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It has been one year, 6 months, and 19 days since the last time I talked to my daughter.
Right now I'm outside of the Hospital 'Santa Maria Degli Incurabili', in Naples, it's 01:53 of the 6th of August. It’s pouring down in an unusually intense summer rain, I took cover near the entrance of the building. I lighted up a cigarette, took a drag from it, letting in the smoke in my lungs, then exhaled it through the nostrils. She’s been in there for four hours now, they arrived in such a hurry they didn’t notice me. She was in pain, not like she had anything broken or suffering from some illness, but rather from the contractions due to the advanced state of pregnancy she was in.
Nothing to be scared about, my daughter is about to become a mother.
Days before the Cape Canaveral incident.
After scrutinizing dozens of reports regarding the impressive surge of violent crimes in the state of Florida, I'd decided to investigate for any possible connection with Stands activities.
It turned out that the epicentre of violence was the Green Dolphin St. Prison. There were a good and bad news, the first was that it narrowed the research area by a lot, the second was that Jolyne was reclused in that prison.
I'm meditating on what course of action I should take. I could go there myself, but I haven't used Star Platinum in ages and, without knowing what kind of danger we could encounter, it may be way too risky to go alone. That brought up another issue …
Who do I call?
Josuke seemed the perfect answer, however, I didn't want to take him out of his duty as a police officer. Koichi and Okuyasu were out of the question, the first has already done more than I expected, he deserved to be let at peace, the latter was just not smart enough for the task.
So that leaves me with the only available option left…
"So, you're asking me to go with you to Florida to get your daughter out of prison?" Hearing that statement from someone else made it sound even more ridiculous.
"That's not the point, Mr.Giovanna." I replied.
I was speaking with the Boss of the biggest mob organisation of all Europe, the infamous Giorno Giovanna, sitting right in front of me. Everything in his attire, from the silky white suit to his impeccable hairstyle, emanated elegance from every inch of his being.
"Oh please, I hate formalities, you may call me Giorno." He acted with such nonchalance that you'd tend to forget what place he holds in the power pyramid.
The Speedwagon Foundation had come to terms with Passione a decade ago in an agreement that facilitated our research of potential global threats across the entire continent. Little did we know that we were bargaining with a 16-years-old.
"We have encountered an important rise in violent crimes in the state of Florida." I explained to Giorno, "We suspect that behind such growth there might be something Stand related." The blond man paid attention to every word I said, his chin rested on top of his intertwined hands.
"What that has to do with me?" He asked while looking straight at my eyes. I diverted my gaze away, I cannot keep up with that stare, not with those eyes of his.
"We don't know the entity of the threat yet, and even if we did, I'd normally take care of it myself, but…"
"But?" I sighed.
"But I'm not what I used to be, I'm starting to feel my age and so does my Stand" as soon as I said that, Star platinum manifested himself to the boss. Needless to say, he was quite fascinated by it.
"Such a magnificent Stand, Mr.Kujo, I bet he's strong too" Star platinum appeared flattered by Giorno praises and floated back behind my shoulders.
"I can tell you're an interesting fellow, Jotaro, admitting one's own flaws is something I don't see every day…" he leaned forward in his desk, almost as he wanted to inspect my facial expressions, to catch the slightest glimpse of fear.
"So that brings us to my next question.." I gulped, he had that stare on me again, I'm starting to think he's doing that on purpose.
"What about your daughter?"
I struggled to keep myself in check, his eyes, I could see him through Giorno, my breathing was getting out of control, 'Am I experiencing a panic attack?' I thought. My body was twitching, I could hear his voice…
Jotaro …
Please go away
You don't exist anymore
you're dead
your body turned into ashes
Why are you still here?
Just kill me
Why won't you go away?!
"Signor Kujo!!" My eyes snapped open, I noticed my seat is no longer facing the desk but it has been turned to the left. In front of me there's a pink-haired girl, by the aspect she may have a similar age to Giorno, she appears pretty concerned about my conditions, the same thing could be said for the Boss standing next to her.
"Sir, you got any medicine with you?" I nodded, pointing at the right pocket of my coat. She immediately fished out the container, popped one pill out, and put it in my mouth. Meanwhile, Giorno poured a glass of water and handed it to the girl.
"Please drink it up, signor Kujo." She then put the glass on my lips and tilted it slightly, helping me down the bitter medication.
"È colpa mia, non avrei dovuto farlo." I can hear them talking in Italian, luckily my grandma has taught me some words so I can understand a bit of what they are saying.
