A Family Legacy

Chapter 6

I stretch a little as we stand in a plaza, looking at the fountains shaped like lions.
"Have your clothes dried out, Magnolia?" Avdol asks me.
I nod a little, about to answer him, when we hear a police whistle from behind us.
We all turn to the noise, and see a police officer approaching us at a run.
"Hey, you!" He calls out, "You! I'm talking to you!" He points an accusatory finger at Polnareff.
"Huh?" Polnareff says, pointing to himself.
I furrow my eyebrows, and look at Polnareff. "What did you do this time, Franchese?" I ask, crossing my arms.
"What?!" He asks, looking at me, "I didn't do anything!"
"You!" The police officer continues, "You threw this trash, didn't you? That's a fine of five hundred Singapore dollars!"
"What?" Polnareff says, "Five hundred?"
"In Singapore, the law says you will be fined for littering!" The man says, pointing out a nearby sign.
"Five hundred Singapore dollars..." Kakyoin mutters.
I tilt my head. "Conversion, per favore..." I mutter, leaning toward Avdol and Mr. Jostar a little.
"That's about 40,000 yen," Mr. Jostar says.
"Or, roughly €284," Avdol says.
I snort a little. "For trash?" I mutter, crossing my arms.
"Got it?" The man yells at Polnareff, pointing at him.
"Trash?" Polnareff asks, "What are you talking about?"
The man points down at Polnareff's bag.
I hear Avdol quietly stifle laughter, making me snort a little as well. I cover my mouth and nose to keep me from laughing.
"I don't see anything here beside my own luggage," Polnareff says, sounding annoyed, but in his own facetious way, "Would you be so kind as to tell me what trash you're referring to?" He pokes the astonished man in the chest a little. He firmly grabs the man's shoulder. "Where's the trash, sir?" He asks.
I chuckle a little. "Go easy on him, Franchese," I say, walking forward a little, "he was just doing his job,"
"That's your luggage?" The man asks, his voice a little strained and nervous.
"That's right," Polnareff says
"I-I'm terribly sorry," the man says, making us all, except Jotaro, laugh a little.
Anne starts laughing a little as well, though a little louder, and everyone looks at her. This stops her almost immediately, and she looks away.
"Well, I'll be going then..." the man says, nervously, "...just a heads up, tell that little girl to get some shoes on before someone else tries to fine her for indecent exposure," He then quickly walks away after briefly gesturing to me.
"Huh?" I mutter, tilting my head, looking at Anne, "but...she's wearing shoes,"
Anne looked at me and stifles laughter. "Maggie...I think he meant you," she says, pointing down at my feet.
I stiffen up, and look down at my still bare feet. I hadn't had time, or the want, to put my boots back on after the disastrous boat ride. "Wha-...LITTLE GIRL?!" I drop my knapsack and start toward the retreating police man, about to summon Ceaser and beat his ass, when Polnareff grabs me and hoists me over his shoulder.
"Now, now, Italiene," he says, patronizingly, "he was just doing his job,"
Everyone laughs as I kick a little, trying to get out of Polnareff's grip.
"Put me down, Franchese!" I say, wriggling, my cheeks burning in embarrassment, "I don't like this!" Which was a small bit of a lie.
Polnareff laughs a little, but doesn't put me down. He looks at Anne. "What's with the kid?" He asks, "She's still following us,"
"Hey, weren't you going to go see your father?" Mr. Jostar asks.
"Why don't you stop following us and get going?" Polnareff says.
Anne huffs. "I'm meeting up with him in five days," she says, "I can go wherever I want! And besides, I'm not following you Bozos. I'm following Ms. Maggie," She had acted tough as she was saying it, but after speaking, she looked at Jotaro.
"She'll be in danger if she stays with us," Avdol says.
"Maybe she doesn't have any money," Kakyoin says.
"All right..." Mr. Jostar says, "Maggie, can we trust you to keep her out of danger?"
"Absolutely, Mr. Jostar!" I say, sort of twisting myself to kind of look over my shoulder at him.
"Polnareff, put Magnolia down," Avdol says.
Polnareff sighs softly, and sets me gently on the ground. "If you say so..." he mutters.
I brush myself off, and jokingly stick my tongue out at Polnareff.
He chuckles a little, and returns the silly face.
