Work Text:
Cioccolata and Secco woke up in God knows where. (and I do! That doesn't mean I'm telling you) All they could tell was that it was a not Italian empty town, many roads of conjoined houses that they've been walking down showing no signs of life. And that it was hot as fuck! Cioccolata considered just stripping away his already scandalous clothing. Secco was dejectedly lumbering beside him, having tried earlier to doggy paddle in the concrete, but it was much too warm to swim in comfortably.
“What kind of Stand made this place anyhow… Could it be dream-related?” Cioccolata doubted that a Stand could conjure such a giant world on its own, it seemed just as vast as if it were a real residency. They were walking by what seemed to be a secondary school, though just as desolate as the town.
Cioccolata stopped walking. “You really can't hear anyone else, Secco?”
Secco sighed, shaking his head. Knowing Cioccolata was going to request again as he parted his purple lips, Secco groaned, sinking back into the earth to fruitlessly keep an ear out once more.
Footsteps.
Definitely footsteps. Way in the distance, slowly coming toward them.
He rose up, pointing toward the school. “C-Cioccolata! From there! 30 meters!”
They both hurried and scurried behind a tall pillar that connected the fenced pony walls bordering the entrance of the school. Secco crouched out of sight while Cioccolata peered his head to see just who this Stand User was.
A beige figure was walking cautiously out of the school grounds onto the road that led outside. Upon him drawing closer, Cioccolata could make the beige tone as a trench coat and a bowler hat. What was he thinking, wearing something like that? At least he could count on this bitch having shit for brains if he was begging for a heat stroke. Squinting further, there was silver on his head, some weird mask. He was practically covered head to toe. The only thing that broke up the neutral tones was his blonde bobcut.
“I see him, Secco. I don't see his Stand, though.”
Some small part of him wondered if he was the Boss, considering the anonymity of his style. Not that he nor Secco had stepped out of line to warrant a personal visit. No, not yet. Nevertheless, he'd have to prepare himself for a ruthless battle if it proved true.
“He doesn't know we're here. We'll both go once he's in my range.”
Secco nodded to his plan, dipping his fingers in the soil to feel the subtle tremors edge closer.
Just outside of 10 meters, he stopped walking.
“Aaalllrighty!”
A young girl's voice boomed. Cioccolata and Secco looked around, trying to find the source. No such luck befell them.
“Now, you three are just about to meet! Libraria, I know you don't see them, they're hiding just out of sight! But don't worry about that, I've gotta announce things to y’all before the party starts!”
The three found themselves unable to move, not out of fear, but some unnatural force locking them in place. Cioccolata no longer had that Libraria person in his sight, to his chagrin. Secco was grunting and whining quietly, uncomfortable with his frozen position, struggling.
“So, where are you? Why are you here? Why is there another unknown party present? Well! I wanted to have some fun! That's the long and short of it! I have my own stakes and bets, but it'd be nice to see it happen for reals to be sure, ya know?”
Libraria furrowed her brows together at the voice’s cheery tone and choice of words. She bit her cheeks, thoughts racing at the implications.
“I wanna see you three fight! Now I know, I know, the matchup is a little unfair, but I just wanna see how things go down! So, to introduce the competitors~”
The sky had turned dark, clouds covering up any light of the sun present before. Thunder rumbled, but no rain fell down.
The clouds parted just slightly, making a spotlight fall on Cioccolata and Secco. They were no longer locked in place, though they were instead dragged up into a standing position, as if they were pulled with puppet strings.
“Two of the most hated men on Earth, vile Stand Users that make even the most powerful man in Italy quake in his shoes, it's Cioccolata and Secco!!”
Thunder struck by them for emphasis. The invisible strings disappeared, allowing Secco to startle. He shut his eyes and covered his ears, shivering in place. Cioccolata flinched too, though seeing Secco in his sorry state made him swift to comfort the man, pulling him close and rubbing his back in circles.
“And for our other player, she's the most lovely old lady that's in the Conclave, though not the one you're thinking of, lived for a staggering 200 years, it's Libraria!!”
