Author's Note: Hi there. I am sure you're all confused by my sudden reappearance. I just wanted to write an idea in my head and see where it led me. As for everything else in my account, I'll just leave it as is. Maybe I'll start anew somewhere else someday, but for now this is the only thing I can show you.
For further context, this is a work of fanfiction that takes place within a continuity based on Eyes Of Heaven, along with some added details. That's why you might notice some things that seem out of the ordinary.
Also, the time I'm posting this is purely on purpose. Today is a day like no other.
Hope you enjoy!
"Pardon me; you want me to do what?"
"I want you to teach me Hamon breathing."
Will. A Zeppeli finished his sip of wine, before turning to look at the pink-haired girl to his left.
Trish seemed unsure of her decision, as she was gripping her right arm slightly.
Next to the magician were both Jonathan Joestar and Robert E.O. Speedwagon, who shared faces of evident surprise.
All four individuals were currently inside Coco Jumbo; the rest of the Joestar group was inside the Joestar Mansion, either training their abilities or planning their next course of action against the Noble One and his minions.
Speedwagon looked like he wanted to say something, but Zeppeli beat him to the punch first:
"And why do you want to learn Hamon from me, young lady?", the magician inquired, setting his glass of wine down. "As far as I know, Lisa Lisa is far more experienced in Hamon training than I am."
Trish squeezed her right arm even tighter. "Well, I remember something you said earlier while we were fighting against the Noble One's henchmen", she explained demurely, recalling a memory that came to the forefront of her mind. "About what courage was..."
The magician fell silent for several seconds before suddenly lighting his facial expression. "Ah, so you remember that. True courage is about becoming one with fear itself, yes", he stated. "Only then can you step forward without hesitation; it is one of the most important things for a student to remember if they're learning Hamon."
"I remember Johnny carrying himself with very similar words", Jonathan chimed in with a hand to his chin. "According to him, he only shoots when he has absolutely no doubts quelling his mind."
"Those nail bullets of his are really bizarre...", added an unnerved Speedwagon with slight distaste. "I've never seen anything like them before."
The magician scooted over to his right, inviting the girl to sit down next to him. As she did, he decided to follow up with another question, "And why are you interested in what I said?"
The girl looked down at her lap. "According to Bucciarati, we were fighting against the remaining hitman team that wanted to capture me a few days ago", she explained. "Their name was La Squandra Esecuzioni, and each member had stands that non-stand users can't see. And yet, none of you were afraid to fight with that disadvantage, and we even won because of it. That fight put things into perspective."
A faint image of her stand could be seen as she continued looking at her hands, "I've already had Spice Girl for a good amount of time, but I'm still afraid of how useless I am when I look at what others can do. I can defend myself pretty easily with my stand, but I don't really know how to use her abilities for combat. I'm not experienced in fighting like everyone else, and I don't have the same level of resolve Giorno and the rest of the group has. I can't even begin to imagine having to... kill someone, If I ever needed to."
She could feel a look of pity coming from Jonathan, but she continued talking, "That's why I thought that maybe learning Hamon could lead me to somewhere new... Maybe in learning another ability, I could gain the courage I've never had before, and be less afraid of fighting for myself."
Zeppeli attentively listened to her speech before eventually speaking up, "It is important that I tell you, young lady, that Hamon breathing is more than just conquering your fears. I do hope you understand that."
Trish nodded silently.
"...However, if you believe you can grow stronger with Hamon, then I am no one to get in the way of that potential", he stood up. The girl looked up at him in surprise. "If I could teach even Speedwagon to use a small percentage, then I'm sure I can teach anyone else."
"Mr. Zeppeli!", Speedwagon objected.
"Come now, Speedwagon; you know Mr. Zeppeli is just jesting", Jonathan held back a laugh.
As the two got into a light argument, Zeppeli turned to the young girl. "Now in all seriousness, Hamon is that technique that only a few people can learn. What I'm going to do now is send a wave of Hamon through your body, and your reaction will determine if you have the capacity to learn it or not. Is this fine with you?"
Trish didn't seem fully convinced. "It won't hurt, right?", she asked nervously.
"That depends", the man truthfully answered. He then offered his hand to the girl.
"So, what will your decision be?", he asked.
Despite her nervousness, Trish knew this was an important decision for her to make. Even her Spice Girl was silent; she would have to take the first step on her own.
Eventually, she took his hand with hers, as if greeting him with a hand shake.
"...Alright, what now?", she asked awkwardly.
"Now you don't let go", he shortly answered, before suddenly sending a large wave of Hamon into the girl's hand:
...
An overdrive.
