Silence reigned for a moment except for the splashing rain as they all look in the air where they just saw Junko get apprehended by a cloud Stand that has suddenly appeared. They reacted quickly to rescue Junko out from its grip, but the Stand escaped with Junko in tow. And so, they could only stand there in the rain, not caring they are all dampened by the heavy rain and their makeup was washed off, not that it matters since they must have been washed off many minutes ago.
Ai, realizing she is partially responsible for getting Junko kidnapped, could only say this. "No... Junko-chan... She..."
"No! Junko-chan got kidnapped!" Sakura exclaimed in disbelief.
Their words snap the others up from their stunned silence. An outburst of shouts and outcries erupted, with Saki, Lily, Tae, Narancia, and Gyro being the loudest to express their shock and disbelief Junko was successfully kidnapped.
"DAMMIIIIIITTT! There was a Stand!? I did not see it!" Saki has her hands on her face as she looks up with eyes closed to express her regret for not noticing it and for not being fast enough to act.
"How...? How did we not notice the Stand was with us until it's too late!?" Lily asked everyone, being wary of her surroundings under the belief there is another Stand.
"So my eyes were not being deceived," Kakyoin looks at the spot where he saw the small clouds appear that transform into the enemy Stand. "I thought it was just a local weather phenomenon, kinda like how clouds sometimes hover too close to the ground. Darn it! I shouldn't have dismissed it in the first place!"
"Raaaaraaaraaaaghhh! Ngaaaaaggghhh! Eaaaaahhhhh!" Whether it's because she's a wild zombie relying on her instincts or a genuine reaction on her part, Tae is eager to find the Stand who would dare snatch Junko out of their hands, so she wants to run off somewhere else in a vain hope of pursuing the Stand. She was being held by Narancia and Gyro until Mamezuku binding her arms and legs on her body through Doggy Style.
"Tae, stop thrashing!" Despite having an altercation whenever they encounter each other, even if he didn't mean to, Narancia told her to stop anyway because he believes she will get lost trying to find Junko and the Stand and making them find her a hassle due to her mindless state. They will accidentally expose themselves to other humans if it happens.
"Calm down! Just... calm down!" Gyro is tempted to put a spinning steel ball on her body to forcefully calm her down, like when the executioners did it to put the crimincals in a state similar to being anesthetized to make their executions quick and painless. He would be proving the Zeppeli family's job of being executioners true if he removes her head, but he decides not only it's a dark joke and inhumane thing to do even for a zombie, but also her headless body still moved around, albeit without seeing properly.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, Kakyoin, Avdol, Bucciarati, Johnny and Mamezuku huddle up to each other together with Sakura, Ai and Yugiri to discuss what they should obviously do next.
"Could you all seven try and search for the Stand and rescue Junko-han from it?" Yugiri proposes this obvious approach, staying calm but not hiding her worry for the Showa Idol's safety.
"That's what we must do next, but only problem is we don't know where the enemy Stand is," Bucciarati expressed his doubt that they will be able to rescue Junko in just one night. "Rianima would have scoured even just one city of Saga and would find no signs of either the enemy or Junko herself. It would take us a whole night to do that, and potentially, a whole day and night as we go to the other cities. I have a feeling not even splitting up would do much."
"But you have to save Junko! I don't think she can survive if she's with an enemy Stand alone!" Ai pleaded to Bucciarati, feeling guilty for letting this happen.
"We want to, Ai. We really want to..." Avdol tries calming the almost frantic girl, letting out a sigh because of what he will say next. "But all of us here are tired. Even though my wounds are healed, and my clothes came back without issue despite how improbable it was, my body still feels the injuries I got from getting struck by the tornado Stand's attack. The sensible thing I must do is rest and hope my body restores my energy back."
"We... We don't have time for that!" Sakura supports Ai's statement, looking at them with pleading eyes filled with small tears. "I don't want Junko-chan to be alone with a killer. Do you want that? Do you want to let her be alone hoping some of us are coming to rescue her!?"
"I understand how you feel Sakura, but please consider this!" Kakyoin puts his hands on her shoulders and looks at her eyes to calm her down, wanting her to see it's impossible for them in their states. "The three fights took a toll on our Stands and energy, therefore if we were to engage the enemy Stand that has kidnapped Junko now, even without knowing its abilities and what we are up against, we will not stand a chance! It pains me to say this but... We have to rest and leave Junko for now. All I can hope is the enemy hasn't laid a finger on her, which admittedly is unlikely."
Seeing that they must rely on luck and hope Junko is safe, Sakura and Ai went silent, feeling despondent and not thinking of a response to Kakyoin's and Bucciarati's statements. Even Yugiri, who does not like seeing anyone being down, agrees with their assertion. "It is cruel on Junko's part, but at this point, there is not much they can do."
"So then... What should we do?" Sakura mutters, looking down on the ground.
"Go back inside and rest," answered Johnny, who is being carried by Mamezuku through slinging his arm on his shoulder. "We are all tired and I believe it's already late. Also, we mustn't let ourselves be seen by anyone or else they will attack us, or worse..." He trails off at the end, but everyone knew what he implied if they got exposed.