Another bolt of lightning struck. Cioccolata pushed his own cheek against Secco’s, many a “shhhh” uttered.
"For what the fight is: it's a fight to the death, that simple!”
Libraria’s breath hitched, her hands bunching a part of her trenchcoat.
“Now, I know you don't like killing nor violence, my lovely Libraria, so just for you, I'll let you knock ‘em out for your win condition. But it has to be with like uh, boxing rules. Gotta be on the on the ground and inert for at least 10 seconds, then I'll count it! Doesn't have to be both at the same time, if you knock one out and his lights’re gone, I'll drag his ass away.”
Libraria scanned around to see her foes. Cioccolata's green hair was visible through the fence, but it blended well enough with the background greenery for her to miss him.
The sky remained cloudy though the environment no longer darkened, the warmth milder and more bearable on the body.
Secco had calmed, turning around to peel his eyes and see their enemy for himself through the fencing. Cioccolata too saw her bumbling about in wariness. They'd have the advantage, both in numbers and element of surprise.
“Alrighty! Have fun! Please do fight! Whoever wins gets to— uh— I'll give like 100 sugar cubes or a teapot of hibiscus tea! And you’ll all go back to where you were, of course. I'm signing off!”
Cioccolata had his doubts of the prizes’ existence, yet, he was miffed that there was nothing in it for him. He wondered, what was the point of all the fanfare when she was just another weakling, like those he'd tormented in that old nursing home? The elderly were pathetic, hardly the lungs and throat to scream for help. Not like they had any chance to find help to begin with. He supposed he hadn't witnessed it in a while, since his time working at the hospital. It wouldn't hurt to hear a weak breathless scream again. He'd have to rip off that mask somehow, see the horror filled face she dared try to hide. Perhaps Secco could help with discarding that.
Two hundred years old. That stuck out in his mind. As far as he could recall, the oldest human had lived around 120 at most. How had she not experienced the typical organ failures at her age? How had she flown under the radar? Perhaps she was just as elusive as the Boss. He couldn't properly assess from this distance how degraded her body was, but she didn't hunch, that was for certain. Did she have a Stand? Was it related to her long life? If so, he wouldn't have to worry about her offensive power, rather, how to properly kill her. Assuming she was a Stand User. The voice hadn't mentioned that attribute. Could a regular human truly live to such lengths? He must examine her body thoroughly when he's through with her. Curiosity burned at him.
Secco tilted his head, wondering if the voice really would give out such a tantalising prize. If the mystery person was strong enough to bring him and Cioccolata to this place, then maybe she could give him all those sugar cubes. Cioccolata would force him to space out his indulging so he didn't get a stomach ache, unfortunately.
Whatever, since Secco's with Cioccolata, there's no way they could lose! She's just an old lady! The voice didn't even mention her having a Stand! Even if she did, it wouldn't be any contest to theirs! Secco could just swim to her and rip her throat out; all those sugar cubes would be his...!
Noticing that her opponents hadn't shown themselves yet, she backed up tentatively, coaxing them to attack her on the grass field beside the road.
The voice mentioned something about them being ‘Stand Users’, she recalled. What did that entail? Two people so malevolent that they were feared by ‘the most powerful man in Italy’? Surely she would have heard of notable people like that, but nothing about ‘Stand Users’ and their names came to mind. She'd remember if she knew someone literally named chocolate… Wouldn't she?
A conclusion came to her mind. If the current situation was impossible to explain with her current knowledge, she'd have to suspend her disbelief, allow more unbelievable possibilities to take hold, and wrangle some new sense of reason for her reality. These people, and whoever this voice was, were somewhere beyond her own world. This empty town, it would take an absurd amount of power to maintain, even with the spells kept close to Conclave's chest. And... No way the Universal Will would make up such an... Irrational scenario. They did come from an ‘Earth’, as the voice said, but was it her Earth? Was their magic system named differently?
The voice commented on the matchup being unfair... But in whose favour? Was it hers? Was the fear mentioned regarding their strength or their nature? Perhaps both, but that didn't help her much. The only people she could definitively say trump her in skill would be her Teacher or the Universal Will... She hoped they weren’t above her level. Such power would be... Catastrophic, if she was to believe the notion that they had little benevolent intentions.
