Fate's Bizarre Collision Chapter 01: After Stardust Part 01
Lyall the Werewolf: It took a while, but I recently finished watching the first six parts of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Now, I've been inspired to write a bunch of JoJo fanfics. I'll start with a crossover with the Fate Series. I've been a fan of JoJo and Fate for years, and I want to make something of this. And hopefully, it will go longer than two chapters and won't sit like a wet fart.
So, let's begin this new bizarre adventure and see how fate collides with the Joestars!
(I don't own JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or the Fate Series)
Unknown Day, Year, 1988.
"Pucci, have you ever heard of the Holy Grail War?" asked a man dressed in gold to a dark-skinned priest.
The man in gold was extraordinarily handsome and muscular, standing at an impressive 195 cm. Despite the room's dim lighting, his lustrous blonde hair retained its shine in the dark, as did his piercing golden eyes. This man's name was Dio Brando, but nowadays, he preferred DIO.
"The Holy Grail War?" the priest, Enrico Pucci, repeated. Pucci was average in height and had a slim build. He had dark skin and a shaved head of white hair with a distinctive hexagon pattern across his scalp.
"You know, the ritual in Japan where seven Mages act as Masters to seven Servants and compete in ritualistic combat for the legendary chalice, and the winning pair gets a wish granted," DIO said.
"I have some knowledge of the Holy Grail War. However, only high-ranking members of the Holy Church may know of it." Pucci informed. Despite his youth, Pucci was entrusted with rudimentary knowledge of Japan's Holy Grail War and those primarily involved with it, the Mages. The Church was in charge of supervising the wars to ensure the Masters obeyed the rules of the ritual and that no civilians were involved.
"Sorry. I took the liberty of poking around in the church's restricted archives and came across it. The concept was too interesting not to read. Heroic Spirits from mythology and days long past revive again to battle for a single wish. It's outlandish, but at the same time, it would make for sporting entertainment, wouldn't you agree?"
Pucci nodded, "Perhaps. Naturally, I haven't seen one myself, since the last one was nearly fifty years ago."
"Say, is it okay for you to discuss this with me? If I recall, the Holy Church detests vampires like me, especially the Exorcists."
One hundred years ago, Dio Brando was formally human until he used an ancient Stone Mask to unlock his body's hidden potential, transforming him into a Dead Apostle, another term for vampire.
Like any vampire, DIO needed to consume blood to survive. The tradeoff was still significant. He gained superior strength, could heal from grievous injuries, and was eternally young. He even discovered the ability to freeze living organisms in seconds by cooling the moisture in their body.
"It's fine. I understand your knowledge of the modern world is lacking compared to what you knew a century ago. And don't worry about the Exorcists. Even if I were to inform them of your existence, they wouldn't pose a threat to you, thanks to your Stand ability. Not even if they were to seek aid from the Mage's Association."
Stands refer to a supernatural power that living organisms can manifest from their life energy. Some people, such as the Mage's Association, view Stands as a type of psychic power. Stands were visible only to other Stand Users, like DIO and Pucci.
"That's a fair point, but what if you were to remove my Stand with Whitesnake? Without The World, my chances of survival against either organization would be much slimmer." DIO said while feigning concern.
The World appeared beside DIO in all its glory, as if on command. It stood tall with a powerful golden visage. It wore a Deshret-like headpiece covering the upper half of its face. On its back were two diving cylinders. It had clock faces on the back of both its hands.
"Did we not have this talk, DIO? The thought of betraying you has never crossed my mind. I love you as I love God, and I would never stand in your way of becoming King." Pucci calmly refuted.
"You're right, of course. I suppose that was just unfounded paranoia. Forgive me." DIO shrugged, "Now, where was I….? Ah, yes, the Grail War. I read that in the Japanese city, Fuyuki, the ritual for the Holy Grail War is traditionally held there, right?"
"Yes. The Three Founding Families, the Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern families, were responsible for the formation of the Fuyuki Holy Grail War. I'm still studying in the priesthood and other matters related to the Holy Church and Magecraft, so I don't know all the details." Pucci explained.
DIO sighed, "Ah, the complicated wonders of Magecraft. Had I known it existed 100 years ago, I might have pursued courses at the Clock Tower to decipher its mysteries."
"Are you saying you regret becoming a vampire and not studying magic?"
"Of course not. I, DIO, experienced a great euphoria after ascending to the perfection that's still with me. No use regretting it now after a hundred years. Although if I did have some small regret, it would be commandeering Jonathan's body for my own ends." DIO pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal a ghastly scar circling his neck. The body below DIO's neck did not originally belong to him, but to his archenemy and adoptive brother, Jonathan Joestar.
Over a century ago, in the late 1800s, DIO had his fateful encounter with Jonathan.
Dio Brando's early life in the slums of London was wrought with abuse, shame, and anger, courtesy of his lazy, drunkard cur of a father, Dario Brando, who drove Dio's mother to an early grave with his physical and emotional abuse. While Dio considered his mother to be a foolish bleeding heart ill-suited for the impoverished world she lived in, he didn't believe she deserved the horrific treatment her husband dealt her. That husband went so far as to force the twelve-year-old Dio to sell her dress, the last memento of hers, for a night of drunken stupor. For that reason, Dio slowly poisoned Dario to death and was subsequently adopted into the Joestar family by George Joestar, who thought he owed Dario for seemingly saving his life in a fatal accident that claimed his wife. Upon the adoption, Dio met Jonathan at the Joestar Manor in the upper crust of London's society.
