Anne snapped her eyes open. Where was she? It looked like she was back in the Plantar farmhouse. She looked out the window and gasped. Wherever she was, she wasn't in Amphibia. All she could see were planets, suns, moons, and stars. "Whoa," was all she could think to say. She suddenly felt a presence and quickly turned around. Sitting on a desk was an old Macintosh computer from the early 2000s. Text appeared on the screen, saying, "3_STONES_DEITY would like to chat. Accept?"

Realizing she didn't know what else to do, Anne sat down and pressed "Accept". A chat window appeared.

Hello, Anne 0.o

Anne typed back, "Uh, hello. Hi. Who are you? What's going on?"

I am the cosmic guardian who has watched over countless worlds for countless eons.

"Whoa. Okay. What's with the timey old computer?"

Old? Are you human teens using something else these days?

"Tch, you're off by a couple decades."

Well, perhaps we should try a different form...

There was a flash of light and the computer disappeared. In its place was a man who just turned twenty with black chin-length hair with straight-cut bangs covering his forehead. His hair was adorned with a braid going along the top of his head and a hair clip surmounted on each side of his bangs. And he wore an all-white suit covered in small black spoon-like symbols and an open chest, zippers in random places, a lace top underneath the jacket, and black loafers.

"How's this," said the man in a baritone, Italian-accented voice. "Better?"

Anne stared, dumbfounded. She heard stories about him, seen a picture of him in Giorgio's wallet, but here he was in person. "You're...Bruno Bucciarati! The OG!" She let out an excited squeal. "Oh, this is so cool! I get to meet the person who helped JoJo's dad!" But then she realized something. "Wait. You're dead. Does that mean I'm...?"

"First of all, I'm not Bruno Bucciarati. I merely took on his appearance. And second, you are dead, yet you're not. I made a copy of you right before you expired. A backup, if you will. For all intents and purposes, you're the same Anne Boonchuy."

Anne stared before saying, "Well, that's gonna cause some serious existential dread later on. So, does that make you..."

"...Just a watcher, a viewer. I'm not in the demographic, though."

"And you look like Mr. Bucciarati because...?"

"Well, I was going to change myself into your cat, but you probably wouldn't have taken me seriously if I did."

"Hey! I would have...probably petted you uncontrollably," Anne said sheepishly. "Probably made a good call."

"Second of all, my true form would make your human brain explode."

Anne scoffed. "I don't know. I've seen some pretty crazy-" It was only a brief second, but Anne saw it and she let out a scream. When it assumed Bruno Bucciarati's form again, Anne realized, "It's you! You're the one who's keeping Funny Valentine from reaching the other timelines, aren't you? The timelines where there are other Calamity Boxes."

"That is correct. What happens in those timelines stays in those timelines. I do not want to have to deal with whoever is in charge of those versions of the multiverse. That's a wonderland of red tape I don't want to get involved in. Besides, I like messing around with Valentine. It keeps me entertained." The entity paused to take a sip of wine it materialized before saying, "Now, to business. Anne Boonchuy, I have brought you to this place because I want to offer you... a job."

Anne was confused. "What?"

"To keep a near infinite story short, I have been doing this job for a very long time. It's exhausting. So, I was hoping you would consider being my replacement."

Anne pointed to herself. "Me?"

The entity poked her forehead and said, "Yes, you. Look, I created the stones to see how mortals would handle unlimited power. Turns out... not that well! Would you believe that after over 10,000 years, you're the only individual who used that power for good? And don't even get me started on Stands. Do you know how much cleaning up I had to do after that whole Made In Heaven debacle?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"My point is that Stands are an unnatural anomaly that could threaten the very fabric of the cosmos. It's been part of my duty to keep them from reaching my level of what you call godhood. Dealing with megalomaniacs and madmen is tiresome, so I was hoping with your experience, you could take my place."

"Uh... This is a lot to take in right now. I mean, do I have a choice?"

"Well, of course you do! I'm not a jerk."

"Well then... I'm gonna have to pass."

When the entity heard Anne's response, they spat out the wine they were drinking in shock. "Whu?! No! I haven't even told you about Bagel Fridays!"

"Sorry, dude! You seem cool, but I'm just a 13-year-old kid. For every 'heroic sacrifice', I make a hundred dumb mistakes." Anne paused to pick her ear before continuing, "I'd probably blow up the multiverse if you put me in charge."

The entity got on their knees, begging, "Noo! Don't do this to me, kid. You're the only one who qualifies! You're perfect!"

"No one's perfect. My time in Amphibia taught me that we're all changing, and learning and improving as we go. Every time I hit an obstacle, I found a way to overcome it. When I thought Sasha and Marcy would be stuck in their old ways, they proved me wrong and our friendship got stronger. JoJo let go of his obsession of trying to outshine his dad and learned to be a better friend and member of the familia. And Wartwood, the oldest-fashioned, least accepting place, ended up accepting me as one of their own."