Libraria noticed disturbed earth, something moving underground rapidly approaching her! She drew a spell to launch her in the air, knees drawing in and audibly cracking. Another spell drawn, keeping her suspended. She stood a few meters above ground, eyeing the happenings below.
A man wearing something like a brown mask had unearthed up to his torso, grasping where she once stood. His eyes widened at the sight above him for only a moment, before retreating immediately.
As a precaution, Libraria took her time drawing the magic circle for Absolute Defense: Felion. She can't afford to be too reckless, she'd ensure no harm would come to her fragile body.
Just as she was enveloped by the shield, multiple thuds rang out. She swung her attention back below. The man resurfaced, snarling at whatever he did, being rejected by her shield. Before Libraria could think of how to respond, back he sank into the soil.
She gripped onto her thighs. What was she to do? One of the men attacked her already, so she had little chance to convince them to a truce if they'd struck so willingly. Her hand was forced, she'd have to knock them out, as the voice ordered.
Would she have the opportunity to bind them? The man who swam in the ground was swift, she doubted she could pull it off in time.
Darn, where was the other one, now that she thought of it? He hadn't made an appearance at all, unless, maybe he could make himself invisible? Was he right below her? Or somewhere out of sight, waiting to pounce at the right time?
She sighed. If only they worked by what she and the others taught, she'd know what was and wasn't possible, even if they were on her level. But she didn't know a spell that granted the skill to swim in solids. And she had to worry about what other abilities his partner had. God, why, why, why…
She laid her forehead on the shield, slumping.
Libraria didn't ask for any of this. Her job, her major responsibilities that shouldn't have been on her shoulders, she... Now she's here, fighting for her life, because of what... Entertainment…? She supposed that was a worse reason than her previous predicament of saving all of humanity. At least that was for a greater purpose.
She took a deep breath through her nose, exhaling out her mouth. She had to find a solution. She had to go back to her purpose. Panicking and anxious when she had work to do. Goddamn it.
“I don't know what happened, she j-just…! Made something that de… defractured… depleted…”
Secco stomped his foot, “Deflected! The dirt! It doesn't make sense…! It's like not a Stand, at all!”
Cioccolata threw his head back, feeling the coarse texture of the pillar on his scalp. He listened intently to Secco's retelling of events. Summoning symbols out of thin air to lift herself up and stay afloat… Like some fantasy story. Ugh. He never saw the appeal in fantasy.
Regardless, was there a spell that kept her immortal? No, the voice explicitly said that it was a battle to the death. Death must be possible for her if she expected him and Secco to enact it, even though she’d lived to an unnatural age. He can savour her last breaths. He just had to figure how to carry it out.
Still, what a pain in the ass this woman was. Just what could she do? There's only so far one could push a Stand’s potential, having such a variety of spells would make it difficult to expect what she'd pull next.
“But she's in the air, yes?”
Secco nodded.
“Then all we have to do is get her to the ground.”
Cioccolata straightened up, his tone lowered.
“She can't stay there forever. There has to be a limit to both that shield and whatever is keeping her up. Or, it's something she actively maintains, meaning we'll have to catch her off guard. Either way, I'll find an opening. Plus, if she truly doesn't have a Stand, Green Day won't be visible to her. She can't anticipate what she can't see.”
“Of course…!” Secco perked up to his words.
Cioccolata began walking with intention, Secco following behind.
“You'll stay underground and only strike when she tries anything. Got it?”
Secco nodded once more, beginning his descent in the dirt.
Cioccolata grinned as he reached the gate. “Good. And be sure to melt off her mask once I've got her. We can't afford to miss that despair ridden face.”
Cioccolata raised his arms up, walking calmly toward the levitating woman.
“I'm not here to fight,” He put up his best disarming smile. “I'm sorry for my assistant, he... Is a bit of an impulsive sort. He's not usually like that, you understand… With this unfamiliar environment we're in, he got nervous, is all.”
15 meters away from her.
