AN at the end now. For now, we've got movie sign!
"Okay, everyone ready?" asked Lincoln, before receiving various forms of confirmation. "Sweet! Starting in three, two, one!" And with that, he pressed Play, and the show, along with their journey, began.
~PB~
The episode began with a dark and stormy night in the mountains. Lightning flashed as the rain came pouring down in droves, somber music in the background. On the screen were Japanese subtitles with an English translation above it: England, 1868.
~LBR~
"Oy, lads, looks like we're in England, we are!" said Luna in her faux British accent, much to the dismay of her younger siblings.
"Please tell me you won't be doing that the whole time," said Lincoln, having paused the show (something in his gut told him he would be doing this a lot).
"No promises!"
"A dark and stormy night? Victorian England? Aw man, this really IS something that Lucy would watch!" complained Lynn. Lincoln hit the play button, eager to get back into it.
~PB~
The camera slowly panned down as a man began to laugh in the background. Another lightning flash led to a scene change, with two figures, a man and a woman, standing on a path that went along the mountainside and looking into a ravine. Some rainwater was pouring down the side of the ravine cliffs, and that apparently wasn't all, as wheel tracks led from the path to the edge of the cliff.
"Feast your eyes on that wreck, would ya?" laughed one of the figures, presumably the man in the front, as another lightning flash went back to the first shot, only now it kept panning down the mountain, revealing a fog wrapped around the mountain.
~LBR~
"Ouch, looks like an accident happened," said Lana. "Guess even in a time without cars, wet roads are still dangerous."
~PB~
Another lightning flash led to another transition, this time to a dead horse laying on the ground, a pool of blood around it.
~LBR~
"Ouch, you said it," said Lincoln, all four wincing at the poor animal with Lana even wrapping her arms around herself.
"Must've been a carriage," said Luna, back in her normal voice. "See those reins on it?"
"Yeesh," was all that Lynn could say.
"Now I'm really glad Lola isn't watching this," said Lana.
~PB~
Another bolt of lightning transitioned to the panning down, only this time it led to a cliff side that had the wreck in question. Both horses were on the ground, dead. The wooden carriage was smashed to bits with a woman's lower half sticking out. Another transition, this time without an accompanying thunderbolt, zoomed in on the woman. Her proper blue dress was torn and dirtied, and a hand with a wedding ring was loosely gripped on the door.
A flash of lightning led to a gruesome sight, as the driver had been impaled from behind. Two splintered wooden stakes from the crash were run through his head and chest, one sticking out of his mouth, his dead eyes bulging from his last moments.
~LBR~
"Oh man, I did not need to see that," said Lincoln, holding onto Lana.
"Yeah, I'm all for gross stuff, but this is pushing my limits real quick," agreed Lana, having latched onto her older brother.
"Pfft, that's nothing," said Lynn. "Did I ever tell you about the time I fell twenty feet and—"
"You did, dude, and we don't wanna hear it again," said Luna, hand on her stomach.
~PB~
"Damnation. Whoa!" laughed the man, now revealed to be wearing what looked like a purple shirt, dark purple trench coat, and black bowler hat with a blue stripe. He also had a long, thick, purple beard.
~LBR~
"Wait, why is his hair purple? Is that an anime thing?" asked Lana, already over the gore.
"Yeah, sometimes they have weird hair and eye colors," said Lincoln. "Though maybe this is just a style thing for this scene. I mean, the rocks are purple too."
~PB~
In the foreground was a man with a light blue suit and yellow ascot, his face hidden from view. He seemed to be unnoticed by the bearded man, who chuckled as he approached the dead driver.
"This bastard must've died right quick like," said the bearded man, his companion sliding down the cliff side. She was also wearing purple, having a dress and a hat.
~LBR~
"Hey, someone tell this guy to wash his mouth out with soap!" said Lincoln.
"Did they even have soap in the nineteenth century?" asked Luna.
"Hopefully not," said Lana.
~PB~
The scene changed to the fallen man's face, revealing messy cyan hair and a matching mustache.
~LBR~
"Yeah, I think this is a style thing," said Lincoln. "The blue hair is a bit much."
"This coming from Jack Frost over here," said Lynn, pointing to Lincoln's stark white hair.
"Hey, my white hair is cool!"
"Yeah, I bet all the chicks in the retirement home say that."
"Says the girl whose hair looks like a horse's butt!" retorted Lincoln. "And with a smell to match!"
"Cool it, you guys," said Luna.
~PB~
"Fell off that cliff, I'll warrant," said the bearded man. "Carriage wheels slipped in the mud." As he spoke, the camera panned down the suited man's body, revealing a ring matching his wife's on his left hand. "They weren't hurting for coin if these fine clothes tell it true." As he spoke, a baby's cry could be heard in the background.
~LBR~
"Is Lily crying?" asked Luna, before the realization hit the four of them like a ton of bricks. "Wait, there's a BABY in that carriage?!"
"That seriously sucks," said Lynn. "Maybe these two will adopt them? Both their parents seem, you know… "
"I wouldn't trust that man with a pet rock, let alone a baby," said Lana.
~PB~
"Dario!" exclaimed the woman, having a soft spoken voice. A close up revealed she had dark plum hair, purple eyes, and an indigo scarf, her right hand on the totaled carriage. "The lady is dead but the baby with her, it's still alive. I can hear it."
~LBR~
"She gave her life for her baby," said Lincoln, touched by the scene. "That's so cool."
"You're telling me," said Lynn.
~PB~
"She must've protected it with her body," said the woman to the bearded man, evidently named Dario.
"Leave it be," said Dario from over his shoulder, having bent over in front of the father of the crying baby and husband of the dead woman. "Soon enough, it'll be dead." He then held up the dead man's hand and began to twist the ring on his finger.
"Wh— what are you doing?" asked the woman as Dario began pulling off the ring.
~LBR~
"WOW, what a total sleazeball!" shouted Lynn, holding out her hands as her siblings glared at the graverobber.
"'What does it look like, ya hag! I'm looting this corpse! Now help me undress 'im!'" mocked Luna before crossing her arms. "Yeesh, even Flip wouldn't stoop that low."
"He probably sold his soul for 62 cents," muttered Lincoln. While Lana was also upset, she had other priorities.
"Is nobody gonna talk about his blue fingernails?"
As soon as she said that, everyone looked to the paused screen to see he did in fact have light blue nails.
"I… have no idea," said Lincoln. "Guess even lowlife scum likes to look good."
"If that were true, he should've put more effort into his dental work," said Lynn, pointing out his crooked yellow teeth.
"Yeah, dude. He's single handedly reinforcing Britain's worst stereotypes."
~PB~
"You've got eyes, ain't you, woman?" mocked Dario, having finally pried the ring off. "I'm appropriating his jewelry."
~LBR~
"Huh, guess I'm psychic," joked Luna.
~PB~
"Huh! What have we here?" pondered Dario as he noticed a suitcase by the rich man's body. He flipped up the latches and opened it, revealing a creepy mask. It was made entirely out of white stone, with a spider's web of cracks and an odd swirled pattern. There were two holes where the eyes were and what looked like an extension for covering the nose. "Evil-looking thing, ain't it?" commented Dario as the camera slowly zoomed in on the ominous mask, before he clasped the suitcase shut. "Won't fetch me nothing."
~LBR~
"'This century old mask is totally worthless.' What, were museums not a thing yet?" asked Lynn. "Or pawn shops?"
"I'm not saying I am, because I'm not, but was anybody creeped out by that mask?" said Lana, shivering a little.
"Yeah, that was creepy. Like it'll take over your body if you put it on or something," said Lincoln. While they didn't show it like Lana, his older sisters shared his sentiments.
'Whatever that mask is, it's nothing good.'
~PB~
"Hey! Lend a hand!" shouted Dario as he chucked the suitcase. "Help me yank out his pearly teeth!" The suitcase opened as it hit the rocks, the mask falling out and landing nearby a pool of blood. "They'll fetch a pretty copper."
~LBR~
"Hey, that's not right!" said Lana.
"I agree, Lans," said Luna. "This Dario dude is one twisted customer."
"Yeah, the Tooth Fairy only gives you money for your own teeth! Mom and Dad said so!"
Lana's older siblings stared at her for a second, before silently agreeing to just keep watching.
~PB~
As Dario went to pry out the fallen man's teeth, a hand suddenly shot up and grabbed Dario's hand, causing him to recoil and cry out.
~LBR~
"Holy moly, he's a zombie!" shouted Lincoln, backing up as much as he could while sitting on a couch.
~PB~
The scene switched perspectives to the rich man, who wasn't dead after all, his blue eyes open as Dario stared in shock.
"Providence… sends me aid in the guise of a man," said the rich man in a deeper, more polite voice than Dario's scratchy tone, though just as raspy due to his injuries. "Many thanks."
~LBR~
"Or he was alive the whole time. That makes more sense," said Lincoln sheepishly, his three sisters trying their best not to laugh at his freak out.
~PB~
Both Dario and his companion gasped as the man's hand fell to the ground. "My wife… " said the man weakly, "My wife and son, tell me, do they live?"
"I hate to say it but your wife, saints preserve her, has gone on to her heavenly rest," said Dario, with dubious amounts of sympathy. "But the baby is alive and well."
~LBR~
"No thanks to you, you sack of crap," muttered Lynn.
"Not you too, Lynn!" said Lincoln, pausing the show.
"Come on, you were thinking the same thing!"
"Doesn't mean I'm gonna say it," defended Lincoln.
"Not another fight," sighed Luna before she decided to step in. "Look, you guys can curse a little if you want to, but keep it PG. I don't want Lori or the 'rents on our backs, or worse, for Lily to learn any more bad words."
"Okay," said Lynn and Lincoln, content with the agreement as Lincoln resumed the show.
'How did Lily learn that, anyway?' thought Luna.
