Ch. 19

Far Away Eyes

DECEMBER 15TH, 1988

09:28

BENARES, INDIA

Back when she was little, Della Brown had always loved riding buses. There was just something more special about being in a larger vehicle than a car. Because not only was she able to take in more of her passing surroundings due to the slower pace, but she also got to meet some rather interesting people. The city was filled with such interesting, colorful people, from sharply-dressed businessmen to scruffy vagabonds. It was a refreshing experience each and every time.

So when the group had decided to get a bus to travel to the holy city of Benares (also called Varanasi), she couldn't help but feel giddy excitement in her heart. Despite all that happened in Calcutta, she felt that a slow ride across the country to such a renowned city would be quite fun. And who better to spend it with than a group of some of the most interesting people she had ever known?

They had been traveling since yesterday, having stopped halfway for a good night's rest before continuing. Before they left that day, they took some time to nurse their wounds and check up on Mr. Avdol one more time. He was still unconscious, but his vital signs had mercifully returned to normal. "He should be awake by tomorrow," said Mr. Joestar hopefully. "He may have to undergo therapy for a while, but by then, we should be ready with the submarine. Let's not tell the others just yet. Keep it a surprise for now."

And she, Jojo and Joutarou kept their word. Noriaki and Jean Pierre were not told of Mr. Avdol's survival yet. Della suggested they tell them separately later when they rest up at their hotels, to which they all agreed upon. For the time being, they would travel through the rocky, rustic countryside that was India. And it was indeed a fun ride. They all spoke merrily to one another about their lives and even traded jokes with the passengers who rode along with them. It was a peaceful little ride.

Right now, they were about an hour away from their final stop. She, Jojo and the others were now the only ones on the bus, and it was quiet, save for the conversation Jean Pierre was holding.

"Listen," said Jean Pierre sternly behind him. "I'm not usually one to give sermons, so I'll make it simple. Dimwits can never understand anything even ifs you try explaining it because they're dimwits. No matter how many times you explain it, they never understand." His expression immediately softened. "But, er… you didn't tell me your name."

The girl looked up and uttered, "Nena." It was the girl who had so foolishly allowed Mr. Avdol's attacker to escape. As it turned out, she was from a respectable family in Benares, and had run away from home to elope with Hol Horse. At only 16 years old, this girl was old enough to marry, but only through an arrangement. This was why she ran, because she devoted her young and naive heart to a manipulative assassin. She would die for him, as she had proved yesterday. And it disgusted her.

I don't care who takes pity on her, she thought callously. She'll get no sympathy from me. She doesn't deserve it after the stunt she pulled.

"Okay, Nena. I know you're a smart girl. You come from an honest family. I have an eye for people like you." She couldn't believe he had the nerve to flirt with this girl. "So I'm going to preach this to you. Hol Horse, your so-called 'true love' is a horrible liar and a complete bastard. He deceived you. Our friend died because he was paid by a wicked man to hunt us down. He never cared about you, only money. And your parents are probably grieving that you ran off with him."

There was a cold silence. Sitting in the row beside them, Della could see Nena's uncaring, almost condescending glance. The kind that could make words crumble before they had a chance of reaching her. It simply made Della furious, and she stood up from her seat and raised her hand to smack her upside the head. But a gentle touch by and a shake of the head by Jojo sitting beside her stopped her from striking out.

"She's not worth it," he sighed. "Trust me, I don't like her any more than you do. But hitting her's not gonna solve anything. Just relax. Focus on something else."

"Right," she whispered, taking her seat and steadying her erratic and angry breathing. She was glad to have a boyfriend who knew just what to do and say to help calm her. But despite this, she silently vowed to get one good hit in on this girl.

Jean Pierre was now gesticulating with his hands, moving them forward from the sides of his face. A gesture that expressed Nena's narrow train of thought. "You can't keep doing this," he warned her. "It's easy to do that when you're in love, but you can't look at things like that. It's important to keep your field of vision broad and your mind calm, understand?"

