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The following is a fan-based
FICTION
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Chapter 2: Promising Flower, Part 2
Giorno Giovanna was… surprised to learn that he had a family that wasn't tied to his father or his mother. The shock came mostly from the fact that his 'cousin' knew so much about the situation tied to Dio Brando, or 'DIO' as the megalomaniac tended to call himself as, and how the main genes that produced him, weren't of Dio. But of one Jonathan Joestar.
It was a most confusing circumstance due to the explanation tied to Hamon and how Dio had been a vampire. Truly odd, but not something he could consider a lie despite how much he tried to think of it as. Not because he didn't believe his doubts, but rather he felt a sense of trust and genuineness in Sakura's voice and words that had him nod in agreement while he listened to the tale she had for him. He couldn't help but grasp at the idea that this Jonathan Joestar, a long-deceased nobleman, was actually his father. A kind man with a caring nature towards people and nature- he could believe it, he knew it was true. And the fact that only a Joestar could bear that kind of birthmark further impressed on him the notion that Dio, the man he long thought was his direct parent, was none other than a disingenuous man. Sure, he could praise that much ambition within a man, but the fact he eagerly rushed to commit a heinous crime with it just made him sick and disturbed by the vampire's behavior. The reason why one Koichi Hirose had decided to visit was actually to make sure Giorno wasn't Dio's heir in terms of attitude.
Upsetting as a discovery as it was, Giorno knew that the worry was well-reasoned. And there was no reason for him to be somewhat compliant to answer a few questions when the short Japanese young man managed to find them. At first the silver-haired tourist was upset, guarded, but Sakura's sternness, something he could tell was a diluted if not copied version of a tougher individual's own charisma, was quick to curb any sense of reluctance to engage in a conversation. Giorno was, of course, 'urged' to return the luggage he stole. It was a bit of an upsetting defeat, but not really something he minded. If he wanted to not get hounded by some of his father's old foes, it was best to at least behave and show them that he was far from being the monster Dio Brando was. And Koichi was willing to listen to his answers despite the rocky first meeting.
"So, your mother decided to first move to Japan, where she had you, and then she returned to Italy when she married?"
Giorno nodded. "It was quite the hasty decision, but she thought it would have been for the best if we all went back 'home' in a sense."
The decision had been 'really' hasty. The woman hadn't even taken a moment to think about it when her 'beloved husband' mentioned that they could do that trip, she had jumped at the hope of getting back to reconnect to her family. A stupid move to many considering the main reason she was disowned was tied to her illegal job at the time. Prostitution was, after all, illegal in Italy, no matter how widespread of a job it was in most regions.
"And how did you… you know, turn into a criminal?" Koichi pressed, wanting to know more about the man that just ended up stealing his things so easily.
"The correct term is Gang-Star. I'm not the usual petty thief, so I would like to be considered as such."
Sakura hummed at that fierce response, tilting her head to the side to further enchant her confused display.
"What's the difference?"
Giorno's blue eyes turned to her with a determined look.
"Resolve."
The power many ignored or thought outright unreachable to many. And yet the issue wasn't the capacity to be brave and win through the situation, it was to keep true strength before danger and boldly endure a victory or a defeat with confidence and unbreakable willpower.
"So, you believe resolve alone matters the most? What about morality?"
"If it comes to protect myself or others, I would be willing to kill."
That was a solid answer, and yet he could actually see how it wasn't what she had asked for. It just felt natural for him to say that, and… yet it was wrong.
"It wasn't what I asked. I wanted to know what your take on your own morality is, the one that is already flexible."
"What about it?"
"If you were to decide whenever letting children die or preserve your ambition, which one would you pick?"
The question sounded so incredibly unpleasant, but not because of the topic. But because of the ramification. If Giorno picked either, he would betray parts of himself. On the one hand, his ambition is trying to make children's childhood here in Italy more bearable and to put an end to the criminal grasp that killed their first years of life, and on the other hand, he would lose that integrity that shaped his life up to that very moment. And both were… non-negotiable.