Coming to the decision that they must rest for the night, Franchouchou and Rianima starts walking back to the mansion. All of them are feeling sad, morose, forlorn, and for Rianima plus Saki, Ai and Yugiri, angry because of how the events turned out and how they could have prevented Junko from getting kidnapped. This is especially the case for Kakyoin, Narancia and Sakura because they have talked with Junko and came up with a solution that could benefit her and Franchouchou without compromising what she was taught in the 80s when the idol boom was just starting. If all of this didn't happen, then Junko and Ai would have apologized, patched things up and Franchouchou would continue practicing without any more issues.
For now, Franchouchou and Rianima have only one thing they need to do: rest and sleep.
Everyone is so tired that they didn't notice a lone figure standing in the small park. Well, it's not like they would notice them because it's raining and they are intentionally hiding their face for this reason.
"...I am sorry everyone. This... This is my fault," A remorseful slightly high pitched male voice was heard after the zombies are out of the picture and no one is around to hear him. "You may not hear me but... do not worry. Junko will be 「safe」. I'll make sure of that..."
This figure seemingly vanished, though it's probably the work of the rain that hid the fact he simply walks away.
ザー ザー ザー ザー
On the terrace of the mansion, Sakura, wearing her pajamas, watches the rain continue splashing the night without a care for anyone who is still up late at night like her seating idly. One hour has passed after a hard-fought battle against three enemy Stands ended with them defeated by the assembled Rianima. But when it seemed like everything would be fine afterward, Junko is kidnapped by a fourth enemy Stand and vanished with Junko.
Unable to get some sleep due to what happened an hour ago, Sakura went outside to watch the rain, being careful not to wake everyone up by, especially Ai, who is still feeling remorseful for causing Junko to be kidnapped in the first place because she didn't notice the Stand's presence until it's too late. The whole time she sat there, Sakura wondered if what she heard from Blackmore was true. About his mysterious master having known them before they are awakened, sparing Sakura from further Stand attacks if she is around, and their desire to see them strive to live for tomorrow despite sending enemy Stands that could kill her friends. It's a shame they haven't got anything relating to their adversary aside from Blackmore's remark that they are always on the move and their gender not being disclosed, which makes Kakyoin and Bucciarati determined to hunt them down and make them answer for their atrocities against them and Saga, regardless of their intentions.
Her thoughts were disrupted when she heard a door open. She turns to her left and sees Saki and Kakyoin, also wearing their night clothes and pajamas, taking a step outside when they see her. "Saki-chan. Kakyoin-kun."
"Sakura? I didn't know you're out here." Kakyoin said.
"Not sleeping, huh?" Saki guessed, walking to the terrace's railing with Kakyoin.
"It was kind of hard to..." She admitted forlornly.
The three zombies look up in the sky and watch the blue-tinted clouds pouring out rain. The sky is dim so it's not as dark as the other night but that only adds to the mood they are in. They didn't bring up out of their mouths as they know what they are thinking about. "If this was my old gang, I'd line them both up and kick their asses. Like, 'You're dead!' Y'know?"
"Well, don't do that." Sakura told her not to do the same tactics to the girls like when she was a biker boss.
"I wasn't gonna," Saki quickly replied. "I mean, do you think I do that to Junko if she ended up dead by the enemy Stand made out of clouds, not that I don't want to see it happen?"
"Of course you don't," Kakyoin stated, glad she chooses not to resort to that. "All of us are pretty shaken up by what happened to Junko. If only I have paid more attention to my surroundings and see if there is another enemy Stand in our midst, Ai and Junko would have made up after the fight." He hung his head low, frustrated at himself for failing to protect one of the girls from the enemy's sneak attack.
"Well, here's a silver lining. Junko could possibly survive being alone with a killer. I mean, I heard from Mamezuku and Big Sis that Junko bit Blackmore's wounded hand to get her out of his grip and let Narancia have Aerosmith ram into him and blast him to pieces."
"Really? Junko did that?" Kakyoin turns to her with a surprised look. He didn't expect such an act to come from her.
A smile crept onto Saki's face. "Yeah! I knew she had guts beneath that shy exterior of hers!"
"Hehe. It's a good thing she did because even though you got wounded more by him, it eventually led Kakyoin in defeating him." Sakura remarked with a smile.
"Well, I alone would not have defeated him if the rest of Rianima did not assist me," Kakyoin admitted and tried to make them give credit for Rianima. They have worked hard in protecting them and defeating three enemy Stands in one night. "Then again, they were injured badly, so I have to step in and hand Blackmore his defeat."
Sakura and Saki smile in response to his remark. Rianima has made an unprecedented achievement of disposing three powerful enemy Stands in one night. Adding the four enemy Stands they defeated few months ago, that makes it seven. Once they find the enemy Stand that kidnapped Junko, it will be added to the list of defeated Stands and bump it into eight.
While Rianima is doing their job of protecting Franchouchou and Saga despite some issues like the aftermath of the fight an hour ago, there's the matter of the girls' upcoming performance that has Ai and Junko performing in the frontlines. In the end, they lost one frontwoman for their coming concert. That is a matter they will discuss with Kotaro tomorrow as everyone wants to call it night to lick their wounds clean and take a breather after a three-way fight ended with one of them getting kidnapped.