Don't waste your breath, Jean Pierre, thought Della as she stifled a giggle. Besides, the last person who should be giving that advice is you. It was both admirable and funny, even if he was giving it to a snob such as Nena.

"Hey," called Noriaki, staring out the window in amazement. "These guys are incredible…"

When the group had looked out the windows, they saw exactly what it was that left the student in awe. Right beside the great Ganges river, right across from the city, were men undergoing the most rigorous of training. One man had his head buried into the ground. Some others had buried their bodies, their faces covered in acupuncture needles. And all of them, whether they were on a bed of nails, on a burning pan, or contorted in complex poses, were in a state of deep meditation and concentration.

"They're practitioners of ascetics," he went on to say. "It looks rough. I've only heard stories about this, but I never thought these people would actually do it."

"Are you sure it's not some trick to attract tourists," joked Jean Pierre.

"If it were, it'd be a great disrespect for the dead," reasoned Jojo, his brow furrowed. "Everyone look to the far-most left." Their eyes followed where he was pointing, and what Della saw made her gasp. Several people, far more dressed than the meditating men, were gathered around a small wooden structure engulfed in fire. Resting at the top, just barely visible in the flames, was a body. It was a cremation, and those gathered were paying their final respects. A peaceful, yet mournful sight.

The holy river seemed to give off the same feeling. Like the fires burning both body and wood, the river consumed everything. People of all ages, animals of all species, food, excrement, everything. They were all microcosm of the Ganges, blanketed gently within the blessed waters. Just looking at the river and the people wading on the banks filled Della with a sense of calm.

Her train of thought was broken when she heard Joutarou say, "Hey, jijii, you don't look too good. You okay?" They had been sitting two seats behind Mr. Joestar and his youngest grandson, and from where she sat, she could see that the old man looked rather pale.

"Joutarou's right, Abuelito," Jojo agreed. "You look like you came down with something. That bastard Otis didn't make you sick, did he?"

He shook his head and rubbed his arm. "No, not that I can tell," he grumbled. "It's my arm. Whatever bit me must have had some disease. My arm feels so infected. Look." He held out his right arm for them to see. Sitting on his forearm was a reddish infection, swollen and angry. It looked almost like a tumor, which greatly worried her.

"Mr. Joestar," said Della concernedly. "You said you felt like you were bitten the other day."

"Yes, I did."

"Are you sure that guy didn't bite you or anything?"

"No, I'm certain" he said indignantly. "All he did was muffle me and drag me off into his web. No bites or anything. I started feeling it after that other Stand user escaped. Probably some mosquito bit me. Calcutta was full of them."

It was common knowledge that mosquitoes, no matter where in the world they were, were hosts to some of the deadliest diseases. And if Mr. Joestar really was bitten by one… She shook the thought out of her head and said, "Mr. Joestar, you need to go see a doctor before that gets worse. Let the rest of us handle getting our hotel rooms, you go find a hospital and get that checked."

Jean Pierre looked at it for a moment and snickered. "Hey, if you look at it from an angle, it almost looks like a face." As Joseph voiced his offense to the joke, Della noted that he wasn't kidding. Looking closer, she could make out the faint outline of eyes, a nose, and a curved, ghoulish mouth. It was as if whatever infected him was mocking him.

Mocking all of them.

The bus eventually came to a stop, and the group split from there. While Della, Noriaki, and the Joestar brothers went to order their rooms at The Clarks ("A gorgeous hotel," according to Joseph), Jean Pierre would be accompanying Joseph to a doctor to check out the infection. At the insistence of the Frenchman, Nena was convinced to join him. She still couldn't understand what he sees in her. This was a different country with different laws, after all.

At the hotel, the four quickly came to an agreement on how many rooms should be ordered. "Three," Jojo told the concierge before turning to the others. "I'm not letting that girl stay with us. I don't care what Abuelito or Jean Pierre says. This is a whole different situation than with Anne."

