I wake up on the floor of the pnetarium with one hell of a headache following me like a bad case of some kind of stalker syndrome. The burning worms its way through my body as well making it almost impossible to think we could even win. With Loredana we'd be one more person stronger, and if she actually struck her with Brocas Helm it'd be done in one blow. But why did Sister Golden Hair choose Jolyne and I? Why am I the 'Thing that should not be?' But I'll busy myself with the main question at hand.

  "So why are you calling me Dio now?" of course the fight is over for now but I just wanted to know the answer to the burning question searing a hole into my mind even though she answered it before. Jolyne gnces at me.

  "That's your name." she states, "So I'm calling you by it."

  "I have a middle name." my voice sounds a little too forceful but she shrugs.

  "You're not the Dio I used to hear about as a kid." she says, "Like I said before." her eyes fix on the stars high above on the dome.

  "So instead of calling me by the name of Daniel, you call me Dio because it has no more meaning to you than just being a name?" I blurt out and feel my cheeks warm up, "Don't you think that's ignoring what I could become?"

  Jolyne chuffs and there's a soft and warm weight brushing against my hand before she moves back to her own seat, "It's just... ah... You have a good chance not to be a monster like him." she looks up at the softly drifting stars.

  "You know... back home I used to be able to see all this?" Jolyne begins with a fond almost wistful tone, "All these stars, my Dad and I would go out with a telescope and see how many we could name."

  "Really?" I lean against my hand, "It's all so beautiful..."

  "Yeah. It is." she says, "He'd purposefully lose, smile, and pat me on the head. Every night he was home we'd go do that."

  "So... why'd you run away?" my voice is soft, "If you don't mind me asking."

  "I guess... I wanted him to worry. I wanted him to come look for me. If he really cared he'd send in the cavalry, right?" she looks at me with her green eyes full of questions I couldn't answer, "Ah hell, you're a cult figurehead. You got a soft life an' decided you didn't want it."

  Silence falls over us and I think back to Rio and I going to an aquarium together. How I loved it so much I never wanted to leave. Jolyne and her Dad had the stars. What did Father and I have? What was special about us? Would he take me out specifically to just... share in a moment?

  We look up at the stars and pnets, "That's Vega." she states.

  "Betelgeuse." I answer.

  "Oh so you DO know some stars." she punches me in the shoulder as soft as she could make it, "You know it's dying, right? It's a red giant, and in a few more billion years it'll be history."

  Her eyes sparkle like emeralds in the screen backlight and I look away, "I... I used to have a mother. She took me to the aquarium out east." I smile, "I liked the stingray petting pool. They used to pop out of the water, then splish right back down."

  "And... she's gone now." I look down at my cross neckce, "She believed in a different world than my father. One where it could be kinder, and wickedness would be punished. That... that someone could usher that in."

  Jolyne listens, "Seems like you and your mom were close." she sways a little. Probably tired from Sister Golden Hair's assault and the fact we were stuck on our own.

  I nod with a smile, the stars and pnets the only thing watching as Jolyne settles in next to me. Her head resting against my shoulder, "What's your favorite sea creature, Daniel?" her voice is soft and tired sounding.

  "I like... starfish." I answer, "No, no. Sharks. Because they're fascinating and we don't know all the sharks that could be out there. If I could be anything other than what I am, I'd like to study them."

  "Maybe we can go back... haaah... and see it." she yawns, "That aquarium."

  "What's your favorite star, Jolyne?" I whisper. She settles herself closer to me and I can't help but blush at the contact. Her breath softly coursing in and out of her mouth and nose, her hair sweeping over her star-shaped birthmark.

  Her warmth is almost intoxicating. The taste of her blood still a memory I wish I never got to experience. It was hot and almost spicy. But... I didn't like what it did to me. What those cells in that stand's hand did to me.

  It wasn't me.

  "Poris." she closes her eyes, "So I can always make it back home." She ys against me and closes her eyes. Softly falling asleep. I close mine and soon... I'm out like a light too. Sleeping soundly with the pnets, stars, and all that celestial light being our only lulby.

