A Family Legacy

Chapter 1

I sigh, looking down at the small note in my hands. "I really need to brush up on my Japanese..." I mutter, rubbing the back of my neck, "...getting directions here was like pulling teeth...I really hope he's here..." I look up at the simple Japanese home. I take a deep breath, and start forward, pulling a little bit at the bottom hems of my shorts and crop-top. I reach the front door, and ring the doorbell.
    After a bit, a middle-aged woman with blonde hair answers the door. "Oh! Can I help you?" She asks.
    I nod a little. "Caio, Signora," I say, "I, uh...I'm looking for someone. I was told he was here...is Mr. Joseph Jostar here?"
   She looks mildly surprised, then a tad suspicious. "If I may ask, what do you want with my father?" She asks.
    I pause. 'Should I tell her the truth?' I wonder, 'The last time I got someone else involved...' I take a deep breath. "I heard he could help me," I say, "That's all I feel comfortable saying as of now, Signora,"
   She smiles softly and chuckles. "Italian, huh?" She asks.
    I nod. "Si, signora," I say, smiling.
    "My mother is Italian," she says, "Please, come in. I'll let him know you're here,"
    I nod, stepping into the front hall of the house. I take my boots off, putting them with the other shoes at the door, and step into the front hall. I put the piece of paper in my pocket, and looked around a little.
    "Please, put your bag down as well," she says, "You've traveled so far, just looking for my father! You must be tired,"
    I smile softly, and set my backpack down. "Thank you, Signora," I say.
    "Holly," she says, "Holly Kujo,"
    I nod a little. "Alright, Signora Kujo," I say.
    She smiles and nods. "Very polite young lady..." she mutters, walking into a hallway, "Wait there, please,"
    I nod. I lean against a wall, crossing my arms in front of me, waiting for her to return. 'She's right,' I think, 'I have traveled so far. Halfway across the world, and for what? Just because I think he can help me? I'm not even sure what I need help with yet...ugh, I hate not knowing what's threatening my life...' I sigh, and raise a hand to my forehead, resting the heel of my palm on my head. I tap my forehead with my hand a few times. "Stupid, stupid, stupid..." I mutter to myself.
    "Young lady?" Holly says, approaching me, "He and a friend of his are in the study, second door on the left, down that hall," she points down the hall behind herself.
    I nod, standing up. "Grazie, Signora Kujo," I say, glancing at my backpack.
   "You can leave your bag there," she says, looking at it as well. She then looks a little confused. "Is that...a baseball bat?" She asks.
    I chuckle a little. "It is," I say, "Grazie, again, Signora Kujo," I start down the hallway, to the door she indicated. I take a deep breath, and gently knock on the door.
    "Come in," a gruff voice says from the other side of the door.
    I softly clear my throat, and open the door. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting, Signore Jostar," I say, stepping into the room, "but...I've traveled so far, looking for you,"
    The man looks up at me, sitting on his knees on the ground. His hair and beard are the same shade of silver, both neatly styled. He's wearing a white shirt, tan pants, and a pair of white gloves. He considers me with a look of confusion. "My daughter, Holy, told me," he says, "says you're from Italy? Can I ask...why are you looking for me?"
    I smile softly at him, being somewhat in awe of being in the same room as my childhood hero. "Mi scusi, signore," I say, bowing my head a little, "let me introduce myself first. My name is Magnolia. Magnolia Constantine Zeppeli," I smile a little.
    He stares at me, shocked. He sets down the cup he was holding, and stands up. He walks up to me, looking down at me now. "D-did...did you say...Zeppeli?" He asks, quietly, "You...you're not...related to...?"
    I smile. I nod. "I am," I say, "I am Cesar Zeppili's great niece. I was raised on stories of you and him, how heroic you both were, and no one on the planet even knows! When I was little, I wanted to be just like you! To be honest, I still do...you're my hero, Mr. Jostar!"
