As Shiho Sunfast glared down Spike from across the grounds of the president’s safehouse, Sauce de Maison, she thought about everything that had happened in the last few days traveling with her grandmother. They had come all this way to Angers, because Die Die Riches had decided to come out violently, they had killed her friend Ban Kai for being rich. Since defeating her killer, Shiho had vowed to see the end of Die Die Riches, and she had finally done it. Their mission was supposed to be over and she was supposed to be back home in Kantarijji. But here she was, staring down Spike as his Stand floated before them, poised to attack Curtain Call the moment it made its move.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this, but Twilight seemed to have had a change of ideals and now she was attempting to change the world with the deaths of many.
“And here I thought I would be done with all this…” Shiho groaned to herself. “Spike, if it’s a beating you want, it’s a beating you’ll get. Just don’t regret it later.”
Spike twisted his hips to his right, then raised his left leg like a flamingo and brought his arms up, one in front of him and the other behind.
Curtain Call spun its cloth in the air, then dropped to a crouch and flicked the cloth over its head, catching Spike by surprise as it flicked against Winter Wrap Up’s forehead. However, Winter Wrap Up’s ice armor held strong and Spike didn’t feel a thing. Creating a row of icicles above its head, it began firing them one at a time at Curtain Call, which flipped its cloth around each one, turning them into metal balls the size of bowling balls.
They jumped at each other, punching faster than bullets as they tried to overcome each other. Winter Wrap Up’s fists hit harder than Curtain Call’s, but because it was faster, it was able to maneuver away from its punches to deliver a couple of its own, though Winter Wrap Up’s hard ice armor prevented Curtain Call from landing anything worthwhile. Both sides failed to yield to the other and soon, Curtain Call planted a foot on Winter Wrap Up’s chest, pushing them both apart.
Shiho knew she was going to have to try something else, and she had just the idea.
Winter Wrap Up then spun upwards into the air, spreading its wings wide as mist began to bring the temperature down around them. Shiho had her Stand pick up the balls and using its cloth, it flung them like a makeshift sling, propelling them into Winter Wrap Up’s chest. The ice armor held strong, but as a second, third and fourth metal balls were thrown, crashing into the first one in quick succession, each one faster than the last, further cracking the armor before Curtain Call threw a fifth ball, keeping the momentum it had built up with each toss.
“No, I won’t be able to regenerate the ice in time!” Spike cried out.
The fifth metal ball shattered the armor at the chest, and for a split second, before it could reform ice around there, something metallic flew by faster than he could notice. It speared through Winter Wrap Up’s chest, impaling the second floor surface behind it.
Spike looked behind his Stand and spotted a bloodied metal pole sticking out of the wall, then down at his chest, which had a similar injury before Winter Wrap Up’s armor could reform.
“A-Aaugh!” Spike spat out a mouthful of blood and dropped to one knee as his Stand dissipated. The pole had gone through his chest and through one of his lungs. Compared to the broken ribs from earlier, it was even harder to breathe now and he couldn’t concentrate enough to get his Stand to freeze up the wound. “Y-You…”
“I didn’t want this to happen, Spike.” Shiho walked past him. “But even I know what you’re both doing isn’t right. Just stay here. My grandmother can reset your injuries once I’m done with Twilight.”
“N-No, don’t… please, Shiho…” Spike turned his body, but dropped on his side when he tried to grab her.
She watched him cough on the ground behind her and for once, Shiho seemed to feel something within her, something that tugged at her, trying to tell her that this wasn’t how it was supposed to be.
“I’m sorry, Spike,” she sighed. “This is not how I wanted the end of Die Die Riches to be like. But I do not wish for more people to die.”
Spike’s arm dropped to the ground as he lay there, only able to watch as Shiho continued on into the building, walking past the bodies of the president’s security detail. One of them had punch marks all over his body and another had a gaping hole in his chest. Shiho clenched her fists as she thought of how far they’ve come, only for Twilight to sink into some kind of madness. Sure, she might have the right intentions to change their world for the better, but this was no way of going about it.