"Ti avevo detto di evitare, lo sapevi che poteva essere suscettibile." The girl looked and sounded mad at Giorno. "Ha ragione Giorno, non dovevi azzardare così tanto" a third voice came into the picture, this one has a French accent in his talking.
"Ho già detto che mi dispiace, Polnareff."
"Polnareff?" I murmured, the girl picked up my whisper and lowered herself so that she could speak to me face to face. "Do you need anything else, signor Kujo?" She asked softly.
"Portiamolo al gazebo, continueremo la nostra chiacchierata in giardino." the two went at my sides and helped me get on my feet. They’re taking me somewhere outside, the exterior of the mansion was simply majestic. The garden is extremely curated, full of colourful flowers and trees rich with fruits ready to eat. Whoever takes care of it definitely knows what they are doing. We came across a gazebo placed in the middle of the garden, I’m starting to feel better already. “Thank you, but I can walk on my own now.” I said, pushing the two away. The girl mouthed some words to Giorno and went back inside after the Boss gave her the permission.
Together with Giorno, I took a seat at the table below the gazebo, the place gave me a circular view of the yard, making me appreciate the nature that surrounded us.
“You sure took a liking of my garden, Mr.Kujo.” commented the young man, noticing my sudden interest.
“Yes, it is marvellous to have such an incredible yard in the middle of the city.” Giorno laughed softly.
“Thanks, I take care of it every day, it is relaxing to give the plants the attention they need when I take a break from my work.” of all the things I could think a guy like Giorno could do, I'd never think of him having the green thumb.
"It comes naturally when you have abilities like mine" he demonstrated to me by taking a pebble off the ground and turning it into a bee.
I'm astonished, even though Koichi told me briefly about his powers years ago, I can't help but feel intrigued by him.
“So, going back to our discuss-”
”Where’s Polnareff?” I cut him off, he looked annoyed by the interruption, but he was kind of expecting that. “Then Trish heard you right...“ he retorted coldly, I knew something was off, I haven't heard from the Frenchman since our adventures in Europe.
"Take me to him" I demanded harshly.
"Trish is already taking him here, there's no need to get surly."
"I said take me to him!" I sprang up from my seat, fully intended to punch the brat square in the mug when I felt a vine wrap around my neck out of nowhere.
"Don't make me repeat myself twice, Jotaro Kujo" Giorno sounded very irritated, tightening the plant grip to contract my respiratory tract.
"You bastard" Star platinum materialised behind my back, we were both ready to fight back.
STAR PLATINUM, THE WOR-
"I'm afraid even you wouldn't stand a chance against Mr.Giovanna, old pal." I looked to my right, we have been interrupted by the pink-haired girl, whom Giorno referred to as Trish, with a tortoise in her hand. I'm confused, I could swear that I heard Polnareff's voice, but of the man, there was no sight.
"I'm right here, you gigantic dumbass." I tracked the voice, my gaze landed on the tortoise once again.
"Could it be… Polnareff?" I asked hesitantly, I saw the damn tortoise sigh.
"Yes, it's me, you can laugh now..." he said sarcastically, I still can't find a rational explanation to how did Polnareff transform into a fucking tortoise, then something clicked inside my head. I turned to Giorno, glaring daggers at the Boss while he had a scowl on his own face, too:
"What did you do to him?"
"It's not like that, Jotaro…" my attention shifted to Polnareff again.
"It's a long story, to sum it up, I got my soul switched with this tortoise ten years ago, and since my body died, I couldn't switch back.” The “Frenchman” explained with rather embarrassment his story.
“Mr.Polnareff has been my trusted consigliere since then…" Giorno walked near Trish and took the tortoise in his hands. "You should be thankful to him, Mr.Kujo, otherwise...." He paused, the stare reappeared on his face as he assumed a more serious tone.
You'd never set foot in the mansion alive.
All sound ceased in an instant, the air was so dense you could cut it with a knife, his statement would have frightened anyone, and I was no exception.
"How much do you know?" I questioned the young boss.
"As much as Polnareff told me, I hope you'll fill the blank spots for me." He sat on his seat, inviting me to do that as well.
May we continue our discussion?
_______________________________________________
Eventually, we came to an agreement.
I distinctly remember flying back to Florida on board of Giorno's private jet. The young man was sitting right beside me, nose deep in his book, lost between thousands and thousands of words. "It's a gift a friend of mine gave me for my birthday" he explained to me earlier, "it talks about a monk that, using only his knowledge and intuition, tries to shed some light on a series of mysterious deaths inside a monastery in 13th-century northern Italy."
I sometimes forgot that this 26yr-old man was the son of the same vampire that terrorised the Joestars family for almost 100 years in between.
