> Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Roundabout Friendship > by TenTa > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue: The Second Coming > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lunas' moon was at it's peak that night. With its glow being a witness to all that slept on or worked through the hours. However, tonight was a night a fate. Not for ten. Not for a thousand. But rather, for two. Somewhere, in the darkest alleyway of Canterlot, a conversation bellowed on... Between a common citizen, innocent under the shadow that censored her, and a homeless fortune teller struck by age... Things weren't fairing well. And they wouldn't get any better. That was unreached truth of it. "A day of good luck? Seriously?? You went through all that flashy voodoo-like *meditation* or whatever just to tell me I'd probably find some random bit in the street?" Awaiting silence ensued for a second, "Ugh... Geez, talk about underwhelming..." The cyan bystander turned her head off, muttering with about as much enthusiasm as a fillie getting a lame, cheap amulet for her birthday. The old, wrinkly miser of a mare shook her bone-thin head in as much vigour as she could muster. "Oh but on the contrary... A day of luck could be all that's needed to turn your life around forever...!" Her crackling voice reassured, "lest you doubt me and my prophecies, all the best shall open up unto you and you will find quite the delight! Even if it is for a day..." She backed up a weak yet sweet smile. The opposing mare simply shrugged, "Right... I guess any luck is better than no luck. But why were you so hoppy about bringing me here for something so... mundane?" "I could see it...!" The hag retorted as if stating the obvious, "The pattern of which your coat waves gave it all away, it signifies that something wonderful will change your life in one random day yet to come. I may be old and broken down, but my vision is as great as it's always been! I never fail to miss such details!" "Uh-huh..." The bystander nodded with slight disbelief, "Well, it's been nice, *knowing the future* and all, but I'm gonna have to go now. It's already late and, besides, I've already been through too much this week..." True to her word, the mare trotted away under the looming embrace of the buildings moonlit shadow covering her face, taking away a more weirded mindset despite the fortunate shortcomings heading her way. Enya, the street bound 'fortune teller', sighed at the end usual business. 'Right, have a good night now...' is what she was about to say. ...Key word being "was". Because in the moment, as if staged by destiny itself, a streak of a stray pale moonlight heavenly struck the bystanders ear. Revealing to the now jaw dropped old hag widened her eyes with an odd mix of wonder and terror... The bystanders' ear had Three Black Dots lined up on the edge. ゴ ゴ ゴ Enya, with her breath being taken away, processed the sheer magnitude of the sight she witnessed. Till she recovered her resolve and acted. She knew what must be done "No! WAIT!" Enya cried in desperation as she got up and rushed to the mare as fast as possible, still managing to blindside tackle her. In a grunt and thump, Enya had the unsuspecting mare pinned to the floor. "H-hey! What the heck- Let me go!" She fought Enya's' measly grasp, struggling and shaking her off until she nearly broke free. But before she had that chance, a strong presence overwhelmed her limbs, forcing her back into the ground. Almost as if another pony was keeping her down... "Huh!? W-what gives!? Why. can't. I. Move! "Oh, lord... So ever-loving..." Enya's' tone of voice changed to a praying calm as she reached beneath her rags to pull out a concealed weapon: an arrow to be specific. "Please grant this holy being your legacy... and carry on through her...Please, accept this gift." Enya cocked the arrow above her head. "Whoa whoa whoa! W-what are you-? S-some pony help! SOME PONY HEL-!!" The arrow struck down the second the mare cried out, thrusting it straight into her mouth an impaling her right through to the crisp air now stained with the metallic taste of blood being gargled everywhere. If the night had not covered the bystanders' face, you would see the absolute dread take over her as the immanent fear of death began to choke her, she continued to shriek bloody murder through the overflow of rosy blood filled her mouth. After ages of unadulterated terror, the pinned mares movements began to slow. More... and more... and more. Until she stopped. Over the body of a now motionless mare, Enya stood. A warm smile infected her sagging face. The kind of smile you'd make when you knew things were going to be OK, like escaping your bedroom after a horrifying nightmare to then go and sleep with your parent(s). And with the same calm that followed after it, right as she yanked the arrow out. Slashing a stripe of blood on the wall She slowly hassled the seemingly lifeless body away as it limped and twitched. Was she dead? No. She was being reborn. |To Be Continued==> > Chapter 1: Jolt Jo Star > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- To summerise an Equestrian Background Ever since the monumental defeat of the feared ruler of the race of changelings known as Queen Chrysalis, the ponies of that time once more celebrated the return of the one and true Princess Cadence for not only the sake of her safety and condition but to rejoice for the marriage to the royal guard Captain turned Prince Shining Armour. From that point, things began to advance. In 2013 of May 25th, exactly 1 year, 1 month and 4 days since the catastrophe, the former fuel-driven steam train was remodelled into a newer, more energy-efficient 'electric' train. This locomotive would open the flood gates to an entirely new way of transport and technology. Only 7 months later the 'escalator' would burst into the scene, allowing ponies to climb entire flights of stairs with relative ease. Many would object to its creation, but ultimately, it would continue its service. And the public spectator sports frenzy, the International Federation of Hoofball or just 'Hoofball', was born in 2014 and held it's first-ever inter-state competition in 2018 when it began to pick up more and more popularity, going as far as give the Equestria games a run for their money. The 1st place winner of the before mentioned competition went to 'The Chrystal Palace', barely taking home the silverware with a 4-5 penalty shootout against Canterlot. From the years and years of development, more and more major cities being built, all of which ranged with a multitude of different cultures, races and species. And for the first time in a good while, progress for the nation was going nowhere but up. オラオラオラオラ "This is the P2P service going through -London-.We are now approaching -Trottenham-. This is the final stop. Thank you for using the P2P travel service." "Look alive girls...! We're almost at our stop!" Pinkie pie chirped with a pleased smile shining across her face. "Ooooooh! I can't wait! Can't wait can't wait can't wait. Can. Not. Waaaait~~!" The hyperactive ball of a pony was buzzing (or rather jumping in her seat at near mach speeds) as she repeated the same thing for, like, the 30th time (the rest of the gang lost count after 19). "Yeah... Can't wait to see more of this 'enriching' city..." Rainbow grumbled in her seat, reflecting herself as Pinkies' polar opposite. "Oh c'mon Rainbow...! At least we're out and about doing something productive as friends. Beats the ol' occasional monster attack if you ask me." Twilight turned to chime in after her 30-minute long window starring session. "Is that so...? Twi, I'm gonna have to level with you, this place just isn't as good as it's made out to be. It's not bad, just underwhelming. I mean, the place looks older than Celestia herself, people here don't act as remotely polite as you'd expect them to be and the kids here are just downright rude. Like seriously, one