~PB~
"Mmmm… " groaned the rich man as he closed his eyes, tears flowing freely. "Fate is most cruel." He then opened his eyes and looked up at the two would-be robbers. "My name is George Joestar. You have saved my life this cursed night."
~LBR~
"Yeah, for a loose definition of 'saved,'" said Lincoln. "The guy still has your ring!"
~PB~
"Quickly," said George, "tell me your name that I may remember before my senses fail me."
Dario gasped at the request of the injured man. 'This peacock thinks I'm here out of the goodness of me heart.' There was suddenly a very creepy close-up on Dario, the middle of his face covered in shadow and one eye half-closed, as he laughed to himself while continuing to monologue in his mind. 'Little does he know. Guess I'll oblige him.'
Dario took off his hat, revealing that he was bald. "Dario Brando, Your Lordship."
~LBR~
"So that's why he has that stupid hat," chuckled Lana.
~PB~
"Sir, I swear to you," said George, "the Joestar family will honor the debt we have incurred."
As George said this, nobody noticed that a pool of blood was trickling towards the mask. As soon as a thin stream of it touched the stone mask, which was now shown to have a fanged mouth, it began to shake. All of a sudden, it jumped into the air as ten curved spikes shot out of the sides, curving behind it like some sort of rib cage.
~LBR~
"What the heck was that?!" asked Lana.
"I dunno, but it's freaky," said Luna. "It's like that mask is alive or something."
"Maybe it's haunted," said Lincoln.
"Who's ever heard of a haunted mask?" asked Lynn.
~PB~
The background suddenly faded to black, as the mask, now having retracted the rib-like spikes, started spinning around the screen, almost floating through the darkness.
~LBR~
"Man, this is trippy," muttered Luna.
~PB~
The mask began to float towards the camera, before the camera went through one of its eyes. As soon as this happened, there was a transition to daytime in the English countryside, with a huge mansion in view. Another bit of Japanese text appeared at the bottom of the screen, and the translation read "12 years later."
~LBR~
"Gah, mood whiplash!" shouted Lincoln.
"Yeesh, glad we didn't watch this at night," said Lynn, noticing the contrast in lighting. "I might've gone blind."
"Twelve years, huh? Wasn't expecting a time skip only a couple minutes in," said Luna.
~PB~
A dog started barking as a new voice spoke. "Ah, there's a good boy." There was a cut to the balcony of the mansion where George Joestar, now sporting a black suit and purple hair, was looking over his son and his dog, a white Great Dane with black spots. The boy, now twelve years old, had his father's purple hair. He wore a blue shirt with a brown jacket and magenta bow tie, darker brown pants, and black boots.
"Father! I'm off!" shouted the young man as he waved to his father.
"Then fare thee well, JoJo!" shouted George with a bow.
~LBR~
"Aw, cool, he's got a dog! And he kinda looks like a bigger Charles, even if they're different breeds," said Lana, before turning to Lincoln. "So that kid is JoJo?"
"Looks like it," said Luna. "Kinda weird that he's named that."
"Yeah, who heard of a guy named Jojo?" asked Lynn.
"Must be a nickname," said Lincoln. "His last name is Joestar, after all."
"Makes sense," said Luna with a shrug.
~PB~
"Let's go, Danny!" said JoJo, running across the courtyard with his dog, Danny, in tow, a smile on the boy's face. George watched his son run off, a maid and butler behind him with pleased expressions.
The music suddenly changed from whimsical to sinister as the scene changed from a mansion in the countryside in the morning, to the slums of the city at night. The raspy voice of Dario, even worse than before, started coughing violently before the home of Dario Brando was revealed. It was a very modest place, to be kind, with very few pieces of luxury, such as the armchair that was occupied by a new person, and the very nice dresser beside the bed that Dario was now occupying. All around the place were empty bottles of alcohol.
~LBR~
"So this is where he lives," said Lincoln. "I'm not surprised."
"Guess he had a kid too," said Lana. "Think he married that girl he was with?"
"Not sure, but it's clear she's not around anymore," said Luna.
~PB~
"Dio!" called Dario before going into another coughing fit. He was certainly bedridden, and now sporting white hair and wearing yellow pajamas. "Mind your father." The old thief started coughing as he reached out to the figure in the chair. They were reading a book by the candlelight, paying no attention to their ill father.
~LBR~
"Dio? Where have I heard that before?" wondered Luna, putting her hand to her chin. The name sounded incredibly familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. 'Eh, it'll come to me, I'm sure.'
~PB~
"Damn your eyes, you lazy boy," complained Dario. "Are you deaf?"
~LBR~
"Pretty sure the eyes have nothing to do with being deaf," said Lana.
"Maybe he just really hates his eyes," said Lincoln with a shrug.
~PB~
The boy in the chair, Dio, who was holding his book open one-handed using his thumb and pinky, moved his hands to the front and back cover and slammed the book shut. He sighed as he stood up, revealing curly blonde hair, a light pink shirt, purple pants with brown Y-shaped overalls, and brown dress shoes. A tray with a pitcher of water, a glass that was nearly empty, and a white packet of medicine sat on the table by a candle. "What do you want, Father," asked Dio as he set his book on the table, "medicine?"
~LBR~
"Whoa, that is a deep voice for a twelve-year-old," said Lincoln. "I'm pretty sure I won't sound like THAT this summer."
"I know, right? I mean, look at your friend Zach," said Luna. "The dude sounds like a girl."
"What?"
"Oh good, it's not just me," confessed Lynn. "When you called Clyde and Liam over speakerphone to play Mario Kart at our house, I thought Liam was a girl until I saw him."
"Their voices aren't THAT high!"
~PB~
"You idiot!" berated Dario. "Their snake oil does me no good." As he reached for a bottle of alcohol on his dresser, a brief cut showed Dio glaring at his father's behavior with spite, revealing his orange eyes and three moles on the outside of his left ear.
"Get out of here and don't come back until you've found me some booze!" And with that, Dario threw the bottle of liquor. Dio tilted his head to dodge it, and the bottle being thrown led to a transition to the Joestars eating dinner.
~LBR~
"Even while dying, he's still a total tool," said Lynn.
"Gotta give them credit for that transition, though," said Lincoln. "It's like a magic trick!"
~PB~
At dinner at the Joestar Manor's lavish dining room, JoJo was wasting no time, cutting huge pieces of his meat and shoveling them into his mouth with his knife and fork, chewing loudly. Sauce covered his face as he devoured his dinner, much to the disappointment of his father. George couldn't help but sigh. "Your manners are dreadful," he said as JoJo took a loud swig of wine.
~LBR~
"If JoJo's manners are dreadful, then what are ours?" asked Luna. "Horrendous?"
"No, I think he'd see Lana eat and just faint," said Lincoln.
"Eh," shrugged the girl in question. "Can't say you're wrong."
~PB~
JoJo looked down shamefully with his glass and knife in hand, a piece of meat still speared on the latter. "Forgive me, Father."
Suddenly, there was a jump cut to a chessboard as one of the players moved their black queen. "Checkmate," came Dio's voice.
~LBR~
"Ah, chess," said Lynn. "Still can't believe a nerd game like that is a sport according to the International Olympic Committee."
"So THAT'S why you were so good at it," said Lincoln.
"Yeah, aren't you the only one here who beat Lisa in a game of chess?" added Lana.
"Yep, that's me. Guess I'm just as good when it comes to brains as brawn," said Lynn, pointing to her head with one hand while flexing her muscles with the other arm.
"Your report card says otherwise," said Luna, causing Lynn to look shocked for half a second and glare at her older sister.
"Wait, didn't Lily beat Lisa at chess once?" pondered Lincoln.
"WHAT?! HOW?!" shouted his sisters in unison.
"I asked Lisa the same thing. Apparently she cheats," said Lincoln with a shrug, clearly just as baffled as them.
"Can you play the show before I get a headache?" said Lana.
"Right, I'm on it."
~PB~
The scene backed up to reveal Dio was in a pub, a plate of food beside the chessboard. His opponent, a grown man with huge sideburns and stubble, grunted as he saw that he indeed lost. With a grown, he stood up, reached into his pocket, and tossed five coins on the table. "Take it," he said indignantly.
Dio turned to see the coins, his plate of food between them and him. As he leaned forward a bit to reach out and grab them, his opponent suddenly grabbed the top of his head and brought it down on the plate, covering Dio's face in his own dinner.
"Don't feel so smart now, do you, whelp?" taunted the spiteful man, holding Dio's head down. Dio said nothing, only groaning as he clenched a fist around the coins and trembled with rage.
~LBR~
"Gee, what a sore loser."
Lynn suddenly found three pairs of bewildered eyes on her. "What?"
"N-Nothing," said Lincoln as they went back to the show.
~PB~
There was a sudden transition to a later day in the morning. The scene was in a grassy field with a few stone ruins. Two boys were laughing and throwing something to each other, a girl in the middle trying to stop them. "No, stop!" she yelled to no avail as one of them held whatever she was after out of her reach, the other one clapping and chanting "Yeah! Yeah!"
"Please, just give her back!" said the girl as there was a close-up on the item in question, a doll with brown braids and a pink dress.
"Oh, lemme guess, Erina!" said the second boy. "Your daddy bought you this doll, didn't he?" A zoom-out revealed the second boy to have a brown bowler hat, a teal shirt with suspenders and a pink tie, green knickerbockers, striped socks, and black shoes. The first one, shorter and wider than his beanstalk of a companion, had a blue cap like a paperboy, a white shirt with a pink vest and green bow tie, tan slacks, and brown loafers. The girl, Erina, was a blonde with a fancy blue and white dress. As the tall boy spoke, he jumped around, keeping the doll just out of Erina's reach.