He was smart, charismatic, a great leader that inspired his subordinates with his own tenacity and strong will, just like his father.
From what he told me, he has a photo of him inside his wallet. It was the only comfort he had in his terrible childhood, the hope that one day he'd have rescued him from the abuse he suffered for so long.
Polnareff's words echoed in my mind:
"His heart is in the right place, we're lucky that he's on our side." The small ghost then frowned before proceeding. "But since the time I spoke to him about Dio, he has become more and more interested to learn about him."
He expressed the same eagerness in our conversation, so I played on this wish of his to eventually make him join my quest.
He'll help me with the Florida situation, then I'll grant him access to all the info about his father
I'm not sure about what was he gonna do with those pieces of information, I'll keep an eye on him but first, we have a dilemma up ahead.
_______________________________________________
I traced the scar across my visage with my fingers, what I thought was a minor problem developed into the biggest threat we had since Dio.
One of his fanatics and closest ally, a priest named Enrico Pucci, plotted a plan to achieve heaven and reset the entire universe. And if he wasn't for Giorno, he'd have probably succeeded, and I'd be dead.
My choice to involve the Italian in that mess was the best I could have done at the time. He proved to be the backbone of the group, calling the shots and helping the members master their own skills and abilities. That's what Jolyne told me after the whole thing occurred.
"You should have seen him, Dad." she started with a big smile on her face, "He was teaching Foo Fighters to act more like a human being, he left her for 5 seconds, and then he found her drinking an entire gallon of water." After that, she burst out laughing.
The look in her eyes as she was confiding me about everything that happened was something I missed for so long. It reminded me of her younger self, how excited she was when talking about her day at school and so on, minus the occasional blush she got when she recalled the battles she fought alongside the Mob Boss.
That was the first time I understood that my daughter was falling for the Italian.
Not everything was fun and games though.
"There were these three men..." she frowned, "that were close to Pucci , he named them "the children of Dio"." Jolyne looked down at her hands.
"When we were about to fight one of them, Giorno told everyone to stay aside, that was something he had to do alone." She explained without raising her head.
"What is bothering you?" I asked her.
"Is Giorno a child of Dio too?"
I can't even imagine what the Boss must have felt when he found out that he had to execute the last remnants of his biological family.
I took another drag from the cigarette, he had the strength to go against his half brothers, the closest thing he had to a real family, kill them off and say nothing about it.
He acted strong to not demoralise the group, while the remorse was eating him alive from the inside.
Like a true leader.
"If only I'd found them first..." Giorno expressed his regret after the battle, "they'd be still alive and well, instead I let that priest alienate their minds to pursue a goal that wasn't theirs."
Of everything I admire about Giorno, his selflessness is on top of the list. He always thinks about the other before himself. And he demonstrated it when we had to face Pucci's Made in Heaven head-on.
"Jolyne, please understand that this could be potentially deadly." The Italian explained to the girl, but she was having none of it.
"I don't care, Giorno. I don't want to lose you too." She replied, we were in Cape Canaveral, our feet immersed in the ocean, the last 3 remaining of the group, together with Emporio and Hermes.
"Jotaro and I are the biggest threat to his plans. Until the three of you are here, you're endangering not only your lives but ours as well." Giorno shouted back, before turning to gaze the horizon for any glimpse of the priest.
I too started to look around for Pucci , until my glance landed on a bunch of knives falling towards Jolyne .
Star Platinum The World
Time stopped
I can see Pucci from here
He's vulnerable
But if I don't do anything, Jolyne will die.
I found myself in front of a dilemma
Kill Pucci or save Jolyne
Save the universe or my daughter
This is a nightmare
I swivelled in place, I saw a golden humanoid stand looking back at me
"Go save your daughter, if anything goes wrong, I'll intervene."
I pulled Jolyne out of the way of the knives
Time resumed
Star platinum launched itself at the priest, his barrage of attacks missed his target, he is way too quick. Made in Heaven is too quick.
"Two steps... you were late by two steps." I heard him talking behind my back, the sense of superiority could be perceived in his words. My hands are trembling, fear has possessed my mind as Pucci assumed the semblance of the Grim Reaper, riding his pure white horse to collect my soul.
"The Joestar bloodline drew strength from their pride and courage to conquer fate…"
I'm sorry Jolyne , I've failed you as a father, I hope you can forgive me in your heart.
"But! The weakness is also in their blood."
Giorno, please protect my daughter, this is my last wish
"Jotaro Kujo… your daughter is your weakness"
The destiny of the universe is up in your hands
Then the void came, I couldn't understand where I was or what was going to happen next.