"Her name is Anne, by the way," I say, "not just 'the girl',"
Mr. Jostar nods a little. "I guess we can pay for her hotel room," he says, looking at her, "Maggie, you'll share a room with her, okay?"
I nod a little. "I'll go get her," I say, grabbing my bag, and walking toward her.
She looks up at me. "What's up, Ms. Maggie?" She asks.
I chuckle a little. "Just...Maggie, per favore," I say, "Want to come with us? We'll pay for your hotel room, and you and I get to bunk together!" I smile kindly at her.
She sighs softly, and looks away. "Sure, I guess," she mutters, though I do see her smile softly.
"Great!" I cheer, then joke "It'd be like a slumber party!"
She chuckles a little.
"Then, let's check in," Mr. Jostar says.
---
We're all now standing in a busy hotel foyer, waiting at Mr. Jostar purchases our hotel rooms.
"I'm terribly sorry, but we are rather full at this time of year," the receptionist says, "The rooms won't be next to each other. Is that all right?"
"Well, I guess we don't have a choice," Mr. Jostar says, signing a ledger, and handing the woman her pen back, "Then for the rooms..." he looks up thinking, "...Avdol and I will share a room..."
"Jotaro and I will share a room since we're both students," Kakyoin says.
"Then, the last room would be Polnareff, Maggie and Anne," Mr. Jostar says.
"You're joking!" Anne says, "Like I'd room with him! Maggie, sure, but him?!"
"What?" Polnareff says, offended, and Anne pulls a face at him.
I laugh a little. "Come on, Anne!" I say, "it won't be so bad," I then lean a little closer to her, "and, besides, we'll be safer if we stick together,"
She pauses, then sighs. "Fine," she mutters, I'll trust him 'cause you do..."
"I think, since they're both ladies...maybe..." Mr. Jostar mutters, then looks at the receptionist, "Could you make it four rooms?"
"Yes," the receptionist says, placing four keys on the counter.
I step forward and grab one. "Looks like we're bunking together anyway, Anne!" I say.
Polnareff grabs another of the keys. "Hmph!" He mutters, "I can relax more in my own room anyway!" He turns and starts to walk away from us, "Nothing would suit me better!"
We all turn and watch him, and then he stops walking and looks over his shoulder at us, "Let's go," he says, "We've been through hell since we left Hong Kong. Let's hurry up and take a shower where it's safe,"
We all laugh a little, following him to our respective rooms.
When Anne and I get to our room, I let her take the bed closest to the window.
"Woah, look at the view, Ms. Maggie!" She says, walking up to the window.
"I'm good," I say, grabbing a change of clothes, "You enjoy. I'm going to take a shower," I take a deep breath, rolling my shoulders a little as I feel a chill up my spine. 'Another User?' I think, 'so soon? But...not here...'"Hey, Anne, are you good with staying here? I'm going to go check on something..."
"Oh...mind if I go to Mr. Jostar then?" She asks, "Safety in numbers and all..."
I nod. "Exactly why I want to check on Franchese..." I mutter, "yeah, go to Avdol and Signore Jostar. I'm going to check in on Polnareff..."
She nods, and we both head toward the door.
I tuck my key in my pocket, locking our door behind us.
"Okay, see you later, Ms. Maggie!" Anne says, going in the opposite direction.
I nod, and head toward Polnareff's room. When I get to the door, there's a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door. I sigh and knock. "Franchese?" I call out, "It's me, Maggie. I just...wanna talk,"
There's no answer.
I sigh again, and press my ear to the door.
There's a lot of strange noises happening behind the door, making me furrow my eyebrows.
A sort of high-pitched, chattering voice, sounds of things being thrown around, and Polnareff yelling. The smell of beer, juice, and other things leaks through the door.
The chill goes up my spine again.
I gasp a little. "Non bene..." I mutter, and summon Caesar.
He grabs the doorknob and wrenches the door open.
I dash in, and pause when I see what's happening.
What seems to be a doll is holding a flaming hair dryer from a wire on the ceiling, while holding onto the chain that would usually hold up a light. The bed is almost flat on the floor, and nearly everything is drenched in alcohol, beer, juice, all sorts of stuff.
But I don't see Polnareff, making my heart shoot into my throat.
"Hey!" I shout at the doll, and Ceaser dashes at it, catching it by surprise.
"Huh?!" It yelps as Caesar grabs it by the throat.
Unfortunately it also makes the doll drop the hairdryer, but just as it does, Silver Chariot rises from the bed, stabbing both the hairdryer and the doll, missing Ceaser.
