The next morning, I'm packing my things back into my backpack, thinking. 'So...Signora Kujo has a Stand, but isn't strong enough to control it? Maybe...not everyone is. What if...?' I pause, finding a small pile of photos in the bottom of my backpack. I freeze for a moment, just staring at my parents' faces, frozen in time on a piece of paper. Tears well up in my eyes, but I wipe them away. I sniff and grab the pictures. I leaf through them, smiling, until I hear someone knock and enter the room. I shove the pictures into my pocket and stand up, picking up my bag. I turn to see Kakyoin at my door.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," he says, glancing at my pocket, "but we're ready to head to the airport. Mr. Jostar and the others are waiting out front,"
I nod. "I'm ready," I say, "Just need my boots and bat from the front hall,"
He nods. "Since we never had a chance for proper introductions, I'm Noriaki Kakyoin," he says, bowing a little, "are you a Stand User as well?"
I smile a little, bowing my head a little. "Maggie," I say, "Magnolia Constantine Zeppili, and...I don't know. Mr. Joestar says, because I can see these...Stands, I may have one, but just don't know it yet,"
He nods a little. "It would make sense," he says, "only a Stand user can see a Stand,"
I nod a little, and shuffle my feet. "That's what Avdol said..." I mutter.
He pauses, watching me. "You seem...hesitant," he says.
"Well..." I say, "seeing what a Stand can do to someone who isn't strong enough to control it...it's kinda giving me second thoughts,"
He nods a little.
"I...I feel really bad for Signora Kujo, I really do," I say, "but...what if we find my Stand, but I can't control it either? I'll be useless to you all. I...I think I'd rather stick to my Hamon..."
"Only a Stand can defeat another Stand," Kakyoin says, "Your Hamon would be useless against them. It could be used against the user, I suppose, but...in any case, I don't think you'll have any problem controlling a Stand,"
I look up at him. "You think so?" I ask, smiling a little.
He nods. "Now, let's not make them wait any more," he says, stepping slightly to the side, letting me out of the room.
I smile a little, and nod.
---
I look at my plane ticket as I follow Jotaro and Mr. Jostar to our plane. I sigh softly. "I hope it's not a window seat..." I mutter. I bite the inside of my cheek a little bit.
Kakyoin looks at me. "Are you seated alone?" He asks, looking at his own ticket.
"I think so," I say, "You and Avdol are next to each other, then behind you is Jotaro and Mr. Jostar. I'm behind them,"
"It is a fairly long and late flight," Avdol says, "There might be an empty seat next to you. I'm sure you could ask a stewardess if you could sit there for the flight. Might I ask why you're worried about the window? Do you not like heights?"
I pause, looking away from him. "Uh, no, I..." I cleared my throat a little, "...I never said anything like that, Signore Avdol. I just...find it easier to sleep when I'm not next to a window,"
He raises an eyebrow a little and nods, not questioning me any further.
We reached the plane and were seated, and, like I thought, I was given a window seat.
I keep my shade closed almost the entire time, and end up falling asleep not very long into the flight. A while later I'm woken up by a faint buzzing, growing louder. I open my eyes, and rub them a little bit. "Huh?" I mutter.
The others seem to hear it as well, but none of the other passengers seem bothered by the loud buzzing.
"A...rhinoceros beetle?" Jotaro asks, standing up.
I stand up as well, just to look around. I see what he means, seeing the large insect flying around the cabin of the plane. "No," I say, "It's a Stag Beetle!"
"Avdol," Mr. Jostar says, "Is it a Stand? Are we already encountering another Stand User?"
"It's very possible," Avdol says, "it could be a bug shaped Stand,"
I clench a fist, focusing on my breathing, feeling the familiar tingle of Hamon around my hands. I'm not sure if I am readying myself or just trying to calm my nerves.
We all watch as it buzzes to its left, and disappears.
"It hid in the shadow of the seats," Mr. Jostar says, "Wh-where did it go?"