    He smiles wide, though somewhat sadly. "You're Caesar's niece..." he mutters, "...Well, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, young lady, but...if this is just a social visit, I'm quite busy at the moment,"
    I pause, then gasp a little, gently slapping my forehead. "No, no, it's not a social visit," I say, "I need your help, Mr. Jostar. I don't a hundred percent know who, but someone is trying to kill me, just because of my Hamon,"
    He pauses, looking more shocked, and a little proud. "You...you use Hamon?" He asks.
    I nod, smiling. "I...well, I kinda had to teach myself most of what I know," I say, "Before me, Cesar was the only one in the Zeppeli family who actually trained with the technique. He...well, he died before I was born,"
    Mr. Jostar nods. "Who's trying to kill you?" He asks, though by his tone of voice, he already knows.
    I shrug a little. "The man he sent after me didn't say much," I say, "just that he didn't want another Hamon user to get in his way,"
    "Did he refer to who sent him by any specific name?" The other man in the room says.
    I look at him, and think for a second. "M-maybe? I...I can't really remember much of what happened that day," I say, "Though it's all still pretty recent, I...I guess I'm still in a fair bit of shock,"
    Mr. Jostar nods. "Plese, sit down with us," he says, gesturing to the floor, gently grabbing my shoulder, "and tell us everything you can remember,"
    I nod a little.
    The other man stands up, and grabs a cushion for me to sit on. The man is of a darker complexion, with dark hair as well. He has a piece of fabric tied around his head, twisted at the forehead. He's wearing a long tan tunic, almost like a robe. Over his clothes he's wearing a long, red-ish cloak, and has a necklace of large golden beads. "My name is Muhammad Avdol," he says, "I am a friend of Mr. Jostar's,"
    I nod, sitting down on the cushion he had gotten for me. "Thank you, Signore Avdol," I say.
    "So, Magnolia," Mr. Jostar says, "tell me: this man who tried to kill you?"
    I nod. "I was on a bit of a day trip to Firenze," I say, "looking at statues and art and things, eating gelato, all that good stuff. I'm from Roma, see, so being able to take trains to other cities is fun for me. And, my parents being experts on art history, consulting with different museums and things, I know quite a bit about art and things. For most of the day, I didn't notice, but this man had been following me all day, and finally cornered me in the Boboli Gardens, in one of the corridors of cypress trees. He said his name was...Hol Horse, I think, and said his job was to get rid of me. I asked who sent him, and all he said was 'It's a shame Master Dio won't give you a second chance. You'd make a great wife,'" I make a disgusted face, sticking out my tongue, "I'll tell you something, I've never been flirted with by someone dressed as a cowboy, and I don't really want to be again,"
    Mr. Jostar looks a little confused, and looks at Avdol. It's almost as if he's silently asking for a translation.
    "'Firenze' is the Italian name for Florence, Italy," Avdol says, "It translates to 'flower', which is why a version of the Fleur de Lis is a symbol of the city. The Boboli gardens are the lavish gardens behind the Pitti Palace, the historical home of the Medici family, a very influential and somewhat infamous Italian banker family. The gardens are made up of something of a labyrinth of cypress trees and quite a few ornate fountains and outbuildings, holding artifacts from the home,"
Mr. Jostar nods. "Alright, I understand now," he says, then looks at me, "he said, 'Master Dio'?" He asks with a grim expression.
    I nod. "We ended up fighting in the gardens, though I was careful not to destroy anything," I say, "I'm not one for defacing history, though if I need to hold my own, I will. He didn't seem to be in much of a mood to debate local of where he'd attempt to kill me,"
    "Was there anything odd about how he fought?" Avdol asks, interrupting my rambling.
    "He...he had a gun," I say, "which worried me a little. You know, bringing a bat to a gun fight doesn't sound like a good idea, right? But, what was weird was...it just sort of...appeared in his hand, instead of him drawing it, you know? And I swear that bullet curved to hit me..." I furrow my eyebrows a little, thinking about the fight.
    Mr. Jostar and Avdol look at each other.
