ONE MOMENT IS ALL IT TAKES TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE. One decision can be the difference between happiness and regret. Regardless of the future I'd chosen, I was happy as long as Dio was there beside me. Or so I had told myself.
I had not seen Dio since that stormy night when everything I knew about the world changed. He promised he would find me as soon as he could, but three days of waiting had made me disheartened. Perhaps I was being impatient, but I couldn't help wondering why he hadn't he shown up yet. Wasn't three days enough time? Had something happened to him?
I finally worked up the courage to return to the mansion in hopes of getting some answers from Jonathan. But when I returned to the mansion, there was nothing to return to. The grand mansion that stood 3 stories tall was nothing more than a mess of rubble now. Those hallways I knew from childhood were long gone, marked only by sparse walls of stone that had yet to crumble completely. Pieces of charred wood and ash crunched under my feet as I stepped inside what used to be a grand estate. Gone was the library where Dio and I had spent so much time reading. Gone was the place that bound Dio, Jonathan, and I together.
As I walked the crumbled remains of hallways, I wondered if I'd made the correct choice. I stared at the wreckage with a frown. For three days, I had nursed my father back to full health while I waited for Dio to come for me. For three days, I stayed at home and waited for Dio. I had neglected to check on Jonathan. In my excitement, I had forgotten that Dio was not the only thing that mattered to me in this life.
I stopped in front of a crumbled statue of the Joestar's guardian, the Goddess of Love. It was broken just like the house it protected. I wondered if my relationship with Jonathan would be in a similar state now. If the mansion was in this state, I could only imagine the damage that Dio had done to Jonathan. Whatever Dio did, it was my fault. I could have stopped him if I'd told Jonathan to be careful that day.
I felt like I was looking the symbolization of my dreams burning away. There would not be a wedding on a bright spring day, attended by all my friends and family. There would not be a normal life in the countryside. There was no way I could live a normal life now; not with Dio. But when was I ever "normal"?
"Freya?"
I turned, hope filling my heart. For a moment, I thought I saw Dio standing in the ruins, his left arm in a sling as it had been 3 nights ago. But when I blinked, the illusion disappeared. It was Jonathan who stood surrounded by the remains of his home. It was Jonathan whose arm was in a sling as he neared me. I felt horrible for wishing Dio was the one standing there instead. Suddenly I was overcome with guilt.
"J-Jonathan! You're injured!" I couldn't help but exclaim the obvious fact aloud from shock.
Jonathan nodded. "It's good to see you," he smiled with a soft melancholy. "I was worried because I hadn't seen you since that night."
My heart dropped in my chest as quickly as a stone fell to the bottom of a lake. "Yes. I'm sorry," I said. "I was too worried about myself to even check on you. I didn't know the mansion had burned down like this. And I didn't know that you were injured . . ."
Jonathan shook his head. "It is not your fault," he said. "I figured that you were grieving after seeing Dio . . . killed. To tell the truth, everything happened in a blur. After you left, we started to arrest Dio. He was only pretending to give up. When I approached him, he pulled out a dagger and tried to stab me. My father," Jonathan frowned. "He protected me. And then . . . he died."
"I'm so sorry," I said quietly. I didn't know what else to say. My words felt like a hollow interjection to Jonathan's story. He simply nodded in acceptance, clearly unsure of how to respond to the fact that his father was dead. "What happened after that? How did the mansion burn down?" I prompted,
For a moment, Jonathan struggled to find the words. Finally, he began to tell me. "I do not wish to lie to you, but I don't expect you to believe what I say. The truth is stranger than any lie," he said. "Dio died, but he is still alive. He is a vampire. I know it sounds strange, but that stone mask did something to him. He killed all the police officers and I had to fight him before he killed me too. The mansion burned down in the process. Police couldn't find his body."
I was glad to hear that Dio might be alive, but at the same time, I felt so guilty. I had chased my heart and allowed the lives of others to crumble and burn behind me. I wanted to let the apologies stream from my lips, but the words caught in my throat. Even if I was sorry, what could I say? How could you apologize to someone for this?
In my struggle to find something to say, Jonathan continued easily. "I am glad you were able to leave the mansion before Dio awoke as a vampire," he said. "You might have been injured."