"So, like," Saki reaches her hand out and watches the rain fall on her palm. "Do you think the two would have... make amends if that bastard Stand didn't interfere? I was curious over what you two and Narancia talked about." Getting curious, she turned to the two to ask them. "Think you two can tell me about it, right?"
"Not now Saki," Kakyoin shakes his head. "Tomorrow, you and the others will know what we talked about with Junko-san. We have to tell Tatsumi-san first and get his opinion on Junko's problem."
"...Fiiiiinnneeee," Saki decides to relent as a yawn escape from her lips. "But that's only because I'm getting sleepy. Anyway, I'm off to my bed. G'night, you two. Don't stay out for too long, y'hear?"
Sakura and Kakyoin say good night to her back before Saki goes back inside and retires for the night. That leaves the two outside to continue watching the rain. They have no intention of going back inside yet with Kakyoin leaning on the railing with a contemplative look and Sakura remain seated while gazing up in the clouded night sky. They stay silent, not minding their presence as they feel comforted being alone together as a result of waking up together many months back. They have been awakened for so long they may not find the absurdity of being revived as zombies to save Saga through eliminating enemy Stands and partaking as an idol anymore. Well, it is still present, but not as much as before.
"Kakyoin."
"Hm? What is it Sakura?"
The red-headed boy whirl around to face Sakura, who looks straight to his eyes with a hopeful but worried eyes in spite of her red glow unique to them as zombies. "When do you think... I can get my own Stand? Is there... anything I can do to... ｢awaken｣ mine?"
Seeing she is curious about her potential to gain a Stand, Kakyoin thinks up an answer. He has learned more about the nature of Stands and how a living being can gain one either from being born with it, getting hit by a special arrow and surviving or passing by a Devil's Palm present in Johnny and Gyro's time. Whatever method one uses, a Stand will manifest according to their psyche and varies in every user. Keeping all of this in mind, Kakyoin responds to her query. "There is no trick to awakening yours soon Sakura. All you can do is wait. I do not know what your Stand will be like, but if it did manifest, I believe it will be based on your spirit."
"So all I have to do is wait?" Sakura summed up.
"That's the gist of it."
Looking down to her hands, Sakura wonders what her Stand is going to be. If she has the potential to gain one when she was alive, it is possible she could awaken her own Stand. She still hasn't remembered anything aside from flashes of memory depicting her cheering for Ai and her idol mates, but she believes it will play the part in her awakening a Stand if she has the ｢resolve｣ to get her own Stand. Who knows? Maybe her ｢amnesia｣ is keeping her from gaining one.
"Still, it's going to be a long wait," Sakura complains having to be patient. "All I can wonder is if my Stand is fit for combat. Just the thought of you and the other guys risking your lives to fight enemy Stands makes me want to assist you all in any way I can. I do not like staying in the sidelines watching you struggle to defeat it."
"Well, if Tatsumi-san permits you to do it, you can," Kakyoin offered this response to lift her face up. "Speaking of which, we are going to ｢tell him｣ about the three enemy Stands and Junko getting kidnapped. He is obviously not around when the fight started."
"Ah, right. I almost forgot about him," Sakura said. "I wonder how he will take the news?"
"Definitely not happy. Shocked and probably dismayed at us for failing to protect a girl," Kakyoin guesses, feeling his mood get down upon reminded of the events an hour ago.
"And he's shouting his lungs out once he heard it from our mouths," She sighed, dreading to have her ears be assaulted by his over-the-top yelling.
"Oh boy. I'm not looking forward to that, even though I will expect he would react like you said."
"...Maybe you can use Hierophant Green to cover your ears. Is that not an option?"
…
…
…
"Why haven't I thought of that before?" He blinked twice after realizing he could just do that.
Giggling over his belated realization, Sakura says, "At least you now know how to use your Stand to cover your ears. I hope you don't pass up that opportunity Kakyoin."
"Do not worry Sakura. I'll make sure my ears will be protected from further noise abuse." Kakyoin assures her, bracing himself for Kotaro's reaction after hearing what happened.
All he can foresee is one unhappy Kotaro Tatsumi, who may or may not waste time berating him and the guys for almost failing protecting Franchouchou.
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?"
As Kakyoin expected, Kotaro shouted to the top of his lungs in shock. It is so loud it can be heard outside the mansion, enough to startle the birds away.
The sunglasses-wearing producer could only stare at Kakyoin after learning why Junko is not with them. Hierophant Green is behind him, covering his ears when he shouted. It's not much considering he can still hear his scream, but his ears are not going to be deaf soon if he keeps this up.
"I expected you would not take this news kindly at all, but it is what I said," Kakyoin continued, hoping to calm Kotaro down even though it's impossible at this point. "Junko was abducted after an enemy we never thought were there appeared to seize her away from us. Everyone except Junko didn't know the Stand was there in the form of clouds and was targeting Ai, so she pushed her out of the way and took the fall."
Of all the things Kotaro expected how this morning goes when he marched inside the basement with a goofy smile and happy demeanor, he did not expect the absence of Junko Konno due to her getting kidnapped caused by a fourth enemy Stand intended to capture Ai instead of her. Here he was, standing with his hand on his hips and blackboard turned over to conceal a surprise for Franchouchou when he noticed the gloomy atmosphere from everyone and the notable absence of Junko. It only took a few words and a stink eye before Kakyoin spilled the beans after saying he will not like what he's about to say.