  I dream of what could be. A house somewhere quiet and far away from the city, one where there's no chance the cult could find me, and maybe alone? Free to do as I pleased nonetheless. The dream goes on and there's family, friends, and good times.

  And Jolyne.

  With a soft groan I unfold myself from the seat. The screen long since gone imageless and colorless as she wakes up next to me. She's almost happy to do so. Her green eyes barely open as she stretches and moves off me.

  I barely noticed her weight on me. Not for ck of trying or knowledge of it. Just that it was very warm and smelled nice.

  "Hmmm?" she groans, "Wait did I-" she moves back and her cheeks are bright red, "Oh my god I slept on you." her expression goes panicky and I can't help but ugh a bit.

  "That's completely fine, I'm gd I was comfortable." she looks away from me and scoffs. I didn't want to push it so we moved out of the Pnetarium. Although we scrunched ourselves into the seats it was one of the few moments of sleep I genuinely had a good dream.

  Jolyne closes her eyes in thought, "Hey... I think I got an idea. They got magnifying gsses, yeah?" she digs something out of her pocket, "Sister Golden Hair's sor powered. So maybe we can overload her body and force her to expel it all."

  "How'd you figure that out?" I ask.

  Jolyne smiles and puffs up her chest, "Well, you're looking at Dr. Jotaro Kujo's one and only daughter! Which means... if we give her enough sunlight..."

  "Wait, sun? She called it Sol." My question is met with a soft chuckle.

  "It's called Sol astronomically, so here's the deal. You distract her with Sacred Heart and your vampire powers, and I set up Baby's First Sun Death-Ray."

  "A Death Ray?! But isn't she the st of her kind?! It'd be like the Kaua?i ?ō?ō!" I cry with shock in my voice in about ten different ways. I shouldn't lead to the death of a person at all. She reminds me of my own mother.

  "She'll probably be fine and just turn to stone." Jolyne shrugs with a smile, "Now go get her."

  Sister Golden Hair awaits us and I can't help but feel like this might not work out. But from the way Jolyne made it sound made the fire of confidence stoke in me. Sacred Heart appears near me and we march off. To war, to glory, and to freedom. As we go prepare our strategy I notice something in a little notch in the far hallway. Where the rented-out exhibit space should be. A shining but tarnished something glints from within it.

  I focus and begin to walk. My steps heavy and cracking into the wall to just take the thing. Even though I'm relying on my more... unpleasant abilities to do so. I reach into the little notch and come out with something that looks almost like a tarnished teething ring. Sacred Heart reverses the damage to the wall as I had walked back down. Turning the little teething ring over and over in my hands. The soft jingling reminds me that she was just someone simir to myself. Someone lost in this world she has no idea how to understand.

  Jolyne grabs as much gssware and magnifying gsses as she can from the gift shop and exhibits with Stone Free weaving them throughout the atrium. I watch as she works and then go deeper. The actual museum is rather nice but I don't have time to dwell. Sister Golden Hair comes charging out of nowhere almost as if she knew my pn! Her fist just about caves in my head if not for me slowing it down just enough to dodge it.

  "Your little tricks with time are indeed impressive!" she snaps, "But-"

  "MUDA!" Sacred Heart whips its leg into her's.

  Our legs csh in a heavy kick. The lights flicker from the force and we both trade off. The feet and fists thud against Sister Golden Hair's guard. Sacred Heart punches back the feathers she whips out of her hair and I keep up the pressure despite my rapidly weakening body.

  My Stand and I work in perfect sync. We're drawing her into the atrium where the impromptu death ray is. Even though she's the st of her kind. Her face twists into a mask of desperation, her perfect sun-kissed skin purples and bruises under my fists and Sacred Heart's own. Her hands sear my skin but I keep fighting. The pain becomes motivation. The same strength thrums just underneath me like a great engine trundling through my body. Through the exhibits we go with artifacts repairing themselves and living again.