of them thought they were 'cool' coming up to just to call me a 'Nonce', whatever that it..." "She has a point y'know..." Applejack claimed, "Those lil' gremlins had the audacity to slap my flank and laugh about it...! Then when ah chase their flanks to high heaven an' back, they go an' tell their ma's about how they bein' *bullied* an then I, the Element of *Honesty*, get an earful about how I 'sHoUlD kNoW bEtTeR'! And that alone reeeeally pisses me off." "I have to agree with Applejack... They're just too... unpleasant." Fluttershy included making it three v one. "*Sigh* Alright, alright...! Maybe things here aren't... well... good, I guess, but this is one of the only breaks we get where we can all go out together and have fun. And, by Faust, I'm not about to give up my day to a few mishaps...!" "Not what you expected, eh?" The current conversation diffused in an instant as all heads were drawn to an above-average, tall, lean and Orange stallion. Though his intrusion wasn't what was so peculiar about the young lad. But instead, was more rather his fashion sense or lack thereof. All around him were cartoonishly large bandaids. Yes. Bandaids. From his hoof to flank to torso, even up to his snout, he wore large and possibly unnecessary bandaids attached to his being that obscured a good chunk of him. He seemed rougher and more chiselled than the average stallion, not the kind of guy you'd want to mess with if you liked your face intact. Yet he bore a smile that reeked of innocence if anything. Oh, and a flat cap, he wore that with his pale brown mane... And what made this already crazy situation even more bizarre, he somehow managed to it pull off and make it look cool. "You must be new here...!" The lad said with an understanding smile, deciding to break the ice. "I'm Jolt Jo Star, a resident of Trottenham and proud citizen of Lundun...! But you can just call me 'Jo' or 'Jojo'." The silence lived on for a while longer... じーーーーーっ "...Is everything alright?" Jolt concernedly asked. "O-oh..! Nonono! Sorry, we were just a little... distracted." Twilight burst out, a little red from embarrassment. "Allow me to introduce myself: I'm--" "Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and Element of Magic...! And you girls are Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie pie and- hey, where's Rarity?" He called out and pointed to accordingly. "A-ah, right... Well, Rarity, she's just set up her brand 'fashion and beauty' in this city, we were just visiting here to check it out." "I see, how wonderful...!" He clapped his hooves in delight, "I must say, getting to meet the likes of you lot is a real honour...! I've been a huge fan of you lot for years now and, honestly, I'm glad Equestria has mares like you protecting the land." "Yeah yeah, I know we're awesome. Now let me ask you something, kid." Dash interrupted, eyeing him up and down, "What's with all... that?" She circled her hoof around where his bandaids were. "You got some battle scars or something?" He checked himself over, returning a perplexed look when finding nothing wrong, "Excuse you?" "Um... Those bandaids. Why do you have them?" "What bandaids?" Rainbow dash gave a confused look of her own. Is he... playing dumb? is what she thought. "You're kidding, right?" She got out of her seat and slowly closed the gap between them. This only prompted Jojo to back away from her and look immensely uneasy as she picked up the pace until he finally hit a wall. Rainbow suspiciously squinted up at the now profusely sweating stallion, jabbing a hoof to his 'clothes', "This... Why. are. you. wearing. this?" She abbreviated so that Jojo couldn't possibly have a chance of mishearing. "Alright Dash, cut it out. You're making him uncomfortable." Twilight attempted to intervene, only to have her words fall deaf on her ears as Rainbow refused to let up. "Well?" Jojo avoided eye contact and went a tad red, "E-errrrrr... I... I'd rather not say..." He muttered, trying to find his way around and away from the curious cyan mare, only getting body blocked at every end. "Seriously Rainbow! Just leave him alone..!" Dash huffed and turned back to Twilight. "Relax Twi...! I'm not gonna hurt him or anything. All I want to know is why you coved in these oversized bandaids, is that just too personal to ask?" "[Moonlight Lady]...!" Rainbow snapped her head right back to Jolt. "What was that?" Jojo wore a steely, concentrated mask as he pointed past her, the train coincidently starting to moderately lose speed. "...I said, 'we've arrived at our stop'." Rainbow as well as the others, snapping out of focus, turned back around to where his hoof lead. Looking out and finding that the train had, indeed, began to stop. Jojo drew his hoof back. "Uh-huh... Whatever, we still have a ton of time to-" He had vanished. Out of sight and nowhere to be seen. Leaving the girls stunned while Dashs' jaw dropped halfway to the floor. "But-? Where did he-? How in the-?? Huh?!" She could only stutter as she scanned the carriage to only reconfirm that Jojo was, for absolute certain, gone. The gang lingered a little longer in confusion, but the time of day is limited, and the train would wait for no one. 無駄無駄無駄 My name is Jolt Jo Star, aged 19, as you already know. I was born and raised solely in Lundun, but have moved around from time to time. My best and only friend is my father, a bit sad looking back at it but who the hell cares... He's the best dad, hands down. I honestly have a mad amount of respect for him and hope to one day pay it back. Cooking the best food, working his ass off to make said food, ...always listening to me when I have to vent. He's amazing. My mother... well... I'm not too sure about her. Maybe she could've been a great person to know if she actually... ... I've never had any friends growing up, except dad, and I've kinda got used to it. I mean, all the friends I have had were basically fake. I could never get a meaningful convo out of anyone though... I just don't get some ponies I guess... But even then. It just doesn't feel right talking to them... ...Can't believe I got to meet the Mane 6...! A lot different than how I first imagined them. They didn't really talk too much to me either... Being a group powered by friendship itself has to give you some communicating skills or charisma, right? No... That has to be overthinking it. Am I just uninteresting to talk to? ...Whatever... Do they...? Are they Married...?- Annnnnnnd I'm just gonna stop myself there! Faust! I have way too much time to think...! Jojo thought on and on as he navigated the pony clattered streets of Trottenham. It was just another ho-hum day of life for the patched lad. Wake up. Go out. Do stuff. Come back. Eat. Melt away in bed once more... Plus the spice of odd looks he got for his wardrobe. Nothing much adieu... Jojo made a left turn into the doors of his local barber, gaining glances from all ponies before all briefly turned back to business. He was a regular in these parts. He plopped himself onto a waiting sofa next to worn-out mother answering the many, many queries of her son. Jo smiled, seeing himself reflected within the young lad as nostalgia flowed from old memories. But before he could cast yet another stare war with the floor, a barber near a free chair beckoned him over. 'Me? Already?' Jojo signalled over, to which the barber replied with a definitive nod. Jolt hesitantly obeyed, looking back to the roes of patient ponies, pegasi and Gryphons alike. "Have a seat." "Scissors. You don't have to do this y'know... I'm fine with waiting." "I insist. Besides, you're birthday just passed, didn't it? I never got you anything, so, here. On me this time." Jojo rubbed the back of his head as he gushed. "That was, like, a week ago. It's honestly fine, man. Go pick someone else..." He only got about half a meter away before being dragged back into his chair by hoof. "D'oh come on...! Quit being so stubborn and relax...! Trust me, sometimes, ya just need to treat yourself." "But there are-" "Ah-ah! No buts. I'm gonna give you a nice trim for free and you're gonna take it. Geez... Honestly, kid, you're too courteous for your own good...! Now lemme guess, same as last time?" "Heh heh... *sigh* Yeah, the same thing. 