She followed the line of bodies to a staircase that led down through a bookshelf that had been torn in two, which were now lying at the far ends of the room against the walls. There was an orange glow coming from below and Shiho could still hear the screams of people down there as they tried to defend themselves against Twilight and Strange World. It didn’t sound like it was going well.
“Good grief, what has she done?” Shiho started descending the stairs.
The stairway led down to a turn, going further down on her left and when she got to the halfway landing, she could see more bodies below, along with a spreading fire across one side of the wall, where bookshelves and what looked like packets of food were already burning down.
“How the hell is one Stand that focuses on speeding things up and slowing things down do this kind of damage?” Shiho grumbled. “I’d better find Twilight quickly.”
A body came flying towards her and she sidestepped at the last second to get away from it. It crashed into the stone wall beside her, shattering a portrait of a former president before crumpling to the ground. The man’s face fell at his side, now facing Shiho. She’d recognize him from anywhere. He had been the one Joshi had shown them before they took down Die Die Riches.
“The president… I’m too late.”
“That’s right.” Twilight was at the bottom of the staircase, looking up at her with one arm behind her back and the other going through the left side of her long hair. “France has been liberated, Shiho. Once I do this for the rest of the world, I can truly assume rulership and start correcting it bit by bit, till it would become like Equestria, free from evil and corruption!”
Shiho was unmoved. “You’re out of your mind.”
“I’m the only one in the mind, Shiho. I’m the only one that can see what needs to be done for the better of everyone.” Twilight raised one leg and curled it around her other leg. “I know you can’t understand that right now. But just let me finish my mission, Shiho. You’ll see.”
Shiho frowned and Curtain Call appeared next to her. “Not going to happen, Twilight. This will end here and it will end now. The easy way or the hard way.”
Twilight sighed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that. But I will do what needs to be done, Shiho. For the good of your world, even if you can’t see it. Strange World!”
Shiho had Curtain Call spin around, pulling its cloth from its shoulders as it spiraled it up to attack. Strange World already had its hands up and before the cloth could even be sent out, everything around Shiho had already slowed down and Twilight and Strange World walked up the stairs around them as the cloth began extending out to where Strange World had once been standing.
“You cannot beat me, Shiho. You can’t stop Strange World,” Twilight said beside her.
Then Strange World kicked her in the side and both Shiho and her Stand crashed into the wall as their speed returned to normal once again. They bounced off the wall, then tumbled down three of the steps before she planted one foot at the bottom, stopping her descent.
Blood trailed down her face, but Shiho wiped it out of her left eye and deepened her frown against Twilight.
“That nutcase from Die Die Riches got to you, Twilight. What’s the difference between you and them if you carry out this mad plan of yours? Answer me!”
Twilight put a hand to her chest and leaned forward. “I can lead this world to a better tomorrow! Die Die Riches only cares about the rich and poor divide. I want to help the entire world!”
“Not to those who will die because of you!” Shiho stepped to the side swiftly as Curtain Call flicked its cloth at her from behind her back.
Twilight had Strange World grab the cloth on its way to her, but then the cloth unfurled and a baseball bat dropped from below it. Shiho grabbed it, then spun around to swing it at Twilight, but Strange World was fast and grabbed the weapon from her hands before thrusting it into Shiho’s gut, speeding it up to throw her back down the steps. Again.
Shiho crashed next to the president’s body, which at least softened her fall.
“Just… please, Shiho. Just stay there. Let me finish what I need to do.” Twilight looked at her for a few seconds, then turned and began walking up the stairs.
“You missed something.”
Twilight stopped and half-turned her head. “What do you mean?”
“You think I really intended to run at you with a baseball bat?” Shiho got back on her feet. “I did that so you wouldn’t see what my Stand was up to.”