The entity considered Anne's words. "So you're saying you could continue improving? Maybe even one day feel worthy of this post?"

"It's possible. I have my whole life ahead of me to make bad choices and learn good lessons from them," said Anne, only to remember she wasn't alive anymore. "Or... I had my whole life ahead of me." Then she gasped when she remembered something. "Oh, no! DIO!" She stood up and glanced around for an exit. "I gotta get back! He's got the stones!"

The entity groaned and face palmed. "Dio. I never thought I would have to deal with him of all people again."

Anne asked, "How do you know about DIO? I mean, Diego?"

"Oh? It's not the same Dio?"

"No. It's his Amphibia counterpart, Diego Brando."

"Oh, that figures." The entity sipped their wine before continuing, "Well, Anne, let me put it this way. Dio Brando, JoJo's grandfather, has been a danger to the multiverse in more ways than you can imagine. That Made In Heaven debacle I mentioned was a part of his plan to remake reality in his image, one in which he controls everyone's fate. He believed that everything a person did was fueled by their desire for peace of mind. Every act of violence, every war, every theft, it was all for peace of mind. We make friends for peace of mind. We make enemies for peace of mind. At the end of the day, Dio believed that humans wanted to be safe and comfortable. That was what motivated him."

"How does that sound peaceful," Anne asked. "It just sounds like a control freak trying to manipulate everyone." She thought, It sounds just like the Core, and who Sasha used to be before she changed.

"Dio wasn't exactly a proponent of giving peace of mind to all. In fact, he was mostly concerned with peace of mind for himself."

"So, what is peace of mind for a control freak like DIO?"

"Ultimate power. That's the only way a man as weak-minded as Dio could ever achieve peace of mind. He was terrified of betrayal. In fact, I don't think he had a single genuine relationship in his entire life. In Dio's eyes, the only way to prevent betrayal is ultimate power. If someone knows there's no point in challenging you, they'll have to do whatever you say. And if they have to do whatever you say, they'll never disappoint you. Indeed. The only way Dio could ever hope to achieve happiness would be to strip the human race of its free will. All because his drunk father hit him. Pathetic would be an understatement. It's a good thing that plan failed, though, thanks to his nemeses the Joestars and their allies."

"And Diego is the same. A control freak who wants to rule over the multiverse all because life wasn't fair for him. I have to stop him. But how? I'm dead, and even if I wasn't, how can I stop a Stand that can freeze time?"

The entity smiled mischievously. "About that...look behind you." Anne did so and gasped. "This new body I gave you comes with a bonus. You always wanted one, right?"

"It is," Anne said excitedly. "But how?"

"Do you recall the spear pointing to you at the castle? That meant you are compatible."

"What does it do? What is its name?"

"Those are things for you to figure out. Now, about getting back home..."

The floor disappeared and Anne fell down into a white void. She screamed as she tried to grab onto something. "Whoa! Wha... What's happening?! Am I actually dying this time?!"

Anne looked up and saw that the entity had changed its appearance into something more angelic. It spoke with an echo in its voice, "I'm sending you back to the world of the living. You've shown me the error in my thinking. And if you can do that at age thirteen, then imagine the Guardian you'll be after a life fully lived." Anne screamed again as she fell further down the void. "Go! Stop Diego! Live your life! I've waited thousands of years to retire. What's seventy-eight years more?"

Anne raised her eyebrows when she heard that. "Wait, are you saying that in 78 years I'm gonna..." She let out another scream as she felt her falling increase velocity.

"WHAT?!" Joan Jett shouted at Giorgio. "You don't know how to stop this?! Can't you just use your Stand's superhuman laser on him?!"

"He's too far away," Giorgio shouted back. "And I can't fly up to him because the sun is still out! Face it, I'm pretty much useless at this point!"

"So we're hosed," said Grime.

"Not necessarily," said Andrias. "We may have one last shot." He reached behind him and pulled out the spear, much to everyone's surprise. "This slipped from Diego's pocket. This spear not only gives people Stands, it has the power to evolve them."

"Just like the arrows back on Earth," whispered Sasha. Giorgio nodded.

"Someone with a Stand has to pierce themselves with the spear, and evolve their Stand," said Andrias. "So, who's gonna do it?"

"Well, you heard the man," said Polly. "One of you..." She pointed to Sasha, Giorgio, Grime, Yunan, Olivia, and Joan Jett. "...is gonna get poked and get the power to stop Diego! So who is it gonna be?"

No one said a word, then Giorgio stepped forward. "I'll do it. Diego technically is my grandfather, so I have to be the one to put him down. But, there's no telling what could happen."

