A/N: Let's get a few things out of the way before we can begin.
1. If you don't know by the summary, Part 6 does not exist in this universe, the only original character from Stone Ocean present in this story is Jolyne. So Dio never had a diary and whatnot.
2. I know that there are many returning characters from part 3, especially part 4, but this story isn't really about them. You'll see in future chapters that this story will really be about my own original characters and their own Stands, (I've made 20+ original Stands for this fanfiction).
3. This will be updated every Friday with no exceptions. Doesn't matter if it's a holiday or not. So expect a new chapter every Friday without any breaks until the story is finished. (As I said before, I've worked ahead and have already written the first 24 chapters). If I don't post on a Friday, then assume I'm dead. Or my internet's down. You choose.
4. Lastly, there is a bit of cursing in this fanfiction, but there will be no slurs or f words. Enough rambling, enjoy and feel free to comment, I will respond to all the comments I can, so feel free to ask questions.
...
Episode 18: Sacred Heart
10 Minutes Away From Dio's Mansion
Tension. The car was filled with it as it drove ever closer to the mansion. The rain had ceased since Khan's attacks, and Hol Horse had woken back up. Kenna had given him some blood to minimize his fatigue. It was nearing evening, and Tenmei had contemplated with the others on whether they should wait until the morning to attack Dio, but they all agreed that the more they waited, the more at risk of enemy Stand attacks they would be. So it was decided that they would stop the car five minutes away from the mansion and continue the rest of the way on foot. That way, they could watch the surrounding area from all angles and make sure that nobody would try to attack. Kenna had informed them that besides The Wall, the only other people she knew of were a man named Bill Cliff, and a woman named Danielle Miller; both of their Stand abilities were a mystery to Kenna.
Tenmei stopped the car behind some trees. Kenna, who had been informing Tenmei of the location, led the way. The mansion was within a forest; no roads led in or out of it. It was fairly hard for Tenmei to find a path that was wide enough for the car to fit. This place was obviously not meant for cars. The trees were dense, and it would have been easy to get lost in them if Kenna didn't know exactly where to go.
Soon, a mansion could be seen in the distance. Tenmei stopped walking, "The sun will set in about half an hour, maybe a bit more. If we get the chance, we need to expose him to sunlight. But he's probably been anticipating our arrival for a while, so he's gotta be planning something. We need to be careful."
Everyone nodded in agreement as they walked to the front door of the mansion. Abstract, Redbone, and Ruby Tuesday stood behind their users, ready to attack if anything happened. Hol Horse, on the other hand, was aiming Emperor directly at the door. Polnareff was on Hol Horse's lap as usual.
"This is different," Polnareff muttered, "Last time I was at his mansion in Cairo, twenty years ago, it reeked of evil. The stench was indescribable, and I felt a chill go up my spine when I took a step inside. A feeling of dread lingered in my body, and I had heartburn. This is different, almost as if it's a different presence."
"It's probably because you're a turtle now," Hol Horse said, lighting his cigarette, "I was in that damned mansion in Cairo a number of times and felt the same presence. But I don't think this is another person's presence. It's still Dio's, there's a slight familiarity to it. But I do agree there is something different about it. But this still belongs to Dio, there's no doubt about that."
"History's repeating itself," Tenmei said, "But this time the cycle ends. Dio dies today."
Everyone nodded in agreement as they opened the wide door. The mansion was completely dark. An empty housing, devoid of any light. All of its windows had been boarded up, and the light from the front door illuminated a red carpet that split up into different pathways throughout the mansion.
"This place has three floors," Kenna said, "There's a staircase and an elevator for Hol Horse. Dio is on the last floor, hidden in a room with big fancy doors. Usually, this place is a lot more lively, but it seems that Dio is the only one here. These walls are thick and hard to break through, so we might not be able to use sunlight to our advantage."
"We've anticipated that," Tenmei said, "Hol Horse, you and Polnareff can take the elevator. Meet us on the top floor. And be careful, Dio probably already knows we're here."