Curtain Call pulled back its cloth and Twilight looked up to see where it had been. The ceiling above her was no longer made of stone, but it was now a thin sheet of paper, which quickly tore as the rocks above it grew too heavy for its weight to support. Twilight could only raise her hands as the ceiling crumbled down on top of her, burying her in a pile of crude rocks as dust sailed across the air.
Shiho tugged at the chain on her skirt and took a few steps up to examine the debris. Not a thing moved for a few seconds and she thought her work here was done, but a deep rumbling made itself known before one of the rocks flew in her direction. Shiho dodged it, but then found her speed moving faster than she was expecting and she smacked her forehead into the wall beside her, spinning stars across her vision as more blood flowed down her face.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Shiho picked herself up and turned around grimly. “What’s it going to take to stop you? Am I going to have to haul you back to your portal and throw you back into horseland for you to freaking stop?”
The rocks fell aside and Twilight stepped out. Her outfit was ragged and torn in various places, her hair was a mess and she had blood coming out of her nose and mouth, but Twilight showed no signs of weakness.
“You’re not going to stop me, Shiho. Not even if you kill me.”
Shiho’s countenance darkened. “Oh yeah? Is that a challenge?”
Twilight brought out Strange World, which pounded its fists together. “It is a challenge I’m going to win.”
Both Curtain Call and Strange World launched themselves at each other, yelling at the top of their voices as their fists crashed against each other, echoing resounding booms across the safehouse air. Neither side was willing to give way, but though they kept up with each other, Curtain Call’s knuckles were already starting to crack and Shiho knew she wouldn’t be able to keep this up forever.
Shiho had her Stand duck low, then with both feet, it sprang up, catching Strange World around the neck and launching themselves through the remains of the ceiling, crashing back out into the open air as fire raged around them, already spreading through most of the furniture. Strange World spun in a circle, then kicked down on Curtain Call’s head. It only had enough time to raise a single arm before the blow struck, cracking the bones in Shiho’s arm before her Stand crashed down through a dining table. Strange World descended slowly, landing beside its master as she watched Shiho crawl up the remaining steps, clutching her left arm.
“Shiho!” Sunset Shimmer and the others began to run over.
Strange World lifted an arm and all of them slowed down. Yesterday and Alicorn Fantasy were in the process of materializing and Twilight knew she would not be able to stop them once they used their abilities against her. While everything moved slowly, Twilight and Strange World made their way towards them, dodging a strike from Josher’s Down Under and Cajole’s Tenacious D. Grabbing the Stand by the horns, she threw it off to the side towards Daring Do, while she first approached Sunset Shimmer and Alicorn Fantasy.
Strange World sped up time for a split second, allowing Twilight to close the distance as everyone else stumbled forward from the sudden burst of speed before resuming its slow ability.
Tenacious D had crashed into Daring Do during the speed up and she was in the process and crashing to the floor, face first. That would keep her down for a while as she finished her goal here.
Alicorn Fantasy was already out and it was getting ready to reset her, but Twilight wasn’t going to have any of it. Walking around Sunset, she grabbed the old woman around the neck and bent backwards, squeezing at the same time, cutting off her airflow. Sunset began to struggle, attempting to fight back against her, but her arms would never reach her in time.
Twilight let go of her as her eyes rolled back in her head, letting her fall to the ground slowly as she spotted Spike by the wall, lying on his side as blood pooled around him.
“No, Spike…” Twilight was by his side, holding his head up under a knee, dropping her Stand’s slow down. “Spike!”
His eyelids fluttered open and he gave Twilight a weak smile. “Still alive. I’m sorry… I wasn’t able to stop them…”
Twilight shook her head. “No, you did good. The French president is dead. We’ve done our work for this country. When we do the same for the rest of the world, we’ll be able to start the healing process. This world would become like Equestria. A perfect new order.”
Spike lifted a hand and placed it on Twilight’s arm. “I know you will, Princess Twilight. You’re the only one who can do this.”
She let him rest on the ground again as she got up. The only former friends that were still standing before her were Josher Joyride, Joshi Horner and of course, Shiho Sunfast.