Jonathan was Dio's exact opposite in every way. The former had wealth and lived the good life without working for it or knowing strife. He had loved ones, including a loving but naïve father, a slobbering mutt as a loyal companion, and a girlfriend. Such was the privileged life of an Inheritor. This made Dio infuriated, so he viciously bullied Jonathan as part of his plan to usurp the Joestars and claim their wealth. But it turned out Jonathan wasn't as spineless as Dio initially thought, especially when it came to his then-girlfriend, Erina Pendleton. Stealing her first kiss was a mistake, one that Dio learned from after Jonathan beat him into submission for the incident. Dio settled the score by killing his slobbering pet mutt, but it didn't change the fact that Jonathan wasn't the type to back down when push came to shove. Bloody his nose, and he comes back twice as fierce. With that in mind, Dio resolved to keep his anger in check and wait patiently to steal the Joestar fortune.
And then, he found the Stone Mask Jonathan was researching and used it to transform seven years later. While his initial plan to poison George Joestar failed due to Jonathan's meddling, it was trivial to the boon the Stone Mask gave him. George's blood was perfect for activating it and helping him to unlock his hidden potential as a vampire. Now free of his meaningless humanity, Dio sought world domination, with his army of horrific zombies at his side.
Then came the final battle with Jonathan at Windknight's Lot. Jonathan used the mythical power of Hamon to destroy Dio's body, winning the fated showdown. However, the undaunted Dead Apostle survived by separating his head from his disintegrating body and returned to murder his rival to claim his body as his own. That victory was short-lived as he was trapped at the bottom of the ocean in that coffin for a hundred years.
Strangely, despite everything Dio did to him, Jonathan held some brotherly affection for him. He showed it in his final moments, embracing Dio's head and accepting his fate. It was a tragic but noble final deed befitting a gentleman, one even a monster like Dio was moved by. Why think about JoJo now, after all this time? Perhaps because today, April 4th, would have been his birthday.
One hundred years was a long wait to resurrect in the modern era. Aside from Jonathan's rotting head beside him, all Dio had left to him were his thoughts to keep him company, to contemplate what he truly desired out of all the evil deeds he had committed. He finally realized it meant nothing if he couldn't have peace of mind. Would conquering the world truly bring him happiness? Would having all the money and fame in the world, or even the greatest pleasures like sex, satisfy him? Dio found no answer.
But then, his mother's sayings about heaven came to mind. She kept prattling on about how good people go to heaven when they die, but was that really true? Wouldn't heaven be more like a place to know peace in spirit? No matter how much he pondered, he wouldn't receive an answer to that question either.
Now, in the present, DIO emerged from the sea as a changed man. For a twisted creature like DIO, taking the body of his victim made DIO feel complete. Perhaps it was because he was free of his blood ties to that bastard. Or maybe it was a lingering attachment to the late Jonathan, and using his body was like they were still together in some bizarre way. It didn't matter.
Last year, following his resurrection, he unlocked his Stand, The World, and its astounding ability to stop time. It is said that a Stand and its abilities were a reflection of the soul. The World's appearance and power may have reflected DIO's desire to know stability and control over his surroundings, something he lacked in his childhood and when he was submerged beneath the sea.
But that wasn't enough. DIO had to have true peace of mind. If he couldn't know what fate had in store for him, what meaning was there to struggling? Fate's uncertainty was most cruel.
Enrico Pucci understood that better than anyone. His sister's death and brother's turning against him due to forces beyond his control might have been ordained by the cruel gravity of fate.
Pucci was unlike any of the fanatic minions DIO indoctrinated, past and present. The priest had his own opinions and wasn't afraid to state them. Pucci even ignored the temptation to steal The World from DIO with Whitesnake's ability and become king of the planet. That test ultimately proved that DIO could trust Pucci, something unthinkable a hundred years ago. Not even Jonathan could win that trust, despite DIO coming to respect Jonathan's tenacity. The Joestar ancestor faced harrowing challenges in his short life and came back twice as fierce as he always was. But still, like DIO's mother, Jonathan's compassion was ultimately a foolish part of him that resulted in his demise.
And now, DIO has discovered the Holy Grail War.
"Back to the Grail War. If there were to be another one, do you think I could be a master and summon a Heroic Spirit to do my bidding? Could I have my wish granted should I win over the other Masters and their Servants?" DIO asked.
Pucci pondered momentarily before answering, "Normally, the Grail only chooses Mages to perform the ritual. The exact criteria are never made clear, but it is also said that it may select normal individuals to fill the roster of participants. But, I don't know if it's possible for you, a Dead Apostle, to be chosen."
"Well, I guess participating is out of the question." DIO shrugged, "But then, that begs another question… do you think Jonathan could qualify as a Heroic Spirit and, therefore, become a Servant in the Grail War?"
"If Jonathan Joestar made a mark on history, perhaps. As far as I'm aware, yours and Jonathan's battle a hundred years ago was known only to a select few and largely went unrecorded."
"Maybe… you never know. The Mage's Association or the Holy Church might have a record of the battle somewhere in their vaults of secrets. After all, I killed some exorcists attempting to exterminate me back then. I even turned some of them into zombies."
"Considering this is the modern era, all things related to the supernatural are to be kept secret from the public by both parties. What would you do if such a record exists?"
