyfish as it stretched its tentacles over the group, wrapping them into a shield-like structure just as the lightning hit. The shock boomed across the expanse, then dissipated through Jellyfish’s tentacles as the ground underneath it tore apart, shattering like glass.

Leilani winced and grabbed her arms, but remained standing. Smoke wafted off her skin and parts of it had cracked.

“What was that? The lightning’s attacking us now?” Ocellus watched as the clouds above reflected the orange glow of the lightning.

“Subterra Shiver,” a voice boomed among the clouds. “You return.”

Pain immediately coursed through her mind and Subterra grabbed her head as she fought to keep herself from falling flat on the ground. Everything spun around her as her mind processed the voice she had just heard.

“I know this voice. I know it…” she said to herself. “But where have I heard it?”

Visions of a boat came to mind, followed by lightning and destruction of a forested area.

“You remember, Subterra. You have faced this before.” Crafteon’s face appeared in front of hers. “This time, you will end him.”

“Subterra, what is it? Who is doing this?” Ocellus asked her, holding an arm under her to support her.

“Enemy… Stand master,” Subterra said as she regained strength in her legs. “I of the Storm.”

She remembered that name well. He was one of TWI’s hunters, other people she had turned that would scout others to join her cause, or bring those who attempted escape back to her.

“His name is Sejnnd E. Beaches. He’s from a faraway land of the north. We need to get under cover quickly,” Subterra urged the others. “This Stand can-”

A bolt of lightning came arcing out towards them, striking the ground and calcifying the dirt beneath into a crater.

“Do that?” Ocellus finished.

“We already knew it can use lightning. It’s been doing it all night.” Shiho narrowed her eyes as Curtain Call faded in next to her, clutching the cloth around its shoulders with both hands. “But I’ll show it a thing or two. I’ve had enough with enemy Stand users.”

“What do you plan on doing?” Ocellus challenged. “If you run in there hoping to beat him up, you’re gonna end up zapped.”

Leilani held up a hand. “Jellyfish can absorb quite a bit of electricity from its attacks. I could get you closer, but there’s only so much I can take.”

A group of lizards scurried under their feet, hoping to find cover from the brewing storm.

Above, the clouds parted slightly and they caught sight of a being enveloped in electricity, arms outstretched. It had a single large eye in the center of its head and underneath it, a smile too wide with satisfaction.

“Come back now and I won’t have to use I of the Storm to destroy your friends,” it said as the eye flipped back, along with part of its head. Inside the Stand’s head was that of a bald man with two nose rings, one on each nostril. “All of you know not what you fight against! You fight for the destruction of our world, you hope to see its end sooner than later!”

“That’s because TWI wants to destroy everything as we know it.” Subterra pointed a finger at him. “I can’t be a part of it.”

“Our world’s leaders are the reason everything is headed for destruction! It is because of them that people all over the world suffer. The poor who can’t afford a thing, the animals who are losing their homes to human density, the air destroyed by continuous pollution, there will be no end until the leaders of the world change. And only Princess TWI can do this!”

“Good grief, he’s a nutcase.” Shiho drank from her flask. “Look, even I know you can’t just kill the one’s in charge, even if they’re pricks. There are other ways to do this.”

Sejnnd scoffed and closed his Stand’s face back over his. “What, like how your precious Crusaders Foundation and Weather Alternate are doing? Those fools back in Berlin were one of the reasons our world has been going downhill. Wake up! The people in power are just playing antics on us, and I’ve, no, we’ve had enough!”

“You wake up!” Ocellus swung an arm through the air before balling her hand into a fist. “This is not the way!”

“It is the only way! TWI is the only hope our world has for a brighter future! Even dunderheads like yourselves can see that the state of affairs cannot continue like this!”

A metal spike flew through the air and I of the Storm dodged to the side before grabbing it midair, stopping it in place. Curtain Call was already readying a second spike, turned from a rock on the ground.

“You throw metal at me?” I of the Storm laughed.

From the sky, lightning shot down, hitting Curtain Call’s latest spike. The blast of electricity sent the Stand flying back into a fern, while Shiho slid along the grass and back down to the beach.

“He’s too high up. Forest Rangers can’t reach him.” Ocellus began looking around for anything they could use.

“I will bring you back to TWI, Subterra Shiver!” Sejnnd shouted down, his voice barely audible above the growing thunderstorm. “And together we will make a better world for everyone!”

“Everyone, or just people who you think deserve it?” Subterra shouted back. “What about a better world for the people you plan on killing? Don’t they deserve a better tomorrow too?”

“People who don’t want to save this world have no place in TWI’s world!” He pointed a finger down at them. Above, the clouds swirled into a vortex. “If you were not important, I’d kill you here right now. But because TWI wants you alive, I will settle for your friends.”

Lightning shot down from the swirling vortex, tearing up the ground around Subterra and the others as two deer ran by, rushing for the other side of the island. Ocellus called up Forest Rangers, which began tunneling through the ground as they worked to give them some shelter from I of the Storm’s attacks. Leilani had Jellyfish raise up its tentacles in a net, forming an umbrella-shaped shield over their heads as Ocellus worked.

With nothing else she could do, Subterra had Crafteon spread its darkness up, hoping to at least block his view. It would never reach him, but it was better than nothing.

More lightning zapped through Crafteon’s shadows, aimlessly striking the area around them. Those that got close were absorbed by Jellyfish’s tentacles, but with the storm above them stronger than ever, I of the Storm had more firepower than Jellyfish could take and it started to show as Leilani fought to remain standing on her two feet with each strike.

With none of their Stands capable of flight or range like I of the Storm and Sejnnd, there was no real way of reaching him up in the sky.

“We need to move. We can’t stay here!” Subterra waved to the others.

“When lightning strikes, the air gets superheated to hotter than the surface of the sun,” Ocellus said. “I’d prefer not to take a direct hit from this Stand, if it packs that kind of power. Not all of us have Stands like Leilani.”

“I don’t think… I can hold it much longer.” Leilani rubbed her arms; her skin was already getting flaky and charred. “We need a way to get him down here.”

Shiho got back up, her jacket torn and blackened around the edges. She struggled to get on her feet, but she did so nonetheless. “I’ll get him down. Curtain Call has the precision of a baseball pitcher. Just keep him looking at you.”

“Just… no metal. I thought you were smarter than that.” Ocellus looked like she was ready to push a palm into her own face. “You’re lucky to have survived that.”

“I’ve survived worse.” Shiho cracked a kink in her shoulder and growled. “Subterra, keep your shadows up.”

“But how will you see where he is?” the younger girl asked.

“Because I have eyes on him.” Ocellus nodded before smiling. “When Shiho threw the spike earlier, she made sure the fool would catch it. Forest Rangers is already up there with him, watching his every move. There are not enough of them up there to take him on, but I’ve got his position.”

“And that’s more than enough for me.” Shiho cracked her knuckles and her shoulders, then motioned with her head to Curtain Call.

Her Stand swiped its cloth over a pile of rocks and when it passed, each one was now a bowling ball of a different color.

“Where is he?” Shiho asked as Curtain Call picked up its first bowling ball.

Her Stand pulled its right arm back behind its head, holding the ball on its palm while its other hand pointed forward with all five fingers, keeping it in a straight line from its shoulder. It tucked one leg behind its body, then bent forward on the other.

Lightning continued piercing the shadowy veil above them, and with the next strike, Leilani could no longer keep Jellyfish up and she released its tentacle net, dropping to the ground panting as her arms smoked from the continuous strikes.

Ocellus picked her up and moved them back as she spied through the eyes of her Stand. “Ten degrees to your left.”

Shiho shoved her hands in her coat pockets and nodded. With a powerful yell, Curtain Call took a step forward and let the ball loose, sending it through the air so fast that it looked like space was bending around its launching point. It passed through Crafteon’s shadows in a blink and lightning stopped raining down.

“Nice try, but you won’t be able to hit me!” They heard from Sejnnd on the other side. “The game’s up. I will have Subterra back for Princess TWI!”

“He can keep trying, but we’ve got your back, Subterra.” Ocellus gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Twenty-six degrees right. Two up.”

This time, Curtain Call picked up two bowling balls, one blue and one yellow. The Stand let them fly, aiming one a little more to the right. But it didn’t stop there, it kept picking up ball after ball and Ocellus started pointing and giving her Sejnnd’s location through Forest Rangers. Unfortunately, he was just as fast, constantly avoiding each projectile as his Stand’s smile widened. Electricity coursed through its fingers and it began catching the bowling balls and tossing them back down after charging them with power.

“It’s not working!” Subterra squeaked as a ball landed close to her feet, sending a quick jolt through her toes.

“It will.” Shiho nodded, unfazed by the enemy’s skill. “There’s more to this than just chucking balls at him. I’ve been preparing something else.”

As balls rained down around them, Curtain Call had gotten to work again, turning sticks and stones into rope. As it tied the rope to the rest of its bowling balls, Forest Rangers formed into its singular body and began swatting returning balls away from them.

“Because there are some of them on I of the Storm,” Ocellus began explaining. “I can see on the other side of Crafteon’s shadows. As I of the Storm returns them to us, I can see exactly where they’re coming from. I’ll keep us protected for now. Hurry it up, Shiho!”

“Don’t rush me.” Shiho scowled, but Curtain Call held up part of the rope in its hand. “It’s done, anyway. Time to bring this sorry sack down.”

“Neigh!” Curtain Call yelled as it spun around and released its payload into the air.

All the bowling balls followed, joined together with rope and as they sailed through the darkness, Sejnnd saw it coming and pointed down at it. “I of the Storm’s eyesight is second to none! I thought you would have learnt that by now!”

He caught the first bowling ball, but the momentum of the rest swung around him, spreading the rope out to reveal a whole network of rope between each bowling ball. The net enclosed around him and the combined weight began to pull him down from the sky as two bowling balls clashed against his privates.

“Oohhh!” Sejnnd bent down and gasped.

Once he was low enough, Subterra was able to have Crafteon’s shadows sneak up and grab him, yanking him down further. It was there that the shadows morphed, utilizing Crafteon’s ACT2 ability. Before Sejnnd’s very eyes, the shadows took on a human shape and soon, a bald man with a large belly stood before him, standing at least a whole meter higher than him. The only clothing he had on him was a ragged pair of brown shorts.

“N-Nei, Pappa.” I of the Storm’s face folded away, revealing Sejnnd’s own terrified face.

“You saving the animals again.” He brought out a broken piece of bone and prodded his gums with it. “Both you and your brother, you take after your mother. That is why I had to eat her. Now it seems I must eat you too.”

“Nei, nei! Stay away from me!” Sejnnd’s Stand dissipated and he began crawling back on his bottom. “Don’t touch me!”

But the large man did not heed his words and grabbed both his arms, pulling him off the ground easily.

“You’re not real! You can’t hurt me. I have a Stand now!” Sejnnd punched him in the gut, but his father didn’t even flinch. Instead, he pulled one arm to the side and bit down, splashing blood up into the air above them. “G-G-Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“Tasty meat…” the man grinned.

With a yank, he threw Sejnnd clear across the space, sending him tumbling down the grassland and sand into the flowing water.

Sejnnd inhaled a mouthful of water and began coughing, partially because the water was invading his lungs and partially because the water tasted foul from all the pollutants and chemicals in it.

“What was that?” he choked out, ejecting seawater as he did so. “My father’s been dead for years! How did…” Sejnnd’s face paled. “It must be the power of an enemy Stand. But it can’t be Sunfast’s or that green woman’s…” His face grew even paler as something occurred to him. “Unless one of their Stands changed somehow. I must get this information back to TWI before-”

“Before what?” someone said just behind him.

He turned just in time to see a purple fist plow into I of the Storm’s single eye, launching it back from the shore to a deeper part of the water, submerging him for a second as he kicked his feet up, pushing himself to the surface.

Shiho Sunfast stood before him with Curtain Call behind her back, its fist still smoking from where it had punched his Stand and by extension, his face.

“I’m not afraid of you. Feel the full force of I of the Storm’s ultimate power!” He raised both arms at his sides, ready to call down the fury of the sky.

“Not if I have something to say about that.” Shiho narrowed her eyes. “Curtain Call!”

Shiho’s Stand roared and dashed forward, covering the space between them faster than Sejnnd anticipated. It threw a stake of wood through his right shoulder, spraying blood behind him as he was knocked off balance. As he was falling towards the water and gasping from the sudden blow of pain, Curtain Call was already on him, delivering punch after punch to his body and his Stand as he was falling.

“Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!”

“Aaaaaaagh!” As his body was propelled further into the ocean, Sejnnd began to sink down, struggling already to keep his eyes open. He reached a hand up, but darkness closed in around him as his body hit the bottom.

I failed you, Princess TWI…

“Shiho, you did it!” Leilani and the others ran over as the woman sat herself down on the shore, letting the water wash over her bottom as the tide came and went.

“About time too.” Shiho looked out at the storm above. It was still thundering, but at least the lightning wasn’t trying to kill them now. She put a hand in her coat, looking for her flask, but then she realized there was a hole at the bottom and her flask was gone. “Good grief. Good thing I always carry spare clothes for emergencies.”

“We still best get out of the open.” Ocellus looked up. “I of the Storm was only channeling the lightning from above. It’s still a rather dangerous threat.”

“Right.” Shiho sighed and got up. “Subterra, does this island jog your memory?”

“Actually…” the girl looked down at nothing in particular. “I think… I think I remember. I remember where TWI’s island is.”

From the encounter with I of the Storm, Subterra remembered months of sparring with him and some of the others. She remembered the big open rooms TWI had put her in to test her might, she remembered her bedroom, small and cold, devoid of anyone else, she remembered the beach and the guardian of the island, and most importantly, she remembered how to get there.

She looked back up at the others. “I need a map.”

TWI’s console by her bedside has begun beeping rapidly as she sat there watching the dark skies outside her room. She knew this sound well. Three short bursts of beeps, followed by a single longer one. This meant there was news from outside her island. Good news, she hoped.

Her Stand, Strange World, appeared by the bedside table and pressed the button. Immediately, the beeping stopped, replaced by ragged breathing and growling.

“Speak,” TWI said and waited.

“They killed him. They killed my brother.”

TWI said nothing. This single line told her all she needed to know. Subterra and her allies were still at large.

“I underestimated her.” TWI put a hand against her face. “And I am disappointed. I thought perhaps she would know better, know what was better for this wretched world. Where are they now, Djirt?”

“They are still on Malden Island,” the voice answered. “I need to kill them. I need to avenge my brother.”

“See that you do, Djirt. But not Subterra. You know I need her. If she is returned to me dead, you will be joining her, is that understood?”

There was more breathing on the other end, followed by the clearing of one’s throat. “Yes, princess. I will only make sure her friends die most horribly.”

TWI nodded as her Stand deactivated the device. Thunder rumbled in the sky and her attention returned to the open doors to her balcony. A figure now stood there, hiding in the shadows of her room.

“What is it?” TWI asked, turning her attention from him.

“TWI, is this really how we envisioned things to go?” He took two steps closer.

She grabbed the end of her sheets and squeezed. “It is what it has to be. The world resists our change, but one day they will see the light. They will see the goodness of our actions. They will see I had no choice.”

“I still stand with you, TWI. I always will.” He put a hand on his chest. “But I know you have doubts. Doubts about turning against those who trusted you, about the goal you have at the end.”

“I don’t. I have no doubts. What I’m doing… it’ll change the world.” TWI looked at one hand and curled her fingers inward. Her Stand, standing by the bed, did the same.

“But are you sure-”

“I don’t need this now, Spike. Please.” TWI looked up, but the figure was no longer there. “I know what must be done. And for that, I need Subterra Shiver. I trust my hunters. They’ll find her. They’ll bring her back and they’ll eliminate anyone who stands in my way.”

Strange World lifted a hand and smashed it down on top of the bedside table, shearing it in half.

“Anyone.”

- To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Stand image over at the group thread!

Episode 14: The Madman

Subterra Shiver was the first to poke her head out of the cave when she noticed the thunderclouds had moved eastward, freeing the skies above them from their destructive power. Sun rays shone down, lighting the grasslands before them in patches, working to break through the remaining clouds.

Birdsong could be heard from somewhere outside as creatures returned outdoors once more. Leilani joined her, walking out and leaning against the rocky wall as she smiled at the morning light.

“Ah, God’s creation. Beautiful as ever,” she said as she brushed a hand through her black hair. “What are your thoughts, Subterra?”

The girl looked over the land as a squirrel ran by, throwing itself up a tree. “All I’ve known before this was the island TWI kept me on. Day after day, she tested me, trained me to use my Stand’s powers, to learn, to adapt, and whenever I was unable, I was beaten down by those she set against me.”

“What could she have possibly wanted with you?”

Subterra shook her head. “She never told me. But I could tell she needed me. That’s why she’s trying to capture me again.”

“We’ll stop her, Subterra. We will.” Leilani gave her a firm tap on the shoulder. “No one person should have control of the entire world. Only God can do it.”

“I might not believe what you believe, but I’ll agree with you there.” Shiho walked to the cave entrance, carrying her coat behind her back. “The world is not meant to be ruled by one person. TWI’s going down. And I’m saving my grandmother. The old geezer has to be in her eighties now. TWI better not be subjecting her to physical abuse.”

“Your grandmother, you mentioned she’s from Equestria,” Ocellus said, plopping herself down on a rock beside them. “What’s her name?”

“I doubt you would know her. Sunset Shimmer,” Shiho responded.

“You’re right. Can’t say I’ve heard the name.” Ocellus shook her head. “She must’ve left a long time ago if she’s in her eighties.”

Shiho sighed and shoved her hands into her coat pockets. “I’m gonna beat the crap out of TWI this time.”

“Didn’t you say you already did that?” Ocellus lifted a hand in question.

“I’m gonna beat the crap out of her a second time.” Shiho kicked a loose pebble away. “I’m gonna finish what I started. I won’t let her get away again.”

“Even if she repents and seeks forgiveness?” Leilani asked.

Shiho looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “No. Not even if she begs me to. Not like she’s going to.”

Leilani shrugged. “You never know. The Lord works in mysterious ways.”

“Good grief, this woman…” Shiho stalked outside the cave. “Hey, which way? Where are we going, Subterra?”

Shiho showed her a map on her lightphone, and Subterra pointed to the island they were on. “Malden Island. That’s here.” She drew a finger across the phone’s projected screen, back down towards the Polynesian islands. “Here, towards Nuku Hiva. This is the rough area.”

“You don’t have the exact coordinates?”

Ocellus slapped Shiho on the shoulder. “What, did you think she would have exactly where TWI is? You can’t be that dense.”

“You… uh, can’t exactly find the island. Not really.” Subterra stopped them before they could carry on. “It’s defended by Imbibed Man. He’s another Stand user TWI turned to her cause.”

Shiho pounded her fists together. “Nothing we can’t punch through.”

But Subterra shook her head. “You won’t be able to punch through this one. His Stand, Ocean Man, it doesn’t have an offensive ability. Instead, it hides TWI’s island. You can’t simply walk onto the island.”

“We’re not walking to it, we’re sailing to it,” Shiho said, unimpressed. “I don’t care how many Stand users TWI has managed to sway to her side. They’re all going to end up face down in the dirt by the time we’re done here.”

Subterra nodded and joined Ocellus and Leilani in picking up their belongings in the cave. The night before, they had grabbed some towels and blankets from the boat, using them to lie on the cave’s cold floor and to warm themselves as well. There had even been a steel pot in the boat’s cabinets that allowed them to cook some frozen rations.

With everything packed, they were bound for TWI’s island. Subterra swallowed hard as she pictured the steely woman in her head. TWI had a goal, a good one at that, but to rebuild the world, she first planned to destroy it, and that wasn’t something anyone should stand for.

“We’ll kill her, Subterra. We’ll end her…” Crafteon whispered in her ears. “Once we return, there will be opposition, but we will stop her.”

“Killing her is the only way forward, huh?” Subterra stuffed some blankets under her arm.

“Yes. Her death will help everyone.”

“Will it really?” Subterra looked over at a centipede scurrying through the cave. “Everything in this world is failing. It’ll only be a matter of time before everything on this planet dies. Perhaps… there are ways to help it that don’t involve killing everyone.”

“I won’t count on it. We should just eliminate her.” Crafteon spun in the air, then splashed through the ground and disappeared.

“Who’re you talking to, Subterra?” Leilani came over with two bottles of water. “Are you praying? Sorry if I’m interrupting if you were indeed doing so.”

“No, not praying…” Subterra sighed. “Leilani… does your Stand ever, you know, talk to you?”

She shook her head. “Jellyfish is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s power within me. I thought that was the case for all of us. Perhaps… Perhaps God speaks to you.”

Shiho screamed from outside. All their heads turned in her direction and the three women dropped everything they were holding and rushed out.

Shiho lay at the bottom of a grassy slope, blood pooling around her from a gash in her shoulder. She was breathing hard and her eyes were screwed shut.

“What was that? We’re under attack again?” Ocellus smashed a palm to her forehead. “Do these followers never cease?”

“Where are they?” Leilani placed a hand on the ground. “Jellyfish!”

Her Stand appeared in front of her and reached its tentacles out, sending them underground in a web formation around them.

“Nothing. Nothing is within thirty meters of us.” The dark skinned woman shook her head. “That’s a cut on Shiho’s shoulder. It most likely came from a knife. There’s no way anyone could’ve gotten past thirty meters that quickly.”

“I’ll find them. Forest Rangers!” Ocellus leapt out of the cave’s maw as her Stand scattered from her body, spreading out to the surroundings. She ran for Shiho’s side as her Stand spread out to search for the perpetrator, but to no avail. There was not a human or Stand in sight.

“Shiho, what did this? Who did this to you?” Ocellus placed a hand on her back, trying to stop the wound’s bleeding.

“From… nowhere…” Shiho groaned, still lying on the ground. “Didn’t see it coming…”

Ocellus looked around wildly. “Curtain Call has excellent eyesight and quick hands. There’s no way anyone would’ve been able to surprise it and Shiho like this. Not unless they were really small or… invisible.”

She turned, catching sight of something glinting in the light below her body. It was a puddle of water, leftover from the storm the previous day. In it was a shape, shimmering in the air beside her. It looked humanoid, dressed in what looked like a red cloak. It had purple armor and hair and it brandished a spike in its right hand, holding it above Ocellus’ head.

The woman turned quickly to her side, calling out some of Forest Rangers as she transformed them into a larger arm, swiping it across the space where the figure was, but when her arm passed by, there was no one there.

“W-What?” She looked back down at the puddle, but to her astonishment, the figure was still there, holding its knife high. “How is it-”

Before she could even move, the figure plunged its knife into her left shoulder. Even though she could see nothing there, a hole opened across her shoulder and blood sprayed out as she was sent to the ground from the impact. Ocellus grabbed her wound, wincing as pain surged down through her body from her shoulder.

“W-Water, it’s in the water!” Ocellus cried out to Leilani and Subterra as they exited the cave. “Stay away from it!”

Subterra stopped in her tracks, watching the puddle beside Shiho and Ocellus. “Could she mean that they were attacked from that little puddle there? I didn’t see anything.”

“Neither did I or Jellyfish,” Leilani said. “There is some foul power at work here. May the Lord see us through this battle.”

“This is the work of an enemy Stand,” Subterra deduced. She quickly summoned Crafteon and had it sweep its tail through the earth, spraying the puddle with dirt and sand. The sediment absorbed the water, leaving only a damp patch. “There. No more puddle.”

“It can’t be that simple…” Leilani said slowly. She approached the damp spot with Jellyfish at her side, ready to lash out should an enemy Stand present itself. When nothing did, she picked up a nearby stick and poked the spot a few times. “Could it?”

“Maybe TWI’s running out of Stand users to throw at us,” Subterra suggested.

“Maybe…” Leilani sounded less convinced. “Or perhaps there is more going on here than we think.”

“It has to be a Stand. But they’re out of Jellyfish’s range?” Subterra mused, taking in the facts. “But where could they be hiding?”

The two of them looked around. There was something they were missing, something that could be the difference between life or death here. The puddle had been covered, but Subterra couldn’t shake the feeling that it would be over just like this. Of all the Stand users she knew TWI to have, she didn’t know anyone that had powers like this. It seemed TWI had more secret Stand users up her sleeve than she first thought.

“Be careful, Subterra.” Leilani took a step forward. “Whoever this is, they’re outside thirty meters. They could attack from far away.”

“The ocean. That’s the next nearest source of water.” Subterra pointed ahead. “We shouldn’t set foot there.”

“But we have to help Ocellus and Shiho.” Leilani folded her arms. “Jellyfish still senses nothing. Go. I can watch for him.”

Subterra nodded and called out Crafteon. Her Stand spun in the air, then sent out two tendrils of shadows from its arms, each one wrapping around one of Shiho’s and Ocellus’ legs.

“Quickly, get them over here.” Subterra prodded her Stand.

“There’s more to this, Subterra. You must look harder. Sometimes the enemy is right there, even if they are not in front of you,” Crafteon said.

As their bodies dragged across the soft ground, soil was parted, revealing deeper reserves of water from the storm. Almost immediately, a cut formed across Shiho’s leg and severed the shadowy tendril pulling her in. Blood sprayed across the rocks as Crafteon immediately released its darkness around Shiho and Ocellus, hoping to catch the enemy.

Subterra felt nothing from anyone else within, except for Shiho and Ocellus shivering from the fear Crafteon’s darkness brought. Whatever this enemy Stand was, it wasn’t being affected with her Stand ability. Instead, she had Crafteon release its darkness and continue dragging her friends to safety.

And that’s when she saw it. Within the blood that had spilled from Shiho’s leg, she spotted a figure with what looked like hair or a hood covering its head. The lower half of its head was covered by a tattered scarf that hung down its right arm and in its hand was a large knife that looked like a spike. It stalked closer towards Shiho, but Subterra had Crafteon pull harder as it slashed its knife. Nothing happened outside the pool of blood, but when the Stand’s blade crossed Shiho’s leg within the pool, a cut formed across Shiho’s ankle, spraying more blood into the air as she got closer towards Subterra.

“Subterra, you’re giving her more room to reach you…!” Ocellus said as she tried to push herself up. “All you’re doing is extend the blood trail. Don’t worry about us. Stop the enemy first!”

Subterra stopped. She knew the enemy would continue to attack her downed friends, but if she helped them, all she was doing was bringing the enemy to them. There had to be something else she could do.

Suddenly, there was a buzz. Something was vibrating from the cave, from their pile of belongings.

“I’ll go see what that is.” Leilani was quick to move. In no time, she found it was Shiho’s lightphone, vibrating from a call from an unknown number. Leilani accepted the call and held the device up. “Maybe we can get some help. Hello?”

“None of you are leaving alive.” There was no face on the screen. Instead, there was only static. “I’ll get you for what you did to my brother. Even Subterra Shiver. TWI wants you back alive, but I don’t care about what she wants. You took my brother from me and for that, you’ll pay with your life!”

“Subterra, who is this?” Leilani turned to Subterra.

Subterra recognized something in his accent. It was one she heard a lot of whenever TWI made her train. He had the same accent as Sejnnd’s.

“Sejnnd’s brother,” Subterra said. “I’ve seen him before, standing on the side, but I’ve never faced him in battle.”

“I hear Subterra over there.” The voice chuckled. “Yes, you’ve never had the pleasure, but today, it will be your first and last time against me, Djirt E. Beaches and my powerful Stand, Madman Across the Water.”

Leilani nodded, not wanting to say anything else for the moment. She understood revenge; it was only human nature to want it, even though her own faith was based on forgiveness. But it seemed that in order to proceed on their quest to stop TWI, they would have to face this new challenger and his mysterious Stand as well. Just another Stand user on their way to saving their world.

“You’ll never win. We’ll stop you. And we’ll stop TWI and anyone else who wishes ill of this world,” Leilani said to the phone. “God is with us. You can do nothing against his will.”

“Ah, a woman of faith. We shall see how long that lasts when my Stand is cutting you into pieces. Will you still hang on to your God then? Hee hee, I’m eager to see.”

“You underestimate my will in God.” Leilani frowned at the screen. She didn’t even know if he could see her.

“And you underestimate my Stand. Madman Across the Water is going to destroy you.”

The lightphone’s screen disappeared as Djirt ended the call. Both Subterra and Leilani shared a look before red slashed across Leilani’s arm, making her drop the phone. It was then that both Subterra and Leilani understood something about the Stand they were facing. They caught the faintest glimpse of the cloaked figure and its blade, standing against the phone’s screen before darting away.

“It’s not just the water…” Leilani breathed. “It’s using reflective surfaces.”

- To be Continued...-

Episode 15: Across the Water

“He has to be close. Close enough to keep an eye on us.” Subterra put her back to Leilani’s as they looked around the cave. The first thing to do was to block off any reflective surfaces they could find. “Thankfully, the rain stayed outside, so all the puddles are out there. But we need to do something before he can attack Ocellus and Shiho again.”

“So if we stay in here and wait, they’re goners. But if we go out there, he’s going to get us. Parfaite…” Leilani bunched up a fist. “And because his Madman Across the Water is not really out here in our world, there’s nothing Jellyfish can do about it.”

“Neither can Crafteon.” Subterra shook her head. “There has to be another way we can beat this…”

“The only way to best him is to find him…” Leilani looked around the outside of the cave. Shiho and Ocellus still lay on the sand, bleeding into the little puddles of water around them. “Their blood gives Madman Across the Water more room to move around. We can’t go there.”

“But a Stand this strong… He has to be nearby.” Subterra ran a finger along her jawline. “He must be hiding somewhere on this island.”

She looked back to her friends out there again and grimaced. Ocellus did tell her they had to stop the enemy first, but if they couldn’t figure it out, they would be dead and Djirt would still be out there.

Leilani sensed her thoughts and nodded. “I know. We have to save them. We’ll deal with the enemy after we get them to safety.”

“If the enemy is using reflective surfaces, then we need to pass by as few of them as possible, Or cover them up with something,” Subterra suggested. “Get them with Jellyfish. I’ll have Crafteon cover the sand around them.”

Subterra ran forward as Jellyfish stretched its tentacles out in all directions, sending two of them to grab Ocellus’ and Shiho’s legs. Crafteon began flipping up sand with its tail, covering the blood falling from the two women as more of Jellyfish’s tentacles zapped at their wounds, cauterizing them to stop their bleeding. Crafteon had just finished covering more of their blood when Subterra felt pain welt across her back. She dropped to the ground, gritting her teeth together as blood sprayed out from a vertical line on her back. She looked up to see that Crafteon was doing the same, having been attacked from blood on one of the rocks outside. She spotted Madman Across the Water waving at her from the splatter of blood before raising its knife again.

“The rocks! The blood on the rocks is vertical, that means… Madman can see us in the cave from this angle…!” Subterra explained. “He was playing with us all this time. We can’t stay in the cave!”

“The boat. We know where to go.” Leilani pointed to the ocean. “I say we just go. We don’t need to stay and fight.”

“Are you sure?” Subterra was skeptical.

“Sometimes you have to turn the other cheek,” Leilani said, getting ready to move. “Besides, if we stay here, we will almost certainly die. We can’t defend against the Stand’s attacks.”

Subterra nodded. As much as she wanted to stand and fight, she didn’t see how they could hit something within a reflection. “Let’s go.”

As they saw the Stand approaching them with its knife raised, Leilani wasted no time and grabbed her two downed companions with Jellyfish, wrapping them close on her back as she made a dash for the cave entrance. Subterra did what she could and kicked up sand against the bloodied rocks as she ran, hoping to at least muddy up the blood’s reflective surface.

She must’ve missed a spot, because as she passed the entrance to the cave, pain shot across her shoulder and a gash made itself known, going down her back.

“Aaagh!” Subterra cried out, but didn’t let it stop her as Crafteon grabbed her around the waist and threw her forward, helping her catch up with Leilani.

Even though she was a lithe, skinny woman, Leilani handled herself well with two people on her back; she never missed a step all the way to the boat, getting to it far before Subterra could.

“Start the boat!” Subterra called out. “I’ll catch up!”

Leilani began fiddling with the boat’s console as Subterra mustered up her strength to sprint on towards her. She caught flashes of Madman Across the Water appearing in each puddle leftover from the storm as she ran through the muddy soil towards the sands. She saw it catch up to her as it swung its knife at her ankles, but Subterra hopped up, pulling her legs high, just avoiding the attack before reaching the beach.

“I’ve got it. Let’s go!” Leilani waved to her as the boat’s engine rumbled to life.

Subterra got to the boat with no other altercation and as soon as her foot touched the inside of the boat, Leilani sped them off, the vessel’s prow slicing through the choppy waters away from Malden Island as quickly as its advanced engine could propel it.

Thunder rolled in the distance, closer than Subterra would have liked, but at least they were far enough for safer waters and safer travels. Right now, getting far away from Madman was their first priority.

“He must have an effective range.” Subterra moved to the seat beside Leilani to explain. “Once we’re out of it, he can no longer attack us.”

They sailed over two big waves before crashing back down on smooth water, trailing away to the south as they moved towards their destination.

Only when Malden Island was but a tiny speck did Subterra lean back and sigh. “We should be good now. There’s no way he can catch up.”

“What a powerful Stand…” Leilani shook her head. “If your TWI is master over him, she must have a stronger Stand.”

Now that was a Stand Subterra had faced before. She knew TWI only used the bare minimum of her power, but even then, she could never best her Strange World.

All of a sudden, the boat shook. At first, Subterra thought they might’ve run into a rock under the surface, but then it happened again from the opposite side and a thin and precise tear formed across the hull, letting water pour into the boat’s interior.

“That’s- he’s still after us!” Leilani exclaimed, looking back at the damage.

“How is that possible? There’s no way he could keep up-” Subterra stopped herself. “Unless… Of course. He had to have a way to get to the island. If we can’t see him, he must be following us underwater somewhere.”

“His range must be even further than Jellyfish.” Leilani sucked air. “I still don’t know where he is. There must be a way to find him.”

Another tear formed across the boat, this time on Subterra’s left, letting a stream of water pour into her lap. In the shimmering surface, she could see it, the enemy Stand. It had its blade held up, giving her a wave with its other hand. And then it stabbed down.

Subterra brought up Crafteon just in the nick of time as her Stand yanked her away with its shadowy tendrils just as a hole appeared in the plush seat she had just been in. She looked around. There was no way they could beat a Stand they couldn’t touch and there wasn’t much room in the boat for them to maneuver.

“Coming out to sea might’ve been a worse idea than staying on the island!” Subterra’s eyes darted around, looking for anything that could help them. “All around us is endless water. Its reflective surface will give Djirt enough room to attack us. Unless…” She looked up. “Of course. Leilani, we need to change course!”

“What? Where are we going?”

Subterra pointed to the roiling dark clouds in the distance. “There!”

The native woman turned the boat, steering it over to the storm as the boat fought against the water pouring into it. Subterra did what she could, scooping water out with a bucket, but between trying to save the boat and avoiding Madman Across the Water’s attacks, she wasn’t getting water out fast enough. She could only hope that Leilani would get them there before they went under. The water got choppier the closer they got as the waves picked up in intensity and size, but with that, the attacks became less frequent.

“It’s working. It’s working!” Subterra cheered.

She had to hold on to the seat in front of her as they went over a wave. Crafteon grabbed Shiho and Ocellus and kept them from flying off as well, but as a wave washed over them, Shiho sputtered to life and wiped her face.

“Good grief, what’s going on?” she attempted to stand, only to sit back down from the pain in her back.

“It was the only way to stop Djirt,” Subterra began. “Madman Across the Water uses reflections to attack us. If the water becomes turbulent like in this storm, it becomes harder for it to maintain a line of sight to us. And with the waters like this, I’m sure Djirt will have to surface somewhere!”

And then she spotted it, behind their boat at least forty-seven meters away, a black shape breached the water’s surface, along with a metallic object with three propellers attached to it. Just then, a wave washed over the boat and the shape, throwing the metal object into the air as Djirt went back under. Shiho called forth Curtain Call, which threw punch after punch at the encroaching wave, smashing it to pieces before it could engulf them.

“I’m turning us around now.” Leilani spun the wheel, now moving them all away from the storm.

Shiho bent over one side and Curtain Call grabbed the hood of Djirt’s diving suit as they went by, dragging him through the water as the boat sped along. The speed they were traveling at washed the mask from Djirt’s face and he began sputtering as he fought for breath.

“St-sta-staup! I need… I can’t b-bre-breathe!” he gasped as water filled his lungs. “I yi-yield! Stop!”

Curtain Call pulled him up till he was face to face with Shiho. His short purple hair was a mess and his eyes were blood red. “Not so tough now, are you?”

Djirt coughed and panted. “Wh-wh-what are you going to do to me? Are you going to do the ‘neigh’ thing?”

A crack formed at the side of Shiho’s mouth. “I’m thinking of something better.”

Curtain Call roared and tossed him ahead of the boat, sending his body sailing far in the distance before he splashed through the water.”

“Arm one.” Shiho was beside Leilani, pointing at the holographic console.

“Got it.” Leilani pushed a square button as their boat rocked from another big wave.

Beneath the waterline, the hull of the boat opened a slot and a pointed cylinder nosed its way forward.

A targeting reticule appeared on the dashboard of the ship as the vessel’s sensors locked onto the shape and heat signature of Djirt’s body out in the ocean ahead.

“Enemy Stand user, meet top of the range naval ordnance.” Shiho’s face was a savage grin as the targeting system blinked green. “Fire!”

The torpedo launched from its silo, flying through water as it homed in on the struggling human as his eyes widened. He opened his mouth in a silent gasp of bubbles as the torpedo slammed into his chest. The explosion that followed erupted from the water, rocking the boat as it sped past, finally exiting the range of the storm.

“Another one bites the dust… Good grief.” Shiho sat back down beside Leilani and ran a hand over her face.

“They never stop coming,” Leilani said as they left the dark clouds behind. They were drenched from the storm, not to mention the water still pouring in from the hull. “But at least God is with us. He will never forsake us.”

“Whatever.” Shiho shook her head and pulled out her lightphone to check its compass. “We’re heading east now. We need to get to Nuku Hiva before TWI sends another goonie to attack us. From there, we’ll figure out how to find this TWIsland.”

“TWIsland. Nice.” Ocellus cracked a smile as she got up, then winced. “We’re gonna need to get patched up… That Stand really did a number on us.”

Shiho took a swig from her flask, then planted a foot on one of the seats and looked beyond the horizon. “We’re close now. We’re close to ending this once and for all. My grandmother better still be alive or I’m going to beat TWI into oblivion, then go there and beat her up again.”