"Why do I have to choose?"
Sakura blinked at that rebuttal. "What?"
"Why should I decide when I could easily save these children while also reinforcing my valor through it? Why abandon one to satisfy the other when both are elements that need to coexist for me to be truthful to myself and the world?" He elaborated with an incredibly serious voice. "If I concede just once, then I will always fail. The dread will remain, the humiliation will remain… and my integrity shall remain broken after committing to either choice. That's my resolve."
She smiled a knowing and happy smile. There was a brief pause of a couple of seconds, and then the girl spoke up again, this time bearing a small proclamation by her lips.
"I think I will join him." The plum-haired girl said with a serious tone.
...
"W-Wait, what?"
"I will make most of the trip with Giorno," Sakura confirmed resolutely, smiling at the shock on Koichi's face. "First, I want to know more about my cousin. It would be wrong for me as his family to just decide to outright leave him right now that he is pretty much aimless."
"But your father-"
"Will be a bit surprised because I'm making the trek with someone, but you will tell him that I know what I'm doing. After all, I'm just with my family."
...Giorno was really unsure how to tackle this very response. Family, the concept sounded so foreign and alien- so detached from what he grew up to be. He had family, a family that mattered. A family he could care for. He realized that deep down Sakura's words weren't just about family. It was about understanding. This… this felt more than mere familiar kinship- it felt like she could relate to a point, that he could understand his points clearer than anyone.
It made him feel so intrigued, and yet so worried. Was that a weakness he had to be wary about? He decided that he would think more about it, maybe try to find a greater answer to that mess of questions within his head. The young man could just tell that being around her for a while was eventually going to lead him to the answers he sought. Koichi's hesitation persisted for a while, with him trying to have Sakura reconsider but… the girl was having none of that from the way her scowl just darkened and darkened the more he spoke.
"First, I don't recall father making you my bodyguard. Second, my Stand is more versatile than yours, Koichi. I don't think you have the capacity to actually 'defend me' from someone like Giorno."
"B-but-"
"Or do you want me to send a message to Yukako-neesan and tell her how you have already ogled two girls earlier today."
His jaw dropped. "P-please don't!"
"Then stop annoying me, Koichi. Don't you have to check on the hotel before they remove the booking?"
The young man tensed up as he realized that she was right. "R-Right! I forgot about that but..."
He paused, his attention once more at Sakura.
"Sakura-san, please… if there is some trouble, at least make a… call."
Differently from her recent bout of harshness, the plum-haired girl sighed tiredly. "I will."
Giorno smiled, this interaction proving how, despite her attempt to look tougher than she was, Sakura was the furthest thing from a mean person. After a while, the two were making their way out of the cafe and wandering through the streets, with the blond mentioning that there were a few 'trustworthy' ways to leave the city without issues. Those weren't completely safe, but they should allow them to leave Naples without any high chance of getting ambushed. It was a relief that Sakura didn't bring up to the silver-haired young man the fact that Giorno's satchel was actually one he stole from Leaky-Eye Luca. The bag had roughly two million Lires, which wasn't much but it was the 'tribute' that Luca managed to get from earlier that day. It would make for a good bribe to get through any problem in their trip. And it was during that talk that he decided to bring up a topic he hadn't asked about back when Koichi was around since he doubted the answer would have been that positive with him nearby.
"What is a Stand?"
The girl blinked, then frowned. "You don't know? You have been using yours for a while."
"You mean ｢Gold Experience｣? That's the name, a Stand?"
"Yes, that's the case. Stands are manifestations of their user's fighting spirit, with their abilities matching with the user's own personality most of the time," Sakura explained with a nod.
"And you have one?" Giorno asked out of curiosity, wondering what the girl two years younger than him had.
"Yes."
…
"What's its name?"
She smiled smugly. "Why should I tell you?"