"The elevator's here, right beside the stairs," Kenna pointed as Hol Horse, without saying a word, went towards it. After the elevator closed and Hol Horse was out of sight, the others began to step up the stairs.
Tenmei was a few steps higher than the other two. "This place gives me the chills," Joanne whispered to Kenna, "I can't believe you lived here three years."
"It's usually nicer than this," Kenna whispered back, it felt awkward to break the silence, "It was a lot livelier, but nobody's here. Greta held this place together, without her, I would've run away years ago."
"I'm really sorry," Joanne said, "I really wish we didn't have to kill her."
"No, don't be," Kenna said, "There was no other way." She swallowed awkwardly and kept walking for about ten seconds. "Listen, Joanne," she said, "There's something I've been needing to tell you."
"What is it?" Joanne asked.
"Well," Kenna said before pausing, "I haven't known you for very long, and I know this is a bit silly, but—" Kenna stopped. Several gunshots could be heard from above.
"Hol Horse!" Tenmei yelled as he began to run up the stairs, "He must've already come into contact with the enemy!"
A loud cry could be heard coming from a different direction. "It sounds like a kid," Joanne said as she turned to Kenna, "Since when was there a kid in here?"
"Since never," Kenna said, dumbfounded, "I was the youngest one here. We never had a kid in here. He must be new. They must've gotten him after I left."
"But what would they want with a kid?" Tenmei asked.
"I don't know," Kenna said, "The only reason I can think of is that he might have a Stand ability that Dio is interested in."
"If he has such an ability then we need to get him, right?" Joanne asked.
"I'll go," Kenna said, "I think I know which room he's in. You two go to Hol Horse and Polnareff."
Joanne and Tenmei nodded as Kenna ran up the stairs to the next floor and went in a separate direction. She ran past closed doors, following the sounds of the crying child until she stood in front of a door. She was sure he was in here. She turned the knob and was not surprised when it was locked.
"Ushasha!"
Redbone punched through the door and broke it apart. She had never been in this room herself but knew of its existence. It was simply a spare room for any new recruits to Dio's mansion. It wasn't much different from the other rooms. It was fairly fancily decorated with a small chandelier on top, lighting the room. There was a small bed in the corner neatly made, probably by Greta. The crying child was in the corner.
"I want my mother…" he said solemnly between sobs.
"Hey it's okay," Kenna said crouching down next to the boy, "You're safe now. My name is Kenna Fletcher, what's yours?"
"Hozier," the kid said, "My name's Hozier. I don't like it here. The bad man's a monster! Where's my mother?"
"Don't worry, Hozier," Kenna said, "I'll get you out of here and help you find your mother. The bad man, his name is Dio, do you know why he brought you here?"
"There was a mirror," Hozier said, "He saw a mirror, the other lady did too, they kept me in here. The bad man was mean to me but the other lady was nice. But the other lady told me she had to leave and now I'm stuck here with the bad man! I wanna leave! I wanna go back home to my mother!"
"A mirror?" Kenna asked, "Where was this mirror?"
"It's gone!" Hozier cried, "It appeared right in front of me, but now it's gone! The lady wants me to bring it out again, she says it's called a Stand."
Kenna took a step back, "A Stand?" Redbone appeared beside her, "This is my friend, Redbone. Can you see it?"
Hozier nodded anxiously.
"Redbone may look scary, but it's a very good friend," Kenna said, "It's going to help you get out of here and find your mother. You want that, right?"
Hozier nodded slowly, "What about the bad man?"
"Don't worry," Kenna said, "My friends and I are going to beat up the bad man and get you out of here." Redbone opened up its chest as it kneeled down on the floor, "Please get inside," Kenna said, "This will keep you safe while I fight the bad man. It'll be dangerous to leave you by yourself. This way I can even heal you if you get hurt."
Hozier was skeptical at first, but after seeing Kenna's warm, friendly smile, he got in. Redbone closed its chest and stood back up.
"Can you still hear me?" Kenna said as she got close to Redbone's chest.
"Yeah," Hozier said, "It's dark in here."
Redbone touched the chandelier and transferred its light energy inside its chest. "There," Kenna said, "Is that better?"