Subterra had no doubt they would make it to the island. Each of them had a resolve of steel and a goal they would do anything to accomplish, but when she thought about herself, she didn’t exactly know what her goal was. She was leading them back to TWI’s island to defeat her, but that wasn’t her own goal. Whatever life she had come from before TWI abducted her, she still couldn’t remember, but perhaps after they finished this, she could find out and get back to it.

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

One step closer... :trollestia:

Episode 16: Pop Rock, Crocodile Rock

The trip to Nuku Hiva brought Subterra and the others back to daylight as they changed time zones once again. The waters were choppy and slightly murky, owing to the years of illegal dumping. It was bad enough that the oceans were overfished, but the pollution was sure to kill even more lifeforms along the way.

“Not a single fish in sight…” Leilani shook her head sadly as she piloted the Brandy 2 along, crashing through another wave. “One day, I pray we will right this world and return it to the way it was envisioned upon creation. A world of green, a world of peace, a world of worship.”

Ocellus waved a hand. “You know what? That sounds better than anything your world is going through right now.”

“Is yours like how Leilani said, Ocellus?” Subterra asked, pulling up her legs to her chest on the seat.

Ocellus’ face got darker. “It was. It was beautiful. I’m sure it still is, but with TWI becoming corrupted after visiting your world, I fear ours might soon fall into neglect.”

“Are you saying our world is at fault?” Leilani looked back slightly.

“Well… I don’t mean to be that bad, but yes. Since coming here, TWI has become obsessed with righting your world. Compared to Equestria, everything in this world is on the brink of destruction. You can’t deny that.”

“If you’re so sure our world’s going to end, then why aren’t you helping your princess?” Shiho leaned closer to her. “Why are you on our side?”

Ocellus sighed and ran a hand through her pink hair. “TWI hasn’t been the same, not since you beat her the last time. It’s as though she’s someone else now. She’s been overcome with the need to change your world, even if that means first sending it into turmoil. That’s not something I can stand behind. If it’s sense we need to beat into her, then that’s what’s gonna happen.”

“If we could talk her out of it, if we could end this without killing her…” Subterra gulped. “W-Would you do it?”

“Death is the only way, Subterra.” Crafteon looked into her eyes as it materialized by her side. “The penalty for all she’s done is too high. Her penance must be served.”

“If she could become the princess she once was…” Ocellus said. “Then it’s worth a shot.”

“No, no no no.” Shiho took her foot off the chair and sat back down. “I’m beating her to a pulp. She’s not coming back from this. Not again.”

“God gives everyone a second chance. To repent. To come back to him,” Leilani started. “Even someone like TWI deserves one.”

“You tell yourselves that.” Shiho leaned against the side and put her feet up on the chair across from her.

In two more hours, Nuku Hiva came into sight, its peaks standing high in the sky as their boat thundered on, smashing through wave after wave. Leilani spun the wheel and slowed their speed, gently easing them to a stop a little away from the shore.

“So, what are we looking for here?” Shiho scooted herself off the boat, splashing into the water with a grunt as she had Curtain Call drag the boat towards the sand.

“We need to determine where the island is from here. We need to find the Charter.” Subterra Shiver looked around, then pointed to the mountains. “Maybe if we get high enough.”

“What’s this charter?” Ocellus asked as she slipped out of the boat once it hit the shore.

“It’s how we get through Ocean Man’s illusion,” Subterra continued. “It shifts from time to time, but if we can get it, we can get to the island.”

Subterra could picture the large Imbibed Man, lying on the beach with his belly facing up. That’s all she ever saw him do in her time out of the labs. She didn’t know how he kept himself from burning to a crisp, but she had speculated it had something to do with the sand. Perhaps he had covered his body with a thin layer of sand to act as a barrier of sorts, or perhaps he just stayed safe with Ocean Man’s ability to hide the island.

Leilani pointed to a cluster of dome-shaped structures atop the slopes overlooking the water or the forests. “These observation domes will be good places to start. They were built about seven years ago to attract more tourists for money.”

“It’s always about the money. I guess that explains all this.” Shiho scowled at a series of crumpled soda cans and wrappers on the sand around them. “People all over the world have stopped caring.”

“Indeed they have…” Leilani said sadly. “Our planet does not deserve this.”

“The faster we solve this TWIssue, the faster we can get back to protecting the world.” Shiho shoved ahead and pointed to one of the domes as she shoved her other hand in her pocket. “Let’s start with this one. It has a good view of the south.”

Subterra followed along behind the three women, watching the sun’s reflection off the dome’s metallic surface and its multitude of windows. Each dome consisted of a metal frame shaped like a spider’s web, holding all the glass panels in place. In the very top was some sort of round orb that could turn all around. She guessed it was some kind of camera for a better view all around.

The trek up the first hill proved exhausting as it was quite a steep incline. Even with steps built into the dirt, Subterra found it hard to follow along, but she had Crafteon help halfway through with its tentacles, pulling herself along.

“The end of the world approaches, Subterra. What will you do at the very end of it?” the Stand whispered. “TWI is only the beginning. You cannot stop what is to come.”

“I’ve got to do what I can to save it,” Subterra said. Every time she talked to Crafteon, she made sure to keep her voice low. She didn’t want the others to think she was mad.

“If that is your idea, then why are you not with TWI? She’s attempting to save the world, no matter the cost.”

“I… because…” She shook her head. “It’s wrong. To kill people like that.”

“You’ve been killing TWI’s followers. You all have. What makes you any different? This is what you are, Subterra. You and TWI are not so different. You just need to embrace that and nobody can stop you.”

“I… I shouldn’t…” Subterra muttered.

“As your memory returns, so does my power, and our reason for existence… We can do it, Subterra. You just need to open your mind.” Crafteon drifted behind her and faded as they arrived at the top of the hill, leaving Subterra to her thoughts.

“So, let’s be having a look at these observatories then,” Shiho said, wiping a few drops of sweat off her head. “What I wouldn’t do for an ice cold beer right now…”

“We can get one if you really want it in any of the observation domes.” Leilani pointed, then moved her finger over to the next dome and then the next one as well. “Each dome has a special themed restaurant or cafe for hungry guests.”

“Is that so?” Shiho nodded with approval. She led the group over to the nearest dome and went inside.

Once they entered the observatory dome, the group’s attention was caught by a sort of convenience shop and cafe combination that was just inside. There were cold drinks being served, with a handful of tourists taking a break here. The theme for this cafe seemed to be red pandas. There were statues of red pandas by the cafe’s counter and entrance, along with a big face of one above it, with the name, ‘The Red Panda’.

“Really creative…” Shiho rolled her eyes.

“Incredible that the tourism industry is still working even with the planet in such dire straits,” Ocellus mused. “I’m not sure what that says about humans in these times. Probably nothing good.”

“Even though they should be working towards making the world more sustainable, people just want money, no matter the circumstances…” Shiho groused. “An island like this, reduced to nothing more than a money making scheme.”

“At least the scenery from here is still something.” Ocellus looked out through the dome’s windows, overlooking the forests and the ocean below.

Shiho went straight for the cafe, stopping for nothing else as she found a table closest to the entrance. It only had two seats, so Subterra opted to explore the dome’s perimeter to see what she could find out in the ocean, with Leilani deciding to follow suit.

“Only fifteen bucks for a beer?” Shiho leaned back in her plush leather seat after ordering. “It’s amazing how water is more expensive now.”

“When your world is on the brink of expanding its resources, I’m sure that’s how it’ll be.” Ocellus eyed her. “I guess that’s why TWI is devoting Equestria’s resources here. To support your dying world.”

“Having doubts now, Ocellus?” Shiho cracked open an eye.

The Equestrian shook her head. “What TWI is doing may be just, but her methods are not. She has to be stopped. This isn’t the way. Releasing my mother and Equestria’s other criminals from their eternal prison certainly isn’t the way.”

Shiho sighed. “I had once considered her a friend. Her and her little friend, Spike. They traveled alongside me to stop another organization from annihilating the world’s leaders. I never would’ve thought they would turn against us to pursue the exact same goal.”

“It is a pity, what happened to Spike…” Ocellus said. “I had known them for years. I would still hope that we could talk some sense into TWI.”

“Nope.” Shiho sat up quickly. “She’s gonna get the biggest beating of her life for taking my grandmother.”

“Goodness exists in all of us, Shiho. Even TWI. She’s just… she’s just lost her way. She has to be reminded of it again.”

“And if doing so lets her get away again?”

“Then we’ll find her again. We will, Shiho.”

Shiho pulled at her strands of red hair. “I’ve spent eleven years searching for her. It was only because of Subterra’s escape that we’re even this close. We can’t risk letting her run.”

Ocellus was about to add on more, but a waiter appeared beside them, carrying their drinks on a platter.

“An ice beer for this fine lady.” He placed Shiho’s bottle before her, then a glass cup with yellow liquid before Ocellus. He had a thick french accent, but judging from his dark skin and dreadlocks that reached his lower back, Shiho could only assume he was from somewhere in the caribbean. “And a lemon brandy for this fine lady. Enjoy.”

They both nodded their thanks as he walked away, all smiles.

“TWI still has good in her. I know it,” Ocellus continued. “I think we can stop her from herself.”

“But she will not stop herself…” Shiho grumbled and placed her bottle against her lips, taking a sip. The cool liquid flowed down her throat, making her feel so much better about coming out to this island. “This only ends one way. Either she dies, or we all do.”

Ocellus leaned back in thought. Shiho had her mindset, and so did she. It seemed there was no turning either of them. Suddenly, Shiho clutched at her stomach and doubled over. Blood dripped down the corner of her mouth and her skin slowly started forming red splotches underneath.

“Shiho, what happened?” Ocellus stood up, knocking over her chair.

“Something… in my body…” she grimaced. “It has to be… enemy Stand.”

“Again? Forest Rangers!” Ocellus’ Stand split off four of itself from her main Stand, sending them into Shiho’s mouth as they moved through her body, looking for what caused her injuries. “Your vessels are ruptured. It’s as though… something blew them up.”

The inside of Shiho’s body was like that of a serious car accident. Dozens of blood vessels flailed around in empty space, severed part way as blood poured out of them and into her body. Ocellus sent more Forest Rangers in, each of them grabbing two ends of the vessels as they tried to link them back together to prevent too much blood loss.

“I can keep you from bleeding out, but we need to find whoever is responsible and how they did it.” Ocellus scanned the crowds.

By now, they had caught the attention of about half the cafe’s patrons, some of whom had whipped out their phones to video Shiho’s plight.

Ocellus ignored the other people and looked around to see where an enemy Stand might have attacked from. However, she saw nothing that looked like a Stand at all.

“Where could…?” Ocellus’s eyes landed on Shiho’s beer, then her lemon brandy, which she had not yet drunk from. “Wait a second…”

A Forest Ranger dived into the water and though it was invisible to the human eye, Ocellus’ Forest Rangers were far from human. Through the eyes of the Forest Ranger, Ocellus found little specks of white crystals, almost like that of salt, floating around in her beverage.

The Forest Ranger brought a piece of the crystal up to the surface. Ocellus wasn’t familiar with the drink recipes of this world, but she was fairly certain that salt was not an ingredient in a sweet drink. This was something else. And she was quite sure it was what caused Shiho’s blood vessels to rupture.

“Now we just need to find out who did this… But where do we begin?” She eyed the crowd. It could’ve been anyone out there.

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Find the chart for Crocodile Rock over yonder.

Episode 17: Crocodile Rock, 'round the Clock

Everyone ahead of Ocellus looked ordinary. Too ordinary. All they did was hold their lightphones out to record Shiho. She’d seen humans do this in her short time here, but she hadn’t had the time to find out what for.

None of the other people seemed to be suffering the effects of the crystals in their drinks, so Ocellus quickly recalled who might have access to their beverages. It wasn’t a long list. The waiter, the shopkeeper, and anyone else who might be working in the cafe.

“The Stand master has to be someone working at the cafe. The waiter is the one who served us the drinks, but the one behind the counter must’ve been the one to make them.” She watched as the man behind the bar, a larger man with a shriveled mustache and a single strand of blonde hair poking out of his shiny domed head, tossed a bottle into the air before flicking the cap off midair with a metallic object. “But there are two more workers in the back. I’ve narrowed it down to one of four humans, but it could be any of them.”

Ocellus knew she had to think quickly and eliminate the enemy Stand user and their Stand before Shiho came to any other harm, or before she was forced to drink something that was spiked.

“Extreme situations call for extreme measures.” She looked at the four humans working behind the bar. “Forest Rangers!”

Her Stand solidified itself beside her, merging into its humanoid form as its muscles tensed. With a leap, it crashed down beside the large mustached man, drawing a fist back as it threw it towards him as hard and fast as it could. The man made no reaction to its coming attack or even its appearance, so before Forest Rangers’ fist could connect with his face, Ocellus stopped her Stand, having it move on to the next person.

Her next target was a blonde man with glasses. The same thing happened and she ruled him out as a normal human as well. The third proved to be the same and that left only the waiter. It was then that she realized he was no longer at the cafe. Forest Rangers scanned the entire bar, but found no sign of him.

“Of course…” she snorted. “He served us the drinks. He could spike it anytime, anywhere. But where did he go?”

Ocellus dissolved her Stand, returning it into its multitude of little Forest Rangers. They scuttled away from her, spreading out from all sides as they searched the dome for the missing waiter. And there he was, walking out the back of the dome. Gone was the uniform for the cafe and instead, he had on a black leather jacket over his skin, unbuttoned, and a pair of white shorts and flip flops.

He turned as the Forest Rangers approached him, widening his eyes. A green glow formed around him as a humanoid Stand on all fours appeared on the ground beside him. It let out a shrieking roar as it tossed out a cluster of salt from its right hand before leaping backwards out the door with its master.

Forest Rangers pursued them, but the salt began popping all around them. Though small in size and explosion, they were big enough to launch the front row of Forest Rangers back, slowing their pursuit.

“That’s what he’s using,” Ocellus surmised as she caught up to her Stand. “The Stand creates little fragments of salt which can detonate. Though not enough to hurt someone, it can do some serious damage to the inside of the body.”

Forming her Stand back into one being, Ocellus burst out of the doors, watching as the man with dreadlocks ran down the slope, heading towards the forest.

“You’ll never get me!” he yelled as he skipped over a large stone. “One by one, you’ll all die and TWI will reward me well!”

Ocellus made a clicking sound in her mouth before following. She didn’t know where Subterra and Leilani were in the dome, but at least they would be able to watch Shiho while she chased down this waiter.

It was an aggravating task. Every time she got close, Ocellus would just receive a blast of exploding salt to the face that would temporarily blind her and cost her precious meters in the chase. The one consolation she had was that they were on an island, and there was nowhere to run permanently.

Or was there?

Ocellus took a look at her surroundings while chasing the culprit. He was heading down to the shore, it seemed. Did he intend to escape by swimming away?

Ocellus’s question was answered as she saw the waiter headed for a strange looking, white-painted craft. It looked like something out of a science picture book, almost like a boat resting on two smaller boats, with a pair of long, flat wings on the top. A propeller, larger than the one on the Brandy 2, was mounted on the front. There was someone already sitting inside, a human wearing some manner of headgear.

“Come on, let’s get going!” the waiter shouted, and the propeller began to spin.

“Stop!” Ocellus called after them, but was waylaid by another handful of exploding salt to the face. “Ack! Ptoo!” She spat out a few grains that had made it into her mouth, making sure not to swallow a single crystal. She rubbed a few stray particles from her eyes before looking back up.

The craft’s engine was running now, letting loose a pungent stream of black exhaust out the side. The waiter was climbing into the passenger seat and the vehicle began to move forward.

“You’ve lost this time!” the waiter gloated, sticking his head out the window of the craft. “I will be the greatest in TWI’s new world for ridding her of you pests!”

Ocellus watched in amazement as the craft began to lift into the air, leaving the surface of the water completely. She would have loved to examine this aircraft in detail, but right now there was no time to lose. She summoned her Stand, but she couldn’t think of anything that Forest Rangers could do to affect the enemy Stand user.

The aircraft flew up into the air, then banked around, flying back towards the island. Suddenly, there were a series of cracking noises and small explosions of orange came from the front of the plane. The sand around Ocellus jumped up in plumes, and something grazed her shoulder, leaving a burning thin cut there.

“Ha ha ha!” The waiter hollered, somehow managing to be louder than the engine of the plane. “I’ll shoot you all down! Die! Die!”

However, Ocellus was already ducking and weaving to throw off the plane’s aim. The craft roared overhead and flew back up, gaining altitude for another shot at her.

This wasn’t a battle she could win, and Ocellus knew it. At least, not from this altitude. She had to get to higher ground; a feeling that was only increasingly frustrating since she had no wings in the human world. With the blazing sun scorching her back as she ran back into the observatory, she looked up at the huge telescopes and the beginnings of an idea began to form in her mind.

Paying no attention to the plane for the time being, she ran up the stairs until she found a closet door marked ‘maintenance’. The door was locked, but she had Forest Rangers punch the door open easily. She remembered her astronomy lessons from her time at Twilight Sparkle’s School of Friendship so long ago, particularly the parts about a telescope’s inner workings. Assuming the telescopes here worked in the same way, she might be able to find…

“Yes!” Ocellus looked behind a rack and found what she was looking for. A bundle of convex and concave mirrors, meant to replace any damaged parts the telescope might suffer. She grabbed the largest one she could carry and left the closet.

Ocellus could still hear the plane whirring around in the air outside, eager to confront her again.

Hefting the mirror, Ocellus ran back outside and waved her free arm above her head, picking up rocks and throwing them at the plane, even though there was no chance of her landing a hit.

Just as she hoped, the pilot of the plane took the bait and turned the craft around. The sun was behind it, shining right in Ocellus’s face as she turned to face the seaplane.

Just as the first shots were fired, Ocellus raised the mirror in front of her chest, catching the full rays of the sun and reflecting it back into the cockpit of the plane.

Pure, unfiltered sunlight poured into the eyes of the pilot and the waiter, scorching hot and blinding them, the light searing into their faces as Ocellus beamed them with the power of the sun itself. It was like being punched in the face with a burning iron from every direction.

The plane wobbled in the air, losing altitude as Ocellus struggled to keep the beam of sunlight on it. She could hear the waiter and the pilot shouting and screaming as they flew overhead and out of range of the mirror’s reflected light.

She watched as the plane stumbled around in the sky as the pilot struggled to take control of the craft. It was headed right for the observatory, and the pilot tried to pull up, but he was too slow. One of the floats of the plane clipped the top of the observatory’s roof and there was a tearing noise as the float was ripped off the underside of the plane. Losing the float threw off the whole balance of the plane and it corkscrewed through the air, trailing black smoke before it vanished over the other side of the observatory. About three seconds later, there was a muted explosion and a thick column of murky smog rose into the air, mixed with licks of oily flame.

Ocellus dropped the mirror and hurried over to the site of the crash. It took her about five minutes, but she finally made it to the other side of the observatory and saw the remains of the plane scattered across the sand. She went over to check the cockpit, and there was the body of the pilot. The impact had thrown him through the windshield, where he had been impaled by the glass and parts of the engine. No sign of the waiter.

She looked around to see if maybe he had been flung loose by the crash, but Ocellus didn’t see him.

Then the sound of muffled grunts and cursing from above and behind caught her attention.

She turned around and saw the waiter, wearing some kind of parachute around his body. So he had managed to bail out before the plane had crashed, but his chute had gotten caught on an outreaching branch. Judging by the way the chute was entangled around him and the branch, there was no way he was getting out of that on his own.

“Nowhere to run now,” Ocellus said smugly, calling forth Forest Rangers, which floated up to the waiter’s altitude. “Now, since I have you right where I want you, tell me where TWI’s island is.”

The man huffed and puffed, but he could not get himself loose. “Mwen pap janm, you’ll have to kill me before I tell you anything! Crocodile Rock, destroy her!”

The man’s Stand appeared beside him, but Forest Rangers grabbed its arms at the wrists, stopping it in its tracks and also stopping it from being able to toss out more of its salt.

“Tell me, where is TWI’s island?” Ocellus repeated herself from the bottom of the tree. “I can find a better place for this salt if you don’t. Trust me.”

“I’ll… I’ll never tell you anything.” He spat at her.

Ocellus nodded and folded her arms. “It’s your wish.”

Squeezing tighter around Crocodile Rock’s arms, Forest Rangers shoved its arms towards its own head. The salt splashed against the Stand’s face, some of which dropped into its mouth. Forest Rangers then kneed it under the chin, forcing its jaw shut and forcing the Stand to swallow its own salt. The waiter’s head snapped back as the top row of his teeth shattered, but then blood began spurting out from his mouth as his Stand’s salt began exploding inside his body.

“A-aaagh!” he gasped as blood began to fill his throat.

“Now, I can stop this with my Stand,” Ocellus said. “But only if you tell me where the island is.”

“No, no! I canevaa…” The waiter coughed as blood pooled in his mouth. “Dish ish for the good of the woruldo…”

Ocellus shook her head. “Not if so many humans have to die. We have to save this world the right way. Now, where do we find TWI?”

The waiter squinted his eyes, then coughed twice before gurgling as he choked on his own blood. In another eight seconds, he was gone, his eyes rolling up and his hands going limp.

“Shoot…” Ocellus sighed and had her Stand let him go. “A dead end. I had hoped for something a little more… confirming.”

She left her body and returned towards the first observation dome. Forest Rangers would’ve finished stitching Shiho’s injuries together by now and with the Stand gone, it shouldn’t pose a threat to the rest of her friends as well. Even though it was a victory here, Ocellus couldn’t help but feel lost and disappointed. They were doing what they could to stop someone she once called a friend, for the better of the world.

“But is this really better for the world?” Ocellus asked herself. “It would be better for the sake of innocent lives, innocent greedy lives, who cared not for the state of this world. But will things get better once we stop TWI?”

What more was there to do but to hope? But for now, that was a shining light in the dark and cloudy horizon. Perhaps once this was all over, she’d find her friends once again and they would do what TWI could not accomplish without the deaths of this world’s leaders.

To be Continued...-

Episode 18: Swimming with Sharks

“Did you find her?” Subterra ran over to Leilani after another walk around the dome’s perimeter.

The native shook her head, raising both hands. “Someone saw her running after a man down to the jungle. It must be the enemy Stand user Shiho mentioned.”

“Is she going to be ok? We should be helping her.” Subterra looked past Leilani at the exit.

“Ocellus is a capable woman. She can take care of herself,” Leilani said. “We should take care of Shiho’s injuries first. Whatever she ingested must’ve been quite dangerous.”

Subterra agreed and the two of them returned to where Shiho was seated at the Red Panda cafe. She seemed a lot better now and she was grumbling to herself about how she was going to punch the lights out of the Stand master’s eyes. Leilani agreed with her at the end of every sentence as she inspected her wounds.

Subterra Shiver could only stand to the side as the two went on. She didn’t have any expertise at dealing with injuries, especially since Shiho’s seemed to all be internal. She had told them that Ocellus left some Forest Rangers inside her, busy repairing her blood vessels and she would be better in no time.

“After this… I really need a drink,” Shiho said and groaned. “Whatever I had before wasn’t enough.”

“Subterra, after we’re sure Shiho is ok, we have to go help Ocellus.” Leilani met the young girl’s eyes. “After we’re sure there aren’t anymore Stand masters coming after us, we can start looking for signs of the TWIsland. In the meantime, could you get some spare cloth for Shiho? I want to tie them around her arms to put some pressure inside her body.”

“Sounds good.” Subterra nodded and scurried off.

The best place she thought to look was the cafe’s counter. She asked for a few rags from the bartender and after seeing Shiho sitting there with blood under her skin, he walked away and grabbed three for Subterra. She gave him a nod and brought them back for Leilani to use while she stood to the side, not wanting to crowd around Shiho as Leilani tended to her.

After a while, she decided it would be good to examine the dome’s surroundings again to see if she could find Ocean Man’s Charter. Once they had it, they would have the way to the island. Subterra remembered the stories from her time there, along with the experience of passing through the mist during her escape from TWI. The ride through Ocean Man’s powers had been unpleasant, as though one was passing through the planet’s atmosphere. While not a combatant, Ocean Man’s powers could hide entire cities from the world; it was a powerful Stand in its own right. Plus, if your enemy could never get to you, you would never have to worry about fighting for your life, and that was exactly why Imbibed Man chose to lie on the beach all day long, without a care in the failing world.

Subterra knew without a doubt that there was truth to TWI’s words, that she could indeed do something to change the state of the world. Already, her friends were having doubts whether their quest was just, and she too had thought about it. If killing the government heads was all she had to do, what was so wrong about that? It was simply a few human lives for the sake of billions.

“Is that so bad?” Subterra asked herself. She clenched her fists. “No, no one should just lose their lives like that.”

“Why not, Subterra?” Crafteon’s quiet voice whispered in her ear. “We’ve killed plenty of TWI’s followers. What are a few more?”

Subterra shook her head. “That’s because… it was self-defense. If they didn’t attack me, I wouldn’t have to fight back.”

“The heads of this world are killing the planet for their greed. Is that not the same thing? To fight back against them in self-defense for the world?”

“I… w-who’s side are you on?” Subterra grumbled.

“I am merely speaking from within you, Subterra. It is but an opinion. One you have to think about for yourself.”

As she was backing away from the dome’s windows, Subterra’s foot collided with something and she would’ve fallen back if a hand hadn’t caught her from behind.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry, are you ok?” a woman’s voice asked.

Subterra turned to see a woman with long red hair, braided all the way down from the back of her head. She had on a silvery tank top and black shorts that had triangle patterns near the edges.

“It’s ok, I wasn’t looking where I was going,” Subterra replied, planting her feet on the ground as she got back her balance.

“No, it’s fine. I’m sure I was the one at fault. You don’t have to say that…” The woman waved a hand in front of her face. “I do notice your… friend seems to be in some kind of pickle. Uh, perhaps I could help you?”

Subterra felt flustered and began waving her hands. “O-Oh, no no, there’s no need.”

“It’s the least I can do. Here, I can get you something to help.” The woman dug in her pockets, looking for something. “Here, painkillers. I always carry these around in case.”

“Uh-umm…” Subterra looked at the white box in her hand. She slowly took it from her. “I-I guess. Thank you.”

The woman smiled and took her hand and shook it. All of a sudden, her expression changed. It was as though a darkness had crossed her face and she grinned madly. “Gotcha.”

Subterra had already known something was going to happen, but a massive spike emerged from the woman’s chest, spearing through her own as the woman let go of her hand. Subterra staggered back and landed on the ground, gasping for air.

“No, Subterra. Thank you,” she said as she left her lying on the floor. “Now to deal with your friends…”

The overwhelming metallic smell of blood filled Subterra’s nostrils and it was getting harder and harder for her to breathe. She had to warn her friends. She had to let them know there was another Stand master here.

“The woman was suspicious from the beginning, but you cannot die here, Subterra.” Crafteon floated above Subterra’s head. “There is still much we have to do. People we have to end.”

Shadows filled Subterra’s wound. She instantly began to feel colder, but she found herself calming down, almost like the darkness was blocking out everything that made her worry in life. Strength began returning to her limbs, but only ever so slightly. She would survive this, but would she recover fast enough to save her friends?

From across where Leilani Seabell and Shiho Sunfast were seated in the cafe, the woman with red hair had found a comfortable spot on a large round pillar to lean against, far enough to watch them, but not near enough for them to suspect she was up to something.

Already, their little group had drawn eyes all over the dome from their various injuries, with Shiho bleeding internally thanks to Placid Lake and his Stand, Crocodile Rock, and Subterra Shiver lying on the ground thanks to her own deceptive Stand, Sharks. She knew TWI said to bring Subterra back alive, but at this point, she just wanted to see them all dead.

Her name was Sharkangel, and she had been recruited by TWI only four years ago, after she had attempted to stop a whaling vessel from harpooning a humpback whale, a species thought to have gone extinct in 2057. She had failed and the humpback whale had been killed for its fat and meat, but it was there that Sharkangel met Will. I. Knoe, who decimated the boat’s crew with his Stand, Ripple. After that, he had taken her to TWI, who had given her Stand power with the use of her special arrow imbued with mysterious power.

That was how she had developed her Stand, Sharks. It wasn’t much of a fighter, but should someone acknowledge a good deed she had done for them, Sharks would emerge and deal a devastating blow to them, which was exactly what she had done to Subterra, and it was what she was going to do to the rest of her friends.

“This is for Will,” she muttered under her breath. “He brought me to TWI back then. It was because of him that I was able to fight back at the cruelty of this world. And now he’s gone. I will never forget his kindness and I will take you all down after what you did to him. Just wait and see, you’re swimming with sharks.”

If she was anything, it was patience. Sharkangel had watched the world for years, waiting for the right time to do something good, to do something that mattered. When someone she used to call a friend had caught wind of a whale sighting near Japan’s borders, she thought she could give back to the world after all these years. Instead, she received something much more amazing. If she could wait twenty years for the right time to act, she could do it for hours, days, even weeks.

“I make this vow to myself and to TWI,” she said to herself. “I will not leave this place until all of Subterra and her group are dead. One is already down for the count. And Placid Lake will surely take care of one. That leaves two for me.”

After the one called Leilani had finished cleaning Shiho up, she got up and walked towards the bar counter, likely to get a drink or perhaps more rags. This was Sharkangel’s chance and she swiftly left her hiding spot and ventured over to the Red Panda to continue her plan.

With her unassuming presence, people were usually more interested to talk to her than to just leave. Plus, it helped to be a woman. A man approaching anyone, especially females, would always be taken as more suspicious.

“Time to get to work…” she said to herself sinisterly as she approached the dark skinned woman. “For the whales. And for Will.”

She grabbed an empty mug off one of the tables and placed it on the counter as she stopped a good distance from Leilani, out of arm’s reach.

“Bartender, another glass of lime vodka for me, please, and… whatever it is this lady needs.” She gave Leilani a wink.

The man walked out from the back and gave her a nod, before grabbing the glass from her.

“Your friend, she looks like she’s in trouble,” Sharkangel said, trying to put as much sympathy into her voice as she could. It sounded disgusting to her, but no one would know that.

“She’ll be fine. She’s strong.” Leilani nodded. “Just doing what I can to ease it.”

“Hey no, I know something that works even better.” Sharkangel took a few steps away and waved for Leilani. “Come, there’s another cafe around the other side, The Steaming Iron, it has some concoctions with medicinal properties. I’ve tried some, I’ve been here a few times before. You need to try the scarab juice. I promise, your friend will feel so much better afterwards. Come!”

It took a bit more coaxing and hopping, but eventually, Sharkangel got Leilani to follow. She scurried further excitedly, glad for her plan to have worked. She led her right to The Steaming Iron, then flipped herself over the counter as she again waved for Leilani to follow.

As a contingency plan, Sharkangel had already taken care of the workers at this cafe. She needed to make sure she could go around back without any issues or anyone finding her. It had been almost too easy dealing with the workers. Right now, the three of them were tied up and gagged in the maintenance closet in the back. She had first thought of killing them, but it would’ve taken too much time to kill each one with Sharks without alerting the rest. These people were the reason animals were going extinct, cooking up things like lizards and armadillos into juices.

“The workers are away for lunch or something. They wouldn’t mind us taking just one drink,” Sharkangel said.

But Leilani didn’t move to follow her. She still stood on the other side of the counter. “But, it is against God’s will to steal. Thou shall not steal, he commanded.”

“Oh great, one of these…” Sharkangel rolled her eyes. “B-But it’s for the good of your friend! Trust me. Once she drinks this, she’s going to feel so much better. Come on! Don’t you want to help her?”

Leilani seemed to think about it, then she put her hands together and closed her eyes. “Forgive me, Father.”

Then she climbed over the counter and joined Sharkangel in the back where all their machines sat. Sharkangel grabbed a steel cup and began filling it with fluids from various containers. Once it was ready, she gave it a shake before handing it to Leilani.

“There. Scarab juice. A wonder for the body,” she lied. She had no idea what she had just made, but as long as she looked convinced, Leilani would never know.

Leilani accepted the cup and nodded. “Thank you. You don’t know who I am or who my friend is, but you helped us anyway. May God bless you.”

“Oh, but I do know who you are…” Sharkangel took her hand and smirked. “And you’re swimming with Sharks.”

Her Stand emerged from her chest faster than Leilani could realize. She didn’t even have time to move before its spike pierced her chest, sending her sprawling to the floor in her own blood. Leilani coughed and began crawling away.

“I’ll leave you to it. It won’t be long before you’re gone.” She dusted her hands and flipped back over the counter. “Now all that remains is Shiho Sunfast, the princess’ mortal enemy. And she’s already weakened from Placid’s attack. This is going to be a piece of cake.”

She made her way back to where Shiho was sitting. She was still there, as grumpy-looking as ever, and Sharkangel could already taste the victory she was about to attain. None of the other hunters had been as close as she was. Even Djirt and his ugly brother, Sejnnd, with their powerful Stands, could not accomplish this menial task.

“And they had all laughed at me for having a Stand that can only attack if my goodness is acknowledged. Ha! Who’s laughing now?” She stopped a few steps away from Shiho. “This is it. This is my moment to shine.”

She approached, carrying the cup that she had made for Leilani earlier. Without warning, she swooped into Shiho’s view, holding up the cup to her.

“Your friend asked me to give this to you. It’s a drink blessed by her holy god.” Sharkangel cringed after saying that.

Shiho raised an eyebrow. “She couldn’t give it to me herself?”

“She’s still tidying up the cafe. She made quite the mess,” Sharkangel chuckled.

Shiho sniffed at the cup, which was a yellowish-green liquid. “Tell her I drank every last drop.”

And she flicked the cup’s contents into the nearest potted plant before setting it on the table.

Sharkangel blinked as Shiho placed the cup on the table. She hadn’t slipped any poison or anything into the drink, but she hadn’t expected her to just toss the contents aside.

“You’re still here?” Shiho turned her attention back to her. “Go see if Leilani’s ok. Cleaning should be left to the staff.”

“Uh. Sure…” Sharkangel walked out of Shiho’s sight. “That wasn’t how it was supposed to go. You were supposed to say ‘thank you’. And then Sharks would destroy you.”

She walked in a circle, then paused for thirty seconds. She had to come up with something else before heading back to try again. She grabbed a packet of fries off a couple’s table while they were busy chatting away and brought it back to Shiho. “No one could resist french fries, not even vegans.”

She returned to Shiho and put a huge smile on her face as she held out the box of french fries towards her.

“What the hell am I supposed to do with this?” Shiho raised a corner of her mouth, which in turn raised a corner of her nose.

“Another gift from your friend!” Sharkangel injected more friendliness into her voice. “She felt bad about having to leave you here all injured. She wants to finish cleaning up the place. Something about her god being nice. She didn’t want to leave you here without anything.”

Shiho grumbled and took the fries from Sharkangel, but she didn’t say anything else. Sharkangel’s smile deflated a little.

“This is not how things usually play out…” she muttered to herself. “People are normally thankful to strangers…”

“You’re still here?” Shiho asked her, then waved a hand. “You don’t have to keep standing here. You’re done. You can go.”

“O-Oh!” Sharkangel stood straighter. “But… You look hurt! I think I should stay here and watch over you. In case you need some help!”

Shiho held up the fries. “Ugh. Buzz off, I don’t need anything. This will keep me from being bored. A little.”

“No, you’re supposed to-” Sharkangel stopped herself from smashing her face into her hands. “A-Are you sure? I’m a really helpful person. All my friends think so. Most people think so. Your friend did.”

“Well, right now you’re making me think you want a beating, so beat it, will you?” Shiho growled.

“I just want to help,” Sharkangel stated simply.

“Yeah, well, you can help by pissing off and leaving me alone,” Shiho said with a grumpy look on her face. “I’ve got more important fish to fry right now, and you’re standing between me and the fryer.”

Shiho then took out her lightphone and began checking things on it, ignoring Sharkangel as she stared at Shiho with disbelief.

“Impossible. How can I deal with her if she won’t acknowledge my good deeds?” Sharkangel was about ready to tear out her red hair.

She ran up to Shiho and grabbed her hands as she dropped to her knees. “Please. Please just acknowledge what I’ve done. Tell me that I’ve done something good. Please. I need it!”

“Good grief, don’t tell me you’re one of those pathetic people who need validation from everyone around you,” Shiho exclaimed, yanking her hands back. “I’m not going to tell you again; turn around and walk away, dig a hole and fall in it, whatever. I don’t have the time or the patience to deal with your mental issues. So for the last time, go away and leave me alone!”

“Please, just one simple ‘thank you’. I’ll be gone after that, I promise!” Sharkangel continued to grovel.

Shiho shoved her away, then threw a punch at her with Curtain Call. “Neigh!”

“Eeeep!” Sharkangel squealed just before Curtain Call’s fist connected with her face.

She got launched across the cafe and into one of the potted plants, knocking it over and shattering the pot into bits. She pushed herself up and rubbed at her cheek, which was already starting to swell.

“W-W-Why?!” she yelled.

“I warned you. I hate it when people try to get me to do something I don’t want to do.” Shiho stood up, glaring at her. “And another thing. You were able to see Curtain Call’s fist heading at your face. You must be a Stand user just like me.”

“W-Whuhh…?” Sharkangel’s words came out garbled. “N-Noh… Ish not… I’m not…”

Subterra stumbled to the floor near the entrance of the cafe, clutching at her chest which was spilling shadows. “Sh-Shiho.”

“Whuh?” Sharkangel looked at her in disbelief. “How dih you shurviuhh?”

Shiho returned her gaze to the red haired woman. “I see what’s going on here. I was right to give you a good hit.”

“W-Waiht, noh…” Sharkangel began waving both hands, but it was too late to change Shiho’s mind.

Curtain Call flew towards her and grabbed her around the shirt collar before tossing her into the air. As she began descending, Shiho’s Stand began throwing a series of rapid punches at her, distorting her body with each blow. Sharkangel crashed into a table and chair, knocking both over dropping to the ground in a heap.

“Humph, tryhard.” Shiho spat at her before going over to help Subterra up. “Are you ok?”

Subterra took a few deep breaths. “A little. Crafteon’s darkness saved me, but Leilani, she needs help.”

“Tch.” Shiho made a noise and followed Subterra.

To their surprise, Ocellus was already at the other cafe by the time they got there, busy working with Forest Rangers to stop Leilani’s bleeding.

“How is she?” Subterra asked.

