Capitolo Primo: Giovinezza (1)

When I blinked myself out of the coat of shadows that had welcomed my mind during this slumber, I wouldn’t have thought to find myself dealing with quite the absurd predicament.

‘Bizarre’ would fit too, especially if some considered the circumstances that saw my sudden insertion within the strangest of times and worlds.

My eyes had to squint and blink for some time, growing more and more accustomed with the dim light giving a bare display of my current setting, my previously-slumbering mind forced quickly out of its usual recovery and right on the panic-inducing predicament I was being part of.

This wasn’t my room, now was I sitting by my bed.

The rumbling, the noises of horses, the voice of a man directing the animals right through the muddy path before him and…

I was in a moving carriage directed Gods know where.

It was a very old model, something I instantly picked up by the lack of proper comfy pillows as my buttock was starting to grow sore at merely relaxing upon that sturdy piece of cloth.

There were Victorian decorations placed all over its inner wall, those were possibly there to try and give its interior some ‘elegance’, failing short as the stinging scent of the nature all around the vehicle, which managed to enter thanks to the small openings offered by the windows near the little door to the outside, diluted if not shattered the illusion of a pleasant trip into the unknown.

Once I got a complete look of the setting, I found myself exploring something that shouldn’t have changed with this curious awakening and… yet it had.

I was shorter, tinier and… younger.

I glanced down, ignoring for just a moment the prim and proper dress that was known to many rich children back in the nineteenth century, my pair of eyes widening in slight confusion and nervousness as I saw how small my hands were compared to the previous day.

Blinking at the hint that my body had somehow changed overnight, I was quickly rummaging at the little brown baggage set near to my seat, my main task trying to find a specific object that, possibly, was there to assist me in validate my new concerns.

I found a little circular mirror, it was pretty small and quite ruined as its screen was filled with some dust and some mold, causing me to frown as… why would I be carrying something moldy in such an expensive vehicle.

The answer to that silent query was presented when I finally glimpsed at the reflective texture of the tiny thing and… my mind suddenly brought an end to this mystery.

ゴ

ゴ

ゴ

ゴ

A pair of orange orbs showed the same amount as my inner surprise, my sight scanning frantically and almost furiously at the mostly unfamiliar face as this couldn’t be reality.

This had to be a dream, a pesky and perverted derivation of my delirious state of mind during a feverish night.

There couldn’t be alternatives but… I brought my hand to my chin, the youthful figure on the other side of the mirror following my action and proceeding to copy my brief chin-scratching as I mourned the lack of my goatee.

My face lacked any facial hair excluding my hair, something that even more confirmed that I was looking at my reflection.

This young blond boy, this confused and so terrible individual…

Why was I looking at Dio Brando?

An ever-present threat within the Jojo series, the man that tried to become invincible before succumbing to a religious euphoria that drove him to seek the Heavens.

A megalomaniac, but a resourceful and dangerous one with the intriguing mind that his narcissistic sanity had attached too.

A monstrous individual, someone that came so close to achieve true victory even while rotting in hell thanks to the aide of his closest friend.

And I was stuck in his youngest form known. I- I was Dio Brando!

Everything came crashing down onto my poor soul, from the crime already committed by the murder of Dario Brando to the main objective the young ‘Invader’ had planned to go through by trying to ‘steal’ the Joestar’s riches.

I was stuck in the mortal coils of the greatest antagonist in this universe, devoid of any of its true power and unleashed potentiality.

There was no vampire-related abilities, nor I had a Stand capable like ｢The World｣ to fight off any menace that persisted to end my very existence.

Time was essential for those that sought true dominance over the planet, in fact it was the prime element that reigned over everything and everyone.

And I, a mere human with mere knowledge, was granted the chance of achieving the final reward of a glorious plan and much more if I was careful to take the proper decisions and actions to assure it all.

I could do so much given proper peace and no distractions.

I could create a better world to control and lead, to bring world-peace and prosperity without facing any threatening opposition… if I was careful enough to not warrant any of my future ‘fateful enemies’ to come and hunt me.

It was all about carefulness and planning out the proper path to follow so that I could achieve the maximum reward with the minimum effort.

It was a golden opportunity, truly a divine intervention that granted me the chance of bring forth a new era to this world!