His lips twitched, catching onto the fact that the girl wasn't planning to reveal it to him anytime soon. Quite unusual, but a curious mystery to learn with its due time and process. They finally arrived at their destination, the trams' starting point where they would find a free one to get on board of and get to the city's outskirts. Once they were inside the least-busy one, the tram started to move smoothly. It was one of the most recent additions to the city as the older version had broken down a few months ago due to a severe lack of maintenance. The two found a place where to sit, with Giorno taking the seat right beside the window and he decided to open it to get some fresh air inside rather than get disgusted by the sterile smell of cleaning alcohol and other cleaning products that had been used to clean seats and metal bits inside the vehicle.
Everything looked to be on the clear after just a few minutes of moving, but as he allowed his guard to drop and to ease back on the seat so he could catch some rest, the blond's body tensed up when he heard the distinct noise of a coin dropping on the central section of the tram. His gaze was instantly aimed at the origin of the noise and… he was surprised to find that someone was already kneeling down to retrieve the 500 Lires that had dropped. He pulled up, looking right at them with a calm but definitely interested look aimed at the duo.
"Is this yours, Signorina?"
Sakura wasn't paying much attention to the situation when she heard someone ask her that question.
The man held towards her a 500 Lires coin, seemingly thinking it was hers and that it had fallen out of her pouch. Which was of course impossible since her coins were put in a mini-purse within her satchel and both were firmly sealed shut at the time. She spared a quick look at this suspicious individual, and she could tell he was bad news from just a glance. He had an above-average height with a fairly slim, but muscular build. His black chin-length hair was combed with straight-cut bangs, adorned with a braid going along the top of his head and hair clips placed right below the top of his head, clipping each side of his bangs. His attire was made by an all-white suit with an open chest similar to Giorno covered in small black symbols that resembled spoons, and zippers in unusual sections of the clothes.
"No," She replied flatly. "But thank you for asking."
His smile widened, almost gaining amusement at that response.
"I see," The unknown individual said before taking a seat right in front of them. "It's my lucky day then."
Soon, the man looked right at Giorno, stealing a brief glance at the bag he was carrying, which Sakura knew had the money he stole from that other criminal, before asking him a question.
"Tell me, if you were to find a bag on this tram. A bag that had a billion Lires inside, would you turn it in?"
Giorno chuckled, and she could tell she wasn't going to like the answer to that.
"Are you joking right? It's finders keepers."
Another chuckle.
"At least you're honest. Why, what if I was really an undercover cop and I saw the whole thing?"
The query felt oddly packed with pressure, something that was confirmed by the tension within Giorno's body at listening to that. Sakura decided it was about time to remind the two that she was still there.
"I would still not give any of that to the police," The plum-haired teen rebuked, gaining the attention of the 'cop'. He looked a bit surprised, but also fascinated by her comment.
"Oh? And why so?"
"It's clear you would want to be bribed. Something that would just foster corruption and expand the influence of criminality. And that's while ignoring how it would be even worse if you took all the money with yourself."
His smile grew more entertained, and it was already frustrating her.
"That's a fair point. But would you go as far as fight the police to beat back organized crime? You are young, and the Mafia doesn't care if the target is a child."
"So, you are part of the Mafia? Passione?" Giorno pressed, finding a good opening to return the favor for the pressure exerted on him.
"That would be correct, and I guess it's about time I cut the chase and get right into business," He muttered dryly, standing up and looking menacingly at Giorno. "Leaky-Eye Luca got his head bashed in by his own shovel and was conveniently found unconscious on the outskirts of the airport. It's critical and it looks like he is never making a full recovery."
He took a step forward, almost slamming his forehead on Giorno's.
"And I come here to find the culprit. So, let's talk," The man pressed fiercely. "No one has the slightest idea why Leaky-eye Luca was even at the airport. However-"
A pause, he sat back down on his seat. "I spoke with a security guard. And I was told that a young man by the name of Giorno Giovanna was there. If it's not too much trouble, I thought we could have a little chat about it."