“Better. Now that Forest Rangers are inside her. They’re busy putting her blood vessels back together, just like with Shiho.” Ocellus sucked in air. “But she’s hurt way more. It’s a good thing I made it back at this moment. I don’t know if I could save her if she lost any more blood.”

“The other Stand master has been taken care of, then?” Shiho folded her arms.

Ocellus nodded, then smiled and raised a hand, pointing an index finger skyward. “But that’s not all. I found it.”

“Found what?” Shiho stepped forward.

Ocellus’ smile widened. “I know which direction we’re headed. I know where the Charter is.”

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

As always, Stand charts here! :trollestia:

Episode 19: The Elusive Crust, Ocean Man

Ocellus had recounted to the team about her quick flight across the jungle to take down Crocodile Rock and its Stand master, Placid Lake. After dealing with him, she had stumbled around the jungle for a while, a little unsure of the way back, but it was then that she found herself approaching the beach on the north side of the island.

At first, it had been nothing out of the ordinary, just the glimmering waves upon the powerful sea of Polynesia, and the hot sun up in the sky. But then the sun disappeared behind a pillar of cloud and fog and it was there that Ocellus had realized it was only foggy thirty degrees in front of her. In three minutes, the sun was back, away from the clouds as it rained its heavy ultraviolet rays down on anyone away from shelter.

“That’s odd. Why is it only foggy here?” Ocellus wondered out loud.

And then something brief reflected at the corner of her eyes. She looked back down at the ocean’s surface, just in time to see something disappear under the waves.

“I waited there to catch it again,” Ocellus told her friends. “It was orange and white, something like a lifebuoy, but more oval. It moved like it had a mind of its own. It has to be there. The TWIsland.”

“Ocean Man’s Charter,” Subterra said. “That’s it. You found it! We found TWI’s island!”

“So, it’s just a matter of catching it now, is it?” Shiho held one hand in the other, wiggling her fingers back and forth. “So let’s go. I’ll get the Brandy 2 around and we can get after it.”

“It won’t be so easy,” Subterra said. “And Leilani still needs to rest. She can’t continue on in this state.”

“No, we cannot rest.” Leilani sat across from them, leaning against the cafe’s oven, surrounded by bloodied rags and old bandages. She had newer bandages wrapped around her chest wound where Sharks had stabbed her. “God did not rest until the last day of Creation. I will not rest until we see the end of this unholy plan against mankind. No matter how good and just one’s goal is, if they have to murder, steal and cheat their way to get it, it cannot be considered good.”

“Right.” Ocellus gave her a pat on the shoulder. We can take her with us. After all, we’ll be in the boat. She can rest there.”

“Then let’s get to it. We’re wasting time.” Shiho was the first to leave the cafe, heading for the dome’s exit.

Subterra and Ocellus helped support Leilani all the way back down to the boat. Though it wasn’t an easy trek, with their Stand’s helping them, they got there a lot faster than the normal person.

Shiho was already in the Brandy 2, its engines rolling. Subterra helped Leilani sit, and before she could even find a seat herself, Shiho had already sped off down the blue waters, heading north along the island’s perimeter.

“So it looks like a lifebuoy?” Shiho asked as she eased up on the throttle. “It’s an effect generated by a Stand, yes? So it stands to reason that only Stand users can see it.”

“Then it’s lucky we’re all Stand users,” Ocellus said.

“Assuming we can pick it out among all the rubbish in the sea,” Shiho said, taking a beer out of the fridge on the Brandy 2 and opening it with a hiss. “Although, I don’t see that much rubbish in this part of the ocean. It’s clean. Suspiciously clean.”

As the boat came around the north side of Nuku Hiva, Ocellus directed their attention towards the foggy area ahead where she had seen it when she was out in the jungle. “Right there. The Charter’s moving around here somewhere.”

“Wait, if it’s just a smokey blotch on the sea, then isn’t it obvious where the island is?” Shiho scoffed as she gunned the boat’s engines. “That means the island’s right there.”

“No, it doesn’t work like that,” Subterra started, but Shiho already had her mind set.

The Brandy 2 sailed into the fog; the sea became noticeably more violent and rough, and visibility shrunk to a mere meter in front of their faces, which meant none of them could see anything in front of the boat.

“Shiho, we need to turn the boat around and get out of this!” Ocellus grabbed her shoulder. “We can’t find the island this way!”

“B. S.” Shiho shrugged her arm off. “If we travel far enough, we’re bound to find it.”

“It doesn’t work like that!” Subterra added to the debate. “This is Ocean Man’s power. It hides the island completely. That includes just sailing up to it. It’ll be like it doesn’t even exist in the real world.”

“Good grief…” Shiho fought to maintain control of the boat’s wheel, but eventually decided to turn it around.

As they began speeding back in the opposite direction, the fog eventually began to lighten and soon, they were back out in open skies again, though with the sunlight shining harshly against their exposed skin.

“Right, this Charter, then.” Shiho stopped the boat’s engine and waited till it slowed to a standstill before planting one foot on her chair as she surveyed their surroundings. “How fast does it move? Curtain Call has good accuracy. If it comes close, I’ll catch it.”

“It-it isn’t that easy,” Subterra said.

Shiho snorted and drank from her little flask. She waited, narrowing her eyes to focus her view as she leaned on one knee. Waves crashed around their boat, splashing water into the hot air around them. Shiho hadn’t been born early enough to know what it was like to go to the beach with her parents. That was a luxury her mother had when she was younger. All she had ever known about beaches and the sea was the trash washed up on shore and the zealous hunters out over the water looking for fish, a resource that had started to disappear drastically as more and more fishermen went out to sea.

And now here she was, though for a much different reason, but all the same, this was an experience she never thought she would have.

“Right now. I’m going to finish this. I’m going to get us to that island.” Shiho steeled her resolve as she clenched both fists. “I’m getting my granny back.”

And there it was, sailing just over the water’s surface through the fog. Its orange body was a stark contrast over the blue waters. It did a spin, then dived down under the water only to come back up three meters away.

Shiho took her jacket off, handing it to her Stand. With a swish of its cloth, Curtain Call turned it into a lasso. It coiled one end beside its hip before swinging the other end above its head. The loop swung around in the air above Shiho and her Stand, making whipping noises as it caught the air around it.

With a flick of its arm, Curtain Call threw the loop out over the water, just as the Charter sped by. The rope tightened around one of its four spikes coming out from around its round body.

“Got it. Leilani, reverse!” Shiho gripped the side of the boat as Curtain Call took a step back and began pulling its end of the rope.

Leilani did as she was told and got into the driver’s seat, pulling back on the lever as the boat’s engine gunned back to life, sputtering behind them. The boat began to move away from the Charter, but as the rope ran out of length, the boat jerked forward, fighting hard against it as Curtain Call fought with all its might to reel it in.

Shiho clenched the side of the boat tighter as she too struggled to keep her Stand pulling. The Charter had immense strength, much more than her Stand did, but she wasn’t about to give in. Until her arms gave out, she would give it her all to find the TWIsland.

“Come on, you piece of crap float, stop!” Shiho grunted against the Charter’s pull as Curtain Call looped its end of the rope around its elbow for added grip.

Ocellus and Subterra got their Stands out as well, both of them grabbing Curtain Call and the rope as they began pulling the Charter closer. Inch by inch, they managed to get more of the rope looped around Curtain Call, but all of a sudden, the Charter skipped high in the air before doing a dive under the water’s surface.

The Brandy 2 began to dip further down, tilting almost to a forty-five degree angle now as its engines sputtered on the surface of the water.

“It won’t hold!” Leilani read from the console’s readout as red lights began flashing on its holographic screen. “You have to let go, we won’t catch it this way!”

“No. Not till we have it!” Shiho yelled as the three Stands pulled with all their might.

“Shiho, she’s right.” Ocellus had Forest Rangers split apart. “If we don’t let go, the whole boat’s going down with you.”

“Not yet. Not while there’s a chance to save my granny!” Shiho gritted her teeth down together as Curtain Call continued to do its best to pull on the rope. “I can’t give up yet!”

“Shiho, we’ll find a way. We’re not going to abandon your grandmother.” Subterra put a hand on her arm. “We’ll get the Charter. But if we lose this boat, we won’t have a chance at getting it and beating Ocean Man.”

“Gah. Good grief…” Shiho shook her head. It took her a while more before she convinced her Stand to let go of the rope. The remaining length of rope disappeared under the water in a blink as she fished out another similar coat from one of the boat’s compartments. “Fine. What’s the plan now?”

“We can’t get it by brute force alone,” Subterra said, sitting herself down as the boat rocked along with the waves. “We’ll have to outsmart it and Ocean Man. Only then, we can get to the island safely.”

“And that’s already been done.” Ocellus folded her arms and tilted her chin up. “Here, I’ll explain. You see, when we were all busy tugging on the rope, I had some Forest Rangers slip on down to the Charter by walking along the rope.”

“But I thought your Stand couldn’t go underwater?” Shiho frowned. “This won’t get us anywhere.”

Ocellus smiled and wagged a finger. “I never said it couldn’t go underwater. Forest Rangers slow down underwater, but that doesn’t mean it can’t go in the water.”

“And now that we have a precise location on where it is…” Shiho looked back to the ocean’s surface.

“We can set a trap!” Leilani raised a hand. “Jellyfish!”

Leilani’s Stand appeared, hovering just in front of the Brandy 2. It stretched its tentacles out and spun in a circle before stretching them all across the immediate area like a spider’s web. They stopped the boat and Leilani moved herself to the floor, crossing her legs as she closed her eyes and waited.

“North. About fifty yards ahead,” Ocellus said, spying through her Stand. “Moving east. No, now west.”

“We’re going to get it, Shiho,” Subterra said and brought up Crafteon beside the boat. “As a team.”

Shiho nodded. “This was something my grandmother always told me. Friendship triumphs all. I guess this is one of those times.”

“She’s smart.” Ocellus nodded, then looked down sadly. “It’s something TWI taught us as well.”

“And it’s something she’ll regret doing.” Shiho raised a hand and clenched her fist. “This amazing power’s gonna blow up in her face.”

Leilani suddenly looked up. “Something’s touched Jellyfish’s web.”

“Time to reel it in,” Ocellus smiled and pointed to the ocean with a finger, just left of a large rock. “There.”

Leilani nodded. She stood up and raised both hands. From the water, colorful tentacles began rising up from below the surface, pulsating with small currents of electricity as the Charter came up on top of it, bouncing on the spot.

“Jellyfish’s sting might not work on it, but I can still keep it from going back into the water.”

“It’s time.” Shiho shared a look with Subterra as Curtain Call pounded its fists together.

Crafteon spun once, then fired out two shadowy tentacles from its palms, grabbing ahold of two of the Charter’s four spikes.

“Now!” Subterra yelled as she had Crafteon begin to reel it in.

Curtain Call immediately joined in, swinging another rope that it made with a seat cushion over to the Charter, catching another of its spikes as it let out a powerful roar. It looped the other end of the rope around its shoulder before leaping to the edge of the boat on the opposite side, using all of its might to pull. Jellyfish’s web began to fold inwards. Ocellus had her Forest Rangers crawl over on Jellyfish’s tentacles, forming into a line as it too began pulling.

The Charter bounced up and down on the tentacles, attempting to get back into the water, but Jellyfish’s tentacles left it no room to squeeze through, not even if it turned itself sideways. With Crafteon and Curtain Call working together, the Charter got closer and closer, unable to fight back against their combined strength.

The Charter radiated with yellow energy before launching itself into the air. Crafteon’s tendrils dissipated and Subterra was knocked down, and the rope snapped once again. It dropped back down and began bouncing in the opposite direction, but Shiho was going to have none of it.

“You’re not getting away again!” She whipped an arm up and pointed a finger at it.

Curtain Call threw itself forward, expertly navigating across Jellyfish’s tentacles on its toes as it tackled the Charter down. It wrestled with it for a few seconds, fighting to maintain its grip on it before standing back up and pushing hard against the Charter’s bagel-shaped body. Part of it burst like a float, while the edges around it cracked and flaked away. Almost instantly, the Charter stopped struggling and Shiho had her Stand run it back to the Brandy 2.

“We have it. Now how do we get to the island?” Shiho observed the Charter in her Stand’s hands.

Before she knew it, a yellow glow from within the hole in its body began to beep and the Charter’s spikes faded away, leaving it as a simple buoy with a pulsating yellow light in its center.

“About time.” Shiho shook her head. “Good grief, is it always this hard to get to the island?”

Subterra shrugged. She had never herself left the island only to come back. It was only what she had heard from the others that served TWI. She looked into the fog as Shiho started up the boat once again. She had never imagined ever returning here, but here they were, ready to venture back to the place she had been kept in for years.

The ride through the fog went a lot smoother than before. There were no waves to buffet them and there wasn’t even the earlier feeling of danger. The glow of the Charter flicked itself in various directions and all Shiho had to do was turn the boat’s wheel. In a matter of minutes, they were out of the fog and sailing straight towards the shore of a foreboding island.

A grey volcano sat at the center of it all, towering just under the dark sky above. It was a sharp contrast from the burning heat they had just come from as the air here was also cool to their skin. A canopy seemed to surround most of the island, but even from here, Subterra could see a pathway leading deeper in, a pathway she now remembered well.

They stopped the boat by the docks, letting the autopilot kick in as it maneuvered itself into place. Shiho was already off before the boat came to a complete stop, tying a rope around one of the metallic orbs by the side.

Subterra got off last, running a hand along one of the railings as she recalled her eventful escape all those nights ago. TWI had personally been there herself, anxious to get her back. Even with her memories back, she still didn’t know why TWI wanted her so badly. She had been through test after test, but Subterra had never known just what she had been after.

“Welcome home, Subterra Shiver,” Crafteon said, almost spooking her as she made her way down the stairs of the docks. “We have gained much power since leaving here. One might say our power has doubled since we last met TWI.”

And that it has. Subterra had left this island with Crafteon ACT1. Perhaps with ACT2, and the help of her friends, they could turn the tide. But first, there was one more thing to deal with.

“Strange.” Subterra scratched her head as she looked down at the beach beside the docks. “He’s not here.”

“Who isn’t here?” Leilani followed her gaze.

“Imbibed Man,” Subterra explained. “The one behind Ocean Man’s Charter. I’ve never seen him leave his spot on the beach.”

And that was true. Sun or rain, Imbibed Man stayed motionless on the sand, almost like he was dead. He loved tanning there, letting the weather eat away at his body. But Ocean Man did control the Charter. Perhaps he now knew that they had bested his device and were on the island.

“Behind you!” Leilani pointed as Subterra flipped around to see a rather large being with four legs jump at her from the roof of the dock shed.

Subterra rolled away from its falling body, before Crafteon grabbed it around the back with both arms. The creature squirmed and tried to free itself, but its little legs were too short and its body was too wide to do anything. Subterra knew this was Ocean Man, the Stand of Imbibed Man. It was bulky and strong, capable of smashing through stone, but it was slow and its ability lay in masking locations. Compared to Crafteon ACT2, there was no way she was going to lose this fight.

Shadows spread out from around Crafteon, enshrouding both itself and the enemy Stand in darkness.

Ocean Man looked around, its arms finally free, but all of a sudden, the darkness shrunk and before it now a snowy landscape blew in from the ocean, freezing the sand under its four feet. The Stand’s expression suddenly changed and it raised both arms, blocking its face from the freezing wind.

“Imbibed Man’s greatest fear,” Subterra said, remembering the man. “He can’t stand being away from the sun, away from the heat. A winter country scares him the most.”

Ocean Man scurried back and attempted to flee through the forest, but Curtain Call got in its way, smashing it down to the sand with a shoulder bash. The enemy Stand was sent sprawling on its back and from there, it was unable to get up. It wiggled its legs in the air, but it could not right itself from its downed position.

Subterra’s eyes shone a purple gleam as Crafteon rose into the air, spreading both arms to the sides, before bringing its left arm up over its head, palm facing skyward. Its right hand pointed forward into a fist as Subterra moved to reflect its new stance.

From the sides, the winter snow swirled into the air, spiraling into a small twister before swooping over to envelope Ocean Man. The Stand flailed its arms around, but there was nothing it could do against Imbibed Man’s worst fear. The others covered their faces with their arms as the cold wind picked up, but eventually, it released all together, sending Ocean Man crashing into the side of the mountain. It fell backwards, disappearing from view.

“That’s that…” Ocellus dusted sand from her body, collateral from the snowy whirlwind.

Above, there was a crackle, almost like something was shattering. Subterra thought it to be thunder at first and was about to suggest they take cover, but then the sky pulsed blue and suddenly exploded outward, allowing the sun’s harsh rays to shine down upon the island. The fog around the island began to fade as well and Subterra found that she could see some of the other islands from here.

“We did it, the TWIsland is unhidden,” Leilani said in exposition. “That Stand had been hiding it well from the outside world, but now that its power has faded, anyone can find this place.”

“Then it’s only right to let the Crusaders Foundation know.” Shiho took out her lightphone.

Subterra looked up at the mountain path. They had finally done it. They were back to the island once again, the island she had longed to escape. And she had escaped, only to return here again. She understood now. Running away from her problems didn’t mean it was gone. The only way to deal with it was to stop it completely and that meant helping Shiho and the others take TWI down once and for all.

“The time comes near, Subterra Shiver…” Crafteon looked her in the eyes as it faded away. “Ready yourself. The choice must be made, to spare or to destroy. Will you embrace who you are or will you deny yourself.”

Subterra looked up at the tip of the volcano. “There’s still time to show TWI the truth. That there are better ways to save this world.”

“As long as you don’t waste the chance given to you…” Crafteon’s final words lingered in the girl’s mind as she anticipated the final confrontation.

But first, they would have to get to TWI. And Subterra knew there were still plenty of obstacles to clear before getting there. TWI wasn’t going to give up so easily, and neither were they. They’d already come this far as a team. Together, they would see it to the end and they would end TWI’s tyranny one way or another.

TWI looked down at the beach from her balcony. Her purple hair wisped around her face as she spied Subterra and the others standing on the sand.

“So, she made it back…” TWI gave the railing one more pat before walking back into the darkness of her room. “That settles one problem. I won’t have to send my hunters after her anymore. But her friends on the other hand…”

TWI clenched her fists as she stopped before her bed. She turned to look at Sunset Shimmer, unmoving in her tank. “Your granddaughter has come to retrieve you, Sunset. The power of friendship flows within her, as does me. We will see which of us has a more just cause. Her need to save you and my need to save this entire world from itself.”

“Are you sure your cause is still just, TWI?”

TWI closed her eyes. She didn’t have to turn around to know who was there. “I have to save this world, Spike. Do you not remember the calamity it has brought itself to? The world is dying, if I do not do something, the entire planet might cease to sustain life. I cannot just stand by and let it sink to disaster. If the world’s leaders will not save it, then I will.”

Spike stepped closer, but stopped shy of her. “You know I’ll stand by you no matter what, TWI, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try to convince you the path you’re going down is not what you believe in.”

“I know what I believe in. And that is why I need Subterra. And now she’s returned to me.” TWI looked up and spun around. The room was now empty save for Sunset in the tank and she walked towards a dresser by the side and grabbed her striped garb hanging against a chair. After getting dressed, she made her way to the door. “It’s time for the prisoners to get to work.”

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

And so here we are, at the end of the first arc. A really long first arc compared to my planned second arc, but the team has finally arrived at the island and are ready to work their way towards TWI. :trollestia:

Episode 20: Life's a Beach

Shiho Sunfast waved a hand as they finally spotted a boat in the distance. “There. Backup has finally arrived.”

When Shiho had called the Crusaders Foundation earlier, they had opted to send some backup in the form of more Stand masters. Subterra could already see one of them waving from the boat as it got closer and closer to the island. It was a man with a short black beard and shaggy hair. He had on a blue and red shirt of polyester material and he had a pair of goggles dangling under his chin. The other, a woman with long green hair piloted the vessel, wore a brown leather vest over a grey shirt and she gave them a wink as the boat pulled to a stop on the sands.

“Josher, it’s been a while.” Shiho slapped a hand against his and held it there for a good second before letting go. “Thank you for coming.”

The man gave her a nod before putting a hand on his hip and stretching one foot forward. “Hey, you finally found a lead on your grandmother. It’s up to us to see this through to the end. We’ll get her back, Shiho.”

Subterra and the others received a brief introduction to the two newcomers. Josher Joyride was an old friend of Shiho. Apparently their grandparents fought alongside each other to save the world some time back when they were younger. The woman was Calypso Wind, a member of the Crusaders Foundation who had joined only two years ago when someone in the organization had found out she had Stand power. Shiho said she didn’t really know her, but she would make a good addition to the team.

“My Stand and I, Soldier Poet King, have your back.” She pumped up an arm and flexed it. Her other hand dipped to a blue starry shoal tied around her waist and scrunched up the corner of it. “I had been tired of watching the world collapse in on itself, and so I decided to look for organizations willing to help change the world. That’s when I found the Crusaders Foundation and they helped me understand the bizarre things that happen around me and to harness the power of my Stand.”

“I’ve seen that thing in action and I can tell you...” Josher flicked the end of his own nose. “You’ll be glad it’s on your side.”

Ocellus nodded. “It’s good to receive more help, whatever shape or form it may take. I thought it would only be the four of us against TWI and her army of followers. Who knows how many more she has.”

Shiho recounted their adventure till now, how she had found Subterra and the journey to recover her memory so they could find this island.

“TWIsland…” Josher snickered when he heard the word from his friend. “I get it. I’ll be using that from now on.”

“Then the island awaits.” Leilani pointed to the jungle path ahead. “This no doubt leads us where we need to go. I feel God calling to me this way.”

“I see no other path, so I’m with Leilani on this.”

“Then let’s not waste more time.” Shiho rolled up her sleeves. “It’s time to find TWI and end this.”

The others followed along behind her, walking up the beach path as it led to the start of the jungle. They had only just taken one step past the first line of bushes when Subterra heard it.

“Is that… whistling?” she asked.

It was a single note, floating through the air like some sort of shrill bird call, but at the same time, it was peaceful, and not at all painful to the ears. It was actually quite soothing.

“That’s not bad.” Calypso brushed her green hair aside and cupped a hand around her left ear. “I wonder where it’s coming from.”

“We shouldn’t trust anything on this island.” Shiho whipped around and glared at her companions. “This is the TWIsland. There can’t be anything nice here.”

“You never know. There could be songbirds here,” Josher said and folded his arms. “Perhaps she saved some endangered species and is harboring them here.”

“We should find out what it is before jumping to harsh conclusions, Shiho.” Ocellus nudged her and took the lead up the beach path.

Trees and bushes now clustered their sides, growing denser as they trekked on, but the beach path seemed to go on for some distance, further than they could currently see. Part of the mountain rose up to their right, going all the way up to the end of a large volcano. With no smoke rising from it, it was likely dormant, maybe even extinct.

“I think it’s coming from the other side of the beach.” Leilani pointed, directing their attention to an offshoot of the path through the jungle, leading down a short slope. “It must lead back to the water.”

“Whatever this sound is, it’s really good…” Calypso closed her eyes and smiled. “It makes me feel like I can just throw all my fears away.”

Subterra looked at the others as they agreed, save for Shiho. She didn’t know what was going on, but she did agree with them, to an extent. The other half of her brain trusted Shiho and that woman had lived through enough of life to pick out when something was wrong. This seemed to be one of those times.

That sense of safety seemed almost too unnatural, like it was being forced into the tiniest nooks of her mind, trying to tell her that all was well, and that she could rest.

“Remain on guard, Subterra Shiver.” Crafteon whispered in her ear. “Something is amiss. We have not seen something like this before.”

Like Leilani said, the sloped path did lead back to the beach. This one was protected by rock barriers on both sides and the water here was darker than usual, meaning that the shore dropped off sharply once you moved from sand to water.

“It definitely sounds like it’s coming from this side of the beach.” Ocellus put a hand over her eyes and scanned their surroundings.

And then they saw it. By the right side of the beach, there was what looked like a large tub with a giant machine attached to it. Steam seemed to be pouring out of the tub and the group couldn’t help but get closer to check it out.

“What… is this?” Josher touched the edge of the tub. “Wood. It looks like a bathtub. Only… older.”

He stared into the water in the tub for a long time, unmoving. Ocellus joined him and looked in as well and she too stopped moving.

“What are you two doing?” Shiho sighed and walked off to the shore and took out her flask. “Whatever. I’ll be here till you’re done gawking. Good grief…”

“You feel that? It’s like it’s… really comfortable here.” Josher closed his eyes and leaned against the tub. “I wouldn’t mind a dip.”

“It’s really hot out here anyway. That water’s looking really inviting.” Calypso licked her lips and hopped into the tub with a splash. She leaned back against one side and giggled. “That’s realllyyyyy niceee…”

“This must be some kind of spa for TWI’s minions.” Leilani put a finger into the water to test it, but didn’t get in herself. “I guess even someone who wishes the world leaders dead would take care of her own.”

“We, uh, should really get moving.” Subterra watched her friends enjoy themselves. It really made her want to join in. “It’s really hot out here. We don’t want to get, uh, what was it you said, Leilani?”

“UV radiation.” The native looked up at the sky and squinted. “That’s what a rise in pollution will get you. But at least being darker makes me more resistant to the heat.”

“Pshh, you two just got here,” Shiho scoffed at them and went back to drinking from her flask. “We’ve been going from island to island for a week now. We’ve been out in this sun for so long, I’m sure I’ve gotten a lot darker. I might even have skin cancer before we’re done with this.”

“Don’t be such a sour sop, Shiho.” Josher grinned and joined Calypso in the tub. “Just come on over and relax for a while.”

Shiho almost agreed. Almost. But she had lived through enough Stand battles to know when something was amiss, and something was definitely amiss here. There was also the matter that the TWIsland was probably crawling with enemy Stand users, and even if this sudden burst of relaxation wasn’t Stand-induced, it might be enough of a distraction that an enemy would gain the upper hand.

“We need to keep going,” Shiho declared. “TWI’s goons could be closing in on us while you kick back and relax. We can go to a spa or something after we kick TWI’s sorry sack into next week. That’s what we came here to do, yes?”

“Just… chill out for a moment, won’t you, Shiho?” Josher yawned. “There’ll be plenty of time to get TWI after a bit of rest. Join us, maybe you won’t feel so cranky after a bit of a sit down.”

“Good grief…” Shiho grunted and returned her attention to the sea.

She had turned just in time to miss Ocellus sway on the spot. She put a hand up to her head and raised an eyebrow. “Hmm… weird.”

Then she dropped to the sandy ground and closed her eyes.

“Ocellus!” Subterra and Leilani were by her side, trying to stir her. “What happened? Are we under attack?”

“I don’t feel anything. And I don’t see anything.” Leilani leaned on a knee and looked around the beach, unable to see any kind of enemy. “Even with Jellyfish’s tentacles spread out, I sense nothing.”

“I knew it. I knew we were being attacked.” Shiho stowed her flask and went back to the tub. “Josher, Calypso, time to go. Get out before I drag you out.”

But as she shook them, the two newcomers didn’t move as well. Josher dipped to one side and splashed into the water, completely submerged.

Shiho rolled her eyes and had Curtain Call pull the two of them out, resting them against the tub as she pounded a fist into it. “What in the name of my grandmother is going on? Are they asleep?”

Leilani rested a hand against Ocellus’ face. “More like they fainted. But why?”

Subterra placed a hand each against Josher’s and Calypso’s faces, but she felt nothing out of the ordinary. “I… I don’t know. Maybe it’s something in the water. I don’t know any of TWI’s followers who have a power like this.”

“This is… a bore…” Shiho groaned. “Good grief. I’m just going to…”

She wobbled on the spot and Subterra reached over to grab her. She stumbled down and rested upon the sandy ground for a second, her head following the sway of the ocean waves.

“Shiho didn’t even get in the water. It must be something else.” Leilani waggled a hand in front of Shiho’s face, trying to get her attention, but instead, the woman just collapsed backwards and laid upon the sand. “Subterra, are you holding up?”

“We need to figure out what’s happening to us and why it’s all happening at different times. If it were a coordinated attack, we’d all fall unconscious at the same time,” Subterra said, running a finger along her jawline.

Leilani didn’t know what to do, so she moved over to the machine beside the tub to inspect it further. There were all kinds of gears and pistons along its front, while a glowing bulb of white light was positioned near the top to let you know the machine was working. There were also three rows of shelves in the machine itself, containing an assortment of goods in baskets, including hairbrushes and raw eggs, likely for the tub relaxation experience.

“Are you meant to cook these eggs in the water?” Leilani picked one up and shook it. “That’s a strange thing to do.”

Subterra shrugged. She didn’t know much about human customs outside the TWIsland. This was a question for one of the others, but unfortunately, they weren’t able to respond right now.

Leilani suddenly creased her eyebrows and held the egg to her ear. She gave it a shake and looked even more confused after that.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Subterra asked.

“The egg…” She threw it over to Subterra.

The girl stumbled as she attempted to catch it, but missed just barely. It dropped to the sand with a soft thud. It was when she picked it up did she realize what was wrong with it.

“It’s… cooked,” she said. Subterra took a step forward, but a wave of dizziness suddenly hit her and she dropped to a knee. “It’s… it’s the heat.”

Leilani had reached to grab her, keeping her from planting her face in the sand. “Oui. These eggs should be raw. Something is cooking us slowly. But at the same time, it’s also making us drop our guard. That’s why we don’t notice it. That must be it.”

“But… Jellyfish didn’t pick up anyone…” Subterra struggled to maintain consciousness.

“Then they have to be far away. A long range Stand.” Leilani looked around. “There’s nowhere else to go on the beach, nowhere to hide. Whoever is attacking us has to be further up the island, away from here, but somewhere they can still watch us from…”

That was the moment she saw it. With her perfect vision, she spotted what looked like a hut just slightly above the treeline, painted the same color as the foliage around it. There was a flick of red hair before it ducked out of sight. Leilani looked to the path leading up from the shore and she knew immediately what she had to do.

“Subterra, stay here.” She rested her against the side of the tub before fishing Josher and Calypso out of the water. Already, the water was hot to touch, but with Jellyfish’s help, she got them out with little issue. “I’ll find the Stand master and I’ll get us off this beach.”

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

I will have more Stand charts on more prominent chapters. :trollestia:
But here we go! The fight through the TWIsland begins now.

Episode 21: Beach Please

Leilani Seabell jumped through the next bush, pushing her way past the fronds and thorns as she got to the path towards the shed she saw from the beach. From down there, it hadn’t looked all that far away, but now that she was a good thirty feet away from the beach, she found that she was still nowhere close to reaching it.

“Whoever the Stand master is, their Stand has an incredibly long range,” she said to herself. “Much further than Jellyfish. But no matter what, I will save the others. It’s by God’s will that we have gotten to this island safely and it’s God’s will to ensure the safety of everyone TWI hopes to destroy. I will have to stop this Stand master, and I need to do it before we’re all burnt to a crisp without knowing it.”

In her studies overseas, away from home, Leilani had learnt how a frog could be cooked to death if the water was slowly heated up, instead of boiling from the beginning. That was exactly what the enemy Stand was doing, but unlike frogs, humans could better tell the changes in temperature. It was also feeding them a sense of calm, a way to keep them from figuring out anything was wrong to begin with. And before they know it, they’d all be cooked.

Living out on the islands for most of her life, Leilani guessed she was more used to the heat than her companions, and thus, it was why she was the last one standing and the one who had to give it her all to make sure they would all live to see another day.

This Stand must be quite powerful if it can do all this and stay undetected… She thought.

As Leilani was thinking this, something snapped under her foot as she walked, and there was a blur of brown from the side as a swinging log swooped down at her face. Leilani threw herself onto the floor as the log whipped over her. She could see that barbed wire had been wrapped around the wood, and the log slowly swung to a stop.

“Oh, what a shame! That had nearly been the end of you!” a voice echoed around her after a short electronic buzz. The voice sounded garbled and staticy, meaning it was coming out of a speaker of sorts.

“I take it you’re the Stand master behind this heat?” Leilani said, not knowing if they could hear her from here. “You’re the one with the Stand that can turn up the heat slowly, but steadily, while we don’t realize it because of the false sense of safety instilled in us.”

“Ah, that’s where you’re almost correct, lady…” the speakers buzzed around her; it was coming from more than one direction. “You see, my brother and I worked together on this one. I’m afraid you’re facing two Stands instead of one!”

“Quiet, Flim!” the other voice butted in, soft and meant to be unheard. The speakers must be of some high quality. “Why are you giving that away? It would’ve been more interesting if she only thought there was one of us!”

“Ohhh, right. Right. You’re right. That would’ve been good. Shoot.”

Leilani looked around for the speaker, but it was too well hidden in the leafage. She took another step forward. This time there was no trap triggered. However, she couldn’t move at this pace through the foliage, not if she wanted to stop these two lunatics before her friends all succumbed to the heat.

The main threat of a tripwire, Leilani mused, wasn’t in the trap that it triggered. Certainly that was nothing to ignore, but the presence of a tripwire meant that the enemy knew the area better than she did; she was the intruder here in uncharted territory. This duo of Stand users had probably laid out a number of nasty surprises for anyone who tried to get close to their hideout.

And she knew that only meant one thing: They were afraid to face her in direct battle.

That means I just need to get to them uncooked. If I can do that, I can save the others. Lord, give me the strength to press on.

Leilani spread out Jellyfish around herself, sending its tentacles in all directions as she knelt down and waited. “With my Stand, Jellyfish, I will be able to sense my surroundings and find the best route to the enemy.”

She found the speaker she had been looking for earlier and something metallic in the ground just up ahead on the path, probably a mine, but that was where she realized her plan had a small flaw. The tripwires were too thin and still. Jellyfish could only sense living and breathing things in the area, including electrical currents, not string.

“Find what you were looking for, lady?” Both voices chuckled on the speakers. “We’re ready. Come find us!”

Leilani stood up and frowned. The two Stand masters were still nowhere close enough for Jellyfish to find them. She would have to press on and hope she didn’t walk into a trap that would end their journey early.

“The dirt path is out of the question,” Leilani said and recalled Jellyfish. “I’ll have to get through the thicket. The shed I saw from the beach is in this direction. I’ll keep heading that way and do my best to avoid any trap I come across.”

She crashed her way through a trio of ferns, keeping herself low as she tried to blend her body in with the environment. The Stand masters could see her, that much she was certain. That meant that they had cameras out here as well. She hadn’t felt their electrical signatures from where she was, so it was reasonable to deduce that they were further away or high up. The latter made more sense. That way, they wouldn’t have to set up so many cameras. Two three-sixty cameras would do the trick here.

She had only just gotten a little glimmer of hope that she would conquer this when her foot touched something under her. She looked down to see another tripwire and she looked back up just in time to see a row of sharpened branches come up from the ground right in front of her.

Leilani hurled her body backwards as far as she could, the branch tips just missing her nose and left eye as she slid in the dirt. Unfortunately, sliding back triggered another trap, which sent a large tree branch falling from above her.

“Jellyfish!” Leilani raised her hands as her Stand appeared around her, wrapping its tentacles around her body like a shield, deflecting the branch to one side.

But that wasn’t the end of it. From her left and right, arrows shot out of the trees in a vertical line, flying straight for her. Jellyfish flailed its tentacles around, bouncing arrows away, but one got through and pierced Leilani in the right shoulder. She clutched at her injury as she staggered back, keeping her eyes out as she dived through another plant to avoid the rest of the arrows.

“There’s no end to these traps!” Leilani lay on the ground for a second as Jellyfish surveyed the area with its tentacles spread out. She couldn’t pinpoint the traps made of wood, but she at least hoped to avoid anything that had electrical signatures. “Mechanical devices would likely be more dangerous and harder to deal with.”

Leilani attempted to get up after this, but all of a sudden, she felt a wave of weakness and she dropped back on her knees.

“The heat must be getting to me now…” she let out a deep breath. “Being from the islands, I’ve grown up under the sun and I have a little more tolerance to heat than the others. But even that seems to already be fading. There has to be something I can do against this ability. Maybe I just need to lie down and have a quick rest… No! I cannot. If I do that, it’ll be the end. I need to… fight!”

“Just give up. It’s easier,” one of the men’s voices buzzed out from a speaker. “The faster you die off, the faster we’ll be back to Equestria. This world is really too hot.”

“You got that right, Flam. I mean, boy, your world is in a mess, lady,” the other voice said. “Our world is so much better than this, maintained by Princess TWI. It’s just a shame she doesn’t let us capitalize on found fortune.”

“That’s right! She put us in prison for seventy-one years! Just because we charged ponies for using the Fountain of Youth!”

“Yeah, we found it. It’s not like we stole the fountain or something. It should’ve been our right to earn money out of it. But the princess wasn’t having any of it.”

“The Fountain of Youth?” Leilani repeated, stopping in her tracks. “Such a thing does not exist. It is merely a fairy tale told to people as a bedtime story.”

There was a pause on the other end. “Oh yes, that’s right, she’s still alive. Trust us, lady, it’s no tale. There’s a reason we’re still alive after so long.”

“I see,” said Leilani, adopting a thoughtful stance. Then she came up with an idea. Jellyfish had one tentacle float up to her head. Now she was ready. “If you are telling the truth, then you must be quite competent and powerful people. Why, I think I respect you more than TWI herself.”

There was another moment of silence before one of the men spoke again. “Really? I mean, of course. We are the Flim Flam brothers, the greatest entrepreneurs of Equestria. We bring improvement and innovation to all of Equestria!”

“Too right, brother,” the other one said. “Is it a crime that we want to make a little money off making ponies’ lives better?”

“TWI seems to think so,” Leilani told them. “And she’s your leader, right? She knows better.”

“Oh, she’s our leader. For now.” One brother cleared his throat. “Being here reduces our prison sentences. The faster we’re done here, the faster we’ll be back home and away from this disasterpiece of a world.”

“You never thought to fight against TWI with the powers you have?” Leilani got to her feet and kept to the shrubs. “You are right of course, this world is a disaster. TWI wants to kill all the people in charge to improve it. But now that I’ve met you, I think you can do a better job fixing it. And the people in charge would give you so much money for it. You are the greatest entrepreneurs of Equestria, aren’t you?”

On the other end of the speaker, up in the shed painted to blend in with the trees around it, the two men sat atop deck chairs, watching an array of holographic screens projected from a small box between the two of them. They looked at each other, with one of them twirling a finger through his red mustache.

“She thinks we can do a better job, Flam.” The other one sat up in the chair and sipped from a glass of apple brandy with ice. He had a metallic device over his right arm, glowing with green energy. This was his Stand, Life’s a Bath. “What do you think of that?”