2 on top and 1 on the side." Scissors raised an understanding hoof. "Say no more." --- "... And be sure to send yer dad my regards...!" Jojo waved the barber off with a smile as he exited, continuing his route with a fresh trim covered only by his brown flat cap. And with that social scenario over, it was Jojo's train of thought that once again kicked it to keep him company. Till something else caught his attention. "Back off, wankers! You 'ear me? I'll slit her throat, I promise...!" In the foreseeable distance, a petty crime raged on. A potential knife crime to be clear... A little fillie was bawling her eyes out by a less than pleasant stallion that held a clean blade yet to be stained. Officers, as well as mass witnesses, surrounded the perp, keeping a negotiable distance. "Listen to m- LISTEN TO ME! I'M the one in charge here! And I order for you lot to fuck off...! Right now!" One officer stepped forward. "Yes, yes. OK. Just calm down sir... We don't want anyone getting hurt, so just state any demands and we'll meet them if the girl is released..." "Heh! Heheheh! Demands, eh? I only have one..." "Alright... What is it-" That Officer was shot in the back of the head by a green beam. Knocking him unconscious, maybe even killing him cold. The garnered crowd either gasped, shrieked or backed off, as a green aura enveloped the perp as well as the other members of 'Police'. "So, this is the girl right? The one who saw us?" The perp nodded with affirmation. "Yup. This is the one. What do we do with her?" "Bring her back. We can't be staying out here for much longer..." "Ahem. Gentlecolts...?" The group averted their attention. Jojo, through the thick crowd, emerged. Approaching the backstabbing Officers. ゴ ゴ ゴ "...Might I ask, where the hell do you lot think you're going...?" They gave no answers, let alone even dare to respond. With 'What the hell is he wearing' being the subject of each glance they gave each other. After, they concluded that this stallion was nothing more than 'an idiot with a death wish', as they silently coordinated into a circle, preparing to grant it. Jojo's faced hardened, prepping himself with newfound hate, "Not the sociable type huh...? Figures. With your hooves being full and all..." With this said and done, Jolt reached over his shoulder, carefully peeling open one of his bandaids and slowly reached for something inside. Never taking his eyes off his opponents. All of the foreheads of all of the perps began to shift and mould, forming what could distinctly be recognised as a dark, green glowing 'horn' with swiss cheese holes. Horns only belonging to one species of pony... Taking a stance, the group prepared to open fire. Then again, they had no idea what Jojo would pull from his pockets... And they were right to think that. A mug. Jojo pulled out a cheap, custom mug with a Portuguese flag on its base out of his bandaid and held it in front of him like a weapon. Needless to say, most of the spectators were well within' their right to be blatantly surprised, utterly confused or just face hoof. "Go on. Take a shot... Make. My. Day..." With the initial shock now well over, the perp right behind him fired away. "ORAAHH!!" The mug flash banged a bright pink colour and, within a milli-seconds notice and speed, Jojo turned around and slapped away the projectile into nothingness. The rest of the criminals, now truly flabbergasted by the bizarre turn of events, began to step back a little. While Jojo basked in a thick pink arua and a triumphant smile to go with it as he held his pose. "Surprised, I see. Don't worry though, that energy you sent my way will be put to great use while kicking your flanks asunder. That is one of the many abilities of my [Moonlight lady], after all." They had no idea what he talking about. They had no idea who he was, posing so menacingly. All they knew was that running may have been the superior option in this turnabout. And they would've been miles away, only stopped by one thing. Their hooves were stuck knee-deep in the concrete sidewalk. "What in the-!?" Was what one of them barely had time to say before they witnessed Jojo lifting his mug high into the air, with a sinister smile signifying that he'd enjoy what came next. "Say! Would you like to know what happens when you convert all the magic required to kill a pony into pure kinetic energy and send it straight into the ground?! No need to answer! I'll show you and send you basterds directly to hell itself!! Bye-bye, buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-BII~~~~~TCH!" With a single swing, Jojo sent the mug straight into the floor, in turn, causing the ground beneath him to utterly sink into a crater of rubble and debris, crushing himself and the criminals all at once. Thing is about 15 meters away from the crater everypony crowded around, Jojo emerged from the beneath the floor and floated on the concrete as if it were plain water, gasping for air. Finally, he got out of the 'water', dusted himself off and continued on his merry way. Whew... I think I might've overworked myself on that one... What was the deal with those guys anyway? I mean, they didn't act like ordinary thugs. They just seemed too... coordinated. Bah, whatever. What's done is done. I come in, I kick ass; I leave. Come to think of it, I feel like something's missing... Oh! Right! The hostage...! Those guys were holding onto the poor girl the whole time. *sigh* Hope she's ok now. Wait a minute...? ... ..... ........ "OH SHIT!" And just like that, Jojo dived right back into the ground. ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 Stand name: Moonlight lady Stand Master: Jolt Jo Star Abilities: Kinetic/Heat/Energy absorption, Kinetic Disperse, Control over States of Matter STAND RANKING Power: A Speed: A Range: B Vitality: D Precision: B Potential: A > Chapter 1.5: A new threat? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Come on! We can't let any more time go to waste!" Twilight and Applejack blazed through the streets (leaving Pinkie and Fluttershy to head off and find a hotel room without them), dodging poles, people, dogs and more. Panicked reports had it that a crime was raging on in the miles nearby and thinks weren't looking any better. "Twi...! Don't get this the wrong way! But why can't we just let the police deal with this matter??" Applejack belowed despite her lungs being burnt out. "Monster or not, we have a responsibility as the defenders of Equestria to seek out and stop any problem that may occur...! Even if this is our day off...!" Twilight stoically replied, holding her head straight with determination. "Right, right...! Ah see what ya mean..." "Hey, guys! Up here!" Rainbow descended in front of them. She had been sent forward beforehand to get a better scope of the task at hand. "Rainbow Dash! How the situation? What's happened?" "Twilight...! You won't believe what just happened! I-it's just too-- just so... Crazy! I'll explain later, follow me! We're not too far away!" She ran off once more. "Wait! But, Rainbow- Dah! Fine! Let's go!" With the girls now in hot pursuit, tensions unknowingly rose between the group. For the past few years, the gang continued to fend off all sorts of untamed beasts, big and small, freaky or harmless. So much so, they became virtually desensitized to near enough any creature or situation. But within all these years, no feeling would ever come close to the sheer absurdity. Of now, and the time yet to come. And thus, with the final turn around the corner, Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack and Fluttershy all laid eyes... ... on the massive crater that was buried before them. They all curiously admired the magnitude of it. Remaining