"Nothing. It's in the past now. I'm looking toward the future. That future is where I obtain Heaven." DIO declared, "And you'll be at my side for that glorious day, won't you, Pucci?"
"Of course I will, DIO. You are the King of Kings." Pucci promised.
Indeed, he was. And as King, DIO will execute his plan to reach Heaven. To find peace of mind, where he would know the future of his fate.
Before that promised day, however, DIO must deal with Jonathan's descendants. DIO awakened The World after piercing his body with an arrow designed to awaken Stands. Or rather, Jonathan's body. Awakening a Stand could affect those currently tied by blood to the user. No doubt, when their Stand abilities awaken, Jonathan's descendants will seek to finish what their predecessor started a hundred years ago.
DIO was more than willing to accept the challenge, but not before he could fully assimilate with Jonathan's body. As it stands, The World's ability to stop time could only be done for no more than 2-3 seconds. Jonathan's body didn't have the spark of life, so it rejected DIO. What little remained enabled DIO's survival beneath the sea. Over time, the scar around DIO's neck will recover, and The World will grow in strength as well. If he had more Joestar blood, then the assimilation would be complete.
Once DIO killed off the remaining Joestars and completed his Stand, he would go on to reach Heaven. He wouldn't allow anyone to obstruct his path to Heaven and know his true fate. Not the Joestars, not the Mage's Association, Holy Church, or any Heroic Spirit.
[-Year, 1989, January 16: Cairo, Egypt: Night-]
How could this be? DIO on his knees before Jotaro Kujo, Jonathan's damnable descendant. The two had squared off across Cairo, clashing their Stands and wits to one-up each other. It eventually led to the bridge.
Jotaro stood 195 centimeters tall and resembled his grandfather, Joseph Joestar, and great-grandfather, Jonathan, but his features were rigid due to his stoicism. Owing to his Japanese heritage, Jotaro wore a modified black Gakuran uniform designed to resemble a long coat, paired with a torn visored hat that appeared to blend seamlessly into his black hair. The hat was decorated with a gold button and a gold-plated, flattened hand sign. The visor also helped to highlight the menacing glare in his dark green eyes. Despite his well-built stature and stoicism, Jotaro was seventeen during his journey to Egypt.
Jotaro's personality was also opposite to Jonathan's. Whereas Jonathan prided himself on being an honorable and compassionate gentleman, Jotaro was a violent juvenile delinquent. One trait they shared was their striving for justice.
"Compassion is something you'll never get from me, DIO. I haven't a lick of kindness to give to your sorry undead ass." Jotaro coldly stated as his golden aura flared around him, and his Stand, Star Platinum, towering beside him.
Star Platinum was a towering, muscular humanoid Stand with purplish skin, wild, long black hair, and piercing blue eyes. Corresponding to its muscle-bound warrior visage, it wore gold shoulder pads, a white loincloth, black studded gloves, and black boots.
Star Platinum was similar to DIO's The World. It boasted superhuman strength, speed, and precision, and he used those abilities to topple every enemy DIO sent after him and his allies. However, those paled in comparison to the time-stop ability he just unlocked as DIO was literally seconds away from crushing him to death with a steamroller. He used the frozen time to escape and get behind the golden vampire undetected.
Now with broken legs and in pain on the bridge, DIO was at Jotaro's mercy. The latter had every reason to kill the villainous vampire, too.
For one, DIO unlocking The World caused Jotaro and other living blood relatives descended from Jonathan to develop Stand abilities. This included Joseph, who had Hermit Purple, and Jotaro's mother, Holly Kujo. Unlike Jotaro and his maternal grandfather, Holly did not have the fighting spirit needed to control her Stand; thus, it began to zap her life away, slowly killing her. The only way to save her was to kill DIO.
After over forty days of traveling and nonstop fighting an army of evil Stand Users, the two Joestars and their allies finally tracked DIO down in Cairo. Thus began an intense fight for survival, as DIO proved more dangerous than expected, thanks to The World's Time Stop ability and his cunning intellect.
Secondly, DIO was directly and indirectly responsible for most of Jotaro's friends' deaths. Muhammad Avdol and Iggy the dog were killed by one of DIO's last remaining minions, while DIO personally executed Joseph and Noriaki Kakyoin, Jotaro's best friend. The only other ally still alive was Jean-Pierre Polnareff, who was injured and left unconscious. Worse still, DIO tricked Jotaro into allowing the vampire to steal his deceased grandfather's blood, healing his injuries and increasing his power. Whatever sanity DIO had left was also shattered.
The World's Time Stop also evolved. Now, DIO could freeze time for nine seconds. However, Jotaro stopped time at the last second to escape certain death and used Star Platinum to break DIO's legs. He was poised to kill his family's ancestral nemesis without batting an eye, but he hesitated.
"But I gotta admit, seeing you pathetically writhing in agony makes me think twice about beating you to death. It'd leave a bad taste in my mouth." Jotaro confessed.
That comment irritated DIO further, but Jotaro pressed on.
"How long will it take for your legs to recover? Three or four seconds, maybe? Doesn't matter. Once you're on your feet, I'll send Star Platinum to finish you off. So be prepared!"
Now DIO felt fear as Jotaro slowly and menacingly approached his crippled form.
"If this were the Wild West, I'd say, 'It's High Noon'. Now get up and draw your piece. You're getting one shot."
Fear and anger overtook DIO. Never before in his life had he been so insulted. By a Joestar pissant no less.