"I agree," Joutarou said with a nod. "That bitch has a family here, she can go back to them."

"So you're pissed off at her too," asked Della as Jojo paid for their rooms.

"Yeah. I'd rather deal with a bratty runaway than this snob."

"Do you think they'll try to argue about it," asked Noriaki.

"If they do, then Della's gonna kick her ass." The group grabbed their keys and belongings before heading off to their rooms. "You should have seen how angry she got when they suggested bringing her along for the ride rather than leave her to find her own way back. If it wasn't for Joaquín, she'd be a bloody pulp by now."

Della idly twirled the key in her fingers, not looking at any of them. "I can't help but feel angry. She was an accomplice, manipulated or not. To know that Mr. Avdol's attacker, a servant of the madman we swore to hunt down, has escaped thanks to her is just so… aggravating. She will pay. Somehow, I'll make sure she does."

Jojo simply put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a knowing smile. "It's okay. My abuelita always said that karma always finds and punishes those who deserve it. It'll take time, but she'll get what's coming to her. Now, let's put that out of our minds. Let's all get acquainted with those beds." The youths agreed and split off to their room when they reached the hall. Della and Jojo both entered their own and set their bags down right by their large bed.

As she sat down, she looked up at her boyfriend and asked him, "So, you think we really should tell Noriaki?"

"About Mohamed," he asked back as he stretched. "Absolutely. He's got the right to know. But… to be honest, I think we should stay quiet about it around Jean Pierre."

"Really?"

"I trust him and everything, but I won't lie when I say he's… Es un bocaza."

"Huh?"

"It means he talks too much." Jojo took a seat beside her, a hand running through his messy hair. "Sure, he can put up a fight, but he's the kind of guy who boasts. Imagine if he bumped into another one of those assassins and blabs about Mohamed. What if they escape? Dio will know exactly what's going on and send someone to wherever he is and just kill him. And we can't have that."

She nodded in agreement. "So we just keep him in the dark, then?"

"We're gonna have to," he answered, not at all comfortable with having to keep lying. "It's the only way we can keep Mohamed safe for now. We'll tell him when the time comes. For now, let's keep his survival to ourselves." He gave her a quick kiss, which she reciprocated, before standing to his feet. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't get too bored."

"I won't." And with one last kiss, Jojo left the room, leaving her to her thoughts. They didn't dwell upon Mohamed, but on the bizarre adventure she had been having thus far. It was an incredible journey, one where she got to visit foreign lands, meet intriguing (and often dangerous) people, and become witness to the most mind-blowing battles. All of this as she tagged along with the most peculiar group of men gifted with innate, spiritual powers.

Powers I'm certain I have as well.

The reminder of her still-dormant Stand brought to mind her new-found ability she shared with the Joestar men. The power of hamon, the power to utilize the sun's energy from within herself. Sure, it was just as jarring to know she had this ability, but that feeling was replaced with something more powerful. Something almost foreign to her. Confidence.

Before that day, when Della was stuck within the inescapable web of Maneater, she felt a great burden being in their group. She had been of little help, despite their incessant protests that she was the exact opposite. It filled her with guilt. But when she grabbed that web and freed them all, she realized there and then that she was no longer a burden. Her guilt washed away, and in its place lied confidence. The confidence to not shy away from a fight, but to plunge headlong into it.

The confidence to finally help her friends.

"I won't let you down," she said aloud in the emptiness of her room. "That's a promise."

But if she wanted to keep that promise better, she would have to hone her hamon. The concept seemed as simple as it was complex. And Della figured that if Jojo and Mr. Joestar could do it, then so can she. But before she can go and practice, she had to figure out where she can go to do it. It's gotta be somewhere outside with enough space for me to focus. Somewhere I can practice peacefully without having to worry about interruptions.

The only place she could think of was the Ganges, where she had seen those men training undisturbed in passing. It looked like the perfect place for her to become one with her power. But then again, that was farther than the hotel, and she wasn't up for making a long trip to and from. There was, however, a river that connected to the Ganges. She remembered seeing it on a map on the bus ride over. Perhaps she can get that peaceful experience there instead. Yeah... I'm pretty sure I can...