That was what her body felt. It arrived in an overflow of life energy setting all her senses on fire. She couldn't feel her arms or legs, and her brain couldn't formulate a single thought. For a split second, she thought she was dead.
Trish eventually came back to reality after what felt like an eternity; the girl felt like her mind was all slushy. However, she was only shocked in seconds, the magician already letting go of her hand before adding pepper to his sandwich.
The girl grabbed her head with one hand and groaned in pain, before looking up and studying her surroundings. Both Jonathan and Speedwagon looked surprised, while Zeppeli seemed impassive.
Trish could barely drag out her words, her speech slow and slurred. "Wha... what just ha...?"
"Take a deep breath and relax, young lady", the magician spoke up first. "You still need to recover from the after-effects of the excess Hamon circulating inside your body."
The girl did as instructed, only inhaling and exhaling the energy out of her body. As she did, she noticed how her breathing felt lighter through each cycle. With each exhale, she could feel her murkiness dissipate. Eventually, all of it was gone.
The girl quickly recovered after a matter of seconds. "So...", she began, still getting used to speaking again. "Does this mean I failed?"
"On the contrary, young lady; you passed", he nonchalantly took another bite out of his sandwich, surprising the girl out of her stupor. "You only reacted like that because your body doesn't know how to harness Hamon energy yet. I can teach you the necessary lessons so that it doesn't happen again."
The girl was surprised to hear that. "Seriously?", she asked the magician. "You mean it?"
Zeppeli nodded, now fully finished with his food. "Of course I do. Jonathan doesn't need my tutelage anymore, as he has grown to become quite an excellent Hamon user", he motioned to his previous disciple, who only recognized his praise with an awkward wave. "It wouldn't do harm having a new student."
He then turned to Trish and pointed at her curiously, "Now, I do believe there is another reason for turning to me instead of Lisa Lisa, no?"
It was almost as if Trish was an open book. "Well...", the girl trailed off sheepishly. "I did hear Joseph ranting about how Lisa Lisa put him through some hellish training to learn his Hamon, and I didn't really want to go through that..."
The magician nodded in amusement. "Mhmm, I supposed that was also it."
He then stood up from his seat before turning towards Trish, extending his hand to the girl. "Though I must warn you; just because my method of training is less taxing by a slight margin, that does not mean it will be any less challenging", Zeppeli warned her with a serious expression in his face; he intended to test how genuine her determination was.
"Hamon breathing is something only one in ten thousand can apply into actual practice", the magician continued. "and even if you do qualify to learn, it will take a considerable amount of time and energy before you can use it, much less master it. Do you still agree to train under these rigorous conditions?"
The girl stood up to face him, momentarily mulling over her options. Even her own stand appeared to be testing her; Spice Girl had her arms crossed next to Trish's left.
Do you really think this is the right decision for you, Trish?, she asked her. She seemed to be studying her master's face.
However, it didn't take long for the young girl to confirm that she knew what she was doing. She saw for herself just how strong Hamon users were, and how far they were willing to go to continue increasing their strength. If she had the potential to learn the same power they had, then she needed to be sure of herself and take the first step:
She desired to take a path of resolve just like them.
Trish eventually took the magician's hand with hers. "I accept your conditions", she stated determinedly.
Spice Girl nodded in approval, before slowly vanishing into thin air. Zeppeli's expression also seemed to light up considerably at the girl's answer.
They both had a brief handshake.
"Very well; we can begin tomorrow afternoon", the magician told the girl, letting go of her hand before sitting back down.
The magician then helped himself to another glass of wine. "By then I will see how strong your fortitude really is, young lady. I will also advise you to bring something more comfortable to wear, as we will be using the lake near the mansion."
"The one where we met for the first time, Mr. Zeppeli?"
"The very same."
Trish grimaced at the thought of getting her boots wet. She really didn't like the idea of ruining her favorite clothes with water, but she had no other choice if this was her ticket to getting stronger. Maybe she could ask Fugo to borrow his clothes again.
The girl nodded to the magician's recommendation.
However before leaving the turtle, she turned to look at Jonathan. There was also something else she came here for.
Both him and Speedwagon stopped their recent discussion as the gentleman felt a pair of eyes behind him.
"Is there something you want to tell me, young lady?", he turned to face the girl.
Trish hesitated at first, but she eventually spoke up. "I just wanted to... talk to you, about Giorno. You're his dad, right?"
"Well, more or less...", Jonathan trailed off doubtingly.
Trish decided to not pry into his tentative answer. "Well, Giorno is one of the people who inspired me to get stronger", she slowly began, admitting her feelings in full honesty. "He also motivated me to not run away from my own fate..."