"Uh-huh," Hozier said.
"So how old are you Hozier?" Kenna asked.
"Seven and a half."
"Wow, you're a big boy! And very mature for your age. Do you know by any chance how long you've been here and where you live?"
"Um, I was on vacation with my family in Italy, I think."
"Italy?" Kenna asked, "How did you get here?"
"The lady put me in a blimp."
"Van Fleet…" Kenna whispered softly so Hozier wouldn't hear, "Well," she said in a louder voice, "I'm sure we can get you back home!"
In reality, this kid, Hozier, complicated things. There was no way she could leave him alone. He was probably very important to Dio, and he wouldn't hesitate to threaten the kid's life if he was put in a corner. Then again, having him inside of Redbone limited her ability. But what other choice did she have? As she left the room, all she could do was hope that everyone else was safe.
...
Five Minutes Earlier
Hol Horse and Polnareff heard the elevator door ding as it opened up into the third floor. Hol Horse rolled out and looked down the nearby staircase, "They haven't even started climbing the stairs," he said, "We already beat them up here.
"We should wait here for them," Polnareff said, "Kakyoin and the others should arrive soon."
"Didn't Fletcher say his door was big and fancily decorated?" Hol Horse said as he looked down the dark hall.
"Yes," Polnareff said, "I believe so. But don't do anything stupid, we're not going after him on our own."
"I know that much," Hol Horse said, "What do you take me for? A numbskull?" Hol Horse chuckled for a second, "No, what I'm saying is that the door's right there." Hol Horse pointed down the hall.
Polnareff looked and his heart sank. The big fancy maple door was open. "Hol Horse! Call the others! Dio's out! He's already out!"
Hol Horse stood there, motionless, a furious expression on his face. Polnareff turned to him, "Hol Horse? What's the matter with you?"
"That bastard!" Hol Horse yelled, "For twenty years all I could think about was killing him. Now he shows himself! I'll kill him!"
Polnareff turned around and saw him. Basking in the darkness, the vampire stood. His eyes glowing with evil. His face was unmistakable, this was Dio, no doubt about it.
"Dio!" Polnareff yelled, "Why aren't you dead?! That night twenty years ago! How did you survive?!"
"Is that you, Polnareff?" Dio said, his voice calm, almost soothing, "And Hol Horse too. What a reunion. I heard that Joseph Joestar died, is that correct? He should've died twenty years ago along with the rest of your friends."
"Don't talk about Mr. Joestar like that, you bastard!" Polnareff yelled, "Hol Horse! Shoot his brains out!"
"That's the thing!" Hol Horse said, "I already shot. About seven seconds ago, I shot my gun. I know for a fact that I shot! The bullets didn't shoot! He stopped time and grabbed them!"
"I will finish today what should've been done twenty years ago," Dio said. "I will eliminate you all along with the Joestar bloodline."
Hol Horse pulled the trigger, but as soon as the bullets left the chamber, they were gone.
"Goddammit!" He yelled in frustration, "This isn't gonna work!"
"We need to stall for time, Hol Horse," Polnareff said, "Just until the others arrive."
"Stall for time?" Dio said his tone of voice similar to that a parent used whilst talking to a child, "Time is my domain, and you two are out of it."
Hol Horse shot again, this time the bullets didn't disappear and whizzed towards Dio as he ducked under them.
"Why didn't he stop time?" Polnareff asked, "Perhaps he has a limit. A five-second limit for his five-second time stop?"
"You two are more meddlesome than I anticipated," Dio said, "I shall dispose of you quickly." Dio held something in his fingers and flicked it towards Hol Horse, it was a small rock. The small rock hit Hol Horse's cheek, and a tiny trickle of blood came out. The rock bounced off the ground and fell in front of Dio
Hol Horse fired more bullets, but they soon disappeared.
"Damn, he stopped time again!"
Dio picked up the rock that had a tiny bit of Hol Horse's blood in it and licked it.
"What is he doing?" Polnareff asked, "He's a vampire, he only needs blood to heal his wounds. But we haven't wounded him yet. Such a small amount of blood wouldn't heal him anyway. Hol Horse, he's up to something! We need to get out of here!"
