"That little brat, wealthy and spoiled," Amethyst hissed, biting her fingernail as she walked beside her friends staying away from the Joestar mansion.
"Are you okay Garnet? It seems that Dio hit you hard," said Pearl.
"The only thing that surprised me was that I made my face aside" said Garnet, adjusting his glasses.
"Even so we have not managed to destroy the mask" said Rose with disappointment.
"Every time I see a mask like that, it reminds me of what they did to him, all those humans who found their end only to be used as food," Garnet said in an annoyed tone.
"We have to find Zeppeli" Rose said clenching her fist.
"But how will we do it? We have lost contact with him since our last meeting 2 cycles ago" explained Pearl to her group.
"And we can not leave those alone, anything could happen while that mask is there" said Amethyst with a frown.
The gems were silent reflecting to find an answer. It was obvious that the mask was dangerous but good that neither Dio, nor Jonathan, nor Mr. Joestar knew exactly how the mask worked but one day there could be an accident that involved generating many consequences.
Rose sighed heavily, closing her eyes and then opening them with a proposal in mind.
Seven years have passed, seven years of watching the Joestar family and the stone mask that was still hanging patiently waiting next victim. On some occasions the gems visited the family to spend time at the festivities looking for other opportunities to destroy the mask but Dio was on the lookout and would be aware that this mask was not found by the gems.
even so the gems did not waste time in socializing with the people of the mansion and with Jojo who had a strong relationship based on trust and respect.
with Mr. Joestar it was different but acceptable. they had had long talks about their lives and experiences while drinking tea but then for some strange reason Mr. Joestar paled a terrible disease. Rose would be very comfortable with helping him but his tears heal wounds ... not diseases.
currently while Rose and Garnet were taking care of Mr. Joestar with his servants. Amethyst and pearl were in the stands next to a crowd of people in what looks like a rugby match.
to see how Jonathan carried over to a lot of people on his back was certainly impressive then it was Dio who had received the pass from Jojo just before falling and it was his chance to shine showing great mobility and speed evading his team contricantes otherwise to take the ball in the goal scoring the decisive point that made him win the game with the team.
there was a crowd of cries of excitement from the expectant celebrating the victory. both gems see Jojo and Dio shake hands congratulating each other. It was obvious that they had got along well during these four years but even so there was a bit of hostility from Dio over the gems who still kept the mask.
concluding the game the four go to the Joestar mansion where Garnet are received.
"Welcome, how was the game?" Garnet pretended to say that.
"You already know, you can see the future" explained Dio with boredom.
"Dio ..." Jojo nudged the blonde's arm "how's our father Garnet?"
"He's still in bed where Rose and a doctor are with him," Garnet explained to the group.
"Is it getting worse?" Pearl asked fearful of her partner's response.
"You do not know for sure but they do everything they can to help him" said Garnet removing the visor from his face revealing his three eyes.
"We can see it?" asked Dio.
"Sure"
both youngsters along with the rest of the gems entered George's room where he was with Rose and a doctor who did a revision to the gray-haired father of Jonathan and Dio.
"Hi guys," George weakly greets his children.
"Greetings, father," said Dio, standing next to him along with Jojo.
"How was your game?" George asked.
"We have won father" said Jojo with an exeltic smile generating a small smile on the part of his old father.
"Really, it seems that Garnet was right the night before," said George, holding his hand on his chin.
"Wait, Garnet told you we would win yesterday?" Jojo asked, looking at the gem in disbelief.
"In fact I asked her because they know she can see the future" said George scratching his throat.
"well done father, you ruined the surprise that we had for you, and that inconsiderate of you Garnet that you have predicted our victory to our without our consent" answered Dio in ridicule making the whole room except the doctor began to laugh.
"seriously speaking, congratulations on your game, both have made good progress in their lives: Dio you have become a lawyer and Jojo you have become an archaeologist, your mother would be proud as I am with both ..." said George before start coughing violently alarming the two jovebes and the gems "I'm fine".
"You should rest father, talk a lot does not like you" said Dio to George in an attempt to relax him.
"Very well ... thanks for everything" George said before lying on the bed to rest.
"He needs to give him his diary every day and rest a lot if they want him to be well" said the doctor in farewell leaving the room of George and the mansion.
"We should let him rest," said Rose, taking everyone out.
...
"Has Mr. Joestar been sick?" Steven asked who was sitting in the chair along with pearl.
"George had experienced a terrible illness, the reason why he started to get sick was a mystery for us, he was a healthy man to be sick, then it was that same day where we discovered the cause thanks to the letter from Dio's father that George received. before dying "said pearl stoically
...
Jonathan was sitting at a desk in the mansion's bookstore with the mask on the desk along with a book which had information about the mask. the book said that the mask was an ancient instrument of Mayan torture that apparently activated with the smallest drop of blood. Jojo felt curious and pricked his finger and drops a drop of blood on the mask and is startled to see how to activate the mechanism of the mask.
"Fascinating" Jonathan sighed seeing the thorns protruding from the back of the mask.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door of the bookstore calling Jojo's attention.
"pass!" Jojo said and the door opens seeing that it is pearl.
"Hi Jojo, how's your research going?" I ask the crystal gem with a slight tone of concern.
"It's going well, I've discovered a lot of things about the mask" said Jojo, raising the mask to the pearl who swallowed just looking at her.