“The world needs change.” Twilight walked away from Spike’s body as he pushed himself to sit up. “And against your wishes, I’ll make it a better world for all.”
“Weather Alternate had been the other way around, eliminating the weak. My father failed, but he saw the truth when he was defeated. Nothing we say is going to change your mind besides a good beating.” Joshi shrugged and raised both arms up. “Uh, Josher, I will have to leave it to you. There’s not much technology here to use against her.”
“Yeah, I got it.” Josher took his pack of cards from his pocket and flicked them out of their box. Down Under stomped down behind him, then lifted its anchor over one shoulder.
Shiho looked at her grandmother lying on the floor and stalked forward, taking big strides to close the distance between herself and Twilight.
“You cannot win. Why do you still approach?” Twilight put her hands on her hips and shook her head.
“I can’t beat the crap out of you if I don’t come closer.” Shiho continued at her pace, sliding her bad arm into her pocket to hold it in place.
Twilight had both arms outstretched. “Then come. Let us finish this now.”
All three of them began walking towards each other, but Down Under was the first to attack. It bent back, then swung its anchor forward, sending it hurtling high in the air before it began descending towards Twilight and Strange World. Strange World slowed it down, giving itself more than enough time to get out of the way as it punched the side of the anchor, changing its course. Everything around them sped up and Strange World was immediately beside Down Under as the anchor crashed through one of the safehouse’s walls, destroying it completely. It cracked an elbow against Down Under’s knee, then spun around it and punched at its right shoulder. Down Under’s plated armor began to dent from Strange World’s blows, but it twisted on one foot and kneed Strange World in the chest. Or, it would’ve if it hadn’t slowed again. Strange World managed to get away from it as it slowed before its face and grabbing Down Under’s foot, it pushed up with all its might, sending the tanky Stand into the air as everything around them sped up, sending Down Under crashing through a second storey window, before it broke through the ceiling, landing just outside the house’s walls with a bounce.
Before it could get back up, Strange World was on top of Josher and as he tried to throw a punch at Twilight, it grabbed his wrist, then flipped him upside down, where he crashed into a wooden chair, breaking it in two. Josher lay on the ground, groaning as he turned to his other side.
Before Strange World could look away, Curtain Call was upon it, punching it in the face as it dashed past. Twilight’s head leaned to the right, but then she righted herself and wiped the corner of her mouth. Strange World recovered and jumped at Curtain Call, spinning a kick at it. Shiho’s Stand attempted to swing its cloth at the appendage, but its movements slowed down and the kick crashed against the side of its head.
Shiho staggered and managed to stop herself from dropping to her knees, but her left ear was ringing and her vision was starting to wobble. This time, Twilight didn’t give her room to rest and attacked with a series of punches to her Stand’s midsection.
“Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker! Nicker!” Strange World yelled.
But Curtain Call caught its next punch, grabbing Strange World’s arm before sliding its body away from the attack. Blood dribbled down Shiho’s face and chin, but her resolve kept her going and Curtain Call kicked off the ground and tilted itself back. When it landed on the ground, it kicked backwards over its head, launching Strange World into a nearby pillar, then got back up and whipped its cloth around, catching a few pieces of debris along the way, turning each one into a glass ball. Curtain Call flung them at Twilight, each ball shattering into sharp fragments as they impacted around Strange World’s master.
“Stop!” Twilight yelled and the remaining glass shards and Shiho slowed down in the air. She peeled one from her cheek and one from her nose, wincing at each removal. “This has gone on long enough. Strange World will keep you slowed down while I finish this!”
Twilight began approaching slowly, step after step. Her Stand followed along behind her as her pinkish aura began to grow in size. Shiho’s yellow one started to grow as well, but with everything around her slowed, it didn’t match Twilight’s aura immediately.
She tried to break through the slow effect, but this wasn’t something that could be overcome with brute force. It was something that had to be overcome with wits.