As he slowly rose to face his towering enemy, DIO thought, "This insignificant whelp… how dare he mock me?!"
His fear prevented him from saying anything out loud, but it quickly turned to confidence as his infuriated frown turned into a manic grin.
"But why am I not surprised, Jotaro? Of course, you'd hesitate at this stage of the game… Just like the human, you are!" DIO chuckled.
To DIO, humans were weak, predictable, and pathetic creatures cursed with a fleeting life, destined for obscurity. Just like Jonathan a century ago, Jotaro couldn't ignore his human weaknesses. After all, he wouldn't say killing DIO would leave a bad taste in his mouth if it implied he'd regret it later. Such wretched reasoning was equivalent to rat shit in a pit. And just like his great-grandfather's antiquated compassion, Jotaro's foolish honor will be his demise.
"That is where you and I differ. Only one ideal compels me: the desire for domination and victory! Nothing more or less will satisfy me!"
DIO's confidence grew as the pain in his legs subsided, thanks to his vampiric healing factor. He slowly stood up, his bright red eyes never deviating from Jotaro.
The young Joestar stood ready for anything DIO might throw at him. This war ends tonight, for all the lives DIO destroyed in his century-long campaign of terror. For the old man, who imparted his wisdom, even after dying and lingering as a soul. For his ancestor, who bravely fought this neon vampiric cesspit of evil even at the cost of his life. For his fallen friends, Kakyoin, Iggy, and Avdol. And most of all, for his dying mother, Holly, who was the sole driving purpose for this long journey and arduous battle.
"The means I use to achieve this… are irrelevant!" DIO squeezed out a stream of blood from his bleeding leg, sending it at Jotaro's face and blinding him as it made contact with his eyes, forcing him to close them.
"Enjoy that blood in your eyes, Jotaro! Because I win! Now DIE!" DIO summoned The World to deliver a roundhouse kick at his blinded foe, intending to take his head off.
Unperturbed, Jotaro summoned Star Platinum to counter The World.
"ORA!" Jotaro cried with Star Platinum as it sent a straight punch to The World's leg, stopping its kick mid-flight. The thunderous clash echoed in the night as both Stands and their users stood quietly, waiting for the result.
Star Platinum's knuckle cracked with blood spilling out. Jotaro grimaced from the pain but kept calm.
Meanwhile, a grin graced DIO's lips. His victory was all but assured. A Stand's damage is reflected onto its user. Naturally, the destruction of a Stand would also lead to the destruction of its user. Once Jotaro was finished, no one would stand in DIO's way of reaching Heaven.
Or so the vampire thought.
Cracks appeared on The World's leg, to DIO's horror. The glowing cracks quickly fester and spread upward to its upper body. The same thing happened to its user. His legs hadn't properly healed yet, which would affect The World, and DIO's hubris and desperation led him to neglect this fact.
"AAAGHHH! WHAT THE HELL?!" DIO howled as his chest and head split apart, blood spilling everywhere. The pain was unbearable. It was worse than when Jonathan destroyed his original body with Hamon a century ago. It felt like his soul was being obliterated.
This couldn't be where DIO's fate ended. It was impossible. How could he achieve Heaven if he were to die like a pathetic dog?
"IT'S IMPOSSIBLE! I AM THE IMMORTAL DIO!"
Jotaro opened his eyes and calmly stared at DIO as the latter screamed in pain and denial of his fate. It was fitting that a Joestar, one of DIO's most hated enemies, would be the one to end the golden vampire's reign of terror and witness his final moments.
"I AM DIOOOOO!"
Those were DIO's final words before his head violently exploded. His stolen body and separated limbs fell lifeless in a pool of blood. Ghostly energies rose from the fresh corpse, indicating the vampiric Stand User's life was extinguished and his Stand annihilated.
Wiping his face clean of blood, Jotaro gazed upon his handiwork, reveling in his hard-earned victory.
"When the sun comes up, you'll be nothing but dust. You made one mistake, DIO. One that got you killed. And that was pissing me off. Was it worth it?" Jotaro declared with a tip of his hat.
Never before had Jotaro felt so exhausted after a battle, but he was content with this fatigue. DIO was finally dead, and his Stand was destroyed. The world can rest without some Count Dracula wannabe trying to rule it. To top it off, he avenged the lives of those lost in this hundred-year war, including Avdol, Iggy, Kakyoin, and Joseph, and saved the life of his mother. He also avenged and freed his ancestor, Jonathan.
But, it wasn't over yet. He needed to dispose of DIO's corpse, thereby laying Jonathan's spirit to rest. He also needed to find a clue as to what DIO was truly up to. He wouldn't have gone to all this trouble to kill the current living Joestars before doing anything else. There must be something in his mansion.
Unbeknownst to Jotaro and the now deceased DIO, familiars were watching from a distance.
[-Japan, Fuyuki City: Tohsaka Estate-]
"Inconceivable. He actually did it. Jotaro Kujo defeated DIO," said a man with dark hair and teal eyes. He was well-dressed, wearing an elegant crimson tuxedo. He and an associate watched Jotaro kill DIO through the crystal ball linked to his familiar.
His name was Tokiomi Tohsaka, head of the Tohsaka Mage Family.
"Indeed. Dead Apostles like DIO are difficult to kill, even for a fully trained and experienced Exorcist. I never imagined Stand Users could wield this kind of power," said the associate, an elderly and well-built priest from the Holy Church named Risei Kotomine.