Let's just say he did not account the bad news.
"H... H... H... HOOOOOW!?" Kotaro struggles to say something out of shock over the news before managing to let it out. "How... How did this happen?! Of all the things that I never thought would happen, why Junko!? She's supposed to play a part in the upcoming performance together with Ai-chan!" Clenching his fist in anger, Kotaro continues his tirade. "This... This will not stand! You rotting girls can't have a perfect concert without the Legendary Showa Idol in it! Especially when I managed to nab a venue for you girls!"
"A venue?" Saki repeated.
"For our performance, I believe." Yugiri guessed.
"...Can you tell us about this venue Tatsumi-san?" Sakura's request snaps Kotaro out of his tirade. Seeing everyone has their attention to him, Kotaro decides to announce the news he was going to share before he is informed of the events last night. Taking a deep breath to calm down before clearing his throat, Kotaro declares, "Fine! Here is the good news for you girls! It turns out that Franchouchou..." Scanning all zombies present with a strained smile, he then reveals the news with raised hands. "...is going to be on the ｢newcomer lineup｣ for this year's ｢Saga Rock｣!"
The name is recognized by all zombies except Tae. "Saga Rock?" parroted Sakura.
"You gotta be kidding me..." Saki muttered in surprise.
As Yugiri and Lily look at each other with similar expressions, Kotaro continues his announcement, acting like his usual self in contrast to his reaction after learning the bad news from Kakyoin. "Listen up, ladies! You're not going to have another chance like this! You're going to have to nail it, no matter what! Saga will be at the center of this world on this day, and you will all need to stand as the center of Saga! Franchouchou will perform onstage outdoors for the first time, and you will shake the Earth with your song!"
Kotaro's passionate announcement stands in contrast to Ai's stunned face, something Saki and Sakura noted. To think Franchouchou would be in the newcomer lineup for Saga Rock so soon... It is a large outdoor event focused on rock music where any music groups would perform for ｢hundreds｣ of people. The zombies browsed the website of the event a few days ago and here they were, hearing from Kotaro's mouth Franchouchou would be performing as a newcomer. The two zombies could only wonder what's going on in Ai's head and how will she take this opportunity.
"Oi, Ai-" Saki called her to say something to her, but she is stopped when Kotaro is still speaking. "Aaaaaaalrighty then! Now that I have revealed what location you girls are going to perform your new song made by yours truly... I want Rianima to tell me what went on last night in detail. Kakyoin told me a fourth enemy Stand kidnapped Junko, so I believe Rianima fought against three enemy Stands. Am I correct?" He leaned forward to Kakyoin, staring at him with a scrutinizing expression.
Not liking the way he is looking at him, Kakyoin quickly answers him. "That's right Tatsumi-san. We fought against three enemy Stands last night, one of them which happen to have all members of both group in one place for him to try kill them."
"Except for me." Sakura added.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Kotaro turns to her with one eyebrow raised.
"Well, you see..."
With Sakura and the rest of the group helping him explain, Kakyoin relays to Kotaro of how the fights went down, with his group encountering Blackmore and his rain manipulating Stand called Catch the Rainbow, Bucciarati's group fighting against a tornado Stand and Johnny's group that have stayed in the mansion fought against Ghiaccio and his freezing Stand, White Album. While the latter two groups defeated their respective opponents, the first group didn't defeat Blackmore due to his nimbleness and rain being his domain, leading him to encounter the assembled group and picks up where his fallen allies failed by showering them with as much raindrops as possible to slice and pierce their bodies. Thankfully, Kakyoin interfered and together with Rianima trapping Blackmore, he is able to defeat him, marking him as the seventh enemy Stand Rianima has defeated.
Rubbing his chin after listening to them, Kotaro mumbles something under his breath and nods. After pacing for a few seconds, Kotaro proceeds to speak to them. "I see, I see. You decomposed Stand Users have fought against three enemy Stands in just one night. I must say, I'm impressed," He gave them a smile over their feat of fending off three enemies at once. "You defeated Blackmore, Doobie Wah!, and Ghiaccio when I expect some of you will fight against one of them a few weeks from now."
While they recognize who Blackmore and Ghiaccio are, they are confused about the second name. "Doobie Wah? Who is that?" asks Ai.
"The name of the tornado Stand!" Kotaro told her like it is obvious. Realizing they haven't learned its name at all because the Stand itself has no mouth and cannot scream, he says, "You defeated Doobie Wah! without ever learning its name?"
"Yes. We were curious, but at that point, we do not care whether we know its name or not." Avdol replied.
"That is, until I told you," Kotaro said. "Satisfied now?"
"...I suppose we are." Bucciarati shrugged.
Turning to Johnny, Gyro and Mamezuku, Kotaro asks them a question that has been worrying him after learning how Ghiaccio appeared. "And you three! About Ghiaccio and his Stand, White Album, did he really appeared in the mansion where you three, Yugiri, Lily and Tae stayed in?"
