//------------------------------// // Chapter 18: Squeeze Box // Story: SuShi's Bizarre Adventure: Fantasy Friendship // by Jojoleopard //------------------------------// With The Who escaping upstairs, Jojo and Pinkie Pie made their way to the staircase from the school’s main hall, walking up each step carefully as they waited for something, for anything to happen. So far, The Who only attacked them from directions they least expected. It must mean it wasn’t that powerful when it was attacking straight up, but it could go through walls, meaning it could come from anywhere. They had only reached the top of the staircase when a dark shape snaked its way down the second floor’s hall, uncovering its face as it moved. Jojo spun himself and Pinkie around, then summoned his Stand to attack. Its horns moved from its head and chased after The Who, but then it made a sharp right and went through the wall into one of the classrooms, only to come out through the wall next to the staircase and wrapped its tentacles around both of them, squeezing hard. “Looks like I have you now…” A girl with a long ponytail walked out from between two rows of lockers and pulled the corners of a huge bowtie she had around her neck. “You’re going to die down here.” “Sour Sweet,” Pinkie said. “She’s one of the Shadowbolts, like Lemon Zest.” “It’s too bad what you did to Lemon Zest.” Sour Sweet looked at her fingers. “She was my friend and you’ve done something horrible to her. But it’s her fault for failing, so good riddance. Now it’s your turn.” “We’ll see about that.” Jojo pushed against the tentacles with his muscles and broke out of their grip just as White Buffalo drove back down the hall, scaring The Who out of the way as Sour Sweet joined it and walked through the wall behind the lockers. Golden Ticket brought another door over and opened the way through the wall, spying a corridor that led by some benches and a large window that looked down over the cafeteria. Sour Sweet turned around and waved a fist at them as The Who uncovered its face. Jojo looked down at the reflective ground as he threw himself on White Buffalo, speeding off towards them as his Stand raised its head to strike. Golden Ticket threw a trio of doors forward, keeping them between the two Stands to block out The Who’s line of sight. “You think you can block The Who’s gaze just like that?” Sour Sweet said from beyond the doors. “Just give in! Principal Cinch wants your heads and I am prepared to give them to her! Pretty please? Do it for me?” “I don’t even know who you are.” Jojo and White Buffalo drove right for the middle door as it swung open, and he kept his eyes down as White Buffalo’s head stabbed forward. Sour Sweet pressed herself against the wall and The Who snaked away from the attack, but something weird happened. When it moved, it bumped into the glass looking down to the cafeteria and instead of going through it like he had expected it to, The Who bounced off of it and made its way towards him. “Of course, windows!” Jojo turned his bike around at the other end of the hallway. Like how he could look at The Who through the reflection of the floor without going mad, reflections worked against it and it seems the more reflective, the more effective it was and it was unable to affect such surfaces. “Pinkie, are there glass doors in the building?” Jojo called out as he raced towards them. “Plenty! I see what you’re getting at!” She struck a pose with her hands behind her head and her left leg in front of her right. “Goooolden Ticket!” Sour Sweet grabbed the side of his Stand and swung herself behind him, then bit into his shoulder hard. “Agh, ow!” Jojo slid off White Buffalo and rolled on the ground with Sour Sweet. “Do you give up? Or are you thirsty for more.” Sour Sweet put a hand on her skirt’s waistband, then the other on her butt as The Who floated up behind her, floating on its slithering tentacles with its hands over its face. “You know, whether you manage to beat me here or not, you’ll never stop Principal Cinch now. She’s already learned of the Stand Geode and she’ll soon have it.” “The what?” Jojo muttered. This could be a good chance to get some information, if he survived. “Stand Geode?” He shouted. “Ha! I know all about that. Bet that you don’t, though. Cinch wouldn’t trust her lackeys with that kind of information.” Sour Sweet looked offended for a second. “I can’t believe you think so lowly of me.” Then her expression soured and she frowned. “Principal Cinch thinks highly of us Shadowbolts. Of course I know all about the Stand Geode. It’s a magical artifact that can empower a Stand with magic beyond your understanding.” Jojo rolled and jumped back onto his feet, pulling his cap down low over his eyes. “Pshaw, that’s beginner’s knowledge. If that’s all you know, then Cinch really must not trust you. Not that I blame her, you’re a few eggs short of a full breakfast.” “How could you say something like that about me?” Her eyes began to tear, but then almost as quick as they appeared, they vanished. “You’re the one who’s a breakfast. A breakfast for The Who! You think you can stop me? Once Principal Cinch retrieves the Stand Geode, her powers would grow and world domination would be yesterday’s news, you brainless blighter!” “Yeah?” Jojo sneaked a look around at Pinkie. Golden Ticket still wasn’t back yet; he needed to stall for more time. “If I know all about the Stand Geode and you don’t, and I’m brainless, what does that make you, then?” He laughed, trying not to show how much stress he was feeling at the moment. “You know what that’ll make you? Dead!” Sour Sweet gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. “No one talks like that about me and lives! I’ll kill you before Principal Cinch even gets back from the Everfree Forest! You want to know everything? The Who can help you out! Once you know it all, you’ll be begging for the end. I’m so sorry for that, really. I wish there was another way, but your time