Then, as soon as it disappeared, it appeared next to Jotaro's head.
Both Kakyoin and I noticed it.
"Jotaro!" Kakyoin calls out, "It's on the side of your head!"
"It's huge!" I gasp.
"It has to be a Stand!" Kakyoin says, "That bug is a Stand!"
I watch as the huge beetle opens its mouth, and something starts to protrude. I cringe. "Yuck..." I mutter. I glance up at the luggage rack above me, where my bag and Bat is. 'Not going to be a help right now...' I tell myself.
"It's disgusting..." Jotaro says, "but leave this to me,"
"B-be careful," Avdol says, "I've heard there's a user of a bug Stand that likes to rip out the tongues of its victims," He then glances at me. "Magnolia, you should sit down. Remember, you are currently defenseless against a Stand. Your Hamon won't affect it, except maybe making it angry,"
I tense up, watching the immense bug, but nod. I sit back down, but stay at the edge of my seat, ready to get up at any moment. I watch Jotaro raise his hand.
"Star Platinum!" He says, his Stand appearing like a camera flash.
I gasp a little, watching the bug stand dodge the punch Star Platinum threw at it.
Everyone else in the group also gasps.
"It dodged!" Avdol says, "I-I can't believe it! It's faster than Star Platinum, whose speed and precision can catch bullets,"
"It has to be a Stand," Kakyoin says, "That bug is a Stand! Where is he? Where is he hiding?! Where's the one controlling it?!" He looks at me, and I see a flash of worry in his eyes. He then starts to glance around.
'Where's who?' I wonder. I then gasp a little, and slap my forehead. "The User, idiota..." I mutter. I then take my focus from the others and look around at the sleeping passengers around us.
No one stands out immediately, making me worry.
'If all Stand users are as inconspicuous as this,' I think, 'how will we know who to trust?' I then look at the bug again, and gasp, watching green foam spew from its mouth. "It's attacking!" I say, standing up again, ready to fight.
"Magnolia, don't!" Mr. Jostar says, just as some kind of strange limb shoots from the bug's mouth, toward Jotaro.
Star Platinum catches the limb, the end of it piercing his hand.
I watch in horror as the limb goes through Star Platinum's hand and into his mouth. I place both hands over my own mouth in shock.
"Jotaro!" Mr. Jostar calls out.
I look at Jotaro, and see that his hand and tongue are both bleeding, mirroring Star Platinum's injuries. My eyes open a little wider. 'So...if your Stand gets hurt, you get hurt,' I think, 'Good to know,'
"Luckily, it could stop the beetle's mouth needle with its teeth," Mr. Jostar says, "but..."
"Since it tried to bite off Jotaro's Stand's tongue..." Avdol says, "It must be him! The Tower card of the Tarot...the one that depicts a stand suggesting destruction, calamity and the end of a journey: Tower of Gray,"
I furrow my eyebrows a little, somewhat understanding what Avdol is talking about. 'I'm lucky the Stand is focused on Jotaro,' I think, 'or I would be a goner. I need to find a way to get over to the others without drawing attention to myself,' I look at the seat in front of me, where Mr. Jostar was just sitting. I furrow my eyebrows.
"Magnolia," Mr. Jostar says, "Stay right there. I know you'd rather be standing with us, but, for now, staying put would be your best choice,"
I look at him, and sigh. I nod.
"Tower of Gray commits mass murders," Avdol says, "making them look like accidents. That airplane crash that happened last year in England, causing 300 deaths, is thought to have been its work. I had heard rumors, but it seems like he's working with Dio!"
I grit my teeth a little, hating this Stand user more.
With a yell from Jotaro, Star Platinum starts rapidly throwing punches, shattering the mouth needle. His arms become nothing but a blur of fists for a few seconds, then he goes still again.
But the Beetle is still airborne.
"It dodged it?!" I say, amazed.