With her mind made up, Della stood up from her bed and wrote a quick note for Jojo before she left. He would understand where she went, and it wouldn't be long before he would go look for her. She knew he would probably try to teach her. Just the thought made her excited.

As she exited the hotel, she couldn't help but notice something peculiar on her way out. Standing tall and proud by the doors was a life-sized marble statue. It depicted a scene of a minotaur, a beast with the legs and head of a bovine, standing victorious upon an armored warrior. The statue looked very well-crafted, its beauty almost comparable to David. But as she marveled at its excellence, something in the back of her mind snapped her out of her trance.

This statue wasn't here before.

She had seen nobody on the way to the hotel prepare to put anything like this at the entrance. There were no signs of any work. And it certainly would not take as long as it did to order their rooms and settle in. It was far too out of the ordinary to brush off as normal. And with that though, only one thing came to mind: someone had sent a Stand. She would have touched the statue to prove it, but the last time she did that nearly killed her.

Just walk away, she thought as she turned around and did exactly that. Pretend like you're not suspicious and maybe, just maybe, it'll just be a normal statue.

It was as if someone heard her and decided to prove her wrong. Without looking behind her, she could hear the statue shaking, pieces of rock breaking off from it. Her steps slowly grew quicker, as did the rate of the shaking. All of a sudden, there was an explosion of stone and the heavy footfalls of hooves headed straight for her. She didn't need to look behind her to see what was chasing her. Della already knew, and she ran as fast as her boots could take her.

The river was out of the question now. She needed to lose the Stand chasing after her and find someone who could fight it. Hamon can only do so much, but without a Stand of her own, she was powerless. Jean Pierre or Mr. Joestar, she thought frantically as she ran down the street as fast as she could. I have to find them. They're the only ones that can help. Jojo and the others… They won't know I'm in trouble before it's too late.

"You can run all you like, Brown" cried out the minotaur in an unusually feminine voice. "But there's no escape from Far Away Eyes!"

"G-Get away from me," Della cried back as she made her way to the bazaar just south of the hotel. Jean Pierre and that bitch Nena must be somewhere here. I gotta lose this Stand before I find them. Which, given how labyrinthine these places were, would not be difficult.

As this co-called "Far Away Eyes" continued charging after her, Della ducked into a nearby alley. It wasn't long, so she was able to leave it as quickly as she had entered it and manage to hide behind several barrels of produce nearby. The Stand had followed her, its footsteps growing louder and heavier down the alley. She stood silent, praying that it wouldn't find her. When the footsteps came to a halt near her, she dared a quick peek from her hiding spot.

Standing near the barrels was indeed the minotaur, but it was no longer made of stone. Its skin was a deep blue and covered in some disturbing, bright red scars. The fur on its hinds was a deeper blue. Two marble-like horns curved out before it's angry, bovine face that turned wildly from side to side. Della held her breath, desperately hoping this Stand would just go away.

Come on… go… I'm gone… I've disappeared… You've lost me… Please…

And then, it spoke, again in that odd, female voice.

"I'm not blind, you know," said the Stand smugly. "I know exactly where you went. No, don't come out from those barrels. Not yet. I want to talk to you first."

Its voice, which was thick with some indiscernible accent, filled Della with panic. The Stand knew where she was, and the odds of her dying suddenly skyrocketed. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she rasped out a pitiful, "A-About what?"

"About how you have no hope here. You see, I know how everyone's mind works. They think that, just because they run to a populated area like this little bazaar, they can lose me. But the truth is, they can't. I'm already here. And once I've set my sights on a target, I will not stop chasing them. I'll always find them. There's no escape for you or Polnareff at all."

Without so much as a warning, the minotaur punched the ground with such power that she felt the shockwave pass her entire body. She didn't know why this Stand did it, but it was very unnerving. Especially since when it stood upright, its musculature grew and tightened before her eyes. The scars looked as if they ripped open, revealing sinewy muscle beneath. It might have been her, but it looked stronger than it did a moment before.

