Capitolo Secondo: Ambizione (28)

We were finally at our destination. The adventure was going to end here as we dealt with the last obstacle to a return back to normality.

With Santana keeping his word about our agreement, by keeping himself away from anything that could be sabotaged through the last lap and having someone track him wherever he was, the entire situation proceeded smoothly. We arrived at the train station with ease, but we also had another issue to face.

Get to Vins’ current position before she could run away and ruin the efforts put forth to stop her in this place. The trip had been long enough, everyone was tired and ready to put an end to all of this before it got any worse. She had no allies, no traps waiting for us as the Pillar Man confirmed that her castle of cards had crumbled with Valentine’s departure, leaving just him as the last ace card to use. It proved to be her fatal mistake as she was now on her own and with close to no means to defend herself against me. The last known location where she was meant to be, her base, was one of the old Spanish manors that had remained untouched. Relics of the time this city was held by the Spaniards and the Mexicans… with this one in particular being the source of rumors about it being a haunted place. A fitting setting for a vampire to settle her base of operation and enjoy anonymity. Most of the windows were barricaded with wooden planks, thus limiting the amount of sun rays entering inside the manor.

The entrance doors were opened with caution, each step we took inside that place could be fatal if the woman decided to make a last stand here. A hidden trap, or even a sudden ambush. There was an odd amount of quiet within the halls and the rooms all around, adding to the chilling feelings this place left on each of us. We were all guarded for any attack, but we found none as we walked upstairs through the main floor staircase, making our way towards the ‘office room’ where the woman was last seen by Santana. She was there, slouched on one of the two broken couches as she stared at the

“You are finally here. All of you… and the traitor.”

The Pillar Man remained quiet, either because he had nothing to say or he just didn’t care enough to put an effort into it. I used this chance to press the matter for good.

“It’s over, Vins. There is no running away now.”

“As if I intended to run. No, not anymore. I… I will not back down from this… demise of mine,” The robed woman hummed weakly as he stood up from her seat and gave us a tired glance. “I will die here, as Fate commanded.”

“Fate isn’t responsible for your own doings, that was made by your decisions and choices,” Derek argued, nods coming from the rest of the group.

“You picked this path for yourself. Everyone might be given a fate, but this isn’t always fixed. We are the makers of our destiny,” Kate added strongly, further aggravating the vampire.

“Not when… it becomes too difficult to think. The pain of loss, the despair of having failed to save the one bit of family I care for. It was atrocious. And I had a single name to blame, the source of Pucci’s own insanity,” Vins rebuked angrily. “Dio, it was always Dio. His ambitions, his madness, his desires, his disgusting plans for people. My life has always been devoted to right a wrong… a wrong that Dio committed.”

“And yet you decided to pin this to me, just because I bear his name,” I argued flatly. “I am not the one that took your son away from you, Vins Bluemarine.”

…

“I wish you were him. That monster… If only you could have been him, then… then Fate would have given me the chance to-”

“Fate isn’t a force that dictates that good people win all the time,” I shot back. “It gives one the push, but not the outright way to victory. Many have died with that thought in mind, some of which were so dependent on that support that they failed to realize how shackles aren’t weapons or strength to use on others. They are signs of personal weakness as they fail to accept their own will to live happily and independently.”

“You took him from me-”

“It wasn’t him!” Bloody exclaimed angrily, gaining the vampire’s surprised look with that outburst. “You are always blaming him for this, but you are the one that is making no sense. Just because they have the same name, it doesn’t mean they are the same person. Judge Dio by his actions, not by someone else’s!”

…

“It’s not that simple. It will never be that simple and… it’s done. I’m not going to listen to your spiel any longer,” Vins uttered as she slowly approached one of the windows and materialized ｢Hanoi Rocks｣.

I tended up at this sight, but what she did next was… unexpected. Her Stand broke the wooden planks, unleashing the day’s light onto the room and instantly tearing her apart. She didn’t say anything, not a single noise born from the pain that move had to have caused as she perished before the sunlight. Her charred remains burned up into fine dust, leaving just a confused and somber look on everyone. It was clear what the message was, and why she did this. She didn’t have anything to play for, and she didn’t have an ounce of soul within her to consider she might have been in the wrong.

Someone that died by their ideals, all because she was unwilling to ever consider those wrong and accepting that her sins weren’t pardoned before the righteousness she perceived by her ‘noble goal’.

But as only her robes remained, a single red light emerged from one of the pockets. I cautiously approached it, retrieving what confirmed the closure of this trip. The Stone of Aja, it was now in my possession and it gave me a few ideas on what to do with it. A nice souvenir to keep, but also proof that the journey was completed. Vins was dead, the chaos had finally subsided and what was left to do was to leave this place and think of the next step.

The adventure was over and… it was time for departures.

Kate and Zephy would have to go first, with both having to take a ship to get back to Japan without any issues. It was quite uneasy to part ways, but I managed to convince everyone for one last thing done together. We took pictures thanks to a professional photographer passing by. We had a full group one for each member to keep. It was nice and… kind of depressing when it came to the final goodbyes. Kate took turns into tightly hugging each of us, and she stubbornly clung at us until the very end as the ship had to sail. It was a tense moment, and one that I couldn’t help but remember each time I spared a look at the picture I now had. But I couldn’t stop here, not when there was much more left to do.