"Not just a single hand," Avdol says, equally amazed, "but it also dodged a two-fisted rush of blows,"
"It's so fast..." I mutter, "...maybe too fast," I feel a pit of worry rising in my chest.
"Even if you were to have ten guns shoot bullets from one centimeter away, they would not be able to touch my Stand!" A small, slightly muffled voice comes from the beetle, the mouth needle starting to protrude again, "And you couldn't kill my Stand with a bullet anyway,"
I glance over at Mr. Jostar, and see him deep in thought, but not looking at the Stand.
He's looking at the other passengers. He must be looking for the User.
I look as well, not entirely sure what I'm looking for.
Then, I hear a rise in the buzz, and Jotaro gasps.
I look up to see that the bug is gone. "Non bene..." I mutter, looking around frantically, worrying that I might be the next target.
"It appeared over there!" Kakyoin says, looking at the other side of the plane.
I quickly move over to the others, standing somewhat between Avdol and Kakyoin. I watch as the beetle lands on a man's head. 'What's it planning to do?' I wonder.
Quick as a bullet, the beetle flies from the man's head, going through three passengers and seats in front of him, bursting through each of their mouths.
I jump a little, starting to feel a little sick as I watch the beetle hover, holding the tongues it's collected like a horrific shish-kebab.
It laughs. "Bingo!" I says, "Got their tongues! And my objective..." It flies over to the cabin wall and starts to paint with the tongues, leaving a trail of blood.
I watch with horror, trying to see what it writes. The pit in my stomach grows as I read the word.
Massacre. Meaning: to kill everyone.
I clench my fists again, this time feeling the tingle of Hamon crawl almost up to my elbows.
"I-it actually did it!" Kakyoin says in shock.
"I will burn it to death!" Avdol says, stepping forward, "Magician's Red!"
A large figure with a bird head, covered from foot to waist, and then from fingers to elbows, in flames appears behind him.
"Wait!" Kakyoin says, "Wait a moment, Avdol!"
Avdol pauses, the figure disappearing, and we all look over to see an old man waking up.
The man leans forward, and rubs his mouth a little. "It's so noisy..." he mutters, rubbing his eye, "...I wonder what all the ruckus is?"
The beetle flies over to the man, but he doesn't seem to notice.
We all turned to him, alarmed.
"Look out!" Kakyoin says.
"I guess I'll go to the bathroom," the old man says, paying us no mind. He stands up and walks toward the bathrooms, placing his hand on the wall, right in the blood. He pauses. "Huh?" He says, "What's this slimy stuff?" He holds his hand close to his face, looking at the blood on his hand. He mutters, reading the word. He then cries out in panic, reading the word.
Quietly, Kakyoin approaches the man, and quickly knocks him out with a well placed hit. "We have to defeat it before the other passengers panic," he says, "but, Avdol, an active stand like your Magician's Red could make the plane explode. And Jotaro, if your power were to put a hole in the fuselage, it'd be a catastrophe. My quiet Stand, Hierophant Green, is most suited to defeating it," His attention is drawn by the beetle flying by his head. He readies himself for a fight.
Avdol gently grabs my shoulder and moves me to behind himself.
The beetle laughs. "Noriaki Kakyoin, eh?" It says, "I've heard all about you from Lord Dio. Stop. If you know that your Stand is quiet, there's no point in challenging me. You cannot catch me with your speed,"
"You think so?" Kakyoin says, his Stand appearing, "Emerald Splash!"
The green and silver figure fires a barrage of emeralds at the insect, all of which are dodged.
The insect laughs. "You seem to think you can hit me if you fire enough shots," it taunts, "but you haven't hit me at all!"
"This isn't good," Avdol says, "It's still dodging with its speed!"
I gasp as I watch the beetle's mouth needle hit Hierophant Green, injuring Kakyoin as well.
He drops to his knees, blood dripping from his mouth.
"Kakyoin!" We all call out.
I start to take a step forward, but Avdol stops me.