speechless as a result. But this did get the cogs in Twilights' brain spinning. On estimate, the crater looked to be about 10 metres (33 feet) with a total depth of around 1 to 2 metres (3 to 6 feet). The number of Newtons it would take to make a crater like this wouldn't even be remotely close enough for any regular creature to create. This would've more believably been the works of some kind of magic or explosion... But she couldn't come to any definitive conclusions yet. Twilight needed more context. "Rainbow... You were here at the time of the event, right. Would you mind telling me what you saw?" Dash awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "I can. But you're probably gonna have to keep an open mind. OK?" "Yeah, go ahead." "Alright... At the time I got there, I sat on top of a building right across the street. I had to have been late though, cus I saw four ponies surrounding one- No! Actually...! Three police officers and some regular guy with one girl held hostage, all positioned around Jojo." "W-What...?! Jojo?? You mean Jolt? The random stallion from the train?" Rainbow nodded with no doubt, "I'd recognise those bandaids of his from even a mile away. Anyway. The four guys, they... I... I'm sure what they did. All I knew was that they had all just grew unicorn horns from their own head... At this point, I woulda flew down there and took those guys out but Jojo just... He didn't even flinch! If anything, he looked calmer than anyone else in the crowd...! He began to tear off one of his bandaids, reached inside and grabbed a Mug." ... "Come again?" Twilight asked, tilting her head. "...You're saying that he reached inside his bandaid and pulled out a mug of all things...???" "I'm not kidding! Afterwards, he stood in some sorta stance, staying brave in the face of his own death! One of the cops launched a magic attack, right behind him... and he slapped it away with the mug! "How in the...?? How in the wide world of Equestria is that even possible!?" Applejack exclaimed in utter shock and disbelief. "I'm not sure... There has to be something else at work here. Continue, Rainbow." Right... What happened next... Jojo... He... He lifted his mug up and slammed it right onto the ground with enough power to... Well... Rainbow dash pointed right at the before mentioned crater, eyes widening with the cause of something so phenomenally titanic to come from a being more than 10x smaller than the very thing he created. "I don't believe this... I can't believe this...! There can't be any other to blast a hole as large as this into the ground...! And with a mug?? It's just too... too... Impossible!" Twilight ended up clutching her head in deep and agonising though, trying to come to terms with the supernatural events that happened. "Rainbow. Are you sure that everything that just happened was real?" "Yes. Every last word I told you was exactly what I saw. I don't know what else to say Twi..." "Ah... I see..." She breathed out her words as her eyes seemed to drain empty of any sanity that inhabited there before. "I... Did see where Jojo went. His house isn't too far from here, we can pay him a visit and you can ask him whatever you need to ask. That sound good?" "...Yeah. Yeah, let's do that." She said, shaking her head back to life. Dash lead the group away once more. ... "Hmmm... Jojo..." Upon a roof nearby, a figure of a mare, or rather, a changling wrapped back into visibility. She wasn't like most copy paste changelings, she looked a tad different with her turquoise mane and blue pupils. "So he's the one who caused my stallions all that trouble... *Tsk*... He's nothing more than a reckless idiot... But... He's a reckless idiot with a stand, and a strong one at that. How interesting..." She pulled out a notebook and began scribbling, as the green flames that engulfed her vanished her out of sight once again. Movēre crūs In a World. In a country. In a continent. In Canterlot. In a City section. On the road. In a house. Within a room. A candlelit the ominous darkness that surrounded Enya, with a single curtain-shut window with near to none of Celetias' light illuminating the silhouettes of the room. She down, a cheery smile shone across her face. Enya turned around, candle in hoof, and headed toward the edge of a bed. "Wake up, my lord...! Rise, and claim your crown...!" The bedsheets shuffled and twisted before a pony dragged them off. Sitting up and scanning the environment. Her shadow ridden face meeting Enya's eager eyes. "Did you get a good nights sleep, lord?" She said, bowing before her. "Haaaaaah..." A purple aura oozed from the Shadow Mare. She shifted her hind-legs up and off the bed, standing on all fours. She passed Enya by, the slow taps of her hooves breaking the ever-cold silence. "I see all is well. Say, my lord, have you discovered your ability? It must've manifested by now..." Just then, her ears were brought to the sound of a bubbling fizz. She turned around to find the bed the Shadow Mare previously laid on was melting out of proportions. Spreading itself across the floor as a slimy liquid. "Oh... Oh my... Could this be...?" Enya dipped her hoof into the 'bed', examining the substance. "You... You've liquidized it... You've liquidized it completely...! Amazing! A powerful ability for a stand alone to have!" That wasn't the end of it. The bed, in the spur of the moment, rapidly reconstructed itself to its former glory. Only to unnaturally snap and crack and twist as it sluggishly began to implode on itself. Enya's jaw-dropping awe was abruptly ended as the bed blasted her back in an explosion of air and bark, causing Enya to violently crash into the wall across the room and land with a bone-cracking thud. She shakily got up, coughing and wheezing out blood. Even after that, a smile stayed strong on her face. "Hoh... Hoho... Ahhahhahhah...! E-excellent...! Your ability...*cough**cough* is unlike anything I've ever seen...! You have fully left your past life behind you and rebirthed into... into... Godhood." The Shadow Mare spared her a hidden glance, facing her head toward the window, looking out upon the kingdom. "...And for this occasion, we must truly cast away your previous life and rename you. But what to pick...? There are many names, but none would suit you... Wait...! I know just the name for you...! Derived from the ancient language of another dimension meaning 'God'...! You shall here on out be called DIO!" |To Be Continued==> > Chapter 2: Smooth Criminal [1] > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Changeling hive. Located in forests unknown, this place is infamous for being the sole living space to, none other than, the Changelings. Though there has been speculation of many more hives, this was the best of the bunch. This was the Queen's hideout. Atop a towering tree nearby, stood a fellow citizen of the hive. A young bughorse, stiller than the cloudless sky that loomed above, gazed off at the mountain of Canterlot with thoughtful intent. Only left to wonder: How were things like over there? "Billie?" She didn't even flinch at the sound of the changeling spontaneously speaking out to her. "Billie? What are you doing up here? I thought you were meant to be with the others." "I was...?" She responded in a low effort of playing dumb, never looking back to her brother. "Yeah! Y'know, as a part of the plan to break the shield? We were told everyone had to be there. Well- I except me, cus... you know..." He took a bitter gaze at the total lack of his right foreleg. A useless little stump in its place. "-Whatever...! What's important now is that you get your flank over to Canterlot before the general finds out about and kicks it half a mile away!" "Hey, Madeira... Can I ask you something?" "H-huh? Can you-? Why? What is it?" "Do you dream?" "Come again?" "I said," A little spite and volume was added, "Do you dream? Dummy." "Dummy? Me? I'm older than you...!" "Just answer my damn question please..." "Fine, fine... Yeah. Of