    "Could that have been his stand?" Mr. Jostar says.
    "It could have been," Avdol says, "but...if it was, how could she have seen it?"
    "Maybe she..." Mr. Jostar mutters, glancing at me.
    "It's likely..." Avdol says, "...and it's likely that Dio doesn't know about her yet, since she doesn't even seem to know. Yes, he knows that she uses Hamon, but he may not know that-"
    "That is, if she does have one," Mr. Jostar says.
    "How do we figure out if she does, though, Mr. Jostar?" Avdol asks.
    "The same way we helped Jotaro figure it out," Mr. Jostar says, his expression going somewhat grim, "but, we'll have to wait for him to get home. I don't want you to accidentally catch something on fire in Holly's house,"
    "Understood, Mr. Jostar," Avdol says, nodding a little.
    Mr. Jostar looks at me. "Continue, if you have more," he says.
    I furrow my eyebrows a little. "What do you think I have?" I ask.
    They glance at each other.
    "We'll tell you when Jotaro gets home," Mr. Jostar says.
    I sigh softly, and nod, not exactly liking being kept in the dark. "Well, I was able to defeat him," I say, "but...I'm not a monster, so I don't kill people. I just kinda...knocked him on his ass, if you'll excuse my language, and bruised his pride. That must have hurt him more than I expected, because..." I pause, a feeling of dread creeping up on me. I take a deep breath, and ball my fists. I look down at the ground in front of me. "He...he got back to Rome before me, somehow," I say, quietly, feeling tears well up in my eyes, "...by the time I got to my house...it was engulfed in flames...both of my parents were...they were..." tears drip down my face, plopping on to the ground. I wipe my eyes on the back of my hand, and sniff. "He left me a note..." I reach into my pocket, and take out the crumpled, slightly scorched, bit of paper. I hold it out to Mr. Jostar.
    He furrowed his eyebrows, and looked at it. He sighs, reading it. "The bastard..." he mutters.
    "What does it say, Mr. Jostar?" Avdol asks.
    "'Maybe next time you'll take me seriously'," Mr. Jostar reads, "'With love, H.H.' So...you wish to find this man for...revenge?" He looks at me, looking like he's judging me a little.
    I shake my head. "No," I say, "revenge really isn't my thing. I intend to find this...Dio person, and defeat him, so he doesn't hurt the rest of my family, or any other family. I'm the youngest of four children, with nieces and nephews from each of my older brothers, and my grandparents own a farm outside of Roma. I...I want them to be safe. All of them,"
    Mr. Jostar's expression softens, and nods, handing me the note back. "Noble," he says, "we, too, are looking for Dio. He and my family have a long, bloody history,"
    I nod, and chuckle. "Just like our families..." I mutter.
    He looks a little surprised, and sighs. He nods. "That is true," he says, smiling, "it seems like fate that a member of the Zeppeli family finds mine, wishing to help me defeat Dio, or any other great evil,"
    I smile wide, and nod. "I'll do anything I can to help, Signore!" I say, excitedly.
    He smiles wide and nods. "That's the enthusiasm I like to see!" He says, laughing a little "and, in return, I'll help you train your Hamon skills,"
    I smile and nod.
    "Dad!" Holy says, sounding a little worried, opening the door, "Dad, Jotaro is home, and he has an injured young man with him!"
    I furrow my eyebrows, and stand up. "Where are they?" I ask.
    "The front hall," she says.
    I nod, and quickly leave the room. I find the two students, one who seems unconscious, the other one holding him up. "Let me help you," I say, "one of my brothers is a doctor, so...I've picked up some tricks," I smile at the young man.
    He glares down at me, towering over me. "Who are you?" He asks.
    "Jotaro," Mr. Jostar says, "This is Magnolia. She's another friend of mine,"
    He glances at Mr. Jostar, and nods a little.
    I walk up to the unconscious student, and help Jotaro carry him to a spare room. After we set him down, I take a deep breath, placing a hand over the bandaging on my side. "What happened to him?" I ask Jotaro.