It was now time for the rest before going back home to London.

--------d-d-d-d---------

After saying our goodbyes with Kate and Zephy, the two boarding the first ship sailing for Tokyo, the return trip proved to be as saddening as with these two. Robert was to be left behind because he wanted to keep things running here in the US as the branch of Made in Heaven had to be developed by a trusted man while he also make sure his situation with Daisy was developed, Derek was left close to his hometown so he could get back to his family, while Bloody was brought to New York back to his home. There was an intense moment between him and this dimension’s Funny Valentine, but there was something in Bloody that made him able to not only greet his grandfather with confidence, but also announce his dream.

“I will become the President of this noble and free country, Grandfather.”

That left a surprisingly wide smile on the elderly Valentine, who took no issue in allowing me and Bhediya to hug the boy before leaving for our last stop. Boston. Where everything started… and we were back there after a month and a half of moving around the US. I felt the burden of the journey finally set on my back, the call for home growing stronger as we spent one last day checking how the Boston Headquarters had developed. The large building owned by Made in Heaven had been filled with workers, machines, products, and clients. Things were going smooth for the company and it was going to get even better as other bases would soon spread all over the nation. With the situation stable and growing for the better, I decided it was about time we got back home after this tiring stay here in the US.

The noise of a ship ready to sail pulled me out of my thoughts, a small grimace forming on my lips as I knew what it meant. Bhediya, Santana, and I moved through the small gate that allowed us inside the ship’s outdoor section, wasting no time to enter inside and make our way to our cabins. It took a while to convince Santana to wear some proper clothes, the Pillar Man lamenting he saw no reason to do so beyond my orders. His powerful posture did gain some attention from people during our return trip, but not enough to cause any trouble. And now, I was going to bring him back home as an extra ‘souvenir’ in a way.

He looked good as a bodyguard, plus it would be an exceptional henchman when a situation called for one.

“I suppose it’s time for us to say goodbye to the US.”

Bhediya nodded slowly. “To think that… this would feel so sad. Do not see them anymore.”

“For a time,” I argued, correcting him about that last bit. “We will visit from time to time.”

“Even Kate? Do you understand that she is the furthest from us now?”

“With time and effort, every trip can be made, Bhediya,” I remarked with a smile. “I will find a way. Maybe even introduce her to Hannah and the others.”

“I could already see Sarah’s face if they end up meeting each other. I bet they would fit well as good friends,” The young man agreed jovially. “But still. What do you plan to do now? With Hannah, I mean.”

I paused, actually stopping in my tracks as I glanced at the werewolf. He halted too, giving me a fascinated look.

“I have a gem, I should be able to get a ring made in the first few hours we’re back.”

Bhediya spared a quick look at the Stone of Aja as I revealed it, and he shook his head at my plan.

“Always working to the last minute. Still, she will appreciate it.”

“She will.”

“You wish to use the Stone of Aya as a gem for a ring?” Santana quipped with some interest. “You wish to bestow it to your mate.”

“Future ‘mate’, but yes.”

He nodded slowly. “I see that you are a being that values love highly.”

“I do.”

The Pillar Man sounded merely surprised, but still neutral about it. The brief silence that ensued gave Bhediya the chance to get back into the conversation with a curious question.

“And the honeymoon?”

I groaned before eyeing him suspiciously. “What’s this? An attempt to pass my plans to Hannah now?”

The young man raised his palms defensively at that fake accusation. “J-Just trying to get a grasp on your mind about it. It’s not like you have made it clear if you plan to spend it at home or out of the country.”

It was a fair question, but… also something I had struggled about. If the ring dilemma had been quite difficult, this one was troubled by the fact I was stuck between staying in London or… going back ‘home’. My previous life’s home. To see how it was now. If the things I have seen or heard of that place were there for me to visit once more. Maybe it was nostalgia and romanticism inducing me to lean into it, but I didn’t want to put too much into her.

…

Maybe, she would love it. It was such a beautiful place after all. So, I decided that perhaps it wouldn’t hurt being a bit original in that case.

“Italy.”

Bhediya blinked, then frowned. “Italy? You plan to take her there?”

“Goethe visited Sicily and he described it as a sight to behold. It's a warm, pleasant place away from any unwanted attention as we enjoy the honeymoon there. A small piece of heaven before we start our life as a married couple,” I explained calmly. “I know she will like it. I have studied so much of it and… I don’t want to disappoint her.”

“She’ll love it. In fact, from what Erina and Sarah told me, she thought you were going to take in places like Paris or any major French cities. You know, the ‘Country of Love’ or something for many women.”

“And?” I was confused by that comment.

“And she wouldn’t have been happy if that had been the case. Italy is perhaps the furthest of her expectations, but she will be pleasantly stunned by this decision.”

I chuckled. “Glad to know that.”

At least I could now enjoy the trip without panicking over this very idea. I had so few options beyond that and home, so it felt like a blessing that I wouldn’t have to struggle about it for too long. The trip back home was pleasant and I managed to build up that bravery needed for that last step before the altar.

I wasn’t planning to disappoint, but please my dear lady to a fine, if not the finest marriage she could have imagined.