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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 11: Mirror Mirror, Part 1

Pompeii was a place Caren had heard a lot about.

It was a known tourist destination, one of the few well-preserved ruins of Roman civilization and… a good place for people of dubious morality to meet for illicit activities. It was no surprise to her that this is where the boss of the gang had decided to leave the literal key to the group's goal. It reminded her how some members of the Church handled secretive affairs, except in this case the potential locations where to set this matter was much more broader than any others the members of the Holy See would entertain for something so important.

The ruins were, as mentioned just now, in a decent shape. Archaeologists were known to be quite protective of the place due to its historical importance, but, sadly, that didn't prevent the happening of events such as the one she was partially involved in. Not like Caren minded the 'heinous' activity as it was a mere item-retrieval situation. Nothing foul of uncouth was happening… and yet, as she entered inside the ruins, she couldn't help but feel discomfort as they stepped inside the area. For a brief moment, she thought it was her MSC (Masochistic Spiritualist Constitution), but the feeling felt too 'lenient' on her flesh and more centered around her mind. Her paranoia aroused before this bizarre feeling and she was on her guard as the four started to approach the location of the key they were sent to get back to Bucciarati.

Golden eyes looked around, trying to justify this ominous feeling now pooling within her stomach, as if something was looming over them. Danger, but where and what? Her guarded gaze was noticed by Abbacchio, but where her uncle spared her a cautious look, he said nothing to bring this up. Not yet, he too could tell something about the place being off. And as they started to make their way through the old streets of the Roman city, the girl finally spotted an anomaly. Something flickered through one of the few in-wall mirrors that were known to be built within the premises. And she got confirmation of this when Giorno suddenly stopped, his posture tensing up and instantly gaining the attention of the rest of the gang.

"What's wrong, Giorno?"

"There is… someone standing on the column right behind us," The blond muttered, his blue eyes turning to check right at the location and urging the others to do the same. Caren briefly glanced at where he was looking and… she saw nothing. Glancing back to him and then to the mirror, she could see what he was talking about. Her eyes narrowed over the figure slowly approaching them, a small smile creeping on his face as he walked closer.

"Are you blind? There is nobody there," Leone remarked dryly, but…

Caren looked back once more behind and she could tell something was off between what was visible through the mirror and their surroundings. It felt so confusing, and yet something about it reminded her of a story she heard from Sakura's father. Truth be told, the girl loved these stories. Ever since she met Sakura and learned of her father's exploits through him and her own father, Caren had slowly gained an interest in finding herself thrown into a crazy adventure such as the one Jotaro Kujoh had to experience. Minus the dreadful reasoning behind it, of course, but still giving them the same rush and intensity of action that he was keen to bring up.

Each fight, each encounter, each new location to explore- Caren was in love with the notion of fighting for her own ideals, to be there to show off her true dedication and emotions. After all, her father had told her many times that this was how one truly showed their feelings, through actions, through dedication, through being more than just talk and being able to go through with the duty and burden of these emotions. And it became even greater in her mind as she knew it also meant fostering the growth of the bond with her real first friend and exploring the world at the same time.

Yet, that knowledge she got, those fine details she burned into her brain, they were being used to grant her a lucid grasp of the situation. And it wasn't a nice situation. Not at all. It reminded her of the story Jotaro told the two girls about, the one about how his friend, Polnareff, had to face his sister's murderer and how this one had a Stand that… operated in mirrors. What were the chances this one had a similar ability? After all, she could see him, the person that was walking towards them with malicious intents… but only within that mirror. Her eyes widened a fraction at that recollection, but she did more than gawk at the possibility. Her lips twitched and then turned as her voice burned through her throat.

"Giorno, duck!"

Calm but stern, the blond blinked briefly but complied as he barely crouched down to avoid two Black Keys rushing towards the mirror, stabbing into it and destroying it. She could have told him to break the mirror, but the chances of their attacker also knowing that he was being caught and moving faster and before anyone could intervene reinforced her resolve in acting on this matter herself. Surprise exploded within the group as they stared at the sudden attack in confusion and… interest. There was a moment of quiet, with Caren looking around and hoping that her intervention had been quick enough to prevent any issues with the strange circumstance. Nothing happened, but the confusion remained from the rest of the group.

"Caren?" Abbacchio's question was minimal in words, but packed in meaning.

"The one Giorno saw, it has to be a Stand User."

Leone looked surprised at the notion, while Giorno quickly moved away from the remaining shards of the mirror, unsure if that extended to even the broken pieces as a possible danger. Fugo frowned at that curt explanation, but as he glanced at the shard and seemed to think about it, he offered a trusting nod.

"It could be possible. A Stand that uses mirrors? We know there are some absurd abilities and… this presents a problem."

"Pompeii has other mirrors, and one in particular is right where the key should be," Caren added and the trio slowly nodded. "We should be careful."