Just as I concluded those musings, I felt the carriage slowing down its pace and then… it came to a pause.

My thoughts were smoothly drowned as I let my own state of masterful composure, born from experience and practice, to take over the expressions of my new face as I prepared for quite the encounter.

I didn’t need to create issues with the one waiting just outside the vehicle, I didn’t certainly need to spark the Dio-Joestars rivalry that would see me failing horribly and painfully.

I was too attached to life to consider falling onto the overly-childish attitude displayed by the younger Dio and his self-destructive anger toward rich people.

But I couldn’t certainly behave too ‘kindly’ with the fellow, I needed to keep myself polite and ‘friendly’ before the gullible young man that was Jonathan Joestar.

So I slowly stood up from my seat, ignoring my aching legs as I took hold of my baggage with both of my hands, and I moved to leave the limited place.

The door opened calmly, part of my giddy self almost demanding to try and pull off the same dramatic stunt the blond achieved in Canon… but I wasn’t in the general mood to fail epicly thanks to my uncoordinated sense of mind-body.

While my body had changed, my mind had remained untouched and… still prone to commit quite the awkward physical reactions when given the unique opportunities.

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Descending from the small height between the carriage’s room and the floor, I closed the door behind me and… I turned to see the approaching young man, blinking in minor surprise at how similar he was to the animated version.

The only difference I could perceive was that his hair was much more darker than outright dark-blue, which was convenient considering that this period of time had yet to experience the full bizarre style that Araki is known for.

“You are Dio Brando, right?” The young Joestar inquired in quite the blunt manner, slightly nervous but still showing some emotion over the need of portraying etiquette.

One of the flaws that the boy was known for early on in his life, something that got him chided by his father numerous times… and for good reasons.

Newspapers and textbooks about the Victorian Age displayed the strictness in which some wealthy family were living, far from the easy-going pace that many of the modern nobles were known for.

And in a society where etiquette, money and social stature mattered over emotions and facts? People needed to adapt to conveniently survive any bad reaction to certain ‘wrong’ attitudes.

So, while I showed a polite and regal smile at the brash Jojo, I felt some pity at how unfortunate life was going to be with me now around him.

Not because I was going to create any chaotic circumstance to make him suffer, but rather I was sure George Joestar, his father would be blissfully dense enough to start some ‘nonexistent competition’ to try and push his son to achieve much more than mere laziness.

“And you must be Jonathan Joestar,” I carefully replied, knowing full well how the discussion would escalate and, if I played my cards well, I could also get some starting point to influence the naive youth.

“Everyone calls me JoJo. Nice to meet you too.” He seemed to gain confidence at the lack of negative connotations from my voice, but I was more interested over his nickname.

I could understand Joseph and the other members of the Joestar family as it wouldn’t be difficult to see the context that drove family and friends to adopt such a nickname… but Jonathan?

Why would someone call someone ‘Jojo’ in Victorian Britain? It wasn’t like his father had gone to India or Asia- Actually that might be the case as the mask had to have come from Asia, Africa or some other place away from Europe.

Just as I concluded that line of thoughts, I felt something warm and wet reach for my fingers and I almost jumped in surprise when I saw a certain barking Great Dane trying to gain my attention and my reaction.

Tail waggling excitedly at my arrival, I could help but have a smile appear on my face as I carefully tried to caress its fur.

The pet seemed to notice the attempt, leaning on and letting my fingers cautiously scratch the top of its head, more than happy to accept the kind return.

I had my fair share of experience with animals, both dogs and cats, so while Dio might have found the animal to be a pest, I was actually seeing this puppy to be nothing more than an adorable and playful thing to have around.

A soft bark accentuated the appreciation for the gesture and I noticed a brief chuckle coming by the side.

“See? He doesn’t bite?”

But he used to bite you a lot, JoJo, in fact you were also keen to retaliate with rocks until he saved you from drowning in a river.

I didn’t tell him that, my attention returned to the dog as Danny tried to stand on its hinder legs to try and give my face a lick or two, to which much to his dismay I was forced to back away from as I couldn’t certainly exaggerate with the planned meeting with the true owner of this mansion.

Speaking of the devil, George Joestar decided to appear in that very moment, instead of the worried expression of dealing with some childish rivalry he was showing a mirthful smile at the interaction I was having with the family’s pet.