"Are you sure about this," asked Sasha nervously.

Giorgio smiled and said, "I've been thinking about the reason why I even came to America to find the arrow in the first place. It wasn't just because I wanted to surpass Dad, but because I didn't believe in myself. I wasn't happy with who I was, so, when I first came to Amphibia, I tried to make my own version of Passione to prove I was better than him. But, during our time there, it showed me how wrong I was and it made me see who I really wanted to be." He said to Andrias, "Hit me."

Andrias held up the spear and slowly pushed it into Giorgio's chest.

"The multiverse is now an open book to me," Diego shouted to the hole in the sky. "Mine to command, to control!" Something glimmering caught his eye. "That's coming from the castle," he realized. Then his eyes widened. "The spear! No!" He flew down and smashed his way through the ceiling, startling everyone there. When he saw Andrias piercing Giorgio with the spear, he let out a roar of anger and shouted as he prepared to punch them. "I WON'T LET YOU-" Whatever he was going to say next, he didn't get to as someone appeared right before him, blocking his fist with their hand.

Everyone gasped. They couldn't believe their eyes. Sprig, Sasha, Marcy, and the Plantars then began to leak tears.

"It can't be," said Hop Pop.

"It is," said Polly.

"ANNE!" cried out Sprig, too happy to say anything else.

"But, how," asked Giorgio. "You died!"

Anne chuckled and said, "I don't know where to begin. The whole thing feels like a dream."

Diego's shocked expression became a smirk as he summoned The World. "It does not matter. You still cannot stop me, or my Stand! You cannot even see its attacks coming!" The World reared its fist back, but something caught its fist before it could land a punch on her. Diego was shocked. "WHAT?!"

Giorgio, Sasha, Yunan, Olivia, Joan Jett, and Grime stared wide-eyed at what was next to Anne. It looked like a woman with a frog's head and wearing regal blue clothes fit for a queen. It was the one who blocked The World's attack.

Marcy made a confused sound, "Uh, what are you guys looking at?"

"Wait, you can't see it," asked Grime. She shook her head, and so did the Plantars. "Then that confirms it."

"A-A-A-Anne," stammered Sasha. "Sh-She has..."

"A STAND?!" exclaimed Giorgio.

"SAAAAAAYYYYY WHAAAAAAT?!" shouted Hop Pop and Sprig at once.

"Anne has a frogging Stand?!" shouted Marcy. "OHHHH MYYYYY GOOOOOOD! SO COOL!"

"But how?!" asked Olivia, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

"Who cares," asked Polly. "KICK HIS ASS, ANNE!"

"You heard the girl," said Anne. She pointed to Diego and shouted, "Okay, Stand! Kick his butt!" But the frog woman Stand did nothing. "Uh...now? How about now?"

"Good grief, this is embarrassing," said Joan Jett.

Diego chuckled, then burst out laughing. "You just got your Stand, and you don't even know how it works!" He laughed again, tears streaming down his cheeks. Then he wiped them dry and said, "Still, I am willing to accept your challenge." The World appeared next to him and Anne had only enough time to say "Oh, crud." before both it and Diego punched her out of the castle and followed after her.

"Anne!" shouted Sprig.

Anne landed in the ankle-deep water and coughed up a little. The sound of splashing made her realize Diego had followed her and she turned to her Stand and said frantically, "Come on! Attack him! DO SOMETHING!"

"A worthless Stand for a worthless girl," said Diego. "How FITTING!" He lunged for her, only to be whipped in the face by a tentacle made of water. "What," he muttered as he wiped the blood off his cheek.

Anne looked at the frog woman Stand. Its arms were held up, then it flexed its fingers as it controlled the water like puppet strings, making them attack Diego as he and The World dodged and blocked the attacks. "Hey, how come you didn't help me before," Anne asked her Stand incredulously. Then, to her shock, it spoke back, in her voice, "A frog's environment is everything. They need to keep their skin moist."

Anne blinked a few times before asking, "Did you just talk?"

"Yes. But are you listening, Anne?"

"Uh, yes."

"Good. Now, think about what I said and answer your own question."

Anne pondered, then looked around her, specifically, at the water. "Wait, was it because there was no water that you couldn't do anything?"

"Yes," said the frog Stand. "But now, I am in the proper environment for me to use my full potential."

"Wait! What's your name?" Anne asked.

"My name...you can call me...Rhapsody In Blue."

Anne said, "Eh, not too crazy with the name, but I want to see you in action!" With a flick of its wrist, the newly christened Rhapsody In Blue caused water balls to rise up. "Did you know that at the right speed, water can cut through even steel," it asked before it snapped its fingers and the water balls flew toward Diego like speeding bullets. Anne made an impressed sound, "Whoa. My Stand rules!"