"Magnolia, no," he says, "you can't do anything for him,"
"But I can't just stand here!" I say, frustrated.
The bug laughs triumphantly. "My speed is on an entirely different level," it says, flying around the cabin, "you're way too slow to get a bingo. And Kakyoin...with my next attack, I'll stab your Stand's tongue with this Tower Needle, and rip it out!"
I gasp. "We can't just stand here, waiting for it to attack!" I say, pushing against Avdol a little.
"We can't do anything, Maggie," Mr. Jostar says, "Avdol and Jotaro's Stands could endanger the other passengers, mine isn't the best suited for combat, and you don't even have yours yet! I'm sorry,"
I huff, watching the fight continue. I watch Kakyoin on the ground, and bite the inside of my cheek a little. "Get up, Kakyoin...get up..." I mutter.
Kakyoin lets off another barrage of emeralds, the bug yet again dodging the projectiles.
"Don't you get it?!" The bug laughs.
"Th-this isn't good!" Avdol says, "It dodged Emerald Splash again!"
"Once this rips your tongue out, you'll go mad..." the bug says, diving toward Kakyoin, "from the pain!"
"What?" Kakyoin says, "If its tongue is ripped it'll go mad from the pain?"
The bug's mouth needle shoots toward Kakyoin.
Kakyoin stands up. "My Hierophant Green?"
Suddenly, green and silver tendrils shoot out from different angles of the plane, piercing the bug.
I gasp. "Woah!" I mutter.
The bug yells in pain and confusion.
"If it rips you apart, it'll go mad, all right..." Kakyoin says, "from joy!"
I watch in amazement, the bug being held in place by the ribbons of Kakyoin's Stand.
"Hierophant's appendages had already slipped beneath the sheet," Kakyoin says, "didn't you realize I was trapping you there with Emerald Splash?"
Then, with a small amount of strain, the ribbons pull the insect apart.
The old man on the ground cries out in pain, his tongue hanging out and revealing a mark shaped like a beetle. He cries out as his tongue splits in two, the split continuing up his head.
"So, the old man was the user?" I ask, amazed, "But he...he looked so normal. How will we know who to trust?"
"We won't," Mr Jostar says, "so don't trust anyone outside of this group and members of the Speedwagon Foundation,"
I look at him and nod a little. I look at Kakyoin, and walk up to him. "You alright?" I ask.
He nods. "Just a minor amount of bleeding," he says, "I'll be fine,"
"I can help," I say, rubbing my hands together, my hands starting to pulse and glow with golden light.
He looks a little confused as I stand on my tip-toes and place my hands on either side of his face.
I imagine the energy flowing between my hands, from one to the other, looping like a Möbius strip. I hold this for a few seconds, and then lower my hands. "There," I say, smiling, "all better. I'm not all that good at healing with Hamon, so...minor injuries are the best I can do," I look at Jotaro, "I can help you as well, if you need,"
He just sort of looks at me, not offering a reply.
I then helped Kakyoin get the old man's body to his seat.
"It doesn't appear that he has Dio's flesh bud in his forehead..." Kakyoin says.
"From the start, Tower of Gray was an evil Stand that killed tourists," Avdol says, the others gathering around us, "making it look like an accident only in return for pay. I'm sure Dio was able to use him because he was easily bought, and blinded by greed," He covers the old man with a sheet.
Then, the entire plane creaks, and starts to tilt.
"Something's wrong," Mr. Jostar says, "I could be imagining it, but it seems like the plane is flying crooked," He looks around, and sees a paper cup rolling around on the ground. "It is crooked," he says, worried, "I-it can't be!" He rushes toward the cockpit of the plane.
My heart rises into my throat. "Figlio di puttana, don't tell me we're falling!" I say, panic heard clearly in my voice. I rushed after him.
"Sir, Madam, where are you going?" A flight attendant says, trying to stop us, "the cockpit is up ahead, so passengers may not enter,"
"I know that," Mr. Jostar says, gently pushing her aside, walking toward the doors of the cockpit.