  Muskets, cannons, and a Mosasaur bites into her flesh but I don't waver. Not even once. The objects and beasts become old again, become bone again, and become immovable again. My Stand controls the ever-marching flow of time. Freeing these animals, these tools of the oppressors, and weapons of war from the bonds of time. Reversing them to how they should be.

  She and I csh and push against each other, "Your power, your stand, and your will-! I'm so fascinated by it!" Sister Golden Hair crows, "It's so refreshing! Keep fighting me just like this!"

  I knee her in the stomach, "What sort of wonderous creature are you? A queen to be gawked at? Admired?" my voice is ice cold and my tone is as dark as the grave.

  "Of course!" her voice is full of pride, "I am a chieftess of my people! Born to lead and prosper!"

  "Now you're a thing to be gawked at by those who conquered! Those who have taken you from your home and those who have taken so many precious things from you!" I bash her away and Sacred Heart appears before her.

  "Would you like for me to give you something back?" I ask.

  Sister Golden Hair falls to her knees and brushes her face with her blood blooming from her lips. She's right where we want her to be.

  There was no fury and no emotional cause to this. Just a mission. I try to shut out my bleeding heart and stem the flow but it still breaks open anew. The st warrior of her people, the st of what was an apex species. We're destroying a woman who has nothing left of the world she knew. I wonder if the conquerors ever stopped and asked themselves why? The vicious sunlight licks at my body and burns into my skin like an old friend.

  But the sunlight spears her radiant body and the energy bursts out of her like fireflies. In moments Jolyne and I see her on her knees. Panting, golden-bck eyes staring up at me as her hair droops and her feathers lose their shine. Her cloak closing over her powerful body and tears stream down her cheeks. Jolyne catches me and Sacred Heart gently gives her the teething ring. Restored with gold and precious leather with soft dents in them from the child that owned it. Her eyebrows furrow and her gold-bck eyes fill with even more tears. She clutches it to her chest and lets out a low, mournful mother's cry.

  Then the main doors open and Loredana strides in. Her earth and sky eyes pinning Sister Golden Hair to the spot. Her hand on her sword hilt. Mack and Banana Boat walking right next to her. They look a little roughed up themselves from sleeping in the minibus.

  She tosses the mask onto the tiles, "Answers. Now." she snaps.

  "Loredana! Hey, take it easy and give Sister a minute!" Jolyne shoots back as Sister Golden Hair sobs out words like 'my boy.' and 'my sweet baby.' Mack and Banana Boat look almost like they're

  She stares at the mask and stands to her feet, "These masks... they're a creation of a barbaric tribe to the south." her hand brushes against the finery of the Rhinestone Mask, "We had eradicated those aligned with him among our own ranks, but whoever made this must have used the notes of a traitor."

  Her eyes turn back to the inner parts of the Pink Pace, "I wish I could tell you more, Swordswoman. But that's all I know." she looks back at me and walks up. Her body still radiating warmth.

  Her hand nds on my shoulder, "Tell me your name, warrior. So that I may thank you properly."

  "Daniel." I answer, "But my true name is Dio."

  "Ah." she smiles and my cheeks warm up as she kneels and kisses my forehead softly, "Then be well, young Dio. May you find what you're looking for." she moves back more towards the inside.

  "Wait, there's nothing for you here!" I blurt out almost desperate for her to come with us, "You'd be a huge help for what's coming, I'm sure of it!"

  "Then I shall be there when you need me, Dio." she bows her head, "Now if you'll excuse me." she walks off with her head held high and her hand csped around the teething ring. Her cloak billowing behind her.

  I don't notice it but Jolyne almost looks sad about it too. She pats my shoulder and the four of us leave. Loredana's frustration clear on her face as she gres down at the mask. Mack sighs and runs ahead to start the Minibus.

  All I could think about is how... out of pce we both were. Just as I'm about to completely check out, I see Jolyne smile at me. My cheeks warm up again and I look away.

  I shouldn't be feeling my heart fluttering at all. So why do I feel like this when I look at her? This shouldn't be something I should be able to feel but-

  I feel it anyway.