Another cut showed the stout boy had black curly hair and the tall boy had blonde hair in the same style, while Erina had blue eyes. "It's fancy," said the taller brat as he looked at the doll, the stout boy running up to him. "Being a quack must pay him real nice."
~LBR~
"Oh goodie, just what we needed. More jerks," complained Lana.
~PB~
"I know," said the tall boy as another creepy close-up occurred, this time displaying him and his companion as they looked at the doll. "What do you say, we peel off this fancy-looking dress, huh? And see if they made her with all the real girl bits underneath?"
~LBR~
"Uh, okay… " said Lincoln, everyone at least a little uncomfortable. "Even without how creepy that is, the 1800s must've been REALLY boring if this is what they do for fun."
~PB~
At this point, Erina started to cry, much to the amusement of her tormentors as they started cackling. "Erina's a crybaby! Erina's a crybaby!" chanted the boys. "Erina's a cry—"
"That's enough!"
The boys stopped their chanting and Erina turned around to see JoJo standing on one of the stone walls. "Give it back to her right now!"
~LBR~
"About time somebody stepped in," said Lynn. "Kick their butts to the curb, JoJo!"
~PB~
"Who's this guy?" asked the shorter bully as JoJo jumped off his perch.
"You some friend of Erina's?" asked the taller one.
"I've never met her but I'll fight for her all the same!" declared JoJo as he ran towards them, tackling the taller bully in the stomach. The boy grunted in pain as he dropped Erina's doll.
~LBR~
"Heck yeah, excellent form and power!" praised Lynn, pumping her fists.
"Hooray for basic human decency!" cheered Lincoln as he threw his fist in the air.
"I just realized that for twelve-year-olds, these guys are surprisingly well-built," said Luna. "And their faces are pretty detailed."
"Must be the artist's style," said Lincoln. "A lot of manga and anime creators have unique drawing styles that are instantly noticeable. Same goes for Western comics and cartoons."
"And besides, what's wrong with this?" asked Lynn as she again flexed her muscles.
"You think I'll be that buff when I'm thirteen?" asked Lana.
"It's a heavy burden, Lans," said Lynn. "Not everyone can handle it. Just look at Stinkoln."
"Hey!"
~PB~
"Who is this idiot?" asked the tall bully as JoJo kept punching him in the torso with little effect, the bully raising his arms above his head. "Getting in a fight for a girl he don't even know!" He then brought his hands together and slammed them on JoJo's back. JoJo stuck out his tongue and grunted in pain as his body went completely straight and horizontal.
~LBR~
At the sight of JoJo, the four Louds went into hysterics.
"Oh man, I know that had to hurt, but look at the poor guy!" said Lincoln between laughs.
"And the award for best planker goes too… " joked Lana.
Eventually, the four of them managed to calm down enough to continue watching.
~PB~
JoJo fell on the ground with a whimper as the bully that struck him backed up. As JoJo got into his elbows and knees while groaning in pain, the stouter bully started walking up to him. "Looks like somebody was nothing but talk."
The taller bully put his hands on his hips and let out an obnoxious laugh. "Look at him there on the ground. Are you gonna cry?" he taunted. "Some knight in shining armor you turned out to be."
Groaning in pain, JoJo brought himself to his knees, blood dripping from his nose and mouth. He pulled out a white handkerchief and started using it to wipe the blood away. A zoom-in showed that it read "Jonathan Joestar" on one of the corners.
~LBR~
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh," went the four of them, now understanding where "JoJo" came from.
~PB~
The shorter bully gasped. "This little pantywaist is the Joestar kid," he said. This seemed to tick off his companion as he pointed at Jonathan.
"Now that I know you're some rich guy's son, we're just getting started." The scene suddenly changed to Erina looking horrified. "You can't buy your way outta this." Erina covered her eyes and looked away as the two thugs beat Jonathan up offscreen.
"Hit him some more!" shouted the shorter one. Erina stopped looking away and was horrified by the offscreen beating they were giving her would-be savior.
~LBR~
"'Remember, kids, never ever get involved or try to help, or you'll get hurt!'" joked Luna.
"Ain't that the truth," muttered Lincoln.
"Come on, we all apologized for that, you included," said Lynn.
"Plus the Sister - er, Sibling Fight Protocol now, has been totally overhauled," said Luna.
"I know, I know, I'll try not to bring it up," said Lincoln as he grabbed the controller. "We're trying to have a good time after all."
~PB~
There was another scene change, this time back to the Brando home, as Dio stood before his bedridden father. "Listen, Dio," instructed Dario. "I am not long for this world. When I die… " The old man went into a coughing fit as he held out a letter with a trembling hand. "You get yourself to the Joestar mansion along with this letter. The fool thinks he owes me." The letter was to George Joestar, complete with address. "This is your ticket to greatness. It's your only chance, Dio. Go out there and take this useless world for all you can get."
~LBR~
"So what, is Dio supposed to be the other main character?" wondered Lana as Luna went back to trying to remember where she heard "Dio" from before this.
"Either that or the villain," said Lincoln. "One of those two."
"Dario sounds pretty bad," said Lynn. "His voice is almost as scratchy as Luna's."
"Yeah… HEY!"
~PB~
The scene cut back to Jonathan falling onto his back. The taller boy spat at his feet. "Crawl on back to your damn manor, little Lord Fauntleroy."
"Let's go," said the other one, Erina standing above Jonathan as the bullies walked away. Jonathan slowly turned to his side and tried to stand up.
"You okay?" asked Erina, crouching down to try and help him up, only for him to push her away.
"Just leave me alone! I'll be fine! I did not take a beating just now for your sake. So whatever you're thinking, stop it!"
~LBR~
"What the heck is wrong with this kid?! First he tries to help her, then he snaps at her!" complained Lincoln. "Is he bipolar or something?"
~PB~
Erina gasped as Jonathan got back to his feet and straightened his tie. "All I want is to conduct myself as a gentleman. I spotted a damsel in distress. A true gentleman has no fear. He'll fight for those who can't. Even knowing it's a fight he has no chance of winning, he enters the fray."
~LBR~
"And all the respect for him I lost, I just gained twofold," said Lincoln, impressed and touched.
"Yeah, I like this kid!" said Lynn.
~PB~
With that said, he walked away, hand on his mouth as he went home to lick his wounds. "Someday, I'll have the strength to win." As he walked away, the scene changed to a cemetery. Dio, having added a black jacket and scarf to his outfit, stood over a gravestone reading "Dario Brando. Born 1827. Dead 1880."
~LBR~
"And nothing of value was lost," said Lynn, only to receive disapproving glares from her family. "Oh come on! He tried to steal a guy's teeth and abused his only son!"
"Still, too far, dude," said Luna, as Lynn crossed her arms, feeling guilty.
~PB~
'Devil that you were, you drove mother to an early grave. I'm glad you're dead. May you burn for your sins,' thought Dio as he glared at the grave, his eyes a deep red in the night. 'The riches that eluded your grasp, I will claim them in excess. You lacked the cunning to take what you wanted but I'll prevail.' His fist closed around the letter in his hand, crinkling it. 'This Joestar shall be the key.' With that, his eyes widened in barely-contained fury.
"Now burn," he snapped before spitting on the tombstone and walking away, putting the letter in his pocket and grabbing a suitcase. 'I will claim what is rightfully mine.'
~LBR~
"Guess I was right about him being the villain," said Lincoln.
~PB~
The scene changed to Jonathan's handkerchief, laying on the grass with a dab of blood on it. Erina carefully picked it up before reading the name on it and looking towards Jonathan. "'Jonathan Joestar.'" she said in awe as the camera panned away.
"This is the tale of two young men," said a narrator, "their destinies bound to intersect, and the stone mask that changes their fates forever."
~LBR~
"Bit of a weird time for a narrator," said Luna. "And how come he doesn't have an accent like the characters?"
"I'm pretty sure none of the actors are actually British," said Lynn.
"The mask changing their fates? What does that mean?" asked Lincoln.
"'Dad, Dio won't let me play with the stone mask! Tell him to share!'" joked Lana.
~PB~
As the panning went to the Joestar manor, not that far from where Jonathan and Erina were with a horse drawn carriage traveling up the road towards the mansion, the title screen appeared, showing "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure."
~LBR~
"Title card!" shouted Luna before chuckling, Lincoln joining in. The other two just looked confused.
~PB~
The scene changed to a front view of the Joestar estate, text reading the episode name as "Chapter 1: Dio the Invader."
~LBR~
"Dio was an alien this whole time!" laughed Lincoln, while Luna was thinking.
'Dio, Dio, Dio…!'
"HOLY DIVER!"
"Whoa!" gasped Lynn as she moved to the side, knocking into Lincoln and Lana. Luna's eyes were the size of dinner plates, and her mouth was a huge open smile. "What is it?"
"I know that name! Dio, as in Ronnie James Dio!"
"Oh, cool, Ronnie James Dio!" said Lincoln, before blinking. "Care to explain who that is to the rest of us?"
"Dudes, he's a total rock legend! He sang for Black Sabbath, and was the front runner of his own band, also called Dio! He's the guy who made THIS a thing in rock and roll!" With that, she threw the goat horns on both hands. "He's up there with Mick Swagger himself! I can't believe they referenced him in this show, that's wicked!"
"That's pretty cool and all, but are you sure it's a reference?" asked Lincoln. "It could just be a coincidence."
"No way, little bro, it's gotta be intentional!"
"Whatever you say," said Lynn, the others clearly not believing the oldest one there.
'It has to be a reference, it just has to be.'
~PB~
As Jonathan walked past the fountain in front of his home, still wiping his mouth clean from his previous encounter, he heard the sound of horses cantering and gasped at what he saw.
~LBR~
"So he just came back from the fight? Then when did the whole thing with Dio happen?" asked Lana. "It was at night!"
"Real time interspersed with flashbacks?" suggested Lincoln, at a loss himself.