Despite the tense relationship with the Mages and Exorcists, the Tohsaka family has been allied with the Holy Church, as seen in Tokiomi and Risei's acquaintance. As such, they have worked together numerous times, such as right now.
They were secretly monitoring DIO's activities in Cairo, including tonight. Yet, they couldn't decipher what the golden vampire was planning, as DIO never let his guard down, nor did he leave any openings in his mansion to exploit. Perhaps it was moot now that he was dead. Additionally, they were watching the Joestar Group on their crusade from Japan to Egypt.
They, and by extension, the Mage's Association, had been aware of the Joestar family's battles with the supernatural, dating back to Jonathan Joestar's time over a century prior; thus, they knew about DIO's murder of Jonathan and the theft of the former's body. It was a heinous act, and even the Mages Association, ruthless as they could be, found it unforgivable.
Vampires were seen as a menace to the World of Magecraft and normal human society in general. As such, both the Holy Church and the Mage's Association work to exterminate them. While the Holy Church sees it as their virtuous mission, the Mage's Association generally acts on vampire-related matters unless it directly threatens public stability, which may reveal the supernatural to the modern world. This was something both organizations worked to prevent.
DIO's resurrection was immediately brought to their attention, and they put aside their hostilities to deal with him. Unfortunately, they failed, due to his might, cunning, and powerful time-stopping Stand ability.
It was decided that the Joestar Group would handle him. If Mages and Exorcists couldn't kill the time-stopping vampire, then maybe this band of Stand Users could. Besides, it was ultimately the Joestar family's right to exterminate the prime adversary to their bloodline, and today, they succeeded through Jotaro's hand.
"Well, thanks to Jotaro's unpredictable power, DIO has perished. That vampire gave the Mage's Association more trouble than anyone imagined." Tokiomi said.
Stopping time was difficult for any Mage to attempt due to its long preparation and precise calculation of the amount of frozen time. Yet, DIO's Stand, The World, allowed him to do it instantly. That was how he dispatched the assassins repeatedly sent against him in record time, in addition to his army of powerful and deranged Stand Users. Some of whom could rival even the strongest of Enforcers.
"That goes double for the Holy Church. Never before has a Dead Apostle appeared with the ability to stop time." Risei informed. He lost count of how many good Exorcists were killed by that monster.
"I admit, even I'm fearful of such an ability at a single man's fingertips. DIO was bad enough, but now we have this delinquent." Tokiomi's eyes bore into the image of Jotaro as he walked away from DIO's corpse, vacating the area with the Speedwagon Foundation. They picked up the bodies of Joseph Joestar and Noriaki Kakyoin and tended to the still-alive Jean Pierre-Polnareff. They also uploaded DIO's corpse in their ambulance truck.
"Shall we eliminate him if he becomes a threat?" Risei asked.
Tokiomi shook his head, "No. We owe Jotaro our gratitude for vanquishing DIO. Besides, the Joestars have unwittingly aided us before."
"You're right. Joseph Joestar did save the world from the Pillar Men fifty years ago. Tonight is a regrettable loss, and he will be missed." Risei said with a mournful gaze at the fallen Joestar elder. That's when he saw it.
"Did you ever meet Joseph in person, Risei?" Tokiomi asked.
"No. The incident with the Pillar Men happened before the Third Holy Grail War in August of 1939. By then, World War II was in full swing, and he was content to stay in North America with his friends and family. And as you know, I was the overseer back then, so I was busy with the ritual's aftermath and failure." Risei explained.
"I see." Tokiomi nodded.
Both men continue to watch the live recording from Tokiomi's familiar.
They see Jotaro and the doctor's attempt to resuscitate Joseph's body using the blood in DIO's body. Jotaro had Star Platinum reach into Joseph's chest to grasp his heart. The doctors immediately get to work on the blood transfusion as Jotaro suggested.
"What are they doing? No Stand can revive the dead." Tokiomi scoffed.
"We've seen Jotaro pull off impressive feats with Star Platinum before, but even this is…" Risei paused when he and Tokiomi witnessed Joseph's previously drained body regaining its color and muscle mass as the blood transfusion succeeded. Soon after, the elder Joestar rose from the gurney. He was alive, even pretending to be DIO to play a joke on his grandson, who was about to beat him to death with Star Platinum.
"My word…" an astonished Tokiomi uttered.
"He performed a miracle," an equally astounded Risei said.
"Or, maybe it was blind luck." Tokiomi replied, "It hadn't been long since Joseph was killed and his blood stolen by DIO, so the transfusion would have better odds of success, as outlandish as it seems. Additionally, DIO's body originally belonged to his grandfather, so perhaps that played a part in his revival as well. Either way, besides stopping time, this may top anything Jotaro has done on his journey. How intriguing."
"I thought Mages viewed psychics such as Stand Users with disdain, Tokiomi," said an amused Risei.
"To be accurate, it's more like we're indifferent to psychics and vice versa. Mages are steeped in tradition and value the hard work cultivated by their family lineage in pursuing Magecraft and mystery. And yet, psychics such as Stand Users are capable of enacting supernatural phenomena with a mere thought. Mages recreate magic with the study of Magecraft, while Stand Users can affect reality to the extent that they may as well be performing a form of magic." Tokiomi explained.
"Now that you mention it, I hear some Mages use Stand Users and their bizarre array of powers in their supernatural research." Risei mused.