I didn't know what to say. If the course of my life hinged on my selfish decision to stay with Dio, I didn't mind. But I'd hurt my best friend in the process. Even being with Dio couldn't heal that wound. ". . . I'm sorry," I said, but those words didn't seem like enough.
"It is not your fault," Jonathan said. "I know you had nothing to do with Dio's actions."
But I did. I didn't know what would happen, but I could have stopped all those things if I'd just warned Jonathan to be wary of Dio's plans. When Dio and I were standing in the rain, he told me that there were still things he needed to do. I would have to wait for him. But that was all I remembered. I'd walked home in a daze and found myself wondering what Dio was going to do. By the time I'd begun to question Dio's actions, it was too late.
I wanted to explain myself. "Jonathan," I began, but another voice called out from a distance and made me pause. I turned to face the speaker; a woman in a blue dress. Her blonde hair fell in long, gentle waves down her back. Her eyes were a bright blue, gentle and calming. When our eyes met, it felt like I was looking into a clear sky on a spring day. And suddenly I recognized her. "Erina!" I gasped.
"Freya!" She exclaimed, her smile brightening her face. We embraced each other. "It's wonderful to see you again."
"This is a surprise," I smiled. "I didn't think I'd see you again."
Erina laughed. "Well, I worked up the courage to return and speak with Jonathan. I'm glad that I came back." She frowned suddenly. "That night I returned, Jonathan was injured and the mansion was burning. I was glad that I could be there for JoJo, but the situation was . . ." She trailed off; there was no need to continue.
"We should talk about happier things now that we are all reunited," Jonathan interjected.
"Yes, you're right," Erina sighed. "Freya, would you join us for a walk? Jonathan has been bedridden for a while, but he wanted to visit his house as soon as he was able. I think some fresh air would do us all some good."
We all walked together down the path, enjoying the soft breeze in silence. Jonathan's steps suddenly slowed as he cast a look over his shoulder. Erina frowned at him. "JoJo, is something wrong?"
He shook his head. "It's nothing," he said. But suddenly his gaze was captured by something ahead of us. He gasped.
I followed his eyes, resting my gaze upon a man perched on the short stone wall lining the side of the road. Although he seemed to be calmly enjoying a sandwich under the clear skies, I swore he was not sitting there seconds before. The man's appearance was quite distinctive. His eyebrows arched high over half-lidded green eyes. His broad shoulders and muscled form were covered by a fashionable white suit-jacket accented with midnight blue lapels. The suit was unbuttoned, revealing a red vest and green bow tie underneath. He wore a top hat that covered his dark hair. The crown of his hat was checkered with a black and white diamonds, the colors clashing only slightly with the blue accents of his suit.
"Ah, signore Joestar," the stranger said, as if recalling the name of an old friend. "And the lasses at your side are signorina Pendleton and signorina Burrell."
"W-who are you!?" Jonathan demanded.
The stranger didn't answer. Instead, he jumped from his perch, flying at an inhuman height to land in front of us. Before anyone else could react, he struck Jonathan in the chest knocking all the air from his lungs. When Jonathan fell weakly to the ground, I saw that the stranger's fingers were all curled into a fist with the exception of his pinkie, which had struck Jonathan hard enough to make him gasp for air.
"JoJo!" Erina gasped, falling to the ground beside Jonathan and placing her hand on his back. "Why you―! He was already injured!"
The stranger didn't seem to care at all, having returned to his food. "It's true that I knocked the air out of him," the man said, calmly peppering his sandwich, "But he'll thank me for it."
Suddenly Jonathan gasped. "My arm!" He exclaimed. "It feels like the bones are mending!" His face wrinkled into a grimace of pain before relaxing. He cautiously moved his arm and then exclaimed in shock, "The pain is gone!"
My eyes found the stranger's instantly. "You are no ordinary person," I said.
"How observant of you," the stranger chuckled.
"Who are you?!" Jonathan added, questioning the man with a loud voice. "Why are you here? And what's happening to me?"
"One question at a time, please," the man said. "I'm Baron Zeppeli, at your service. You healed yourself. How you breathed after I jabbed your diaphragm was the key."
Jonathan frowned. "But why did you go through the trouble of doing such a thing? And how did you know who I am?"
"You'll get the answers you desire soon, just follow me."
