With the combined efforts of the stand users and Chihiro, the little programmer's erratic stand was put back to rest for now. With three tired students and an unconscious Chihiro in the cafeteria, today was bound to be a wonderful morning.
"Fixing this will be a pain", remarked the bike rider, looking at all the broken mess of what remained of the food court. "At least Chihiro's stand is gone."
"...For now", the model replied, kicking a broken chair leg. She then turned to the pompadour-wearer, "You have to teach your friend how to control his stand."
"I know", responded Mondo, already fixing the broken chairs and tables, "I'll work on it."
"In any case", the gambler remarked towards Mukuro, back to her usual politeness. "Please refrain from stabbing me again without my permission, okay?"
"Sure", the model replied nonchalantly. She then picked up the small programmer, saying, "I'll carry the little fry back into his room". She then exited the cafeteria with Chihiro in her hands, her stand bickering the usual amount.
"Also, Celeste", Mondo called, turning the gambler's attention towards him. "I want to test something with your stand."
"Does it involve stabbing?"
"No, it doesn't", the bike rider chuckled, earning a glare from the gambler. "Anyways, you said Cloakie can restore memories, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Have you tested it out with other people?"
"...Not exactly. No one has ever asked for it, nor do I feel like testing it out of my own volition, so I can't say for sure", the gambler responded.
"I see", the bike rider mused to himself. He then spoke up, the gambler looking at him. "I want you to try and use Cloakie's stand effect on me."
Huh?
"You want to remember something?", asked the gambler, staring deep into Mondo's soul.
"Yeah. I still don't know why I know a lot about stands, and it bugs me even now", the bike rider responded. "If there's a reason for it, I'm sure it's in a forgotten memory."
"I see...", Celeste thought out loud. She then outstretched her hand, stating "Very well. Maybe we'll find something out of this new memory of yours."
"Alright."
"But I must warn you, the memory remembered is chosen at random", the gambler warned sternly. "It might be an undesirable memory you might remember, instead."
"...How many bad memories have you've remembered?", the bike rider asked.
Bad memories...?
At that moment, a memory came right to the front of her head, one that she just remembered days ago...
...
It was a rainy, plaintive day. Celeste was staring deep into two cracked tombstones, morning glories and greenery placed on the bases. She was wearing a short black dress, and had an umbrella with a matching hue. Her cat was purring softly, his bristle fur humid with endless moisture...
"Do you regret leaving them when you were little?", asked a feminine voice, earning the gambler's attention. Turning to the new voice, Celes saw Kyoko approaching her, also dressed in black.
"A little", responded the gambler. "Maybe I could have learned a few more things from them. To think I finally returned to my hometown only to find no one to return to..."
"I see...", mused the detective. She then slowly grabbed Celes' hip, something not unnoticed (but welcomed) by the gambler.
"...Sorry. I'm not that good at sympathizing."
"It's fine. Your mere presence is more than enough."
Standing together in silence, the detective then spoke up, "...Hey Celes, do you think your parents would have accepted me?"
"...Probably. Even if they didn't, I still would have been with you, regardless", smirked the gambler for a little, only to then return to her empty expression. They stood there together for a few more minutes in silence, the rain splotches being the only sound heard throughout the damp afternoon...
...
Being brought back to reality, the gambler then spoke up:
"Just one. I've been having what you would consider, 'luck of the gambler'."
"That's an expression?", chuckled Mondo. He then spoke up, "...Alright, I'll still do it."
Both individuals doing a firm handshake, Celeste's stand suddenly appeared from the gambler's back, floating between the two teens. The gambler's stand suddenly started shining brightly, drowning the entire cafeteria in light...
Several years ago, in an unknown alley...
The first day at Hope's Peak was a disaster. Despite everyone cheering for the new students present for this year, one of them was as depressed as ever. Mondo never felt as anxious and guilty in his entire life.
It was several years since his older brother's death, and the bike rider still blamed himself for it. It was well after the first day at the academy, and the bike rider was sitting down in a dark, damp alley. It was raining as hard as ever, and countless students had their umbrellas prepared for the occasion, many huddling close together. The only exception was the bike rider himself, as he had neither someone else nor an umbrella...
His only companion was a huge spirit with blue armor plates floating right in front of him. The bike rider never told anyone else about it, as he didn't want to be seen as a crazed lunatic who claims to see ghosts. His hometown already had enough of those for one more to show up.
"You don't have an umbrella, do you?", asked a new voice, startling the bike rider. The voice was deep but gentle, a hint of seriousness akin to a judge. The gangster turned his head to the direction of the voice, finding a tall man dressed in white. His eyes were serene and calm, yet they told many tragic stories inside...
"What do you want?", asked the bike rider with an uninterested tone. He turned his head away from the adult, his desire to be left alone not undetected from the man.