"I'd hate to kill such a pretty girl like yourself, but when you have a hefty price on your head, sparing you is out of the question. You can try to run, but… heh… I will find you… Ten… nine…"

She's counting down, she thought with more panic. I have to hurry! She scrambled to her feet and ran out into the street, weaving in and out of alleys in the futile hopes of getting away. Della had no chance against Stands on her own. But where would she go hide, knowing it would restlessly chase her? She felt hopeless.

"ONE!" And the trampling of hooves resumed, growing louder and frighteningly closer than before. Far Away Eyes knew exactly where it was going, it made Della panic even more. Was she truly doomed, as her attacker had taunted? Was there no place to hide from such a foe? She needed to keep her wits about her, otherwise, she would die. With a shake of her head to rid herself of her dread, she ran all throughout the streets as quickly as she could in search of help.

But as the minutes dragged on and the trampling ceased to end, Della was finding it hard to put her hopes on finding Jean Pierre. She had somehow managed to traverse through the same streets an untold number of times. Her legs and sides were on fire. And what made things worse was that even when she thought she had lost it, the Stand had managed to find her. A few times it had tried to gore and punch her, but she somehow managed to escape it each time.

The strangest thing about these encounters was how in certain parts of the town, its muscles were far bigger and more menacing than before while In others, they were deflated and feeble.. It was odd, but something in the back of her mind told her that these moments were when she could strike back (if she had a Stand, that is). It was a small comfort knowing it had some weakness, making it all the more important that she find her friend.

Even stranger was when at one point, she tried backtracking to where she entered town and encountered an invisible wall. There was no better explanation for it. She couldn't pass through, no matter how hard she pushed. She couldn't leave. And this wall seemed to encircle most of the town, trapping not only herself but several townspeople who stood confused and wondering how to leave. Far Away Eyes explained it for her at one point.

"Do you like my little barrier, Della," it jeered as the pursuit continued. "I put it up the moment you led me here with such false hopes. It encircles this entire city. None can enter or leave until I put it down." And it became all too clear what that one, random punch was. It didn't explain how its musculature kept changing, but it did show her that this user had planned to trap her here this entire time. Della almost felt ashamed that she even allowed that to happen.

After several more minutes of a tired chase, a miracle had occurred. At the end of an alleyway, in the middle of a somewhat busy street, was the silver-haired Frenchman Jean Pierre. And beside him was Nena. She could not have felt happier to have seen the two. I found him, she thought with relief. I'm finally saved!

Before she could open her mouth, she felt the minotaur slam her into the ground. In her moment of hope, her steps had faltered, leaving her her attacker to finally catch up. She felt foolish, but moreso if she stood silent. She tried calling out to Jean Pierre, but a blue, veiny hand muffled her voice. Nena seemed to register the odd noise and turn towards the alley. She can't see Stands. She'll think I just tripped on something. Quick! Make a signal! Some-

The girl didn't do anything of the sort. Nena's eyes had traveled upwards, stopping to stare out above the prone girl. Jean Pierre was about to turn to them curious as to what she was staring at, but the Indian girl had steered his attention to her, dragging him away from the two on the ground. And as it happened, it all suddenly clicked for Della.

Nena… She saw the Stand… She ignored me… And she's distracting Jean Pierre… She's… She's a Stand user… And she's working with Dio…

"Looks like Nena's doing a pretty good job at keeping lover-boy preoccupied," whispered Far Away Eyes, as if she read Della's thoughts. "She's such a sweet girl. She knew I'd lead you here and hunt you down, and she's kept her eye out for you, making sure that your buddy was far away from you. I ought to convince Dio to pay her double once she's done with Joseph."