course, I do. Why wouldn't I?" "Well, what do you dream about?" She gave him a side look. "And why does that matter to you?" "Can you just... Go with it! I'm tryna have a moment here..!" Madeira sighed, "I get it, Billie. You're trying to be 'whistful'. That's okay. But just once, give it to me straight. What's it about this time...?" "I! I...! I... Ugh..." She held her face for a moment, turning fully around to look him dead in the eye and say with 100% seriousness, "I wanna leave the hive." "What!?" "I know! I know! It's just...! I want the best. For me, I mean." "But Billie, this is the best for you...! Out there, out in Equestria, we're more despised than... than...! Than rat shit, for Faust sake!" Madeira pointed directly toward Canterlot, "As we speak, we're giving it our A-game and then some trying to over-throw the current Princess of the Sun and crash the freaking Royal wedding! At this point, we won't be good enough to even be called rat shit!" "Madeira, shut up! Someone might hear us...!" She said in a stage-whisper. "Right...! Right... Sorry..." Billie took a long and drawn out-breath as she slowly digested what he had to say. Her eyes jerking ever so slightly as she looked off to one side. "Last night... I-I was just dreaming... It wasn't much, it's just... I dreamt I was... a pony. In a family with my mother, my father, and two brothers... I was just living in a small, picturesque town, next to the ocean, Greenland fields going on for miles, filled with all different colours of flowers... That was it. That was my dream. For a good portion of the night, I lived there. It was a plain and simple town. So ordinary, but so, so, so beautiful...! And I'd be damned to Tartarus if I said that I wouldn't kill to stay there, with my family, just a bit longer." It was no lie, the look of distant happiness within reach was plastered on her face. "But then..." Her look immediately dropped, "I was just out on the field, taking a walk. I-I picked a flower and it just w-withered, slowly in my hoof. Looking around me, it showed the same thing, with everything died. The s-sky turned purple. Houses crumbled... An unnatural hurricane blew me off my hooves. I couldn't stop it, I just kept tumbling towards the sea... I fought for my life and dug my hooves into the sand to get a grip. But when I looked up, I saw my family, all of them, 5 metres away just... staring at me. With a face of disgust that burned itself in my memory. I tried to hold a leg out to them, but that only got them to step further way. The wind dragged me hard and my hooves kept slipping until I reached the edge of the ocean. My reflection showed me, back to normal. As a changeling. Before, everything was dying. But after I got to the ocean, I could see the town again with no damage sign of it. Like nothing ever happened. I got back up and tried to go back, only to feel a hand clasp my leg. Then another one. And another. And another. And another... I looked back; it was just a bunch of hands stretching out from some dark abyss and holding me back. When I tried to push against them, my body broke into pieces and, before I knew it, I was drowning. And it felt so real... I really couldn't breathe until the last second, when I woke up. Gasping for air and everything." "Well. It was really that bad, huh...?" Madeira said, desensitized to her little vivid 'nightmares' by this point. "And let me guess, that dream was some sorta sign for you to leave?" "How could it not be? These dreams have been coming more and more frequently. And c'mon, with a place as big as Equestria, there has to be somewhere where I'm excepted. These dreams don't have to continue being dreams...!" "Hey, calm down...! I wasn't disagreeing with you or anything. Actually, I think I'd be happier going with you. Beats sitting here and starving to death. It's just... How can you be so sure?" "I dunno," Billie shrugged. "Can you see into the future?" "Err... No...?" "Then there's only one way we'll ever find out..." She said, facing the way of the sun. Doujaa~~~n Jolt stumbled up the small staircase leading to his door. Tearing open bandaid that contained his keys and unsuccessfully fumbling around the keyhole, much to his annoyance, before getting it at last and unlocking the door. "Hey, Dad...!" He shouted over the door slamming behind him. "How's are you?" No response. Only the minor echo of the house greeted him. "hmm... Dad? You there?" Entering the door to his left leading to the living room, Jojo still found no pony around. Odd, considering his old man only worked night shifts and therefore had waaaay too much time during the day. Maybe he's out..., Jojo hypostasized, not being too bothered to think. He went right past the wedged open door and made way to the kitchen to see if anything was new in the fridge. Completely unaware of the figure that loomed in the dark between the wall and the door, rearing its head out before pouncing on-air as he leapt right on Jojo and- "BAH!!" Jojo was tackled straight to the ground before he even had a chance to flinch, or even scream. With the weight of another holding him down, he inched his hoof desperately to his aquire [Moonlight Lady], only to halt when a boisterous laugh filled the air above him. "Bwah-Hahahahahaha! AHH Hahahahaha! Ahhh~~~, you alright Jo?" "Wait a sec, Dad??" Jolt snapped his head around to find his old man right above him, bearing the same goofy grin he always wore since... well... forever. "What the hell, Dad?! You scared the living shit out of me...!" "Heh heh heh...! You don't 'ave to say, I can see that clear enough. My word, you went paler than Celestia herself...!" Jojo gave a disgruntled sighed, failing to hold back the smile. "I love you too, Dad." Geo Jo Star, his fathers' real name, finally got off Jolt, offering him a hoof up only to put him in a headlock and give him an aggressively affectionate head rub. Geo looked similar to Jolt, being his father and all, with only a beige coat colour, no Bandages or a flat cap and slightly spiked up hair. Other than that, the two of them are near identical. They both entered the kitchen, Geo sitting at the table having a cuppa and Jolt continuing his trek to the fridge for food, coming back to the table with the fruitless result. "So Jojo, how was your little journey?" "Oh, it was alright, really. It was nice to just be out and about, y'know? I didn't get the job though..." Geos' expression sank in sympathy, "Dah... Talk about unlucky... This is, what, the fourth time you've been rejected?" "Unfortunately so. I dunno what to say really. But I did get to meet the mane 6 on the train...!" "Did you now...! Interesting. And how did that go down?" "Yeah! They were... not exactly like I expected, but still. Though I was pressed a bit on how I dressed..." Geo took a stern, more focused look at Jolt. "And...?" "And... well, I got outta there using [Moonlight Lady] when they weren't looking. Then I headed home and... Yeah." Geo's features still remained slightly unsatisfied. He heavily nodded after a short thought session. "Y'know, Jolt, yer easy to read." "H-huh?" "It's ain't too serious... It's just that whenever you have something more to say you'd rather not spit out, you never make look me in the eye for anything more than a whole second. Suddenly, the fly on the ceiling becomes more interesting than me." Jolt blinked hard, taken back in surprise more than anything, "I... do that?" "Mmhm. And now, yer mind is on 'igh alert. There is no fly on the ceiling, I just made ya look." He took a smug sip of his tea, "I don't know who said this, but we, from the average pony to a well trained, precise, best-of-the-best athlete, all have flaws. 