But Diego did not show any fear. "No, Anne. My Stand is the one who rules all." He summoned his Stand and shouted, "The World Of Calamity! Time, stop!" The water bullets, and everything else froze. He then pulled out a knife from his belt. "MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA!" He gave the knife a throw and it flew toward Anne, stopping just inches away from her throat. "Five...four...three...two...one...time continues."

Anne let out a gasp as the knife flew past her neck by inches, much to Diego's confusion. "How? I know I aimed right at your throat!"

She shrugged her shoulders and said, "Lucky, I guess?" Then she smirked. "You're in trouble. Give him a spanking, Rhapsody In Blue!"

Rhapsody In Blue said, "I will do more than that." It raised its hands, and water tendrils wrapped around Diego's arms and legs, holding him in place. "I won't let you escape, DIO." A sphere of water formed around his head, threatening to drown him.

"The World Of Calamity! Time, stop!" shouted Diego, causing everything to freeze. He then freed himself from the water, and took a glance at Anne and Rhapsody In Blue. I wasn't imagining it, he thought. I know I threw knife right at her. Somehow, she was able to move during the time skip! But how?! He took out the pistol knife and fired all six shots right at her. "Six seconds have passed. That's my limit now. Time continues."

All six bullets flew right past Anne, catching her by surprise. "Whoa, that was close!"

"I saw that," Diego shouted. "You moved while time was frozen! How?! It doesn't make sense! You shouldn't be able to think, let alone move during the time freeze!" His eyes widened. "Unless...no...don't tell me...your Stand...is it the same as mine?!"

Anne looked up at Rhapsody In Blue and asked, "What is he talking about?"

Rhapsody In Blue said calmly, "The flow of time is always cruel. Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it. Time passes, people move. Like a river's flow, it never ends. For me, and me alone, the flow of time moves on as it should: forward, and it never halts for anything." Diego's breath hitched when it said that. "Yes, your suspicion is correct, DIO. The World Of Calamity's ability to freeze time has no affect over me."

"Wait, are you saying we can beat him," asked Anne.

"I'm saying we have a chance," said Rhapsody In Blue. It refocused its gaze on Diego again. "Your hand is shaking, DIO. You are afraid."

Diego stopped shaking as he recomposed himself. "You're wrong, Rhapsody In Blue," he said as he summoned The World Of Calamity again. "The flow of time, like a river, can be stopped. And if it cannot be stopped, then one can simply change its course. DID YOU FORGET THE WORLD OF CALAMITY HAS THE POWER TO OPEN PORTALS?!" Four holes tore open above, below, to the right, and to the left of Anne and Rhapsody In Blue and in them, they could see the Dry Swamp. "Look as hard as you want, you won't find a single drop of water there! Your Stand is powerless now!"

Anne tried to move, but she couldn't. In fact, she felt as though her body was being stretched out. "The pull of the portals will tear your body apart," said Diego. Anne smirked. "Why are you smiling?"

"No reason."

Someone kicked Diego in the back, breaking his concentration and closing the portals. Diego turned around and saw Giorgio, holding Andrias' giant umbrella in his hand to keep the sun off him while DARE stood by his side. "Need some backup," he asked.

"Sure," said Anne. "Thanks. What do you think of my Stand? Pretty cool, huh?"

Giorgio looked Rhapsody In Blue over and said, "She is beautiful."

"And powerful," said Anne, feeling proud of herself.

"I am called Rhapsody In Blue," said the frog woman Stand, surprising Giorgio. "A sentient Stand type," he said. "Just like Echoes! But, I don't understand. How did you obtain it?"

"Mr. Bucciarati gave her to me," said Anne.

Giorgio stared. "Wait, what?"

"Hey," shouted Diego. "Did I say this battle was over?! Don't pretend like I'm not here!"

"Oh, I forgot about him," said Giorgio. "This time I'm prepared for you, Diego! Anne, we gotta take him out together!" Anne nodded.

Diego floated up in the air, and The World Of Calamity opened portals that showed an asteroid belt. "I am biological perfection, a new creature to whom the future is open... Is such a being fit to walk the same ground as a human? How rude you are!" Meteors shot out and rained down upon the two teens. Giorgio sliced some of them to pieces with his eye air jets while Anne had Rhapsody In Blue trap the others in water spheres and flung them back at Diego, but The World Of Calamity opened more portals to keep them from hitting him.

"We gotta get me closer to him so I can use the Superhuman Laser on him," shouted Giorgio. "Before he has the chance to use The World Of Calamity's time stop again!"

"Leave that to me," said Rhapsody In Blue. She spun her arms around, forming a whirlpool beneath Giorgio, sucking him in before it launched him into the sky like a cannon. Giorgio smirked as he flew up to Diego and DARE began to shatter the helmet. But the smirk turned into horror when The World Of Calamity opened another portal...revealing the sun. Anne could only watch in horror as Giorgio's body exploded into ashes while his clothes and the umbrella floated down like leaves falling from a tree.