“So why don't we talk? I'm sure we can figure out how to leave here without resorting to violence. I wouldn't want to hurt an unassuming lady such as yourself.”
13 meters.
“...Is that so? Then he shall have my forgiveness.” She uttered stern and clear.
12 meters.
“I'm glad you're willing to listen. Now, why don't you come down? I'd like to talk on equal grounds with you.”
11 meters.
“...And where would your assistant be, might I ask?”
She's in range.
“Waiting for your rotting body!”
Banging, the shield reverberated.
The Stand continued relentlessly… To no avail.
Green Day's barrage had zero effect! What in God's name was this barrier?! And the levitating was still active, fuck!
Libraria, though shaking, made up her mind.
In a blink, a flash came out of her fingertips, hot pain prickled the entirety of Cioccolata’s legs.
“She can shoot fucking lightning?!? Through the shield!?” Cioccolata had thought, before immediately falling face first into the grass. His legs were numb, utterly useless.
Secco had already moved too late, still, he followed through on orders, rising from the ground, and aimed—
Secco flew up.
Disoriented by his displacement, he flailed around for the few moments he was airborne. He did catch a glimpse of a metal shine, somewhere behind Cioccolata's body.
He heard a yell from his master, what the words were, he couldn't discern. He landed on his back and hacked up his dirt. Not given a moment to regain his senses, his arms and legs were stuck to his body with an invisible bind. It couldn't come undone. Not with Oasis, not with struggling.
A huff and puff, Libraria was spent. She thanked the Lord that she had set up Absolute Defense: Felion rather than a less taxing shield. Whatever Cioccolata was up to, graciously thwarted.
She put a binding spell on Cioccolata too, just to really make sure he didn't try anything. Can't be too careful.
Something grabbed her throat, lifting her up. Her feet dangled helplessly. She gasped for air, scratching at the unseen force by instinct, rationality unable to come to her.
“You dumb bitch…! You thought that was enough…?!” Cioccolata’s grin stretched to its limit.
“Heheh— krrhrkk— gyaahaha! You can't fight! You don't have a Stand!” Secco jeered on.
Black started filling her vision; tears welled up. No, surely… surely… They couldn't…
Libraria was standing.
As if nothing occured. Her throat felt normal as ever. No excess moisture in her eyes.
The bound duo stared at her.
“Aaannd that's ten seconds! You did as splendidly as I expected, my love!”
Cioccolata felt his face twitching. Secco blinked, as if he was going to clear his vision into a different reality.
“Love…?” Libraria hesitated repeating the affection on her tongue. What just happened? She wouldn't get answers, would she?
“As I promised, you'll be treated to a nice pot of hibiscus tea! For the losers, el-em-ay-oh! Skill issue!”
Two disembodied hands donning white gloves appeared, lightly smacking the head of the losing team. The two yelled curses and insults; God ate up every word with a smile.
“You really thought you'd win against one of the top 5 magicians of all time! Idiots! Though, frankly, I just wanted to see you two fail miserably! And see how my darling lamb would go about violence!”
“What's… wrong with you?” Libraria slipped out, with a twinge of guilt. Though, she'd be lying if those words weren't the ones that rang in her mind most strongly at that moment.
“Oh please, too much! We'd be here for days if you wanted me to divulge and rant about all of my issues! Why don't you go off and enjoy your reward, okay?”
She disappeared from sight, to who knows, oh, I know! Where. She's having some real good tea, I promise you!
And I too would be lying if I said her words didn't hurt some. But that's not here nor there, is it?! No!!
What about Secco and Cioccolata, you may ask? What was of their fates?
I'm not mean, I'm truly not! At least not for today. I just sent them back where they first were, no memories nor injuries attached. I'm literally nice.
Libraria too got sent back to her horrid job without her memories. After the tea, of course. One might consider it pointless, but I disagree! If there was a point in time she enjoyed her damn tea, whether she remembered it or not, it mattered!
Did this matter?!? I think so! That's my part to say, isn't it?! Even if I'm the only one who will hold this memory?! It occurred! It occurred and it happened and I shall treasure this experience!!