Hol Horse nodded and went back to the elevator. As soon as he got inside, he instantly found himself back in front of Dio.
"What the hell?" Hol Horse yelled, "What just happened?!"
"He's just messing with you!" Polnareff said, "Stopping time to move your position. He did it to me twenty years ago."
"Damn!" Hol Horse yelled, "Where are the others?"
"I don't think they know we're in trouble," Polnareff said, "We need some form of telling them to come up here quickly."
"Shouldn't my gunshots be enough?" Hol Horse asked as he looked down the stairwell, "Maybe I need to pump a few more of them to get their attention." When Hol Horse looked back up, Dio was gone.
"Where did that son of a bitch go?!" he yelled.
"I don't know," Polnareff said, "I looked away for a second, just a split second. He must've used a time stop to escape. But why? Why did he run away? Maybe he hasn't run off. Hol Horse, could he be up to something?"
Hol Horse suddenly shook in his wheelchair violently.
"Hol Horse?!" Polnareff yelled in concern as he was kicked off. Polnareff fell to the floor and looked as the shaking Hol Horse tumbled off his wheelchair, spitting up blood.
"Hol Horse what happened?!"
"Dio…" Hol Horse groaned as he began to cough up violently. He spat out blood and something shiny. Polnareff squinted to see what that shiny object was. His heart dropped upon seeing what it was. A razor blade. Hol Horse kept coughing and convulsing, spitting up more blood and razor blades.
"Hol… Horse…?" Polnareff was too scared to even talk, but he needed to think of something. Kenna would come up soon. She'd heal him with her Redbone. Everything would be okay. Hol Horse began to wheeze in pain as he threw up stomach fluids and blood. White foam came out of his mouth, burning into the ground.
"What is this ability?" Polnareff said in disbelief, "How did Dio do this? Even in stopped time, he shouldn't be able to do this."
Polnareff could hear footsteps, the others were arriving.
"Mr. Polnareff! Mr. Hol Horse!" he could hear Tenmei's voice getting closer and closer. He looked down the stairs. Tenmei and Joanne were running up the stairs as fast as they could. They would arrive in a few seconds.
"Where's Fletcher?" Polnareff asked, "Hol Horse is seriously hurt! It was Dio! Dio's here! But he has some sort of new ability!"
"Kenna's not here."
With these words, Polnareff's heart sank. He looked back at Hol Horse. He had stopped shaking. Hol Horse lay motionless on the floor, covered in blood and acids.
Hol Horse…
These were Polnareff's last thoughts, as a metal stake was driven straight through him, cracking through his shell, and breaking the key's gem that held Mr. President. Polnareff's entire world spun around him before he closed his eyes.
...
Joanne and Tenmei stood in shock. In one corner, Hol Horse was on the floor covered in blood and razor blades. In another, Polnareff had been impaled with a metal stake, going through his entire body. But this wasn't what shocked the two. No, the thing that stopped them in their tracks was the man looming over the bodies. The man who had just disposed of their friends as if they were nothing. His golden hair glistened in the darkness. His evil eyes staring right at them.
"Oh ho, so you two would like to play as well?" he said in a mocking voice, "You look just like your uncle," he said, his eyes on Tenmei, "I can't even describe the joy I felt in driving my fist straight through him. The fool didn't even realize he had already died. And you," his eyes turned to Joanne, "Kujo's sister? I didn't even know of your existence until recently, almost no one did. The Joestar lineage surprises me more and more. I presume Jolyne Cujoh is with her father? No matter, I'll go after them soon enough. But I do believe you're missing someone, no? Fletcher. Where is Kenna Fletcher?"