~PB~
The carriage from before, pulled by two horses, was approaching. It slowed to a stop, much to Jonathan's curiosity. As the horses neighed loudly, the carriage door slammed open. A black suitcase fell out with a loud thud. Suddenly, Dio, now sporting a blue suit, leapt from the carriage in slow motion, the background blood-red. He landed on one knee, kicking up a small ring of dust, then slowly stood up, giving Jonathan a fierce glare. A piercing note played as a sound effect for "Bam!" appeared.
~LBR~
"Yeesh, that's one way to make an entrance," said Lana. Indeed, the four of them had to lean back after a display like that.
"Gotta give him props for style," said Lincoln."
"And form, that was a sick landing," said Lynn, leaning forward.
~PB~
'Who is he?' thought Jonathan as Dio crossed his arms. Realizing he was staring, Jonathan took a step back. "You must be Dio Brando, right?"
"And you're Jonathan, heir to the Joestars."
"Yes. Please, call me JoJo. It's a pleasure to meet you." As Jonathan held out his hand, Danny started barking and running toward them, causing the two boys to gasp and turn to him.
"Danny!" called Jonathan with a smile on his face.
~LBR~
"Hey, I think that's another reference," said Luna. "Danny, like Danny's Song by Loggins and Messina!"
"Okay, that's a serious stretch," said Lincoln, raising an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure that neither of those are references."
"I'm positive they are!" defended Luna. "I'm sure that the creator is using music references!"
"It's a Japanese series, why would he name them after American and European music? It doesn't make any sense!"
"Maybe he likes the classics!"
"Can we watch the show now, or are you two gonna keep arguing about music?" asked Lana, as they decided to drop the issue for now.
~PB~
Jonathan chuckled as he crouched down with his arms outspread. "That's Danny. He's my dog as well as my steadfast companion. Don't worry, he knows better than to nip at strangers."
For a brief moment, a blue filter covered Dio as he scoffed, eyes narrowing as his lips formed a tight frown. The frown turned to a look of rage and panic as he swung his knee up, kicking Danny right in the face. The dog let out a high-pitched whine of pain.
~LBR~
Lana let out a huge gasp as she put her hands over her mouth, fingers trembling. For a young girl like her who loved animals, this was a bit too much, and her older siblings agreed.
"What the hell was that?!" screeched Luna, not caring about her language. "What kind of freak kicks a dog in the face?"
"He's probably the same kind of person who fries ants with a magnifying glass," snarled Lynn, clenching the couch cushion like a stress ball.
"He wasn't even doing anything!" shouted Lincoln as he turned to Lana. "You okay, Lans? I'm sorry you had to see that…"
"I—I'm okay," she said. "But I don't think I like Dio very much now… "
~PB~
Jonathan was appalled by Dio's actions, clenching a fist. "What was that for? How dare you!" Both he and Dio raised their fists, about ready to brawl.
'So, this is the best that I must usurp,' thought Dio as Jonathan grunted, his clenched teeth contrasting the stoic blonde. 'Wears his heart on his sleeve. He's quick to anger.' As he evaluated Jonathan, Danny lay on his side, still convulsing in pain. 'This pampered fool is no match for the likes of Dio Brando.'
"Fighting already?" The two boys gasped as they looked towards the front doors, George standing outside with his butler and maid beside him. "I would know what this is about," he scolded as he approached them.
~LBR~
"SO WOULD WE!" responded the Louds in unison.
~PB~
"Sorry," said Dio as he bowed to George, catching Jonathan off guard. "The dog jumped at me and in my haste, I struck it. However, Dio was secretly smirking.
~LBR~
Lynn sniffed loudly. "Hmm, sounds like a bunch of GARBAGE coming from those lips of yours, Dio."
"Hey, don't compare him to something as awesome as trash!" shouted Lana.
"Also, it's 'rubbish,'" added Luna in her British accent, earning eye rolls from her younger siblings.
~PB~
"Welcome to the manor," said George as the scene changed to the inside of the mansion. Some of the more notable features were the Venus statue by the staircase, the red floral wallpaper, and most disturbingly of all, the stone mask from twenty years prior, now displayed on the wall.
~LBR~
"Apparently, this dude has some freaky taste in decorating," said Luna as she saw the familiar stone mask.
"I dunno, seems like something Lucy would keep around," said Lynn. "Trust me, I'd know."
~PB~
"Consider yourself a part of the family," continued George as he turned to his son and workers. "Everyone, I would have died in the crash that claimed my wife, were it not for Dio's father. You will treat him as you would my own son."
"Very well, Your Lordship," said one of the butlers as they all bowed.
"This is your home now, Dio," said George to a smirking Dio. "Please avail yourself of all its comforts."
~LBR~
"So he's adopting Dio? Not gonna lie, that's pretty cool," said Lincoln. "Still, he's not exactly deserving of it."
~PB~
Dio bowed before his new father. "Thank you, sir, for taking in this poor unfortunate."
George then walked behind Jonathan and placed his hands on his shoulders. "JoJo has lost his mother as well, and you're the same age. You'll be thick as thieves soon."
~LBR~
"'Your mom's dead, my mom's dead, wanna hang out?'" mocked Luna.
~PB~
"JoJo, Dio didn't mean to hurt Danny."
"Right," said Jonathan, as the scene cut to Danny eating from his food dish, watched by a smiling caretaker.
~LBR~
"I don't believe that for a second, but at least Danny is okay," said Lana.
~PB~
"It stands to reason, Father," said Jonathan. "If a strange dog jumped at me, I'd be surprised too." As father and son talked, Dio smirked out of their field of vision. The scene suddenly became altered with many arrows in the background, an orange filter over Jonathan. 'I wish his apology had been more sincere but as we'll be living here together, I'll do my utmost to be friendly.'
"This way, Dio," said George, snapping Jonathan out of his thoughts and the scene back to normal. "I'll show you your chamber."
"Yes, sir," said Dio as he passed Jonathan and stopped at the bottom two stairs, staring at the stone mask.
~LBR~
"He's wondering if that'll make a good Halloween costume," joked Lana.
~PB~
He then turned to see Jonathan reaching for his suitcase, quickly grabbing his wrist in an iron grip.
Jonathan grunted in pain. "You're hurting me! Please let go!" he screamed as Dio raised his arm.
"Watch your hands," snapped Dio. "No one's allowed to touch my things without my permission." Jonathan gasped as Dio tightened his grip. "Next time you reach for what's mine with this paw, I'll break it."
"I was only trying to help!" pleaded Jonathan as Dio suddenly spun around while still holding his wrist, with Jonathan now behind Dio.
"Well, don't!" With that, Dio used his other arm to elbow Jonathan in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. He released Jonathan, the Joestar heir clutching his hand and chest while whimpering in pain. "I will have a servant carry them up for me."
As Jonathan whimpered, Dio crouched behind him and pulled on his ear. "Listen. I may be a guest within your house but I am not to be trifled with." A sadistic smirk appeared on Dio's face as he leaned in. "In all things that I do, I am number one. Look down your nose at me and you'll regret it."
~LBR~
"I didn't think it was possible, but I like this guy less than Dario," said Luna.
"Yeah, he's definitely rising through the ranks," said Lincoln, before he thought for a minute. "Wait, that doesn't sound right. Falling through the ranks?"
~PB~
"But, Dio," said Jonathan, more confused and sad than hurt at the moment, "I want for us to be friends."
"And another thing," continued Dio, moving in front of Jonathan and raising an index finger as to make a point, all while completely ignoring Jonathan. "I hate all mongrels. They don't scare me. I just despise how they fawn over the unworthy. So keep that mangy mutt of yours well away from me, Joestar."
~LBR~
"Okay, now he's definitely crossed the line," said Lynn. "What kind of heartless, soulless scumbag hates dogs?"
"People with very, very good reasons or bad people," said Lana, crossing her arms and glaring at the TV so hard, Lincoln thought it might explode. "And we know which one Dio is."
~PB~
"Dio, what's keeping you?" called George from the top of the stairs. "Hurry along."
"Yes, sir," said Dio, regaining his polite facade and walking up the stairs.
~LBR~
"No way George didn't hear some of that," said Luna. "Even mom and pops aren't that ignorant."
~PB~
"With Dio's sudden arrival," said the narrator, "JoJo's carefree life spiraled into one of misery." As the narrator spoke, the scene of a smirking Dio walking up the stairs changed to a zoom-in on the stone mask.
~LBR~
"Why do I have the feeling that the next few minutes are going to make us very uncomfortable?" Lincoln asked nobody in particular. His sisters were silent on the matter, but they shared his thoughts.
~PB~
The scene changed to a desk in the library as Jonathan, working in a math workbook, was suddenly struck in the hand by a black crop. He flinched and pulled back his hand, face twisted in discomfort as his wide-open mouth groaned in pain. "You got another one wrong, JoJo!" scolded his father as he pointed the truncheon at him, then pointed to Dio. "Look at Dio. Twenty out of twenty, not a single mistake."
~LBR~
"Hoo boy, I smell favoritism," said Luna.
"Yeah, and talk about strict. Not even the Hoff hit his students when they got things wrong."
"The Hoff?" asked Lincoln.
"Sixth and seventh grade math teacher, plus sixth grade homeroom. Better hope you don't get stuck with him, he's a piece of work."
Lincoln gulped at the vague threat. "I hope not… "
~PB~
The scene then changed to dinner, with George and Dio showing excellent manners, and Jonathan showing the opposite as usual. While spearing his meat, he accidentally slid his plate and hands over, knocking into his wine glass and spilling it.
~LBR~
"Is he drinking wine?" noticed Luna. "He's twelve!"
"Maybe it's grape juice, and this is how rich people drink it," suggested Lana.
"Probably. I drank orange juice from one back when I had that limo ride," said Lincoln with a sigh. "Good times, good times."