Diego burst out laughing as he closed the portal. "Finally! He is gone!" He then focused his eyes on Anne. "All that's left is you, and I will be unopposed!" He laughed again and Anne let out a scream of rage as she charged for Diego and tried to attack him with her tennis racket.

Back inside the castle, the rest of the gang saw everything. The Plantars cried. Olivia and Yunan held each other close. Marcy sobbed. Joan Jett didn't even bother stopping her tears as she hid her face with her hat. Grime walked into a corner to cry in private. Sasha fell to her knees, let out a scream of despair as she slammed her fists on the ground. Andrias looked away emotionlessly.

"JoJo...no..." whimpered Polly.

"DIO cheated," shouted Sprig. "I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL KILL HIM!"

"Sprig, no," said Hop Pop, trying to keep him from leaving the castle.

Sasha got up and wiped her eyes as her grief turned into rage. Joan Jett stopped her from running and said, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm gonna kill DIO! I lost Anne and got her back! I can't lose JoJo!"

"How are you going to do that?" asked Marcy. "You saw what The World Of Calamity did! That Stand is unstoppable!"

"I don't care! I'm gonna kill him no matter what it takes!"

"Sasha, calm down," said a familiar voice.

"Shut up, JoJo! I'm..." Sasha trailed off. She and everyone else looked behind them and saw Giorgio sitting in Andrias' throne with an open umbrella in hand, smirking at them. "Ciao," he said.

"Holy frog, his ghost has come back to haunt us," shouted Hop Pop.

"What? No, I'm not dead!" Giorgio hopped off the throne and walked to them. "I-" Whatever he was about to say, he got cut off as Sasha punched him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. "Ooh," he groaned. "Was that a test to see if I was not a hallucination?"

"No. I knew you were real," she replied. "That's for scaring the shit out of me!" Then she hugged him. "And this is me being glad you're okay."

Giorgio hugged her back and wheezed, "Sorry for scaring you. Also, you're crushing my ribcage."

"But, I don't understand," said Andrias. "We all saw you blow up!"

"Yeah, if you've been here the whole time, who was that out there," asked Sprig.

Giorgio's smirked returned. "Was it me? Or did I lead you to believe it was me?"

"Huh?"

Stand: Rhapsody In Blue

User: Anne Boonchuy

Power: B

Speed: B

Range: C

Durability: B

Precision: C

Potential: A

Ability: Has the ability to control water in any form, including liquid, gas, and water, but only when water is nearby. It can also nullify the abilities of time-manipulating Stands, but only when in its opponent's range.

As Anne tried to strike Diego with her tennis racket, only for Diego to block and dodge them every time, Rhapsody In Blue tried to give some advice, "Anne, calm down, you're-"

"SHUT UP, RHAPSODY! I WANNA KILL HIM! NOTHING ELSE MATTERS TO ME NOW!" A punch from The World Of Calamity sent her falling onto her back.

"You know, I think I finally figured out why the stones picked you as their champion, Boonchuy," said Diego. "From the moment you and your friends walked into Andrias' throne room, everyone underestimated you. A scruffy little girl with one shoe missing and leaves in her hair. Yet underneath it all, a true warrior. Such a brilliant deception. But in the end, you still lost!" He laughed maniacally.

"Bastard..." snarled Anne.

"Once more! THE WORLD OF CALAMITY! TIME, FREEZE!"

Everything froze. Rhapsody In Blue, the only one unaffected by the time freeze, looked around frantically. "Where did he go," it asked. "He used the calamity powers to open a portal and escape. But where?" It should have paid attention to what was beneath it and Anne as a portal opened up beneath them. Quickly, it grabbed onto the edge with one hand and Anne onto the other.

"What do you know? I can now stop time at seven seconds now. Time continues," said Diego. Anne let out a scream as she looked down at the unfamiliar world. She and Rhapsody In Blue looked up to see Diego with The World Of Calamity by his side. The Stand then pressed its foot onto Rhapsody In Blue's fingers as Diego said, "What do you think is in that world? A landscape with no oxygen for you to breathe in? Or perhaps a nest full of aliens who want to lay their eggs down your esophagus? Even I do not know. What I do know is that once you're in your new home with no way to get back, the rest of the multiverse will bow down to one god, DIO!"

Suddenly, a red tendril grabbed Anne and pulled her out of the hole. "I gotcha, Anne," said Giorgio as the blood vein tentacles retracted back into his arm. Anne couldn't believe it. Tears streamed down her face as she pulled him into a hug. "JoJo," she cried. "You're alive! You're..." She suddenly realized something. "Wait. You're standing in the middle of the sun! But-"

"HOW?!" Diego shouted, just as confused as she was. "I saw you explode into dust when I opened the portal, exposing directly you to the sun's surface! You shouldn't be alive! You shouldn't!"