is up.” The Who’s tentacles wrapped around Jojo’s arms and neck, keeping him from turning his body or his head as its arms began to move away from its face. “You know what?” Jojo gasped as the tentacle around his neck tightened. “Thank you for your time, Sour Sweet. You’ve told me all I need to know. I lied, I didn’t know anything about the Stand Geode. It’s another beginner’s trick that past Jojos have passed down over the years. Play it like you know it to squeeze the information out of the enemy. It’s a classic trick and it works wonders on the muddleheaded goons like yourself.” “Oh no!” Sour Sweet slapped her palm into her face. “Well, it doesn’t matter. You won’t live to profit from that information. You’ll die here, just like your miserable friends outside!” “Not if… we still have one final plan against you!” Jojo shut his eyes as The Who’s hands left its face and the red glow began to burn past his eyelids as it got brighter and brighter. “I know your Stand’s weakness, Sour Sweet. Reflection. And I have the best reflection just for you.” Jojo smirked as Golden Ticket suddenly smashed down three glass doors around them, pressed together tightly to leave no gaps between them. White Buffalo’s horns snaked around the doors and pierced The Who’s tentacles holding Jojo’s arms, breaking their hold on him and letting the man wrestle the neck tentacle as well. Once he got away, Golden Ticket placed one more door above Sour Sweet and The Who, then one more under them, appearing where the floor had been. “Hey!” Sour Sweet bumped her fists against the door as The Who rocketed around inside, unable to pass through the transparent surfaces. “And now you have nowhere to go and The Who’s gaze can’t penetrate this surface.” Jojo got back to his feet and spun his hat in reverse. “Thank you for your time, Sour Sweet. But it’s really over now. White Buffalo, Faster than Fire!” “Noo!” She cried as the motorcycle Stand released a torrent of fire from its headlight into the glass box. Pinkie and Golden Ticket stepped back as fire engulfed the cube, heating it beyond the glass’s melting point; even the benches and posters on the sides caught fire and started breaking down. When the flames finally died down, there was a puddle of molten glass glowing gently on the shining crystal floor, which had also partially been melted through. There was no longer any sign of Sour Sweet or her Stand, except for the charred remains of what used to be a bowtie. “Another Stand bites the dust.” Jojo flexed one arm, then bent down on a knee and placed the other arm behind his back. “Not the easiest of enemies, but great job, Pinkie! Nice!” “I wonder if the others are feeling better now?” Pinkie said, examining the spot where Sour Sweet had been standing. “I mean, the Stand’s gone, so the effects shouldn’t stick, right?” Just then, the glass to the cafeteria shattered and an armored Sunset Shimmer dropped in, dropping into a combat stance as she looked around. “Oh, Jojo. Pinkie. Where’s the enemy?” “I guess they are.” Jojo clapped Pinkie in the back. “Sushi, your next words are going to be, ‘Did you already beat the enemy Stand?’” “Did you already beat the enemy Stand?” Sunset asked them. “Ah, hey. How do you keep doing that?” “It’s a Joyride family secret,” Jojo said. “But I learned something important here. Cinch is looking for something called a Stand Geode. Apparently it can make Stands even more powerful than they already are, and Cinch has gone to the Everfree Forest to get it.” “Something to make Stands stronger?” Sunset’s fantasy armor dissipated as she brooded over this fact. “She can already control the minds of anyone. If she gets this power, who knows what she would be capable of. She might be able to control everyone in the world in one attack…” “That’s why I think we should get it before her.” Jojo leaned back against White Buffalo and crossed his arms. “As much as I don’t want to go back to the Everfree, we’ll have to. We can’t let something like this get into her hands.” “No we can’t.” Sunset walked to the hole in the glass she had shattered. “But the forest is huge. How will we know where to look?” “Easy,” Pinkie said cheerfully. “We follow the enemy Stand users! Everyone knows that the bad guy will leave a trail of minions behind them to deal with anyone who might be following, so if we stay on the trail of the enemies, we’ll find Cinch no problem!” “Reasonable,” Jojo laughed. “The enemy sure always makes it easy to find them. Don’t you worry, Sushi. We’ll stop Cinch. No one person should have the power to bend everyone to their will.” “Especially not an old grouch like Cinch!” Pinkie wrapped her arms around her two friends. “Hey, if we get that Geode, we should use it ourselves! That way, we’ll definitely beat Cinch!” “Definitely a plan, eh, Sushi girl?” Jojo flashed her a toothy smile. “We’ll do this, don’t you worry. Good always triumphs over evil. So bring it on, Cinch! We’ll stop you and anything else you throw our way!” The three of them put their hands together and raised them up to the air in a cheer. --------JO-JO--------- Out on the streets of Canterlot, specifically that of Ranch Road, which led into the highway towards the Everfree Forest, a bespectacled girl was seated on a bench facing the road, cleaning a red shiny firearm with a cloth. Principal Cinch had given her a task and as one of her top students, it was a task she would complete successfully, as with all things she had ever done in her life. Sushi’s group would soon come this way if they were to get past Sour Sweet and The Who and seeing as they beat Lemon Zest and Nickelback, she knew there was a chance they could soon be coming towards her. A bark at her feet made her look down and she smiled at her purple dog standing between her feet, looking up at her excitedly. She bent down and gave him a pat, before returning to her cleaning. “Yes, we’re both ready, Spike. We won’t let them continue with this pointless quest of theirs.”