“Hey there’s no way we can beat her. I mean, have you seen her Stand, Strange World?”

“Of course, we were there together when we saw it.” Flim slapped his brother’s shoulder. “The princess is smart. It’s the reason she’s outsmarted us all these years, even before realizing our Stand power! She wouldn’t have brought all of us criminals over if we could just defeat her and flee.”

“You’re right. Not even Chrysalis has dared to face her…” Flam leaned back and looked up at the zinc roof above their heads. There was a hydraulic fan in the corner, keeping the shed cool from the outrageous heat on the outside. “But I have always wondered about ruling an empire.”

Flim nodded along. All they’d ever done was try to make a living off others. They had never once aimed so big. Since they were so good at managing businesses, perhaps being the leader of a country wouldn’t be so hard. After all, plenty of humans have done just that in this world. Then again, perhaps that was why this world was in such disarray.

Flam shook his head. “Whatever. We should just focus on the matter at hand. And that’s taking out that woman on Subterra’s team. Dam That River’s heat should already have reached intolerable levels out there.”

“And with Life’s a Bath working to make her feel at ease, perhaps one of our traps will get her. There’s no way she can maintain her concentration on avoiding our traps the longer she stays out there.” Flim rubbed his hands together. “Freedom, here we come. We’re smart. Perhaps we can build some inventions to help us take Equestria once we’re out of here.”

“Hey, Flim, where’d she go!” Flam whistled and leaned forward, pointing at the screens.

The Flim Flam Brothers scanned each screen carefully, looking for signs of Leilani, but she had vanished.

“Impossible. We have full view of the forest in front of the shed. Unless…” They both shared a look.

They turned around slowly, shocked to see a dark skinned woman standing behind them with her arms folded. Her skin was covered in cuts and sweat, but her face was that of determination and confidence.

“H-How did you get here? Through all our traps?” Flim fell off his deck chair and scuttled back like a crab. To his brother’s credit, Flam raised both arms up, fists clenched.

Leilani pointed to her right ear and turned her head to the side. Behind her ear, one of her Stand’s tentacles had its tip resting against her skin, occasionally vibrating. “I had my Stand jolt my brain with a layer of electrical shielding, keeping my senses sharp and your Stand’s commands away from my head. Like that, I easily made it through the rest of the traps while you two were discussing if you could take TWI down.”

“That’s a good one…” Flim chuckled, then shook his head. “That was a good one. I didn’t see it coming.”

“Nor did I. Oh boy, we’re in trouble now, aren’t we?” Flam put his hands together. “W-What’re you going to do?”

“Nothing personal.” Leilani raised both hands as Jellyfish unfurled around her, spreading its tentacles out in a web pattern.

From the outside of the shed, flashes of light could be seen, followed by the occasional scream or grunt of both Flim and Flam. In no time, Leilani was walking down from the shed’s aluminum staircase, dusting her hands as she looked skyward. She could feel her mind retaining its alertness without Jellyfish, meaning that their Stands must’ve stopped. As for the heat, the area’s temperature dropped drastically as though a strong wind had blown in.

“Hmm, I didn’t know I would be so pleased to be back in the usual heat of Polynesia,” Leilani said to herself. “But that means my mission is complete. The others are saved. I should head back there now.”

And with that, she did exactly as she said, though with a bit of care, because who knew how many more traps were lying around this place.

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Find the Stand charts here!

Episode 22: Burn the Dawn Away

“I can’t believe we were already done in by a Stand master. We haven’t even gotten the chance to do anything yet…” Josher Joyride rubbed the back of his neck as he walked along the pathway from the beach. “Goes to show how out of touch I’ve been since my last adventure.”

“You don’t have to blame yourself.” Subterra walked alongside him. “If we knew when every Stand master would attack us, it would be a whole lot easier.”

“And rest assured, it isn’t over,” Shiho groused ahead of them. “TWI knows we’re here now. She’s going to throw all she can at us before this is over.”

“We’ve dealt with Flim and Flam at least.” Ocellus brought up the rear of the group, behind Calypso and Leilani. “They were petty criminals in my youth, always trying to find ways to cheat others of their coin. TWI had them thrown in prison after they tried to capitalize on uses of the Fountain of Youth.”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind a dip.” Calypso traced a finger down her right arm, then to her right leg. “Say, where can we find this fountain?”

Ocellus shook her head. “TWI sealed it off the moment we found out about what Flim and Flam were up to. She believed nopony should have such power.”

“Well, except for herself, am I right?” Shiho grunted and drank the last few drops of her flask. “That witch lives forever while everyone around her dies.”

“Hey, that’s why we’re here, right? To finish this?” Calypso gave them a thumbs up. “I owe it to the Crusaders Foundation to help save the world. Besides, I haven’t fought another Stand user with Soldier Poet King before.”

Her Stand appeared beside her, walking in step with Calypso. Subterra immediately noticed that her Stand had three different faces, each at a different angle on its head. In fact, its body also had three different sides, complete with a total of four arms.

“What does it do?” she couldn’t help but ask. She saw that two of the hands had spikes coming out of its knuckles.

“I’m glad you asked.” Calypso smiled and pointed a thumb at her Stand. “Soldier Poet King has an assortment of skills for different situations. Defense, offense, utility, we have it all.”

“How about you, Josher?” Subterra turned to their other new companion.

Josher grinned and pulled out a card with an ace on it. Subterra missed it, but a hulking figure had appeared just behind him, holding an anchor on one shoulder. It looked like some kind of armored diver, colored in olive and brown.

“Down Under’s a strong boy,” Josher said proudly. “Even more so when in contact with water. And what do you know, we’re surrounded by it! I wish there was this much water on our last adventure, Shiho.”

“You fought against TWI alongside her?” Subterra connected the dots.

Josher nodded and placed a thumb against his cheek, while his other arm cradled the first arm. And he leaned back slightly, sticking a foot forward on its heel. “Yeah, our families go way back. My grandfather was hanging out with her grandmother back in the early two-thousands. They too saved the world from a maniac.”

“Seems world-saving runs in your genes…” Subterra looked down at her hands. From under them, shadows formed, casting across the ground, looming ahead like some creature of the night. “I don’t know my genes. I don’t even know where I’m from. I only know I was very young when TWI brought me here. This island is all I’ve ever known.”

“When we’re out of here, the Crusaders Foundation can help you, just like it did for me.” Calypso gave her a pat on the shoulder. “We’ll show you the world.”

“It’s either that or Weather Alternate,” Josher added. “They used to be an evil organization that was bent on cleansing the world. They partnered up with the Crusaders Foundation after turning around and helping Shiho’s and my parents save the world. Again.”

“World-saving genes indeed…”

“Speaking of Weather Alternate, how are things going with Dolfy’s family? Are they still in charge of the organization or has someone else taken over?” Josher said. “I miss that kid Joshi; he saved our hides numerous times back when we were fighting Die Die Riches.”

Calypso saw the girl’s confusion and waved at her. “Another organization, Subterra.”

“I haven’t been keeping track. Weather Alternate mainly operates in Europe.” Shiho shoved her hands into her pockets as she kicked a sizable pebble away from the dirt path. “Joshi should still be in charge. He has a gift for electronics.”

“And fast cars,” Josher added.

Shiho let a corner of her mouth rise up. “Yes. That’s right.”

The pathway led up a small hill, and at the top, the group could now see what looked like a small fishing village below. Every structure, including what looked like houses, were made out of wood.

“This is a small port village. This is where TWI had workers fish and craft our items and clothes.” Subterra remembered the sight from TWI’s observatory. “But I’ve never seen it so… empty.”

Not a single person was in sight. In fact, everything was silent here, save for the wind and the occasional bird call.

“Stay vigilant, there’s probably some kind of unpleasant surprise waiting for us in there,” Shiho said, summoning Curtain Call. “As obnoxiously showy as she was, sometimes I miss having Daring Do around. She could probably figure out what TWI’s got rigged to spring on us.”

Subterra felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned her head to see Crafteon by her ear, eyes forward. “You feel it, do you not, Subterra Shiver? The call of the dark. Something here radiates animosity. Evil. Hunger. Taking this darkness will grant us strength against TWI. But it is no doubt powerful. Do not underestimate it.”

“I don’t see anyone…” Subterra walked ahead slowly, leading the group.

Leilani crouched down and spread Jellyfish out around them. “No signs of life here. Wait… I got something… About eighteen meters forward.”

“Someone probably plans to ambush us as we pass.” Josher clubbed his fists together. “Too bad for them it’ll be us getting the jump on them.”

“But approach carefully. We don’t know what kind of Stand we’re up against…” Shiho narrowed her eyes.

“Or if it even is a Stand,” Ocellus added.

The boardwalk to the village was old and badly managed. The planks were mostly made of crude branches, just chopped off of trees and bound together with string, most of which were of different sizes from one another. The same went for the buildings here. The structures were doorless, only having holes in the walls to represent windows and doorways. There were gaps through each one, and the group could see that most of the houses here were barren. There were no beds, no cupboards, not even restrooms. They could only guess where all the waste was going, not like it would make a difference in this day and age where the seas were almost devoid of life.

“Where is the enemy now?” Shiho asked, keeping her eyes forward, wary of any sign of danger. “How close are we?”

Leilani suddenly stopped, her face full of surprise. “It-It’s… It’s getting closer.”

“Oh, they’re approaching us?” Shiho raised both palms up. “Time to beat the crap out of them, then.”

One of the buildings on the left suddenly exploded in a ball of fire, sending wreckage up into the air before falling back down towards the group.

“Out of the way!” Shiho sent Curtain Call into the air, where it began bashing the burning wood to pieces.

A man with white hair and a long white beard suddenly leapt out of the burning building, landing in a crouch on the boardwalk. His red skin matched the burning fire around him and as he stood, a grin formed across his large face as he raised a muscled arm to the air, bending the other arm till his fist was beside his left ear.

“Behold! Tirek returns!” His voice boomed around the decrepit village, low and powerful. “And this will be the end for you!”

“Tirek!” Ocellus stepped forward and stretched one arm out to her side. “He’s another of Equestria’s greatest villains. TWI really did free all of you!”

The man put his hands on his sides and bent back with laughter. Strangely enough, the fire didn’t seem to affect him. “That’s right. The princess has agreed to free us once her plan is complete!”

“You moron,” Shiho snorted. “You really think you can believe anything TWI tells you? She lied to me, she lied to the inhabitants of Equestria, and she’s lying to you. If you think TWI is trustworthy, you must have logs in your head.”

“I guess young Ocellus there hasn’t told you about us, then!” Tirek raised a hand close to his face and bent his fingers into claws. “We led an attack against Equestria once, but our failure saw us cast in stone. We were meant to remain trapped for all eternity, but the princess had us return to help her plan to take over this world! Being here is better than being frozen for all time.”

“TWI would never side with the likes of you!” Ocellus snapped. “Flim and Flam I understand, but you care nothing for goodness and righteousness or even improvement. You expect me to believe that Princess TWI would team up with you for any reason? Get real.”

Ocellus pointed to Tirek with an angry look on her face, which Forest Rangers manifested behind her striking a similar pose.

Tirek grunted. “It seems you don’t know your princess very well, then. No matter. She has tasked me with your defeat! Since coming to this world, I have gained powers beyond comprehension! You may have bested Flim and Flam, but those cowards would never have succeeded. Behold, the power of Lord Tirek and Firewater!”

A small red and black orb-shaped Stand floated up and around Tirek, spinning in the air above his head once before gliding down in front of him. It had horns protruding out from the top of its head, bending all the way to the bottom of its body and in its center was a single yellow eye that matched Tirek’s.

From two holes on its sides, it spurted out streams of fire into the air. Shiho was quick to act as the fire began to descend towards them. She threw a trio of branches into the air as Curtain Call whipped its cloth around them. What appeared once the cloth had passed by were three metallic plates the size of small tables. Josher manifested Down Under, which grabbed all three plates and held them up against the spewing fire. The projectiles hit their metal surfaces with a plop and Down Under quickly tossed the plates aside before the metal would get too hot to touch. The plates fell into the water beside the boardwalk, but the fire kept burning, even on the water’s surface.

Tirek laughed and crossed his arms confidently. “TWI warned me that you would put up a fight. But nothing can outfight me and my Stand! You’re dead meat, humans! I’m gonna turn you into a barbeque!”

“This isn’t over yet, Tirek!” Ocellus’ Forest Rangers scurried along the boardwalk on all fours, ducking underneath it as more fire rained down on the spot it had just been on.

The wood was quick to completely melt, but Forest Rangers had already closed in the distance between itself and Tirek. It kicked off the wood, launching itself high into the air as Tirek laughed maniacally. His Stand blasted a stream of fire into Forest Ranger’s face, but Ocellus’ Stand deconstructed itself, just barely avoiding the blast. Unfortunately, some of the fire ‘dripped’ off the main blast and landed on Forest Rangers’ shoulder. It immediately began spreading and the Stand crashed into the boardwalk beside Tirek, busy trying to reform itself around the fire, but it wouldn’t go out.

“A-Aaah!” Ocellus began patting at her own shoulder as fire caught on it. “It won’t go out!”

Tirek laughed some more and sneered, “Firewater’s flames can’t be put out by any amount of water! It’ll burn you until you’re a crisp! The only thing left of you fools will be charcoal!”

“If only my dad was here,” Josher said in a low voice. “Tenacious D would be able to take on Firewater with no problem.”

“This fire’s a problem, but it won’t be a problem for Soldier Poet King.” Calypso stepped forward, putting an arm up to keep her companions back. “I’ll handle this one.”

She swung a hand up in front of her face and looked through her fingers at the enemy before them. Tirek pounded a fist against the ground and laughed before sending his Stand towards her, fire spewing.

“Burn them all, Firewater! Burn them all!”

- To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Firewater!

Episode 24: I Need Nothing to Travel the Sea

“Should we stop for the night?” Ocellus was the first to break the silence.

From the abandoned fishing village, the group had ventured back into the forest as they headed up towards the volcano in the center. According to Leilani, the volcano was long extinct, so there was nothing they needed to worry about.

“Then again, if it erupted, we won’t have to work our way to TWI,” Shiho had said.

The sun had begun to set as they neared the start of the mountain and they had spotted some kind of facility built into its surface. Upon getting closer, they found it was a prison, similarly abandoned like the village. This prison looked old, made out entirely of cement and iron bars. Vegetation had grown all over it, retaking it back into nature.

The group heeded Ocellus’ suggestion and decided it would be better to have some shelter. The entrance to the prison was shattered open from within, with the gates curled out and torn off its top hinges, held together only by the creeping vines growing all over the structure.

“I think… I know this place.” Subterra rested a hand against one side of the rusty gates. “TWI had me duel her other Stand users here. There’s a circular arena inside where I had to fight and hone Crafteon’s abilities. It’s been long abandoned even before TWI was here, I believe. Probably something left over from the age of pirates or colonization.”

“A prison means cells.” Shiho stepped into the dark entrance, unhindered by the absolute silence the building exuded. “I know my way around prisons. There should be beds in here. We can get some rest here before setting out in the morning.”

“In here?” Josher peered down the entrance hallway. He couldn’t see anything on the other side. “Do we really need to go in?”

“Can’t handle a little darkness?” Calypso gave him a pat on the back and rubbed at her own shoulder. Even with her burns treated, it still hurt to move her arm too much. “It’s better than sleeping out here in the open where TWI’s Stand masters can find us.”

“Who’s to say they aren’t already in the prison?” Josher countered.

“Let me tell you, this prison will make all the difference.” Shiho walked into the dark. “I’d rather sleep on a dirty old bed than the dirty ground beneath my feet. Just stay alert.”

Everyone else followed her inside, except for Josher, who continued to stand at the entrance. “Are you for real? After the catacombs of Paris?” When he got no reply, he threw his hands up and reluctantly followed after them, taking out his lightphone to light the way. “I could swear I heard some ghosts down there. There might be some ghosts in here. Just saying!”

“Do not worry,” Leilani called to him from further down the tunnel. “With God on our side, no spirit will dare harm us.”

“Good grief…” Shiho kicked open the door at the end, sending it off its hinges as it slammed into the concrete ground with a deafening crash.

The hallway they walked through led them into the prison’s central foyer, where benches and tables lay strewn across the floor, along with a bunch of cages. Josher shone his light above and they could see more cages hanging down on chains, some of which were already broken, explaining the other cages down here.

“There. Stairs.” Shiho pointed her phone’s light across the room to a dark corner. A doorway led up a flight of stairs that spun round and round till it got up to the next floor. “These should lead us to the cells.”

The rest followed behind her, walking through two more gates and fences to get into the prison proper.

On the way up the stairs, Subterra put a hand on the railing to haul herself up, but as soon as she touched it, she immediately recoiled and took a step back.

“What, what is it, Subterra?” Leilani rushed beside her to have a look.

Subterra sniffed at her hand, then just shook her head and flicked her arm up and down. “It’s just… oil.”

“Oil?” she bent low and sniffed at the railing. “She’s right. There must be a leak from above.”

“Oil… It could be a trap.” Shiho tried to peer up the stairwell, but it was too dark to see anything in detail. “Leilani, Ocellus, check our surroundings.”

The native nodded and spread out her Stand’s tentacles around them. “I don’t feel anything. It’s empty.”

Ocellus had also sent out three swarms of Forest Rangers to cover a wider area, but she too shook her head. “Nothing. There are more puddles of oil above, but no sign of any barrels or chances of fire. I think these are just leftovers from when the prisoners escaped or something.”

“We’ll keep going.” Shiho said after a pause of thought. “But TWI’s minions will eventually find us. They always do it somehow. We’ll have to take turns keeping watch.”

She led the way to the second floor, which was the first floor of prison cells. There were forty cells on each level, split in two depending on the staircase you took. Each cell was about the size of a small bathroom, housing a single bed and a bucket near the back, some of which were badly stained brown, along with bits of the floor.

Each of them took one cell on the right of the stairs, with Josher being the furthest one from the stairs, and Subterra being the closest. Shiho bent down and lit one of the oil pools on fire. That way, at least they’d have some light for their surroundings.

“I’ll take the first watch,” Subterra told the others as she leaned against the bars to her cell. “I’ve got some things I wanna think about.”

No one said anything in opposition and Subterra was soon left alone to her thoughts. And Crafteon. The air here smelled of oil. It clogged at her windpipe, but it was still manageable.

“Do you feel any different after defeating Tirek?” Crafteon said, holding on to the railing next to its master.

“It wasn’t even me who did it.” Subterra looked down at the foyer. “We let Calypso handle it on her own.”

“And that was your mistake.” Crafteon shook its head. “I managed to breathe in a portion of Tirek’s darkness before his end. Imagine if we had gotten it all. You could realize your true potential if we take it all from all of them. No one would be able to tell you what to do again, Subterra Shiver. No one.”

“What would we even do with all this power? All I want to do is protect the world from TWI.”

“You do not consider the future. With all the power in the world, we could shape it how we see fit. You could do it. We could control it all.”

Subterra gazed down the corridor of cells. Someone was snoring close by. “But what about the others? It’ll be betraying their trust if I turn out to be just like TWI.”

Crafteon slammed a fist on the railing.“Why does it matter what they think of you?”

“Because… they’re my friends.” Subterra had journeyed long with them, especially Shiho and Ocellus. Ever since the day she ran away, she’d been helping them get back to TWI, even when she didn’t remember anything. She knew their goals, she knew where they had come from, she knew their backgrounds, and especially true, she knew they trusted each other. “I’m not turning against my friends. If I do that, I’m as bad as TWI.”

“With great power, you do not need to burden yourself with others.” Crafteon swam through the air to Subterra’s left side. “Think about what I said. Power is only for those who reach out and take it. Power or friendship, that is up to you, Subterra Shiver. I hope you choose wisely.”

With that, Subterra was left to her own devices. She looked down at her elbows and sighed. One part of what Crafteon said did strike her mind. What was she going to do after they were done here? What life did she have to go back to? For as long as she had known, she was on this island.

“Do I even have parents to go back to? Did I have a job I was good at?” Subterra asked herself. “But I do have the power to change things. Perhaps… Perhaps I could.”

Subterra pictured the prison, remembering the arena further down into the mountain. It was there that TWI had taught her to hone the abilities of her Stand. She had been thrown down over and over again, but each time she got back up, she got a little stronger and so did Crafteon. Crafteon was a manifestation of her spirit. Perhaps inside, that’s exactly how she thought and what she was casting on the outside was just some facade of something far darker.

She stood there for hours, losing track of time as she gazed on into the darkness before her. The dark had never scared her, in fact, it gave her a sense of calm. Everything was silent and unmoving, almost like the whole world had completely stopped in its tracks.What would scare the regular person instead gave her peace. It was this peace with the dark that made her question herself.

Is there something more to my link with the darkness? To Crafteon?

She had only learnt about protecting others from Shiho and her friends. Before that, nothing of this sort ever crossed her mind. She remembered following TWI day after day, doing as she bidded, even if it broke all the bones in her body. Why did she follow TWI? Subterra shook her head. She didn’t have an answer for that, or even why it took her so long to finally run away.

“I don’t know what to think anymore…” She rested her forehead against the railing. “Is Crafteon right? Is this not the path I should be on? But what about the others…? I can’t just leave them. They’re my friends.”

“It’s all immaterial unless you can defeat TWI…” A voice whispered from beyond their cells.

Subterra’s eyes opened wide. “Crafteon?” she asked. But that had not been the voice of her Stand. This voice was deeper and richer, like that of a confident and proud man. That was the keyword. It was a man’s voice.

“Subterra Shiver, the one sought after by TWI,” the voice said again, worming its way into her ears. “It is such a pleasure to meet you at last.”

Subterra pushed off the railing and looked around, keeping her arms out in front of herself. She saw no one and she had no idea where the voice was coming from. “Where are you? Show yourself.”

She didn’t know the prisoners TWI had brought over from Equestria, but whoever they were, they were strong enough to dare challenge TWI back in her own world. She could not underestimate them.

“Don’t be afraid,” the voice continued, smooth like the softest cloth. “We are two of a kind. Both dwellers of the darkness, both of us with the shadow of TWI hanging over ourselves. Both of us are destined for so much more than this mere existence.”

“What do you want?”

“I care not for the goals of changing this world. But I do care about my freedom. Come with me. Together, we can defeat TWI and end her reign over us.”

Subterra was a little taken aback. Even Tirek,who boasted so much power, didn’t take this as a suggestion. Just who was this?

“You… want to help us?” Subterra asked slowly.

“Don’t get me wrong.” The voice seemed to travel closer, but Subterra still saw nothing. “I am not in this for anyone’s good but my own. I see the darkness within you. It cries out, struggling to be free as I am. Join me, Subterra. And I will free you.”

“But what about my friends? I will not leave them.”

The voice laughed. “What friends? The people you are traveling with? I knew you would say something like that. I’ve faced off against TWI and her friends many times before to know that I would have to first take care of them.”

Subterra’s eyes widened and she sprinted to the next cell, which Calypso was in. There was no one in there and Subterra had no idea where she could’ve gone.

“Huh?” She moved on to the next cell, where Ocellus was, and she made it just in time to see her hand slip underneath a puddle on her bed.

“What?” Subterra blinked. She didn’t have one of those fancy lightphones, so there was no way of projecting light into the room to examine it further. “I have to find the others!”

Shiho’s room was next and before she even arrived there, she had already heard a struggle from within.

“Let go!” Shiho grunted from inside, before the sound of concrete being smashed could be heard.

Subterra rounded the corner at her cell, watching Curtain Call wrestle with a dark arm coming out of the floor. With Shiho’s lightphone lying on the ground casting light in the room, Subterra could now see that the hand was coming out of an oil puddle.

“The oil…” She looked outside in the corridor where there were dozens of oil puddles all over the place. “That’s where you are!”

“Very correct, Subterra,” the voice rang around them. “I am Sombra, King of Shadows, and my Stand, Black Water, allows me to exist within its oily surfaces. I have been watching all of you ever since you entered the prison. I had a feeling you’ll return here. Our kind are always drawn back to the dark.”

“Just… who are you!” Shiho stepped back as Curtain Call yanked the arm out of the puddle, pulling out an equine Stand with red streaks coming out of its head. It snarled at Curtain Call and spat a glob of oil in its face. “Aagh!”

Shiho shut her eyes, unable to see as the Stand remained where it was. It grabbed Curtain Call around the throat, then delivered a fast one-two to its face, knocking Shiho aside before it dragged the Stand into the oil puddle. They disappeared completely and Shiho and Subterra were left with silence.

“Shiho!” Subterra ran to her friend, but Shiho shot out an arm and waved it.

“No, the whole floor is coated in oil here,” Shiho said. “You’ll have to find a way to stop him, Subterra.”

“But I’ve got to get you out!” Subterra had only just set half her foot into the cell, into the oily floor, when fingers reached out of it to grab her.

She gasped and leapt back as Crafteon dived forward, wrapping its fingers in shadowy tendrils, but the hand slipped away and disappeared as ripples formed across the floor, heading straight for Shiho.

“You’ve got this, Subterra.” Shiho gave her a nod, still unable to see. “Give him a good beati-”

She didn’t have enough time to finish her sentence as Black Water reappeared, pouncing on her and pushing her under the oil. Its surface rippled for a second or two before falling still, leaving Subterra and the puddles alone.

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Stand page next chapter! Stay tuned... :trollestia:

Episode 25: Black Water, Take Over

“Face it, Subterra,” Sombra’s voice echoed in Shiho’s now empty cell. “Your friends are doomed. Join me. We will change your fate. Forget about them.”

Subterra backed away from the dark oil and retreated towards the stairs. She had a strong desire to get out of this enclosed area and out into the open, even if that meant running into another one of TWI’s people.

“You-you won’t win, Sombra. You’ll never have me.”

Already, oil began to spill out of Shiho’s cell, pooling around the corridor floor as she got back on the first step. She had to hope Josher and Leilani would stay safe as she attracted Sombra to herself.

“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to hurt you. But you leave me no choice now.” A lanky man with wild black hair stepped out of the cell. He gave his grey suit a brush with one hand before pointing a finger at Subterra. “I guess I should tell you now. You know, I was never going to work with you. It was just a ploy to get you to TWI and be done with all this. Imagine the rewards I would have if I was the one to deliver you. Alone. All me. Tirek and the Flim Flam brothers never stood a chance, but you don’t stand a chance against me.”

“I never trusted you for one second!” Subterra threw her words at him like she was trying to hit him with a rock. “If you think you’re so good, then face me head on! It’s because you can’t, right? If you could beat Curtain Call in a fight, you’d have done so. If your Stand has to rely on capturing others, that means your power can’t be that high.”

Sombra’s eyes narrowed and he bared his fangs. As in he had actual fangs sticking out of his mouth, two, where the incisors should be. “We’ll see who’s powerful, little girl. Black Water!”

Sombra disappeared in a blink, leaving only a ripple as his Stand burst from the ground in front of Subterra, neighing in her face before splashing oil from a puddle towards her.

Crafteon yanked Subterra down the stairs, almost making her drop to the bottom as the oil splashed across the top of the steps, leaking down towards her.

“While they remain within the oil, I cannot harm them, even with my shadows,” Crafteon whispered. “We have to lure them out.”

Black Water’s arm emerged from the top of the stairs, swiping through the oil to send more of it down to Subterra. She dodged it and kept running. Subterra knew she couldn’t get any on herself. If she did, that just meant he could reach her wherever she was. And that was what gave her an idea.

“We’ll need to limit his space,” she said under her breath. “We have to remove his oil.”

She suddenly remembered the fire they had started on the oil puddle above and hit herself for forgetting about it. It had been her only light source outside Shiho’s cell and she should’ve figured it out sooner.

“We’ll need to cut off his territory,” she said to Crafteon. “We need more fire.”

She sent out Crafteon to a portion of the nearest wall and her Stand smashed its fists into it, dropping little pieces of rock across the floor. With its shadows, Crafteon broke off and refined two pieces of stone till they were smooth and sharp, giving them to its master.

Subterra slid one piece of stone across the other on her way back to the stairs, watching as oil continued to descend, spreading down from the puddle at the top of the steps. With one big flick and a grunt, she shot out sparks from the stones and she watched as two of them landed on the cascading oil, and immediately, the entire stairwell was set ablaze. The flames spread up to the top of the steps in a flash and she could hear a shout of surprise at the top before raging flames blocked out all other sounds.

“That will have to force him out. We will destroy him and his strength will be yours.” Crafteon spawned shadows around its wrists and catapulted itself to the second floor by grabbing the railings and pulling up.

Subterra lit up the oil puddles between her friends and Sombra before rushing to their cells. With the fire spreading, it would be a good idea to get out of here.

“Leilani, Josher!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Get up, we need to leave!”

Josher was out of the cell immediately, his goggles dangling off his right hand. His head was darting around left and right, trying to find the enemy, but all he saw was the fire.

“Fire? Again? Is Tirek back?” He raised a hand and curled his fingers into a fist.

“Someone called Sombra,” Subterra briefed. “He’s already taken Shiho, Ocellus and Calypso. We need to get Leilani and get out.”

“Leave that to me.” Josher put his goggles back around his neck and summoned Down Under. The brute of a Stand smashed through his cell wall, and grabbed Leilani just as she was getting off the bed. “Leilani, we’ve got to go!”

She didn’t even have time to say anything as Down Under smashed the railing to pieces and dived down to the first floor. Subterra was about to follow, when a bestial roar erupted from beyond the flames.

Sombra walked through the fire, his back and part of his hair aflame. His eyes were red with fury. “I tried to play it nice, Subterra. I wanted you to live. TWI needs you for her grand scheme, but you’ve made this personal. Not like I cared for her plans. Let’s see who’s darkness is greater. Mine or yours.”

“We don’t have to do this, Sombra.” Subterra raised both hands. “Just leave us be. We gave Tirek the same chance. We want the same thing. We want to stop TWI.”

“I had shown you kindness, Subterra, and you spat in my face.” Sombra ignored her words. “This ends with you or me dead. I was born from shadow. My species were the original rulers of the Frozen Wastes, but the crystal ponies came and invaded our land with their light. I fought back time and time again, only to be foiled by the princess and her allies. But no, since coming to this world, I have developed power beyond their control. TWI may have her finger on me at the moment, but with you, I can have her exactly where I want her. Too bad you won’t be alive to see me finally destroy everything she has built up.”

He lunged at Subterra, but the girl curled back and Crafteon flew at him from behind her, grabbing him around both wrists as shadows poured out from the spikes behind its back.

“You dare to touch the king?” Sombra growled and Black Water lunged out from his chest, crashing into Crafteon with both fists, knocking both Stands back.

Black Water punched Crafteon repeatedly in the face, keeping it on the ground as it spread its oil from underneath it. Black Water had no legs, instead, it could only originate out of the pools it created.

Subterra ran forward to help, sliding one of her makeshift splints against the other, sparking another flame in the pool Black Water was emerging from. The enemy Stand immediately let go of Crafteon and sank back into its pool before fire engulfed it completely. Sombra did the same, disappearing under the oily mess.

“I will not lose everything I’ve gained since coming to this world,” Sombra said, his voice echoing around the prison block. “

Something dripped onto Subterra’s face from above and she ran a hand down her cheek to see it was a single droplet of oil. She looked up to see Black Water crawling down from the second floor, sticking to the side of the wall. When it noticed her detection, it threw itself down at her and Subterra only had a moment to leap away as Crafteon caught her and swung her up to the second floor with its shadows. It spread out a cloud of darkness before the both of them, hoping to catch Black Water in its worst fears, but the enemy Stand just threw itself at them again, launching them higher as they passed the third and fourth floors of the prison.

Sombra slipped out of his Stand’s oily body, grabbing Subterra around the left arm as he smiled evilly. “You’ll never beat me, Subterra. You should’ve joined me. TWI would’ve made my life so much easier if you had just come along.”

Subterra didn’t like the way these villains spoke with them, but perhaps they could still be reasoned with. “I-If you let my friends go, I’ll come along with you.”

Sombra shook a finger. “No can do. You wronged me, Subterra. This ends with you dying here! And so will your friends. Already, they must be close to drowning within Black Water’s oily world. I’d give it about an hour before they run out of oxygen. But don’t you worry, you’ll be joining them soon!”

Black Water punched at Crafteon, but Subterra’s Stand caught its fist, holding it in place. Unfortunately, Black Water was made of oil and its hand slipped past Crafteon’s fist and reformed in front of its face, crashing into its mouth.

Subterra flew back, and Crafteon managed to escape Black Water’s grasp and grab its master, using its shadows to swing itself higher. They were now at the sixth floor, the highest floor of the prison and Crafteon kept itself near the ceiling.

“Oil is a liquid. If you get it on the ceiling, it’ll just drip down,” Subterra said, holding on to her Stand’s arm for support.

Sombra roared and Black Water’s body dissolved into a ball of oil before launching up at them at the speed of a bullet. Crafteon almost didn’t have enough time to dodge it, but it dropped down, detaching itself from the ceiling, falling as Black Water smashed into the concrete ceiling hard enough to shatter it.

The ceiling revealed a night sky that was slowly brightening. Crafteon swiped at falling debris, using it to get itself closer to the ground. Black Water cradled its master as Sombra hissed at the sky.

“Daylight will soon be upon us. We have to end this now.”

“Daylight?” Then Subterra remembered what Sombra said. “Sombra said he was a creature of the shadows. He must not be able to go into sunlight.”

And that gave her a plan. As they reached the bottom, Subterra broke into a sprint, following after Josher and Leilani in the direction they left. Crafteon stretched its arms to its sides, spreading out shadow in all directions like massive tentacles around them. Black Water pursued them closely, weaving around each tentacle as it tried to grab them.

That’s when Crafteon began to close the shadows around itself, attempting to catch Black Water in the darkness. Black Water sank down into its puddle each time a tendril attempted to grab it, splashing more oil forward as it emerged each time. It could keep pushing itself towards Subterra at great speed, but also avoiding Crafteon’s attack as Subterra dashed out of the foyer and back into the tunnel to the entrance.

“I’ll destroy you!” Sombra snarled as Black Water reached out and grabbed Crafteon around the throat. “I will not be beaten down by some nobody that believes their darkness is stronger. I am King Sombra, and you will fall before me!”

Subterra gasped as she fell to the ground in a slide, her throat constricted from Black Water’s hand around Crafteon’s neck.

“That’s what… you think.” Subterra managed a smile for him. “I know your weakness… Sombra. You really… are a creature of the dark.”

Black Water was suddenly wrapped around the waist by shadow and Crafteon lowered the shadows surrounding them, revealing that they had long left the confines of the prison and were now back on the dirt path before it. The sun was just peeking over the treeline now and light was pouring in towards them.

“No, no!” Sombra scurried back, but this distraction gave Subterra the chance to rip him from Black Water’s oily surface. The sun rays touched his face and immediately he recoiled and started steaming. “Gaaah, the light!”

Black Water began to steam as well and it melted away to reform a meter away, but that was the second moment Subterra needed.

Subterra got on one knee and placed one hand against it and raised the other one behind her head. “Crafteon, now!”

Shadows spilled from her Stand, more than before and they enveloped Black Water before solidifying before it, taking the shape of a heart.

“No, no, not that! No!” Sombra dropped to his back and attempted to creep away, but it was too late.

The shadows around the heart were released and what emerged was a crystallized heart, about the size of a disco ball. It spun in place and bobbed up and down and it terrified Sombra greatly.

“Crafteon’s shadows can manifest your deepest darkest fears, and this is yours, Sombra,” Subterra explained. “It is entirely real and it will harm you.”

The heart began to glow and Sombra struggled harder as he crawled back, trying to get back into the prison. “No, nooo! Not yet!”

A bright and powerful light was expelled from the heart, forcing even Subterra to avert her eyes. The blast touched Sombra and he shrieked before vanishing completely, obliterated by that which he feared most.

Crafteon watched as the heart faded back into shadows and breathed in. “Yes, do you feel that, Subterra Shiver. His darkness is ours…”

Subterra’s head was spinning now and she dropped to her knees as her body started to realize how tired she was.

“One more down…” she breathed as she closed her eyes. As Crafteon said, she could indeed feel it, a greater darkness boiling within her, filling her with power. “I can feel it, Sombra’s need to destroy TWI and Equestria.”

“Then you know what must be done.” Crafteon looked her in the eyes before Subterra collapsed.

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Black Water here!

Episode 26: The Deep Blue Hole

The first thing Subterra Shiver saw as her vision cleared was Shiho standing over her, giving her cheek a few light slaps to try and stir her.

“Good grief, you had us worried.” Shiho gave her face one more pat before helping her up, holding one arm over her shoulder and the other on her arm. “You did it, Subterra. You got rid of him.”

“I did…” she sighed with relief. “But I don’t get it. Why don’t they help us against TWI? They clearly don’t like her.”

“If I didn’t know better, TWI wouldn’t have set them loose if she didn’t first have a way to ensure they won’t fight back against her.” Ocellus folded her arms. “TWI used to rule with friendship, but look at what that’s become. She probably had a show of strength, to prove that there would be no way to fight back against her, not with the strange powers she has.”

“Tsch, I’ve beaten her.” The left corner of Shiho’s lip twitched. “But she’s indeed clever with her abilities. Even though I’ve won, she’s not an opponent to underestimate. I didn’t even know she was going to betray us. She fooled me. She fooled us all.”

“I’m sure… I’m sure she didn’t mean to,” Subterra said. “I mean, since her goal is to heal the world and all.”

Shiho glared at her. “Did you hear what you just said? Why are you suddenly defending her?”

“I’m… I’m not. I’m just saying, I don’t think she planned to betray you.” Subterra rubbed her upper arm anxiously. “I… nevermind.”

Shiho huffed and walked away.

Ocellus gave Subterra a pat and shook her head. “Part of me wants to believe TWI hasn’t gone mad. Trust me, she and her friends and the ones who taught us about friendship and defending Canterlot. I owe her everything I am today. But here we are, working to stop her. I still can’t believe it… I’m sure Shiho doesn’t either.”

Josher nodded as well. “Hay, I don’t want to believe it myself. I hate what we had to do to try and stop her. We even had to kill Spike.”

“That was her companion, right?” Subterra remembered the name. “The one who came to this world with her.”

“Spike was TWI's assistant back in Equestria,” Ocellus told Subterra. “He practically worshipped TWI and the ground she walked on.”

“And look where it got him,” Shiho said from a short distance away. “Six feet in the ground is what.”