Giorgio smirked. "No. What you saw was what I wanted you to see."

"Huh?" asked Anne.

"I'm really sorry for the deception, Anne, but I needed to do it to drop Diego's guard down. You see, I'm not really here."

"Again, huh?"

"What you're seeing is my evolved Stand. Demon Days - DARE. It has the power of what you call Complete Hypnosis."

"Hypnosis? That's not what it does," said Rhapsody In Blue. "DARE is a Stand that messes with people's senses."

"And it still does," said Giorgio. "Demon Days - DARE disrupts the senses so that the victim misidentifies the enemy. Appearance, shape, size, texture, and even smell are affected. In other words, a fly can appear to be a dragon, and a swamp a flower garden. And the initiation condition for the hypnosis is to show the victim its summoning."

Diego's eyes widened. "It was that light," he realized. "The light that shined when Andrias pierced you with the spear."

"Yes," Giorgio said. "After seeing the summoning just once, anyone who sees it will completely succumb to the hypnosis. After that, every time I summon my Stand, that person will be completely hypnotized."

"Whoa, that's actually kind a cool," said Anne. "And pretty scary. Well, it certainly explains why you're out in the sunlight and not frying up."

"So, where's the real you," asked Rhapsody In Blue.

"Back at the castle," Giorgio pointed over his shoulder. "With the others."

Diego's face contorted with rage, but then the rage gave way to demented laughter. "How clever. How ingenious. Are you sure you're a Joestar? You really are my counterpart's grandson!"

"I don't care about that," Giorgio replied, tugging on his shirt's collar to reveal the star-shaped birthmark on the left shoulder just below his neck. "I may be Dio Brando's grandson, but I'm also a Joestar by blood. Besides, blood doesn't define who you are. You make you."

Diego scoffed. "I have made me, boy. This is my destiny!" He looked up at the sky and smiled. "So, I shall bring Amphibia to its knees before I establish my position as the multiverse's god! BEHOLD!" The World Of Calamity raised its hands and another portal opened up in the sky, revealing a large red and black metallic sphere floating in space.

"Wait," exclaimed Giorgio. "Is that the moon?"

"Why does it look like that," asked Rhapsody In Blue.

Diego explained, "When our civilization was at its peak, the moon became home to some of the Core's pet projects. Among them, a plan to eradicate all life as we know it by ramming the moon into Amphibia's surface."

"WHAT?!" Anne and Giorgio shouted.

"And you're gonna finish where they left off," shouted Anne. "How stupid is that?!"

"Relax. Because your father destroyed the Core, JoJo, the moon will remain dormant forever. However, if I were to destroy it while The World Of Calamity keeps this portal open, its fragments will rain down from space, destroying everything and everyone who stands in my way! And all those who remain will revere me forever!"

"We're not going to let that happen, DIO," Anne shouted.

"You can't stop me! The World Of Calamity! Time, stop!"

Rhapsody In Blue pulled Anne and Giorgio closer to it just as everything ground to a halt. It looked around, but Diego had gone. "Damn it, he disappeared again," it muttered. "But where?" A shadow loomed over the three of them and Rhapsody In Blue looked up to see Diego falling down while holding... "A ROAD ROLLER!" shouted Diego.

Rhapsody In Blue put a protective dome of water around them just as the road roller slammed into them. Then, it punched the road roller away from the three of them. "KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO!

"IT'S TOO LATE! THERE IS NO ESCAPE!" Diego and The World Of Calamity punched into the road roller, making them sink further into the ground. "MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA!"

"KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO!"

"MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA! EIGHT SECONDS HAVE PASSED! WRRRRRRYYYYYYYY! I'LL CRUSH YOU!"

Diego and The World Of Calamity slammed their fists into the road roller one more time and it was further pummeled, along with Giorgio, Anne, and Rhapsody In Blue, into the ground. "Nine seconds have passed." Diego stood on top of the road roller, and let out a triumphant laughter. "Invulnerability! Eternal life! Stand power! Here lies the proof that none shall surpass the mighty DIO! Puny creatures! I will rule you all! Bow before my power and knowledge!" He laughed again...but the laughter turned into a gasp as he suddenly felt all his strength leave him and the glow from The World Of Calamity vanished. He fell onto his hands and knees and said, "I- I can't move! I- Impossible!" He looked around and saw that all the portals he made vanished. "Wh-Why? Why is this happening?"

"Isn't it obvious?" No. No. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! Diego turned around and saw Giorgio, Anne, and Rhapsody In Blue, completely unharmed. "Did you forget that you're still under the affect of Demon Days - Dare? What you crushed was merely another illusion while Rhapsody In Blue saved our asses. Oh wait, you're wondering about why you're suddenly so weak, aren't you? Well, that's what happens when you burn out all your powers."