"Some do, but I don't see the use in such an endeavor when I've accomplished so much already. However, I can see that Jotaro has some utility. Perhaps I'll seek his aid in the future." Tokiomi gazed in intrigue at Jotaro's visage on the crystal ball's feed.
"You think he'll help you find the Root?" Risei asked.
Tokiomi shook his head, "There's no guarantee. If anything, no Mage would overlook his talents. The Mage's Association was no doubt watching this battle as well and has reached a similar conclusion."
"It seems the Joestars are quite popular. We'll have to watch over them," said Risei.
"Indeed." Tokiomi concurred. Time will tell if Jotaro will become useful to the Tohsaka family's lifelong goal of reaching the Root.
[-Year, 1993: Fuyuki, Japan-]
It was Sunday afternoon.
Young 6-year-old Rin Tohsaka was walking home from the park with her mother, Aoi. Rin inherited her black hair and aqua eyes from their father, Tokiomi. She also inherited her beautiful mother's looks.
Aoi was a woman of average height. She had long, dark green hair and eyes, and wore a pale brown dress and brown sandals.
Rin was born and raised in Fuyuki, secretly studying Magecraft under her father's watchful eye. However, it seemed today was a little different. She and her mother met up with Kariya Matou, who just returned to Japan from a business trip overseas. He brought Rin a souvenir as usual. To his surprise, Rin's younger sister, Sakura, was absent. This was due to Tokiomi giving Sakura up for adoption to his former family, the Matous. He wasn't happy to hear this and presumably returned home.
"Mother, will Sakura be alright with the Matous?" Rin asked.
"Rin, you mustn't question your father's judgment. He wants what's best for you and Sakura." Aoi gently scolded.
"I know…" Rin was the saddest member of her family to see Sakura go. The sisters were very close, but their father viewed their Magecraft training as more important, so he gave Sakura up for adoption to another Mage family. She didn't quite understand his thought process, but if it helped both of them in the long run, it meant Rin had to make him proud as his successor.
"I'm sure we'll see Sakura again." Aoi assured, "You both need to work hard and become splendid Mages for your father."
While she was good at masking it, Aoi was also sad to give her youngest daughter away. But she was brought up to obey her husband's whims. He was a good man; he always knew what was best for the family. She may not agree with everything, but her duty as his wife was to support his endeavors. That included raising Rin to be his successor in the Tohsaka lineage.
"I will." Rin confidently nodded, "That reminds me, Father is having a guest today, right?" Rin asked.
"Were you eavesdropping on your father again?" Aoi asked back.
"I'm sorry. I was passing his office the other day and heard him talking to someone on the phone."
"Oh, I see. Tokiomi should be more careful." Aoi sighed.
"Is it Kirei-san?" Rin asked. Her tone had some resentment when she said the name.
"I don't think so. Kotomine-san's apprenticeship with your father is going well, so it doesn't look like there will be more lessons today. Actually, your father seems very excited for this guest to arrive." Aoi answered.
"Excited? That's rare." Rin replied. It relieved her that Kirei Kotomine wasn't coming over today.
Kirei was the son of her father's priest acquaintance. Two years ago, Kirei became her father's Magecraft apprentice. She met him a few times when he visited their house to study under her father, but they didn't get along. While she remained polite for her parents' sake, she distrusted Kirei. He didn't seem to care that she disliked him.
This mystery guest was intriguing, however. Rin never knew someone could get her father's attention. Normally, he treated his interactions with other people like a business transaction. It was the same with Kirei. After all, he was to be helping in the upcoming Fourth Holy Grail War.
But her father getting excited over this person was rare. It made Rin want to meet them and see what got her father's attention.
A few minutes later, Rin and Aoi returned home and entered the Tohsaka Estate.
"Tokiomi-san, we're home," Aoi announced.
"Welcome home, Aoi, Rin." Tokiomi greeted them as he came downstairs. He had his trusted cane with him.
"We're home, Father," Rin said.
"Rin, I'll have an important guest stopping by soon, so I'll need you to wait in your room. And no eavesdropping this time, alright?" Tokiomi said sharply, making his daughter flinch.
"Y-Yes, sir." Rin nervously replied. Of course, he knew she was listening in on him. Nothing escaped Tokiomi Tohsaka's notice.
"Aoi, prepare our finest tea and bring it to my office. We have much to discuss, so he'll be here for quite a while."
"Right away." Aoi went to fulfill her task in the kitchen, leaving her husband and daughter alone.
"Um, Father, who's the guest you have coming over? Is he someone important?" Rin asked.
"Hmm… yes, in a manner of speaking. He once did the Mage's Association a great service, albeit unwittingly." Tokiomi answered.
This statement confused Rin, "You mean, he's not affiliated with the association?"
"He's not a Mage either. Regardless, he's of great importance to us. Be extra polite when speaking with him. He dislikes loud women." Tokiomi advised.
Rin was more confused. But now she understood what her mother meant when she said her father seemed more excited than usual. Being his daughter, Rin could notice the subtle shifts in Tokiomi's usual collected demeanor.
Suddenly, a knock on the front door was heard.
"Ah, that must be him." Tokiomi walked to the door and opened it.
Rin was surprised by this. Normally, he'd have one of the servants or Aoi get the door.
"Welcome, I've been expecting you." Tokiomi politely said to the guest.