"It could also be one of the Stand's abilities," Fugo concluded with a serious tone. "Until we know the full extent of its power, it would be best if we're always on guard, even when mirrors aren't within our proximity."

The plan was sound, and yet there was much that Caren felt that wasn't being addressed. There was something odd about this whole situation. How did the Stand User know they were going for Pompeii? After all, their boss was meant to have told only the group about it… right? It didn't make much sense, but their goal remained the same. They needed to find the key, get out of the ruins and make it back to the newest temporary location where Bruno had the entire group relocate. And as the four resumed their walk, this time being vigilant of their surroundings, a lone figure growled at the development, frustrated by the fact that they had managed to stave off his first attack.

A minor delay, he thought. After all, the next ambush wasn't going to be as lenient and give them the chance to dodge or block his assault. It was now a fierce game of cat and mouse, with the lone man being the one still keeping an advantage. They knew part of his Stand's ability… but they had yet to learn it is wishful thinking to expect the mere knowledge to be enough to stop him. He would just need to make use of the small mirrors he brought in case of emergency and…

Then he would grasp victory by its neck!

Bucciarati could tell something was off right as he finished checking on Narancia's conditions.

In a rather odd turn of events, Trish had taken it upon herself to learn some first aid so she could try and fix the boy herself. And Sakura was pulled into this by having to help as the 'nurse' to 'Doctor' Trish as Narancia was quick to joke about. A joke that found amusement also in Mista as he glanced at the trio bicker and yet slowly helped their gang's youngest member. The small room they had been staying in the last few hours was one of a small hotel in Naples owned by someone Bucciarati knew and could trust. It was rent free, but only for this very day. The relocation had been quite dangerous, especially since anyone hunting them was definitely checking through any properties that were most used by either him or Polpo. Fugo's warning, the one he gave him before he left, had been good enough reason to change into a place that would set them at risk of dealing 'known issues', but lessened the chances of this new pursuer from getting too close to them. They were after Sakura, and it was clear that the bird hadn't been a Stand. No, it was something akin to the 'magic' that the plum-haired girl had mentioned. And while this choice meant putting his team in danger, he knew that there wasn't exactly a way to prevent it.

Either decision he made, they would have still had to deal with a specific sort of enemies. In this case, it was the cast of foes that weren't going to use magic against them. Stands might be troublesome, but they had limits that could be exploited with proper brainstorming. Magic? That didn't sound like something they were prepared to face just yet. In fact, the ideal scenario was never dealing with it through the whole trip. But one thing was hoping, another was reality, rearing its ugly face and showing some teeth back to him in an unforeseen situation. And so, there was a small issue with that plan, right as they were waiting for the rest of the gang to get back to them with the key. And it all started with a...

A slow knocking noise coming from the door of the small suite they were in.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

The five occupants paused, unease gripping Bucciarati as there was a good chance that this was going to end with an attack from another member from Passione. Maybe from La Squadra. Mista was the one that went to check, his cautious self highlighted by the tense posture he got. He looked through the peephole, his composure easing and yet keeping vigilant as he went to open the door. Not a threat, but whoever was standing beyond that door had gained his worry. Bruno knew something was really off now, but he had yet to understand to which degree. The door slowly opened, revealing a shivering cleaning lady standing outside, her eyes wide open.

"I-I'm sorry. S-she told me- she told me that I had just to… knock and-"

Before the lady could finish, the windows that gave to the balcony outside all broke as a single individual and numerous bird-like creatures stormed inside the room. Mista quickly removed his revolver from the holster, aiming readily at the ethereal birds while Bruno placed himself between the attacker and his targets. The woman was wearing a cloak, an unfamiliar face greeting him as she didn't seem threatened by his effort to protect the girls and the still-injured Narancia, the boy trying to stand up and failing. She was holding and now showing what looked to be a dagger with something written in it.

"My, oh my… the way you put yourself into. Such as shame you would resort to playing with thugs and criminals. True scum… unbecoming to the heirship of one of the Great Founding Families."

Was she talking about Sakura? Bucciarati wasn't completely sure but… he still kept his fighting stance.

"Who are you?"

"That's none of your concern. After all, your worth is lesser than the very being you're pathetically trying to guard. My master is not up to play foolish games with some grunts."

Her tone was quick to get on Bruno's nerves, but the Capo already knew that this individual, this dangerous woman, had to be one capable of using magic. He would have to play it smart rather than try his hand in a direct confrontation and… he had something in mind. As the woman kept on approaching, slow, almost tentatively as she seemed still worried to a degree about Bruno and Mista, Bucciarati carefully manifested ｢Sticky Fingers｣ by his feet and tapped the ground right in front of him. The woman was soon getting close, close enough to try and do something dangerous but… then her footing went missing. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared down at the ground and saw part of the floor now open wide to have her fall to the lower section of the hotel.

Mista used this chance to shoot down the bird-like creatures, killing them on the spot and further freeing them from that ambush. "Boss?"