The feeling of utter loneliness I proved in that black space matched perfectly with the inquietude I had in my head. Hundreds of thoughts flooded my mind, about the fate of the Universe, but mainly about Jolyne and Giorno.
I woke up 5 days later in a hospital bed, a splitting headache afflicted my brain, the light was so bright it was burning my eyes, the shadows rushing in and out my vision gave me some sort of relief from the glowing anguish. It took a bit for them to adjust to the lighting, eventually, only the left one did. At least those shadows became clearer and clearer within days, I could distinguish the faces around as well as my surroundings. I saw them, Jolyne and Giorno, sometimes there was just one of them, sometimes they were together with Emporio, who has grown fond of the two, or Hermes, who has fully recovered from her injuries. But most of the time, they visited me alone.
I have been confined inside the hospital for 3 months, I witnessed them grew closer and closer to each other, holding hands, hugging, and it appears I caught them kissing once outside of my room.
I found myself conflicted, if in one hand they're certainly in a loving relationship and Giorno is the best man Jolyne could have hoped for, on the other hand, the age gap between the two, the blood that runs through his veins and his job are the things that bother me the most. Giorno though has proved multiple times to be different from his father, although some of his behaviours are very similar to the ones the Vampire had. The same thing can be said for his job, he wouldn't be there if he couldn't assert himself over the other mafiosos. For the age gap, I'd say I've seen worst, my uncle's father has a striking 30ish year difference with his mother, so it'd be foolish of me to point that out.
"You sure you don't want me to heal your scar, Mr.Kujo?" Giorno asked, his hand already nearing my eye. It made me swat it out of the way, a natural reflex I grew accustomed to since the first time I noticed the wound.
According to what the Boss has informed me, the wound in my face was deep, but not enough to intact my brain. When he went to heal me, he found the cut had already scarred, due perhaps to a side effect of the time acceleration of Pucci's Made in Heaven.
"No." my response was short and concise, thus making the blond man grimace a bit.
"Why not?"
"It serves me as a reminder, from the moment I couldn't protect my only daughter from my past."
For me, this scar I got is a 'memento mori', which translates to "remember you have to die" in Latin. It is an aphorism, an absolute truth enclosed in a few terms. This one, in particular, had been used since the ancient Rome when a general, overwhelmed by the pride of his military successes, he had forgotten that he is, in fact, a human too, therefore he is not exempt from the only certainty in our world.
Death…
I too, like the general, was blinded by the overconfidence that I could have protected the world all by myself, without needing any assistance, forever. I had to see Death with my own eyes to conceptualise that I'm not any different from the people that walk beside me on the sidewalk. I'm becoming older, and if Pucci has taught me something, is that being a Stand user is a curse. Stand users attract other Stand users, thus binding them to a life of danger. My daughter has suffered indirectly in the past for the same reason, but now she's safe with a Stand user more capable than me, and I'm nothing for a burden for them. Even though I'm not as threatful as I once was, I'm still a target for whoever the blond bastard held in store for me. If I stayed with them, the probability of being targeted by a potential threat would have been higher, and after what has just happened, I couldn't afford it.
That's why I disappeared from the scene for such a long time.
I have been brought abruptly back to reality as I felt a sudden pain in my fingers, the still lighted cigarette has made contact with the skin. I instinctively threw it away in the ground, then I looked at my finger, the area the hot ashes touched began to swollen. I brought the finger to my mouth, making sure to salivate the spot as I walked inside the Hospital. There wasn't a single soul inside the hall, save for the occasional person sitting in the seat near the vending machine, waiting for who knows what.
I followed the directions for the nearest bathroom, once I opened the door, I walked to the sinks and turned the faucet on. As soon as the cool water started to fall, I put my finger underneath it, giving me some sort of relief.
Surprisingly, I heard the door swing open, I turned my head in the direction of the sound to notice the presence of the Boss himself, looking at me with a pleased expression.
_/La strada giusta\_
"Signor Kujo…" he approached me, "I finally get to see you in person again. How long it has been? Almost two years?"
"Giorno, how did you know I was here?"
"You arrived on the 26th of June at 18:00 on board of the flight LF322 from New York with a stopover in Frankfurt. And you stayed at the “San Francesco al Monte” hotel since then.” I expected nothing else from Giorno, the precision of the details his informers gave to him was outstanding.
"I got eyes everywhere, Signor Kujo, don't forget that." He concluded.
He didn't change that much, his garments were as meticulous as always. However, as we left the bathroom, I noted that his steps were hasty, far by the composed and smooth manner he usually walks around. The corner of his lips, too, were slightly shivering, and his breath was rapid, almost as if he was hyperventilating. He clearly looked like he hadn't slept in two days, the bags under his eyes were a dead giveaway.