Mr. Joestar's in trouble?! The words helplessly tumbled into the Stands hand. "Oh yeah, he is. Nena's the one who's got him all tied up. You noticed that funny-looking rash on his arm, right? That was her. Her blood infected him with her Stand, Empress." The ghoulish smile of the swelling on her boyfriend's grandfather's arm flashed in her mind. "He's here, too. And like Nena, I've been steering you away from him. He has enough to worry about without you bugging him."

It was all planned, both Nena's deception and the chase into town. She and Mr. Joestar had been led away from any help into an inescapable trap. And the only one that could help was cluelessly being manipulated. Mr. Joestar could probably luck himself out of his situation, but Della… had no such luck. No Stand, no fighting experience, and no chance of using her hamon. The confidence she felt earlier was gone. Her former helplessness had returned. And it made her cry.

It's not fair, she thought through her bitter tears. Even when I think I have a chance, I'm still a burden. Nothing's changed. And now I'm paying for it. I shouldn't have come to this town… I shouldn't have come on this trip… Jojo… Oh god, you were right… I'm sorry I've been holding you all back… I'm… I'm so fucking useless..!

She could hear Far Away Eyes positioning its horns over her back. Memories of her life flashed before her. Her entire childhood, her trauma, the friendships she shared, her meeting with Jojo, the adventure they embarked on, the battles…

And it was when her mind thought about the battles she had witnessed and been a part of that she remembered her encounter with Forever the orangutan. It was the first time she had stood up to fight. She felt defiant bravery at that moment, the will to fight and protect those around her. She had unconsciously promised herself afterwards that she would not back down, Stand or no Stand. Remembering this one, nearly forgotten moment lit up a spark within her.

No… This won't be where it all ends... Not here… Not this far from Egypt… My friends… Jojo… I have to… I have to fight for them… Determination swelled within her heart once again. The will to fight burned all throughout her, her body trembling beneath her attacker.

"W-What the," muttered Far Away Eyes as it moved off her.

"I won't back down," Della growled as she slowly got to her feet, still shaking as she did. Something else was welling up inside of her. She could feel it growing like a bubble. What was it? "I won't back down… Not now… nor ever… I promised myself that I would no longer be a burden to my friends… That I would help them… And I'm not going back on my word... Not for some bull-headed bitch like you…"

The Stand laughed at her boast. "Oh, really? And how do you expect to keep going on if you don't even have a Stand of your own? You have nothing that can save you or your friends!"

"Yes, I do… I have my love for my friends… And that's exactly what I'm going to use to break you!" The bubble-like feeling within her grew to its very limit, then burst from all throughout her body and reformed into something physical. Appearing before her was what could only be described as a fairy. Pink and thin, adorned in a magenta two-piece bikini, helmet, pauldrons, and armored limbs. The pale crest on her helmet that framed her noseless face formed into two long antennae.

This is it, she thought in awe. This is my Stand…

Her attacker's pale eyes were wide with shock, staring back into the large, black, bug-like eyes of her Stand. She took a step back and bellowed, "W-WHAT IS THAT THING," with a hint of worry in its voice.

"You know what this is... And you know how this will end." The fairy-like Stand nodded and clenched her fists. On her knuckles were what looked like pale bushings that matched the small holes on the plates on her arms, legs, and abdominal area. Blowing out from these holes were large bubbles that coating her hands. None popped or blew off. She threw a single punch at Far Away Eye's chest, popping one of the bubbles with a powerful impact and making it stagger in pain.

After the experimental punch, her Stand decided to let loose a barrage of rapid-fire punches that would make her boyfriend proud. The alley filled with the loud explosion of bubbles and a shouting stream of "AMORAMORAMOR!" The skin on the minotaur broke apart with each blow like stone, exposing it crimson muscles beneath. When she landed the final blow, a bubble-coated uppercut, she sent it flying down the alley onto its back.

With some distance between herself and the Stand, Della took a moment to look back at her own. She was both awed and elated that she had finally awakened it. And she was so beautiful, even if she was wearing a bikini. Just looking at her and what she did allowed her to get an idea of what her powers could be. The holes on her body could form bubbles, perhaps like the ones from her knuckles. But how they could be used, she would have to test that out.