"Well make sure you take care of that mask, you know the story of what happened to a fellow of ours after putting on that mask in the middle of a nasal spill" said Pearl remembering terribly that fateful fact of the adventurer who met 200 years ago in one of the ruins where one of the masks rested. They could not stop it when the mask pierced his skull and the worst came again when he came back to life.
"Of course pearl, by the way ... what are you doing here?" Jojo asks.
"I just came to look for some books to pass the time" said Pearl as she pulled a couple of books from her shelf when she noticed that a small leaf came out between the books and fell to the floor "huh?"
"what is that?" asked Jojo, getting up from the desk and picking up the letter from the floor.
"It seems to be a letter" Pearl said the books on a table to see the note next to Jonathan.
"It's a letter from Dio's father addressed to my father ..." Jonathan said after reading the letter slowly. I notice that it was the letter he sent to his father shortly before his death, telling him to take charge of Dio when he died.
but there was something in the note that caught his attention.
reading it again Jojo read with more attention and when he finished reading a sentence of the letter Jonathan's eyes contracted in shock after reading about Dario's disease.
"It can not be..." I gasp in silence, calling Pearl's attention.
"What's up, Jonathan?" I ask pearl to the young man with blue hair.
"Dio...!" Jojo growled, tensing his jaw and squeezing the face he held in his hand.
"What happens, Jonathan, what does the letter say?" asked the crystal gem concerned about the sudden change of attitude of the young man with blue hair.
"the others have to know this"
Moments later...
Dio was going up the stairs to George's room where he would give him his medicine which they had on a silver tray next to a glass of water, Dio looks at the medicine as he went up and grabbed it to put it in his pocket and took out a different one and puts it on the tray.
"Dio!" Jojo yelled at the attention of the blonde who looked up to see him along with the gems who were frowning.
"What do you want Jojo?" Dio said with the tray in his hand.
"how could you...?" hissed Garnet clenching his fists.
"Did you think that no one would realize what you were planning to be an idiot?" I groan amethyst to the blond who frowns and leaves the tray on a table.
"I do not have the remotest idea of what you are talking about," said Dio, crossing his arms and looking at them defiantly.
"Then could you please tell us what this letter means?" declare jojo showing the letter to the blonde who frowns even more "there is not coincidence that my father experiences the same disease that killed yours"
"Do you think I have anything to do with our father's illness?" he asked. He pretended to be offended and Jojo growled.
"So if what you say is true: why do not we try what is in medicine together with the police?" I ask pearl extending his hand towards the supposed medicine.
but Dio grabs the pearl arm away from the tray.
"What do you think you're fucking idiot!?" I scream amethyst stepping forward to be stopped by Rose who was stoic.
"Jojo... if you think I'm trying to poison our... ¡our friendship is over!" shouted Dio turning a cold look at Jonathan that makes him look elsewhere "now ... let's pretend that none of this has happened and we go back to our quiet lives, like people normally" he said somberly to the crystal gem letting go of his arm.
Jonatham is silent thinking about how to respond to Dio when he hears Rose's voice.
"Then swear it!" Rose yelled pointing at the blond accusingly. Jojo is surprised by the stoic attitude and without any doubt from Rose which inspires him to continue.
"This is Dio ... swear that the medicine you bring there is not poison, as a gentlemanly man swears by the honor of your father that nothing of what we discover from this letter is true!" sentenced Jojo challenging his adoptive brother.
Dio opened his eyes in response to hearing the name of that bastard who had made his life hell.
"You are weak like your mother!"
Dio's hands begin to tremble from anger inclining his torso upwards. the same reaction that Garnet explained to Jojo minutes ago.
"¡that's right!, I have it where I wanted, as Garnet said: Dio's pride is so great that mentioning his father makes him angry to such an extent that he will expose it" Jonathan thought staring at Dio waiting for his response as well as the gems.
"I swear!" He grunted in response but quickly changed his anger venting "how could I swear to that bazoo? He deserved to die!" He shouted out of pure anger, throwing his arm back and hitting Jojo right in the face, causing the gems except Garnet to gasp.
"That's all I need to know" Jonathan said looking at the blond with an annoyed look and then grabbing Dio's arm away from his beaten face "I knew you were trying to kill my father from the beginning!" I scream grabbing the blonde's shirt and throwing it down the floor, falling on his back.
"What did you think of that bitch?" said amethyst from above watching the blond twist in pain trying to get up.
"What are you going to do now, Jonathan?" asked Rose to the young man with blue hair.
"I'm going to look for the man who gave Dio poison to make him make a cure for my father," Jonathan explained firmly.
"We will go with you," said Pearl determinedly.
"No pearl, this is something I must do alone, you must stay here to protect my father from Dio" Jojo said when he saw the blond man leave the hall limping.
"It's risky" said Garnet
"I know, but I'll still take the risk and protect my father from that monster," declared the youngest Joestar with a firm grip.
...
"Dio has been poisoning Jojo's father !?" Steven gasped after hearing the story turn.
"that guy was worse than the corrupt gems, he had a great malice that Rose could feel all the time"
"He was a son to him, how could he have done that cruel act !?" said Steven too offended. he would never do such a thing to his father.
"Dio always was evil from the beginning, so evil that we swore to protect George from him to everything, but all our efforts had been in vain"