'Signs' and 'patterns' that can give anypony a vague idea of just whats goin' on in your head. Everyone 'as these flaws, but it takes a mean, keen eye to notice. And what I'm seein' right now, is that you have much more to say. Come on, you know you can talk to me right?" He said as his bright smile beamed blinding lights that Celestia's sun could only dream of. Like most smiles, his one was very contagious. Jolt couldn't help but chuckle. And so, he explained everything. Form the barbers' regards, to the hostage, and even the fight that ended in catastrophic collateral damage. He couldn't assume his dad would be happy about the confrontation, but he could say that would listen wholeheartedly. He's a brilliant listener, after all... With the cuppa now empty, Geo had hooves on the desk, letting the events fully sink in. "So... You used your power on those knobs all to save some girl?" "Basically..." "I mean... You did the right thing, Jo, but you are aware of the ginormous crater you left behind does cost a lot to repair, right? You should be lucky that you weren't pulled off by the police yerself." "I'm sorry, Dad... It was just the heat of the moment. I couldn't really help myself..." "Yes, but you should be more careful. You know better than this..." "Yeah..." "..." "..." "...Did you at least kick their arses?" "O-oh. Er, yeah?" "Haha...! That's it, they got what they deserved...! Not saying I'm happy that you could've potentially cost me bundles o' bits, but in this context, those sunssabitches will know to never fuck with the Jo family...!" "...S-so, you're proud of me??" "I guess you could say that." Another softer, smile made its way to Jojo's features, "You're weird, Dad." "Eh?? You're calling me weird? I'm not the one who uses a mug for a weapon, thank you very much...!" The door ringed suddenly, cutting off the banter. Geo offered to get it but Jojo was just too courteous, he still followed close behind. Past the door, was a deep blue, average mare with a cyan mane and tail, with her hair wrapped up in a ponytail. "You alright, JoooJo~~?" "Um... Hello?" "How've ya been? I came here just like you asked." Geo pushed past, "Sorry to interrupt, Miss, but who are you?" "Oh! Are you Jolts father?" "Yes, that's me. What about it?" "My my...! Jolt, you haven't told him yeee~~t?" "Told me 'what'?" Geo made a face at Jolt, one of both concern and an ominous blank stare. Jojo opened his trap to say something (anything) of clarity but was forced to shut it when the girl rushed past to deliver a dead solid kiss on the lips. バーン ! ! She held it for what felt like hours; Jojo lost his train of thought with each passing second. Till she (Finally!) broke away, cuddling him with one arm, "He really didn't tell you, huh...? You see, I happen to be dating your son for some time. He's my B o y f r i e n d...!" To say Jojo was shocked would be the understatement of the century. This mare knocked on the door, waltzed right in and proclaimed that he and she were dating?? Needless to say, he didn't know how to react. I mean, how could he? Clearly, this mare had the wrong stallion or something. "Well, Jo, is this true? Heh heh...! Not bad! Not bad at all...! But, weren't ya planning on telling me sooner?" This wasn't true. None of this was. The mare; her sudden entrance, it was all to bizarre. Jojo was going to deny his question when he felt that he couldn't open his muzzle. At all. He even began unnaturally nodding. This wasn't him, no way. His body was moving entirely by itself...! 'W-What the hell...? The hell is going on?!' "Ah, I see, I see. So, lass, what's yer name?" He said as he closed the door. "Billie Jean. But my friends just call me Billie." "Right, welcome to our residence. Please, make yerself at home. If you need anything, I'm 'ere" Geo walked right back to the kitchen, leaving the 'couple' by the bottom of the stairs. "Will do." She said, more to herself than him. "Now, are you ready, JoJo?" "Ready? Ready for what?? I don't even know you...!!" He would've questioned further, had he not been stopped by another quick kiss on the lips. All motor functions basically disabled, Billie gently pushed him so he fell back on his flank. Thing is he didn't stop falling. Fear struck him as her lips detached and Jolt plopped right onto a dense and swirly water-ink surface with a glass-like thunk. Out of his view, he heard an exasperated being let off as he realised what came to be. He was now looking up at the sky, the clouds seemed closer than usual. "Finally... I was starting to get sick of kissing you." Jolt pounced to his hooves. Billie standing straight ahead, reading from a notebook. The image of a mare once before burst into a spire of neon green flames, revealing from the hoof to the horn a one of a kind Changeling... "Jolt Jo Star." The notebook burned up. "You...! You're no mare! What the hell do you want with me, Bughorse!?" Jojo declared war as he ripped open a bandaid, summoning [Moonlight Lady] his grasp. "Go on! Answer me! Before I personally come over there an' smash yer skull in an' try and read yer mind...!" "My Faust, do you ever shut up?" Jojo barely had enough time to grunt as he felt a tension draw his mouth shut once more. "And besides... You're in no position to order me around." An ominous navy blue aura oozed from within' her. And then! A humanoid figure creepily phased its way out of her: Its body was covered in black and white strips than constantly overlapped each other which begged the question of whether those strips were its skin or its clothes, it bore an evil crimson fedora on its head that constantly obscured its eyes, the phantoms lips were sewn together with a metal wire and over the main joints of the being (from its shoulders, torso, abs knees and heels), it had various array of protective black padding. This figure loomed like a tower above the emotionless Changeling. "I see we both have Stand powers... Not something common to come by. But rest assured, You won't live long enough to face 50% of what my [Smooth Criminal] can dish out..." ゴ ゴ ゴ |To Be Continued==> > Chapter 3: Smooth Criminal [2] > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bille... BILLIE...! You have a golden dream... No one can match your gift. TIE 'EM! BURN 'EM!! KILL THEM DEAD!!! I promise... The gang had arrived at Jojo's doorstep, Rainbow claiming with confidence that this was indeed the place she saw him go. The rest of the minute spent there was of the three coordinating who would greet him at the door and how they would get him to showcase his 'abilities'. Twilight figured it would have a link to his escape from the train, coming to the fact that no Earth pony would ever be able to pull a disappearing act like that on his own. 'Maybe he had a unicorn bail him out' the others suggested, but with the circumstances at the time, Twilight theorised that that would've required a ton of tedious planning beforehand. The door flipped open just as Applejack went for it, with a distressed Geo on the handle making a clear switch to surprise at first sight of the members of the mane 6. "Good evenin' to ya. Is this the Jo Star residence?" Geo, recovering from his initial shock, visibly traded away any perturb and worry for his best effort at a neutral expression. "Yes, yes it is. How may I help?" Applejack spared a brief second of unease at the sight of him. His poker face was awful. "*Ahem*... I-- We were just wonderin' if Jolt was in? There was an incident earlier on concerning him and we jus' needed to ask a few questions. Is that Ok?" "No, no. I've 'eard about what happened. But... The police will be here soon enough." "Police? But he hasn't don't anything too critical, has he?" Geo seemed to be staring off somewhere at the floor, taking a moment to collect himself. Before reverting his eyes at Applejack to state with absolute conviction. "He's been kidnapped." The girls fell silent, unsure of how to respond. Geo, at last, caved into the sorrowful feeling that clamped his heart. "Youse have to help me...! I dunno where he is a-and I-I can't have anything happen to 'im, b-but please! Please tell me you lot will help...!" His desperation was no joke. He was worried sick. And each second felt like that opportune moment for a heart attack. "You