“I'm sorry it had to come to that,” Josher sighed. “Spike had so much potential to do good, but he followed the wrong person.”

“Only potential he has now is to be mulch,” Shiho snorted. She took out a stick of gum and put it in her mouth. “Between that dog Spike and the TWI Spike, it seems like way too many people are wound up about them. They need to get over it; it's not like Spike was ever the center of their lives or anything.”

“Come on, Shiho. Spike was your friend too.” Josher took one step forward.

“Him and TWI betrayed us, remember? We were this close to finishing Die Die Riches and then TWI decides to assassinate The president of France,” Shiho growled. “That duck got to her. TWI was weak minded and easily manipulated into becoming evil. Even worse, Spike just decides to back up TWI without once thinking for himself if it was the right thing to do. Good riddance I say.”

But as she turned away, shadows fell over Shiho’s face and Subterra could tell she was doing all she could to keep her composure.

Josher and Ocellus must’ve seen it too, so they decided not to push that conversation further. In fact, Ocellus knew it better than anyone else here, because she had spent years on end with TWI. She had been close with both TWI and Spike, she and all her friends who studied under them. The day her mother attacked them was the last day she had seen TWI, the day she had learnt TWI had changed.

“I hope my friends are doing okay. They were still in bad shape when I left them at the hospital to pursue my mother…” Ocellus looked at the sky. There were fewer and fewer clouds each year and out here in the ocean, there were drastically fewer. “My mother’s on this island somewhere. She has to be. TWI is sending Equestria’s prisoners after us. She’ll be coming. I know it.”

“Then we should be on guard.” Calypso dusted her vest and added more green lipstick around her mouth. “All set. Whatever Stands TWI sends at us, we’ll be ready.”

“Here’s hoping…” Subterra herself wasn’t as confident.

The group reentered the prison, this time heading deeper inside without having to find somewhere to camp for the night. Subterra remembered these pathways well, and in no time, they arrived at a circular room with six pillars supporting the ceiling above them. Light shone in from a hole above, carved out perfectly to the mountain’s surface. Dried blood stained the concrete floor of the arena, along with broken pieces of metal or wood, leftovers from a time Subterra wished remained forgotten.

Rows of stands around the ring were positioned on a second floor, places where spectators could sit to watch the battle unfold below.

“Get up!” TWI’s voice rang in her head as she remembered falling across the concrete circle again and again and again. “You must find your strength within. Get up, Subterra. You hold yourself back. Realize your true power and reveal it to us all!”

“This is where TWI trained me to harness my Stand power,” Subterra told the others; a swift shudder passed through her body. “I remember each time she had me face off against one of her Stand users. She had turned all her followers with the arrowhead she created from a Stand geode.”

“An arrow?” Josher shared a worried look with Shiho, who had stopped in her tracks upon hearing it. “She still has this Stand arrow?”

Subterra nodded. “I don’t see why she would throw it out. With it, she can always make more and more Stand users to face us.”

“Not if we get to her first,” Leilani chimed in. “But where would she even get something like that? A geode that makes Stands? It doesn’t sound natural.”

“That’s because it’s not,” Shiho said. “Stand geodes are concentrated veins of Equestrian magic, buried within the earth. One doesn’t simply come across a geode by chance. She must’ve gone looking for it after I beat the crap out of her the last time.”

“This isn’t good…” Josher leaned against one of the pillars and slid down. “What if she decides to use it on herself? Like your grandmother did, Shiho?”

“But if she does, then she can’t get anymore Stand users. There’s no way she’ll just throw that away, right?” Ocellus ran a hand along her chin to her left ear. “She can’t do this without help.”

Shiho clenched a fist. “Let’s hope it never comes to that. I don’t know what kind of power her Stand will gain should she merge the geode with it. I still have to beat the crap out of her for taking my grandmother.”

“In my opinion, she should’ve taken her sooner…” a voice rang out in echoes around the arena. “Maybe then we’d have been free sooner too.”

“Where are you hiding?” Josher had Down Under by his side in an instant. It smashed its anchor on the ground, sending cracks snaking away from the epicenter.

The wind seemed to bend and warp in the center of the arena and suddenly, what looked to be a little girl appeared there, almost as though she had appeared out of thin air. It was a girl in her teens, dressed in a frilly blue dress that matched her curly blue hair. Her white socks were pulled up really high, though her left sock was loose and fell back down to about her knee level.

“Another one of Equestria’s prisoners, then?” Josher asked Ocellus. The girl’s eyebrows twitched upon hearing the word ‘prisoner’.

Ocellus folded her arms and scowled. “You haven’t seemed to age a day, Cozy…”

“Ah, Ocellus, I knew I’d see you again sooner or later.” Cozy placed a hand under her own chin, then spun to face her side to the team as she raised one leg up, pointing her toes down. “How are your friends? I heard the queen put them in rather bad shape. Hehehe…”

Ocellus growled at her. “They’ll fare better than you once we’re through with you.”

The girl let out a strange, somewhat fake laughter through one of her hands. “You may have beaten the brothers, Tirek and Sombra, but I consider myself to be better than they are. I have been granted great powers through my own magic manifested in this world. There’s no beating Blue Hole and me.”

“A child… is a criminal of your world?” Calypso watched her get into a more outrageous pose than before. “Really?”

“Cozy Glow had grand designs, with herself in charge of our school.” Ocellus sighed and shook her head. “And then she allied herself with Equestria’s greatest villains and paid the price for it.”

“But here I am now, full in my youth, while you’ve grown into an old goat, Ocellus.” Cozy twirled a finger in the air. “Who’s laughing now?”

“I am.” Ocellus slid one foot back and pointed at her. “Cause you’re the one going down today! Forest Rangers!”

Her Stand burst into a charge from the shadows, running on all fours before jumping straight for her, arms outstretched. Cozy Glow didn’t even bat an eye. She just remained there, arms now behind her back as she waited patiently for Forest Rangers to reach her.

“Something’s not right. What is she up to?” Josher took out a pack of cards and began shuffling it profusely. “She’s too calm. She’s planned something.”

“That or she’s just too overly confident in her abilities.” Shiho groaned. “Good grief, these enemies are so showy.”

As Forest Rangers reached out for Cozy’s face to give it a good beating, its arm suddenly slid to her right side as the entire Stand followed, unable to stop itself from its mad dash. Its entire body deflected away from Cozy as though she had some sort of invisible barrier between them and it crashed onto the ground behind her.

But Forest Rangers was not to be defeated just yet. Getting back up and spinning around almost instantly, it split into three swarms of smaller Forest Rangers, then converged back on Cozy from her back and her sides. She didn’t even bother to turn around, but before the smaller drones could touch her, they were rounded around her body and to her front again, crashing into the ground in front of Ocellus. This time, she called her Stand back, which reformed beside her.

“Given up, I see?” Cozy raised both palms to the air. “There’s nothing you can do against me.”

A Stand appeared above her head, about half her size. It was a blue armored creature with blue energy coming out of its back and where its legs should be. It pointed its stubby pink fingers at Ocellus as Cozy did the same.

“Dare to try attacking me again?” Cozy smirked and brushed her curly hair back. “Blue Hole will never let you.”

“We’ll see how you deal with Down Under’s brute strength!” Josher sent out his Stand.

Down Under trudged over to Blue Hole and Cozy, dragging its anchor along before swinging it high over its head. As it was coming down towards the enemy, even with all its strength, the anchor curved at the last second, smashing down into the concrete surface beside her. Down Under tried again, this time swinging it to the side where Cozy was, but it rounded in front of her body and swung into its own right knee.

Josher gritted his teeth as the blow shook the bones within his body, shaking him from the knee up. “Oohh, that’s gonna leave a mark…”

“See?” Cozy stuck a finger forward, then curled it upwards as she planted her other hand under her armpit. “There’s nothing you can do about Blue Hole. It will redirect everything you can throw at it, punches, projectiles, anything! Why, it can even redirect light!”

In that instant, there was a flash and Cozy disappeared from sight in a blink.

“That’s how she’s doing it…” Calypso put her back against Subterra’s. “Her Stand can reflect anything we throw at her. Strength will never beat her.”

The rest of the Sushi team faced in all directions, listening closely as Cozy’s overconfident laugh echoed in the space around them.

From thin air, magical blue bubbles popped into existence and began floating towards the team at the speed of descending volley balls. For a split second before they appeared, they could see Cozy and her Stand again, standing exactly where she had been before she disappeared.

“Cover!” Josher had Down Under swipe its anchor through the descending bubbles.

As soon as it came into contact with them, they popped in watery explosions, knocking even Down Under back as it crashed into one of the pillars, smashing it to bits.

“Ow…” Josher rubbed at his own head. “But did you see that? She can’t attack and hide herself at the same time. She first has to reveal herself.”

“That means when she attacks, she has to stop redirecting things.” Shiho pounded her fists together. “That’ll be the time to beat the crap out of her with Curtain Call.”

“But if she moves, how will we even know where to look?” Subterra asked.

Shiho narrowed her eyes. “Redirecting light works both ways. If light isn’t reaching her, then in theory, she won’t be able to see us as well. She’ll have to rely on her ears… I have a plan. Leilani, I need you for this.”

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Blue Hole here!

Episode 27: Blue Hole's Redirection

Curtain Call had whipped up as much of the debris from the fallen pillar as it could, swiping its cloth over each and every piece.

In the meantime, Leilani bent down and stretched a hand to the ground, spending Jellyfish’s tentacles out in a circle from her palm as Down Under, Forest Rangers and Soldier Poet King waited beside her for a moment to strike.

As the tentacles reached the closest pillar to the right, they suddenly curved around, like there was an invisible ball there.

“Shiho was right, if Jellyfish’s tentacles reach Cozy, they would just be redirected. That’s how we see her while she’s invisible,” Leilani slapped her left knee. “That’s how we’re going to keep an eye on her, but looking at where Jellyfish is being redirected.”

As she said this, the area where Jellyfish’s tentacles curved began to move, heading towards the other end of the arena circle, slowly, like Cozy was taking her time, toying with them.

“That’s our cue to move.” Josher nodded to the others. “If we can’t see her, she can’t see us.”

He sent out Down Under to the arena as Soldier Poet King followed behind. Cozy appeared for a second again, turning to face them as Down Under swung its anchor at her and her Stand, but in a flash, she was gone again and the anchor’s strike was curved around, crashing back into Soldier Poet King as it leapt into the air with its knuckles poised to strike. Calypso’s Stand was sent flying across the room, crashing into the room’s rock wall.

“Calypso, I’m sorry!” Josher helped support her as her legs crumpled beneath her.

“Your Stand surely packs a punch…” she wheezed from her wounded gut.

She would’ve stopped for a while, but Blue Hole had only reappeared because it released a cluster of bubbles again, which now swirled in the air in an orbit within the arena. They quickly got their Stands away from the bubbles as they expanded and swirled around, getting faster and faster with each orbit.

Cozy Glow reappeared again by one of the pillars, her arms folded as she leaned against it. “Did you think that’s all Blue Hole’s bubbles could do? With my redirection powers, I can send the bubbles far and wide. I won’t even need to see where they’re going. The longer they move, the larger they become and upon contact with anything, the blasts will be deadly!”

She snickered, then disappeared again as her Stand redirected light from her as a new swathe of bubbles emerged over her head. Two popped into the pillar immediately, shattering bits of it while the rest swirled around, already increasing in size the further they traveled.

“We need to deal with them before they get to us!” Calypso sent Soldier Poet King forward, switching to its poet head as she opened a book for it to turn the words into whips.

With a whip in each hand, Soldier Poet King began lashing out at the bubbles, popping what it could before they could travel too far, but then Cozy’s invisible space began moving again and she appeared in the center of the room, her Stand releasing more bubbles into the air.

“Jellyfish is still being redirected as she appears,” Leilani said. “That means she can redirect different things at different times.”

“How much longer, Shiho?” Calypso called out as Soldier Poet King brought up three of its king towers to protect them from the bubbles. As the bubbles slammed into them, they popped with enough force to shake the floor beneath their feet, but the towers remained undamaged.

“Not long more. Give me twenty seconds…” Shiho watched as Curtain Call began assembling the necessary parts for her plan; It had turned bits of debris into an assortment of metal parts.

All of a sudden, Jellyfish’s tentacles went completely straight everywhere. The team looked around, but they could no longer see where Cozy was.

“What? Where’d she go?” Ocellus turned to Leilani for answers.

All the native did was shake her head. “I can no longer sense her. She’s not touching the ground.”

Above them in the space where the light was shining down from, Cozy Glow reappeared, no longer bending the light around herself. She was floating in the air below her Stand, which released another wave of bubbles.

“I can also redirect gravity, and with gravity able to weigh me down, I can even gain the power of flight!” Cozy laughed to herself. “This world and your limited human bodies. I could do this without trouble back in Equestria. But I suppose I should be thankful that my magic here has manifested into power beyond my immaculate imagination. Because of Blue Hole, I have even surpassed the likes of Sombra and Tirek. I am immortal!”

Blue Hole raised its hands above its own head and more bubbles splashed out from a ring above it, descending fast like a swarm of flies. Plenty of them exploded against Soldier Poet King’s towers and Down Under threw its anchor through a bunch, but there were just too many to deal with. It was like Blue Hole could create an unlimited amount of bubbles.

Leilani whipped back Jellyfish’s tentacles into a ball around herself and her friends, but as the bubbles blew up against the tentacles, Leilani dropped to her knees and cradled her arms, bleeding all over as the damage began to show across her body.

“Shiho, hurry…!” she gasped as blood dripped from her head.

“You’ll never win! I’ll redirect everything!” Cozy laughed again and vanished as her Stand redirected light from her once more.

Shiho’s Stand slid one final gear into its machine and a light bulb on its body came to life, turning green. “It’s done! I need an opening.”

“It’ll be brief, and you’ll have one shot if we work together.” Josher had his Stand ready its anchor and nodded to Calypso. “Ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Shiho had Curtain Call pick up the device. It was about the size of a stereo, but silver and bumpy, with a mash of different parts consisting of its rectangular body.

Curtain Call held it atop one shoulder and placed one hand at the top, its index finger hovering over a white button.

“Drop it, Leilani, I’m going for it!”

Josher leapt out of Jellyfish’s tentacles just as they went down. Down Under collided into a beam of bubbles and threw its anchor in a circle around itself as it got thrown way across the room to the entrance they had come from. Josher did the same, but as he soared out of the way, Calypso took over and sent out two of Soldier Poet King’s king towers, before flicking them forward, bursting every bubble in front of herself for twelve meters. Her Stand switched to its poet face, weaving words into a whip long enough to clear out more bubbles in a fan shape, just enough to briefly glimpse at Cozy Glow through it all.

“Hands on your ears!”

With the immediate bubbles around them gone for that split second, Shiho stepped forward with her Stand at the ready and with the push of a button, the stereo device came to life and a shrill but powerful wave of sound blasted from the device, sending it back as it crumpled under the sonic wave’s force.

All the bubbles before them popped and the entire arena shook, sending parts of the mountain above them to collapse as Cozy appeared in the air, clutching at her ears as she screamed at the top of her voice. She dropped back to the concrete ground as she rolled to a stop.

Shiho placed a hand on her hip, then slid the other one into her coat pocket. “With light redirected away from you, there’s no way for you to see me getting this sonic machine ready. I had Curtain Call assemble this machine to release a powerful sonic beam. It was so strong that I could only use it once and it would affect everything in front of it. Without sight, there would be no way for you to redirect the sound until it hit you.”

There was no telling how much of what Shiho said got through to Cozy after the blast, but Subterra wasted no time in spreading Crafteon’s shadows around, blanketing Cozy in darkness before it reformed in front of her as a tall pink horse with curly blue hair similar to her.

“You pathetic little cretin!” The horse opened its mouth and spoke. “You disgrace of a daughter.”

Cozy looked up, her hands still on her ears. “M-Mom? How…? No, you can’t be alive.”

“I wanted to kill you. To remove you, but your father insisted we just leave you at the school.” Her mother shook her head and her eyes glowed a harsh red all of a sudden. “Well… I’M GOING TO KILL YOU NOW!”

“Nooo!” Cozy flipped herself on her back as fangs emerged from her mother’s mouth and she sank her teeth deep into her right shoulder, swinging her around like some kind of chew toy. “No, mom, no, let me go! Aaaaah! Let me go!”

“There’s no room for you in this world!” Her mother’s voice sounded as though she didn’t have anything in her mouth. “There’s no room for you in any world! You fail at all things and you failed now. Prepare to die!”

Subterra had had enough. With a nod to Shiho, she powered the shadows down and instead dragged her over with one lone tendril.

Cozy rolled to a stop before Shiho, who picked her up with Curtain Call around her collar.

“Y-You’ll let me go, rig-right?” Cozy mumbled, shaken to her core.

Shiho shrugged. “In a way. Curtain Call.”

Curtain Call threw the girl up into the air and as she was descending, it opened its mouth and began yelling as it burrowed fist after fist into her.

“Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaughhhhh!” Cozy shrieked as she was thrown clear through the arena’s rocky skylight, flying so far into the air that she disappeared in a little sparkle above.

“Phew… that’s that.” Calypso sat down on the ground and placed her arms on her knees. “Who knew that little girl would be so much trouble.”

“Trust me, you don’t know the half of it.” Ocellus folded her arms. “If only she had gone down a different path. Things could’ve been different… she didn’t need more power. I once considered her a friend. But she got too greedy. More was never enough for her. And she paid the price when she decided to ally with Tirek all those years ago.”

“And she’s really paid the price now, working for TWI…” Shiho helped Leilani up as Forest Rangers began attending to her wounds. “Did she really think she would have gained out of helping her?”

“They’re all just grabbing at anything they can to be free once again,” Ocellus sighed and sat down. “I know the feeling. That’s how it was like with my mother for ages. It wasn’t until Thorax stood up against her that we were allowed to be free from her tyranny.”

“How many more prisoners do you reckon we have to face?” Josher brushed a hand through his damp hair.

Ocellus held up a single finger. “Of Equestria’s worst criminals sealed in stone, only my mother remains. We’ll have to face her.”

Shiho grunted and took out her flask. “Good grief. What can we expect?”

A shiver ran through Ocellus’ body. She still remembered the powers her mother had demonstrated when they first arrived in this world. “I don’t know. But she makes you see things, things that inhabit your world, unknown to all.”

“Seeing things, huh?” Leilani rubbed an arm. “Perhaps the enemies of our Lord.”

Shiho planted a hand against her forehead and sighed. “We’ll have to deal with it when we get there. Subterra, how much longer till we get to TWI?”

Subterra pointed to the other end of the arena, shrouded in darkness. “There’s a path there, it leads to a junction that goes up to TWI’s headquarters and a mine that goes down into the earth on the other side.”

“A mine?” That caught Shiho’s attention. “That’s it. That must be why she picked this island over any other island out here. “That must be where she found her Stand geode. I remember the stories my mother told me about my grandmother’s adventure. If there was one geode down there…”

“There could very well be more.” Josher slapped his playing cards down into one hand. “If we could find some of these, perhaps we could beat TWI easily.”

“Or at least level the playing field enough for a fair fight if she decides to use the geode on her Stand.” Shiho nodded. “Subterra, lead the way.”

Subterra gulped and went along, bringing them across the arena. Indeed, if there were more geodes down in the mines, they would help with facing TWI, but TWI would’ve definitely known this too. There was no way she was going to just let them walk in there and search for geodes.

“No… I’m sure she has a plan up her sleeves…” Subterra fiddled with her fingers. “This isn’t going to be as easy as we think.”

TWI had found herself before Sunset Shimmer’s tank once again, gazing at her floating body within, following the light bob of her body in the coolant within.

She placed a hand against it and ran her fingers down about an inch. “Sunset, who does your granddaughter not understand what I mean to do for this world? Her and her friends. They don’t see that I mean well. They don’t see that by challenging me, they attempt to doom their world, to watch it collapse into oblivion. Why do they not see that what I have to do to the world is necessary?”

There was, of course, no response. But she hadn’t come here expecting one anyway.

TWI clenched her fingers together with her other hand. She still wasn’t strong enough to go out into the world to do what she needed. After eleven years, her body had not fully healed from Shiho’s blows and judging by how fast they were pushing through the island, TWI figured it was time to find alternatives.

She walked over to her bedside dresser and picked up the Stand arrow from inside the top drawer and held it high, beside her left eye. “I worked hard to find this geode. With it, I had created a small army to help me take this world. If I use this now, it will be consumed…”

She turned back to Sunset and nodded her head slowly. “You used it to defeat a great enemy in your day, Sunset. You needed to use it. Just like how I now need it to ensure your world survives into a new age. I have lost too much trying to restore this world. There’s no turning back for me. I will do what I must… But if I can get Subterra back, there’s still a chance plan A will see light.”

Her Stand, Strange World, formed from purple light before her. TWI held up the arrow, gripping it tightly.

“TWI, we can stop this.”

The princess lowered the arrow as Spike walked in from the balcony, stopping beside Sunset’s tank.

“Spike, I’m doing this for everyone in this world. I’m doing this for Equestria.” Then she looked at him with teary orange eyes. “I’m doing this for you. You died. If I were to stop now, you would’ve died for nothing.”

“You don’t have to do it this way. I’m sure Shiho and the others will find a way to save this world. The right way.”

“There is no right way. There is no way to save humanity but to save them from themselves. Humans need order brought to them. And only I can do it. But I need the power to do so, Spike.”

Raising the arrow again, TWI drove it into her Stand’s forehead. What followed was like the sound of glass splitting, then a rush of wind as her Stand was enveloped in pink light. TWI felt it, the refreshing of her body, the bulge of her muscles, magic unlike anything she’d felt before.

“This strange human world has brought itself ever closer towards extinction…” TWI said to herself as the contents of her room whipped around her, tossed up by the strong winds and magical energy crackling through the air. “But it is time for a new order to rise, one that will save it from the end and usher in a new era of peace and calm.”

From within the tank, though her eyes were closed and her body unable to speak or move, a tear dripped from Sunset’s left eye before merging with the rest of the coolant.

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

We're getting there and as TWI gets desperate, things have taken an interesting turn... :trollestia:

Episode 28: The Mines of the TWIsland

Ocellus sat beside Gallus as she ran a hand along his blue and yellow mop of hair. Both his arms were in slings, held up by a support over his hospital bed.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help more…” she said as tears welled in her eyes.

She had to lure the giant monster away from them, which for some reason pursued her for miles. Only when she had passed the edge of Canterlot’s city that the monster mysteriously vanished. It had been the most grotesque thing she had ever seen in her life, something that shouldn’t ever be seen.

Now all her friends were incapacitated, bed-ridden by the one who had birthed her all those years ago, on orders of her princess. Somehow, her friends had managed to get away from Chrysalis before she could kill them, but they were in very bad shape. That figure that helped her, that being clad in white, it was too strong for all of them to handle even as a team, and with the power of friendship.

“But the magic that friendship creates doesn’t seem to exist in this world…” Ocellus sighed. “I should’ve read up more on Princess Celestia’s notes of this world before chasing TWI over here.”

“O-Ocell-Lus…”

Ocellus spun around and spotted Sandbar sitting up in his bed. She rushed over to him and took his hand. “Sandbar, you’re up! You shouldn’t be up. Lie back down.”

“She-she gave us… a good beating. Chrysalis and that thing… with her,” Sandbar croaked as Ocellus got him to lie back down. “It’s some kind of magic Equestria doesn’t have. Ocellus, you’re the only one of us that can finish this mission. You have to… find a way to def-defeat TWI. Make her come to her senses…”

“I-I don’t even know where to start!” Ocellus looked around the clean hospital room. Her friends all lay in beds around the room, some more serious than others. Smolder had just returned from the operating theater for her internal injuries and Yona had only left the battle with bruises. “I can’t do this alone.”

Sandbar grabbed her arm and gave it a squeeze. He didn’t say anything, but Ocellus knew that it was reassurance he was giving her. It was a comforting grasp, to let her know that it wasn’t yet over. Friendship will still triumph over this day and she had to do this for all of them.

“You can do this, Ocellus.” He smiled. “One day, you’ll have to face your mother again. But I’m sure when the time comes, you won’t be alone. You’ll figure out this world and you’ll find the means to win the day. For us. For TWI. For Equestria.”

Ocellus had left the room soon after that, finding herself a place beside the hospital on the road to sit down. This world was still all so new to them and she had only just understood that people traded here with some kind of device that was quite transparent, though it displayed various images on its flat screen. She only had a hundred bits on her when she came over, but she resolved she would find a way to pay for her friends’ hospitalization as soon as she found out how to change her bits into the currency they used here.

“A hundred should cover all five of them for a week, if it’s the same as Equestria…” Ocellus ran her fingers along her curly pink hair.

The humans of this world had most of their hair on the top of their heads, while their bodies were mostly bare. Ocellus found her arms and legs had some hair as well, along with a spot under her belly. Changelings themselves didn’t have much hair, but they didn’t need to worry about getting hot or cold like humans did.

“I’ll have to figure out how to operate in this world and how to get more money…” Ocellus looked to the blue sky. “For my friends. I’d do anything to make sure they’re safe. This is but the beginning of my journey here. I will find out how the magic of this world works and I will harness it. I will succeed.”

The mine entrance was a gaping maw at the rear of the prison, leading further down into the earth. There was a soft breeze from below, almost too soft to notice, but its sound made Subterra think they were going down into the belly of a large sleeping monster.

She had personally never been down the mines, but she had passed the entrance many a time. TWI’s base lay to the west of the mines, sharing the same tunnel that led back to the prison.

“It looks scary,” Josher shuffled his cards from hand to hand. “Not scarier than the catacombs of Paris, I can tell you that. Let’s go.”

“You’ve been there?” Calypso clapped her hands. The sound echoed throughout the cave’s mouth. “Man, I’m jealous. I’ve always wanted to see it. I heard creepy stuff happens down there. People have seen things.”

Josher shrugged. “We didn’t see anything creepier than Stands, right, Shiho?”

Shiho scoffed. “Good grief. Let’s go. We’re wasting time.”

“What are we expecting to see down here?” Leilani asked as she waited for everyone else to follow after Shiho before proceeding. “What if TWI has already cleaned out the mines?”

“We won’t know unless we look.” Shiho flicked on her lightphone to guide the way through the gloom. “Eyes up. We don’t know if this Chrysalis will be here waiting for us.”

Ocellus stepped forward and a small fraction of Forest Rangers crawled along her arm all the way to her wrist. “She’ll be here. The former queen of the Changelings would never pass up a fight.”

“We should bury the mine once we find the geodes.” Shiho swung an arm around its socket. “Get in, get the stuff, get out, if we’re lucky, we can bury any fight we’ll encounter in there.”

“Right. I’ll lead the way, then.” Josher thumbed on his lightphone’s flashlight feature. “Down Under is built to take more hits. And if we find any geodes, it can dig them out with its anchor. I mean, I think it can. Look at the shape of it.”

“Can’t argue with that…” Ocellus shrugged and followed along. “If it’s any consolation, we Changelings can’t shapeshift in this world, since magic works differently.”

“You are all really ponies in this other world?” Leilani asked, curious. “I do not know why God chose to create a world of equines, but I will not question his judgment. He knows better.”

Shiho coughed and groaned. “Good grief…”

Ocellus carried on with the conversation. She figured it was probably nice to talk about something more normal after all the days pushing on with the mission. “Not all of us were ponies. My species, Changelings, are able to take the shape of anything living or not. Why, I’ve even been a rock before. We also have wolves, yaks, even dragons.”

“I remember.” Josher nodded, then looked down as shadows overcast his face. “Spike was a dragon. I never really gave it much thought, but that must be quite cool. To be a giant flying beast that breathes fire.”

Ocellus chuckled. “No, actually, Spike wasn’t all that big. He was smaller than I am. But you’re right on everything else. It’s a shame what happened to him.”

Josher sighed. “I guess in the end, he died doing what he thought was right, protecting TWI.”

The mine tunnel led down into a larger open area complete with carts and what almost resembled tracks that led down three other tunnels. These looked ancient, like they came from the 1800s or earlier, definitely before TWI found this island.

“I guess it made sense that the mine would be here alongside the prison,” Leilani said as she bent down to prod at a broken chain link. “Prisoners were made to work mines in the old days. This must be the fruit of all their work.”

“I wonder what happened to this place.” Calypso kicked one of the carts gently. “Did they all just get up and leave one day? Perhaps there was a rebellion, or maybe an attack by another group?”

Leilani raised both hands. “Hard to say. There are many islands like this all over the world, ancient fortifications and strongholds of long forgotten empires.”

“I wonder what led TWI to this location. Perhaps she can sense magic or something.”

“Stand users attract other Stand users,” Shiho said. “I think it’s safe to say it works that way for magic too. Perhaps Equestrians can sense Equestrian magic manifested in this world.”

They all looked at Ocellus, but the Changeling just gave them a weird look. “I have no idea, don’t look at me. I haven’t been here long.”

Shiho looked at the three separate tunnels and narrowed her eyes in thought. “I don’t know how great of an idea this is, but I think we should split up. We want to be done with this place as quickly as we can. If we take all three tunnels at once, we’ll cover ground much faster. Just head back out of your tunnel if you don’t find any geodes. We should meet back at the entrance.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Josher gave her a thumbs up. “I’ll take Subterra. I think her ability to wield the darkness will come in handy down here.”

“Okay…” Subterra nodded and went to stand beside him.

It was decided that Leilani would go with Calypso down the middle tunnel and Shiho and Ocellus would stick together down the right tunnel.

“Looks like it’s us again, like from the start of our journey through the Polynesian islands.” Ocellus folded her arms as she watched Josher, Subterra, Leilani and Calypso head down their respective tunnels. “It seems almost so long ago, but it’s only been a little more than a week.”

Shiho nodded and spat out her chewing gum onto a rock in the corner. “You tried to attack us.”

“Yeahhh, I thought you were with TWI.” Ocellus smiled. “I was looking for Subterra to take me to her base of operations. How things have worked since then. Here we are, at the edge of the precipice. I can’t thank you enough, Shiho, for seeing me all the way here.”

“It’s not over yet. TWI still has minions after us. Including your mother.”

Ocellus frowned at her feet as they moved in and out of her view. “My mother nearly killed my friends. She’s not going to get away with this, Shiho. I’m making this right for them before we face TWI.”

“So long as we manage to stop TWI, I don’t much care who we have to go through,” Shiho declared. “Good grief. I've read about mines like this having pockets of gas in them. If the air starts to smell funny, we're going back out the way we came.”

“What about the others?” Ocellus pointed back down the tunnel they were walking through. “If the mine blows, they might get trapped down here.”

Shiho shrugged. “The others are smart. I'm sure they won't hang around to choke to death on poisonous gasses. And if not, well…” Shiho didn't finish the sentence, but kept walking, stepping over small holes and rocks on the ground.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that.” Ocellus pressed her teeth together. “You know, since coming to this world, you all have been good friends to me. It’s nice to know that humans here still believe in friendship. If we can help it, I’d like us all to get out of here alive.”

“Don’t we all,” Shiho said. “I’d like to get my grandmother back too. My mother misses her terribly.”

They walked a bit more without speaking before they arrived at a set of what looked like narrow train tracks on the ground in an intersecting tunnel. Shiho shone her lightphone on the tracks and held up one hand.

“More mine cart tracks,” she said aloud. “What’s more, they've been recently used. See how the rust is worn away on that part? Someone's been down here before us. They might still be down here, waiting to ambush us.”

“That means she’s here. She has to be.” Ocellus clenched her fists. “She knew we’d come into the mines. That’s just like her… She was always good at planning. She almost took over Equestria a few times, even besting the princesses and TWI on multiple occasions. It’s hard to imagine her working for TWI now.”

She had taken only one more step when all the hairs on her arms stood up, like they had suddenly lost the ability to bend. Something was wrong in the air and her instincts were picking up on it. Danger was close.

She held out a hand in front of Shiho and stood still, eyes darting around the tunnel. That’s when she picked out the shape of something round, crouched behind the mine cart. It made no sound, and it was too dark to see what it was without light.

“There,” Ocellus pointed and whispered. “Behind the cart. What’s that?”

“Hmm?” Shiho waved her light over it. “I don’t see anything.”

“Y-You don’t see that?” Ocellus hissed and pointed harder. The light had illuminated a portion of whatever it was and she spotted a gnarly foot with three talons. “That’s no Stand.”

“What do you see?” Shiho pushed her arm aside and stepped forward. She walked around the mine cart as Curtain Call got ready, fists raised.

When she shone her light beyond the cart, Ocellus spotted the clawed feet turning and a rat-like face appeared past the cart, looking at Shiho. It had what looked like a growth on its head, almost like its brain was outside its body and it sniffed at the air and grabbed the edge of the cart with a clawed hand. However, Shiho didn’t even react and she began moving the light around and down the path.

“It’s right in front of you, Shiho!” Ocellus warned, darting forward with Forest Rangers.

Shiho shook her head. “I don’t see anything. There’s nothing here.”

Ocellus began panting, her heart beating against her chest, threatening to break out. Why couldn’t Shiho see it? It was right there and its incisors jutted out of its mouth, dangerously close to Shiho’s legs. Then she remembered the fight with her mother. There had been creatures there too, creatures of unspeakable dimensions, beings her friends couldn’t see.

“She’s here…” Ocellus breathed as she tried to calm herself.

But it was too late. The rat-thing noticed her presence and turned to her. As soon as it locked eyes with Ocellus, it shrieked and ran around the corner in a blink. It had spidery legs coming out of its ribs and where instead of one tail, this thing had three. It ran at her faster than she could react and it leapt right for her as it brandished the claws on both hands.

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Sorry, Nightshroud. I had nothing planned for Smolder, so this is the best it'll get for part 4. :trollestia: Here's to future parts.

Episode 29: (Don’t Fear) The Reaper

Forest Rangers slammed a fist against the rat-thing, but it seemed to barely feel it as it grabbed both of Forest Rangers’ arms, squeezing hard as Ocellus’ Stand began to fall apart.

“What are you doing?” Shiho shone her light at her. “There’s nothing there. Have you gone mad?”

“It’s here, there’s something here!” Ocellus yelled, her voice shrill and panicked as she fought back against the grotesque thing.

Forest Rangers broke off from the arms, allowing the Stand to get to one side as the rat-thing fell to the ground. The broken off Forest Rangers swarmed on the rat’s legs, holding it down and biting into its skin as the main bulk of Forest Rangers hopped into the air and smashed both legs into the neck of the creature. It shrieked and dropped to the ground, but immediately spun around again as its bulbous growth began to glow a bright red.

“What is-” Ocellus’ mind was filled with images of a burning plane, with crumbling buildings and a mass of rat-things scurrying about the streets, pulling people from their homes as a giant black figure loomed in the distance, raising both arms to the air. “Aa-aaaaaagh!”

She fell back as Forest Rangers immediately crumbled away, retreating from the creature.

All the while, Shiho stood there, completely dumbfounded as Ocellus threw her hands in front of her eyes, still screaming. “Good grief, what is going on?”

“Shiho, my mother. She’s here! You have to stop her! Don’t look at them!” Ocellus attempted to crawl away, but she couldn’t get very far, covering her face with both hands.

Shiho ran over and grabbed her before sending Curtain Call forward, punching at thin air with all its might. She had no idea what Ocellus was seeing, but there was clearly something there for her. It had to be the work of the enemy Stand.

Curtain Call continued attacking, but nothing seemed to happen. It was as though nothing was there. Perhaps nothing was there and it was all in her mind.

“Ocellus, where’s the thing now?” Shiho asked as she got her friend to her feet and rushed down the tunnel with the tracks.

“You can’t hurt it. I don’t know what it is, but it’s coming right for us!”

Shiho let out a sharp grunt and called Curtain Call back before speeding up, trying to put as much distance as they could between whatever was after Ocellus.

“This… this isn’t her Stand,” Ocellus suddenly said. “But I think that’s my mother’s power. She can make you see things, things that come after you. They can harm your Stand.”

“Things that can hurt Stands?” Shiho was aghast. “Impossible.”

“Whatever they are, they’re different. They only pick up on your presence once they know you can see them.”

“Well, then the goal is to pretend we can’t see them.” Shiho suddenly stopped and sniffed at the air. “Do you smell that?”

Ocellus sniffed. “Gas.”

“Ho ho, good, you realized!” Both of them turned to see a woman in a green and purple attire emerge from the shadows, drawing a ‘C’ in the air before her. She brushed aside her long teal hair and cackled. “Hello again, Ocellus. I see you’ve come to finish what you started. And Shiho Sunfast, granddaughter of Sunset Shimmer.”

“Mother…” Ocellus said with poison in her voice.

“You know, I had no doubt you’d arrive on the island…” Chrysalis walked in a circle around the two women. “I even guessed that you might best Flim, Flam, Tirek and Cozy Glow. I was a little apprehensive about you beating Sombra, but here you are, proving you have what it takes to get to me. And I guessed you would also come to the mines looking for Stand geodes.”

“Let me guess…” Ocellus got into a defensive stance, stretching one arm and foot forward while keeping the other arm behind her back. “You’ve already cleared out all the geodes in the mines so that we won’t find any.”

Chrysalis spat out a mouthful of air in a high pitched squeak. “If I could find a Stand geode myself, I’d have already used it on my Stand, Blue Oyster Cult. But sadly, there are no more geodes in the mines. You’ve wasted your time coming here, but you’ve given me a chance to have more time. Once I’ve dealt with your little team, TWI would reduce my sentence, bringing me closer to freedom. The first thing I would do is remove that traitor son of mine, Thorax, and end his reign over my colony!”

“If you think you can trust TWI at this point, then you’re sorely mistaken.” Shiho pointed a finger at her as she tilted her body sideways. “TWI will sooner have you killed than release you.”

Chrysalis let out another bout of laughter and placed a hand on her chest, close to her neck. “TWI is still Princess of Friendship. She keeps her word. She will reduce my sentence if I accomplish my mission. And that’s the end of your team here and now. You and your friends were lucky to escape the last time, Ocellus, but not this time. Behold, the power of my Stand, Blue Oyster Cult!”

Chrysalis reached up and out with both hands, hanging them over her head like some sort of boogeyman. What looked like an astronaut floated out from her back, copying her stance. It tilted its head to one side as though it were studying them through its little broken hole in its helmet. Where its feet should’ve been were two hooves, also clad in its spacesuit and eyes all over its body flicked around, rapidly looking around the environment while occasionally glancing at Shiho and Ocellus.

