Wow, Johnny really did have a rough past eh? I changed it up, since Jaune isn't the sort of character that would let that go to his head, but I still needed to keep the family issues in place, and a reason for him to be shot. Yang is a bit different this chapter, less cocky and more serious the whole way through, but that'll change as she and Jaune get to know each other. After all, he just ran up to her and started messing with her stuff, AFTER she had just been forced to indirectly kill someone. I covered two chapters this time, as I just felt like doing only ch2 would have left this one too short. I also changed up Pocoloco's side of things as well, to a bit more how i'd see Neptune doing it. Neptune wasn't a slave, so I just had him as a farmer with his family, would explain why he wasn't fired haha.
The blue haired, deeply tanned boy lazed around on the grass. The wind tickled his nose as he inhaled the scent of freshly cut grass. He gazed up towards the skies, with little care for the things around him. Eight… Nine… Ten… The boy, Neptune, counted the clouds one by one as they passed over his head. There was work to be done, he had to tend the farm with his uncle, but what good would that do?
That wasn't the life Neptune wanted. No, he knew what he wanted and he was going to grab it. Neptune wanted adventure, and the Steel Ball Run race was just that. A chance to get away. No matter how poor he was, he would get that $1,200 somehow.
Tenchusatsu. The lowest point in your life is called Tenchusatsu. Neptune had never lived an easy life, but after drinking and gambling away what little money his family gave him in town, he was treated to an awakening call by his grandmother. The word echoed in his mind again, Tenchusatsu, that's what she had taught him about.
Neptune's grandmother may be many things, eccentric, superstitious, suspicious, whatever label you wanted to slap onto her, she could find someway to fit it. Yet, she had never guided him wrong before, not once in his entire life. After your Tenchusatsu, you reach a period of great joy and luck, take it to the fullest.
When Neptune saw the advertisement for the Steel Ball Race, he knew this is where he was destined to go. "Old man, if I work doubly hard this month, will you let me get $1200? I have something I need to do. I won't be back for a while after, but you'll see me again." Neptune's uncle looked at him in utter confusion, but he didn't expect his easily influenced nephew to actually go through with it, so he shrugged and accepted.
Back at the registration tent, two officials of the Steel Ball Run race came and dragged away the man who had made a critical error in choosing to rob the one person who wouldn't concede victory no matter what. "T-That man really did steal your money! I'll call the police right now!"
Great, useless encounters with the law to deal with, it wasn't enough that I was almost robbed or anything. Yang continued complaining, before replying, "I can deal with that all later, no biggie, now, can I get my receipt?"
Yang Zeppeli exited the registration tent. Looking around at the city of tents that had erupted overnight, she gave another grin. Looking at all the racers, it sped her heart with anticipation and she had no idea how she could wait a full two days for the race to begin. She had to let off some steam, and she had to let it off soon or there was no way she could keep herself sane.
Before she could get anywhere though, she heard a scream behind her. "It's not over yet, jackass! You think you're so tough with those… those things at your side?! Kill me then! Do it!" It was the man she had just left to the guards. What a perfect time to meet him again.
Her back still to him, the Zeppeli grin painted her face with an arrogance that could talk down the president. The guards restraining him lost their grip as if on cue, and he pulled out a gun. "Ha! You could be dead right now!" The guards managed to snatch the gun away and shove him on the floor. "You got lucky, you didn't even catch when I stole your money! I'll get you back you bitch!"
Now she really needed to blow off some steam. Due to both her impatience for the race, and the urge to fight over took her. She was Yang Zeppeli, how the hell was she going to turn away from this? Turning around, and revealing her grin to guards and man, "Give him back the gun" exited her lips. The green cloaked race officials looked at each other in intense confusion.
Obliging her wish, they threw it on the sandy desert in front of the man who still lacked control of his legs. The man's arrogance ran away and his breathing visibly shifted as he slowly, shakily reached for the handle of his cheap looking revolver. He was only a few inches away from it, so why did it feel like it was across the ocean? Every inch he got closer brought his heart rate faster, and faster, and faster until it felt like his heart pounded outside of his chest. Yet, he was still advancing towards it, no matter how unsteady.
"But." Yang interjected his advance, and any trace of a grin disappeared from her face. Blowing off steam was good and all, but she treated every fight as one to the death. She looked at him like she would an insect. "If you take the gun, It'll show you're truly devoted to ruining my race. And I don't take kindly to anyone who will stop me from winning."
