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Purple? A man? His figure a blurry silhouette amongst the hazy white. He spoke to him.
"You shouldn't take such a pure heart for granted. For one day he won't be here"
"You mean I-I succeed in killing him?"
"Yes."
"Just another flea to drown in-"
"You fool! When he leaves it will break you. He means more than what appears to be."
"How could I ever care more for Jojo? His death will only make me stronger."
"Physically."
"Physically?"
"If you want to avoid a life of revenge, grief and torment, end it here."
"Oh, I'll end him alright."
"Such a simpleton."
"End what then? If not him?!"
But Dio woke up before he could receive an answer. Who was that? Why'd he sounds so much like himself?
"Don't kill Jojo?"
---
Everything was set in motion. On time as always, Jojo opened the doors to the balcony. Dio stood in position, as always.
Dio had been given a rather copious amount of replays from such a god that had visited him in his dream. So, he could easily replay the events over and over. He did this deliberately. Making sure as to always try and kill Jojo.
Maybe not wanting it to end? or maybe enjoying tormenting his brother?
All the same, he studied Jojo's moves. Saw where they both failed. And never did anything to remedy that.
Until the last loop. Not because the dubious god decided, but because Jojo could see such loops.
"We've done this before, Dio."
Time was frozen, only Jonathan and Dio could move and act.
"We have? Have we? I can't recall."
"Because we've done it so many times. Can you make it stop?"
"No. But I love to replay it. The fight still entertains me even after so many rounds."
"How do we get it to stop?"
"We don’t. We keep going and going."
"Why? You'd just get bored eventually?" Jonathan heaved a heavy sigh.
"I could never get bored of you."
"Of me?"
"After fighting you so many times I’ve picked on many things you do. How you can't really use a sword very well. How you are a quick thinker but don't want to sacrifice emotion to be better."
"I notice how you mastered your ice powers but never tried anything else that wasn't a vampire ability. I noticed your anger, more so, your pride is your downfall."
Silence.
Dio scoffed. "Shall we go again?"
"I don't want to. I want it be over. I can't bear seeing you fall off the balcony. Again."
Dio wanted to say such a remark as 'Let it be you who falls off this time instead?'. But his mouth wouldn't allow it. He stopped. And thought. He enjoyed being with Jojo. Fighting or not. He admired how mature Jojo had gotten. His everlasting will to do what was right no matter what.
And yet. He could. He could change that. He could stop the fight. Agree to be peaceful. Agree to a better life with Jojo. No longer fighting to the death. More so a simple spar on a blissful evening.
But being peaceful was not how you got what you wanted. Never was. Not in Dio’s world. He didn’t have to fight for Jojo. He had his chance. But everything in life is a battle. Of wit or otherwise. Dio whirled this around his never ceasing mind.
"Maybe to stop the loop, we have to not fight?" Jojo studied the handle of his sword. Feeling the pattern’s ridges in the metal. "Or at least there is a different outcome?"
Dio looked down at his hands. They'd gotten rather tough over the years. Jojo gently placed the sword back in its sheath. He stepped over to dio. and put their hands together.
"Why do hate me so much?" A child's voce filled with innocence.
"Because you are getting in my way." A man's voice seething with rage.
"Is that all?" Jojo refused to loosen his grip on Dio’s hands.
"You have what I don't. No matter how hard I work I can never get it."
"Are you sure?"
They both looked up from the details of their hands. The looked into each other’s eyes.
"You don’t even know what I mean."
"I think I know."
"Then what? What is it I work so hard for that I never can get?"
"You can't get what you want when you harm the ones you are wanting. You can’t be with them if they're dead. You can't have their affection, when you killed it. And in turn, you cannot give that affection, if there is no one to receive it."
Dio's shoulders dropped. His eyes stunned. A rather visual showing of his surprise. Surprise to find that, that figure's words were making sense. And how everyone but him could understand them.
"What makes you think I want your affection?! What makes you think I want to show you affection?" His words becoming muffled as he looked away. Turning redder with every word.
"You hold back when you fight. I've seen how ruthless you can be. I don’t get that same ruthlessness when you try and hurt me." Jojo gave a weak smile. But it faded. Knowing the loop would reset a final time. This time it would end.
As soon as Dio turned to face him, it was over.
A reck of a man weeping in a coffin. An innocent group of men on their way. Stands at the ready.
Time hadn’t changed.
No matter how Dio, now in heaven, had twisted it. What possessed him to think that his past self would change so suddenly? And admit? Why did he bother hoping for such a reckless plan to work? He even left his cares aside of staying alive to sacrifice. Sacrifice himself so a happier Dio, a happier Jojo could exist in his worthless place. Though he'd no longer be God, was it worth it to throw that away?
And yet what Jonathan had decided to say in that moment; it could never leave him. Fully, finally, admitting he was right. And he had learned what the rest of the world already knew, far, far, far too late.