    He looks at me, not talking for almost a minute. "He works for Dio," he says, "tried to kill me. I was able to stop him, but...not before he hurt others," He stands up and stands in front of me. "Why are you here?" He asks.
    "I need your grandfather's help," I say, "well...I'm here to help him, I suppose,"
    "Jotaro," Mr. Jostar says, sitting next to the young man on the ground, "It's too late for him. He's not going to make it. He'll die in the next few days,"
    I gasp a little, raising a hand to my mouth. I look at the red-haired student, and furrow my eyebrows a little.
    Jotaro gasps softly as well.
    "Jotaro, it's not your fault," Mr. Jostar says, raising a hand and moving the young man's hair slightly, "Look, the reason that this man swore loyalty to Dio and came to kill you is right here,"
    I lean forward a little, seeing a small thing at the base of the man's hairline. "Ugh!" I mutter, "It's like a parasite of some kind, si?"
    "What is that spider-like growth?" Jotaro asks, "You said that's the reason he swore loyalty to Dio?"
    "That is a flesh bud, formed from Dio's own cells," Avdol says, "it connects to his brain. This tiny little flesh bud was implanted in his brain to influence his mind. In other words, that flesh bud is a controller that draws forth certain feelings,"
    "What feelings?" I mutter, still a little confused.
    "Charisma!" Mr. Jostar says, "The feelings that make soldiers want to obey dictators! The feelings that make true believers follow cult leaders! This young man admired Dio and swore loyalty to him!"
    I look down at the young man, and furrow my eyebrows. 'Maybe he was tricked,' I think, 'I don't see how a young man like him could want to follow someone like Dio...'
    "Dio is a charismatic figure," Mr. Jostar continues, "which means he can sway others with his overwhelming powers of attraction. He used that to order this young man, called Kakyoin, to kill us. Probably much in the way that he ordered Hol Horse to kill you, Magnolia,"
    "So, operate on him and remove it," Jotaro says.
    Avdol glances at me. "Mr. Jostar..." he mutters.
    He also looks at me. "Magnolia, could you go and see if Holly needs help with anything?" He says.
    I scrunch my nose. "You just want me out of the room, because I'm a girl, right?" I say, crossing my arms, "I respect you Mr. Jostar, but no way. I'm staying,"
    He sighs softly. "The brain is very delicate," Mr. Jostar says, shaking his head a little, "if he were to move while we were extracting it, we could inflict brain damage,"
    "Jotaro, Magnolia," Avdol says, "The following happened four months ago, in Cairo, Egypt," He looks down a little, almost like he's ashamed or scared. He then looks back up at us, an intense look in his eyes. "I met Dio!" He says.
    I stare in amazement, and both Jotaro and I gasp a little.
    "I am a fortune teller by trade," he says, "I have a shop in a souk called Khan el-Khalili. It was the night of the full moon. He...stood quietly on the stairs that led up to my shop's second floor. His cold gaze felt as if it was trying to stealthily pierce my heart. His golden hair, his near-transparent alabaster skin, and his strange sexuality made it hard to believe he was a man. I had heard about him from Mr. Jostar, so I knew immediately that he was Dio, back from the Atlantic's depths!"
    I shudder a little, getting a near perfect image of our enemy just from Avdol's description. "Then what happened, Signor Avdol?" I ask quietly, rubbing one of my arms.
    "He asked...if I had powers that no one else has," he says, "And if I could show him. I knew instantly he meant my Stand, and it was then that I found him truly terrifying. His words brought such peace to my soul. They had a dangerous sweetness. That's exactly why he was terrifying!"
    I grit my teeth a little, remembering the words of the note, the last thing that I knew that happened to my parents.
    "I ran for my life," Avdol continues, "I didn't dare think of fighting him. I was very lucky. Because I had heard about Dio and realized it was him, I was able to immediately jump out the window. I knew the labyrinthine souk below like the back of my hand, so I was able to escape. Otherwise, I would have ended up like this young man, made into one of his follower through a flesh bud,"
    I look down at Kakyoin, and sigh softly. "Is there...nothing we can do?" I ask.