"We're leaving. Now," Bruno ordered sternly, and he personally took care of picking up Narancia as the small group made it out of the room and rushed for the staircase. Everyone was silent, stuck in an uneasy quiet, but then, as they reached the entrance of the building, Trish spoke up and brought to mind a fair concern.

"W-What about the others?"

"We will address this issue later. Right now, we have to get to a safer spot."

Mista's words were matched with a calm nod from Bruno, his mind wracking over which place they could move to and which road to take without being caught in some distraction or fight. Just as they turned the corner and rushed through the sidewalk as quickly as they could, Narancia muttered something that almost made him trip.

"Why don't we use the sewers?"

While that tactic would be shot down instantly if they were dealing with a large force that was familiar with the way the Italian sewers were structured, the Capo couldn't help but realize this usually ineffective tactic could actually work well for them. Without wasting any further time, Bruno gave the order and Mista obeyed.

The nearest manhole was opened, the group descending into the lower grounds despite Trish's loud displeasure of the development and were soon resuming their run to get away from their pursuers. It would take about twenty minutes of running through the maze-like disposition of the sewers before deciding to get back to the sidewalk and get to the closest hideout Bruno could think of. Definitely not the best way to handle this issue, but now Bucciarati had a clearer grasp of what they were dealing with, and he could plan something to counter any future attacks of this kind.

Hopefully the group he had sent to Pompeii was going to get quickly back to Naples so that they could leave for good.

Atrum was enraged. And it was one of the most amusing sights his current 'stalker' could get out of the arrogant Magus.

The blond was so incensed as he slowly walked over the two women he tasked with the pursuit of the group, his disappointment displayed within his face as he berated the mortified duo about their failure and how much that cost him and his plans. It was clear he was going to have them removed, toys that proved broken before he could play more with them. It was still a fun sight for the lone figure studying the situation from a nearby rooftop. It was ironic how he would end up giving chase to someone else that was chasing the 'main protagonists'.

He had spied on Atrum for a while now, tracking him down, learning of his motivations and then drawing a plan to bring him to a quick demise once it was time to remove him from the chessboard. By all means, the figure knew he was taking a big risk by being there and… Then again, he shouldn't have been there to begin with, but an anomaly had forced his hand to be dealing with this matter.

Something bad was unfolding within the plot. Something sinister tied to Atrum himself and his ambition. He had found something that gave him the edge for the plan he had conceived, something that was partly tied to Sakura and… another girl. A girl that shouldn't be within this timeline. Zelretch had been clear, this situation was his to solve and only his.

Not an agent of the Kaleidoscope, but rather a concerned individual that had the means to intervene in these affairs. The Wizard Marshal asked him for assistance, explaining how this individual, this 'counterpart' was akin to his world. He needed to save her and make sure that no one gets their filthy hand on her. It was a must, especially since something bigger was coming their way.

"Oh well, let's put the mask on and see what I can do by being a bit more 'helpful' about this matter," The figure hummed, calmly putting on the Harlequin mask he borrowed for the occasion.

A little mask to preserve his identity. He didn't need to have his own face become reason for distrust, trouble and some awkward questioning. Right now, what he needed the most was to get the right setup to introduce himself to the gang, get accepted in Bucciarati's team and finally make sure everything ran as smoothly and closely as fate intended.

With his plan reinforced, the figure that went by the name of 'Arlecchino' took the final steps needed to start getting involved in the very group destined to topple Diavolo so that they could achieve this without any interruption. And who knows, perhaps his own curiosity was taking part in this too and influencing him so he could learn more about Sakura's Stand.

Truly an intriguing Stand to say the least.

AN

The Battle against Illuso begins, a quick escape to avoid Atrum's group and… a new player? No, it will not become relevant until a bit later. While this 'Arlecchino' sounds like an unimportant and unneeded entity, he has a purpose to be there, and it is tied to the Atrum storyline, or rather, to its origin and what got Atrum interested in going ahead with his plans.

REVIEW Q&A!

Guest 1 (Chapter 10): They would be surprised, a bit annoyed, but overall fine since it's something Jesus wanted.

Guest 2 (Chapter 10):
Jonathan: She would like him, and he would find her a lovely step-descendant;
Young Joseph: Sakura would be miffed at his cheeky behavior, while Joseph would be endeared in teasing her all the time;
Young Jotaro: Sakura would go all adoring daughter, while Jotaro would be weirded out but still cool with her in knowing one of his kids would follow his style;
Josuke: They are close cousins with a long list of pranks caused by their partnership;
Jolyne: Sisters, they love each other to death;
Johnny: Similar to Jonathan, except Johnny is a bit less formal and quick to try and teach her how to properly ride a horse to instill his family's tradition;
Gappy: The two would be tolerant of each other, but there's not much correlation between the two.

Guest 3 (Chapter 10): Yes, but that will happen in the Sequel and... it's going to be a crazy group of friends due to the theme the final sequel will have.