"Yes Kotaro," Johnny nodded. Guessing his line of thought, he then asks, "Are you worried that an enemy Stand managed to find where we live and ambushed us there?"
"Yup! That's right!" Pacing back and forth again, Kotaro continues discussing with them about the implications of an enemy having knowledge of their residence. "I have a feeling our unknown main enemy already knew us all, including our goal and where we are living but hearing Ghiaccio made his appearance in the living room of the mansion preeeeeeeetty much confirms my suspicions and fear."
"It was scary when the enemy appeared," Lily remarks with a worried expression. "I thought this mansion was supposed to be a safe place for us!"
"D-Do you think another enemy will appear here in the future?" Sakura asks Kotaro, obviously not liking such an event happening again. "If the enemy Stand appears in the mansion and Rianima is not present, we would be at its mercy. I... I am hoping that will not happen!"
"Well if you are worrying your head off about that, then don't. If the number of enemy Stands the unknown benefactor told me is true, then I do believe there will be no more Stands appearing in our humble homes!" Kotaro told everyone with a confident smirk.
"Are you certain about that, Tatsumi-san?" asks Kakyoin.
"Of course I am!" Kotaro shouted. "My still-unknown benefactor told me that there are about 「thirteen」 enemy Stands here in Saga, including the 「main enemy」 itself. Rianima has defeated seven enemy Stands, so you will have to deal with seven more enemy Stands. This will be an uphill battle to cleanse Saga with the menace of these Stands but seeing how you rotting Stand Users managed to defeat seven Stands, I have no doubt you will all come out in the top before finally facing the main man behind all these elusive attacks on Saga!"
"So there are seven more enemies for us to kill?" Bucciarati repeated through a question.
"You heard me! In fact, your next opponent is the one who kidnapped poor Junko!" He confirms. "I believe the Stand's name is 「Weather Report」!"
Heads turning to him when they heard a new name, Saki asks, "That the name of Rianima's next opponent?"
"Yes," Kotaro nodded, becoming serious before he explains who Weather Report is. "Weather Report is a close-range Stand that, as its name may tell you, controls the weather. Think of all the weather phenomena we no doubt experienced. Rain, wind, lightning, snow, and fog, all of these can be manipulated the way it wants by Weather Report. I heard it's quite a powerful one, so I highly advise Rianima to stick and work together when they encounter the enemy. Hopefully, we will get Junko back before Franchouchou's performance in Saga Rock."
"Hm. That explains why a fog poured out from Weather Report's hands last night. Hearing that it controls the weather makes sense of what it did." Yugiri stated.
"It's a good thing you didn't forget what the enemy Stands we must fight against are," Avdol told Kotaro. "If you have forgotten them along with the man who brought us here after our deaths, we would be in a disadvantage for sure."
"Well that's because I am that 「awesome」!" He smugly told them with a smirk, causing eyerolls from Saki, Ai, Lily, Gyro and a deadpan look from Kakyoin, Bucciarati, Narancia, Johnny and Sakura. Before they say anything in response, Kotaro suddenly shouted, saying, "Ah, that reminds me! I was visited by the same man who brought you seven Stand Users here and assisted me before taking his leave!"
"...He did?" Sakura asks.
"You heard me! While I still don't know who his name is, much to my frustration, I do remember him giving me two special gifts that I believe Johnny and Gyro would definitely like!" Kotaro mentions the two cowboys' names, making them, as well as the others, perk up.
"Something we would definitely like?" Gyro repeated.
"What are these gifts then, Kotaro?" Johnny folds his arms as he looks over Kotaro with a skeptical expression.
Not letting up his smile, Kotaro leans close to them and says, "If you want to know, it's outside, inside the confines of the gate. They are waiting for you to be ridden again and take off like you two used to back during the Steel Ball Run race! That means I must apply makeup to you two 'cause I know your first instincts upon seeing them is to take them for a ride across town!"
The two didn't paid heed to the last part when they guessed the two 「gifts」Kotaro had for them. Hearing the name of the race they participated in is enough for them to realize what they will receive.
"No way...! I'm... I'm not imagining this, right Gyro?"
"No Johnny. After a few months without riding one, we are finally able to do the one thing we are best at!"
An appaloosa horse and a stock horse with Australian roots stand before their respective owners, nudging their muzzles or foreheads against their heads, seemingly happy to be reunited with their riders because they let out snorts and even neighs.
Johnny and Gyro couldn't be happier to be reunited with the horses that had traveled with them for the entire Steel Ball Run race that occurred across four months. The latter is even laughing when Valkyrie hugs him close, which he returned back with a smile while Slow Dancer lets Johnny rub his muzzle as it leaned close to his face, even crouching to his height.
The others standing in the sidelines and Kotaro are looking at the sight of two jockey riders having a happy reunion with Slow Dancer and Valkyrie. While the latter doesn't express much, the rest varies in their delight and relief on seeing Johnny and Gyro having not only two horses for them to ride on, but also reunite with the horses they know.
Unable to resist smiling, Sakura has this to say regarding what she is watching. "This is so... sweet."
"Yeah. The sight of them finally gaining a horse brings a smile to my face." Kakyoin agrees with her, not resisting smiling also.