"It took me, Sasha, and Marcy a lot of training for us to get used to our Calamity powers, and even then, it would leave us completely exhausted," said Anne with a mischievous smile. "Guess this is your crash course in having a super powers."

"Y-You...you...this was all to get me to waste my powers," exclaimed Diego.

"Yep," said Giorgio. "Anne was the one who came up with that."

"Oh, you're making me blush." Then Anne turned to Diego and said, "You know something, DIO? You were right. You did underestimate me. You thought I was incapable of changing, but you were wrong. I stopped being Sasha's slave and became an independent, confident woman who helped change her friends for the better, and helped Wartwood open up and accept strangers. And JoJo learned to let go of obsession of trying to be better than his father, and learned how to be a better version of himself. The only one who couldn't change was you, DIO."

"So, I guess this is the part where you shout 'I am DIO!' and try to kill us, however, I am feeling unusually generous," said Giorgio. "Prove me wrong and go hide in some hole where you will never hurt everyone ever again. Or try to attack us. But just be warned: the instant you do, I won't hesitate to kill you. What's it gonna be, Diego?"

Diego glared at the two of them before shouting like a deranged lunatic, "I will gouge your organs out. Actions like slamming you against a wall, or crushing you between my fists… I will do no more… I'll cut your body apart and splatter the floor with your entrails in short order. I'll cut you open and scoop out your innards!" Then he did something unexpected: he bit off a bit of his his own arm and spat blood in Giorgio and Anne's faces. "How's that?! Here's blood in your eye!" The World appeared and raised its fist to punch Anne first, only for a water tentacle controlled by Rhapsody In Blue to grab both Diego and The World. "What?!"

Giorgio then transformed, revealing himself to be DARE the whole time, and both it and Rhapsody In Blue gave Diego and The World the beating of a lifetime with both sense-enhancing punches and water bullets respectively.

"MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA!"

"KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO, KERO!"

The two Stands slammed their fists into Diego one last time and The World's body cracked, much to Diego's shock and horror. He let out a scream as the cracks spread and grew larger with the damage being reflected onto himself. "WHAAAAT?! I-IMPOSSIBLE! I...I AM DIOOOOOOO...! I AM DIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" His body exploded in a flash of blue, pink, and green colors, creating a tremor that shook the entire planet.

Back in the castle, the Plantars, Frobo, Giorgio, Sasha, Grime, Yunan, Olivia, Joan Jett, and Andrias braced themselves as they felt the massive shockwave.

Anne, DARE, and Rhapsody In Blue picked themselves up from the dust and looked at the crater that was once Diego Brando. "There are only two reasons you lost, DIO. Two reasons only," said Anne with a glare. "First of all, you hurt my friends. Second, and most important of all...you pissed me off." Her vision suddenly became blurry and she began to sway. Rhapsody In Blue faded away as she passed out.

She awoke with a start, finding herself in a hospital room. "How did I get here," was the first thing she asked.

"We brought you here," said Giorgio, who was sitting by her bed, holding an open umbrella in his hand. "You collapsed from exhaustion."

"And DIO?"

"Dead. There's no coming back from that little explosion."

"Question, is that really you, or are you another illusion?"

"Nope, it's me. Or am I? Ha! Just joking."

Anne slowly sat up in the bed and asked, "How long have I been out?"

"Three days."

Anne's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"

Giorgio chuckled. "Just kidding again. It's only been an hour." He sighed, then said, "Hey, Anne, you still didn't explain how you came back to life."

"Uh...I have no idea how to explain it- guh!" Anne suddenly gasped as Giorgio suddenly hugged her and said with tears running down his cheeks, "Don't you ever do that again, Anne."

Anne hugged him back and patted his back. "Can't keep any promises." After the moment passed, she asked, "And...how did everyone else react?"

"Well..." Giorgio walked to the door and opened it. Before Anne knew it, she was swarmed by Sasha, Marcy, the Plantars, and...well, pretty much all the friends she made in both Wartwood and Newtopia. But before they could reach her, Rhapsody In Blue appeared and restrained them all with water tentacles. "That's quite enough," it said. "My user is still recovering, and she does not need this much stress!"

"Please, please, please, please," cried Sprig as he struggled to break free. "Let me hug her!"

"Yeah, after everything that's happened, she deserves this," said Sasha.

"Absolutely not," Rhapsody In Blue shouted.

"Hey, it's alright," reassured Anne. "Let them go."

"Are you sure," Rhapsody In Blue asked. "I don't want you hurt."

"It's fine. I need this."