Which might end up being sooner than later, as the shaking minotaur got back to its feet. There were large chunks of muscle exposed along her abs, arms, and half its face, making it look almost like a zombie. And it looked as angry as it was frightened.

"Y-Your Stand," is growled as if things were not going its way. Which was true. "It's got s-some strength to it… And my body… it feels hot… Why does it feel so hot?! What did you hit me with?!"

"If I had to guess…" Della took a moment to focus her hamon. To some minor surprise, her Stand did the same and was surrounded in the bright sparks. "Yep. I think I unconsciously infused those bubbles with hamon. Kinda hard to tell since I was more focused on whipping your butt."

Far Away Eyes' own eye twitched in annoyance. It then huffed through its nose and pointed accusingly at her. "You got lucky… That's all it was, luck! You're still a fledgling! You can't fight properly! Just looking at you, I can tell you have no experience in fights whatsoever! Even Dio said so when he sent me here! It's why I chose to come after you!"

"Well, its proved to be a mistake, hasn't it? You underestimated my weakness. Just like the minotaur of legend. I'm pretty sure you know about it, right?" The Stand shook even more where it stood as Della and her own slowly began approaching. "A warrior named Theseus enters the supposedly inescapable labyrinth and slays the raging minotaur trapped inside. And I'm pretty sure, as you have just now, he underestimated him."

"S-So what?! You think you're Theseus now, just because I'm on the ropes?! You're nothing! You're weak! He was weak! Theseus only killed him because he caught it completely off-guard! He got lucky!"

"And he did not back down, even when there were plenty of opportunities to. I mean, he entered the den of a man-eating beast. Anyone else would have ran. Even I would have, just like I did earlier. But not anymore. I will never run now. Not against you or anyone else Dio throws at me. You might think I'm weak, but in reality, it's you that's weak. Look at you. You're shaking."

"You filthy, fucking hypocrite!" They were now nose to nose. Any fear Della had seemed to have transferred over to her attacker, and it felt satisfying to know that she did this. "G-Get away from me!"

"No. Not until I kick your ass. And here's the thing." She threw it the most menacing smile she could. "I will not stop chasing you. I'll find you. There's no escape for you at all"

With its words twisted and thrown back, the Stand roared and pushed past her, running with its tail literally tucked between its legs. It was funny to see it run away in cowardice, but she couldn't let it go knowing she could come back and hunt them when their backs were turned. So Della ran again, this time after the Stand rather than away from it. And it seemed easier than the other way around. It wasn't taking any shortcuts. Perhaps it was that scared that it couldn't think straight.

Along the way, she ended up seeing Jean Pierre and Nena discussing something mundane. Far Away Eyes ran past them, leaving them both in bewilderment. When the Frenchman turned to see what she was running from, his eyes widened when he saw Della and her Stand. "D-Della! And- Is that your Stand?! What's going-"

"Stand attack," she puffed out. "I'll explain it later!" And as she passed, she took a brief moment to do what she had been waiting to do since they left Calcutta. Her fist, not her Stand's, slammed straight into Nena's jaw and knocked her off her feet. Jean Pierre was left behind in speechless shock at what she did, but it didn't matter. She felt satisfied, more so now that she knew her secret.

The minotaur was slowly starting to deflate before her eyes, the scars slowly becoming almost invisible to her eyes. But the patches of missing skin did not fix themselves. And it didn't stop there. It was also becoming skinny, as if it was running its weight off. It looked far weaker than she had ever seen it. And as she continued chasing it, she came to yet another realization.

Far Away Eyes has been at its strongest around the edge of town. And the weakest I've seen it was closer to the middle of town. That field it set up wasn't only to trap us in, but to help amplify its power the further away it was from the middle of where it activates it. It sounds like the opposite of most Stands, were they get weaker if they go out too far. So… maybe… it's headed back to its user! The user has been here this entire time!