I follow him. "We're trying to help," I say to the flight attendants. I smile sweetly at one, a young brunette with honey-colored eyes, her hair down to her shoulders, and wink a little at her. 'Reminds me of Mariana...' I think.
She smiles softly, blushing a little.
Then, both her and the other flight attendant's attention are drawn to behind me.
I glance over my shoulder at Jotaro approaching, followed by Kakyoin. I step to the side, for Jotaro to move past.
He pauses in front of the flight attendants, who seem to be awestruck by him, then using one arm, pushes them both to the side and somewhat behind him. "Move, bitch," he mutters, moving into the cockpit.
"What a shock!" The brunette says.
Both of the women somewhat swoon, and fall into Kakyoin.
"Woah, there," Kakyoin says, "pardon. It is inexcusable of him to treat women in such a cruel manner, but this is an emergency. Please forgive him," His tone of voice is so soft and sweet, it actually makes me blush a little as well.
I clear my throat softly, cross my arms, and tap my foot, looking away from him. I feel myself blush more, in embarrassment.
"This is awful!" I hear Mr. Jostar shout from the cockpit.
I turn to look, and see the crew of the plane, dead, two of them lying on the floor. I gasp a little. "Figlio di puttana..." I mutter, "...The Stand?"
"Seems like it," Jotaro says, "their tongues have been ripped out,"
Both Kakyoin and Avdol enter the cockpit, and gasp.
"Magnolia, stay out here," Avdol says, "Stay with the flight attendants.
I nod a little, avoiding looking out the front window of the plane. I go to the two ladies. "Everything will be fine," I say to them, smiling softly. 'I hope I'm right about that...' I think to myself.
"The plane is going to crash!" Mr. Jostar yells.
I look at the door. "Not helping the attendants stay calm..." I mutter. I then hear someone approaching the cockpit. I turn to see the old man, draped in the cloth. "He's not dead!" I gasp.
"I am the Stand that holds the Tower card!" He declares, "It suggests accidents and the end of a journey! You will not reach Lord Dio! Even if you survive this crash, you are 10,000 kilometers from Egypt! Those who swore loyalty to Lord Dio will pursue you every hour of every day! There are Stands in this world that you can't even imagine. Lord Dio is the master of Stands! Lord Dio has the power to reign over all of them. There's no way you'll reach him! You bastards will never reach Egypt!"
I sigh, rolling my head, cracking my neck, and cracking my knuckles. I reach behind my head and turn my baseball cap the right way around. "Ehi! Vecchio uomo!" I call out, "Try telling someone who cares!" I sweep my leg under his feet, making him fall on his face.
Blood splatters, from his previous injuries, and the man lays still.
The flight attendants gasp.
"You're definitely professionals," Jotaro says, probably to the flight attendants, "it's a good thing you didn't scream. That would've been annoying. Now, I've got a request. This old man is now going to emergency land this plane on the water. Go put life jackets and seat belts on all of the other passengers,"
"G-got it!" One of the flight attendants says, and they both rush away.
Mr. Jostar had looked up at Jotaro, surprised and unsure.
"Old man," Jotaro says to Mr. Jostar.
"Well..." Mr. Jostar says, "I have experience with propeller planes, but..."
"Propellers?" Kakyoin asks.
I move forward a little, standing next to Kakyoin in the doorway of the cockpit.
"But, Jotaro...this is my third time," Mr. Jostar says, "have you ever heard of someone being in a crashing plane three times?"
My heart sinks as we all sigh.
"I'm never..." Jotaro mutters, "...I'm never riding in a plane with you again,"
I chuckle a little, though it's mainly because I'm nervous.
YOU ARE READING
A Family Legacy
FanfictionAfter losing her parents in a freak attack, Magnolia sets off from Rome to look for the only man she knows of who can help her not only avenge her lost family, but can help her learn how to protect other families like hers.