“I see that you have made the acquaintance with JoJo and Danny, Dio,” The man commented happily, nodding at his son before giving me his full attention. “Please, do come inside.”

I nodded back, following Jonathan inside while ignoring the giddy dog as he was taken by one of the servants outside to keep him busy.

The entrance room of such a massive mansion proved to be powerful compared to the original scene as I was given the chance of looking around discretely over the various statues and artefacts that were there displayed for everyone to see.

I merely glanced at the Stone Mask, a chill going down my spine at the mere power hidden behind such a seemingly-innocuous object, but I still kept my attention onto the conversation.

I wasn’t going to slight anyone anytime soon… that is until I have a ‘reason’ and a backup plan to avoid dealing with any dangerous effects against me.

“I welcome you to my home, Dio,” George continued, now in front of the rest of the servants working in this house, three butlers and three maids. “You will considered as part of our family.”

The noble turned to look at the curious workers and nodded.

“Everyone, I owe my life to this young man’s father. Treat him as you would JoJo.”

“Yes, my lord,” The leading butler, possibly the head of the group, replied before bowing with the rest of the servants.

“Dio, this is now going to be your home. Understand that I will treat you as you were my own son,” He concluded with a careful smile, trying to not appear nervous himself over the curious development in their lives.

Still, I decided to bow at him. “I’m flattered and thankful of your hospitality, Lord Joestar.”

“You and Jojo are both young men and I wish for you both to enjoy each other’s presence from now on,” The older Joestar patted his son’s shoulder. “But from what I’ve seen, I can already tell you two are going to be good friends.”

Friends without much deception. I don’t want to get Hamon’d anytime soon after all.

“This way, Dio. I’ll show you your room.”

I nodded again at his words, this time giving attention to pick up my baggage instead of drawing Jonathan’s attention back on me and, as I walked up the stairs, I heard the young man speak.

“I’ll show you the nearby river, Dio. It’s a nice place where to rest and read in peace.”

If you ignore the constant presence of bullies and the chances of drowning there if its too agitated.

I gave him a polite nod. “I will wait for that then,” I replied with a small smile before returning to follow George to where I was supposed to live for years… until the opportunity to truly strike would appear for me to grasp onto.

Yes, a better plan for higher chances of success against my possible enemies.

Once the old Joestar concluded his brief tour of the living quarters, I was granted some time to unload my baggage in the proper places prepared to hold my personal bearings.

I was quick with this task, but instead of rushing to intervene in the lunch scene that was soon to happen, I decided to sit for a moment on my new bed, feeling tired and somewhat in need of some silence to think about my next few steps.

I wasn’t certainly going to try and aim for the Joestar’s inheritance, knowing well enough that the gold of the family wasn’t enough to deal with the animosity any attempt of usurping the title of heir would create with JoJo.

The young man was naive, not stupid. He might sound flawed, but he still had some inner strengths that were better kept away from being used on me.

But while I didn’t sought the acquisition of that money, I was still interested in two things that George could entrust to me given the proper amount of time and influence that I could gain in those few years.

I needed that mask.

I wasn’t planning to use it, still wary of losing my logical sense of thought and humanity by accepting a vampiric body, but I still wanted to keep it around for me to study and possibly gain some minor ability from it without fully turning in a blood-sucker.

I needed to have a mean to make a trip to the United States.

If I was quick enough and used my limited knowledge of untapped sources of oil, I could have easily made millions out of little investment, maybe even become a proper replacement for Speedwagon considering I wanted to have little about the current criminal in Ogre Street.

It was all out of respect, of course, as I didn’t want to even maim someone as intriguing as the fellow blond, but I couldn’t just ignore the opportunity of creating something of a more active Speedwagon Foundation.

Huffing for just a moment, I stood up from my bed with my polite posture restored and my mind preparing for the little lunch event that was going to become another important step to influence JoJo in ‘not kill me when the time come’.

What time and when? Now, that is a secret that I wouldn’t wish to give out so easily to anyone…

Unless you are willing to give up｢The World｣ for me~.

But while our ambiguous protagonist proceeded smoothly in what looked to be an easy beginning in a world ripe for his conquering, Fate had long decided to introduce a new contender to bring balance to the table.

Who is the true antagonist of this story?