Although I would normally protest to the idea of following a stranger to an unknown location (especially after they had punched my friend), Jonathan, Erina, and I followed Zeppeli down the path. We walked to the river, stopping by a section of the stone wall that crumbled into the river.
Zeppeli stood on the remains of the wall, one misplaced step away from getting wet socks. His eyes narrowed as he turned to face us. "Today, I will show you things that will change your destiny." He proclaimed. "Jonathan Joestar, when I struck you, the shock altered your breathing, changing the flow of the energy within your body. Allow me to demonstrate."
He stepped into the water, walking a few paces away from the riverbank. Then, he stopped and took a long, deep breath. As he inhaled, the water around his feet began to change, rippling outwards in unnaturally oblong shapes. Soon enough, there were three leaves of ripples forming from each leg, extending like the petals of a blooming flower. Energy crackled around Zeppeli's form and danced around him like electricity. I gasped at the strange and beautiful display.
Jonathan and Erina also gasped beside me. "I've never seen water do that!" Jonathan exclaimed.
"What you see is the power that eased your pain and healed your broken bones." Zeppeli explained. He pulled back his fist and I quickly realized he was going to throw a punch. But at what target? Scanning the nearby area, I quickly noticed a frog sitting on a nearby rock. He wasn't going to punch it, was he?
Erina had also realized the Baron's target. "Don't do it!" She gasped, but it was too late.
Zeppeli's energy-cloaked fist plummeted down upon the frog's back. The frog showed little reaction and in less than a second, the rock it was perched on cracked in half perfectly. The amphibian dropped into the water and swam away quickly, seeming completely unharmed in comparison. This was easily one of the strangest things I'd ever seen, only surpassed by seeing a stone mask turn someone into a vampire.
"Incredible!" Jonathan gasped.
"That was sendo," Zeppeli explained. "Ripple energy created by hamon. I sent my hamon coursing harmlessly through the frog in order to strike my real target: the rock beneath it." He stepped out of the water, giving Jonathan a serious look. "I know for a fact that the stone mask was not destroyed. Dio Brando keeps it close to him even now."
Jonathan and I gasped. "Dio is still alive?" My heart jumped in my chest.
"Indeed," Zeppeli answered.
I was glad to hear that; I had been worried. At least I knew now that Dio was alive. But my relief was short-lived as Zeppeli continued.
"Dio holds the mask I've sought for decades. That mask must be destroyed. And its master must be reduced to ash. Jonathan, it is your destiny to fight for this righteous cause. You will learn to weild sendo or you will die."
Jonathan brow furrowed. "My destiny . . ." He echoed, looking down.
If Jonathan's destiny was to destroy Dio and the mask, then was it Dio's destiny to die by Jonathan's power? That was a cruel fate for both of them, but I knew Dio was not innocent. He had turned his back on the Joestars, humanity, and . . . me. I felt torn between what I wanted and what was "right."
Jonathan was also lost in thought, his eyes swimming with worry as he stared blankly ahead. HIs hand reached up to clutch the limb of a nearby tree for support. After a few seconds, the tree branch changed before my eyes. Buds emerged from the bark of the tree, swelling to full size and blooming into pink blossoms within seconds.
Erina and I gasped. Jonathan's power was obvious. With such natural abilities, it was no wonder why Zeppeli insisted it was Jonathan's destiny to wield hamon. Zeppeli was gracious enough to give Jonathan some time to think about his destiny. In the meantime, Zeppeli and I took a short walk by the river to talk.
"There's a reason I wanted to talk with you alone," Zeppeli said. "You knew Dio Brando more personally than anyone else. If there's anyone who can find him, it will be you."
I frowned. So that was all he needed from me? "How would I be able to find Dio? I don't have the slightest clue where he might be or what he's doing now if he's alive as you claim." I frowned, unable to stop the bitterness from leaking into my voice. I was telling the truth, but even if I knew where Dio was, I probably wouldn't have told Zeppeli anyways.
Zeppeli hummed. "I suppose I'll have to search a little more for his whereabouts."
"I suppose so," I said. There was a short silence before I spoke again. "Was that the only thing you wanted to ask me?"