~PB~
"JoJo!" shouted George, banging his fist on the table. "Your table manners are simply abhorrent. You act as if you were raised in a barn." He then stood up and snapped his fingers. "Clear JoJo's plate at once. He's had enough."
"What?" gasped Jonathan as a servant regrettably bowed.
~LBR~
"Ouch, were all parents this strict in the 1800's?" asked Lana.
"Yeah, the worst Pops did was make us eat cereal," said Luna.
~PB~
"That's all the dinner you get tonight," said George. "It's clear to me that I failed in your upbringing when I look at Dio. If your mother could see you now. Dio's manners are impeccable." Jonathan could only sigh as the same servant took away his plate, Dio taking a small sip from his glass.
~LBR~
"Way to rub salt in the wound, you jerk," snarled Lynn. "What, do you want him to start bleaching his hair now to be more like Dio?"
~PB~
Jonathan got up and ran from the table, desperately holding back tears as Dio scoffed. "What an oaf," said Dio. The violin music in the background was suddenly replaced by cheering as the scene changed to the same field where Jonathan met Erina. Around a patch of dirt, wooden fences had been used to create a pentagonal boxing ring, with a fighter and referee in the center and over a dozen cheering fans surrounding it.
~LBR~
"Oh, this is gonna be sweet," said Lynn as she leaned forward, grinning ear to ear.
~PB~
"Our first pugilist up is Jonathan Joestar," said the announcer/referee, a sudden close-up revealing the boxer to be Jonathan, now wearing a white tank top and shorts and sporting a pair of red boxing gloves. His surprisingly toned physique was on full display as he flexed his muscles, the crowd cheering for him. "He's been looking stronger lately, I'd say."
~LBR~
"I repeat my earlier statement," said Luna. "For someone his age, JoJo is ripped."
"Stop saying that like it's a bad thing," said Lynn. "Besides, if the case is telling the truth, this is just the beginning."
~PB~
"As for his opponent today, it's a boxer we haven't seen before," added the snazzy-dressed announcer, causing Jonathan to gasp in confusion as everyone's attention turned to a familiar figure behind the crowd. "He's a newcomer to our fair city. All we know is his name."
"I wonder how he'll do," said a spectator.
'It can't be,' thought Jonathan as the scene changed to a blue-filtered close-up of his face. Suddenly, a zoom-in revealed none other than Dio, sporting black and blue boxing gear and blue gloves he was tightening with his teeth.
"Introducing our surprise opponent, Dio Brando!" Another blast of kanji appeared on the screen as Dio glanced at his brother.
~LBR~
"Real quick, was anyone HERE surprised? Raise your hand if so," instructed Lincoln. Nobody raised their hand. "Thought so."
~PB~
"Same as ever," explained the ref. "Land a hit to the other guy's face and the match is over. Now fight!" The bell rang as they both raised their fists, the crowd chanting for the two of them.
"Get him, JoJo!"
"Take him down!"
~LBR~
"Come on, JoJo, you can handle this punk!" cheered Lynn, clapping her hands. "Give him the old one-two!"
"Somebody's getting invested," said Lincoln.
"No duh, Stinkoln! There's finally a real fight! This'll be so cool!"
~PB~
Jonathan started sprinting towards Dio, who got into a defensive stance. Jonathan started with a powerful right hook, but Dio, seeing the move from a mile away, backed up to dodge it. Jonathan stopped himself, grunted, and went for an uppercut with his left, which Dio dodged with a slip. Jonathan followed with a jab that was once again dodged. At this point, Jonathan was annoyed as he kept up a flurry of punches. No matter what he threw - a hook, a jab, an uppercut - Dio would bob and weave around the blow and use footwork to keep a distance, not yet trying to go on the offensive or even counter. It was like he was toying with Jonathan.
"Look at him dodge those hits," said an impressed spectator. Suddenly, the scene went into slow motion and the colors changed again. Jonathan's arms, still punching wildly, were gold, while Dio was pitch black with spots of purple. "I've never seen the like."
'I can't connect,' thought a frustrated Jonathan, before dealing a flurry of jabs that only struck the air.
~LBR~
"Can you really call this a fight?" asked Luna.
"Come on, don't be so reckless, you'll tire yourself out! Wait until he tries to go for a jab, then use a cross to knock that smug look off his face!" shouted Lynn, mimicking said punch.
~PB~
'The pampered brat can box. I'll grant him that much,' thought Dio as he kept evading Jonathan's swings, which were becoming a bit more wild. 'However…' Dio then changed his footing, before dealing a powerful punch to Jonathan's stomach, knocking the wind out of the purple-haired heir. The fight suddenly paused as a red close-up of Dio's face appeared. '...he's never had to punch his way out of a scrape in the slums and thus I hold the advantage.'
The fight resumed as normal as Dio wound up a punch. "Take this!" He dealt a powerful punch directly into Jonathan's face, blood shooting out of Jonathan's nose as he groaned in pain.
"There it is!" shouted the announcer as the colors changed once more, with Dio being crimson and Jonathan gold. "JoJo loses the fight."
~LBR~
"Dang it! Just once, can't JoJo get back at him?" complained Lincoln as Lynn sighed, disappointed by the outcome.
"I'm just wondering why they're changing colors more than a chameleon," said Lana.
~PB~
There was a sudden close-up on a still oddly-colored Dio. 'Your suffering isn't over yet, JoJo.' As he thought this, his thumb, no longer tucked into his glove, stuck itself into Jonathan's left eye. 'I'll jam a thumb into your eye for good measure, lest you forget who you're dealing with!' And with that, Jonathan was sent flying backwards, with Dio turning around and posing with a smirk as his brother hit the dirt.
~LBR~
"Boo! BOO! Get the ref! That's a foul!" To say Lynn was upset by this would be the understatement of the year.
"Why are you complaining that he's fighting dirty? Aren't you a 'rudo?'" asked Lincoln.
"There's no heels, or faces for that matter, in boxing! It's supposed to be a clean fight! You can't pull stuff like rabbit punches or low blows, that's cheating! Not cool!"
~PB~
The crowd was quick to cheer for the victor, some of them jumping into the ring to talk to him while Jonathan was left on the ground.
"That arm of his is unreal."
"Dio!"
"Dio, that punch was simply amazing!"
"How did you dodge him so well?"
"It's just a little defensive footwork I acquired along the way," explained Dio as he punched into his palm. "If you'd like to learn it, I'd be more than happy to teach it to you fellas."
"You would do that?" asked someone from the crowd.
"Do take care that nobody shows it to JoJo," said Dio, turning to his beaten brother. "He can't keep a secret to save his life." The others turned to Jonathan, who was face down and twitching in pain.
"You don't say."
"Thanks for the warning."
~LBR~
"And now he's spreading lies. Fantastic," said Lana.
~PB~
"The thumb in my eye," said Jonathan to himself, left eye still closed and bleeding from the attack, "that was on purpose." The scene then backed up with two spotlights, one on Dio and the crowd, and one on Jonathan by himself, somber music playing.
~LBR~
"Poor guy," said Luna. "He's been left on his own like a rainbow in the dark."
~PB~
'Loneliness will devour a man from within,' thought Dio. 'I'll reduce JoJo to an empty husk.' Once more, there was a sinister close-up. 'Bit by devious bit, I'll steal the life he was meant to have. By the time we're grown, there'll be nothing left of him.'
~LBR~
"Okay, I feel like I need to say something before we continue," said Lincoln, seeing that his sisters looked either angry or uncomfortable. "Girls, I love all of you. I know that I can be a bit selfish, and yeah, you get on my nerves a bit, but all of you mean the world to me, and I wouldn't trade any of you for anything. And I would NEVER act the way Dio does to Jonathan to any of you."
"Aw, we know, bro," said Lynn as she gave Lincoln a friendly noogie, causing him to chuckle as he playfully told her to stop. "And we all feel the same about each other, right girls?"
"Totally," said Luna, as she pulled the two of them into a hug, which they gladly returned. "I don't know what I'd do without you dudes."
"Same here! I love all you guys, more than anything!" added Lana as she joined in. The four of them kept hugging for several seconds, before they broke the hug.
"Is everyone feeling better?" asked Lincoln, with all of them saying yes. "Good. Let's get back into it."
~PB~
The scene changed to Jonathan sitting in a tree, leg rocking back and forth. "Damn that Dio. It's terrible. He's ruining everything he touches."
"Look alive, fellas," came a voice as Jonathan looked to a dirt road, the camera pulling back to reveal Danny sitting a short distance from the tree, and threw people walking down the path, one heavyset boy with a news cap being eerily familiar.
~LBR~
"Oh great, it's him again," complained Lincoln. "Wonder where his friend ran off to."
~PB~
"Hey!" shouted Jonathan with a friendly wave. "It's me, Jonathan! What are you doing? Mind if I join you?"
"Huh?" said one of the boys. "I could have sworn I heard a voice a moment ago."
~LBR~
"Plot twist, he's a ghost now, and he takes the chance to haunt Dio," said Lynn.
"And here I thought you'd be a bad influence on Lucy, when it's the other way around," said Luna. "Or at least a two-way street."
~PB~
"Just that snitch," said the boy from the other day. "Better to ignore him."
"What did you say?" snapped Jonathan as he leapt from the tree branch and sprinted towards the trio. "Call me that to my face!"
The bullies looked scared as he approached. "Uh, time to go."
"JoJo's nothing but a snitch! Dio was right about you! You're just a stupid rich-boy tattletale!" added one of the boys as they turned tail and ran from Jonathan.
"Tell me what I snitched about, then! He's lying to you! Why do you just take him at his word?"
~LBR~
"'He probably isn't even a real blonde!'" joked Lana.
~PB~
"JoJo the squealer!" laughed the boys as Danny ran up to comfort his master. Jonathan grunted as he stared at the bullies.