"I see you have a stand as well."
"...A stand?", turned back Mondo to face the man, his voice now curious at his words. The man continued, pointing at the bike rider, "It's an apparition that reflects your soul, made out of vital energy. My uncle has a stand like yours, as well."
"You mean, some one has the same type of power as mine?", asked Mondo, his eyes now wide in surprise.
"Yeah... the same type of stand...", trailed off the man, his eyes suddenly devoid of light. He then spoke up, his tone back to normal, "Anyway, I'm assuming you don't know anything about your stand. I can help you on how to use it."
"...How did you find me here, though?"
"I didn't", replied the man. "I just saw your stand while passing here. Thing is, I'm not from around here, and I'm trying to find my way back home. In the meantime, I can teach you a thing or two about stands."
"Thanks...", said Mondo. "But I don't want to start right now. I still want to be left alone for a while."
"I see...", responded the man. "Let me guess, someone close to you died, right?"
The bike rider's eyes widened, the rain pouring down in waterfalls. "H-how do you know that?"
"Trust me, I'm familiar with the grief of someone dying", the man responded. "Seeing people die right before your eyes is one of the most painful feelings in the world, especially if it's someone close to you."
The pompadour-wearer could only silently weep in response, the man now keeping silence.
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"...It's fine... I just want to be left alone for now, really", Mondo finished, turning his head away from the man.
The man stood there for another moment, watching the remains of a proud man reduced to cries. Turning around to leave, he then asked, "What's your name? The least I should know from my new student is your name."
"Yeah...", silently agreed the bike rider. "My name is Owada. Mondo Owada."
"Well then, Mondo. I'll be leaving. Have a good afternoon", the man began walking. "My name is Kujo. Jotaro Kujo. Until then". He then left the alley, the bike rider still crying softly...
Now...
The gangster suddenly opened his eyes, breaking the handshake out of moment's notice. The gambler remained silent, only staring at the bike rider with crimson eyes.
"What an odd memory", the gambler spoke up. "Turns out you remembered both something painful and the answer you've been looking for."
"You could see my memory, as well?", asked the Ike rider, turning to face the gothic lolita.
"Indeed", Celeste answered. "Although, even if I couldn't, the tears in your eyes say more than enough."
"What do you...", Mondo said before he stopped, feeling tiny drops of water trickle down his face. He then touched his right cheek with his hand, turning to see tears in his fingers.
"...I'm over my brother's death", the bike rider said, drying his face with his sleeve. "I've already made peace with the fact that it wasn't my fault."
"I see...", the gambler's face was as serious as ever, in contrast to her suddenly softer voice. She then spoke up, "In any case, you've found the answers you've been looking for. It turns out someone taught it to you in from a moment of pure chance."
"Yeah", agreed Mondo, his tone now back to normal. He then turned to the exit, saying, "Thanks Celeste. Really."
"You're welcome", replied Celeste, back to her usual poker face. "Although, I wouldn't mind if your hands were less dry."
"Tch", the bike rider smirked, leaving the food court. "I can't guarantee that". Thus, the gambler was alone to her own again, the rest of the day just beginning.
Meanwhile...
"No one died yesterday! BORING!", the mastermind threw a (relatively) small temper tantrum, throwing an entire chair at the multitude of screens. Her stand just floated there, staying silent the entire time.
"...What, why are looking at me like that?", the mastermind turned her head and asked her stand, its void-like eyes not budging an inch.
"Still silent, I see...", the mastermind commented to herself. She then threw a combat knife towards the apparition, the knife passing right through it. Again, the stand stood silent.
"GOD, IT'S LIKE EVERYTHING WAS MADE TO DRIVE ME INTO DESPAIR!", the individual screamed at herself. "Not that I mind, though", she weakly chuckled. "In fact, I welcome it..."
The mastermind then turned around to face her stand, the apparition still as stoic as ever.
"And you're still acting as boring as my sister. Pitiful..."
The girl then turned around at the broken sets of screens, removing the chair from the multitude of glass shards.
"Whatever. Someone is going to die tomorrow, anyways..."
Author's Note: Chapter 29 done! I don't really have much to comment this chapter, so I'll instead reply to V's recent comment:
• I haven't actually planned a V3 version of this fic, but I've had my share of small ideas here and there. Right now, though, it seems unlikely, since V3 was proven to be a separate continuity from the previous games. I'll definitely think on it, though.
• I haven't planned on giving the Future Foundation members stands (yet), but that might change in the future!
Oh yeah, I should also mention that I don't own Danganronpa nor JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (although I should have mentioned that in the first chapter, but whatevs).
Thanks everyone for the support and feedback as always and until the next entry, I'll see everyone later!