"You're Tokiomi Tohsaka, the one who sent for me?" the guest asked. His voice was deep and imposing, but with a hint of intelligence.
"Yes, it's an honor to have you at my home, Jotaro Kujo."
"Jotaro Kujo…?" Rin pondered. She felt like she had heard that name before.
"Please, come in. We can talk in my office upstairs." Tokiomi said as he guided the man inside.
Rin got a good look at him and was surprised by his appearance.
"He's huge! He's taller than Father and Kirei combined!" Rin thought as Jotaro strode into the house.
Jotaro Kujo, now 24, hadn't changed much in the last five years since his adventure in Egypt. He was as imposing as ever. However, he wasn't the juvenile delinquent he was in his youth. Now that he had matured in the years following DIO's defeat, he graduated from high school and became a marine biologist fresh out of college. His current wardrobe didn't reflect that, though. He wore a white long coat, a black undershirt, matching pants, and shoes. The coat's collar was adorned with a golden chain. The ends of the sleeves of Jotaro's coat had purple and yellow triangle patterns. He had two belts, one blue and the other red, both of which also held the same triangle design. His shirt had gold lines aligned with his abs and a gold stop sign badge at the neck. The torn hat retained the gold-plated flattened hand from his high school uniform's hat.
Jotaro's hands were tucked into his pockets, a habit he retained from his youth.
Rin couldn't describe this man's fashion sense as anything other than bizarre, but he somehow made it work. Maybe it was his stoic, confident demeanor.
Tokiomi showed no reaction to Jotaro's unusual clothes either, so maybe there wasn't anything to worry about. After all, he always wore his favorite crimson tuxedo and spent hours trimming his goatee. For Tokiomi, elegance was everything.
"Rin, you're to wait in your room, remember?" Tokiomi said.
"Oh, yes! Please enjoy your stay, Jotaro-san!" Rin stammered with a bow and went up to her room, leaving the two men alone.
"Your daughter?" Jotaro asked.
"Yes. I have much to be proud of with her." Tokiomi smiled.
"I see. That's good for you, but we have some business to discuss. Like this, for example…" Jotaro raised his left hand, revealing three red marks vaguely resembling stars stacking upward.
"Straight to the point, I see. I like that." Tokiomi mused.
"You know what these are, right?" Jotaro asked, "At first, they showed up like bruises. Except I don't remember how I got them. Over time, they morphed into this pattern. You know something, and that's why you called me here."
"Indeed, I do. Those are the shape of your Command Seals, a sign that you are chosen for the Fourth Holy Grail War." Tokiomi confidently answered.
Jotaro stood silently. He was familiar with the Holy Grail in most mythological folklore of religious texts, but he had never heard of a war centered around it or that there had been three prior ones.
He thought back to a few weeks ago when these "Command Seals" suddenly appeared on his hand. The first to notice was his wife. They assumed the marks were bruises or minor injuries, but he couldn't recall when or where he got them. He had the doctors at the Speedwagon Foundation examine it, but found no traces of infection. The marks were utterly foreign to them. The most they knew of the supernatural were Hamon users like the old man, vampires, the Pillar Men, and Stands. Despite that, Jotaro felt something wasn't right with their assessment.
He eventually consulted his grandfather, Joseph, on the matter. Recent years have been tough for the old Joestar. Since his revival after the battle with DIO five years ago, he couldn't use his Hamon to sustain his youthful vigor anymore, so his age was catching up to him. He wasn't as strong or spry as before and was even starting to show signs of senility.
Still, Joseph proved to be helpful when called upon. While he couldn't go into battle anymore, his worldly experience was invaluable, and his Stand, Hermit Purple, could still be useful for information gathering.
During his talk with Joseph, the elder Joestar used Hermit Purple to get more information. Since DIO's defeat, Joseph has improved the use of his Stand ability. He could now create psychic photographs without breaking an expensive camera. It probably helped that he got some practice from using television sets, which were generally sturdier than cameras.
Jotaro had Joseph take some pictures of the symbols on his hand with Hermit Purple, just to be sure there wasn't anything else bizarre happening.
The photos this time featured Tokiomi Tohsaka and six other individuals. Including Tokiomi, four of them were Japanese men, while one was a woman. Besides Tokiomi, however, two of the six stuck out to Jotaro. One was a black-haired man in a black suit and trench coat. The other was a male priest with brown hair. These two had vacant eyes like they were dead inside. Something about that aspect made Jotaro wary of them. The woman was also of note, given her unusual silver hair, red eyes, and uncanny beauty. The red eyes reminded Jotaro of DIO after his High Voltage transformation, except she didn't seem as evil.
Regardless, the two Joestar men gave these photos to the Speedwagon Foundation so they could investigate these seven people. Shortly after, they returned with some spotty information, but it was information nonetheless.
They found two of the photographed individuals in London residing in the Clock Tower, more commonly known as Big Ben. Their names were Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald and Waver Velvet. Kayneth seemed to be a teacher, while Waver was a student. No further identification was possible.
The man in black and the silver-haired woman couldn't be found in Japan or Europe.
A fourth individual, Kariya Matou, was found in Japan. His background was almost unknown, but he seemed acquainted with Tokiomi and his family. The priest, Kirei Kotomine, was also acquainted with the Tohsakas. In fact, Tokiomi and Kirei were the last ones to be identified. And that was because Tokiomi voluntarily contacted the Speedwagon Foundation himself. He specifically asked for Jotaro so they could speak face-to-face.