It didn't take long for the Stand to lead her to a rather sizable building. Perhaps an apartment. It continued to run even when they were inside, now escaping on several flights of stairs. She followed after it, keeping her Stand close by for safe measure. It looked as if it was heading to the top level, which brought to mind that this user might have been watching over Della from some vantage point like a hawk would its prey.

They both eventually reached the top, the minotaur hurriedly climbing a set of ladders propped against a large hole in the ceiling. When she did the same, Della came out onto the roof, just in time to see her attacker disappear into its user. She was a rather voluptuous woman with one of her bright brown eyes shut and bleeding, her black air tied in pigtails turned upwards like horns and a tight, white outfit that exposed most of her stomach and ample breasts.

What skin she showed was covered in patches of bloody, exposed muscle.

"You shouldn't have gotten a Stand," she spat in the same, thick voice as her Stand. "We were confident that we could snuff you out before it happened… Why the hell do you have to be a Stand user..?"

"I kept asking myself that since I found out I could see them," responded Della as she approached the Stand user. "But now, I think I know why I have it. Because I was destined to fight alongside my friends, who I love so much. I told you, I made a promise. Both my Stand and I are going to fight for them, and for the future. And we're doing it with all our love."

"To hell with you and your love! You're still a weak little chicken-shit!" She and her Stand, now back at a normal size, made one last charge at her.

"Do you think you can still fight me in your current condition," asked Della, now stopping a few feet away from her now. "Because if you do, then you're as blind and reckless as a pissed-off bull in a china shop."

Her Stand's fists, coated in bubbles again, began punching her foe down as fast she could. She shouted "AMORAMORAMOR!" with almost every second she wailed on her bloody body. When Della thought she had enough, she threw one last punch at her jaw with a resounding cry of, "AMORE!" The woman was sent screaming and flying a few feet off the building to her possible demise. Her survival didn't matter to her at the moment.

What did, however, was that she had not only survived her first, personal battle, but won it as well. Her Stand's appearance was nothing short of a miracle. Had it not shown up when it did, then she wouldn't be standing where she was. She, like the legendary Theseus before her, was a very lucky girl. Della's confidence and love gave her today's victory, and the triumph of overcoming the inescapable odds was one she was very proud of.

And she knew that when she returned to her beloved Jojo, he would express his own in her.

"I know he'll be proud," she said with a glowing smile on her face. "And so will the others… And so will my parents, both adoptive and birth... They'll all be proud of the love I have that would go on to fight and protect for them till the day I die. All my love."

All My Love… It's a beautiful name.

~MELANIA: RETIRED~

~NENA (1940-1988): RIP~

~THE INDIAN GIRL NENA POSSESSED (1972-1988): RIP~

STAND TIME

STAND USER: Melania (メラニア)

STAND: Far Away Eyes (遠くの目)

POWER: C (NORMAL)-VARIES (WITHIN ITS FIELD), SPEED: C, RANGE: A, DURABILITY: C (NORMAL)-VARIES (WITHIN ITS FIELD), PRECISION: E, POTENTIAL: D

Far Away Eyes is a Stand based on the minotaur from the legendary Grecian tale. Its range is estimated to be about the size of Greece itself (more specifically the distance between the northernmost point by the Bulgarian border and the southernmost point of Crete). It will chase down whoever its target is until it kills them. Its user prefers to have a vantage point to find out where her targets are as an advantage. The Stand chases people into populated areas and creates an invisible, inescapable barrier of over 400 meters to trap them. It can only use this if the user is in the area. The further away it is from its user, the more powerful it becomes. However, if it gets too close, its strength will drop. This only applies within the field.

I don't know which town/bazaar Joseph fled to in Part 3. So I chose the closest one to The Clarks. It seemed fitting given how labyrinthine it looked, and I wanted to have Della trapped again for her first true fight. So, was the introduction to her Stand what you'd expect? Let me know what you all think. And please, if you find any errors, definitely let me know. I appreciate it.