Dio had been a mentor figure of Sky since then, which in turn, depended herself to him. But with the changes they brought upon themselves, will it stay the same?

(Chapter unedited.)

Confront, SKY

"Condolences from our family, my dear girl Sky."

She nodded at the merchant as she gave him a faint smile. "Thank you, Mr. Fagerstorm."

Sky gave the Fagerstorm Family a half-hearted wave as they went their way from the cemetery. She doesn't know how they managed to know about the death of their father but she can't exactly refused their condolences for them, even though the now dead Dario Brando doesn't deserve it for all the things he did when he was alive. There's no doubt they are aware of his action but decided to comfort her—them—for the sake of pity for their circumstances.

Turning around to walk towards her brother, she went beside him and stayed silent as they looked down at the gravestone where Dario Brando was engraved in it; an outmost evidence that their filthy father was all but gone in this world—a world where they didn't experience its beauty and splendor but know the cruelty and suffering they faced for being in the wrong part of history—a history of wrong choices and pain brought upon their family.

"Have you wondered, Sky," Dio started as she glanced at him with his face obscured by a shadow. "Have you wondered… no, have you wished for a world dwelled by stupid bastards?"

Sky gave him a wide-eyed confused look. Where did that come from? "No. If it does, the world would have never advanced from the stone age."

Dio let out a humorless laugh. "That sentiment is true but it is not what I meant. I'm talking about simpletons who doesn't know better for themselves. A bastard who would follow someone they feared because they wanted to live because they thought their lives should be controlled by someone better."

She shifted uncomfortably at the implication of those words. "A world dwelled by…workers…?" She immediately changed the word as she nearly said a certain term that started with 'SL' and ends with 'VE'. "If that's what you mean, no, I don't wish for it. I'm fine with the world for what it is—I don't really want to change it."

Her brother had strange expression on his face as he scoffed. "Fine with the world for what it is? I guess you are a simpleton too. You never even realized how the world made us suffer and allowed it to happen as if it was no one's business. Well, it's not like Earth had a mind of its own, it never really cared. I can hate it all I want or spite it for all I want and it would never respond at all to my actions. Justice? Tell that to someone who cared."

She never responded. Dio had this weird tendency to talk in long-winded words and she always listened to him in turn. She doesn't really get some of it at first—it would leave her wondering, occupying her head space for a few days before she would realize what he was talking about but she never approached him to further elaborate about it. She thought it would be silly to talk about it when it was just a passing conversation; mostly assuming to herself Dio had already forgot about it.

Justice, huh? She would be lying if she said she had experienced fairness to herself. In a burst yet fleeting anger, a thought would sometimes cross to her from time to time what would happen if she fought back against the cruelty she received from her father. Would it anger him further? Would he beat her harder? Would he leave her alone? She can still vaguely remember in her childhood when she heard loud shouts from their parent's room—back when Mother was still alive—and in the next days, Sky was puzzled to see Dario never left his room and Mother was smiling at them—as if nothing had happened from the night before.

If she fought back, would it have the same effect? She's doubtful but she wanted it to be true if she did raise her hand against him.

If, if, if—she always thought of a scenario with ifs. 'If' means it was a choice she could have sought, 'if' means possible to do with herself, 'if' means she looked back at it in regret instead of picking the other. All can she can do is only think but never acting the picture she imagined in her head. She doesn't have the backbone to do it and ended up depending on Dio instead. Sky hated this part of her; her confidence was not made of steel but soft as cotton.

She smiled bitterly. Perhaps Dio is right. She really is a simpleton. A coward who can't stand up for herself because she never knew better.

"Anyway, Sky, there's a change of plans." She raised her head at those words. "Here. It's easier for you to read than explain it to you."

Blinking, she grabbed the letter held out by her brother, seeing it was addressed to them—Dio Brando & Sky Brando—by their now deceased father—Dario Brando—written on it. Glancing at Dio for elaboration, he just waved his hand and gestured her to read it. Opening the envelope, she wordlessly read the contents of the letter.

And everything about their circumstances immediately changed.

Joestar, Joestar, Joestar… no matter how much she thought about it, she can't get glimpse of familiarity from the name. Though, her ignorance is mostly her fault since she never been outside to gain enough knowledge. She sighed, stumped at their new situation. With sudden revelation their father wanted them to live with the Joestar through the letter, she was feeling conflicted at his written will. After all this time, Dario actually had the capacity to think about them—Dio and Sky—about their future? It was almost unthinkable. Almost. Despite silently insulting her father in an almost daily bases, Sky reasoned this actions as his one final act as their father—or should she say, what a Father should have done to their children—his eccentric way of showing this type of deed, albeit, only posthumously to them.

Is this the reason why Mother didn't leave him alone on his own?