    "I'm afraid so," Mr. Jostar says, sadly, "he'll be dead within a few days,"
    "Dead?" Jotaro asks, taking a step closer to Kakyoin, "hold on a minute. Kakyoin here isn't dead yet!" He extends an arm out, like he's commanding something, and a translucent, purple, powerful looking figure appears beside him.
    I gasp, taking a step back. "Woah..." I mutter. I feel someone grab my wrist, and look down to see Avdol pulling me behind him. I nod a little, and kneel behind him, watching the figure.
    It makes eye contact with me for a second, sending a chill down my spine.
    "What is that?" I ask Avdol, quietly.
    "It's a Stand," he says, "Jotaro's stand, Star Platinum. See, a person's Stand, or fighting spirit, is like a projection of their soul. Some are stronger than others, but raw power isn't what's best, sometimes. You need to know how to properly use your stand, as well,"
    I nod a little. "And you...think I have one of those?" I ask.
    He nods a little. "Only stand users can see other stands," he says.
    "I'll pull it out using my Stand!" Jotaro says, crouching down, holding Kakyoin's head in place as his stand reaches for the flesh bud.
    Avdol gasps, and stands up, pulling me to my feet as well.
    "Wait, Jotaro!" Mr. Jostar says, standing as well.
    "Don't touch me, Old Man!" Jotaro says, "I'll pull it out without harming his brain. My stand moves with such precision that it can grasp even a bullet,"
    "Stop!" Mr. Jostar says, "That flesh bud is alive! Don't you realize why part of the flesh bud is outside of his body? That's why not even the best surgeon could extract it!"
    I grip onto Avdol's robe as I watch Star Platinum grab the flesh bud, and gasp as a tendrel whips out of it, stabbing Jotaros' hand.
    "Shit!" Mr. Jostar gasps.
    "The flesh bud stabbed him with a tentacle!" Avdol exclaims, "This isn't good! Let go, Jojo! It will try to enter the brain of anyone who tries to extract it!"
    The tentacle seems to crawl up his arm under his skin.
    I grit my teeth. "Jojo!" I say, getting the young man's attention.
    He looks up at me, not moving his head.
    The other two men look at me, as well, astonished.
    "Don't let him die," I say.
    He pauses, and nods, looking back at Kakyoin.
    "Magnolia!" Mr. Jostar exclaims, "Why-?!"
    "He has a family, doesn't he?!" I say, "a mother and father, maybe siblings, who could be worried?! Which one of us will be the one to tell them if he doesn't make it?"
    He stares at me, a very sad look in his eyes. He sighs.
    I hear the young man gasp, and I look down at Kakyoin, and he had been looking at Jotaro, but is now looking at me.
    We hold eye contact for a minute or so.
    "Don't move, Kakyoin," Jotaro says, "If I fail, your brain is done for,"
    It seems like Star Platinum is starting to pull the flesh bud out of Kakyoin's forehead. The tentacle moves further up Jotaro's arm, and can now be seen in his neck.
    I squirm a little. 'That must be so uncomfortable...' I think.
    "Let go, Jojo!" Avdol calls out, "It's gone up to your face!" He starts forward, but Mr. Jostar stops him.
    "Wait, Avdol!" He says, "My grandson is quite the man. It's entered his body, and yet he's completely calm. He isn't even trembling. Nor is his stand!"
    I watch, and see that Mr. Jostar is right.
    Both Jotaro and Star Platinum are completely steady, focused on the flesh bud.
    "He moves with more precision and strength than I anticipated," Mr. Jostar continues.
    I grit my teeth at the slow progress, when he finally gets the flesh bud out of Kakyoin's head.
    "He did it!" Avdol says.
    Star Platinum pulls the tentacles of the bud fully out of both Kakyoin and Jotaro, and with expert strength and speed, pulls it in half, tossing it aside.