The words cut through him and he froze, his eyes scrambling around the vicinity to gaze at the growing crowd around them. Desperately he tried to will his hands to move, but he couldn't so much as blink.
As officials ran away, likely looking for the sheriff, a naive looking boy in a wheelchair started rolling towards the scene. The boy had bright blonde hair, not unlike the girls, but a little sandier looking. He wore sky blue jeans with pink stars adorning them in a pattern like the night sky, above was a rolled up ocean blue jacket and a hat with the same pattern as the pants, with a small horseshoe at the crest of the hat.
He was trying to get through the crowd to see the commotion, what was going on that would draw a crowd this big? Probably nothing important, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he just had to see. "H-Hey, excuse me, can you let me pass?" Not a single person moved, their eyes glued to the scene in front of them, he finally maneuvered his way to the front after taking the spot of an official that ran.
The scene continued to unfold before his eyes now, a foreign lady, stunning to look at with beautiful long blonde hair and brightly decorated clothes looking down on a clownish looking man on the floor. He couldn't help but stare slack jawed at the imposing figure she gave. A figure that demanded respect, but also intrigued curiosity.
The man on floor was trembling before he began to move his hand back and laugh. The man on the floor and the beautiful woman locked eyes, and the silence was even more deadly than the situation at hand. Suddenly, the man on the floor let out a nervous laugh, in the distance the sheriff can be seen running towards the scene, but no one paid him any attention. "H-H-Hahaaa, it was just a joke! Good l-luck in the race! I'm just a pickpocket, I couldn't mess with you if I wanted!"
These last words were barely stammered out before the sheriff finally arrived. "What the hell is going on here? No fighting on the beach!" In that brief instant, of Yang looking at the sheriff and not her challenger, the man scurried for the gun and aimed it at her. Yang was conflicted, happy she could let off the steam, but angry the man had misunderstood her mercy as weakness, and threw his life away for no reason.
She grabbed the steel ball at her right side, and threw it at the man's arm while hovering her left arm over the other. The man's face distorts into pain, and blood spews out of the arm. The arm, however, was not decapitated, broken, or anything of the like. It was in a spiral, twisted around so much that the gun pointed at Yang now points perpendicular at the forearm. The entire crowd, including sheriff and officials are stunned at what they are perceiving.
The ball keeps digging into the arm, creating a large dent before returning to Yang. "See a doctor. End this here." She began to turn, but wasn't allowed to. The man, sweat running down his face, turns to look at his arm and yells an incomprehensible insult at Yang, using his other arm to steady the gun, before the full effect of the spin takes effect and the dirty revolver is pointed at the man's head. The main sees this too late, and the bullet was already fired, and the man's head explodes in a rain of blood.
Everyone made up their own excuses for what happened, desperately trying to reason what could have gone on. The sheriff let the crazy situation rest, because it was a fair duel, and no laws were broken. The man saw more than they did though, or maybe the others intentionally tried to forget what happened. The Steel Ball… It was spinning abnormally fast when it hit the guy's arm! "Miss! What's going on with the steel ball?" The boy wasn't normally one to be so direct, but that thing, it influenced the thief's body! What about.. What about his legs. He had to find out, and it was now that he had to know.
He rolled his wheelchair as fast as his arms would allow, the girl was walking off, not thinking twice about the manner. If this continued he was going to lose his chance, he just had to touch it. He got by her, and reached out for the ball. "Hey! Be careful it's still spinni-" the sentence was cut off as the boy's hand connected with the ball. For that moment, for that little second, the crippled boy found himself able to use his legs and stood on his feet, as if a god had personally healed him for just a moment.
When the boy was a small child, he had grown in love with riding horses. It was at the age of five when he first rode a horse. He had a knack for it as well, and everyone around could see it. The boy could understand the little nuances of riding and appreciate them, the rhythmic clapping of the hooves against the dirt ground, the way the breathing changes based on terrain. He loved every bit of it, but his family was never supportive, and in fact began to hate the fact their son rode. He ran away from home, stealing his family's horse at the same time.
Slowly, but surely, surviving off hope he built himself up in the Jockey community and became world renown. The kid, Jaune Joestar tried to reconnect with his family, and with his newfound fame they welcomed him back with gracious arms.