She then took a brief pause, her mind turning to more people.
"That's kinda how he is with the rest of the Passione group, actually", she spoke up: "I don't know how, but he somehow brings everyone's best qualities from within themselves. No one in the group had much going on until he came in, and even now we still have the hope to continue moving through all this mess thanks to him. And I know the rest of the group feels that way; even Abbacchio admits the resolve he brings to the team."
She then remembered what he did back in their fight against Notorious B.I.G. Back then, the young man severed his own arm in order to dispatch the enemy stand and save his friends. He had Gold Experience to heal him at any time, sure, but one had to be demented to take such a giant risk.
And yet he still took it, all within a moment's notice and no hesitation whatsoever..., the girl mused to herself.
As she did, she couldn't help but remember the distinct image of Giorno hovering high above the sky, with Gold Experience Requiem activated by his side.
As she did, she couldn't help but wonder if this is what glory looked like as a person.
Trish was sure Giorno had taken his own path to get to where he was, as well as have the strength a million men would kill to have. She was sure it was a path that she could possibly never begin to understand.
But that didn't mean she wouldn't try her best to understand him, and reach his level regardless. That too was part of the resolve she wanted to have.
Now that she thought about it, she had a lot to appreciate Giorno for...
...
"Giorno Giovanna...", Spice Girl spoke up, Trish looking at the intricate brooch slowly transforming into his hand. They were both inside the plane destined towards Sardinia. "Because of his resolve, you were able to awaken me for the first time", the stand spoke. "He is definitely a mysterious individual."
The girl only continued to look at the brooch in her hand.
"...You sure are a mysterious person, Giorno."
...
Trish didn't know why that memory came back to her mind. But she knew it was relevant somehow.
There was a lot about Giorno that she didn't know, which meant there was a long road ahead of her if she wanted to reach the level of resolve he had.
The girl woke up from her own thoughts, looking up to face the gentleman. "...I don't really know much about Giorno's personal life or how he was raised", she began. "But, I can tell you're his dad at first glance, because you two carry the same elegance and compassion towards the people you care about."
Her face then made a rare instance of a smile. "I can tell he got his good qualities from you", she finished.
Jonathan was initially speechless at the appraisal, but it didn't take long for him to recover with a smile.
"Why, that is wonderful to hear, young lady!", the man told her in pure happiness. "I am more than proud to know that Giorno has become such a positive influence to his friends, given how well you are talking about him!"
"However, I would have to deny attributing the cause to me", he added. "I know he inherited his nobility from my father, who I'm sure is looking at him proudly at this very moment."
The gentleman then looked up at the ceiling, almost as if trying to reach to someone.
"In fact, I am quite sure he is proud of the extensive bloodline that spans our entire family, including all of the friends and allies we've gathered in our bizarre adventure", he finished.
Speedwagon himself looked like he wanted to cry. "Those are some beautiful words, Mr. Joestar", he wiped off a small tear from his eye. "I'm sure your own father is proud of you, too."
Jonathan turned back to face him with a proud nod. "Of course I'm aware of that, Speedwagon."
Trish also nodded in agreement. "Your father sure sounds like a great guy, Mr. Joestar", she smiled. "I kinda wish I got to know him now..."
She then remembered her own father, in stark contrast. A rather unpleasant thought to ruin the moment, but it was an inevitability for her at this point.
"Anyways, I have to get ready for tomorrow; I'm sure Bucciarati and the others are wondering where I've gone off to this time", the girl also looked up at Coco Jumbo's exit. "Again, thank you for being here, and for making Giorno the person he is, I guess. I do wish I can understand him better someday..."
She couldn't see it from her point of view, but the rest of the group could notice her cheeks slightly redden at the mention of his name.
"Well, goodbye for now", Trish stated before reaching for Coco Jumbo's ceiling. After doing so, the girl suddenly disappeared from the spacious compartment, leaving the three gentlemen behind.
Zeppeli couldn't help but smirk to himself; the man crossed his legs as he sipped from his glass of wine once more.
"Nothing is more beautiful than young love", Jonathan distantly remembered his childhood days with Erina, recalling how Trish looked as she talked about his half-son. "Though in all honesty, I am still concerned by today's unorthodox sense of clothing..."
"I'm sure it's just a phase, Mr. Joestar."
Author's Note: Now that I'm thinking about it, making a fanfiction that expands upon the entirety of Eyes Of Heaven sounds really appealing. However, I know myself well enough to not write anything until I'm sure I'll have the motivation to complete it. I don't want to repeat the same mistakes as I did with my earlier works.
In any case, take care everyone. I'll see you all later.