"Heh. So they finally got two horses." Saki simply stated.
"Y'know, I think this is what we need," Lily speaks up, liking the radiating joyfulness from everyone. "After what happened last night, we really want something happy happening before our eyes, just to forget it even if it's only temporary."
"...I suppose you're right." Ai agreed, having a satisfied smile also.
"So this is signor Tatsumi's gift to them, received from his partner who assisted him months ago," Bucciarati said. Turning to him, he says, "You must be imagining what their reactions could be once you revealed to them their gifts. I guess you're not bad after all."
"Huh? What makes you say that?" Kotaro asks, seemingly insulted.
"Do I have to hit you to remind the number of times you yelled at us?" Narancia threatened him, earning a fearful look from Kotaro and a disapproving look from Avdol, Bucciarati, Sakura and Yugiri.
"Uhhhh, nope!" He lets out.
"Hey, Kotaro. Can you explain to us how you got Valkyrie and Slow Dancer in this world? You owe us an explanation." Gyro's voice led him and the others to turn to him sitting on Valkyrie's saddle that was laid on the stock horse and Slow Dancer. As for Johnny, he remains kneeled on the ground but is looking at him with the same questioning look as Gyro.
Wanting to get this over with, Kotaro explains to everyone how he got Slow Dancer and Valkyrie from his partner. According to the unknown Stand User, he managed to summon the two horses to his world after recognizing Johnny and Gyro's need for a horse. However, when he summoned them, they are now rendered as corpses. Apparently, Slow Dancer died from a sickness six years later after Johnny died and Valkyrie got killed during the revolution occurring in Naples (much to Gyro's surprise). Despite this setback, he proceeded to revive them back to life, this time as zombie horses. While their general appearance stays the same because the Stand User made sure its decaying skin and bones were intact and do not come off through even slightest movements, their eyes have become red like Franchouchou and Rianima.
After some work done on them is done, he meets up with Kotaro when he was out to secure a spot for Franchouchou's first concert in this year's Saga Rock. Shades may have forgotten what went down in the meeting, but in the end, Kotaro has the two horses with him and delivered them here in the mansion. He planned for him to announce it to Johnny and Gyro after telling Franchouchou about their upcoming concert in Saga Rock.
While Johnny and Gyro are saddened to hear their horses died at some point after their deaths, they are at least happy they are now together even after death claimed them. Wanting to ride with them out in the streets of Karatsu, Johnny and Gyro was about to board up and move out with Kotaro's permission when the shaded man stopped them. "Wait! Johnny, Gyro, there is one more thing I must tell you about Slow Dancer and Valkyrie!"
"Let me guess... We mustn't let the people know we and our horses are zombies, right?" Johnny guessed blankly.
"No, not that! It's about how you store Slow Dancer and Valkyrie!"
"...Store Slow Dancer and Valkyrie?"
"Why don't you two step down and let me explain? That easy to understand?"
Unsure of what he meant, Johnny and Gyro followed his words and stepped down. Kotaro then proceeds to tell them an important thing they need to do if they are not using Slow Dancer and Valkyrie. "Okay! So, right before I head home with these two horses in tow, my unknown ally fill me in on how Johnny and Gyro should, if there is no other terms, 「store」Slow Dancer and Valkyrie within you two."
"What exactly do you mean by that, Kotaro?" Gyro folded his arm as he looked at him questioningly.
"...Just say 'Return Slow Dancer!' or 'Retreat Valkyrie!'" Kotaro instructed.
"...And saying them will store our horse how?" Johnny raised an eyebrow over his odd instruction.
"You'll see if you two say that phrase! Now, say it!"
Wanting to get this over with, Johnny and Gyro say the phrase after turning to Slow Dancer and Valkyrie.
"Return, Slow Dancer!" "Retreat, Valkyrie!"
Their horses neighed before running pass Johnny and Gyro... before vanishing right before everyone's eyes.
"Huh!?" Rianima shouted in surprise.
"Eh?!" Franchouchou shared their reaction too except for Tae busy eating dried squids given by Kotaro.
They are not the only ones, as Johnny and Gyro whip their heads around to find where did their horses went.
"What the!? Valkyrie? Valkyrie, where are you?"
Suddenly, Valkyrie appears next to Gyro, neighing in response to him calling its name. Naturally, everyone couldn't be any more surprised.
"HUHHHH!?" Both Franchouchou and Rianima yelled out.
"Huh? Valkyrie? How did... When did you..."
"Well now. You managed to guess how to call your horse out, Gyro." Kotaro claps his hands to congratulate him.
"I did? How?"
"Why, just by calling out their names!" He reveals.
"...That's it? I just have to call out Valkyrie's name and it will come out standing by my side?" Gyro sums up.
"That's right!" Turning to Johnny, who is left processing what he has just saw, he tells him, "You still haven't tried calling out Slow Dancer. Come on, do it! The same thing will happen to your horse as it did to Gyro!"
Wanting to see if it is true, Johnny shouts, "Slow Dancer!"
グワァァァァァ
"Ah!"
"What!?"