Reluctantly, Rhapsody In Blue let them go, and they all dog piled Anne, causing the bed to collapse from the weight. Giorgio smiled at the sight of them hugging Anne and asking if she was alright. Then he realized someone wasn't there. "Where's Andrias?"

"He...wanted to be alone for a while," said Marcy.

In his bed chamber, Andrias finished his drawing. It depicted stick figures of himself, Leif, Barrel, and Marcy, all smiling and holding hands. He wanted it to be a real portrait, but in his state, he couldn't really do it. Still, he smiled at the picture and put it on his bedside table. He looked out the window and said, "It's over. It's finally over." He then left the chamber, ready to join Marcy.

"So, there's only one thing left that we haven't solved yet," said Giorgio after the moment passed. "How are we going to get back home?"

"Oh, that's right," said Anne. "We completely destroyed the stones when we beat DIO. We have no way back." She, Sasha, Marcy and Giorgio looked at each other sadly.

"Stay with us, then," said Sprig. "Amphibia is your home, too."

"Sprig," said Hop Pop. "Don't be selfish. You know they can't stay here."

"But...but..."

"Sprig. I told you, they have a home and lives to get back to. As much as we love them, we can't keep them."

"But it still doesn't answer the question of how we're going to get back," said Sasha.

Giorgio exhaled. "Valentine, I know you're here."

Funny Valentine was sitting on the bed next to Anne's, sipping on a can of beer upside-down. "You have done well. The legacy of the royal family is no more, and so is Diego Brando."

"Wait, how did you know about that," asked Hop Pop.

"A hole tore up in the sky back on Earth, and we all heard Diego's declaration of godhood. It gave us quite the scare. Thankfully, the damage was undone when you destroyed him. It's going to be quite the story for you to tell," Valentine said to Anne, Sasha, Marcy, and Giorgio. "But, like all stories, they have to come to an end. I have to take you home."

"Wait," Sprig exclaimed. "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap lets you travel to any world, dimension, and timeline, right? Can't you just send them back here any time?"

"I'm not a taxi service. Besides, I still have a sentence to serve. I'm sorry."

"So, this is it," said Anne. "We are never going to see each other again."

Valentine saw the sad looks on everyone's faces and said, "Whenever there's a meeting a parting is sure to follow. However, the parting need not last forever. Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time... that is up to you."

"We're never going to see each other again," snarked Polly. "This is definitely forever."

Valentine replied, "Is it?" He then stood up and said, "I'll give you twelve hours. That'll give you enough time to say your goodbyes." D4C appeared, pulled him into the bed, and the two of them disappeared.

"Twelve hours," asked Sprig. "That's...not enough time."

Suddenly, Sasha slammed her fists on the bedpost and said, "Hey! If twelve hours is all the time we have, let's make the most of them! We just stopped DIO and saved the world! Let's have a party! One that nobody will ever forget!"

"She's right," said Giorgio. "Instead of spending the next twelve hours moping, let's spend them eating, drinking, singing! We'll party like we're in Valhalla, and we'll invite everyone! What do you say?"

Everyone glanced at each other, then they smiled and nodded. "Let's party 'til we're purple," shouted Polly. "And I get to punch everyone!"

"You heard the girl," Hop Pop shouted. "All are welcome!"

Everybody cheered. Everyone except Andrias. He looked away looking sad. He felt someone tug on his sleeve. He looked down and saw Marcy. "You're coming too, right," she asked.

"I...I'm not sure I'm welcome," Andrias said ashamedly. "Not after everything I've done."

"Andrias, you did all those things because the Core forced you to," said Marcy assuringly. "Besides, I still think of you as a friend. I want you to be there when we say...goodbye." She shook her head. "No. I'm not going to be sad this time. Being afraid of saying goodbye to my friends was the whole reason I dragged them to Amphibia in the first place. I'm going to face the future with my head up high, and not be afraid of change. And you know what? Neither will you. Now come on, Andrias! We've got a party to go to! I'll even make your favorite dip," she sang.

Andrias smiled. "Very well. Let's make this final night a memorable one."

⬅ To be continued...

Stand: Demon Days - DARE

User: Giorgio Giovanna

Power: A

Speed: A

Range: A

Durability: B

Precision: A

Potential: C

Ability: In addition to the ability to enhance and dull a person's five senses, Demon Days - DARE has the ability to hypnotize people and trap them in a nearly flawless hypnotic illusion. The initiation condition for the hypnosis is to show the enemy the summoning of Demon Days - DARE. After seeing it just once, the victim will completely succumb to the hypnosis. Afterwards, every time it is summoned, the victim will fall under the thrall of the hypnosis. While the illusions Demon Days - DARE creates are quite powerful, those with considerable power and skill themselves may be able to note slight differences in the illusions compared to the real thing, even if they are not able to determine what exactly is different.