“It’s useless, Shiho.” Twilight continued to walk closer. “Strange World can slow everything down in a cone before itself, man, machine, nothing there in between. No matter how hard you try to push through it, you will never be able to do so. You can’t defeat Strange World. Face it.”
“Yes, I won’t be able to defeat you like this…” Shiho said extremely slowly. But then a corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk. “But I had already expected to be slowed again.”
Twilight stopped in place and raised one eyebrow. “What did you do?”
“Before we started fighting, I already had Curtain Call set up a little.”
Twilight looked around, trying to find out what Shiho had done, but she failed to look down as the floor beneath her gave way, splitting down the middle.
“P-Paper!” She stretched an arm out to grab the ledge before her, but that too crumbled away. She splashed down into water and swallowed a mouthful of water that tasted absolutely disgusting.
The water began to melt the rest of the paper floor and it all began falling away, all the way to Shiho’s feet, where the floor still remained as stone. The slow down on Shiho ended and she took a breath before walking around the pit to where Twilight was.
“That’s right. I turned the pipes to paper as well.” She bent lower as the water surged and churned around Twilight, breaking her concentration. When the water reached its optimal height, the paper below you began to give way and collapse. This will give me enough time to stay away from your slow field.”
Curtain Call held out a hand and in it was a trio of round pebbles. It pulled its arm back and skipped them into Twilight’s face. Each one battered her and caused her to yelp.
“This is it, Twilight,” Shiho said.
Before she could sink down below the water, Curtain Call grabbed her out and as hard and fast as it could, it began to pummel her with its fists.
“Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! Neigh! NEIGH!”
Twilight crashed against the rocky back and her head smacked against it, leaving a splatter of blood there. Her legs dangled in the pouring water, and the rest of her body lay splayed out on the rock floor.
“W-W-Why…?” Twilight couldn’t even manage to look at the girl. She couldn’t even lift a finger to defend herself. “I wanted… I wanted to help your world, Shiho… Why would you… refuse that…?”
“The ends don’t justify the means, Twilight,” Shiho said, staring hard at her. “Mankind doesn’t need a savior like you and Die Die Riches. You want to help fix the world. Fine. But don’t go around messing with things like you own the place, because you don’t. This isn’t ponyland.”
“All I’m doing… for your world…” Twilight’s voice was hoarse in her throat. “I’m doing it for all of you. Why can’t… you see that your world’s leaders… will never help the world? They’re selfish… they will never… aid the world at their expense. As long as they live… your world will never… be perfect.”
Shiho couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “So you think your way is better? A better world born from the blood of the humans in power? You really are out of your mind. Did you really bring peace to your own world, or did you kill all of your detractors there too?”
“There was no need… The evil in my world is nothing compared to yours… I imprisoned those who would threaten my kingdom, but you… do not have a single ruler. My… imprisonment would not work on them.”
“Good grief. You still have that messiah complex even after such a beating?” Shiho called forth Curtain Call, which floated beside her menacingly. “Guess I’ll have to pummel more sense into you. If that’s even possible.”
“Do what you will… But your world… will only get worse from here without… my help.” Twilight closed her eyes.
“We’ll be sure to do something about it. The Crusaders Foundation and Weather Alternate have been hard at work doing what needs to be done.” Shiho’s Stand cracked its knuckles. “Watch us, Twilight. Watch us fix things.”
“You’ll fail…” Twilight’s strength seemed to be coming back little by little and she clenched her fist. “You won’t be… able to.”
Curtain Call raised its right fist in front of Twilight.
“Well, whatever happens, you won’t be around to see it. Sayonara, Twilight Sparkle.”
Curtain Call’s fist was about to come down on Twilight’s head, but then a shard of ice exploded against her Stand’s shoulder, knocking her forward.
With a yell, Spike dropped down on her from above, landing on her shoulders as his Stand’s arm swung at her from Spike’s shoulder, where his arm was missing.
Curtain Call blocked its attack, but had to pull away from Twilight to do so.