"Dio, he's slandering me. He lies and lies, and people just eat it up! From the first day he showed up, he's been trying to destroy me." He then clenched his fists and raised them to the sky. "Damn you, Dio Brando! Dio! Dio! Dio! Dio!" As he cursed the name of his brother/tormentor, he punched the air blindly and jumped onto the grass, rolling down the hill and stopping with a thud.
~LBR~
"Kakarot!" shouted Lincoln, earning a couple glares from his sisters as he chuckled. "Sorry, couldn't resist."
"Seriously, this boy needs a hug," said Luna as she watched Jonathan's freak out unfold.
~PB~
After his little tantrum, he lied down by a river, face-up with his hands folded under his head, as Danny stood by his feet. 'Ever since he arrived, everyone's turned on me, even father.'
Danny walked up to Jonathan and whimpered, sad for his master. "Oh, Danny, I know you will always be my friend, no matter what Dio does." Jonathan smiled as he sat up, rubbing his best friend's head as Danny whined happily.
~LBR~
"Awwwww," said the four in unison.
"I bet Danny is thinking that JoJo was the good boy this whole time," said Lana.
"I bet you're right," said Lincoln as he went to pat Lana's head before stopping himself. "Your hat is clean, right?"
"Eh, relatively."
"Okay." Lincoln patted her head, causing her to chuckle.
~PB~
There was a cut to a red shoe stepping on a twig, snapping it. The camera pulled back to show Erina behind a tree trunk, a picnic basket in hand. Jonathan and Danny were alerted by the sound as they saw Erina, who just stared at them as the camera zoomed in on her. The close-up revealed she was slightly blushing, and the contents of the basket was a bunch of grapes.
"Huh?" was all Jonathan could say as Erina hung the basket from a tree branch and ran away, smiling the whole time.
"Who was that girl just now?" Jonathan thought aloud as he and Danny approached the basket. Jonathan put his index finger under his chin. "I feel as though I have seen her face before." He reached up and pulled down the basket, before noticing the handkerchief that he dropped that day, cleaned and neatly folded. Jonathan gasped. "That's my handkerchief. She brought grapes."
~LBR~
"A brilliant mind, our hero," mocked Lincoln.
"Come on, Linc, that's sweet of her!" argued Lana, with Lincoln's older sisters agreeing. Lincoln just stayed quiet, knowing he couldn't win.
~PB~
Jonathan couldn't help but smile. "Hey, thank you for the fruit!" he called to her. "You know, I'll be here tomorrow if you want to come back."
~LBR~
"JoJo and Erina, sitting in a tree," sang Lana. "K-I-S—"
"Hold up! Her name is Erina, right?"
"Oh no," said Lynn.
"Erina… in Japan, they say 'L' like 'R,' right? So it would be 'Elina' so… oh! Eleanor Rigby!"
"Wow, that's a stretch and a half," said Lincoln with a half-lidded stare at his older sister.
"Come on, you at least gotta give me points for Dio!"
"Tell you what, Lunes," said Lincoln. "If there's a name in this series that's a definitive music reference, I'll admit I was wrong. If not, then you have to admit you were wrong." He then held out his hand over Lynn's lap, to her annoyance. "Do we have a deal?"
"Oh, it's on," said Luna as they shook hands.
~PB~
Jonathan chuckled as he sat against a tree. "Didn't even tell me her name. Just ran away." As he said this, he picked a grape from the bunch and flicked it to Danny, who caught the grape in his mouth.
~LBR~
"What the heck was that?" complained Lana. "Grapes are poisonous to dogs! Are you trying to hurt your best friend?"
"I think one grape is fine, Lana," said Luna.
"Besides, it's 1880. Do you really think JoJo knew that?" added Lynn.
"I guess he wouldn't," conceded Lana.
~PB~
"Girls are such a curious bunch." As Jonathan said this, the scene changed to a large slide at a festival. The somber music became much more upbeat as it cut to Jonathan and Erina riding a wagon down the slide. Jonathan was laughing with joy while Erina was screaming, though she soon started enjoying herself.
"A dark time in Jonathan's life was suddenly made brighter by love's glowing embers," said the narrator as a montage of Jonathan and Erina spending time was shown. Jonathan was shown running up to Erina, defending her from bullies, swimming in the river with Danny. "The two became fast friends and Jonathan was enchanted by her."
'Erina Pendleton,' thought Jonathan, Erina's surname being revealed. 'The name is music to my ears. She's an angel.'
~LBR~
"Aw, it's like little bro and Ronnie Anne." cooed Luna.
"We aren't like that. And for the millionth time, we're not together!"
"Riiiiiiight," said his sisters, and Lincoln could have sworn he heard Leni say, "I don't believe you!"
~PB~
The scene then cut to Jonathan carving something into a tree with a knife.
"What on earth are you doing to that poor tree?" asked Erina, both of them wearing wetsuits from their time in the river. The camera cut to the completed carving: a heart with "JoJo" on the left inside of it and "ERINA" on the right.
"JoJo!" gasped Erina. "What possessed you to do that? Goodness." She turned away as Jonathan sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, both blushing.
~LBR~
"'This tree was calling me names,'" joked Lincoln.
~PB~
The scene cut to a sunset as Jonathan and Danny ran down the dirt road towards it. "Farewell, Erina, 'til next time," he said with a wave, Erina doing the same with her basket in hand.
Erina turned around and walked the other way while Dio, now wearing a white outfit with black fingerless gloves, was glaring from behind a tree.
~LBR~
"And then there's this guy," groaned Lincoln. "Can't you give JoJo a break for one day?!"
~PB~
The camera panned over to Erina, before cutting to Jonathan's carving as Dio put his hand on it, scoffing in amusement. Erina put her hand to her mouth, smiling about her time with Jonathan, before gasping as Dio stepped in front of her.
"Your name wouldn't happen to be Erina, would it?" asked Dio, camera panning back to reveal both the boys who were bullying her days ago.
~LBR~
"Of course Bulk and Skull would be Dio's lackeys," growled Luna.
"You know, I don't know if Erina ever got her doll back from those two," said Lincoln. "Yeah, they dropped it, but I never saw her get it back."
"Let's just say she did and brace ourselves for whatever Dio is about to pull," said Lynn.
~PB~
"You and JoJo," said Dio, "you make such a smart-looking couple." Erina whimpered as she backed away from him. "Really, I should have guessed as much. Try as I might to ruin his life, young Master Jonathan has been oddly happy as of late."
Erina whimpered and tried to run away, but Dio didn't give her that chance as he grabbed her arm. He then spun her around and held her shoulders, before he suddenly kissed her on the lips. Erina could do nothing but whimper.
~LBR~
"Okay, that is low!" shrieked Luna, getting up from the couch. "Are you really so freaking petty that you can't let him have one friend? You absolute piece of—"
"Luna! Calm down!" shouted Lynn, oddly being the voice of reason for once. "Time out!"
Luna took a deep breath before she sat back down. "Sorry, dude, that just really ticked me off. If someone did that to Sam, I'd probably deck them. Just gotta remind myself it's just a show, I can't get too mad."
"We can still hate Dio though, right?" asked Lana.
"Oh, for sure, brah."
~PB~
"He— he did it!" shouted Dio's cronies in disbelief. Erina let out a muffled scream as she pulled on Dio's sleeve, tearing it off.
"Give her the what-for!" chanted the tall bully. "The trouble I'd get into if I were as brave as Dio. He just does what he wants, devil may care."
~LBR~
"Don't congratulate him for that!" screamed Lincoln.
~PB~
Dio finally released Erina as she fell into a dirty puddle. The girl panted heavily. "Tell me, have you and JoJo kissed yet? I'll take that as a no," said Dio, his arms crossed into an "X" shape before he pointed at himself with his thumb. "You thought your first kiss would be JoJo but it was I, Dio!"
~LBR~
"Bwahahahahahahaha!" As Dio did this, Lincoln lost it, his sisters staring at him. "Okay, yeah, he's horrible, but that was so hammy, I love it! He's like somebody Ace Savvy would fight! Oh man, I'm so using that from now on!"
"Wasn't that funny," murmured Luna as she waited for him to calm down before they resumed the show.
~PB~
Erina gasped as she began to cry. Dio was then covered in a red filter with a purple background surrounded by arrows. 'Even though it was by force, the fact that I kissed her is enough. I've killed their romance before it began. I'll deny JoJo the comfort of friendship and love.'
"What the— Just look at her, Dio," said the taller bully, pointing behind Dio as the sound of water splashing could be heard. Dio looked over his shoulder to see what the commotion was about. "She has taken leave of her senses." Dio was surprised to see that Erina was using the dirty water from the puddle she was in to wipe her lips. "What's wrong with her? That's disgusting. Washing out her mouth with a muddy puddle?"
~LBR~
"I'm confused, how is that a problem?" asked Lana in her typical filth-loving fashion. "Sometimes dirty water feels nice!"
"Besides, if some jerk forced a kiss on me, I'd do the same," said Luna.
"Ten bucks says the dirty water tastes better than his lips," laughed Lynn.
~PB~
"Why would anybody do that?" continued the tall bully. "There's a stream not far away."
Dio snarled and clenched his fists as a dark-colored filter covered him, more kanji flying across the screen as his eyes glowed purple. "You ungrateful wench!" As the screen turned back to normal, Dio raised his right arm. "You dare suggest my kiss is something to be washed off!" Erina gave him a fierce glare before he slapped her across the cheek, sending her sprawling backwards. She fell into a bigger puddle, crying in pain as Dio scowled and turned around, another discoloring close-up appearing.
~LBR~
"'You thought that Dario was the most despicable character in this series, but it was I, Dio!'" mocked Lincoln as his sisters couldn't help but laugh.