It sped out in front of Chrysalis, readying a punch as Curtain Call yelled and met its fist in the middle, releasing a burst of air as both Stands fought against one another, trying to overpower the other. Then its purple eyes began to glow and from its backpack, it fired out three green energy balls at Curtain Call.

Shiho’s Stand took a step back and whipped out its cloth, swiping it over each energy ball, turning each one into coal. But all of a sudden, Shiho spotted something behind Chrysalis, something that seemed to phase in and out of reality. It looked up at her with its tentacled face and a single red eye in the center of its head blazed into existence.

“What is that?” All the hairs on her arms stood up. It stalked forward on its two arms, its legs seemingly nonexistent as a wave of geometry followed under it, incomprehensible to her eyes.

“I told you!” Ocellus grabbed her arm. “There are things out there that come after us.”

“Yes! Blue Oyster Cult’s true power!” Chrysalis cackled and walked backwards. “It opens your mind and reveals to you the truths of the world! That humanity is not king of your realm. No, it belongs to beings older and more monstrous than you can ever imagine and the best part is… they can feed on magic. That means they can harm your Stands!”

There was a skittering from behind them, and from the tunnel they had come from, Shiho could now see the rat-thing as it clawed at the rocky ground beneath itself.

“It-It’s back!” Ocellus scrambled back a few steps. “We’re trapped!”

Shiho looked between the rat-thing and the new creature, then gritted her teeth together and snarled. “We’ll have to fight them both.” Then she glared at Chrysalis, who was watching them with a smug face. “We’ll have to fight her too. Perhaps if we take her out, the monsters will disappear.”

“In this tight tunnel?” Ocellus called forth Forest Rangers. “This is going to be a tough fight.”

“We’ve gone through worse. Curtain Call!”

Shiho’s Stand charged straight for Blue Oyster Cult, but Chrysalis’ Stand swerved out of the way as the tentacled monster barged right into Curtain Call, knocking it down before pouring its tentacles over the Stand’s body. Her mind was immediately filled with images of a destroyed world, nothing more than the size of an asteroid as it floated in deep space, surrounded by different broken off portions of the planet as fire and lightning raged all around them.

Shiho shut her eyes and grinded her teeth together as she fought against the psychic attack. Tentacles began to slither into every part of her Stand and she fell to her knees as she fought against both physical and mental attacks.

“I’ve got you!” Ocellus’ Stand flew through the air with a kick, knocking the entity aside as it split into a swarm of tiny Forest Rangers, scattering in all directions as they attempted to attack both the tentacle monster and Blue Oyster Cult. “You’re not winning today, mother!”

Forest Rangers reformed into a fist in front of Blue Oyster Cult, but it glided up into the air with a burst of flames from its backpack, then spun upside down as it grabbed the fist and tossed it into the cave wall. Blue Oyster Cult spun around again and released a beam of energy, disintegrating a swathe of Forest Rangers as the rest formed into two smaller bipedal Stands about half the height of the original Forest Rangers. More of the swarm attacked the tentacle monster, chewing through its tentacles as Ocellus hauled Shiho to her feet, who gave her eyes a wipe.

But the attack wasn’t over just yet. From behind them, the rat-thing pounced at them, claws raised, but Curtain Call swiped its cloth around its face and stepped aside, pulling hard as it yanked the creature down on its back.

Its claws shredded through the cloth, but Curtain Call was already on it, barraging it with furious punches as it yelled, “Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!”

It got smashed all around its body, but the rat-thing still somehow recovered and sprouted appendages from its back akin to wings, but without the membrane. It swiped at Curtain Call, who ducked away just in time to be kicked in the face by Blue Oyster Cult.

Shiho’s head flicked to the side and blood dripped from her broken lips. She kept herself from falling over, but then Blue Oyster Cult grabbed Curtain Call around the throat and lifted it up before delivering a solid punch to its right cheek. It slammed its head into the tunnel wall and Shiho did the same as she clutched at her head, groaning in pain. Blue Oyster Cult delivered two kicks to her gut, sending her into the wall two more times before she stopped moving.

“You cannot beat the creatures of this plane!” Chrysalis laughed, curling up her fingers as she bent her legs forward and her body back. “They will chase you until you’re dead. You’ll never defeat me! Haha!”

The tentacle monster was thrust into her and she stopped laughing. She fell back in a heap as the weight of the monster pressed her into the cavern ground, cutting at her skin as she yelled in fury. Blue Oyster Cult threw the monster off of her and zapped it with its green blasts, dissolving it as Forest Rangers stood between them now, reformed and ready for a fight.

“So you can take them away.” Ocellus slid the edge of one hand against her brow and put the other one up in front of herself horizontally. “That’s how I’ll defeat you, mother. I’ll use them against you! If they get in your way, you’ll have no choice but to eliminate them. You don’t control them any more than I could. If they are aware you are aware of their existence, they’ll come for you too.”

Forest Rangers ran forward, throwing its whole body at Chrysalis with a fist. Blue Oyster Cult put both palms forward and fired more energy blasts from them, but Forest Rangers dissolved into its swarm and spun around the projectiles before reforming before Chrysalis’ Stand, clawing at its covered face. Scratch marks appeared over the front of Chrysalis’ face and she staggered back clutching at it as she screamed. Forest Rangers delivered two quick punches to Blue Oyster Cult’s abdomen, launching it into the ceiling before spinning a roundhouse kick to the side of its body, knocking it into the wall where Chrysalis collapsed, holding her side as she panted hard.

The rat-thing ran at Forest Rangers from behind, but it deformed into a puddle of smaller Stands as it crashed into Blue Oyster Cult, smashing it into the wall a second time.

“This is for my friends,” Ocellus said as she stood over her former queen. “I’ve served you most of my life, but Thorax showed us a better path. You should’ve embraced the change he brought, mother.”

“That all means nothing.” Chrysalis spat blood on the ground and growled. “You forgot that it is I who now serves TWI and it is you going against the princess. You are against Equestria. You are the traitor!”

“And it is my duty as protector of Equestria to remind the princess of who she truly is. Whatever it is she has become, she has lost her way, but I am sure she’ll see the light again.” Ocellus panned a hand in the air from left to right. “Your days out in the sun are over, mother.”

Chrysalis wiped at her mouth and grinned. “You think… a few punches are all it takes… to put me down?”

Blue Oyster Cult got back up, spreading its arms to the sides as its multiple purple eyes began to glow brighter than ever. A green aura spread out like a shadow on the walls of the mine tunnels, creeping along like a creature on its own.

All of a sudden, Ocellus found that the tunnel was filled with more entities, each one more horrific than the last. There was a beast that resembled a wolf, but at the same time, it had the tail of a lizard that had two hands at the end of it, and there was another one that was just darkness and a mass of tentacles, each one filled with red spikes all along their ridges.

“Behold, The Reaper!” Chrysalis got back on her feet and pointed skyward. “Blue Oyster Cult’s ultimate move! All I’ve been doing is revealing one being at a time, but if I reveal them all at once, what do you hope to accomplish!”

Ocellus looked at all the entities between her and her mother and got herself ready. Things looked daunting, but she wasn’t going to give up here. Not here, not ever.

“I don’t fear The Reaper. I will defeat you and bring you to justice!” Ocellus roared and sent Forest Rangers charging towards the horde of beasts. “For my friends! For Equestria!”

Forest Rangers collided with the first beast, a goatman with six eyes and split off a portion of itself to begin eating through its flesh as it connected a fist to the jaw of a fishman. Blue Oyster Cult and Chrysalis were just there, a little beyond Forest Rangers’ reach. If she just gave it her all a little more, she could get to her and end this once and for all.

The fishman recovered and opened its maw, revealing a glowing yellow orb within it. Burning hells filled Ocellus’ eyes, shining in all its devastation over a ruined landscape, with giant tentacles coming from the ground.

“N-No, I can’t look!” Ocellus shut her eyes and had Forest Rangers swing its arms around, clubbing the fishman aside as it ran past it, but all of a sudden, a searing pain erupted through her body, straight out the abdomen. “Aa-aaah!”

Ocellus looked down to see a white and green fist coming out of her abdomen, stained red with her blood. Blue Oyster Cult pulled its arm out and sprayed blood along the back of the tunnel as feeling in Ocellus’ legs already began to fade.

She reached for her injury with both hands as she collapsed to her knees, as her body began to tremble.

“No, Ocellus!” Shiho pushed herself up, her head bleeding from hitting the wall earlier.

Ocellus looked up as the monsters surrounded her, looking down at her with mad eyes as multiple arms and tentacles grabbed her. Their eyes and mouths began to glow as more images of the end shone into her mind, ranging from multitudes of dead humans to flooded or burning cities. Already, her consciousness began to fade, but she wasn’t ready to give up, not yet.

“No… No…” she gasped for air as the visions overwhelmed her mind. “Forest Rangers…”

Her Stand scuttled around under her, but most of them got trampled under the feet of the monsters. Ocellus grabbed one of their arms, attempting to fight back, but the monster, the mass of tentacles, pulled her forward and slithered its shadows over her arm, melting her skin into some kind of black liquid.

“It’s over! I’ve won! I’ve defeated this Sushi team!” Chrysalis cackled and began hopping into the air with glee. “How does it feel, Ocellus, to end up like this after betraying me?”

“I failed. I couldn’t do it…” Ocellus spat out a mouthful of blood, which dribbled down her chin, sticking to her skin and clothes. “I am sorry… Gallus. Smolder. Yona. Sandbar. Silverstream. But my friends… the ones I made along the way to this island… they’ll continue fighting for what’s right. For me…” She weakly turned her head to Shiho, locking eyes with her. “Shiho. You have to do it. I know you can… Forest Rangers has already… been working to heal you. You can defeat my mother. I know it. Stop my mother. Stop TWI. Save your grandmother…”

Shiho got on her feet, feeling the tiny Forest Rangers working within her body to repair the damage inflicted during this fight, but her vision was blurry from the tears pooling within her eyes. “Ocellus…”

With one last burst of determination, Ocellus turned to her mother, unwavering. “You’ll never win… Chrysalis. Friendship is still the strongest magic there is. It’s because of friendship Shiho will defeat you here… You have lost.”

Ocellus’ head drooped down as the rest of her body was sucked into the void of the tentacle monster, but all the way, her smile never faded.

“No, no no no, you have lost!” Chrysalis swiped through the air angrily, snorting hard through her nostrils. “You’ll die here and so will all your friends! I am queen of the Changelings and I will rise again!”

Shiho looked down at her arms, feeling her friend’s Stand fade from within her body. She was truly gone. She flicked her gaze back on the queen, pushing the brows as low as they could go as she clenched her fists hard enough to draw blood. “This ends here, Chrysalis. Ocellus has given me what I need to finish you off once and for all.”

“Oh?” Chrysalis pretended to look at her nails and began flicking her fingers with her thumb. “Tell me how you plan on getting through all my beautiful creatures.”

Shiho pointed at her before shoving both hands into her coat pockets. “Watch me. I’m going to walk right over.”

Chrysalis spat out saliva as she tipped forward laughing. “I’d like to see you try! Come on over and join your friend, Ocellus!”

The monsters stepped closer before her, roaring to the air as Shiho took her first step.

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Press 'F' to pay respects. :trollestia:

Episode 30: The Psychic War of Blue Oyster Cult

Blue Oyster Cult floated aimlessly through the air above Chrysalis, holding its legs to its chest as the myriad of unspeakable entities stalked towards Shiho. Chrysalis grinned madly and rubbed her hands together as she snickered to herself.

“Finally. The time has come for me to reduce my sentence… With the defeat of the Sushi gang, I will surely be freed back into Equestria. Once there, I’ll be able to do whatever I want! I’ll plot my revenge, I’ll destroy Thorax and restore my black throne. And when I have amassed my armies by birthing thousands of new offspring, I will take Equestria from TWI and there will be nothing she can do then!”

“Good grief, you talk too much…” Shiho took another step forward, then another.

“What do you even hope to accomplish?” Chrysalis pointed both index fingers at her and crouched lower. “You saw what Ocellus did. She tried to get through my ultimate ability, but she couldn’t! Just save yourself the trouble and give up!”

“Like hell I will.” Shiho took another two steps forward. “Just stay there. I’m coming over to give you a good beating.”

And she kept walking towards the creeping horrors standing between them. The first creature, the goatman, bleated and charged at Shiho, but she made no move to defend herself or even bring up her Stand. Before its horns could gore her body, the goat stopped and looked at her with a tilted head, looking up and down her body with its squarish pupils. It bleated in front of her face, but Shiho didn’t flinch or even blink an eye and that puzzled the creature. It stood there in the tunnel as Shiho passed it, heading next for the fishman and a spider-like creature with six human arms. The monsters advanced as one, but when they too saw that Shiho paid them no attention, they looked at each other and stopped as well.

“What’s going on?” Chrysalis glared at Shiho, meeting her steely gaze. “Blue Oyster Cult’s ability should be working! Blue Oyster Cult, The Reaper!”

Her Stand brandished all of its eyeballs all across its body again and released its creeping green glow across the environment, but still, Shiho advanced slowly but steadily, not even bringing up her Stand once.

“Im-Impossible! How can you approach me?” Chrysalis instinctively took one step back. Something was wrong. Her ability should be working. Shiho was a learned human. That meant that Blue Oyster Cult’s ability should affect her. But why was she walking over like there were no monsters around them? “You cannot be walking towards me!”

Shiho shrugged. “You asked me to try. Here I come.”

After seeing her pass the other monsters, the remaining monsters began to realize she now couldn’t see them and lost interest in her. They turned back to Chrysalis, who sent them back to the void before they could attack her. In the end, she still had no control over such beings. All she could do was reveal them to the simple eye of humans.

All that was left standing between them now was the mass of tentacles and darkness that took Ocellus. Shiho frowned harder, but kept moving as the creature approached, floating through the air with some sort of levitation. The tentacles curled around her arms and body, wrapping tightly as parts of her skin and clothes began to melt into black goo. But even through this, Shiho pressed on, unwavering. Once it realized it wasn’t being seen, the tentacles bellowed and let go, floating past her as Shiho now freely approached Chrysalis.

“No, impossible!” Chrysalis snarled and bent herself lower as she curled her arms at her sides. “There’s no way! How did you get past all these monsters? You couldn’t have switched off Blue Oyster Cult’s ability!”

Shiho stopped and ran a thumb against her nose before flicking it back to her side. “That’s right. There’s no way to stop seeing these monsters besides dealing with you.”

“Then how did you… There’s no way… You couldn’t have been… bluffing?”

“That’s right.” Shiho pointed at her again. “I was bluffing. I could see them the whole time. But they didn’t know that.”

“Doesn’t matter! I still have Blue Oyster Cult. I don’t need monsters to deal with you!” Chrysalis roared and leapt at her with her Stand. “I’m Queen Chrysalis and I will destroy all of you! Just die already!”

Shiho tilted her feet to both sides and her chin up as Chrysalis descended towards her. “I refuse.”

As Blue Oyster Cult’s fist was about to connect with her face, Curtain Call emerged and parried it away with its own arm, then as Chrysalis’ Stand was reeling back, Curtain Call pounded its fists together before yelling with all its might and delivering a multitude of blows across Blue Oyster Cult’s body.

“For Ocellus.”

“Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!
Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!
Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!
Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!
Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!
Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!
Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!
Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!
Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!
Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!
Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!
Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!”

Chrysalis’ body was beaten to a pulp with each punch and she flew against a mine cart and knocked it off its rails before slumping to the ground. She was bleeding all over and the fingers of her right hand twitched as her cheeks puffed up, swollen from all the punching.

“This is the end for you.” Shiho adjusted her coat and sighed. “Ocellus, you have been avenged. Rest easy now. After this, I will make sure your friends get the best care in the world so that they can be back on their feet in no time.”

“Th-thi-this is-isn’t… over…”

Shiho looked back to where Chrysalis was and with all the blows she gave her, she was a little surprised she was still alive.

Chrysalis crawled over to her, pulling herself on the cart tracks to get closer. “I will… b-be-beat you y-yet… TWI wi-will rewa-reward me.”

Shiho shook her head and took out a lighter from her pocket. It was a good thing she still carried one. “You’re wrong, Chrysalis. You’re never getting out of here. You picked the wrong place to lose a fight with me. And you made a terrible choice to kill one of my friends. I have just one more thing to say to you, Chrysalis. Sayonara.”

Shiho flicked open the lighter and immediately started sprinting back down the tunnel. Chrysalis’ eyes widened as she pulled her body forward as fast as she could, hoping to catch it. But it was a futile attempt. Almost as soon as the flame of the lighter flicked on, it ignited the gas in the mines, sending out a sprawling orange flame that engulfed Chrysalis as she screamed in agony.

Shiho ran on, hoping that the sound would alert her friends and send them running as well. She glanced behind once, hoping to see the explosion far away, but she picked up her speed once she realized it was hot on her tail, just three feet behind her.

“You’re not dying here. You’ve got a grandmother to save!” Shiho pushed herself on, willing her legs to carry her faster.

She returned to the area where they had divided into teams earlier, but she didn’t see any of her friends here. She cursed under her breath and ran on, hoping with all her might that they had already left the mines.

The explosion rocked the ground beneath her feet, almost causing her to stumble a few times, but Curtain Call helped out whenever she was close to falling, using its hands to support her and push her on.

And there it was, the entrance to the mines. She could see it now. With one final bout of energy, Shiho took three more steps and had Curtain Call throw her the rest of the way, sending her spiraling through the air before she landed on the dirt ground outside, kicking up soil as she slid to a stop before the prison’s crossroads.

The explosion’s flames burst out of the mines as the roof caved in, snuffing out the fire and caking the whole area in a cloud of dust and rocks. Shiho coughed and continued to lie on her belly as she waited for the dust to clear. The entrance to the mines were completely covered, disappearing behind a wall of fallen rocks and debris.

“The others…” She pushed herself up and took out her phone. Its screen was now cracked, but it still functioned. “I’ll dial for Josher and see where he is.”

“No need for that…”

Shiho whipped her head around to see all her friends outside, completely unscathed, though they were caked in dirt and soot. “You’re-You’re all okay.”

“The minute we heard the rumbling, we figured you two might’ve found something. It’s a good thing we got moving before finding out what had happened.” Calypso looked around. “Hey, where’s Ocellus?”

A shadow fell over Shiho’s face and she shook her head.

Subterra dropped to her knees as soon as her brain put two and two together. “No…”

“Not like this…” Leilani kneeled as well. She put her two hands together and closed her eyes. “May God have mercy on her soul.”

Shiho sighed. “We did what we could, but Chrysalis was stronger than we expected. But it is because of Ocellus that we’re out here now and that hag is blasted all over the place in the mines.”

“Ocellus…” Calypso breathed and leaned against the rock wall. “I only knew her for a while, but I could tell she would do what was right no matter what.”

“I’ll miss her…” Josher spun around and walked a few steps. “We all will.”

Shiho got up and gave her coat a shake. “TWI will pay for this. Even more than before. She’ll get what’s coming.”

“The entrance…” Subterra pointed to the opposite side of the mines as she wiped her eyes. “This will lead us to TWI. We’re almost there.”

Shiho sniffed and wiped a hand down her face before stalking over to the entrance. Bringing up Curtain Call, she ripped the metal door off the wall, frame and all, and tossed it aside. A security camera above the door lit up as soon as Shiho took one step in. She faced it and frowned before Curtain Call flicked it with its cloth, sending it crashing to the ground in pieces.

“This is it. Let’s move.” Shiho turned to her friends. “For Ocellus.”

“For Ocellus!” Josher followed after her in a jog.

Subterra brought up the rear with Leilani, walking back into the place she had known all her life. “TWI. I’m back. Let’s finish this once and for all. For the sake of the world we all live in.”

As Subterra walked into the building, another camera blinked on behind them, spying on the entrance from somewhere in the prison. A pale pink woman tapped a fingernail on her table as she watched the nine different screens before her of various cameras capturing the Sushi group walking into the base like they owned the place.

“So, the prisoners have failed…” she sighed and dusted her hands. “Can’t fault them for trying. At least now we don’t have to worry about them attempting to take over Equestria in the future.”

She got off the chair and stretched back as she slid a vibrant pink jacket off her shoulders as she hung it on the back of her chair. She walked over to a metallic rack where she input a code onto a holographic keyboard that appeared before it. When the holographic screen turned green, she brushed it aside and opened the doors and first pulled out a bulletproof vest, slinging it over a short grey tank top she had on.

“The one thing I like about this world. Its weapons.” She smiled and strapped a pistol around her right leg. She tied up her shoulder-length purple and turquoise hair into a bun before returning to the screens. “Aunt TWI, I’ll handle them for you. I’ll get Subterra back for you. For Equestria. For the world the humans are fighting so hard to send to its grave. I’ll make you proud.”

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Sorry about the formatting for the ten page neigh. For some reason, it always turns out weird on FiMfiction.

And for Golden_Reflection, good guess of what happens this chapter. :trollestia:

Episode 31: Come Along with Me

Subterra Shiver ran a hand along the walls of TWI’s headquarter’s entrance, next to a set of two elevators that led to the various rooms her facility had to offer, like a gym, a pool and even a showers, all the way up to her penthouse.

“I remember these elevators well…” Subterra looked at the small red button that called it down. “I took this from the barracks to the arena a lot.”

“Right. So straight up to TWI?” Josher pressed the button, breaking her out of her thoughts. “Seems simple enough. There has to be a catch.”

Subterra shook her head. “These elevators will take us up to her room. You don’t even need a special keycard or anything. I guess no one ever dared to challenge her.”

“That hubris is her big mistake.” Shiho folded her arms after putting some gum in her mouth. Her clothes and skin were patchy and black from her battle with Chrysalis, but without Ocellus now, there was no immediate healing for their injuries. “We’re taking the fight to her and there’s nothing she can do to stop us from beating the crap out of her, especially after what they did to Ocellus.”

The team was still a little sore from losing Ocellus and the mention of her name always brought silence to the room.

“This isn’t the end, Subterra Shiver. Stop mulling over useless things.” Crafteon’s voice in her head broke the silence. “There’s nothing more you can do. Move on. All living beings die. Even you will die one day.”

“But she was my friend,” Subterra whispered.

“Think what you will, but do not let it stop you. Do not let it control you.”

“This elevator sure is taking its time…” Josher tapped a foot on the floor repeatedly before pulling out his pack of cards. “Just how high is TWI’s room, anyway?”

Subterra shrugged as Crafteon vanished. “I’ve never been up there. But it should be right above the volcano. At the very top.”

“She’ll be waiting. Are we all ready to face her?” Calypso asked, pulling at her vest corners. “If she’s already used the geode, it’s not going to be an easy fight.”

Shiho shook her head. “Nothing we’ve done on this whole journey has been easy. But we’ve outsmarted the enemy at every turn. Together, we’ll outsmart TWI as well.”

Josher smiled and wagged a finger. “Your next words are, ‘We fight as a team.’”

“We fight as a team. We will-” Shiho cracked a smile, surprising Subterra. “I see you’re still good at that trick.”

Josher flicked a card that traveled around his back to his other hand. “I’m pretty good with magic tricks. Always will be.”

“H-How did you do that?” Subterra couldn’t help but ask.

“An old trick passed down through my family for generations.” Josher winked at her. “My dad wasn’t great at it, but I picked it up pretty quickly. I’ll show you once we’re done with this whole TWI thing.”

There was a buzzing sound, followed by the laughter of someone on a speaker system around their hallway. “Too bad you’ll never be done with this TWI thing.”

“Great, someone else…” Shiho rolled her eyes. “Whoever you are, give up. We’ve defeated all your Equestrian prisoners. You’ll be no different.”

“Ah ah, that’s where you’re wrong,” the voice said playfully. It was a woman’s voice. “You see, I’m no ordinary person. I’m the one that’s been keeping the prisoners in line. I make sure they do as they’re told and they don’t try anything stupid.”

“Just shut up and come face us face to face.” Shiho pointed a finger at the nearest speaker. “I’m ready to beat the crap out of you.”

Laughter rang out on the speakers. “I’m not falling for that trick. But I will come out. Just give me a second while I play you something on the radio. An Island Song.”

All of a sudden, a soft singing voice came on the speakers, soothing and gentle, flowing through their ears like water down a slide.

“Nice voice she has,” Josher joked. “She should go sign up for a talent show with this.”

“Why is she even singing? Has she gone cuckoo?” Calypso spun a finger at the side of her head. “That’s a strange… A strange… huh…”

She closed her eyes and dropped to the floor. Everyone else followed suit.

Subterra was the first to stir awake, rubbing at her eyes as she sat herself back up, resting against the elevator doors. “W-What happened? I remember singing…”

Her rise had woken up Leilani, who pushed herself off the ground as she let out a big yawn. “Subterra…? What was that? Did I fall asleep?”

“I think we all did…” Subterra blinked the sleepiness from her eyes.

“The enemy, she must be able to put us to sleep somehow.” Leilani began shaking the others from their slumber. “But she didn’t do anything to us during that time?”

Subterra looked at her body before running her hands down from her head to her toes. “No, I don’t feel any different. Just tired.”

Laughter came up on the speakers again. “Fools! I timed you. It took you about seven minutes to wake up. Faster than Tirek and the others, but much too slow. Imagine what I can do while you’re asleep.”

“Well, why didn’t you… do anything, then?” Josher yawned and got up. “You’re playing with us.”

“Boy, how long did it take you to figure out that one?”

“If you want us to come find you, I’ll come find you.” Shiho slammed Curtain Call’s fist into the wall, creating a sizable hole in it to the dirt mound behind.

“Why are you even against Aunt TWI? You know she’s trying to help your world, right? If she doesn’t help out, your world’s going to end pretty soon.”

“Because she’s no better than any of those crazy terrorists who want to eliminate the brass on top.” Shiho looked at one of the speakers. “We can’t do this to these innocent people.”

“Innocent? Ha! If only! I’ve seen it for myself, you know? I’ve been out in your world. I’ve seen greed, the way humans only care about themselves. As long as those people remain in power instead of TWI, the world’s effort to save itself will never succeed. You can’t-”

Shiho smashed the speaker into bits with Curtain Call’s fist. “I’ve had enough of your pathetic insinuations. There are better ways to deal with them than to kill them.”

“Just like how you’ve killed your way to TWI?”

Shiho whipped around and whacked another speaker. Her friends began to get the idea and started smashing every speaker they could see. Each one was attached to a corner of the wall, small and black in the shape of a box of mints.

“That’s right, if we take down the speakers, then she can’t sing to us!” Calypso grinned as she had Soldier Poet King whip another speaker off the wall.

“Enough, this stops here!”

The singing started again and immediately, Josher fell to his knees and stopped smashing speakers. “Oh great, here we go again…”

And they all dipped into slumber once more.

Back in the security room, Flurry Heart laughed to herself as she kicked up her legs onto the table and leaned the chair back. “Too easy. It’s really too easy. It won’t be any fun to just eliminate them all right now. I think I’ll toy with them a little longer, and then…”

She spun the chair around and looked at her weapon rack where her prized shotgun sat. She had painted it pink, like her skin and on it was its name written in black, ‘Flurrypuffy’. She grinned and spun back to the cameras. “My Flurrypuffy can wait. Let’s first sing them another song.”

Flurry watched them and waited until they began to stir again. As soon as the crew got back on their feet, she conjured her Stand again, an equine-like being with round speakers for hands. Its two antennas on top of its head wiggled on the spot before it pointed its speakers towards the console.

She opened her mouth and began singing again, and she watched with glee as the Sushi group wobbled on the spot and collapsed once more.

“Ha!” Flurry unholstered her pistol at her side and fired it into the air twice. The gunshots rang around the room, echoing around the space as the air filled her nose with gunpowder. “This just builds up my anticipation before I finally get to use these!”

Ever since coming to this world, Flurry Heart had picked up two interests: stereo players and guns. Equestria didn’t have any devices that could play and replicate music, which was one of her favorite pastimes, and guns were just so amazing, containing such lethal power in such a small size.

“Such small things could end entire armies…” Flurry ran a finger along her pistol’s barrel. “Whoever built these deserves great awards. I know humans have a long and extensive history of wars. These weapons have evolved so much over time. Once we’re done here and we get back to Equestria, I’m taking my prized guns with me. My friends would be so jealous! Oh, look, they’re waking up again. Island Song!”

Flurry sang into the mic in front of her face again and like clockwork, the Sushi team dropped back to the ground.

“Ahhh, too easy. I think I’ll let them speak up the next time they get up.” She giggled. “When I had first unlocked my Stand power, I had no idea I would be this strong.”

She figured because her powers were so strong, they could only affect her targets for a short time. It was always under eight minutes, but even a minute was more than enough to do what needed to be done. And that was another reason she loved her guns. Once her targets were asleep, there was nothing they could do when she offed them.

Eventually, the party began to stir again and Flurry leaned down close to the mic with a smile plastered on her face. “Here we go again. I must say, it feels really good to watch you wake up over and over and over again. And I do wonder, just what are you going to try next?”

“I’ll show you…” Shiho grunted and smashed another speaker, before taking out one of the cameras as well.

“Aw, you’re all no fun. If you break them all, I’m going to have to come out and end this…” Flurry licked her lips as she ran three fingers down her sidearm. “And you don’t want that.”

“Trust me. I do.” Shiho glared into one of the cameras before her Stand destroyed it too.

“Is that what you really want?” Flurry Heart sighed and got up. “Very well. You leave me no choice. The games end now. Here I come.”

Flurry Heart walked to the rack and grabbed Flurrypuffy from it, holding it in both hands as she examined it in closer detail. She had wrapped some blue tape around the handle, making sure she would have a good grip on it even in the wettest of situations.

She slung the shotgun around her shoulders and marched out the door, swinging it open with a bang as she walked down an ‘L’ shaped corridor to stand before the Sushi team.

“There you are.” Shiho was the first to see her. “Had enough hiding within your security room?”

“Please.” Flurry Heart fanned her face with a hand. “You think I was hiding from you? Now that I’m here, you’d wish I was still in my room. Island Song and I will see to it that you will never disturb TWI.”

“We’ll see about that.” Shiho cracked her knuckles and then the kinks of her neck. “Curtain Call!”

“Ah ah, just watch as I, niece of TWI, Flurry Heart, take you down once again with my Stand, Island Song!” She raised both hands to the air as her Stand popped up beside her, speakers at the ready. “You’re never getting to her!”

“Wait, Flurry Heart?” Shiho stopped her Stand in its tracks. “I already killed you. You’re not her.”

Flurry gave them a bow. “Well, I’m here, very much alive. I’ll show you by putting you to sleep once again!”

With her Stand’s arms up, Flurry Heart began singing again. Shiho and her friends only had enough time to cup their hands over their ears, but it wasn’t good enough. They could still hear the song and they all swayed before dropping back to the ground, asleep. Josher was even already snoring.

“Too easy.” Flurry’s expression suddenly turned darker as she unslung her shotgun. She gave its barrel a pump, then spun it in the air before holding it under one arm. “Now, time to start picking you off. One at a time.”

She decided to take out Shiho first, seeing as she was the one who had put her aunt in such dire straits all those years ago, before she returned to Equestria for help. She couldn’t believe a little girl like her had taken down her aunt, plus she had also killed her aunt’s very favorite companion, Spike, whom Flurry had also loved like an uncle.

“I miss Spike. It’s because of you, Shiho Sunfast. You and your whole family line.” Flurry wrapped a finger around the trigger. “If it were up to me, I’d kill your grandmother as well. But since Aunt TWI wants her around, I respect her wish. You, on the other hand, she doesn’t care what I do to you. That means I can pump you full of lead with Flurrypuffy. Trust me when I say, I’m going to enjoy this. Very much.”

She pressed down on the trigger and a loud bang echoed around the room.

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Stand chart of Island Song here!

Episode 32: TWI's Choice

Smoke poured out of Flurry Heart’s prized shotgun, the tip of its barrel red from the heat created by the explosion of the gunpowder within. She should’ve been smiling now, finally finishing off her aunt’s greatest enemy, but she wasn’t. In fact, her mouth was in the opposite direction.

“No, how can this be?” she said out loud as she continued to stare at the anchor in front of Shiho, manifested from the Stand of Josher Joyride, which stood beside it. “You should all be asleep! There’s no way you’d already be awake!”

Josher stood up, dusting her hands on his shirt before folding his arms across his chest and puffing it up. “If you’re saying anything, I must tell you, I can’t hear you.”

Flurry raised a brow. “What have you done?”

“I saw your mouth moving, but I still have no idea what you’re saying.” Josher tilted his head down and planted three fingers on his forehead after curving an arm forward. “I’ll tell you how I outsmarted you. You see, you toyed around with us too much. That gave me enough time to come up with a plan. Now, see, I remembered Shiho was having some gum in her mouth earlier. I know, disgusting. But it worked, didn’t it?” He tapped the side of his left ear.

“Gum?” Flurry stuck out her tongue. “And you stuck that in your ears?”

“This is gonna take some effort to get out…” Josher dug his right ear with his pinkie. “But maybe I can work some hamon into it. But you’re going down!”

“If you think I’m giving up so quickly, then you’re wrong. Let’s see…” Flurry looked at the others on the floor, sleeping soundly. “I have about five more minutes before they wake up and I’ll have to put them back to sleep again. Watch me, Josher Joyride, I’ll take you and your friends down in four minutes.”

She cocked her shotgun again and had her Stand rush forward towards the larger Stand. Island Song’s strength was in putting its targets to sleep, but it was still an agile Stand and it could hold its own in a fight.

Down Under swung its anchor to the side, just missing Island Song as it slid under its weapon. It kicked its hooves on the ground and leapt over the Stand’s arm, smashing both speakers into Down Under’s head. Josher’s head rung like a bell, but he still managed to get his Stand in the way just as Flurry Heart tried to gun down Shiho again.

“You’re not getting them!” Josher flung a hand forward as Down Under shoulder bashed Island Song into a wall.

Flurry Heart got the wind knocked out of her as she doubled over, but her Stand weaseled its way from Down Under’s attack, delivering a flying kick to its face before Flurry reloaded again and took aim.

“Your Stand is fat and slow. You’ll never keep up with me!” she yelled. “I’ll take out one of your friends to show you how easy it is!”

Island Song dodged another attack from Down Under, but this time it must’ve smashed through a water pipe within the wall because a jet of water erupted from it, spilling over the floor as it began to wash over the hallway.

Down Under immediately turned around, swinging its anchor behind its head as Flurry shot at Leilani’s body. The anchor crashed down in front of her, blocking the bullets before moving with speeds Flurry Heart hadn’t thought it could move at.

“No way, did his Stand get… faster?” She hadn’t heard anything about this Stand from TWI.

Down Under kicked up a foot, knocking Island Song into the ceiling, then spun around and punched it with its other arm.

Flurry coughed and fell to the ground, her body bruised from the impact to her Stand.

“No way. Like this?” She tilted her head up to look at Josher. “I didn’t even get to use Flurrypuffy on anyone…”

“You look surprised.” Josher grinned and grabbed his goggles with one hand and flexed with the other. “You mustn’t know that my Stand strengthens when in contact with water. So basically, you did this to yourself. Watch this, your next words are going to be, ‘this is impossible!’”

“This is… impossible…” Flurry’s eyes widened. “What was that?”

But Josher couldn’t hear her and his Stand pinned Island Song beneath a foot before lifting its anchor in both hands.

“Wait, no no, it can’t end like this, no!” Flurry fired her shotgun twice at the large Stand, but it couldn’t harm it. “No no no no no no, TWI!”

And the anchor came down and Island Song faded away.

Josher spun on a heel and dropped to a knee, stretching one arm back and holding his shoulder with another hand. “Great. That takes care of that. The others should be waking up… now.”

“Good grief…” Shiho rubbed at her head. “How many times did we fall asleep?”

“One too many…” Calypso groaned and began adjusting her hair. “Where’d she go? Oh, there she is.”

“It’s done?” Subterra stretched out an arm and rubbed her back. “Josher, you took her down?”

Josher folded his arms and stared down the hallway, unable to hear anyone.

“It’s a pity I wasn’t the one to take her down.” Shiho stood beside her body and kicked the shotgun away. “I had already done it once. It would’ve been something to do so a second time. I have no idea how she survived, but she’s off to join all those people who have been coming after my family and that dog with potential that they all loved.”

“You people have the best adventures, I must say.” Calypso clapped her hands together. “It’s a privilege to be out here with you.”

Shiho nodded, then walked to the elevator and hit the button. “Thank you. Thank you all.”

“Whatever for, Shiho?” Leilani asked.

“For coming with me this far. For helping me get to my grandmother.”

“It’s not the end yet. We’ve still got to deal with TWI.” Josher stowed his playing cards. “And she’ll be at the top of this elevator.”

Shiho balled a fist. “I’m counting on it. We have to expect her to have used the Stand geode. That means she’ll be at the top of her game, stronger than ever before. We’ll have to be ready for that.”

Subterra listened as the elevator began its descent. Shiho was right. Even though she had been beaten by Shiho eleven years ago, even with her injuries, TWI was still able to establish her will for her followers, including the Equestrian prisoners. If she were to have used the Stand geode, it was going to be far from a walk in the park.

“We’ll do this. We’ll stop TWI,” Subterra said to herself. “We’ll save everyone.”

TWI found herself on her bed when she had woken up. The sudden burst of strength had left her tired, but now that she had awoken from her slumber, she found that her injuries had subsided. Under her skin, she felt power flow, power that she hadn’t felt in years thanks to Shiho Sunfast.

Her Stand now stood before her, gold instead of silver, blue skin instead of pink. TWI swung a fist into the wall beside her bed and her Stand did the same, smashing a hole clean through the rocky surface. It’s eyes now reflected hers, orange and red with a hint of madness behind them.

“That had only been about one percent of my strength.” TWI smiled to herself. Sitting down, she tapped on a console by the bed to contact Flurry Heart downstairs. “Flurry, what’s the situation with the Sushi gang?”

No sound came out on the other end.

“Flurry? Hello, come in. Are they on their way up?” TWI asked again, but there was still no reply.

TWI got up and walked to the elevator outside her room. She could see it now, it was coming up.

“No, Flurry… I told you to avoid them. That I would handle it. Why did you have to interfere? Why…? I said not to go near them! I said to leave them to me…”

TWI dropped to her knees. She’d given up so much to help this world. It wasn’t even her world, but because she took pity on its sorry state, she decided that under her rule, the whole world would benefit like Equestria did. But here she was now, all alone in the world, with those who would see the end of the world arriving on her doorstep.

“Is this what you want?” TWI yelled to the air. “Do you want to see your world destroyed so badly?”