sure you wanna go about this Twi?" Dash whispered out the side of her mouth, "I mean, I saw what he could do... The guy'll be fine on his own, right?" "All the more reason to investigate. Besides, his absence is tearing this guy apart...!" Twilight, with a gained nod of approval from Applejack, turned her head back and covered her mouth to cough. "Sure thing, Mr Star. Just let us in and we'll go through the details to see what we can do." Arrivederci The face-off had begun for what felt like minutes ago. Billie had yet to make a move, and Jojo remained the same. But there was something in the way she stood. Poised in a light pose that emitted a heavy sense of wariness and danger, only amplified by the inhuman-humanoid Stand that stood behind her, a mirrored extension of the bughorse. Her looks were unreadable, undetected, unpredictable... Jojo wanted to attack, but just couldn't. He had no idea what she was capable of. And so he continued to stand, [Moonlight lady] at his hoof. She brought her arm up in a limped pointed hoof. "Roughly 25 minutes ago, in London, my troops were commanded by my order to steal a certain girl over my supervision. Instead, I find that they've been ragdolified into intensive care. Care to explain, Mug boy?" "They held a girl hostage at stab-point, do I need to explain myself, Ms.'Ragdolified'?" She scoffed, "Bold words, Jojo..." Her voice had collected poison to it, "But if don't wanna be as badly beat up my men are currently, don't be an idiot. I just need a few questions answered." "Ya see, I happened to notice whilst hidden on the train that The Mane Six, Rainbow dash, in particular, took suspicious interest to you. Your choice of wear. Your bizarrely oversized Bandaids." Jojo stepped back, "I didn't think too much of it at first, but my attention was trained to you after your little magic trick. And I saw you, phasing right through the walls after clutching one of those plasters. I can't believe I'm about to ask this, but why in the vast lands of Equestria are you wearing bandaids, of all things? No normal mare, stallion or otherwise would be caught wearing something so... dumb!" "Then I saw it, Your [Moonlight Lady]. Your Stand... I'm truly curious. How can you perfectly conceal a mug inside a bandaid without it sticking out? If your Stand can hide away something like a mug, what else is it capable of? But more importantly... "What else are you hiding in the other bandaids?" Jojo swallowed hard, giving his all just to steady his heavy breathing. What was in his plasters he couldn't let anyone know, no exceptions. Simple as that. And so... He continued to stand, [Moonlight lady] at his hoof... Billie, on the other end, didn't appreciate his lack of answers. She sighed, "I'll wail on your dad to... Since you insist on keeping your mouth shut." A fit of light anger slowly began to boil and seith into Jojo, being the only force to fight off his fear. "...You leave him out of this. If I'm hurt for my choices, then it is completely my fault. But I'll NEVER allow my dad will be injured on my behalf...! So fine. I'll tell you. IF you can actually kick my arse, that it." Confidence found itself onto Jojo once again. A small fire blooming within. "Good." Billie uttered, a small grin sneaking onto her face. "Don't say you didn't see this coming..." "That's the thing, Bughorse...!" His aforementioned confidence leaked out as a smile, "I have one thing that will tip the advantage to my favour! An 'on the spot' plan...! Now I can say with certainty: I will beat you!" Jojo made a mad dash right towards her! At full throttle and never backing down, his sights were set. "Alright then...! If you're so certain, then put on a show...!" She put [Smooth Criminal] at the ready. "I'll pull you right off the stage..." He had nearly closed the distance. [Smooth Criminal] took a titanic straight forward, wound up punch right at him...! But with a sidestep and a brush of wind passing right by him, Jojo had successfully dodged the blow. And in a moment, time seemed to stop for the Bughorse. As she got an eyeful of pure determination that peaked past her Stand. "My Plan...!!" The fire roared in his eyes. Everything was set. She was wide open. The just moment was staring Jojo right in the eyes. The time was right and Jojo wouldn't hesitate a second longer. Jojo leapt forward with every ounce of power in his being and...! Went right past her. "I'm getting the hell out of 'ere!" He booked it with his head held straight for the edge of the platform. What he would do after that... He wasn't sure. But he just needed to buy some time anyway he could. Looking down at the ground wasn't a pretty scene, being that the platform looked to be at most 100 metres high. Hights aside, Jojo made one half look back at Bille as he made one swift and definitive jump off. 'He's... He's insane!' she thought, 'Jeez... if he had this much of a death wish, he shoulda stayed buried with my goons... What the hell is he 'planning' anyway?' Jolt had no time to take a breath of relief, he drew out his Stand and flipped his front to face down before he could be turned to paste. However, what he only saw wasn't the floor. As he continued to accelerate, he discovered that there was no ground anywhere. He saw himself. A complete copy, diving at the same speed. With the wind getting in his eyes, Jolt turned to his back to hopefully see more clearly. But it was the same clone, still facing away from him. And to pile on even more shock to his initial confusion, beyond that copy were even more copies, like those elevators that have mirrors as the walls. All of which were mimicking his movement down to the sway of every hair on his coat. And contrary to his common sense and likeliness to fundamental laws of physics, all the evidence pointed to the impossible truth. Jojo was falling in some sort of loop. バーン ! ! "W-What the Heeell!!!" 'What's going on!!? he looked past all the other copies to find that their ground was no ground anywhere below, 'I knew my Stand was crazy... But this?? This is insane!! Is...? Is this her ability... Making me fall forever??' "Hey, Bandaids...!" he could hear the Bughorses' voice going from above to below his earshot, but could barely keep his eyes open due to the winds bashing against his eyes, "I must say, you are one crazy son of a bitch... Jumping off the side of my makeshift platform without a single thought otherwise. You do know you can die, right?" "You... What are you doing to me...?!! Let... Me... Go!!" "Figure that out yourself, genius. Besides, I know full well that you aren't going let me off easy if I just let you go. I've seen what you can do and I sure as hell ain't gonna let you get the chance to retaliate." Billie relaxed, even turning away as she sat down and stared atop the elevated view she crafted. Roads, houses and people completely unaware of what loomed above them, as they continued their days as normal. "It's beautiful, right?" She looked to a standard, nuclear family. "A family. Two ponies who were once nothing but strangers brought together by chance, together and standing after years of companionship... and with that as the result." She focused more on the child. "It must truly be an experience... Being raised with love and care. I mean, I wouldn't know much." "Heh... What the hell am I saying...?" "As for you..." Jolt abruptly plummeted back down to earth again, yanking him out from his slight fade away. This time the fall felt new... As he looked back down, a sudden surge of electrical bolts all lined up, began to cinematically split apart and form into a circle. Within it, lay a view of the sky above with clouds scattered about. A view clearer than a polished window. Then, gravity violently tugged the other direction as he broke through the window. His initial momentum carrying him far into the sky. He couldn't begin to describe how queazy he felt after that experience. 