"You're not the only one who was scattering things around," Polnareff declares from what I assume to be under the bed.
"H-how did you know where I was on top of the bed..." the doll mutters, "So precisely?!"
"I broke a mirror!" Polnareff responds, "So I can see the top of the bed really well from this angle. Maggie barging in and distracting you was pure luck!"
Chariot swishes his sword, sending the doll flying and bouncing around the wrecked room.
Polnareff stands and points at the doll. "At last, we meet," he says.
The doll screams in fear, and leaps off of the ledge it was sitting on.
"Wait a minute," Polnareff says as Chariot lops off the doll's legs, making it fall in front of me.
I stare at the doll on the floor in front of me, and gently roll it over with my foot, and pin it to the ground by its chest with my foot.
"Hey, Soul Sacrifice," Polnareff says, "I have a question for you. I'm looking for a man with two right arms. How about you tell me who that guy's Stand is?"
"You idiot!" The doll yells, "No assassin reveals their Stand's identity! The only time they reveal it is when they or their opponent is dying! With stupid Stand users like you guys who keep showing off your Stands, we already know all of your weak points! If it weren't for that mirror, I would have killed you by now!" It thrashes under my foot, trying to bite me with its unnaturally sharp teeth.
"Ehi!" I say, pressing harder with my foot, "I'll take some of the credit for incapacitating you, too!"
"That's right," Polnareff says, "Maggie helped take you down! But we'll give you one more fighting try,"
I nod, taking a step back, letting the doll go, but it seems to freeze.
"What's wrong," Polnareff says, "didn't you say you were going to bite off my balls or something? Just try it you, vulgar little shit!"
I crinkle my nose a little, and watch as the doll continues to crawl toward Polnareff.
"I'm gonna..." Polnareff says, as the doll leaps at him, "...slice up everything except your balls!"
I chuckle a little, as I watch the doll basically turn to dust. I look at Polnareff, who is bleeding from multiple wounds across his body. "You alright, Franchese?" I ask.
He just sort of stares at me. "Why..." he mutters, "I didn't even call you...I called Mr. Jostar about the User...did someone...?"
I shake my head. "Got a weird feeling. Thought I should check on you," I say, shrugging, crossing my arms, "Your welcome, by the way,"
He chuckles softly. "Let's...get to the others," he says, "...they're supposed to be in Mr. Jostar's room..."
I nod. "That's where Anne was going, too," I say, "let's go. And, later, I can tend to your wounds,"
"You don't have to-" he starts, but I raise a hand.
"Shut it, or I will Hamon slap you healed right now," I say, focusing Hamon on my raised hand.
He looks a little surprised. "Yes, ma'am..." he mutters.
---
When we get to Mr. Jostar's room, just like Polnareff said, everyone is waiting for us.
"Polnareff, you're finally here," Mr. Jostar says, "You're not very punctual,"
Everyone seems a little annoyed.
"Hey," I say, "Not his fault the User had a freaky doll thing he used to attack him! Luckily, I got there just in time..." I grin, wide.
"Wait, you mean..." Avdol says.
"Yeah!" I say, "He had to fight off the user, on his own! I mean, I helped, a little, but this is why we need to stay together! No more single rooms!"
The others just stare for a moment, then chuckle a little.
---
We had to switch hotels after that, especially because Polnareff was arrested for the dead Bellhop and Stand user at the Hotel.
We had decided that Anne, being the only non-Stand user, could have a room of her own, which meant that Polnareff and I are going to be sharing a room now.
I stand in front of the wide window of the hotel room, just taking in the view. "Mio Dio..." I mutter, setting my bag on the ground next to the window.
The sun is setting over the city, letting the lights of the buildings and other shops show their colors. It almost makes me feel like I'm in space or something.
I take a deep shaking breath, looking up at the stars. I start to feel tears well up in my eyes. "I'm going to make you guys proud..." I mutter softly. I take another deep breath, but the tears continue to well up. I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand, but find the deep breaths becoming more shaky. I think of my mom, her wide smile as I talked excitedly about my plans for visiting Florence.
"Make sure to bring lots of water," she had said, "and don't talk to strangers!"
"And eats lots of gelato!" My father had chimed in.