She looked at Sunset in the tank beside her bed, but someone else was standing beside it.

“TWI, is this what you had hoped for when you stayed behind to help the world?” Spike said as he took one step forward. “I told you, it didn’t have to come to this. We could’ve solved this peacefully.”

“No, no, you didn’t see what I saw.” TWI stood up and puffed and panted. “I know what these world leaders are capable and not capable of doing. Humans are greedy. Enough is never enough for them and that is why this world fails in contrast to Equestria. They’ve lost the power of friendship and they don’t deserve it after what they’ve done! They’ve killed my only niece, Spike. My only niece! I didn’t even want Flurry here, but she insisted because she thought she could help me. I thought she could help me…”

TWI slammed a fist on the wall. “My problems boil down to Shiho and her team. It’s because of them my plan to unite this world has failed.”

“They’re still your friends, TWI. They were my friends too.”

“They were. I know where Shiho stands now.” TWI growled. “At this moment, their lives are forfeit. I’ll do it myself.”

“TWI, please, just think about this for a moment!” Spike walked closer. “You’ve gone too far. This isn’t how anything should’ve turned out!”

“I know…” TWI’s eyes began to tear. “I should’ve had her taken care of long before Subterra fled this island. I’ll get her back, Spike. Once I have Subterra, we can still turn this around.”

“TWI, you can’t. Think about what you’re doing-”

“I know what I’m doing!” She lunged at Spike. “They’ve taken everything from me. Flurry was innocent! What will I tell Cadance when I get back home? It’s my turn to take everything from them!”

“TWI…”

TWI looked down at where her hands were. One was on Spike’s right shoulder and the other one was through his body, coming out his back.

“TWI, what did you… do?” Spike said weakly.

The princess held his body closer and rested her head against it. “Spike… My dear Spike… You died a long time ago. Please, just rest now. And let me do this.”

Spike dropped to his knees as TWI ripped her arm from his body. There was now a gaping hole in his body, but there was no blood and all TWI saw was black when she looked through him. “TWI… I don’t… I don’t know who you are anymore. You’re not the princess I knew…”

TWI sighed and let her tears fall. But then she steeled her gaze. “No, I’m not. And if that’s what it takes, then so be it. I will do what I must. This world will be mine and I will make it all right. Starting with Shiho Sunfast and those that dare to ally with her.”

“I’m sorry you think this way…” Spike closed his eyes as he dropped to the floor and closed his eyes.

His body shimmered and grew misty as his color faded and he wouldn’t even give TWI one more look before fading into nothing.

TWI breathed hard and turned her attention to Sunset Shimmer. “Your granddaughter did this, Sunset. Watch me as I tear her limb from limb, as I show her the power of my New Order. She’s made her choice and I’ve made mine. If it’s a battle she wants, it’s a battle she will have. I’m coming, Shiho. Let’s finish this.”

To be Continued...-

Episode 33: TWI's New Order

As the elevator doors slid open, Subterra Shiver was the first to notice the silence hanging in the air. There was not a sound besides their shoes clicking on the wooden planks beneath their feet. Ahead of them was a straight and short hallway with nothing but a doorway on their left at the very end.

“Do you feel that? Power.” Crafteon whispered to her. “Heavy power in the air. TWI is definitely here.”

“She’s waiting for us, isn’t she?” Subterra swallowed. “She definitely knows we’re here…”

“This place is really narrow…” Josher placed a hand on the wall. “I don’t know if Down Under can move much here.”

“She’s up ahead. I know it.” Shiho was more resolved than ever. “We can take her. Be ready.”

They walked as quietly as they could down the hall, but because of the unnatural silence around them, even their most silent footfalls could be heard if one were listening carefully enough.

When they got about halfway down the hall, Shiho sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “
Good grief, this is taking too much time. Ready yourselves. I’m going to attack. Follow after me.”

She threw out a piece of chalk and Curtain Call whipped its cloth around it, producing a small silver knife. She nodded to her friends and ran down the hall, her footsteps sounding like booms of thunder before she reached the doorway. Without skipping a beat, Shiho threw the knife into the room, watching as it sailed through thin air and hit the wall on the other side.

Curtain Call appeared, swinging its fists around the room, rapidly breaking everything in sight. “Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!”

When even the bed had been shattered in half from a karate chop, Shiho called back her Stand and examined the room. TWI didn’t seem to be in the room, but towards the balcony at the right corner, was a tank. A tank with a familiar face in it.

“Granny!” Shiho rushed to the tank, putting a hand against it as her grandmother floated quietly within it.

The rest of the team entered the room and witnessed what had transpired.

“This is her?” Subterra walked towards Shiho and the tank.

The Japanese woman nodded. “This is my grandmother, Sunset Shimmer. This is where TWI had been keeping her all these years. I’m getting her out.”

Josher grabbed her arm all of a sudden. “What if it’s a trap?”

Shiho shrugged it away. “What do you mean?”

“We haven’t seen hide or hair of TWI. There’s no way she’d just leave your grandmother here and escape.”

“Maybe she’s too chicken to face us,” Shiho said. “I’ve beaten her once before, and there’s more of us this time. Perhaps she didn’t use the Stand geode after all.”

“I somehow doubt that…” Josher replied, looking around the room again. The whole place was littered with debris from Curtain Call’s initial charge, but aside from Sunset Shimmer, there was nobody else in the room. “Stay frosty, everyone. TWI could attack at any time.”

Leilani had bent low, spreading Jellyfish out around them, but now she stood, shaking her head. “She’s not in the room. I don’t feel her anywhere.”

“Impossible.” Shiho felt the top of the tank, looking for any way she could to free her grandmother. “See if you can find out if there’s a key or something to crack this thing. I’m not dragging this whole tank back to the boat. But keep an eye out for TWI. She has to be close.”

Subterra went to check the bedside tables, flipping the drawers open. There were papers in them, and some bits and bobs, but nothing seemed like it was part of the tank. She checked along the walls towards the balcony, but all of a sudden, she found herself at the balcony, almost tipping over the edge.

“W-Woaaahh!” Subterra flailed her arms around, trying to regain her balance. Crafteon latched on to her waist and pulled her back, helping her avoid a gruesome death. “That was really close…”

When she wheeled around to ask her friends what had just happened, she saw that Josher and Calypso were on the ground sitting across from each other, rubbing their heads and Leilani was sprawled across the bed for whatever reason.

“What are you all doing?” Shiho eyed them, still standing beside her grandmother’s tank.

“I-I don’t know…” Leilani got off the destroyed bed. “I was walking towards the bed. I don’t know what happened.”

She took an experimental step forward, but this time nothing happened.

“Weird…” Calypso shook her head, as if to clear it. “I think we should all be very careful. It might not be TWI herself, but there’s something happening here. Most likely Stand related, too.”

She took another step forward, but this time, she found herself crashing into the wall beside Shiho, groaning as she dropped on her back.

“Good grief, what are you doing walking into everything?” Shiho turned, but then she found herself in the process of falling to the ground. Curtain Call emerged and held her up, keeping her balance. “It has to be TWI doing this. What is going on?”

“TWI can slow down and speed things up,” Josher said as he made no attempt to move. “This has to be her. Could it be… that we are moving so fast that it looks like we’re teleporting around?”

“Well done, you figured it out…” TWI climbed up from under the balcony, swinging herself over the railing like a skilled ballerina. She was dressed in her striped top and pants, though with an additional purple vest over her body. “Hello, Shiho Sunfast. Subterra. It’s good to see you all again.”

Subterra backed away from her, keeping an eye on her glowing orange eyes. She had expected to be before TWI again, but now that she was, Subterra couldn’t help but feel the intimidation this woman cast on her. She moved her mouth up and down, but no words were uttered.

“You witch. There you are.” Shiho pointed a finger at her and frowned. “This time, it’ll be the end for you. You won’t get away again.”

“Yes. That’s right. You. My biggest opposition.” TWI stretched both arms towards her. “My plans cannot continue should you continue to live. I thought to spare you, to let you go on because we were once friends, but I see that I made a mistake giving in to my personal feelings.”

“And I should’ve destroyed you when I had the chance.” Shiho pumped a fist up. “The world will not see your tyranny this day, TWI.”

TWI put her arms out, then closed her eyes and smiled. “If you think you’re so bold, then come. Let me see what you’re made of.”

Shiho snarled and thrust Curtain Call forward, rushing her with its cloth spiraled and ready to strike. But it had only taken about three steps forward when it suddenly stopped moving, frozen completely on the spot. Shiho soon found herself unable to move as well, almost like gravity had completely turned against her.

“Like what my Stand can do?” TWI walked out of the way, revealing a golden Stand shrouded in shadow as the sunlight came in from the balcony behind it. “Do you think you can beat me now?”

Shiho tried to speak, but even that was impossible with the power weighing down over her. However, it soon subsided and she dropped a step forward, her body continuing where she had left off before she could stop herself.

“Have at you!” Josher flicked a card TWI’s way before Down Under barreled through the room, carving up part of the ceiling as it tried to swing its anchor at her.

TWI smiled and stepped out of the way before her Stand lunged forward, landing a single punch in Down Under’s gut. Josher lurched forward, coughing up blood as TWI’s Stand grabbed the knife off the wall and tossed it at him.

“Watch out!” Subterra had Crafteon spread its darkness around, engulfing TWI and her Stand before getting to Josher and pulling him out of the way just in time to avoid the knife.

TWI swung around at the darkness, but found she couldn’t hit it. It felt cold against her skin, reminding her of the evils of this world before it collapsed into a single figure now standing before her.

“Sp-Spike?” Shiho was the first to recognize him.

“TWI, you left me. You let me die!” Spike lumbered forward as black ooze began to flow from his eyes, nose and mouth.

“Yes, we’ve got her now.” Leilani gave Subterra a thumbs up. “Her worst fear will eat her up and spit her out!”

“Spike… I didn’t…” TWI seemed to falter and stepped away from him. Then her orange eyes flared up and she stopped. “No, I didn’t. You’re dead, Spike. This doesn’t change anything now. You know what must be done.”

TWI’s Stand dashed through Spike, coming out the other side as Spike exploded in a violent splash of black goo.

“N-No one’s ever countered their fears like that…” Subterra said with disbelief.

TWI brushed a hand through her hair and breathed in. “That’s because no one has the resolve I do for a peaceful realm. One without your human folly. With the Stand geode, Strange World has risen to heights never seen before! Observe. New Order!”

Her Stand was suddenly beside Subterra, grabbing her around the neck as it swung an arm out just as Calypso had Soldier Poet King throw a punch at it. Down Under tried to intervene, but it suddenly crashed into the wall beside the entrance, cracking the concrete.

Crafteon manifested, spreading more darkness around Subterra and TWI’s New Order, forcing TWI to let go as she suddenly reappeared further away like she had teleported; the shadows failed to reach her.

Curtain Call whipped its cloth at New Order, but again, it was stopped mid-movement and before Shiho knew it, her Stand had crashed into the wall and New Order had already moved.

“This space is too small.” Shiho had Curtain Call rip Sunset’s tank from the wall. “We’re going to have to take it outside if we hope to win.”

“Put your grandmother down.” TWI pointed to the ground. “I’ll be keeping her alive, but you, on the other hand, are going to pay with your life.”

“Eat dirt, witch.” And Shiho was the first to fling herself off the balcony, her Stand carrying her grandmother’s tank as they fell.

Subterra and Leilani were next to follow suit, but as Josher was about to follow, TWI screeched and sent New Order out. Down Under swung its anchor, but New Order was suddenly gone and so was TWI, both of them already flying off the balcony after the others.

“Shoot. Let’s go, Jojo!” Calypso tagged his arm and leapt off herself.

“Nuts…” Josher put on his goggles and followed, flying through the air as he sailed down after Shiho and the others.

“Subterra, buy me some time,” Shiho said as she sailed alongside Subterra and Leilani. The wind whipped past them as they succumbed to gravity, but they could still hear Shiho’s speech. “I’ve got a plan with my grandmother’s tank.”

“I’ll help.” Leilani nodded to Subterra. Subterra gave her a spirited glance in return as they left TWI’s balcony behind.

The younger girl turned as TWI descended towards them, rage and madness in her eyes. New Order swung its ponytail at them, its tip now brandishing a sharp, pink crystal, but Crafteon weaved its shadows around, forming two thick tentacles that caught the ponytail and stopped it from cutting off their faces. Leilani joined in, sending Jellyfish’s tentacles spreading across the air as they plummeted, but New Order was stronger than Subterra had reckoned, and it broke from the shadows almost immediately, then kicked through the air to avoid Jellyfish before spinning around and slashing out with its ponytail again.

Leilani dodged to the side, but part of her sash and right thigh were cut. Blood spewed up, floating above them as gravity took them down and Leilani screamed in pain as she clutched for her wound.

“You won’t stop me!” TWI struck a pose with both hands behind her head and her right leg cocked to the left as New Order kicked off the rocks, closing the distance between Leilani and itself, ready to finish her off. “My Stand is the strongest there is!”

But before she could properly react, a king tower appeared in front of New Order as it threw a punch, nullifying the attack and sending a shockwave of air out from the blow, which caused the ground to ripple slightly.

“Not so fast!” Calypso shouted as she commanded her Stand, Soldier Poet King, to change to its soldier face.

It swung its bladed knuckles at New Order, but TWI’s Stand deftly dodged around each one, before grabbing both of Soldier Poet King’s arms. Planting both feet against its chest, New Order launched Calypso’s Stand into a coconut tree, bending it far back before it rebounded back forward, catching Calypso as she fell, sending her crashing into the rock wall.

Blood spilled down from her face, but switching her Stand to its poet face, she threw up the book in her pack for her Stand to weave its contents into a whip, using it to fasten alongside a jagged rock to stop herself before she could slide along the craggy surface all the way down.

Calypso gave Josher a thumbs up as he passed. “I’ll catch up! Keep after her!”

Josher kept his arms and legs together and angled himself down, speeding up through the air as he fought to catch up to TWI and the others. Subterra had grappled on to her again, using Crafteon’s shadows to sling her across the air, but Crafteon just stopped in midair for a second, allowing TWI to gain some distance between her to get back to where Shiho was falling.

“Great, here you come again. Round two, you witch!” Shiho pounded a fist against her grandmother’s tank in defiance.

“You’ll pay for getting in my way. And for the death of my best friend, Spike!” TWI spun in the air and stretched her arms and legs out like a star as New Order aimed both fists at Shiho. “He did nothing that deserves death!”

Shiho rolled her eyes and let out a groan. “Good grief, it’s always about Spike this, Spike that, this world or yours. Enough! I’m sorry, TWI. Spike didn’t deserve it, okay? But you know what, you totally deserve it!”

Curtain Call spun around and with a flourish of its cloth, a round metal ball dropped out of it, which Shiho hurled in TWI’s direction. New Order swatted the projectile aside with one arm, then blinked in front of Curtain Call, clearing the distance between them instantaneously before driving a fist straight into its face.

Shiho’s head flicked to the side, her left cheek bruised, but before New Order could attack again, Curtain Call recovered and began countering punches with punches of its own.

“Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!”

“Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker!”

Both Stands pummeled away at each other furiously, neither of their offenses or defenses failing, but through her Stand’s sharp eyes, Shiho could indeed see that Curtain Call’s fists were wearing out from the duel. She knew she wasn’t as strong as TWI, but her New Order was certainly a few steps ahead of Strange World. If she kept this up, she would lose, that much was certain. As Curtain Call’s knuckles cracked, Shiho had it spin away from the next punch, flicking its cloth around New Order’s neck before grabbing it on the other side. Leaping onto its back, Curtain Call twisted its weapon and pulled with all its might, tightening the cloth around its neck.

All of a sudden, Shiho found that she and Curtain Call could no longer move and New Order easily slipped free from the cloth’s embrace before grabbing Curtain Call around the neck and spinning around and using the added momentum to throw Curtain Call further down. Her movement resumed soon after as New Order spun upside down and delivered a swift but powerful axe kick to Curtain Call’s midsection.

Leilani carefully caught Shiho in Jellyfish’s embrace before stretching her arms out, deploying tentacles around the air in a web formation. Curtain Call and Shiho slipped beneath the Stand, joining Leilani and Subterra on the other side. “With Jellyfish’s tentacles out like this, it creates a barrier between TWI and us. If she wants to attack, she’ll have to first get through this web, which will shock and sting her on contact.”

“You think I can’t get through?” TWI grinned with mad eyes. “I won’t need to. The fall will take care of you.”

Leilani turned to see that they were indeed nearing the bottom now. She could see the Brandy 2 in detail about forty yards away now. Jellyfish began to spread out more tentacles under them, forming nets below Subterra and Shiho as they fell. She turned her attention back to TWI, but the woman wasn’t even making an effort to get through Jellyfish’s web of tentacles.

“That’s right, with all her power, there’s still no way for her to get around my tentacles,” Leilani said, but TWI looked confident. Too confident. “Wait, her powers… She doesn’t have to-”

Suddenly, they were right above the ground and Jellyfish had only partially finished the nets under Subterra and Shiho, but had yet to give Leilani anything.

Wha-what? God, help me.

With a sickening smash, Leilani’s whole world turned black.

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Episode 34: Subterra's Revelations

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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Episode 35: Crafteon, Darkness Manifest

When the shadows cleared, a humanoid figure walked out one foot in front of the other. Its long slender legs ended in talons below, and its upper body was clad in dark armor, similar to ACT2’s. It now had some kind of crown atop its head, with a single giant eyeball adorning its center. Crafteon opened the three eyes on its face, then spread its arms out parallel to the ground as a mass of giant pale tentacles unfurled from behind its head, writhing and pulsating like each one was a living organism on its own.

“With you finally dictating your path and with the darkness absorbed from our fallen foes, we are stronger than ever.” Crafteon curled both arms up and breathed in.

“I fight for my friends,” Subterra said and brought up both arms beside the right side of her head and shaped them like ‘V’s.

“Looks like you had more power hidden away all this time.” TWI had New Order kick Curtain Call away. “Amazing. Come back with me, Subterra. Your friends are all but dead. But we can still salvage my plans for this world. Imagine an army of you! We could claim this world and rule over it in a time of prosperity and peace!”

“No, TWI.” Subterra pointed at her, eyes blazing like twin suns. “I’m not going to help you. I never will. I’ve decided and there’s no changing my mind.”

“Is that so…?” TWI sighed and put her arms down at her sides, seemingly in disappointment.. She shook her head and opened her eyes; they burned with orange fury. “Fine. I don’t need you to be compliant anyway. I can store you away like I did Sunset Shimmer. All I need is your body, conscious or not.”

“If you think you’re going to win this, then you’re mistaken.” Subterra lowered her finger and curled her hand into a fist. “With my will now enforcing my actions, I will save those I care about and finish this.”

“Then I guess there’s nothing more to say to you.” TWI aimed a hand straight up, parallel with the ground, and she lifted one finger. “I’ve been saving this for my greatest of enemies. Little did I realize my greatest creation would turn against me. New Order!”

TWI’s Stand stomped forward, then suddenly sped like a bullet at Crafteon, using its ability to dash forward unseen. But to her surprise, Crafteon caught its fist in one hand before it could land a hit, blasting a shockwave around them as sand was whipped into the air. Yelling, both Stands began to rapidly punch at each other, deflecting blow after blow from each other, meeting fist to fist in the middle.

One of Crafteon’s tentacles lashed out from its back, snagging New Order on the knee and knocking it off balance just long enough for one of Crafteon’s mighty fists to smash it on the horn protruding from its helmet. New Order used its own agility to lean back just in time, with Crafteon’s fist just barely glancing off the horn’s surface, creating a single crack through it. New Order flipped itself backwards on its hands and swung a low kick at Crafteon’s midsection, but the dark Stand twisted its body to the side, curving like water around New Order’s foot before throwing its whole weight in another heavy punch. New Order met this punch with another of its own. Both their knuckles crashed together with a resounding whoop. This time, they fought to overcome each other’s fist, wanting to prove they were superior in power over the other, but neither of them caved in.

“So this Stand is just like Crafteon…” Subterra watched as steam and sparks began to pour from between their Stands’ fingers.

“You will never be as strong as New Order.” TWI cut a hand to her side, stretching all five fingers straight like a board. “I have overcome all odds with the power of the Stand geode. All you did was realize your true strength.”

“And that true power will be what I use to defeat you!” Subterra skipped into the air and touched her left elbow to her right knee. Her hooded vest blew around her from the power emanating from their two Stands as a purple aura surrounded her small body. “Are you aware of the power of shadows?”

Crafteon kicked one foot into the sand and leapt back, swinging its huge tentacles forward as darkness enveloped the air around them, blocking out the sun and darkening the land. At first, TWI felt a chill, distant grip across her body, as though the darkness itself was after her, a raw primordial fear of the absence of light. It held on to her and it weighed on her.

Then all of a sudden, the darkness reduced itself, disappearing into her body like an invasive virus. TWI was about to lift her hands to her chest when she found she wasn’t able to do so. In fact, she couldn’t even open her mouth or blink.

“That’s right.” Subterra dusted sand from her clothes and pointed at TWI with her left index finger. “Crafteon is able to imprint its overbearing darkness on you. Its weight will slow you down to a crawl or even better, stop you completely.”

Crafteon removed its darkness and TWI and New Order could move once again.

“That power is for me to wield!” TWI snarled and pounded a fist into the sand. “You can’t stop me!”

New Order blinked forward, its fist already in front of Crafteon’s face, but before it could land the blow, Crafteon was suddenly behind New Order, wrapping its six tentacles all over the Stand, almost covering it completely.

“And if Crafteon removes all the darkness from your body…” Subterra smiled. “You will be able to move as fast as light itself.”

“That can’t be!” TWI grabbed her cheeks as Crafteon flung New Order into the air above them like a bag of flour.

TWI’s body was thrown into the air along with her Stand, but after four spins, they came to a stop and a pink aura surrounded TWI and her Stand as she floated above Subterra and Crafteon.

“So you can do what I do…” TWI narrowed her eyes into slits. “Impossible. But I will still come out the victor of this battle!”

A purple aura glowed around Subterra and her Stand as her feet began to levitate off the ground as well. The two of them met in the air, striking various poses as their Stands bent themselves lower, ready to fight on their masters’ commands.

In a flash, as TWI and Subterra raised one hand each, palm facing the other, both Stands disappeared in a blur of movement, slashing through the air in purple and pink as they battered against each other in a frenzy of punches and kicks.

Shiho watched the battle below, watching as each flash of light signaled them clashing. “It looks as though they’re teleporting all over the place, but in actuality, they’re just moving really fast, using their powers to speed up faster than the human eye can perceive. Incredible… Subterra, you can do this. The people of this world are counting on you.”

With a powerful kick, New Order sent Crafteon crashing into the side of the volcano, exploding chunks of stone and earth across the shore below. Subterra’s Stand moved quickly and grabbed some of the debris with its tentacles, spinning around and tossing them back at New Order like a slingshot.

New Order put both hands on the sides of its head and the debris and Crafteon stopped moving, slowed by its ability. TWI grinned and floated over to the boulders as New Order gave each one a solid punch. They stayed in place, but once she had done so to each piece, she dropped the slow field and from the sudden force introduced to each boulder, they rocketed back at Crafteon like giant rocky bullets. Subterra instead reduced her own shadow, allowing her to speed around the rocks with ease.

With a roar, New Order ripped one spindly tree from the side of the mountain and shoved a hand down one side, ripping off branches and leaves, turning it into a crude, thick spear. New Order placed one hand at the base of the weapon and shoved it really hard and fast, cutting through the air as it sailed directly for Subterra. Stretching her arms out, Subterra got her Stand to freeze the tree in place before using its tentacles to tear it to shreds.

“It seems we are equally matched in power…” TWI pointed her index finger at her own nose. She looked furious, and her hair was all out of place, but TWI didn’t seem to care any more. “I’m done playing around. It’s time we end this, Subterra.”

New Order attempted to slow Crafteon to a stop, but Crafteon blinked away from its view, reappearing on its right flank as it attempted to do the same to it. New Order did the same thing, moving at light speed with TWI as they dodged Crafteon’s shadows.

This kept going on, with both of them attempting to get ahold of the other.

“Sooner or later, she will make a mistake and then she’ll be mine.” TWI grinned to herself as she flew in an arc above Subterra and Crafteon. “But that means the same thing for me. I can’t mess up now, or it could potentially be over for me in that instant.”

That’s when an idea hatched in her mind. To deal with Subterra, she’d need a distraction on a grand scale. Stretching both arms out, TWI flew up into the air, heading for the top of the volcano where her room was closely situated. Subterra propelled herself and her Stand along after her in hot pursuit, keeping close to avoid losing sight of her.

TWI spun around occasionally, attempting to slow Subterra, but the two of them kept blinking around, getting closer to the top faster and faster. With the intense concentration they both needed to maintain their abilities, they couldn’t travel at lightspeed for too long, nor could they slow each other for very long either.

Arriving at the top, TWI flew over the lip of the volcano and right into the crater, kicking up a corner of the edge with a foot before descending. Subterra and Crafteon had to maneuver through the flying stone fragments, smashing them apart where they could with Crafteon’s tentacles, but TWI had already reached her destination.

With a furious yell, New Order plunged its fist into the center of the dormant crater, hitting it hard enough to blast a portion of the ground apart and giving her a hole that let straight down an ancient magma vent.

“With the volcano now lying dormant, who knows when it will erupt again.” TWI cackled. “But with New Order on my side, I could speed it up to a point where it could happen. New Order!”

A wave of pink energy pulsed out from around her Stand, and the volcano and ground began to rumble.

“What did you do?” Subterra dropped to her feet across from TWI, pointing an accusing finger at her.

TWI continued to laugh. “With New Order, I have sped up the volcano’s dormant phase, awakening its channels and vents from deep in the earth. With the world proceeding further towards destruction, I had also wagered it would be about time the Ring of Fire would become active again. So here is my gift to you, Subterra. Let the fireworks begin!”

Lava erupted out of the vent, blasting a plume of flames and molten rock high into the sky. With the entire island shaking now, more of the land began to grow unstable and Subterra knew that if she allowed this to continue, the entire island would be obliterated. Reaching for the pillar of fire, she had Crafteon slow it down, stopping it in place.

“TWI had sped up the process, but I can’t reverse it,” Subterra said to herself. “All I can do is slow it down. Stop it, but I cannot remove it. There’s no choice. We have to end this and get off the island before it’s too late.”

Crafteon let go of the plume and immediately, the lava raged around her in a shower of red and orange, pouring down the sides of the crater like syrup as she returned to the air with her Stand. During that commotion, she had lost sight of TWI. That had been a mistake, but TWI had also not just taken her down right there and then.

“That must mean…” A foreboding shadow fell upon Subterra, not of her own doing. She looked up just in time to see a giant building plummeting down at her. She barely had time to open her mouth in shock before the structure smashed down into her.

“SECRET HEADQUARTERS DAAA!” TWI yelled as she crushed her room against the crater. And that wasn’t enough. With her Stand, she began punching rapidly at the building, further smashing it into the volcano. “Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker!”

The impact of each punch further deteriorated the integrity of the crater’s surface, breaking it apart and letting more of the lava burst out. With her job done, TWI returned to the air, laughing as she dusted her hands. “With the Ring of Fire active, it would certainly help to take apart some of the governments before I get back out there. Now, all I have to do is dig Subterra’s body out from this and my future soldiers will be almost as powerful as me. No one in the world will be able to stop us from beginning the healing process!”

TWI looked down at the ruins of her headquarters. Sure, she did most of the damage herself, but in the end, she could easily rebuild it. She could rebuild it all. She had done it all on her own even when she had been injured. From the ground up. With a whole army of powerful Stand users on her side, it was only going to be a matter of time till her plans could be fulfilled and this world could be saved, brought under order by her rule.

Away from the island, TWI spotted another eruption on a smaller island up to the north. Already, widespread destruction was beginning and it was through this turmoil that TWI would make her move to the world, to promise to lead its people and to bring about change all the leaders have given them with empty promises.

“Flurry. Spike. I can do this. I will do this.” TWI’s orange eyes glowed to match the red sky as she clenched her fists with steely resolve.

She was about to fly back down and deal with Shiho, but something hard suddenly slammed into her cheek and she was knocked right into the side of the crater, shattering a hole through it and back into the elevator shaft of her secret fortress.

Subterra suddenly crashed into her before she could recover, holding her down with Crafteon. She looked disheveled and bloody, but otherwise, she still retained all her limbs.

“How are you still in one piece?” TWI asked, aghast with disbelief. “There’s no way you could’ve walked away from me dropping my secret base on you!”

Subterra waved a finger in TWI’s face. “Not if I wasn’t there to begin with. Crafteon has all power over the darkness. I simply left behind a shadowy afterimage of myself to avoid your attack and used the flowing lava as a distraction, just like you had.”

“Nevermind then. The first plan will have to do.” New Order’s arms enveloped TWI’s and she shoved Crafteon and Subterra off of her. “I’ll slow you to a standstill and destroy you!”

In the narrow space of the elevator shaft, New Order began to bombard Crafteon with rapid punches, who blocked it with its tentacles, but that was the chance TWI needed. With a direct line of sight to its cluster of tentacles, New Order used its slow ability and stopped Crafteon and Subterra in their tracks.

“I got you now!”

New Order grappled the Crafteon and pushed off the back of the shaft, tearing apart the steel on the other side as they flew back out into the open. New Order yelled as it moved itself around Crafteon’s protection, punching it in the back twice before her slow field wore off.

Subterra gasped in pain as the injuries reflected on her own back, spilling a single trail of blood down her chin.

“New Order!” Before she could react, TWI had frozen her in place again, delivering a series of punches all over her body for as long as New Order’s slow field would last. “Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker!”

With a powerful right hook, New Order’s ability wore off and Crafteon and Subterra were launched back down the side of the volcano, overtaking the flowing lava and bouncing against one of the smaller mounds along its surface before tumbling the rest of the way down.

Subterra crashed into a palm tree, smashing it in half before rolling to a stop against the beach. She pushed herself on her back and coughed, trying to reach her back to hold it, but her arm wasn’t long enough to do so.

“Get up, Subterra Shiver.” Crafteon was by her side. “The fight is not over yet.”

“Easy for you… to say…” Subterra groaned and mustered enough strength to raise her head off the sand. Blood trailed down from her hairline, staining her hoodie and striped shirt a dark red. “But… I’m not going to… let TWI win.”

Subterra put all her strength into her arms and she eventually managed to get back on her feet. Blood trailed down injuries all over her body, dripping to the sand below around her feet and painting crimson dots there.

Soon, TWI crashed back into the sand across from her, shooting sand all around them. The sand that got into her wounds stung and Subterra closed one eye as she winced from the pain, doing all she could to keep herself standing.

“Give it up.” TWI took two steps forward on tiptoes, folding one arm across her chest. Her other hand rested on the first and her fingertips touched the side of her right brow in a macabre salute. “I’ve won. You can’t beat me. Look at you, you can barely move. If your Stand were to go up against mine now, I would clearly have the advantage over you in terms of pure power. You put up a good fight, better than I could’ve ever anticipated, but it’s over now.”

“N-No… Not yet.” Subterra spat out a mouthful of blood on some rocks to her side. “I won’t give up. I won’t give in. You won’t take me back, TWI.”

“I’m not asking, Subterra.” TWI twirled her fingers close to her face and the expression on TWI’s face grew even more manic. “You know how important this mission is to me. I want this world to be as good as Equestria. But Shiho Sunfast had to get in my way. Why do you even follow her? She killed my dearest companion Spike, before he could even realize his full potential. And my niece, Flurry, she was so young. Why would you follow a monster like her?”

The sky above was already a deep red and the sand below their feet looked like it had become orange. With her loss of blood, even her skin and hair had become different colors in her eyes. Everything around her seemed off in color. But this was far from over.

Subterra took one wobbly step forward, her breathing fast and shallow. She could feel the broken ribs in her chest with every breath. “Because… She's my friend. And you might’ve lost sight on what friendship means, but I have not. Craft-Crafteon…!”

Subterra’s Stand exploded a wave of darkness around itself and its master, but as soon as it reached three feet ahead, everything stopped in place and TWI attempted to hold back a laugh. She failed.

“You might be able to do what New Order does…” TWI stepped closer, eyes wide and crazed. “But your Stand has to rely on moving darkness around. New Order can do it instantly.” She got right up in Subterra’s face and put her own arm out. She drove her knuckles into Subterra’s abdomen and twisted her arm. “Prepare to live the rest of your life as a vegetable, Subterra.”

TWI was so focused on winning that she failed to see a grey fist smash into the side of her head, knocking her to the ground. She smacked the other side of her head against a rock and stars blew up in her eyes, her vision spinning and blurry.

“Who was that? That couldn’t have been Shiho.” TWI turned her head to face up, but to her confusion, it was Crafteon standing before her, a fist held up beside its three eyes.

“My slow field must’ve worn off. Gah! You won’t get me! New Order!” TWI’s Stand stopped Subterra and Crafteon in their tracks again, but TWI didn’t even have the chance to stand when Crafteon suddenly spun and lashed a tentacle out at her. New Order stepped in and blocked it, but the impact made it slide back an inch. “How are you moving? New Order’s working its ability on you!”

Subterra tapped the corner of her head with her index finger and she narrowed her eyes at TWI. “All your power does is slow me down. It might slow me to the point where it looks like I’m frozen in time, but it’s still only a slowing effect. Since Crafteon can do what New Order can do, I’ve been lightening the darkness on my Stand and I. Doing so speeds it up, but that also means its speed up can cancel your slow field, bringing me back to normal speed.”

Crafteon swung a tentacle under New Order’s legs, knocking it off balance once again. While it was falling, Crafteon curled the ends of all its tentacles and slammed each one into New Order’s body one after the other like a barrage of punches.

TWI was thrown back with her Stand as blood flew from her mouth. She was thrown into a boulder and almost had time to recover. Almost. Crafteon struck again as New Order’s slow effect diminished, allowing it to move faster and hit harder, smashing her further into the rock with each blow.

“Because I activated my speedup later than your slow down, I still have a few more seconds to beat you down at lightspeed.” Subterra pointed at TWI and wiped blood from her face. “I’ll make sure to return everything you gave me! Crafteon, go!”

Manifesting its all-encompassing darkness, Crafteon jabbed both hands forward, fingers curled into hooks as the darkness around it did the same, forming into shadowy claws as they grabbed both of New Order’s arms. They pulled up and to the side, keeping New Order in place as Crafteon threw a flurry of powerful punches at its enemy’s body.

“For my friends.” Subterra put two fingers under her right eye and the palm of her left hand against her right elbow.

Crafteon’s mouth opened in a silent scream as New Order and TWI were beaten up all around, with circular imprints being reflected on the surface of their bodies after each blow. Once it was pleased, Crafteon stepped back, putting all six of its huge tentacles together before flicking them into TWI at the same time. TWI smashed through the rock she had been burrowed into, shattering it into pieces as her body was propelled into the jungle next to the path leading up to her headquarters.

Subterra clapped both her hands together, then dropped to her knees as she panted hard. “Fi-Finally… it’s done… We did it. We kept the world safe from TWI…”

Crafteon nodded and put a hand on its master’s shoulder.

Subterra fell back on the sand, watching the sky and the smoke that was pouring into it from the volcano. As the island wasn’t very big, they didn’t have long before it would be overtaken by lava. She needed to find Shiho and the others, but she was just so tired. The battle had really taken everything in her to win.

“SUBTERRA!”

And it seemed it wasn’t yet over.

To her disbelief, TWI and New Order smashed a tree at the edge of the jungle apart, walking back out into the beach. TWI was limping hard and one arm seemed to be dislocated, but she still approached, fury written all over her bruised and bloody face.

“I’m… still… alive!” TWI wheezed and laughed as she stalked over on one good leg. “I’m going… to enjoy this now…”

New Order raised a hand, all its fingers straight, ready to cut down into Subterra. The girl exhaled, but she could not seem to find the strength to call forth her Stand ti protect herself. As its hand came down, Subterra prepared herself for the worst, but from her left, something metallic shot out into New Order’s hand as it was coming down, spearing through its palm and knocking it to the side.

“W-What?” Both Subterra and TWI turned to see Shiho Sunfast standing to the left of their position, her Stand behind her, holding its cloth around both shoulders.

Shiho glared at TWI and tucked both hands into her coat pockets. “TWI, I still have to pay you back for taking my granny.”

“Pay… back?” TWI almost couldn’t believe her ears. “You took Spike from me! Flurry Heart. My loyal followers on this island! You think I’m the one that needs to pay back anything?”

A glint shone through Shiho’s right eye. “Yes. Yes. Yes. YES!”

Curtain Call flicked its cloth into New Order’s face, then as it was distracted, it covered the distance in a single stride and its fists were already flying at the golden-clad Stand.

“Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!”

With that last finishing punch, Curtain Call leapt up and delivered it to the top of New Order’s head, smashing it down into the ground as the volcano roared above them, spewing up more lava and smoke as the island began to rumble harder.

“No… I won’t be beaten… I can’t be…” TWI got up, her mouth and nose stained red from her own blood. “This… is not the end.”

“Oh yeah?” Shiho raised the corner of her eyebrow. “Looks like the end to me.”

Curtain Call was about to punch her again, but New Order stopped its fist, even in TWI’s weakened state. New Order pulled its fist down and hissed at Curtain Call, but suddenly stopped dead in place as darkness gathered over it.

But this time, more and more darkness gathered over New Order, pouring in from all directions as even the air to about twenty feet got darker, blocking out their view of the eruption.

TWI found that she could no longer move once again, but something about this was different. It was as though there was a weight growing on her shoulders, as though the darkness itself was gaining weight. Then she remembered Subterra’s trick from earlier. What if she could speed up New Order as well? That would nullify Crafteon’s weight on it.

New Order began to move once more, though incredibly slowly. Above it, the darkness still continued to grow, forcing the Stand down on one knee.

“N-No, what is going… on?” TWI struggled to utter those words, feeling something that she had not felt in many long years. Uncertainty.

“Crafteon can continue to gather its darkness for as long as the ability lasts,” Subterra explained. “So it can do more than just slow you down. I can even subdue you with overwhelming darkness.”

“I will… not be beaten… by the likes of you…!” TWI grunted in desperation. “New Order!”

Her Stand put its back into it and fought against the dark weight over its shoulders. One knee wobbled, but it managed to get it off the ground. With rage in its eyes and TWI’s, it swung its one good arm in an attempt at a punch at Shiho, hoping to at least take one of them down, but Curtain Call stepped into the way and countered it with a vicious uppercut right under New Order’s elbow.