"I believe we don't want that," Sakura answered tensely, already seeing where this was going. "And I believe it's time for us to get off. it's our stop."
It wasn't, but there was no way the girl was allowing anyone to get a free shot by being so close if a fight was to erupt in the tram. But as she moved, the man stood up.
"I'm afraid that's not a possibility. Leaky-Eye Luca was a member of the Famiglia. He was slain, and the boss' honor stained due to this mishap," He remarked grimly. "And the boss has elected to take action against the culprit, even if it means being a little bit less… cautious about the move."
A tense pause ensued, with the man's blue eyes staring fiercely at Sakura's as Giorno looked ready to jump and pummel him in case he tried anything worrying but…
The unknown man sighed. "I suppose you're not going to crack. And here I thought I had found the real culprit."
What?
"That's all I needed. You are in the clear, Giorno Giovanna."
The man bumped into Sakura, but the girl didn't care if it meant having him leave quickly from their proximity. Things really seemed to have suddenly gone quieter, but after a bit, the girl could tell they were far from done with this matter. She felt something within her hand, something small and spherical. It was smooth but also rough in some bits and, as she opened her palm to reveal what it was, she gasped in shock at a human eye staring back at her. She dropped it without hesitation, while Giorno leaned back, closer to the window, as a disgusted reaction to get away from the sight but-
"You are looking at Luca's right eye. It's not it's currently in use so I thought I would bring it along," A familiar voice said, and Sakura turned to see the ominous man leaning from the widow and taking a lick at Giorno's cheek, getting a few drops of his sweat which had formed at the horrifying sight. "What a surprise, this is the distinct taint of a liar. Right, Giorno Giovanna?"
The girl didn't even say anything that her Stand materialized and entered in action. This creepy bastard was dangerous, and she wasn't letting him get any other chance at attacking them. The man had hardly the time to muster his own Stand that ｢One Vision: EX｣ grasped him by his collar and yanked him inside. The humanoid Stand formed a frontal guard with his arms which allowed the dangerous foe to slam onto the metal bar in the central spot of the vehicle without suffering any damage.
"Impressive reaction, but it barely matters," The man muttered, and Sakura heard something shift behind her. Giorno fell to his knees right behind her, spitting fingers out of his mouth. "You may call me Bruno Bucciarati, and I believe it's time to progress from questioning… to torture."
Sakura readied her guard, snarling at this man, Bruno, and prepared for what looked to be a battle in a limited space.
Really a nice way to start her holidays, she thought grimly.
AN
Next time, Sakura & Giorno vs. Bruno! Of course, it's going to be a bit insane, but I plan to give an edge or two to Bruno to not make it too one-sided.
Fun Fact: I almost mistook the 500 Lires as a Two Euros coin as they both look similar in the simplistic way it was shown in the Anime. But then I remembered this is 2001 and it's one year before the monetary switch.
｢One Vision｣/｢One Vision: EX｣ Stats:
Name: ｢One Vision｣ Name: ｢One Vision: EX｣
Physical Description: Same appearance as one of Dark Sakura's Shadows;
Type: All-Around Range
Stats:
Destructive Power – C
Speed – A
Range - ?
Stamina – E
Precision – B
Developmental Potential – A
Ability: Wishcraft Minus – Stand obtains a weakened version of Requiem which allows it to ascend to ｢One Vision: EX｣.
Physical Description: Same appearance as one of Dark Sakura's Shadows, except of white instead of dark color as full body;
Type: All-Around Range
Stats:
Destructive Power – Unknown
Range – Unknown
Stamina – Unknown
Precision – Unknown
Development Potential – Null
Ability: Wishcraft (Fragment of the Heaven's Feel): The ability to acquire a specific set of powerful Stats and Powers for a short amount of time. Due to its impressive potential, the Stand can be barely used in a combat situation.
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