“How is she?” he flinched, apparently he wasn't expecting me to make such a question.
“Well she went into labour four hours ago, the nurse told me we are approaching the most delicate moment of the process, so I'll soon have to go inside to assist her again.” he tried to sound confident, but his voice betrayed him by letting transpire his uneasiness.
We arrived in front of the elevators, I spun my body to face the young man, his trembling got even worse.
"Giorno, is everything okay?" I asked him, this is a distant image from the Mob Boss I grew to know, he's shaky, apprehensive and, I dare say, even insecure.
"I'm possibly minutes away from becoming a father, but in my life, I haven't had a real father figure to look up to." He confessed half-heartedly. I realize now that I wasn't talking with Giorno anymore. No, Giorno is a mere persona he assumes in front of the others. This, this is Haruno, plain and simple.
"I've known only abuse in my childhood, and the only ray of sunshine I had, my only hope, turned out to be the cruellest man who has walked this earth." Haruno stared at the floor beneath us, his arms are crossed as if he wanted to make himself small.
"What if I become like him? What if I end up hurting Jolyne or the baby? What if I-" I put my hand in his shoulder, interrupting his rant.
"Giorno, I trust you'll be a better father and husband than I ever was." He glanced directly at my eyes, I can still detect some distress in his own.
"How can you trust me?! I'm the son of your mortal enemy."
"You're different."
"How am I different? How am I different from my half brothers in Florida? I still have the blood of the same monster that killed thousands of innocents just for the pleasure of it, running in my veins."
"Because you and I are the same, Giorno." He became quiet, the more I stare at him, the more I wonder for how many years he neglected himself to be vulnerable.
"We fought wars that we were bigger than ourselves, we lost our dearest friends along the way, their memories still weight our souls to this day. We both sacrificed our liberties, all in the name of a greater cause."
"Haruno…" he winced at the sound of his real name, sorrowful memories of a life he wished he'd forget resurfaced in a matter of a second.
"if I somehow travelled back to the time I had to choose who to call for aid, I'd choose you again."
"Please stop…"
I found myself taken aback by his statement, his teeth were gritted tightly as if he wanted to contain an outburst with all his might.
_/Ascensione\_
"You talked about our sacrifices, Yet here I am, with the love of my life delivering our baby to the world, a family that cares about me, while you're in the sidelines sobbing about the past." Giorno walked past me and pressed the call button, watching the elevator rapidly descent to the ground floor, opening the doors soon after.
He stepped inside the elevator, then he pivoted on his right foot and stretched his arm towards me.
"I want you to be part of our family, Mr Kujo." The world stopped, his voice bounced repeatedly in my mind. Light is coming out of his silhouette, he was like the brightest of angels, alighting from the skies to escort me to my personal piece of Heaven. "I can't." I turned my back to him, walking my way to the exit, but I felt a tug in the hem of my coat. "Sorry, but I won't accept a no as an answer." He grabbed my arm and yanked it towards the elevator, "I can't go back." I retorted back, pulling my arm out of his grip and resumed my path.
"What's holding you back?!" I heard him raising his voice, followed by the clank of a footstep and another pull.
"I'M SCARED!" I shouted at his face, he seemed startled by the unexpected eruption, the narrow corridor made it even more thundering,
"I'm scared that if I go back to the life I had, I'll bring back the harm with me." I lowered my hat to hide my pitiful state, I bet he'll request me to go away, to leave the building at once, and never come back again. I'd deserve that, it'd be safer for them if I'm not around.
From under the brim of my hat though, I watched a hand appear before me, I looked up, Giorno had one of his sympathetic smiles adorning his visage. "then we will face it together, as a family." His offer was sincere, with the pure intent to bring me out of my solitude, I could read that in his turquoise eyes, as he was waiting for a response at his invitation.
Star platinum manifested behind me on his own and shoved me inside the elevator, I turned to look at him, he donned a shit-eating grin while waving at me. If at first, I wanted to lash out at my Stand, then I realized that being the spiritual manifestation of my soul, he acted that way because, deep in my heart, I've already accepted his offer.
I lowered my hat again, "Good grief…" I muttered, Giorno chuckled a bit before pushing the fourth-floor button. As the doors closed, I glanced at the number in the display changing, "Will she be mad at me?"
"I don't know, you're only 7 months late for our wedding." I genuinely laughed at that, with Giorno following me suit, the anxiety I proved eased its weight from my shoulders and chest.