The armor on its elbow shattered and white energy began to crackle all through New Order’s arm, going up to its wrist and shoulder.

“No, no no no no nonononononono nooo!” TWI flailed her arm wildly as the energy began to burst out of her body as well. “All I wanted was what’s best for this world…!”

Both New Order and TWI’s bodies began to crack and burst and once it got to their knees, their legs blew apart and they were immediately pushed down into the ground by the sheer force of the darkness above them, disappearing from sight as the light traveled to their chests. Rays of pure white energy swirled and churned from within the shroud of darkness, but it would not overcome it. There was a faint echo of TWI screeching within the shadows, but when Subterra could no longer keep up Crafteon’s ability, the darkness faded away and there was no sign of TWI save for a few shreds of white light that soon fluttered away in the breeze. Finally, TWI was no more.

“Can you walk?” Shiho wasted no time in coming to Subterra’s aid, propping her up with Curtain Call as they looked at the volcano. Already, the lava had reached the jungles below and was in the process of burning all of it down.

Subterra nodded her head weakly. Her battle with TWI had really taken everything she had. But they had done it. They had actually done it. “It’s over… I can’t believe it…”

“No time for that now.” Shiho began walking with her back towards the Brandy 2 at the docks, which had miraculously survived everything that had happened. “I got everyone… their bodies, what I could, at least. They’re all safe on the boat. My granny’s there too. I just brought the whole tank. And Josher’s in bad condition, but he’ll pull through at least.”

Subterra followed her all the way to the stairs leading up to the docks, but stopped and turned around, holding on to the railings for support. She gave the volcano and TWI’s base one last look. She’d come so far ever since escaping the island. It felt like eons had passed since she had done so, and now looking back on her life, she wanted nothing more than to finally let this place go.

“So long, TWI…” she mumbled, then carried on towards the boat.

She got into the seat beside Shiho, who wasted no time in pushing the boat’s limits in spinning around and getting them away. More fire and brimstone rained from the sky, crashing down all across the island as even TWI’s headquarters began to melt from the intense heat. Subterra watched one last time as the island began to shrink into the horizon, a fiery mass in the distance that resembled a phoenix rising into the sky from the ashes. When they were far enough, she turned back to the front and slid down against her seat and closed her eyes.

She thought of her friends, whose bodies lay in the back of the boat except for Ocellus.

“Leilani, Calypso, Ocellus…” Tears fell from her eyes. “Thank you. For all you did for us on this adventure. We will remember you, all the days of our lives.”

“That we will…” Shiho pushed down on the acceleration. “We will remember them forever.”

As the Brandy 2 cut through the waves back towards civilization, the clouds swirled above them, bright and yellow, filled with fire and smoke from the chain eruption of the volcanoes along the Ring of Fire, but there was something more within the clouds. Figures wisped about among them, looking down at their three friends below, friends they had made along this journey. It heartened them to know that the journey was finished and the mission complete. They too will never forget them.

And one more joined them, a man with purple skin and a green mohawk. When he was satisfied watching them down below, he turned to the others and put a hand on his chest in thanks before fading from them.

His friend was finally at rest, and he was free. They both were.

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

A better use of the title here, Golden_Reflection. :trollestia:
At last, our journey has come to an end. Stay tuned for the epilogue. :trollestia:
I know it must be a hassle to read sequel after sequel, especially if you are new, but thank you for reading this far if you have done so, I greatly appreciate it.
Find Crafteon ACT3 here in the Sushi Group!

Epilogue: In Search of Healing

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... :trollestia:

Prologue: The Mysterious Girl

Feet splashed into muddy puddles as a figure ran along through the jungle brush, doing her best to avoid running into trees or fallen logs. The rain was pouring heavily above and the grey sky roared like a gigantic beast as lightning flashed across it in jagged shapes, almost like the sky itself was tearing apart. With each patter of footsteps came the ragged breath of the girl with black hair as she occasionally turned her head back as though she was being followed.

Seeing no one gave her a small sense of reprieve, but it would do nothing for her stormy heart, for nothing would calm her more than to escape this wretched island. Her white shirt caught on a dead branch and her left sleeve was torn off, left fluttering in the wind as she pressed on, not wanting to stop even for one second.

“Boat… boat…” she said to herself. Her voice was high-pitched, gentle and whispery, but full of urgency. She had only read about these vehicles in books, but if she wanted to get out of here, she was going to have to try.

The rain and wind whipped around her face, making it harder for her to see as she fought to wipe hair and droplets from it. She only had on a long sleeved white shirt and long white pants, and they both had numbers on them that read, ‘010’. They did nothing to protect her from the cold, but no matter what, she knew she had to get away from this place.

As she ran, the mud under her foot gave way and she lost her balance, sending her falling off the side of the path down a small hill. The girl bumped into rocks and broken bark, tearing off fabric and skin before coming to a halt against a tree, knocking the wind from her chest.

With her vision blurry, the girl slowly pushed herself back on her feet, feeling numb all over her body. She felt as though her legs could give way beneath her anytime, but she also knew she was almost to the docks.

The girl stumbled her way down the rest of the hill, then pushed through thickets and brambles to get to the edge of the jungle. Her pace had slowed considerably and she was now running on reserve fuel, but still she pushed her legs to walk, to see this journey to the end.

“I cannot go back…” she said, followed by a few gasps of pain as she held one hand to her abdomen. Everything inside hurt; she must’ve broken a few bones from the impact. “I have to… escape.”

As she pushed her way through branch after branch, bush after bush, she eventually found herself staring at an endless expanse of a turbulent ocean before her, thick with fog and filled with crashing waves. She pushed her toes under the sand beneath her feet as she scanned the beach for the docks that would take her away. It was coarse and rough, nothing like what she was expecting when she had first read about them in her books.

Just as she spotted the metallic structure to her east that contained an assortment of various boats and ships, there was a crackle behind her and a bolt of yellow lightning struck her in the shoulder, knocking her to the sand.

No… They caught up.

The girl raised her head, feeling the pain in her arm begin to spread across her body. Smoke puffed off her blackened shoulder from where the bolt had struck her. Fighting against it, she crawled, dragging herself through the sand as she willed her feet to get up, to run, to not stop until she was safe away from here.

“Subterra Shiver, return immediately!” a loud voice boomed behind her, coming from the hill she had fallen from. This was followed by the crackling of more lightning as the clouds above swirled in like a vortex.

But the girl would not, she would never go back. Crawling on, Subterra used the corners of a boulder jutting out of the ground to support herself as she got back on her feet. About halfway, she had almost fallen back to the ground again, but two grey tentacles with purple patterns emerged from her back, attaching themselves to the top of the rock to pull her the rest of the way up.

“Keep moving, Subterra. Stop, and they will take you.”

“I know.” She nodded and lumbered on, looking back as an electrical form made itself known in the sky, an arm raised towards the clouds as lightning zapped around it.

The docks had a metallic staircase leading up to its platform from the sand, allowing Subterra’s tentacles to haul her up as she did her best to follow with her legs. Another bolt of lightning struck almost too close to home, slamming into the concrete wall by her head, but Subterra stopped herself from looking back and she went on, reaching the top of the staircase as she broke into a limping run, heading for the shed where all the boats were stored.

A crackling of thunder burst in the sky above her before a figure clad in electricity descended down in front of her position, crashing into the plastic carbon plating, denting them on impact.

“And where do you think you’re going, Subterra Shiver?” The figure stood up taller than her, its single eye tracking her movement as she inched herself to the side of the dock’s platform.

“I’m not staying here any longer! You can’t keep me!” she yelled at it.

“But this is for the better good, don’t you see?” The lightning figure shook its head, then seemed to look past Subterra. “I see.”

She turned around as another figure joined them. Subterra knew her well and what she saw sent shivers down her back. A woman in a white slim outfit with blue stripes loosely attached to her body slowly stalked onto the deck, her arms behind her back. She had long purple and pink hair and it swayed behind her like an impending pendulum as her orange pupils pierced the air between them, almost like they could see right through her soul. She too, walked with a limp and like she had just taken a beating, but Subterra knew it was from injuries she sustained years ago. She wasn't in top shape, but she still made her way all the way here to stop her.

“All I do here, Subterra, is for the eventual betterment of this world,” she said. Her voice was soft and silky, almost making Subterra want to close her eyes. “You do not see it now. They did not see it then, but I still hold true to what I have to do. I do not wish harm upon you or anyone else, but I will do what is necessary.”

“Y-You’re crazy. I can’t be a part of this any longer!” Subterra stepped back, but then remembered the lightning figure was still behind her and stopped in her tracks. “There’s a reason no one supports you.”

One of the woman’s eyes twitched, but she placed two fingers below it and it soon ceased. She placed her other hand on a dragon-shaped lapel by her right breast, stroking it tenderly. “You disappoint me, Subterra. Unfortunately, you are necessary to my plan. I will need you to come back with me.”

Subterra grinded her teeth together. She wasn’t going back. She couldn’t. She would not stomach another day here.

“Now, Subterra.”

She stretched one arm out and her tentacles brandished themselves again, reaching for the woman, but everything in front of her slowed down drastically and she could see the air bending before her as the woman stepped out of her path, curving to her left.

“No… TWI, you can’t do this!” Subterra pleaded, her voice slowed. “I won’t!”

“I’m not asking, Subterra.” TWI stopped beside her and leaned close. “The world is resistant to change, even if it will heal it. I’ve spent years watching it here from the shadows as it continues its descent to destruction. If I sit back and let it be, it will not live to see another century.”

She tried to swing a tentacle at her, but it was slow to change its course and TWI called out her Stand to push her down to the ground.

Subterra knew this Stand well. She had seen TWI use it countless times. Strange World was a Stand to be feared, even amongst the others she had recruited over her years. Subterra had seen it, the strange geode shaped into an arrowhead. That was how TWI gifted her followers their powers.

TWI’s Stand stood behind her now, its silver armor gleaming under the thunderstorm above. It had a long appendage coming out the back of its head, which now coiled around its master, pointing its sharpened tip over Subterra’s head.

“Please, come back. There’s much to be done, Subterra,” TWI said. “We can’t do this without you.”

Subterra looked at her crazed eyes. She knew there was truth and good will behind them, but then there was also madness. She was not going back. Not again. She had to get away, no matter what.

Darkness formed around her as she lay on the ground, something she had never experienced before. TWI and the lightning Stand took a step away from it, but in a split second, it spread across the deck, coating them in darkness.

“Subterra!” TWI’s voice called out from within.

The girl wasted no time in choosing one of the boats and hopped into the one closest to her, which was a small white vehicle that sat four, two in front and two at the back. She pressed the giant blue button that read ‘power’, waiting as the engine sputtered to life behind her head. A screen by the boat’s wheel blipped to life and a series of icons and controls appeared on its turquoise screen.

Subterra quickly tapped on an icon of a map, then as it appeared, she randomly tapped on one of the many islands around and the boat rumbled before being lowered down an elevator to the water below.

Green lights began to pop up on the controls and around the boat before an alarm went off, signaling the opening of the boat’s gate. The doors to the ocean slid aside, giving Subterra a long view of the stormy seas that awaited her. The boat began to move, its narrow prow cutting through the water with clean efficiency while the engine roared to life.

“Subterra!”

The sudden acceleration almost knocked Subterra over as the boat shot out of the shed and into the open sea, where waves of freezing salty water crashed over the sides and into the boat. Thankfully the vessel’s built-in drainage systems were working strong and there was no risk of water completely filling the boat.

Still, it was far from a smooth journey as the boat was tossed and buffeted by the waves, some of them sending the boat into high dives and steep falls.

Subterra looked back over her shoulder to see how far she had gone from the island, but there was no land in view. It was as if the island had simply vanished off the face of the earth. But here, she would at least be safe for the time being, finally away from the accursed island. Subterra allowed herself to lean back in her seat as adrenaline began to wear away from her body. The pain in her chest and shoulder returned, sending raging signals all the way to her brain.

She groaned and hugged her arms to her abdomen, clutching it tightly as the boat curved around a sizable wave. With nothing more to do except wait, Subterra slumped lower, allowing her eyelids to droop down as her consciousness disappeared into the darkness of her mind.

Author's Note

And we're back! I apologize for the weird 'to be continued', there's some issue with links and FiMFiction, so most of them are turning up with errors. This was one of the few I could find. Let's hope whatever the issue is is fixed soon. :trollestia:
In the meantime, I hope this chapter is interesting enough for you to want to read on for the future!
For part 4, I will be taking more time between each chapter to make sure I have what I want. :trollestia: Stay tuned!

Episode 7: Surf's Up, Surfer Blood

It had been a bright afternoon day when Ocellus and her friends received the news from TWI herself. She had been wheeled over by a royal guard, critically injured atop a wheelchair that was much too small for her long body. It was there that they had learned everything about TWI’s visit to the human world, a world much talked about from her predecessor’s journals. Princess Celestia had talked about a world where only a few would know the magical value of friendship, but many had the potential to learn. But after her adventure there, TWI had a very much different opinion.

“I will right that world. I will,” she told them. “It is corrupt, teetering towards disaster. Only I can set this right.”

She had created a portal back to Equestria through a piece of the actual portal in the human world’s Canterlot and with the best magic in Equestria, she had managed to recover enough to begin her plans again, though still seriously wounded from her battle there against the humans.

“I have been working hard here and I have done much in preparation for my return.” TWI looked at the Young Six. “My friends may be too old to join me, but you six, you have years to go, you have potential to grow stronger. Join my conquest. Equestria has been united by my rule. You see the peace that I have brought. Join me and we will fix the human world, one piece at a time, starting with their world leaders. To solve a problem, we must first deal with the root issues.”

“What? What are you saying, TWI?” Smolder flapped her wings a little harder.

Ocellus blinked hard. “Y-You can’t possibly- you’re not like that, TWI.”

“We’re all about friendship. That’s what you taught us, remember?” Sandbar said. “We can’t just go take over another land.”

Gallus nodded. “You don’t want the griffons to just fly here and take over.”

TWI shook her head. “This is not something I need guidance with. I know what I have to do, but I know it is hard to accept. I will give you time. Once you understand, I’m sure you will join me. For now, I have other matters to tend to, as do you as Equestria’s protectors.”

Ocellus couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. All these years serving Equestria under TWI, she had never once doubted her, but right now, there were plenty of doubts running through her mind.

“Just what will happen to Equestria?” she asked herself as her friends talked amongst themselves. She had a bad feeling about this.

Ocellus had split Forest Rangers up into five swarms, sending them burrowing under the sand as they scattered, making it harder for Surfer Blood to hit them. She made sure to keep Subterra behind her at all times, ready to move them both if the enemy decided to attack them directly. While Crafteon was a Stand with an unfathomable ability, she didn’t see it moving fast enough to reach Surfer Blood before its razor sharp water jets would reach them. At this point in time, they were just too far away and the enemy’s speed outmatched them.

She would have to play this smarter.

A cluster of Forest Rangers erupted from the sand close to Surfer Blood, flinging themselves at it as they formed into a tiny version of Forest Rangers’ complete form. Surfer Blood turned on them, pointed both arms forward as water was pumped down to them. From their nozzles, thin pinpricks of water were fired in a stream, puncturing holes through its body as its momentum was cut short, sending it tumbling back to the sand in pieces as each individual Forest Ranger scattered back under the sand.

One more swarm burst forth next to Surfer Blood’s leg, narrowly missing as it swiped a sickle-like shape at it as Surfer Blood kicked into the air, somersaulting once before firing a blade of water at the third swarm, which ran at it with spidery legs. It avoided one of its water blades, but the second one cut off all the legs on its right side, dropping it to the sand before Surfer Blood punctured it through the head with a beam of water.

Ocellus yelled in pain as blood dripped from her head, covering her left eye as she dropped to a knee.

Doo Doo Doot laughed from his roost, leaning back against the cabin wall. “What are you going to do, man? You’re too slow.” Surfer Blood released a torrent of water from its nozzles, washing away the swarms of Forest Rangers, breaking them apart. “The pressure of Surfer Blood’s water is too great. Your Stand cannot maintain a solid form against me. And as they slow down further in water, you will certainly never beat me!”

Subterra couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. “Crafteon, we need to help.”

Crafteon appeared beside her, flailing its tentacles around. “Surfer Blood’s water jets can reach us faster than my darkness can creep to it. I don’t know what good we’ll do.”

“We have to try. We have to help Ocellus.” Subterra grabbed her under her arms and helped her back up. “I’m not just going to stand here and do nothing, Crafteon.”

Her Stand nodded its large head, then stretched its tentacles out as darkness began to spread from under its tail towards Surfer Blood. Doo Doo Doot put a hand to his mouth and faked a yawn before grinning madly.

Surfer Blood eyed the darkness coming, then pointed its arms at Crafteon and fired off a beam of water like that of a fire hose. Crafteon sailed away in the air, its spreading darkness dissipating for the moment as it tried to avoid the enemy’s attack. Surfer Blood turned and followed, aiming the spray towards it as it stepped towards the sea. As it stood over it, water began flowing into its feet, flowing through tubes that stuck out the back of its soles. As it circulated through its body, the water pressure from its arm cannons began to increase, shearing clean through a rock as Crafteon attempted to hide behind it.

“I told you, there’s nothing we can do against this enemy,” Crafteon told its master.

“Not yet, anyway.” Subterra nodded to Ocellus.

The older woman understood and got her Stand moving again. “The enemy’s attacks may be fast, but it’s still one against two. Or maybe five.”

Forest Rangers reformed themselves into four swarms, and now that Surfer Blood was no longer hosing them down, they were able to cluster back up again, forming four distinct beetle-like creatures on four legs each. One ran to Surfer Blood’s legs, biting it with its mandibles as it sprayed away at Crafteon, spilling blood on the sand.

Doo Doo Doot hopped on one foot and held his injured foot in his hands as he cursed. “Get that Stand!”

Surfer Blood kicked it away, then fired a salvo of water blades at the rest. It sheared one of the Forest Ranger swarms to pieces, but the other three managed to avoid the rest, going off in different directions.

“Surf’s up, bugs!” Doo Doo Doot put both hands to his mouth like he was holding a musical instrument and wiggled his body from left to right. “You’ll never stop me!”

“I won’t be so sure about that.” Ocellus raised the corner of her mouth in a smile.

Doot saw her change of expression and put his hands down, narrowing his eyes. “How do you plan on that?”

Ocellus put her hands on her hips and bent her back to her right. “Did you think you were smashing apart my Stand all this time and making them run for it?”

“Well, yes I-”

Ocellus flicked a finger up, pointing at him. “You forget my Stand exists as tiny little organisms. And each Forest Ranger has the ability to chew through even some of the strongest metals, given the time.”

Doot waved his hand lazily. “I don’t see how that applies. Surfer Blood is still going to tear you to pieces with its high-pressurized water jets.”

His Stand slammed both arms together, then pointed them at Subterra and Ocellus. Water pumped down from its tubes, but they never made it to its arms. Instead, water spouted out from the tubes just above its elbows and back.

Doot did a double take. “Wuh-what?”

Surfer Blood looked down at its arms and it was here that Doot realized what Ocellus was talking about. Along the tubes rested dozens of Forest Rangers, eating away at the tubes or snipping at them with their two-fingered hands.

“Y-Your Stand ate through the water tubes of Surfer Blood!” Doot exclaimed, putting both hands to his blonde head. “Your Stand has been crawling up Surfer Blood each time it broke your Stand up!”

Ocellus nodded, her finger still pointed at him. “Exactly. The game’s up, Doo Doo. Time for you to be flushed down the toilet. Forest Rangers!”

As her Stand formed themselves back into a singular figure, Ocellus looked back at how far she’s come from her days studying in TWI’s school. She used to be a shy one, but after years of being bolstered up by her friends by her side, she was able to break out of her shell, both metaphorically and literally, able to take charge when the going got tough. That was what a protector of Equestria did, anyway. And that was what she had to do now. If TWI was going to lead Equestria down a dangerous path, it was her job to do something about it.

Forest Rangers ran at Surfer Blood, who was now unable to fire back at it.

“No, don’t do it!” Doot pleaded. “TWI only means well for this world!”

Forest Rangers balled both fists and repeatedly slammed them into Surfer Blood’s chest over and over again, hitting it against the hull of the beached ship. With each pound, the hull bent and groaned, sinking under Forest Rangers’ blows. Spinning around, it delivered a final straight kick up into Surfer Blood’s chin, smashing it through the hull as Doo Doo Doot was flung from the deck, falling away into the ocean on the other side.

Forest Rangers spun once, then pressed one arm to the sand as it raised the other one in an ‘L’ shape above its head.

“That takes care of the doo doo.” Ocellus spun around and faced Subterra as Forest Rangers vanished. “You alright?”

Subterra dusted sand from her sleeves and nodded. “That was cool.”

Ocellus chuckled and looked back at the boat. “It was, wasn’t it?” She turned her attention to the lagoon within the atoll and the rubbish floating along its shore. “This place is nice. Or at least, it would be if humans stopped throwing their rubbish everywhere. The sea is nothing like this in Equestria.”

Subterra looked at a plastic bottle washing up and down the water and sighed. “If people don’t do something now… I guess that’s why TWI has a bunch of followers.”

“But odd… That doo doo, he mentioned an arrow…” Ocellus recalled. “I know not all the people of your world are born with Stand power. If she’s able to give them Stands with this arrow, who knows how many Stand users she has on her side.”

Subterra found herself wondering more about her origins. Was she the same? A product of TWI’s arrow? There was only one way to find out at this point, and that was to recollect her memories, starting with investigating the rest of Tikehau.

Ocellus suddenly began waving and Subterra looked up to see Shiho walking over, a grumpy look on her face.

“Took you long enough,” Ocellus told her. “We even dealt with an enemy Stand while you were busy docking that boat of yours.”

“I was getting hustled by some dude hoping to make some quick money.” Shiho pounded her fists together. “Had to show him it was a bad idea. Good grief, you can find these people all over the world…”

Ocellus rolled her eyeballs. “Uh huh. Right. We better get going before another Stand user tracks us down.”

As Ocellus led the way past the destroyed boat, Subterra walked alongside Shiho with news to tell her about TWI and her mysterious arrow.

Clouds swirled in the sky above the island’s peak, curving unnaturally towards the middle as the air around them shimmered and moved like there were mirages in the desert. Because of this, the sky was dark and overcast, preventing light from entering the room of a structure built into the mountain’s surface. A rustic balcony led into a dark room with wooden floorboards that had piles and piles of clothes strewn all over. At the far end was a large bed with four posts that connected with the rocky ceiling and on it sat a woman shrouded in shadows, dressed in only a pair of striped pants. Her back revealed a line of scars, cuts and bruises sustained from her fight with who she used to call her friends all those years ago.

After eleven years, her body still hadn’t fully healed, leaving her vulnerable and weakened. In the end, she had to resort to returning to Equestria to collect allies for her work here in this world. Now with the portal she had created with a piece of Canterlot’s statue, she could come and go as she pleased, but she knew her duty would be to bring peace and order to this world, just like she had done in Equestria.

In her right hand, she clutched an arrow. It had a black shaft and a gold fletching, but what really stood out about it was its head. The arrowhead was made of a brilliant blue crystal, glistening in the faint light as she turned it in her hand. From that, she looked to the side where a tank filled with water sat against the wall across from a doorway. Inside this tank was an old woman with grey hair that was once red and yellow. She was hooked up to tubes and devices, along with a respirator over her mouth that allowed her to breathe.

TWI had been learning from Sunset Shimmer all these years. That was how she got her hands on a Stand geode. It had come straight from the horse’s mouth. Literally.

With the tubes attached to Sunset, TWI could pump in drugs and concoctions, stuff that would dull Sunset’s edge and keep her from using her Stand. In her weakened state, TWI knew she couldn’t afford a fight with Alicorn Fantasy, one of the most powerful Stands she’d ever known. Right now, she was asleep, but TWI would occasionally have conversations about the world and her family.

“I’m not a monster, you know?” She watched Sunset’s still form, then turned her attention back to the arrow. “I’ve given people of your world hope again. Hope for a better future, hope for all, rich or poor, weak or strong. You just don’t see it. Why don’t you see it?”

From Sunset’s information, TWI had found the geode out in the Everfree Forest of this world, near the site of an old cave Sunset had gotten hers from. She had also told her of Cinch, the woman she had defeated so many years ago, doomed to repeat every second for the rest of eternity.

TWI had wanted to go see her for herself, but she didn’t want to risk accidentally releasing her. “Perhaps I will go once I am fully recovered.”

The geode had allowed her to give Stand power to the humans of this world. Though not all of them survive the process, those that did became stronger than ever, able to help her change the world. She has fashioned it into an arrow to better administer it. As long as she kept getting it back, she could use it as many times as she wanted, though she knew it would disappear should it be used on a Stand user, like Sunset had done.

A cold draft blew into the room and for a second, TWI thought she saw Spike, her old friend, standing by the balcony, facing her.

She gripped the arrow tighter, then got off the bed as she placed a hand to her face, looking out between her index and middle fingers. Her orange eyes gleamed in the darkness as she limped out to the balcony overlooking the tumultuous sea. Imbibed Man rested on the beach below, restful as ever as he worked on his tan. TWI let him be, since it was his Stand that kept this island safe.

Her thoughts drifted to Subterra Shiver and her other followers that were searching to bring her back. Subterra was key to her plan. She needed her back, able or not.

“You can come back willingly, Subterra, or by force. One way or another, I will have you again. My followers will find you and they will not stop until you are back here once again.”

- To be Continued...-

Episode 23: There will Come a Soldier Poet King

Calypso Wind tugged at her vest, then thrust a hand through her flowing green hair as she summoned Soldier Poet King. Her Stand charged forward, its mouths opened in some kind of crazed smile as its soldier side brandished its spiked knuckles, smashing them together as it ran.

“Firewater! Burn them to smithereens!” Tirek cast a hand towards his target.

His stand launched two globs of fire at Soldier Poet King, but it dodged both attacks as it dived into the water under them.

“You think that water will save you?” Tirek looked at Calypso and laughed. “Firewater’s liquid flames cannot be doused and can exist within water itself. Observe!”

Firewater tilted downwards and blasted flames through the boardwalk, incinerating the water in a five meter radius under itself.

But Soldier Poet King hopped out of the water behind Tirek, its heads swerving around so that its Poet head was now facing him. It stretched a hand out and on its side was a manifest for fishing boats, left on a crate for who knows how long. The words on the paper began to float out, swirling around its fingertips before it lashed them out like a rope, tying it around one of Firewater’s horns.

“Why you!” Tirek growled and had his Stand spin in a circle, breathing out fire all around itself.

The fire burned through the rope of words, but Soldier Poet King had already changed faces, swapping to its king face. Bringing its elbows together in the middle, it created two towers out of thin air, standing as high as itself. The towers slammed together in front of itself, protecting it from the liquid fire attack. Somehow, the fire didn’t even catch on; the towers remained unscathed.

Calypso titled her body to one side and pointed at Tirek. “Soldier Poet King’s king towers cannot be harmed or destroyed. Even your unquenchable fire can do nothing against them.”

“Well, we’ll see about that, won’t we?” Tirek slapped a hand against his right bicep and hefted it up. “I’ve never been beaten!”

“Yeah, you have!” Ocellus said from behind.

“I’ve never been beaten in this world!” Tirek roared as Firewater flew over his head, diving down towards the king towers as it fired more shots from its face. “Destroy them! Destroy them all!”

Soldier Poet King pushed the towers forward, blocking more of its attacks before leaping atop one of them, swinging its rope of words at the Stand. Calypso’s Stand got it around a horn again, but as it yanked it this time, it let go of the rope and the words returned to where they came from. Instead, it flipped to its soldier face, baring its knuckles up. Firewater spun in a circle, brandishing a wave of fire, but Soldier Poet King stepped to one side, just narrowly avoiding it before delivering a one two to its single yellow eye.

Firewater bounced back against the boardwalk, then lifted off the ground again as Tirek stumbled from the blow.

“Graaah! How dare you!” Tirek lifted a hand to one eye as blood began to spill down his fingers.

Firewater zipped through the air, then spat out a few more fireballs at it. Soldier Poet King sidestepped the fire again, but this time, some of it dripped down onto its left shoulder, setting it on fire as Calpyso, like Ocellus, tried to put it out with her hand, but she got her Stand to keep going, sending it onward with its fists held high.

“A little fire won’t stop me. You’re going down!” Calypso swung an arm forward from her waist to her shoulder level.

Soldier Poet King aimed fist after fist at Firewater, all the while maintaining its crazed expression. Some connected and some didn’t but, the injuries sustained weren’t enough to take Tirek down.

The red man just kept going, bellowing each time he got hurt, but never once did he falter. He continued commanding his Stand to attack. The attacks were getting faster and faster and Soldier Poet King and Calypso were also sustaining more injuries as time went on. Both of them pressed on, not willing to relinquish victory to the other, but sooner or later, one would have to fall.

Subterra and Leilani did their best to try and get rid of the fire on her and Ocellus, but it was incredible just how lasting Firewater’s flames were.

“Your Stand’s towers might be impervious to my fire, but you won’t last forever against them!” Tirek laughed and stomped his feet. “All my life I’ve waged battle after battle, attempting to acquire power that doesn’t belong to me. Little did I know true power existed here in this world. Truly amazing!”

Firewater glowed a bright red, then spewed fire all around itself, drenching the whole boardwalk, which began to dissolve and melt from the intense heat.

“Firewater’s flames are liquid in nature. They’ll flow alongside water if they have to!” Tirek brought both hands together, palm touching palm. Fire spread around him, engulfing his feet, but he seemed to be unaffected. “You’ll never get to TWI. You’ll never defeat me!”

“Just stop this!” Calypso yelled to him. “Why do you even need to kill us? If you run now, we can defeat TWI and you’ll be free!”

Tirek let out a single laugh. “Like you won’t come after me once you’ve dealt with her. And that’s if you can deal with her. She’s strong. Stronger than she’s ever been as ruler of Equestria. There’s no stopping her. The best I can do is clear out my sentence!”

“I can’t believe this!” Ocellus pointed a finger at him from across the boardwalk, her shoulder still burning. “How far the great Lord Tirek has fallen, to serve under Princess TWI! I never thought I’d see the day. You should’ve done this years ago!”

Tirek’s smile faltered. “This world empowers you. You should know that, Ocellus. Stand power is the evolution of Equestrian magic! A magic so strong it manifests your inner power from within! TWI’s Stand is stronger than anything we have seen. We can’t run from her!”

“Good grief, this guy…” Shiho shook her head. “I’ve beaten TWI in a fight. That means I can beat you too.”

“Not if I beat him first.” Calypso smiled. “Too bad, Tirek. I wanted to just let you go. But if you want to lose so badly, I’ll help you with that.”

She bent low and swept a hand through her green hair, before grabbing the corner of her vest and yanking it slightly to one side.

“My fire has no end. Watch as Firewater and I burn it all away!” Tirek raised both hands skyward. “Volcanic Dawn!”

His Stand shot out more fire from itself, but this time, it wasn’t just simply globs of fire. It was releasing an endless stream of fire from its two face holes, melting away the boardwalk and village around them.

“You better find some safety till this is over,” Calypso warned the others. “I’ll take care of this.”

“Be careful,” Subterra said and gave the fire on her shoulder one more look before heading back to dry solid ground.

Calypso couldn’t ignore the pain in her shoulder anymore, but there was no alternative to stopping it than to finish Tirek off and if she wanted to avoid any lasting damage, then she would have to do it fast. Judging from the fire, she had at least two minutes before it would burn her down to the bone.

Tirek was looking livid, and it seemed that the flames that his Stand produced burned even hotter than before. The flames continued to spread through the fishing village, filling the air with choking black smoke. It was getting harder to breathe and Calypso put the corner of her vest to her mouth as Soldier Poet King jumped back into the fray.

With a shout, Tirek charged forward with his Stand, intending on colliding with Soldier Poet King. Tirek himself reached behind his back and pulled out a long, serrated knife as he ran at Calypso.

“If I kill you, your Stand will go with it!” Tirek roared as he brandished the weapon. “I’ve had enough of you. This ends now!”

Calypso backed away, hiding behind one of her Stand’s towers and putting some distance between herself and Tirek. At the same time, Soldier Poet King threw a barrage of punches at Firewater, knocking Tirek back a step.

But Tirek was tougher than he let on, because instead of falling over backwards, he caught himself on the backfoot and steadied himself, ignoring the bruises that were forming on his body. Calypso looked out from behind her piece of cover and was almost blinded as Tirek’s knife spun past her face and embedded itself in a burning building.

“You have to see where I am to use your Stand,” Tirek said, taking out another knife. “If you can see me, then I can see you. And if I can see you, I can nail you with one of these!”

“Not fair,” Calypso said to herself. She was now wishing that she had requested some weapon of her own before coming here, but it was a bit too late for that now. Tirek was right; she had to be able to see him if she wanted her Stand to accurately attack him. She had no choice but to expose herself to his attacks if she wanted her Stand to continue being effective.

Calypso scurried around the tower and chanced a peek out the other side, but the house next to her had reached its limit from the heat and collapsed in a burning pile next to her. Pieces of old timber scattered around, some of it still on fire.

Picking up a long plank, Calypso looked out again for Tirek, only to be rewarded by another flying knife. This one threw up a shower of sparks as it nicked the pillar.

“I see you!” Tirek sneered and took out a third knife.

“How many of those does he have?” Calypso muttered to herself. She ducked back behind Soldier Poet King’s column.

She stuck her head out once more, and just as she suspected, Tirek was ready with yet another knife. However, this time she was ready and put the wooden plank up in front of her face, where it blocked the thrown knife.

Going back behind the column, Calypso pried the knife out from the plank and hefted it in her hand. It was a solid weapon, made of steel and constructed for larger hands than hers. But now she had a weapon, which evened the odds a little; she wasn’t foolish enough to think she could defeat Tirek in a knife fight. He was much bigger and stronger than she, and he probably knew more knife-fighting tricks than she did.

The flames around the village continued to burn. A thick layer of smoke and floating ashes filled the air, making it hard to see further than a few meters. This gave Calypso an idea. She thought back to the holo-vids she had seen of life back in the early 2000s, and one of them was of a street magician who had played a game with some shells and a pea. She needed to see Tirek to attack accurately with her Stand, but Tirek also needed to see her. And if he didn’t know where she was, he couldn’t fight as well.

“Let’s do this,” Calypso said, summoning her Stand’s pillars and placing them next to each other, screening herself off from Tirek’s eyes. The most her Stand could pull up were three king towers. That was Soldier Poet King’s limit and she didn’t know why it was that way, but she figured it was her own spirit’s limit.

“What are you doing?” Tirek bellowed, before coughing out a cloud of smoke. Still he kept his eyes on the towers.

With a smile, Calypso ordered her Stand to start shuffling the towers around, weaving them in and out of each others’ paths like some kind of dance. At the same time, she made her move and dashed out from her original tower while all three were in motion.

“Huh?” Tirek said as he watched this happen. “What do you think you’re trying to accomplish? Firewater will just burn all of them!”

The crackling of the flames grew as Firewater sprayed a jet of liquid fire at the pillars. They did not burn, but the temperature around them intensified until it was nearly unbearable.

After twenty seconds of flame-throwing, Tirek stopped. Surely Calypso could not have survived that. He waved his arms to disperse some of the smoke and walked slowly up to the roaring blaze. As he did so, the pillars vanished, leaving behind a sooty pile of ashes.

“Got you,” Tirek gloated, looking down at the ashes with a smug look on his face. He had never burned a human with this level of heat before, and it seemed to have been very effective. “TWI will surely reward me for this.”

He turned around, and was shocked beyond belief as Calypso stabbed him in the stomach with the knife that she had taken from Tirek.

“Wha-? How?” He staggered back, summoning his Stand to put in between himself and Calypso.

“I knew you would think I was still behind my king towers,” Calypso told Tirek as she summoned Soldier Poet King in a fighting stance. “That’s why while they were moving around, I circled through the village to get behind you. I was never where you thought I was.”

“This… isn’t over!” Tirek clutched her hand tightly, drawing the knife deeper into himself, but pulling her closer. “I’m immune to Firewater’s attacks. But you aren’t!”

His Stand returned to him as two towers vanished, still spewing fire. It rained down over him, spilling over to his arm where he had Calypso’s arm trapped in a vice grip. Liquid fire splashed down on her skin and she shrieked, but all at once, the fire stopped pouring down around them.

“Wh-what? What is the meaning of this?” Tirek looked up at his Stand. He hadn’t ordered it to stop.

Where its holes should be were two of Soldier Poet King’s king towers and they were small now and wedged in the holes, stopping fire from flowing out.

“Soldier Poet King can shrink its towers if needed…” Calypso pushed a smile through her pained facade. “And since they’re indestructible, your fire’s not going to have anywhere to go.”

And she was right. Already, Firewater was starting to swell, having no other way to release its flames.

“No, not like this! No!” Tirek continued to tug on Calypso’s arm, but that helped her to bury the blade deeper into his body.

“It’s over. I gave you a chance to leave, so you only have yourself to blame.” Calypso let go of the knife and planted a kick in the center of his chest.

Tirek wobbled back and fell into the water just as his Stand’s eye popped out from the pressure building up within. It went off in a blazing explosion as Calypso threw herself in the opposite direction, just avoiding getting her hair and feet singed as she swam ahead to the next building.

Almost immediately, all the fire in the water began to go out, losing their magical ability to stay lit, including the one on her shoulder.

“About time…” Calypso rubbed her charred flesh underneath. “That was dangerously close to the two minute mark. But there was no way he could take me on and live.”

She looked on at the burning buildings as smoke poured into the air above them. This was not doing any good for the environment. Global Warming was already hitting the world hard, especially out here in Oceania’s island nations.

“If only there was more we could do for the world. To let it thrive once again…” Calypso sighed. On the upside, at least it was one of TWI’s minions to do this. For all their plans to save the world from humans, they should be. more careful about what their attacks do to the environment. “Everyone, we’re done! You can come back now!”

She began waving to the others by the shore, before the village started. Shiho spotted her first and directed the rest to approach her. Calypso smiled at them and turned back to face the burning village. She really hoped Shiho could find her grandmother. From the stories she heard of her from Sweetie Belle, one of the former CEOs of the Crusaders Foundation, she was a good person. And they knew it. She was here on this island and they would rescue her and they would defeat TWI and make sure the world would never bend to her rule.

To be Continued...-

Author's Note

Soldier Poet King!