Zeppeli shook his head. "There was another reason I wanted to speak with you," he said. "Hamon is a natural energy in all living things. It courses like water through a river, but can only be harnessed by certain people. Earlier, I used a special technique on Jonathan to test his potential to use hamon. I wish to conduct the same test on you, but I would not strike a woman so carelessly."
So he was asking permission? How kind of him, I thought sarcastically. Though I did appreciate the fact that he hadn't decided to hit me out of nowhere like he had with Jonathan. I sighed. "If you believe that I have the potential, then you can perform the test."
"Alright," he said. "Please relax as much as possible." He curled his hand into a fist, leaving his pinkie extended, and then struck me in the diaphragm.
Somehow, I'd underestimated the force of his power. Even after seeing Jonathan fall to the ground gasping for air, I didn't realize exactly how powerful the move was until it hit me in both the literal and metaphorical sense.
For a moment, the shock of the blow ran through me as a wave of pain. Then the pain ended, leaving the air emptied from my lungs. My eyes watered instantly and I fell to the ground weakly, taking gasping breaths that didn't seem like enough to fill my lungs again.
By the time I'd managed to catch my breath, Zeppeli was staring at me in awe. "Incredible," he breathed.
I blinked to clear the blurriness from my watery eyes. The scenery around me became clearer and my eyes widened when I realized that the dirt path trodden through the grass had not only sprouted grass, but bloomed flowers in the area around me. I looked around, seeing the tree nearby blossoming and the grass beside the path looking much healthier than before.
"Did I do this?" I asked.
"Yes," Zeppeli said. "Your hamon is unrefined, but potent. The Joestar boy has more control, but your hamon leaks out of you in powerful waves. It flows differently from anyone I've ever seen. You certainly have the ability to become a powerful hamon user with training."
I blinked in surprise. "Really?"
"Yes. All you need is to learn the proper techniques to control your power." Zeppeli said. "I hate to put you in danger, but I ask you to consider training with Jonathan to become a hamon master. With someone as talented as you on our side, we will surely be able to best Dio. That hamon of yours could easily destroy him with one touch. If you master the ability to send your hamon as a wave, all we'd have to do is get close enough to him."
I frowned. I could kill Dio without touching him? I didn't want to . . .
"I understand your hesitation," Zeppeli said. "But vampire Dio is not the Dio you knew. He is evil. He's killed people and he's hurt Jonathan. If we don't destroy him and that stone mask, there's no telling how many lives he will take. There's no telling what could happen in the future."
But Dio was always "evil," wasn't he? Being a vampire hadn't changed who he was inside. It had simply enabled him to step out of the shadows and let go of the false self he'd created to fit in with society. I ignored Zeppeli's words. He didn't know Dio as well as I did. He didn't know the person I'd fallen in love with.
"I'll have to think about it," I said. "It was nice meeting you, Baron Zeppeli, but I should be going home now."
"Tomorrow, I will be waiting at the same spot we met today," Zeppeli said. "I hope to see you there."
He wouldn't; there was no way I could hurt Dio. Regardless of his vampiric nature or his misdeeds, he was still the same Dio to me. He was still the person I'd fallen in love with and he was still my fiance. My doubts about Dio that had surfaced over the past three days were gone now. I only hoped that he would come and take me away soon. Otherwise, there might be no one to tell him about Zeppeli or the dangers of hamon. Now that I knew I had such powerful hamon, I would have to be careful too.
Maybe I should learn to control it. Not to fight vampires, but to make sure I don't hurt Dio. I weighed the pros and cons. I would be betraying Zeppeli and Jonathan, but I would be able to prevent myself from hurting Dio. I might even be able to protect him with this power. It wouldn't be a bad thing to master hamon; it might serve me well in the future.
Perhaps my power would be on par with Dio's. We were two sides of a coin, together, but complete opposites. I was the light, he was the shadow. We could destroy each other, but we understood each other better than anyone else understood us. I would be glad just to see him again.
I felt my eyelids falling closed as I imagined all the things hamon mastery might mean for me. In a hazy dream, I felt myself being lifted from my slumped position on the sofa. I didn't open my eyes. For the past 2 nights, father had carried me to my bed after I fell asleep on the couch. It was probably him this time too, but I imagined it was Dio carrying me away to wherever he was. I hoped that when I opened my eyes, I would be able to see him again.
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