~PB~
'Cool your temper, you damnable fool,' thought Dio. 'She's not worth losing your head over.' Dio grabbed a tree branch and snapped it off to help calm himself as he walked away from Erina. "We're done here. Come on."
The scene cut to the next day in the city, with Jonathan walking down a cobblestone ramp. He then saw a sad-looking Erina walking nearby and gasped. "Erina! Hey there." He ran up to her while waving, but she averted her gaze, causing him to gasp. Erina burst into tears and ran away, Jonathan weakly holding out his hand "E— Erina, wait!" Another filter with arrows appeared as Jonathan looked puzzled. 'Why'd she run off? Was it something I said?' He then heard snickering as he gasped, the filter fading as he turned towards the laughing delinquents, Dio's cronies among them.
"Look at him, fellas," said the taller one while pointing. "He doesn't know why she ran away."
"What do you say we tell him?" asked another thug. "He deserves to know what his precious Erina's been up to."
~LBR~
"No, he'll just realize that Dio had something to do with it and get angry with him," said Lynn, before she thought about it for a moment. "On second thought, tell him."
~PB~
"I don't know," said the tall one. "I'd feel bad making his little lordship start to cry." The others started laughing as Jonathan clenched his fist.
"This is his doing. What have you done, Dio?"
~LBR~
"I was right!" said Lynn. "Oh yeah, who called it?!"
~PB~
"What have you done to my Erina?!" shouted Jonathan with unbridled rage, the music becoming much more dramatic. The camera cut to the mansion as it went through the gates and over the fountain, Jonathan letting loose animalistic growls as he pushed the doors open with all his might, his left fist clenched tight as he started to glow with a golden energy. "DIIIOOOOOO!"
~LBR~
"JoJo's going Super Saiyan!" screamed Lincoln as he grinned ear to ear, hands on his head. "Is that glow real or just for effect?"
"Who knows?" asked Lynn. "And who cares?! JoJo is about to lay the smackdown on Dio!"
"Dudes, did he actually jump the fountain?!" asked Luna in disbelief.
"That'd be awesome!" said Lana.
~PB~
A golden filter covered the screen as the energy enveloped the side. Dio, who was sporting a yellow suit and was sitting in a chair, closed the book in his hands and stood up dramatically. "Hush, boy," he snapped. "You won't speak my name in vain again if you know what's good for you."
~LBR~
"Well, Dio is Italian for 'God,' I'm pretty sure," said Lincoln. "But you've certainly never acted like one."
"Clearly, you haven't read enough Greek myth," said Luna.
~PB~
"We end this now!" said Jonathan as he rushed towards Dio, his hair and vest now green. "I won't let you sully an innocent maiden's honor! Your fight is with me, damn it!"
~LBR~
"Wait, the wallpaper and Dio's suit are yellow, why are Jonathan's hair and vest green?" asked Lana.
"Yeah, and some things are the same, like their skin and eyes. Those weird filters changed the colors of everything," said Luna.
"Not always. Remember how Dario had purple hair at the beginning, and George had blue hair?" mentioned Lincoln. "Maybe this is a style thing. Those brief filters with the color changes and weird backgrounds are for inner thoughts, while color swaps in real time like this are for dramatic scenes. Not sure why they'd change the colors for something like this, though."
"So when some of the colors change, but not all of them, something awesome is gonna happen?" asked Lynn. "I can get behind that."
~PB~
Dio turned around and raised an index finger. "Upset about Erina? That she shared her favors with me? And now you intend to give me a proper thrashing for my impudence."
~LBR~
"I mean, if he didn't, I would," said Lynn.
~PB~
"This time, Dio," declared Jonathan, "you have gone too far!" He attempted to punch Dio, but the blonde ducked and raised his arm, the punch missing and Jonathan's extended arm pushed against Dio's.
"You may be right but you're the one who'll pay!" Dio slid his arm along Jonathan's and slammed his elbow into his face. Jonathan grunted as blood splattered from his nose. Dio then smirked as he rubbed his elbow in Jonathan's face. "Looking to repeat your performance from our boxing match? Be my guest."
~LBR~
"Come on, kick him in the junk!" shouted Lynn, earning three bewildered stares. "What now? There's no rules in this fight! Besides, Dio deserves it for all he's pulled!"
"I mean, she isn't WRONG," said Lincoln.
~PB~
Dio pulled away his arm, the elbow of his sleeve covered in blood, as he adjusted his tie, Jonathan staggering backwards before leaning himself against the wall, sliding down.
'I can't beat him…' thought Jonathan as he fell, with overlays of him and Dio appearing. 'But if I lose here now, I'll spend the rest of my life cowering in Dio's shadow.' The overlays faded and were replaced by one of Erina. 'Most of all, I have to fight for Erina's honor. She needs a champion!'
~LBR~
"Always about the princess, eh?" said Luna playfully. In all seriousness, she and her younger siblings were touched by his bravery and selflessness. They all wanted one thing, for Jonathan to finally stand up to Dio.
~PB~
'Time to end this little pissing match,' thought Dio as he threw off his suit jacket, Jonathan struggling to stay on his feet. 'I'll beat him here, in his own home.' As Dio continued his little inner monologue, cuts of previous scenes showcasing Dio tormenting Jonathan flashed on the screen. 'Once and for all, he'll know his proper place in this world is under my heel. He'll see that it's useless to try and defeat me. I shall be master, now and always.'
Jonathan once more rushed towards Dio with a guttural battle cry. "Come on!" declared Dio as he got into a fighting stance. Jonathan threw a right and left hook simultaneously, but Dio was prepared. The blonde crossed his arms and blocked the punches, before swinging his leg out from the side for a roundhouse kick. His knee made contact with Jonathan's cheek, knocking him to the side. 'Perfect. Right in the face.'
Jonathan was quick to recover, however, as he grabbed Dio's head with one hand and his right shoulder with the other. Dio struggled to escape the hold, but couldn't.
~LBR~
"Oh yeah, this is more like it!" said Lynn as she leaned to the edge of the couch. "That boxing match was so lame! Fights are way better when both fighters are evenly matched and giving their all! Show him what you can do, JoJo!"
~PB~
"How are you able to grab me after such a blow to the head?" asked Dio incredulously, trying to grab onto one of Jonathan's arms. "Perhaps, I was too gentle with you!"
Jonathan didn't respond as he pulled his head back, then brought it forward, flinching as his skull slammed into Dio's nose and mouth. Blood shot from Dio's nose as he groaned in anguish, the force of the headbutt combined with the pain causing his eyes to roll back into his head.
~LBR~
"And JoJo finally lands a hit on that pampered punk!" cheered Lana.
"Keep it up, JoJo, you've got him on the ropes now!" added Lynn.
"JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!" they both chanted.
"Should we stop them?" asked Lincoln.
"Nah, why spoil their fun?" said Luna. Lincoln shrugged, and the two of them joined in on the "JoJo" chant.
~PB~
Dio let out a cry of pain as he recoiled, before Jonathan put his hands together and slammed them sideways into Dio's face, knocking him further back. "Dio!" he cried as he repeated the action on the opposite cheek, then dealt a flurry of punches, each blow connecting and knocking Dio back.
'Impossible,' thought Dio as another fist collided with his face. 'Impossible!'
"I'm going to beat you till you cry like a baby, Dio!" declared Jonathan while continuing to pummel his brother, dealing a powerful punch that shot another stream of blood out of Dio's nose.
'How could a pampered brat like him best me in a fight?' thought Dio as he reeled back from the blow, a huge mark forming on his face. Jonathan let out one last battle cry as he dealt a vicious uppercut, one with more power than any punch he had previously thrown. His fist collided with Dio's cheek and sent him clean into the air. Another splatter of blood flew out of his mouth, some of it landing on the mask on the wall.
~LBR~
"Ooh, that can't be good," said Lincoln, stopping his chant as he remembered the last time blood got on that mask.
~PB~
The color scheme returned to normal as Dio hit the ground with a loud and hard thud, Jonathan's arm still in the air. The mask started shaking faster and more violently before the spikes popped out of it again, knocking it off the wall and onto the floor. Hearing the noise, Jonathan turned around and gasped as he saw the spikes sticking out from behind the mask. The camera zoomed in to show his curiosity and horror as he stared at the mask.
"Y— you… " growled Dio as Jonathan tore his gaze off the mask. Dio was laying on the floor, face down, as he tried to regain his footing with trembling arms. "How— how dare you?" He managed to get onto his knees as he looked over his shoulder. "Bastard, how dare you strike me?"
It was at this point that Jonathan noticed a tear falling from one of Dio's eyes. "Dio's crying."
~LBR~
"'Hey, he's doing the thing I said I'd make him do! Weird!'" mocked Lana.
~PB~
"I'll make you regret that, you filthy cur!" cried Dio as he clambered back to his feet, activating a switchblade behind his back. He took a step forward and pulled it out, ready to strike Jonathan with it.
~LBR~
"Okay, rules or no rules, that's gotta be cheating," said Lincoln.
"Yeah, this is where I draw the line," agreed Lynn.
~PB~
"Stop it, both of you! That is quite enough!" Before either of them could make the next move, George's voice caused both Jonathan and Dio to look up. George, accompanied by a butler, was standing at the second level, looking down at them from the railing. Dio lowered his switchblade at the sight of his adoptive father.
"Father, I—" started Jonathan, as the spikes retracted back into the mask.
"Son, I know that boys your age are prone to fisticuffs," lectured George. "However, JoJo, I saw you pummel Dio mercilessly after the point at which he had, obviously, no chance of winning the fight. Such is the mark of a coward."
~LBR~
"..."
"..."
"...WHAAAAAT?!"
The Louds were in complete uproar. "What the hell?! You lecture JoJo, but not Dio?! Why don't you just build a statue of the guy if you like him so much?!" snapped Lynn.