The elevator doors freed us from the small space, in front of us there was, once again, another door. One last barrier between me and my family, ready to be breached and fall apart.
Giorno went for the handle, but before he could turn it all the way down, I blocked him by laying my hand over his shoulder.
"Thank you" his smile brought a warm feeling inside my heart I thought I'd never enjoyed anymore in my life. The door swung open, we were met by a quiet chatter, apparently whoever was in that hall wasn't aware of our presence, minus one.
"Signor Giovanna..." a breathless nurse rushed towards the blond man, "la stavamo cercando ovunque."
"Scusatemi, ero andato a prendere mio suocero." He replied, the nurse seemed to have gained years of her life back as she got near the Don. "Vostra moglie ha richiesto la vostra presenza in sala parto." She turned on her heels and walked towards the room with Giorno following behind her, another obstetric was attending for his arrival at the doorstep.
_/il mare eterno nella mia anima\_
As the Don crossed the room, I heard some cheers in Italian, immediately shushed by the nurse due to the late hour. I sneaked my way to the wall, carefully to not alert anyone, hidden behind it to take a look at who was present for the occasion.
I recognized immediately some familiar faces, in fact, the entire family was here to witness the birth of Jolyne’s baby, together with Giorno's comrades. They seem to get along well between them, probably this is not the first time they meet each other. There was Josuke, engaged in a conversation with a guy with a strange hat, for what I can tell neither of them couldn't really understand the other, and where the language failed, the hand gestures succeeded in communicating rather simple concepts.
A couple of kids were running around the hall, despite a man with a suit full of holes was scolding them not to. He took me a few seconds to recall their names, they indeed grew a little since the last time I saw them, Emporio and Shizuka.
Hermes, the pink-haired girl from Giorno's mansion, a girl with a peculiar scar on her left eye, my mother too took the seats near the bathroom, quietly talking between them, unconcerned by what happens around.
There was another woman, facing away from me, but even without seeing her, I understand who she was. Emily… I hadn’t had any contact with her since I signed the divorce papers. it was a decision I made with reluctance, but it was done for her own and Jolyne's safety. Every fibre of my muscles became stiff, a voice in my head was telling me to go back in the elevator. one step. two steps.
They haven't acknowledged my existence yet. three steps. four steps. Slam…
The door behind me shut itself, the loud noise attracted all their curious gazes, meeting with my own. The deafening stillness lasted for 15 seconds, I was looking at her, she was just as petrified as I was. Then she came forward, her heels clicking as she got closer. She's as beautiful as she was the day I left the conformity of our home. "Jotaro…" she whispered, still unsure if I was real or not. The absolute void inside my head prevented me to utter a word, she put her hand on my right cheek, caressing the scar with her thumb up and down, the sudden contact sent a shiver down my spine.
"What happened to you?" The worry filled her voice, a forgotten melody playing in my ears.
"Emily…" her arms enveloped around my torso in a firm embrace, her face pressed against my chest, the shirt getting damp from the tears.
I slowly returned the hug, her slender body radiated such warmth into mine, enough to melt the ice collected over my heart.
"Cool scar, Jotaro-san! It makes you look even more badass" exclaimed Josuke with a heavy pat on my back. The whole family has gathered around me in the meantime. I felt complete. I've finally returned to my piece of Heaven.
______________________________________________
Half an hour later, I've got acquainted with Giorno's friends while we were waiting for the good news, they're nice guys, with their remarkable quirks and a very fluent English (except Mista).
I looked at my watch, time seemed to pass slower than usual, also thanks to the gut-wrenching wait we were undergoing.
Everyone was fighting hard to not fall asleep, Trish was pacing around the hallway with a cup of coffee in her hand. On my left, I could see Shizuka trying her best to stay awake, even though her eyelids were becoming heavier with time. Jiji was long gone, he doesn't have that much energy left, he also endured a long journey to see his great-great-grandchild come to life so I can't really blame him, I deeply appreciate his commitment, as well as my mother's. Time has been generous with her, she looked well in spite of her age, she was chatting with Josuke about how excited she was to become a great-grandmother, the young adult beside her wasn't that fond of the idea though, not that he didn't want the child to be around, on the contrary, he professed his willingness to play with the kid. He was just worried that the appellative would make him look older than he really was.
Emily was sleeping next to me, her head rested on my shoulder in a peaceful manner. God how much I missed this blessed view. I wonder if she'll ever forgive me for what I pulled her through when we divorced, if she knows about what happened in the last two years. I might have to explain to her someday, with Jolyne's help perhaps.