'But what was that...?? Just now, I fell through some kind of rift... And now I'm falling upwards?' His mind flashed back to his endless fall as he finally reached the apex hight, 'No... That can't be it... Portals! Her ability is portals! That's how she got me falling forever...! That must be it!' "...I envy you, Jojo!" Billie roared from her platform, "That you're not in my hooves...! That you're not born an outcast!" [Smooth Criminal] arose from her, matching the self-made anger with a battle-ready pose from right out the front gate. "And that you didn't grow up under my 'mother'!! Under a nation of starving brothers and sisters! I hhhhate it...! Faust knows how long I've suffered just cus of my race!" Atop her Stand, 10 portals ripped the air. 1 right in front of it. And the other 9 all positioned together in a semi-circle. All of which would be right where Jolt would land. "Well, I'm not just a Changling anymore...! I'm a pony! And I'll fight The World to prove it!! Smooth Criminal...!!" In one quick and sudden spur of panic, Jojo fumbled his bandaid open and desperately pulled his Stand just in time to have a multitude of fists sink into him. With all the motion gained from falling being brought to a painful stop. "Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai "Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai Vai!!!" From the portals she cast, punches rocketed at every conceivable angle with enough speed to rival a Pegasus and enough might to bust down a wall. Alllll connecting with one part of Jojo. The portals snapped out of existence, letting him fall for a second before [Smooth Criminal] followed up with a final punch that sent him packing through another portal that set him diving out form high in the sky once more. His went vision was fuzzy. His nose was warm with the flow of fresh blood. He could barely feel his face. He was falling again. Throughout that entire attack rush, Jojo retightened his loose grip on the mug. 'I... I can't... What the heck...?' He weakly cranked his head toward the blurry platform, 'Please, Gods no... Not like this... Not... Not now. Ugh...! What the hell... did do I deserve this...? Everything hurts... Haaaaah... I still got this... I can still win... I can...' With the most his resolve could muster, Jojo limped his arm up above, holding his mug straight at the Earth as his eyes flicked shut. "Whew... Well... That got... personal." Billie sighed, impatiently watching him fall, "Guess I needed to vent more than I thought... Feels great though...! Like I slapped on a new pair of pants on the night of new years eve... And I don't even wear pants." She thought, smiling to herself. She then brought her attention back to Jojo. "Don't take this too personally, Jojo." She solemnly muttered, "You just need to understand you were lucky from the start. Stand and all. And I wouldn't do it to ya this early any other day, but... gotta do what must be done." Jojo was bound to hit the floor in a few seconds. Billie turned her back to his fated death... and walked away. "And nothing will ever get in the way of my dream..." A pink flash banged from behind, stopping Billie in her stumble forwards. She snapped her neck to the source of the sudden light and found Jojo, alive but hurt, holding himself up on his Stand alone. And in a pose that made it look like he was still in the process of falling. Her jaw collapsed, "W-WHAT??!" 'B-but...?! How!? That distance- His speed he- He was going over terminal velocity!!' Jojo eased himself back onto the floor, setting his vision straight with a look of tired anger. Covered in visible blood and bruises (and possibly more if he didn't wear so many massive bandaids), he looked more than worse for wear. "Don't even start me and that..." He began, "Not having anyone by your side is hard. I should know. Everyone thought I was 'weird' or something and, cus of that, all my life I've had no real friends to... 'hang out' to... get to know. My mother... well, she's a different case. I don't even wanna talk about 'er. You're not the only one who's gone through sheer loneliness." In the second, Billie swore she could feel something resonating within her. "[Moonlight Lady]..." He glanced down at his mug with a smile of nostalgia, "...was definitely a highlight of my life. Y'see, this mug was a gift from my dad when I was sick in the hospital. Gods bless him... But, in the month I was bedridden, I never let go of this cup. Not even once. It was like a part of him was always near me... I'm going off on a tangent... What I meant was with the hell-grade health I suffered, I was scared." "Nausea one hour and insomnia the following night, and getting worse each hour. A flaming headache the next day... No doctor knew my disease or cure for thereof. I thought I was gonna die the way I came to life. Alone. That's why I always held this thing near me. "But one morning, I woke up, sat up, and... well. Everything was fine. An absolute miracle for my state. More importantly, after I noticed a tint of red was glowing from me, I later discovered that I had inherited the Stand ability to absorb, store and steal as much or all kinetic energy from any moving object. I felt like some kinda superhero experiencing his backstory, like Spider-Man or Wolverine." He cut a serious look back at her. "So when you attacked me with a flurry of punches, you hit [Moonlight Lady] with a majority of those punches. Did you ever wonder why a few of those strikes felt a bit... empty?" Her eyes flinched as the realisation settled in. "And right as I hit the ground, I absorbed the impact of the landing. And so, I lived bitch... Now, I have all the kinetic energy from all the abuse delivered stuffed away in one convenient little mug. Of which I can use whatever way I want..." Jojo began his walk, or rather limp, towards her. To which her Stand summoned out in defence, "H-hey! Stay back...! Ya hear?! My portals have more than enough range to keep you away...! Your Stand has nothing again-! Ngh..! Hmmh?!" Her jaw began to lock up and harden in place. The stiffening sensation spread all throughout her to the point where she couldn't move a proverbial finger. "My Faust, do you ever shut up?" Jojo quoted smugly, "What your experiencing is my secondary ability. Anything my Stand touches, it can change the structure of said thing from a solid, to liquid, or to gas. Your skin is hard like a rock, but you can't move." "When I ran away, I managed to get a small touch on you. Granted, it would take a looooong time for the effects to settle considering how light that touch was, but all I needed from that point on was to stall for time..." He loomed above her, a thick red aura resonating clearly from him, "So... What is your plan now?" Her Stand quickly manifested itself to deal a backstabbing blow, only getting her decked in the face. "Oh ho...! No, you don't, you cheeky bastard! I'm ending this...!" Using every ounce of energy garnered from every bit of abuse he took was channeled into one arm. And with his newfound speed and vigor, Jojo unleashed a bullet hell of blows. "ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA! ORAHH!!!" Billie glided at near mach speeds and skidded into the dirt of her fading platform. He pointed his mug at her. "Around me, you really are your own worse enemy..." He stated boldly, hiding his child like glee and satisfaction after delivering that one-liner. Billie was luckily still conscious from the number of new craters she had punched into her. Jojo sighed, "Good grief... She's still awake?" He looked around at the deterioration of the floor around them, "...Guess we should get going." "Eh...? Wut...? What are you...?-" "Don't worry about it." He dragged the barely woken bughorse, limped towards a nearby hole and jumped off. ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 Stand name: [Smooth Criminal] Stand Master: Billie Jean Abilities: Long-distance portals and platforms STAND RANKING Power: B Speed: A Range: A Vitality: B Precision: C Potential: B |To Be Continued==>