While everyone expected Slow Dancer would come out from nowhere when Johnny called out its name, they did not expect the horse to lean down its muzzle against Johnny's back before the Spin Johnny subconsciously channeled to its head transfer into his body, causing him to flip backwards toward the saddle. Even Johnny did not hide his surprise when he flips his body over Slow Dancer's crest and sits on its back.
Seeing he's sitting on Slow Dancer, Johnny lets out a sigh of relief that the appaloosa didn't disappear when he told it to return. As for Gyro, he moves Valkyrie to him and offers him a pat on his shoulder, saying, "You still got it Johnny! You have not forgotten to use the Spin to let Slow Dancer flip you over to its back. Nyohoho!"
"Well, I only did it unconsciously but I'm glad I didn't forget," Johnny smiles to him. Rubbing Slow Dancer, he tells the horse of how proud he is to recognize his dead rider, years after his death. "Good to have you back, Slow Dancer. I hope we get to enjoy our rides forever."
Slow Dancer neighs loudly in response.
During all this, Sakura, Saki, Kakyoin and Narancia ask Kotaro what exactly happened. The man is happy to answer for them and the two jockeys. "When Johnny and Gyro do not need Slow Dancer and Valkyrie or they simply want to rest, they vanish through their owners' mind."
"Vanish...?"
"...To their owners' mind?"
"Yup! That's what I said!" He continues bombastically. "If you are still confused, and I know you all are, it's like commanding your Stand to return back to you, disappearing within your mind."
"Hm, I did have a feeling like that," Johnny noted, striding him and Slow Dancer near them along with Gyro. "So it's like I'm summoning Tusk, huh? That's a description I can understand in how Slow Dancer retreated to me and disappeared."
"If I have to guess, this is the 'little work' your friend did to our horses to make it easy for us to summon them while not compromising having to build a stable for our horses, right?" Gyro inferred.
"That's right. I would have to pay to build a stable outside the mansion, which I could not afford because we are on a tight budget," He replied. "If you are worried about where to put Slow Dancer and Valkyrie down if you are not using them, then having them retreat to the back of your minds should suffice as makeshift stable for your horses."
"I see."
"Well if you want to groom your horses, I have plenty of horse grooming tools stored somewhere. Just make sure you do it outside. I don't want any dirt on the horses inside. Understand?"
"Loud and clear!"
Having said everything related to Johnny and Gyro having their horses, the two, having got their makeup on, are free to go out and ride along the streets with Slow Dancer and Valkyrie. This is what they are planning to do once they have a horse. They are glad and grateful for Kotaro giving them horses, even if they are zombie horses.
With everyone's blessings as the two bid them farewell for now and after Kotaro told them to return before noon, Johnny and Gyro walk their horses through the open gates. But before they take off running, someone stops them.
"Johnny, Gyro, may I speak with you for a moment?"
That someone is Mamezuku walking up to them. Johnny, Gyro and everyone turn to him curiously, with Gyro asking, "What is it? Do you need something?"
Mamezuku shrugs before saying, "If you put it like that, then yes. Ever since I learned that you two are in the same universe as I, just in different times, I was waiting for a chance to ask you two a question. Something that I have ever wanted to do in hopes of complementing my Stand."
Curious of his question, Johnny urges him to ask. "What is it you want to ask?"
Locking eyes with him, Mamezuku gives them a question that's been on his mind ever since they first met each other. "Can you teach me about the Spin?"
Their eyes widen when his question is related to their Spin technique, with everyone sharing their surprise too.
"You... want us to teach you the Spin?" Gyro told him.
"Is it hard for you to teach someone the Spin?" asks Mamezuku.
"Nah, it's not. It's just that... How can you convince me to teach you the Spin?" He folds his arms, waiting to hear his reason. "Back in our time before the beginning of the race, I wasn't planning to teach Johnny about the Spin, regarding him as a stranger in my view who happens to touch one of my steel balls. But when I saw his stubborn determination in learning the Spin for a chance to walk again, I took an interest in him, so I first imparted to him the first lesson in how to use the Spin after the first run of the race. Ever since then, I never looked back on my decision to be a teacher to Johnny and become proud of what he achieved."
"...If you want to be convinced, then I'll say this... 「I have known about the Spin ever since I was a child, back in the 80s」."
!
Everyone lets out shouts and murmurs of surprise when they heard Mamezuku reveal that he has known about the Spin when he was a kid. But none of them compared to the look Johnny and Gyro gave him, especially the latter. The three are from 1890 and 2011 respectively, a large gap of about 121 years apart. A few weeks ago, Johnny eventually told Gyro about what happened during and after the end of the Steel Ball Run race, how he traveled to Naples to send his body for a burial and met the love of his life during the voyage across the Atlantic ocean, the monarchy overthrown by a revolution causing the Zeppeli family to move in an undisclosed country, and Marco, the boy who is the reason Gyro participated and strived to get first place in the race, being granted pardon before dying later from a cold. While the man is saddened of the many events after he died, he makes peace with it and never let it get to him because he at least accomplished his goal, even if it quickly amounted to nothing in the end.
Mamezuku... He knows the Spin the whole time? Gyro thought in wonder. My family moved to an unknown country after the revolution in Naples. They still must have the knowledge about the Spin, so it's possible it was imparted from generations to generations across a century. If that is what happened, then it's highly probable Mamezuku learned about it from someone who is a Zeppeli or tangentially related to them. Hmm, I must say... This morning just keeps getting better and better!