She don't know. If the reason for her—their Mother's inability to leave was for the sake of 'love', she can't possibly know. After all, she still can't discern what 'love' truly is despite what she had read.

"That must be the Joestar residence." Dio commented, seated across her as he peeked outside from the carriage window. He laughed to himself, almost condescendingly. "As expected from a noble family. A 'house' would be an understatement especially if your home is literally a mansion."

Following his actions, Sky took a quick peek at the window and her jaw dropped in fascination at the sight. She responded her brother's words despite her bewilderment. "What the…? We're going to live there from now on?!"

"Sky." She shifted her attention to Dio when he called her as she saw him donning a serious look. Seeing this, she leaned away from the window and sat briskly and nervously. "From now on, we'll be living there as you said. But remember this, don't get distracted at the expensive, shiny things by the people living there as their house decoration or their body decoration. Despite these beautiful things, they are replaceable to the point that their existence are meaningless."

She tilted her head. "I got that, Dio. But why are you telling me this? Do you have something on your mind?" Since Dio liked planning, he must have created one already in his mind…

Dio gave her a dubious look. "Are you sure you've read the letter properly? Dario said we ought to become rich and live gloriously for the rest of our lives. I'm planning to make his words real to the point of living through it so that I can spite him despite him being dead." He started to laugh with tinge of madness in it. "You get it? Living through it despite him being dead?"

She laughed distantly at his attempted joke. "Very funny, Dio. So? Is there… do you want me help you in some ways?"

He crossed his arms, returning his expression to a serious look despite he was laughing just a second ago. "No. You've done enough, Sky, there's no need for you to aid me." He was silent for a while, looking at the side of the road with downcast look before he responded. "I noticed this but I never talked about this to you but…" he glanced at her with a neutral expression. "Why did you no longer go to the church anymore?"

She made a small gasp in surprise at those words. After all this time, he actually noticed… "How… did you know that? I made sure to leave outside at the same time when I go to church every Sunday, how did you realize that?"

"That's just an unnecessary detail. Tell me your reason why you're no longer going to the church anymore."

He's not going to tell me? Fine. She crossed her arms defiantly. "I won't tell you unless you tell me how you knew that. After all, it's fair like that."

"…fair, you say…? Fine. If you won't then I won't."

Seeing him twitched and closed his hands to a fist, an epiphany came to her as she observed her brother. Dio was the type who talks a lot and he was most active one between them, where she prefers a passive role, taking a stride behind him while she looks over his shoulder as he stood in front of her, taking all the attention to himself. Perhaps maybe because he likes talking or 'charming' according to the merchant, she realized that her brother doesn't want anything that goes against his words. Despite words seems to be roll out from his mouth naturally, there's sense of meticulousness in him that makes you compelled to follow after his words because there's a certain sense of trust within it. And when someone tried to contradict him using his own words, just like she did to him a few nights ago, he made the same reaction as he did in front of her now; twitching eyebrow and a rebuttal of denial.

Having this realization just now, she covered her laugh behind her hand. Who would never thought her brother got this cute side of him?

"What? What are you laughing at?" Dio asked in genuine confusion.

Sky continued to chuckle in her hand. "Nothing special. Just seeing something… in a new light."

He raised an eyebrow to her.

She just smiled at him.

—then in her peripheral vision, she saw someone with a kind face in front of the mansion.

Who is that? Sky wondered as the carriage arrived to their destination.

As soon as the carriage stopped, she jumped in surprise with a gasping yelp when Dio kicked the door open loudly as she saw him immediately jumped away, throwing his bag first at the ground before landing gracefully in front of the boy she noticed earlier. Least to say, she was… unimpressed at the sight of this.

Dramatic entrance, Dio. Good job.

Wearing their formal attires in this special occasion, Dio was wearing his best suit with the navy blazer and pants while Sky wore her mother's modest white long-sleeved blouse and bellowing long black skirt. Among the dresses Sky found in her mother's closet, this one was her favorite because of its simplicity.

"Oh, you must be the twins, right? Dio Brando and Sky Brando?"

Turning her head to see it was the kind face boy who greeted them, Sky curtsied to him in return. Even though Sky and Dio weren't biologically related, their Mother registered them as twins to avoid complications of their birth. Despite the disparity of their appearance, no one blinked an eye to them as though they were related the whole time.

"And you must be… Jonathan Joestar." Her brother coolly regarded him.

"Everyone calls me Jojo. It's nice to meet you."

Worf! Worf!

All three of them turned their heads as they heard the barking coming towards them. Jonathan beamed when he saw the dog and kneeled to the ground at the hyperactive animal. "Let me introduce you, this is Danny. He's my dear pet… ah! Don't worry, he'd never bite anyone." He hurriedly added.

A dog, huh? Dio never liked dogs but Sky sure does. "What a cute dog, isn't he?" She commented with a smile.

