There will be six chapters of the three dimensional transfers getting to know their alternate friends. Which ones will be visited is based one groupings of student research labs unlocked in each chapter of New Danganronpa V3. Disclaimer: I don't own Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, or Danganronpa.

Jojolion Chapter 33: Reconnecting

Finding himself in Kaede's student lab wasn't so surprising for Shuichi. He knew had to talk to her at some point, and it felt better to get it done sooner. Kaede was already inside, practicing on a piece Shuichi recognized as Chopin's Etude in E major. Kaede stopped when she saw Shuichi there. "Oh, hey. Shuichi, right? I've been meaning to ask you... Why does it always seem like you know me somehow?" Shuichi had to chuckle at how perceptive Kaede was. He explained his whole story, and Kaede frowned. "So another me was framed for killing another Rantaro. She made a serious error during that time."

"What's that?," Shuichi asked. "She let herself get in the mindset of killing," Kaede explained, "If she had instead set that trap with the intention of exposing the mastermind, she probably would have been able to see how she couldn't be the culprit. I mean, that picture apparently showed the edge of the trap was a few feet away from the blood." "Yeah, there were a lot of clues we somehow missed," Shuichi said, "If I had any more confidence in my skills back then, it might not have happened. But luckily, I was able to get a crash course in homicide investigation since then. Though when I say it out loud it comes off as bittersweet."

The more they continued to talk, the more Shuichi almost felt like the two Kaede's were one and the same. The major difference was the Kaede in front of him was more grounded in reality. "Yeah, I wound up playing in front of an incognito king at one point. He had to keep himself hidden but he really wanted to hear me play in person since he saw one of my performances on TV." "Did you ever learn where he was from?," Shuichi asked. "I'm not sure," Kaede replied, "But he looked similar to the people of Novoselic. Hard to tell through the disguise, though."

Neither of them noticed Himiko and Maki outside the room. "Look at that," Himiko said, "Looks like Shuichi is getting to know Kaede." "He never had much chance back in our old world," Maki noted, "But here he has all the time he could ever want. Come to think of it..." She started blushing, and blushed even harder when she spotted Himiko grinning at her. "You were thinking of Kaito just now, weren't you?" "So what if I was!," Maki called out, "Do you wanna die!?" "Not until I get the chance to speak with Tenko again," Himiko joked. That got Maki to calm down and laugh a little.


As it turned out, Kaede wasn't the only one with a slightly different personality. Miu had some differences too. She actually laughed when she heard about her alternate counterpart's viewpoint. "Making inventions so you can do things while asleep!? How lazy can you get!? Seriously, if you've got a golden brain, put it to good use. Take those eye-drop contacts, for instance. I actually consider them one of my crowning achievements. Perfectly comfortable to put on and wear, and each blink allows a small amount of eye-drop fluid to flow right where it needs to."

She gave a big laugh that was all too familiar to Shuichi. "I'm making the world a better place one invention at a time!" She then immediately got to work on the project on her workbench. "What is that?," Kaede asked. "I've been trying to create a device that can pick a Stand user out in a crowd," Miu explained, "With such a contraption, there will never be another Yoshikage Kira ever again. They'll be caught red-handed with their pants down!" She grimaced. "Dang it... I can't find my screwdriver... Did I lose it somewhere? Hey, Caravan!"

Kaede and Shuichi gasped when a short humanoid creature with an owl head and wings for arms dropped down from the ceiling. "You lose something again?" "Guys, this is my Stand Caravan," Miu explained, "It can create and replicate items via atomic restructuring. However, it is an independent Stand, and as the name suggests it's a salesman first. It typically requires money to make what I need, though if cash is short it can make do on my spiritual energy." She fed it a thousand yen note. "Luckily, all the patents on my inventions generate quite the income."

"One new screwdriver coming up," Caravan said, "What size head do you need?" Shuichi expected a dirty joke, but to his surprise Miu just replied, "It's a five-point-five millimeter flat head." Caravan looked at the project and nodded. "Okay, gotcha." It glowed brightly before ejecting the right size screwdriver from its head. "Thanks for your business." Miu seemed satisfied with the type and continued her work. She then noticed the look on Shuichi's face. "What? You look like I grew an extra cup size." Shuichi laughed. "I was kinda expecting some sort of innuendo when Caravan asked what size head you needed."

Miu blinked, then laughed. "Yeah, missed opportunity but my work took priority. Besides, I only make those kinds of jokes when I know people won't be weirded out by them. Anyway, this invention is too important for jokes. Speedwagon needs it to help locate the ones summoned by the ritual of Original Sin." Shuichi blinked. "Wait... That wasn't me, Maki, and Himiko?" "That was just a byproduct created from dimensional backlash," Miu pointed out, "Raising the dead's serious business, after all."

Kaede nodded. "So the device is to track down the resurrected Sin Stand users." "And the one pulling their strings," Miu added, "Mister Kujo explained that the one who performs the ritual will gain a powerful Stand capable of controlling the other seven. We know who that person is, we just don't know where they are." Shuichi began to suspect there was more to their arriving in this world than just pulling them out of a terrible reality. This world had its own fair share of problems, but also plenty of real heroes to deal with it.


As they walked to the dorms, Kaede smiled. "You know, Shuichi, I never showed you my Stand." She lifted her hands, and in them manifested an ornate keyboard. "This is Clair de Lune," Kaede said, "Many Stand users wind up naming their Stands after musical references. Songs, artists, even radio stations. But it's often accidental. In my case it was deliberate. For me, Clair de Lune is the essence of my soul. And this is the form that soul takes. Playing the keys, I can unleash powerful sonic waves that can influence others, either debilitating enemies or enhancing friends. And of course they can pack a punch if I really go at it."

She took Shuichi's hand. "We may not be the friends you remember. But maybe that's not such a bad thing." "No maybe about it," Shuichi said, "Some of them turned out to be much different than I thought. There are times when I wonder if I ever really knew them to begin with. But coming here... It feels like starting over." He then spotted Rantaro walking by himself. "He looks distant. I wonder what his issue is." "He says he's been having dreams for some time now," Kaede explained, "And he's been talking to Mister Kakyoin a lot. Though I have no idea why." Shuichi narrowed his eyes. Out of the entire group from his former world, he felt he knew Rantaro the least.

We'll find out what's eating Rantaro later. In the meantime, I should mention Caravan is another Stand from The 7th Stand user. As for Kaede...

Clair de Lune (Piece by Claude Debussy)
User: Kaede Akamatsu
Ability: A hand-held keyboard, Clair de Lune can create music waves that can either hinder enemies or buff up allies. Kaede can also unleash powerful sonic waves for attack. The Stand itself is near indestructible, but doesn't provide Kaede much in the way of defense. The better Kaede plays, the stronger the waves her Stand can emit, so it helps that she is such a talent on the piano.
Power: B
Speed: E
Range: A
Durability: A
Precision: B
Potential: C

Yep, now I've created a Stand named after a piece of classical music. Oh, how far I've come... But seriously, I knew the second I developed Kaede's Stand that it was gonna be named Clair de Lune. I mean, it's her leitmotif in New Danganronpa V3 for crying out loud. Read and review.