Speaking of Jolyne, I saw Mista being approached by the nurse from before, he gestured Trish to come closer to them with a swift movement of his hand. As the nurse started talking, the angles of their mouths tilted gradually upwards, until it developed in a full smile.
Then the girl walked towards my direction, lowering herself as soon as she was near us:
"You may want to come greet your grandson, Mr.Kujo." She said softly to not wake Emily up.
Those words hit me hard in my soul, if a mere hour ago I was smoking alone outside of the hospital, certain I'd never see my daughter again, now I was going to be introduced to the newest addition to the Kujo household. I stood up from my seat when suddenly I felt something grasp my wrist.
"Where are you going, Jotaro?" I looked down to see Emily, barely awake she looked distressed, my sudden movement maybe awoke some buried memories of me leaving during the night and she acted by instinct.
"I'm going to see our grandson, wanna come?" I told her, I'm not going anywhere, not now, not ever.
She softened her expression, assured that I wasn't going to leave them behind again, she used my arm to spring herself up on her feet, "Yes." One simple word that filled my heart with the same happiness I've forsaken for so long.
Together we walked inside the room, everyone was already there, surrounding the bed Jolyne lied on. She was sitting with her back against her pillow, her husband was right next to her with an arm wrapped around her waist while both of them were glaring down at the miracle in her lap. Her braids were undone and let to fall just above her shoulders, in a fancy fusion between green and black. Some of them were glued to her sweaty forehead.
Perhaps we should really give her some rest, but she was the one that insisted with the nurse to let us in. Giorno saw me in the room and, with a content smile, turned to whisper into his wife's ear. Jolyne immediately looked up, our gazes met just as quickly. We stared at each other for what seemed like hours before she started to tear up.
"Dad…" she spoke with a quivering voice, "You came…" she couldn't hold the tears back any longer, years and years of doubts coming out in a matter of seconds.
I set myself next to the bed and wiped her tears off with my thumb, she kept staring at me as if I was a vision, a mirage in the middle of the hot desert. Like mother, like daughter.
"I'm here, my little mermaid" I kissed her forehead, "I'll always be here for you" I continued almost underneath my breath, that made her cry even more, fortunately, her husband took his handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed her cheeks with it.
After she calmed herself down, she promptly sat up on her bed under Giorno's watchful eye and gave the bundle of blankets to me. "Father, I want to introduce to you your grandson, Gioele Giovanna." She then handed me the baby. I took in all his features, he was so tiny and light, he looked like Jolyne when she was a newborn herself. He had her jet black hair, mouth and ears, but his eyes and nose were clearly from h-
His eyes…
His eyes…
His eyes...
"Jotaro!!" I found myself back in the street of el Cairo, my clothes changed to the one I used to wear at the time, I was confused, "How did I get here?" I muttered to myself.
"Stay back!!" In front of me, there was Jiji, holding up his arm to stop me in my track, "don't come near me." He's terrified, if I do remember correctly, this is the moment he learned the true power behind the enemy's Stand, just after seeing Kakyoin being obliterated by The World.
"Jotaro, the secret of his Stand, The World, is time" he yelled at me, unbeknownst to him the enemy was already behind his shoulder, "it's a Stand that stops ti-" I know where this was going, I have to do something, but I'm unable to move my body.
THE WORLD!!
5 seconds left…
4 seconds left…
3 seconds left…
2 seconds left…
1 second left...
0…
Time resumed its course, Jiji had a knife stuck in his throat, his face contracted in a painful expression as blood was spilling out of the wound and mouth. Around him there was the utter chaos, the people nearby started screaming at such a horrible display and fleeing the scene before anything could happen to them, and there was him.
The cause of my sleepless nights, the source of the voice that haunted me wherever I went, the root of countless nightmares, standing right there, in all his wicked glory.
“Old man!” I shouted, I could see him wriggling from the intense pain, I wanted to save him, but yet again, he extended his arm forward, “S-stay back” he repeated, “Run, J-Jotaro…don't go near him” I couldn't just sit back and watch my grandfather die, but somehow I wasn't in control of my movements at all.
“K-keep your d-distance…” he continued as his life forces were quickly leaving his body “Stay away from him… you're no.... m-match” he finally fell on the ground lifeless, I could feel my rage starting to grow inside my heart, there were only me and him now.
“I've already taken care of Kakyoin, too." He started, that evil smirk of his, I wanted nothing but to rip those lips off his mug
"Polnareff must be hiding somewhere… hah, but it doesn't matter" I couldn't hold myself back much longer, I wanted to pummel his head until a disgusting pulp of bloody meat was left.
He then pointed at me, that smirk was still on his lips, "Jotaro…" you better not say it, "you're next!" that's it.