“Twilight, I’ve got you, I won’t let her!” Spike thrust his Stand’s arm down repeatedly. His chest had been iced over, allowing him to breathe and move once again. “I had to turn my organs to ice, but I’ll have enough time to protect Twilight! She’s going to change the world! And that means I’m with her to the very end, making sure her goal will one day succeed!”
“Spike, you-!” Shiho grabbed his thighs, then bent down and spun forward, smashing his back into the ground.
She slipped out from under his legs, then grabbed them with her Stand and flung him away. But Winter Wrap Up’s wings spread out from Spike’s back and he righted himself before flying back at Shiho with amazing speed. Curtain Call swooped between them and swung a fist, trying to protect its master.
There was a crash, followed by a shattering of ice as Spike crashed into Shiho, knocking her to the ground.
“T-Twi, you need to go,” he turned around and said to his best friend. “You can’t… stay here.”
“S-Spike?” Twilight managed to regain control of her neck and she looked up and widened her eyes.
Spike now sat on top of Shiho, but Curtain Call’s arm had gone through his chest, coming out the back, still clenched into a fist. It had shattered the bones and organs completely, creating a gaping hole that was almost circular. He leaned forward and spat out a mouthful of blood on Shiho’s face as his eyes began to droop.
“Spike…! Aaagh!” Twilight forced herself to move, putting all of her willpower into her limbs as she kicked back out of the water. “No, Spike!”
Tears rolled down her face as her lips trembled, but she saw a determination in Spike’s eyes, something she would only see in the most dire times.
“Twi, you can do this. I believe in you. Go. Accomplish this goal of making this world perfect…” Spike smiled as particles began to float away from his body. “I’m with you… to the end…”
“Spike, Spike, no no no no, you didn’t have to…” With a burst of strength, Twilight painfully pushed herself on her feet, staggering two steps before gaining a foothold. “Spike… Spike. What have you done, Shiho…?”
“He… I…” Shiho stumbled with her words. She had Curtain Call remove its fist from Spike and he dropped off her, landing with a thud. “None of it had to be this way, Twilight. If you had just stopped.”
“It all had to be this way!” Twilight cried out. “But you can’t see it. You… you never will. Fine. But you had to do this to Spike…”
She watched as his life seeped from his body, floating up into the air. In the clouds above, under the glow of the moon, she thought she could make out the shape of her friend, turning back to face her while giving her a resolute fist.
“There’s… still so much I have to do…” Twilight kept her eyes on the clouds as tears poured down her face. “You believed in me, even if it meant aiding me against our former allies…”
Then she looked back down at Shiho as she began to stand. Shiho, the girl who had just taken Spike away from her, the one who would stand in her way for world peace and perfection. She had known about her selfish goal from the very beginning, how she had only taken action now with her grandmother because her friend had been killed by Die Die Riches. She should’ve known that that was all Shiho was after. Once she had been done with her avenging, there was nothing more she wanted, even if that meant saving the world from its own destruction.
Twilight lifted a finger and pointed it at Shiho. “You did this. Mark my words, Shiho Sunfast… you’ve hurt me more than you will ever know. When this world sees its perfection one day… you will not be here to see it.”
Strange World lifted both arms and the air around them vibrated as she sped out past the wall in a blur. Shiho had been in the process of bending down and she found herself down on her knees as the speed up wore off.
Twilight was now by the rest of her friends and Strange World picked up Sunset Shimmer around the waist and hauled her over one shoulder.
“There’s much I still have to learn about this world…” Twilight clutched at the back of her head as blood spurted from it. “And I will make this world perfect. Till we meet again, Shiho.”
“W-Wait!” Shiho reached her good arm out, but with a blast of air, Strange World and Twilight launched into the air with Sunset Shimmer, flying high like a speeding missile, shrinking into the distance in less than a second. “Granny…”
She pounded a fist against the floor. She had no way of chasing her down, not like this. As her exhaustion finally gripped her, Shiho collapsed on her side and closed her eyes.