"I take it you've familiarized yourself with the Speedwagon Foundation's findings on me and the other select individuals?" Tokiomi asked confidently. He kept his words vague, but Jotaro understood.
He knew something wasn't right from the examination and the investigation, and Tokiomi Tohsaka was behind it somehow.
"The info they gathered is sparse at best. But, you already knew that, didn't you? Why else would you call the Foundation? You had some moles planted, didn't you?"
"Not quite. That was the Mage's Association's doing." Tokiomi answered.
"Mage's Association?" Jotaro inquired.
"The organization I'm affiliated with. No disrespect was intended to the company's late founder, but it was a safety precaution to ensure they didn't discover any more supernatural entities, like us."
"Fine, but that doesn't explain why you called me here, nor why you mentioned secretly watching us as we traveled to Egypt and battled DIO five years ago." Jotaro gave a hard stare as he explained this to Tokiomi.
"And since this 'Mage's Association' had moles in the organization, you've been watching us to this day, right? That also means you knew we were looking for you. You'd better explain yourself, now!" Jotaro's golden aura flared up as his stare turned deadly, "You know I can demolish you with my Star Platinum if you say the wrong thing, so choose your words carefully."
Star Platinum manifested beside its user, fists clenched and eyes locked onto Tokiomi. Its gloves and boots have changed from black to white over the last five years, which may reflect Jotaro's maturity as an adult.
The Tohsaka patriarch remained calm as ever, even when Jotaro and his Stand threatened him. Admittedly, he had a few familiars keeping tabs on Jotaro and the Speedwagon Foundation. He was waiting for an opportunity to recruit him to his side when the need arose. Knowing that Jotaro had Command Seals was unexpected, but fortuitous nonetheless. Especially when Joseph Joestar's Stand ability identified the other potential participants of the Third Holy Grail War.
The ritual was approaching, and Tokiomi couldn't afford to waste this chance to get Jotaro on his side.
"I understand why you would be less than thrilled to have strangers spying on you and your private life, Jotaro Kujo. You have a wife and yearling daughter to care for, not to mention your aging grandfather. You'll do what it takes to protect them. As will I, if you decide to force a confrontation in my own home."
The jewel on Tokiomi's cane glowed, producing a fireball aimed at the Joestar Stand User.
Though still stoic, Jotaro was surprised. He didn't see a Stand anywhere, and it didn't look like he was using Hamon like his grandfather. What was this power?
"When you said Mage's Association, were you implying you know magic or something?" asked Jotaro.
"This is Magecraft, a recreation of magic. But, don't take this to mean it's a pale imitation. Just as you can pummel me to near death with your Stand, I can insinerate you in the blink of an eye." Tokiomi confidently explained.
Both family men stared the other down, waiting for one another to make the first move. The first was Tokiomi, who lowered his cane and canceled the flames.
"However, I'd prefer to talk this out amicably. So, please, stand down. I assure you that monitoring your activities for the past five years was well-intentioned. My associates and I will be happy to answer your questions. Privately in my office, of course."
As a self-styled gentleman, civility was his most elegant specialty, and he'd use it to win over the Joestar heir instead of violence. He had already established a secret alliance with the Kotomines for the ritual, but he felt that Jotaro's part in the Holy Grail War in the coming year was crucial, and he must work it to his advantage.
"Have it your way." Jotaro's aura dissipated, and Star Platinum withdrew from sight. It was better to hear Tokiomi out for now. He needed more information so he could make sense of what was happening. Besides, it would be shitty to beat up a man while his wife and daughter were present.
Satisfied, Tokiomi guided Jotaro upstairs to his private office for their private discussion. The Joestar heir wasn't sure what to make of this. His adventure to Egypt was a bizarre experience he wouldn't forget, but it seemed he was going to be dragged into another one.
Tokiomi Tohsaka presented himself welcomingly enough, but it wasn't enough to earn Jotaro's trust yet. The old man warned him to be extra cautious this time around.
In any event, Jotaro figured he'd have to play by ear for now.
Lyall the Werewolf: That's chapter 01. It's taken me a really long time to get this rolling.
Here are some ground rules going forward:
As you can see, the first arc adopts Fate/Zero, but it won't be a straight adaptation, as I plan to include a slightly altered cast, since Jotaro will be taking part in the Fourth Holy Grail War. That's the thing about Type-Moon's multiverse structure. Anything is possible. Plus, it makes sense from a timeline point, since we're starting hot off the heels of Stardust Crusaders. Ryuunosuke won't be gone, though. I have different plans for him.
Normal people can't see Stands; that much is true to canon. The same can't be said of Mages. They are naturally attuned to the supernatural through their Magic Circuits, allowing them to see Stands to varying degrees. Accomplished Mages like Tokiomi could see Star Platinum perfectly, while someone as young and inexperienced as Rin could probably only see a shimmering ghostly image. Servants can also see Stands because they're supernatural entities as well.
Stone Mask vampires count as Dead Apostles since they used an outside source to turn. The same applies to the Pillar Men, who are a tier below True Ancestors in the vampire hierarchy. I know Dead Apostles and True Ancestors are mainly Tsukihime terms, but Dead Apostles have been used in Fate properties before, so it shouldn't pose a problem.
There will be no pairings beyond canon. That goes without saying since Jotaro is married and has Jolyne.
That's all for now. Hope to see you later. Also, Happy Birthday, Jonathan Joestar!