I realize now that it was the last time I saw their faces before this trip I'm on. I wipe my eyes on my arm, pausing with my face in my elbow, and feel a sob rising from deep in my chest. I feel it bubble through my throat, and I drop to my knees, face burried in my hands. "Non è giusto..." I mutter through my sobs, "...Non è giusto...Non è giusto!" It's not fair! I place my hands on the ground, leaning forward, gripping the carpet, sobbing like a child. I then feel someone sitting next to me, making me jump a little.
Polnareff is sitting on the ground next to me, looking up at the window, out at the stars. "Don't mind me..." he mutters softly, "...I just...didn't think you should be alone..."
I take a deep breath, nodding a little. I take another deep breath, but it shakes, and brings forth more, quieter, sobs. I wipe my eyes, but then hug myself, my stomach starting to hurt from so much sobbing.
Polnareff raises a hand, reaching for my shoulder, but he pauses, thinking better of it. He lowers his hand.
I rock back on my feet a little, sitting on ground next to Polnareff. I take shaking breaths, staring at the floor in front of me.
There's a brief silence between us, but it's a comfortable kind of silence.
"Who'd you lose?" He asks, quietly, a tone of sympathy in his voice.
I take a shaking breath. I take my locket out from under my shirt, holding the pendant in my hands. "My parents..." I mutter, softly, "...in a fire...set by an agent of Dio..."
He sighs. "I'm sorry..." he mutters softly.
I nod a little. "This is the first time I've properly been able to...process it, I suppose..." I mutter, "...it happened just before I left for Japan..." I open the locket and look into it.
On one side is my family: Me, my brothers, my mom and dad, and my grandparents. On the other is a photo I had found of Ceaser.
Polnareff looks over my shoulder, and tilts his head a little. "Wait...that's your stand!" He says, pointing toward the picture of Ceaser, "was...was Ceaser a real person?"
I nod. "My Great Uncle," I say, "And a hero of mine. This locket...this is a Zeppili family heirloom. One of my Great Aunts had it, and passed it to me when she died. I grew up on stories of him and Mr. Jostar saving the world, and no one else even knows of Ceaser's sacrifice..." I take a deep breath, and look up at the stars, "That's all we are, in the end..." I mutter, "Stories we tell our children, with hopes that they tell their children..."
He looks at me, a look of concern on his face. He chuckles. "Don't get all philosophical with me, Italienne," he says, jokingly, lightly punching my shoulder, "you're making me depressed!"
I chuckle a little, swatting his arm a little. "Sorry," I mutter, "I just..."
"No need to apologize," he says, "I get it. When I lost my little sister, it took a bit for it to actually sink in. I suppose you've just been busy with...finding Mr. Jostar, not dying, kicking my ass,"
I chuckle a little. "Thanks, Franchese," I mutter, leaning my head on his shoulder, "I...I really needed this..."
"No problem, Maggie," he mutters, "we all need to let it out sometime..."
I nod.
There's a long pause, another comfortable silence.
"I...may I ask?" Polnareff asks, "Who...who lit the fire? If you know, at least..."
I take a deep breath. "A cowboy looking figlio di puttana named Hol Horse..." I mutter, gritting my teeth.
Polnareff sighs softly, balling his fists till his knuckles turn white. "If we ever meet him, I'll cut him into ribbons..." he growls.
I look at him, a determined look on his face.
He looks at me out of the corner of his eye.
I smile softly. "I appreciate the thought, Franchese," I say, "but...revenge really isn't my style,"
"Not even revenge on your behalf?" He asks, looking at me, "You won't be the one doing it,"
I shake my head a little. "Violence for violence sake, or to make ourselves feel better, it's like any other drug you can find," I say, "you'll start wanting more, and more, and then, before you know it, you're no better than Dio and any of his lackeys,"
He furrows his eyebrows, and sighs softly. "I can't...I can't let her death be in vain..." he mutters softly, looking up at the window, "...I...I'll never forget, and I'll never forgive...he needs to pay for his crimes,"
I nod. "I understand that," I say, "so just...change your thoughts. Don't put your revenge first. Put the welfare of the world, those who are still alive, put them first,"
He nods a little, though it doesn't seem like he's listening.
I sigh, and stand up. "Well...I'm going to bed, Franchese," I say, "we've got more traveling tomorrow,"
He nods a little. "I'll be up for a bit longer," he says, "Goodnight, Maggie,"
I nod, grabbing my bag and walking toward the bathroom to get ready for sleep.