Jaune had everything he could ever want, but he never let it get to his head. He was never very good at reading people, or making friends, so when all these people flocked around him for racing, something he really loved, it made him feel wanted. After all, even his own family finally came around! The cheers, the cries of his name, he loved it, but all he wanted was for his father to approve of the racing and now he had that too. What more could he want?
There were some who weren't fans of Jaune's rise in horse riding, and one day, when he was off to see a girl who he fell for at first site, she pulled a gun on him and shot him. Unlucky for her, and unlucky for Jaune, he survived. How was it unlucky he survived? He had to life in a wheelchair, Jaune couldn't jockey and he couldn't live on like this.
He woke up in a smelly hospital bed, the cheapest that his family found. All his wealth transferred to them, and as he was only worth something as long as he kept the dollars rolling in, no one came to visit him. The staff at the hospital frequently messed up basic care taking and he found himself in great pain.
Jaune was finally discharged, and came out to a near empty bank account and returned to his family who begrudgingly and rudely put him up. His father never around and the rest of his family always making themselves scarce when he was around, Jaune had no reason to live.
He had around $1500 in his account left, and the day he heard of the Steel Ball Run race, he knew he had to compete. Jaune had nothing to lose, and no matter what, he wanted to ride a long journey one last time to discover purpose.
So it was all the more surprising when he stood, when he moved his legs and he stood. When Jaune, Jaune Joestar, stood up on legs which were determined to be useless long ago. What the hell, What the hell! What the HELL just happened! His heart rate accelerated and if he could imagine what a heart attack felt like, that would be it. I touched the steel ball, I touched it.. And I stood.
The woman was already leaving, after hopping on her horse. It had been two years since the "love of his life" took away his joy in the world. No matter how much support his fans gave him, his legs never moved a single millimeter. No matter how passive Jaune was, he had to meet with that woman. "Move out the way please!", he didn't even care if they did or didn't, as he pushed through those that stood still. The crippled, paraplegic boy, gave chase as fast as he could.
The lady finally stopped in front of him, turning around to look at him. "Leg boy. Do you know the two leading causes of death? The first is a sickness of mosquitoes and the second is being kicked by a horse, are you trying to change the order? I understand it's gotta be crazy to stand up with.. uh.. your situation," gesturing at his wheelchair, "But that was just a coincidence, y'know, sheer chance." No. He wasn't going to give up at that. "That can't be true! N-Nothing else has ever let me stand, nothing in two years!"
His voice faltered, but he kept going. "The ball, it was spinning, please, please, i'm begging you, let me try that again!" She sighed, "I'm sorry, I can't help you, it was a coincidence." She turns from looking at him to advance away again.
No, no no no no, she can't just leave me, not after that! If she won't let me touch it, then damn it i'll touch it myself! He hadn't ever been this aggressive, for as long as he could remember, but a solution to his depression, a path of light opened in front of him, if he couldn't be aggressive now, when could he?
Jaune sped as fast as he could, rolling his wheels, he got sped up a ramp and soared side by side with the woman, who for the first time, he saw surprised. I can grab it! I can grab the steel ball! He extends his arm to grab the steel ball, and the second he makes contact, his arm turns around, and grabs the rafters of a nearby building.
It was guided there by the woman. She sighs. "Look, before I break you the bad stuff, i'll tell you the truth, you surprised me there. Very few people surprise me, and i'll admit it, these steel balls are my weapon, but look, it really pains me to tell you this, but it won't make you walk again." With tears running down his face, Jaune says "No! After all that happened I can't believe that! I'll figure it out, i'll understand the secret of your spin!"
She sighs, "The Steel Ball Run race is going to begin soon, you can't even get on a horse. I'm not going to be on this beach forever." Still stuck to the rafters, he manages to pull off before falling flat on his floor, sand sticking to his tear wet face. He scrambles onto his wheelchair, after making sure he got on, the girl began to ride away. "Damn it, i'll compete! I'll get on a horse again, and I WILL race!"
What a great conclusion, I felt good about ending it off at this point. I'm going to try to update this pretty regularly, as i'm in a nice influx of free time and I currently have the urge to write a lot. This story is absolutely a blast to go through, and i'm looking forward to writing it out, even if it is a little hard. I find myself struggling with describing things the most, but I can already feel myself getting better since the last chapter. Expect a new one soon :)