    As it passes Mr. Jostar, he hits it with a well placed hit of Hamon.
    I jump a little at a slight flash of golden light, I peer around Avdol to see the flesh bud turn into dust. "Yeah!" I cheer, "He'll be alright, now, si?" I look at the man, who's now sitting up.
    Kakyoin looks at Jotaro, who is walking away. "Why?" He asks, "Why did you risk your life to save me?"
    There's a tense silence between the two of them.
    "Who knows?" Jotaro says, turning away and exiting the room, "I'm not really sure myself,"
    After a minute or so, Holly then walks in with a first aid kit, and wraps up the injury on Kakyoin's forehead. "And done," she says, afterward.
    "Thank you...very much," Kakyoin says.
    "Kakyoin, wasn't it?" She asks, "You should rest for a while. Stay the night tonight. Papa, please get his futon ready,"
    Mr. Jostar looks mildly surprised. "Huh? Umm..." he mutters, "Why do I have to do that?! I've never even liked the idea of sleeping on the floor! Holly, replace the futon in my room with a real bed!"
    "Papa, you're in Japan," Holly says, hitting the floor like he did as he was talking, "so please just get used to the Japanese way of doing things. Oh, and call me 'Seiko'."
    "What?!" Mr. Jostar says.
    "Holly comes from the word 'Holy' which is 'Seinaru' in Japanese," she says, "so all of my friends call me 'Seiko',"
    "What the hell is that?!" Mr. Jostar says, "'Holly' is the wonderful name I gave you mys-"
     "If you don't call me 'Seiko' from now on, I won't answer," She says, interrupting him, turning her head away.
    "Holly!" Mr. Jostar exclaims, frustrated, hitting the floor again.
    "Does it hurt, Kakyoin?" She asks. Ignoring him.
    "I-I'm fine," Kakyoin says.
    "Are you okay, Magnolia?" She asks, turning to me, "You have bandages around your shoulder and waist, if I remember correctly. Need me to look at them?"
    I place a hand over my bandages on my side. I shake my head a little. "I'm alright, Signora Seiko," I say, smiling a little, "I had them tended to at a hospital before I left Roma. I'll be fine. In fact, if you want, I could help set up the futons for me and Kakyoin, if you don't mind me staying the night as well,"
    She chuckles a little, and shakes her head. "No, I don't mind at all!" She says, "and, it's very polite for you to offer! I can show you how to do it, if you want. Have you ever been to Japan before?"
    I shake my head. "The furthest I've been from Italy was a family trip to Barcelona!" I laugh a little, "So...I've never really left Europe before,"
    "How exciting for you, then!" She says, standing "Come on! I'll show you how it's done,"
    I nod a little, standing as well.
    "Before that, something else we needed your help with, Jotaro," Mr. Jostar says, after Holly had left the room, "We believe Magnolia may have a stand that hasn't quite shown itself yet,"
    Jotaro looks at me.
    "We require your assistance-" Avdol starts.
    "No," Jotaro says. He starts to walk away.
    "But, Jotaro-" Mr. Jostar says.
    "I don't fight girls," he says, "find another way, Old Man," He exits the room.
    I sigh. "Woman..." I mutter, "...I'm 20..."
    Avdol looks at me, a little surprised. "I apologize..." he says, "I had assumed you were younger...at the very least, high-school aged,"
    "Why, because of my height?" I ask, a little defensive.
    "No!" He says, putting his hands up in defense, "you look younger than you are, that's all. It's a compliment,"
    I narrowed my eyes at him a little.
    Mr. Jostar chuckles. "Looks like you touched a nerve, Avdol," he says, "let's stay away from talk of her height in the future, okay?"
    Avdol laughs a little, and nods. "Understood, Mr. Jostar," he says, "Apologies, again, Magnolia,"
    "Call me Maggie!" I say, smiling, "Everyone does,"
    They all nod, and I see Kakyoin maybe seem a little embarrassed.