"Yeah, JoJo went overboard, but Dio pulled a freaking knife on him! Why aren't you lecturing HIM first?" roared Luna.
"This is total baloney! Dio totally deserved that for all he did!" shouted Lana.
"W-Well, to be fair," said Lincoln, shrinking back as three furious stares were suddenly upon him, "he didn't stop the fight until Dio pulled out the knife. So Dio is probably gonna get in trouble too." Lincoln flinched in anticipation, but to his relief, his sisters seemed to calm down, if only slightly. 'Phew, glad that did the trick.'
~PB~
"Father!" retorted Jonathan, but George was having none of it.
"No excuses. To your chambers, both of you." The two boys groaned as they glared at each other with as much hate as they could muster. "I'll decide your punishment anon."
~LBR~
"Okay, you were right about them both getting punished," admitted Lynn as she crossed her arms and pouted. "Still peeved, though."
~PB~
The scene changed to a later time outside the mansion and in the courtyard. A groundskeeper was carrying a basket full of dead leaves and other compost to the incinerator. He sighed as he emptied the leaves into it, only to see a strange wooden box inside. "Huh, that seems strange. I wonder what's in there," pondered the groundskeeper before turning around. "Oh well." He then lit a match before lighting his cigarette. "Probably something a maid threw out."
~LBR~
"Yeah, because my first instinct when seeing a box with unknown contents? Burn it," said Lincoln with a roll of his eyes.
"Still, what is in that box? The mask?" wondered Lynn.
"A bit big for that," retorted Luna.
~PB~
Afterward, the groundskeeper had used the match to light the compost and close the iron door, smoke coming through the cracks as the fire crackled. He turned around to get back to work, before he paused, hearing a strange noise from inside. "Hmm?" The noise became louder as something inside began to bang loudly on the metal door, trying to escape. "W— whats's that?" stuttered the groundskeeper in horror. "Something got into the incinerator. Oh, mercy!" A red filter suddenly covered the screen as it zoomed in on the rattling door. "What— what if a person is in there?" The view suddenly shifted to a terrified groundskeeper. "They're burning alive and it's all my fault for lighting it!"
~LBR~
"No kidding!" exclaimed Lynn, facepalming.
"But what was in that incinerator? It couldn't have been a person, right?" asked Lincoln aloud. Nobody had an answer, but for some reason, Lana had a very, VERY bad feeling deep in the pit of her stomach.
~PB~
The scene changed to a sunset that same day, on a dirt path by a wooden fence. Erina was solemnly walking down the path alone, with Jonathan hiding behind a tree. "Erina…" he said longingly before he closed his eyes and forced himself to look away. "Damn you, Dio! I beat you fair and square but what does it matter, if you've ruined things for Erina and me?"
The scene then changed to a grave with a wooden cross. Jonathan was looking over it in shock. "We buried him while you were gone, Son," said George, who was holding a shovel and standing beside his son, alongside three servants. "It was nothing you should have to witness."
~LBR~
"No…" said Lana quietly. "He wouldn't. He couldn't. He didn't!" As she got louder and louder, her older siblings overheard her, and suddenly had the same thought she did.
'Oh no…'
~PB~
"The constable said it was probably the work of a burglar, who caught sight of Danny and panicked."
~LBR~
"No…" was all Luna managed to say, and that was the most anyone could get out. They were all stunned completely, feeling a whirlwind of emotions. Grief, sorrow, horror, and anger, mostly directed towards a certain character. But one of them was taking it the hardest.
*sniffle*
Lincoln and his sisters turned to Lana, who was barely able to keep composure. She was sniffing loudly, tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes as she bit her bottom lip.
"Lana?" said Lincoln, voice barely louder than a whisper as he held a hand out to her. "Are you…oka—"
And suddenly, a lever was pulled. The sirens blared, and the floodgates opened.
"BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Everyone, even Luna, had to cover their ears as Lana started bawling. Tears and snot poured down her face like waterfalls as she cried louder than any of them had yelled, laughed, or chanted thus far. Because of this, her cries didn't go unnoticed as doors began to open upstairs.
"What's going on?"
"Is someone hurt?"
"Out of the way, I've got this!"
The others heard footsteps rapidly coming down the stairs as Lori stepped into view, Lily in her hands. The second Lori saw the sight of a bawling Lana, she was quick to comfort her. "Lana, what's wrong? It's okay, it's okay…"
Lori turned to her siblings with a fierce glare, ready to dig her claws into whoever was responsible, but her anger quickly subsided when she saw them. All three looked absolutely miserable, no doubt feeling a ton of guilt for Lana. "What…happened?" she asked.
"She was watching the show with us," said Lynn, "and JoJo's dog, Danny, he…" Lynn couldn't finish the sentence, and she didn't have to. Lori quickly pieced together what happened, when suddenly, Lana started pounding on the arm of the couch.
"DIO!" she screamed as her fists slammed onto the couch. "It was you, wasn't it?! You put him in there! You killed him! I hate you, Dio! I hate you, I hate you! You big, fat, dumb, lousy, jerkfaced poop head!" she shrieked, tears still flowing as she let loose the most profane words in her six-year-old vocabulary.
"It's my fault," said Luna, unable to look her older sister in the eye. "I'm the chaperone, so I shouldn't have let her watch it."
"No, it's my fault!" argued Lincoln. "If I knew that was in this show—"
"Guys! It's nobody's fault!" shouted Lori as she scooped up Lana in her free hand. "There, there, let it out."
Lana kept sobbing when she felt a small hand touch her cheek and wipe away some of her tears. She opened her eyes to see a sad-looking Lily staring at her. "Ana…sad?"
"*sniff* Oh, Lily!" wept Lana as she hugged her baby sister, Lori carefully cradling the two as Lana cried it out, Lily crying a bit too. Finally, Lana managed to stop crying.
"Lana, if you don't want to keep watching this with us," said Lincoln, "you don't have—"
"N-No," said Lana. "I wanna keep watching. I…I really like it."
"Really?" asked Lincoln, smiling a bit.
"Yeah," said Lana as she squirmed out of her sister's grasp and onto the couch. "Besides, I wanna see Dio get his."
"Okay, not the best reason," said Lori. "Well, if that's settled, I'm gonna head up and finish reading Lily her story."
"Sto-wee!"
"What she said. Have fun, you guys."
"Hold up, I'm gonna need something," said Lana before she whistled. "Charles, come 'ere, boy!"
With a few barks, the family dog Charles ran down the stairs, with Lana's frog Hops riding him like a horse. As Charles got to the couch, Hops jumped off and landed on Lana's head, with Charles crawling onto the couch and into Lana's lap. "There's a good boy! But what're you doing here, Hops?"
"Guess he heard you crying and wanted to come with," said Lincoln with a shrug, as Hops ribbited and hopped into Lana's overall pocket.
"Aw, Hops…"
"Well, I'm heading up now," said Lori as Lana rubbed Charles' head. "Text me if you need anything!" And with that, Lori and Lily headed upstairs, Lily waving to her older siblings as she was carried back to her and Lisa's room. With everything settled, Lincoln could finally wrap up the episode.
~PB~
"Dio," said Jonathan, knowing full well who was responsible for Danny's death.
"He's not here," said a servant. "He hasn't yet returned from school today, sir."
The scene then cut to night as various crickets could be heard chirping in the background. "JoJo fled to his room and fell into a dreamless slumber," said the narrator as the view changed from the outside of the mansion to through the window of Jonathan's room. "When he awoke, he thought of Danny," the narrator continued as the scene changed to Danny's doghouse and food dish, now without use, "his loyal pet and one true friend, now lost to him… and wept."
~LBR~
"Danny…" said Lana as she snuggled with Charles, the dog doing his best to comfort her as Hops helped out, nuzzling his cheek against her.
"I repeat what I said," said Luna. "This kid REALLY needs a hug."
~PB~
The scene changed once more to the city at night, with Dio standing underneath a streetlight. 'Yes, I may have evened the score by killing his mutt,' thought Dio, 'but it doesn't change the fact that JoJo is far stronger than I'd thought. Bloody his nose and he comes back twice as fierce. My anger makes me vulnerable. I must remedy that. Once I learn to master my temper, I'll be invincible to the likes of JoJo.'
"In the blink of an eye," said the narrator as the camera closed in on the stone mask, sound effects that loosely meant "menacing" flying across the screen, "seven years passed."
~LBR~
"Seven years have gone so fast," said Luna.
"Yeah, by the end of this series, Jonathan and Dio will be old men if this keeps up," said Lynn.
~PB~
The episode ended with one last shot of the stone mask, an arrow reading "To Be Continued" flying across the screen and stopping at the right corner as the credits played.
The credit scene showed an Aztec stone carving of a human sacrifice, as a trail of blood flowed across the screen with flashes of the characters appearing. All the while, a song played.
~LBR~
"Wait a second, that's Roundabout!"
"Beg pardon?" asked Lynn.
"It's a song by Yes!" exclaimed Luna. "They're a Western band," she said with a smirk, looking at her brother.
"Okay, I said a character name, not the ending theme," said Lincoln. "Doesn't count."
"Still, it gives me credibility," said Luna.
"Whatever," said Lincoln, rolling his eyes with a smile. "So that was the first episode! I thought it was a good start, but what about you girls?"
"There were some parts I...didn't like…" said Lana, "but I still liked the episode."
"Yeah, it was kinda slow at times, but it had some awesome moments! I loved that second fight between JoJo and Dio!" said Lynn.
"It was rockin'!" said Luna. "I'm stoked to keep watching, especially since I've got a bet to win!"
"Sure, Luna," said Lincoln. "Alright, time for episode two! Let's do this!"
And that was the first of the reactions! So how was it? Were the reactions and descriptions good? The dialogue believable, the fights described well? Constructive criticism is appreciated! Starpion out!