STAR PLATINUM, THE WORLD!!
Time stopped in my favour now, the rage was coming out of every pore of my body as it's finally responding to my commands.
5 seconds left...
I sprinted forward, star platinum was just as eager to annihilate him.
4 seconds left…
I was nearing him, but I was unexpectedly met with some obstructions on my way, as if someone was trying to hold me back.
3 seconds left…
I could feel even more pressure, this time on my wrists, getting tighter and tighter like if they were affixing some ropes around them.
2 seconds left…
I wriggled my arms around, the tight sensation I had on my wrists immediately came loose, I also got free from whoever was restraining me, I was just a few steps from my target.
1 second left…
No one could stop me now, he was one arm away from me, I clenched my fist, ready to deal the mortal blow.
ORAAA!
GOLD EXPERIENCE!!
_/Fukagyaku no kanashimi\_
My fist stopped inches away from Gioele's head, who was crying his heart out, but his tears weren't coming down, neither was he moving, it looked like Star platinum had activated his time stop abilities.
"This is… Requiem" a voice suddenly came into the picture, I turned my head to see Giorno's Stand, its regal aspects fitted well with the position he had in his society.
He stared harshly at me, "I knew you were a threat..." he said coldly. The apathy behind those words only amplified the ache I bore in my soul. Giorno told me once that when it assumes this form, Gold Experience has a mind of its own. Although its actions are influenced by the young man's will, it seldom happens that it acts by itself.
"It could kill me at any moment and take over everything..." The boss explained to me with a serene tone.
It simply chooses not to.
"Your inability to move on has been of great concern for me, but Master had to hold in his hope that you could change in better." He floated near me, his gaze was burning my skin. A wave of shame hit my guts all at once, I feel nauseous, I wanted to puke.
What the hell was I trying to do?
"You tried to kill your grandson, Mr.Kujo..." it answered my question, even though I didn't speak out loud.
"Please take a look around." It flew behind my back and put its hands on my shoulder blades. My eyes darted around the room, I felt a stronger sense of remorse on my stomach.
Every person in the room was looking at me, some with furious intent, others with pure shock in their eyes.
Joseph had Hermit Purple coming out of his left hand, it seemed to have lost his balance in a terrifying fall, Josuke too was falling to the ground next to me, so the obstructions I sensed moments ago, it was them trying to stop me from harming the baby.
I slightly turned to the right and saw Giorno. "Master is deeply disappointed in you." of course he was, he trusted me and I repaid his trust by almost killing his son. Then there was she…
She has become pallid, the look of pure horror she had on her face as she saw her father for the monster he was, it'd be forever impressed in my mind.
Shortly after, I felt the Stand's hand clasping to the sides of my head, I tried to free myself from his grasp, but he was way too strong.
"I want you to watch what you've caused, Jotaro." the Stand kept me firmly in place as time seemed to go backward.
All their actions were reverted in full display for me to watch, Josuke got back to his feet, with crazy diamond grabbing both the arms of a star platinum caught in a blind rage. I sensed the purple vines twirling around the Star's wrists, with the old man struggling to restrain the brute force of my stand. Everyone else was shouting for me to stop, but I couldn't take my eyes off my daughter's, she has always been so easy to lipread it actually pains me to be able to do that right now. "Dad" she yelled one, two, three, four, five times, and I didn't even hear her plea once.
"Please stop" I cried, the Requiem seemed satisfied with his work and let go of my skull, "I hope you won't forget that Mr Kujo..." he floated back in front of me, "for they will not " he dismissed himself, vanishing into thin air.
Time resumed its natural course, the silence reigned sovereign in the room, the only thing that broke such silence was Gioele's weeps.
As soon as everyone gained their consciousness, I gave the infant back to Jolyne and got the hell out of that room. I could hear my mother and Emily screaming for my name, I just kept running, without turning back.
"I'm sorry Giorno…" I whimpered, I just got outside of the hospital, where I belong.
"I'm not ready."
Why did he leave?
I wish i could tell you, Gioele.
But we don't know either.
Hey there! You are our 1000th hit! Congratulazioni!! (If you're not, please continue, this is for you too.)
I started writing stories when i was in my first years of high school. they weren't real stories, more like wild fantasies of mine, "what if" scenarios if you prefer. i've never let anyone read these stories, maybe i made one of two exceptions in the past years, but this one was the first I've published. I know that, by the standards of this web site, is not much but i assure i feel like i just won the lottery.
To you and the 999 people (optimistically speaking) that preceded you, i want to thank you for reading this wild fantasy of mine.
sleepymanwrites out.