Jonathan returned the gesture. "Yes, he is! He's my companion ever since—"

Jonathan wasn't able to finish his sentence when he heard a painful yelp from his dear dog as he turned his head and saw Danny whimpering and backing away from Dio. Seeing this, Sky threw a worried glance at her brother as she saw him scowling at the black-spotted dog.

"Danny, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Why are you whining?" Jonathan anxiously approached his dog as Danny continued to whimpering in pain as he trembled in fear, glancing his beady eyes at Dio.

Catching the reaction of the animal, Sky silently walked to her brother as she raised her hand and pinched Dio by the face. Hearing him shout in pain, she immediately let him go and wholly received his glare.

"What was that for, Sky?!" He whispered-yelled at her.

"I know you did that, Dio. I had to pinch you."

"What the hell…" Dio muttered as he rubbed his face. Sighing, she crossed her arms and touched her face worriedly.

Even though that was a small slight, Sky had a feeling that her brother was going to misbehave further. And his so-called plan to set into course.

She decided to keep an eye on Dio from now on.

Confront, DIO

The plan was supposed to set into motion smoothly. Yes, it was supposed to. But because of the major flaw he realized to himself—Pride—that he carried to himself, the plan fell apart through his hands and was unable to grasp any further. Moreover, one of the most provider of his failure was his sister's interference—no, to be more accurate, every time he did something as small as a slight, Sky would confront him and punish him physically. Like twisting and pinching his sides or his face. Occasionally, she would stomp his feet forcefully, causing him crouched down in pain as he looked up to her and see her face shifting to an expression that he should have saw it coming and he deserved it.

And with the recent actions Dio made today, stealing the courtesy of someone's first intimate gesture—an act he found baffling of its importance to the ladies—he was seating across Sky in the living room where all the residence of Joestars are already fast asleep in their respective rooms. The reason Dio was here because he responded his sister's call to meet near the fireplace, and physical punishment was already expected from her.

"Seeing that Jonathan made a quick work on you, looks like there's no need to raise my hand on you."

Dio huffed, glowering at her despite the bandage on his face. "You sound like Dario just now."

Seeing his sister's eyebrow twitched in ire, he inwardly smiled in triumph to himself.

"Dio, that's not my point." Sky sighed heavily, face palming tiredly. "I've been asking myself why you're doing all these things to Jonathan. Did he offend you in some ways? Did he do something to you? If you had a reason why you're doing these to him, I would have forgave you. But… all of this… why are doing these deliberately on him? Isolating him from his friends, taking away his friends for yourself and now, you're stealing the rightful kiss for Jonathan from his girl? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Mentioning the kiss, Dio smiled knowingly to her. "Sky, did you know stealing a kiss is equal to stealing a woman's virtue?"

Sky frowned in puzzlement. "What?"

"Erina Pendleton. That was the woman's name whom Jonathan was enamored with. Who would never thought that a simple act was enough to destroy a woman's pride in front of her loved one, as if she had cheated on him behind his back?"

"That's… I guess, that's what you would expect from noble families…? Wait! That's not the point! Don't you dare distract me from the topic, Dio, you idiot!"

Despite his whimsical plan to distract her, he smiled as he relished at his sister's reaction. "Amusing, isn't it? For someone who stood at the top, they possessed fragile ego enough to be brought down by a series of simple acts, unable to fight back because of their reputation? Or was it because of their ego…? Humph. I don't know if that's the case but one thing for sure is that they are goddamn cowards."

Looking at the direction of his sister, he was mildly surprised she stayed silent while he talked, expecting her to explode in anger. But considering her personality, it was unlikely that she would do that. Compared between them when he does most the work, Sky was inert and passive, preferring to see what happens in front of her rather than act. And depending on the result, there are rare cases that she would move forward to solve the problem herself.

That's why Dio hated Sky's submissive side. It makes her look weak.

"Dio, tell me the reason why doing this to Jonathan. If you do that, perhaps I'll let you go and I won't torment you further."

Dio was caught off guard when Sky said those words weakly as if her strength was drained to the ground. He decided to respond cautiously.

"What's wrong, Sky? Are you tired?"

"Just…" she yawned widely. "…answer the question."

With that gesture, he realized why Sky was tired all of sudden. Seeing her gradually crumpling like an old woman, he silently watched as her eyelids fluttered into shut and her chest rising and falling into a familiar rhythmic breathing, falling asleep in the couch in a rather uncomfortable position. Raising himself to stand up, Dio walked around the table that was positioned between them, he sat beside her, plopping his elbow behind the sofa, putting his face to his closed fist and stared at his sister as he pondered.