Upon hearing Kenna's name being spoken by Dio, Joanne lost it, "Don't you dare touch a hair on her head! It doesn't matter what you do to me! If you even think about hurting her, I will beat the ever-living shit out of you! And that is a promise! You aren't human! You are below human! I'm gonna—"
Tenmei put his arm in front of Joanne to stop her, "Joanne," he said, "I get that you're mad, but now's not the time to lose it. We need to keep our composure." Joanne looked at Tenmei's arm. It was shaking. His entire body was shaking. His glare, a relentless fire, burning right into Dio's eyes. Sweat dripped off his body, his breathing raggedy. If anyone was losing their composure, it was Tenmei. Joanne couldn't even imagine how he must be feeling. He had known Hol Horse and Polnareff longer than she had, and now they were both dead. And to pour salt on the wound, Dio was talking about his dead uncle, almost as if he was proud of killing him. He probably was. This was no time to lose one's self. The more she acted without thinking, the higher the risk of death.
"You're right, Tenmei," she said, "Now's not the time to let my emotions get the better of me. Now's the time to overcome evil. To free the world of Dio's presence. I understand that now. Hol Horse and Polnareff left you plenty of blood to use. And I," Abstract appeared, "well let's just say I had Abstract grab a few things. If we're taking him down, we're doing it together."
Hol Horse and Polnareff's Blood flowed harmoniously towards Tenmei, there was almost a beauty to it. Ruby Tuesday held a blood scythe in one hand, and a blood spear in the other. More blood covered its body, protruding spikes. Ruby Tuesday took off its rock-like medieval helmet to reveal burning red eyes and spiked ruby hair. More blood created a new helmet, spikes coming out of it. If Dio so much as touched Ruby Tuesday, he'd be impaled. Ruby Tuesday held its ground, several small blood droplets floating around it, forming a barrier that would impale anyone who came too close.
"This is my will!" Tenmei yelled, "And the will of Mr. Hol Horse and Mr. Polnareff! The will of my uncle Noriaki! And the other crusaders, Avdol and Iggy! This is the will of all the people you've hurt! These are their sacred hearts!"
Dio looked unimpressed, "Wills were meant to be shattered," he simply said, "But I do have a fascination with your Stand, I always have. Show me what it can do, Kakyoin, show me what your will is made out of!"
Abstract grabbed a tube from her belt, and a metal rod materialized in her hand. She had gotten it from the metal railing around the staircase.
"We're not going to let Tenmei show us off, are we, Abstract?"
"Hell no! This fight is ours just as much as it is his!"
"Then show me!" Dio yelled, "Show me what your pathetic wills amount to. It's nothing! It'll always be nothing!"
Joanne could feel her heart beating rapidly, but not from fear. She wasn't scared in the slightest. This beat, harmonized with Tenmei's was adrenaline. They were ready to take down the ultimate evil. They were ready to kill Dio once and for all, and as Dio looked at the two one last time, he couldn't help but wonder what drove them? What drove them to such an extent? Why did they wish for death so much? Surely they would have seen from Hol Horse's and Polnareff's bodies that they didn't stand a chance. This was what Joanne Jones confused him with. Just like Jotaro Kujo before her, and Jonathan Joestar before him. There was something about the Joestar's iron will that Dio was uncertain about. But this didn't bother him in the slightest. It might've even fueled him further in his quest to kill them all. After all, Joanne's group had been separated, and Dio was able to slowly pick them off one by one. After he'd dealt with these two, he'd have no problem going after Kenna. Dio couldn't help but smile as he stared his two enemies down.
After a deep breath, Joanne and Tenmei charged toward Dio.
...
A/N: This chapter was a blast to write! And it's only gonna get better from here! The title of the chapter, Sacred Heart, is named after a studio album of the same name by the rock band, DIO. The kid named Hozier is the same kid mentioned by Greta and Dio in the Amplification arc. Hozier is named after the singer of Take me to Church, also named Hozier. Now that we've got the musical references out of the way, let's discuss Hol Horse and Polnareff. Yes, they're really dead, and no they're not coming back. This is how they go out. I'm not sure if this upsets any of you since Hol Horse and Polnareff are fan-favorite characters. I had planned for them to die at the hands of Dio from the very beginning. This serves as both a warning to you, dear readers, don't get too comfortable with any of these characters, because they could end up dying. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and you will find out how Dio is still alive next week in Episode 19: Dream Evil.