"Well? Are you willing to teach me?"
Mamezuku's questions snap him out of his thought. Looking down on him since he's on top of Valkyrie, Gyro's interest in him increased when he learned how does he knew the Spin. To think the technique endured for a century that Mamezuku learned about it even a little...
"Sure! I would love to!" That is his answer to Mamezuku.
"Really?" The man's eyes widen hopefully.
"Y'heard me! I will teach you all about the Spin, how it works and how to apply it to your Stand! If you manage to master it, I bet Johnny and I will be the best Spin trio users that ever existed! Nyohoho!"
"If you want to know my opinion about this, I do not mind," Johnny told him. "If I'm being honest, I am curious of what will you do about the Spin to your Stand, similar to what I did to Tusk."
"...I see. Thank you. I will be waiting for you to teach me, sensei." Mamezuku expressed his gratitude to Gyro, even giving him a bow.
"Sensei?"
"It means teacher, Gyro," Johnny translated, smirking at the thought before saying, "You better get used to it, because I don't think he's not gonna say that once."
"Well, if you like to call me that, sure. Whatever you like." Gyro shrugs.
Once their conversation is done, Johnny and Gyro leave to take Slow Dancer and Valkyrie for a trip in the modern streets of Japan. As they have nothing to do out here, everyone went inside so the girls must practice for their upcoming concert in Saga Rock and Kotaro discussing with Rianima about searching for Junko and Weather Report. The girl's disappearance and safety are still in the back of their minds, but seeing Johnny and Gyro reuniting with their beloved horses and Mamezuku looking forward to learning more about the Spin seems to lift their spirits up, even just a little.
For now, they must focus on their jobs.
To be continued
Onomatopoeia:
グワァァァァァ (Guwaaa) - Johnny flipping backwards as Slow Dancer pulls him to its back
Hello, hello! Yuujin Zone is here to give you a new chapter one day after I overhauled Living Things to the current style! It's been almost a year since this fanfic went without getting a new chapter after our heroes' fight against three enemy Stands. Well, I am happy to say that we are moving forward by giving you this chapter!
Originally, this chapter was going to be longer than it is, which adapts the first half of episode 7 of Zombie Land Saga with changes like Junko not secluding herself in an attic (and growing mushrooms on her head) because she was kidnapped. I written this deviation because Kakyoin, Narancia and Sakura have a talk with her back in chapter 14 that pretty much came out of Kotaro's mouth during his pep talk to her in the original episode. But after seeing how long this chapter will be if I included that, I decided to split it and have it be the twentieth chapter. That includes Kotaro having a talk with Junko, which remained even if I deviated in how Junko went on hiatus from Franchouchou by having her get kidnapped by Weather Report. It's not a big loss to me, because in this chapter, it delved into the JoJo elements, so the twentieth chapter will be about the Zombie Land Saga getting the focus for the most part.
I have a feeling some of you are expecting this to happen, but after a few months (and almost a year and a half in real life) Johnny and Gyro has to live without having a horse, Kotaro finally granted them their two horses that's been with them during the entire Steel Ball Run race, Slow Dancer and Valkyrie! Revived as zombie horses by Kotaro's mysterious partner, Johnny and Gyro couldn't be any happier to ride with them again since horse riding is one of the things they missed doing when they are resurrected. With the horses back, I can imagine future fights including Slow Dancer and Valkyrie like they did in some fights during Part 7. Also, about the "storing" part, I based it on a unique mechanic exlusive to them and Diego from JoJo All Star Battle where they can summon or dismount their horses to either fight on foot or mounted. I thought to include that to make it more convenient for them to call Slow Dancer and Valkyrie without them hearing their calls or whistle and galloping to their owners. I know it is weird, but in JoJo, weirdness is the norm, not an exception.
Related to these two, Mamezuku managed to ask them to teach him about the Spin. As revealed in the 100th chapter of JoJolion, during his dying breaths, Mamezuku reveals to Josuke that the bubbles Soft Wet produces are actually thin lines spinning rapidly, giving it the appearance of a sphere. It's right there that he actually knows the Spin as he imparts his last words to him to defeat Wonder of U before dying. I do not know the extent of how much he knows about the Spin, so I went with him having only basic knowledge of the technique. As teased the 14th chapter, Mamezuku asked Gyro and Johnny to teach him all about the Spin, which they accept. This is something I have planned ever since I included him in Living Things so that I can depict how he can use the Spin to Doggy Style. It's not going to be the main focus of the fic, but I hope I can help develop Mamezuku's combat prowess through applying Spin to Doggy Style. As Gyro said, he, Johnny and Rai will be the best Spin trio users that ever existed!
The next chapter will continue the zombies' "repose" as two weeks passed as the day of Franchouchou's concert in Saga Rock draws near. As I said, it will adapt the first half of episode 7 with some changes. I'm going to start working on it, so I'm signing off.
Goodbye everyone! Hope you have a good day and stay safe at all times. I bid you all adieu~.
Update 12/29/23: Changed the number of enemy Stands Kotaro said to thirteen. Should've changed it so many months ago. My bad...