Sky Brando. His twin sister and a relative and yet not born through his Mother. They were unrelated by blood yet tied by bond, tangled to together because they only had each other. Even though he accepted her as if she was his own blood, he wondered if Sky had regretted to be picked up by his family—Brando—harboring tranquil hatred to them because of the hardships she suffered through this family. But being with her and growing up with her, it seemed to an unlikely case. True, they were episodes of anger but it wasn't targeted to them with ill will. Rather, it seemed to be for their own good because, despite the cruelty she faced, a sense of morality and understanding continued to get stuck to her, willing to see the goodness in every people in spite of everything.

Why is she always like this? He found himself to ponder about her from time to time. Why does she not shear the world with her anger for what fate had given to her? Hatred, wrath, grief… this was all a sufficient weapon against the world for what it made her suffer.

You are too kind, Sky. And kindness is the result of weakness.

Under the layers of his emotional judgement about her, Dio found her simply repulsive. Her passive and cowardly personality, she was just revolting. And yet, there was no sense of hatred nor anger he felt towards her. It was a contradiction, he was fully aware of this, and because of it, Sky was a bizarre existence. She lacked interesting qualities but also didn't lack uninteresting potential. Possibly because Dio had observed her better than anyone else, he had a feeling that Sky was holding back the whole time, like she was afraid pouring her arsenal in the field of war. It was… frustrating to see her always held herself back. Dio thought it was a waste of existence when Sky should have significance in the world, and it would be amusing to see if she let her negative emotions control her and suffer the world for what it made her through.

And that would have been a beautiful sight.

Sky was a beautiful individual by appearance alone, it would be simply an ignorance if someone said otherwise. Dio doesn't know where she got this ethereal radiance she possessed, whether from her biological mother or father, and somewhere in the bottom of his heart, he was thankful that he was given a beautiful sister to accompany him. If he was given an unpleasant individual as his sister or brother… it would be better if he doesn't thought about it.

Dio raised his hand and caressed the face of his sister by the back of his hand. Sky was a heavy sleeper, there's no way she would notice something so gentle and soft as his finger trailed her face of her contours. Yes, if she did notice something so trivial like this, he would be already slapped hard by his actions. Running his hand through her short hair, he realized that Sky still took care of her tresses despite its shortness. Even though her hair was only recently cut, the tips was already reaching her shoulder blades, already growing a few inches in a matter of days.

Truly, what a bizarre existence you are, Sky.

"Sky, if you sleep here in that position, you will be waking up with a stiff neck." Dio told her loudly in her ears as she began to stir from her brief nap. Seeing that his sister haven't opened her eyes, with his hands still close to her face, he squeezed her nose until she woke up from her small nap, startled awake.

"Wha…? Did I fell asleep?" She groaned as she rubbed her eyes. "I must be tired, huh? Uh… what was I doing here again…?"

Seeing that opportunity had presented itself in front of him, he wasted no time and instantly seized it. "You were telling me why you no longer went to church anymore."

"Ah, that? I was… guilty, I guess… ever since that medicine of yours took effect, I feel bad… of sorts. I don't go to church because I was afraid that… people will know what I'm—no, we're doing with our father. Because, essentially, we're killing Dario, right? I don't even read the bible anymore I'm afraid that… God would sent a heavenly punishment to me."

That make sense. Considered what they were doing to their father, Sky felt she was the greatest sinner to reign in the world.

"Did you forgot what I told you, Sky? We're already sinners by default, and nothing will change if you became the greatest one among us."

"Yeah… you're right. Nothing will change but… what about my feelings? Am I supposed to ignore it…?"

He sighed and inwardly shook his head. Kindness. And because of it, this is the result.

"Go back to sleep. The pain will eventually go away and it goes the same what you're feeling right now."

Wordlessly, Dio carried his sister to her room and put her in the spacious bed. When he was about to turn around, he was caught by his hand, rending him immobile as he looked back.

"Just today, let's sleep together. I mean, it's been a while… right…?"

Despite the silent protests his brain was making, Dio laid beside Sky as they faced each other comfortably.

"Sky, what's your prayer?" A random question came to him.

"You're asking me that again? A better life, become taller and… uh… what was it again?"

He smiled despite himself. "Strong?"

"Yes, strong! Strong like you!"

That's right, Sky. That's why… "…if you want to become strong like me, you should exercise diligently."

She blinked. "Eh? You do?"

He deadpanned. "Did you seriously assumed I got this muscles by doing nothing?"

"No, it's not like that. It's just… I never saw you exercise…"

"That's your fault, idiot. You rarely went outside even we already moved in this big-ass mansion."

"B…big-ass…? Is that a metaphor? I hope that's a metaphor."

"What else it should be? What, are you seeing anything big-ass around here?"

"Um… no."

"Then that should be obvious."

And for the first time in their lives, they talked in great lengths to each other during that night before they fall asleep in the same bed.

Dio decided to savor this peace and curbed his own pride for now to befriend Jonathan Joestar for his another plan to set into motion.

Places, places, get in your places
Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains
—Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez