We now move into the next story, Battle Tendency. And with a new Jojo comes a new MLP partner. This is gonna get fun. Disclaimer: I don't own Jojo's Bizarre Adventure or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

Battle Tendency Chapter 1: The Big Apple

The year was now 1938. Speedwagon, now in his seventies and looking just as old in spite of his still fit build, found himself a successful businessman in that time, he and Twilight having stumbled upon a natural oil well in Texas. After that, none questioned their marriage. Interestingly, their son and later granddaughter also developed Stands like Twilight. Using their combined wealth, the married coupled created the Speedwagon Foundation, an organization dedicated to philanthropic research into medicine and environmental conservation. In addition, its primary goal was researching supernatural phenomenon, such as the stone mask and the arrow.

Now Speedwagon met with another old friend, Straizo, who was still teaching Hamon after Tonpetty's passing. The task of succeeding Tonpetty went to Dire, but Straizo was not complaining. "Speedwagon," Straizo said, "It's been years." Speedwagon chuckled. "And yet your face is still so familiar, though your hair has grayed. Then again, Hamon is life energy. Twilight and Jonathan have also only shown marginal signs of aging. I must admit I'm envious. Well, shall we get going?" The two of them boarded the plane.

"I understand Jonathan lost his son during the Great War," Straizo said. "It was heartbreaking for him and Erina," Speedwagon replied with a nod, "His young grandson Joseph barely got to know his father. They had even named the young man for the grandfather he'd never know. Well, he'll have time to know him now. However, there's more to George II's death than just the war. It's possible... Dio may have survived." Straizo gasped. "Don't you worry," Speedwagon said, "By the time Dio becomes a threat again we'll have long passed on. But the reason I believe he may have survived in spite of Jonathan's actions... Is because George's body was missing, but his head was found."

He closed his eyes. "However, there may be a more pressing threat than Dio at our doorstep." The plane soon arrived at one of the Mexican pyramids, where a team of excavators hired by the Speedwagon Foundation was investigating. Speedwagon led Straizo inside. "This is what we found," he said, pointing to a mummified corpse, that appeared to be a vampire. And in the engravings on the slab the mummy was on, was a carving of the stone mask.

Meanwhile in New York, a southern woman by the name of Jackie Applaine was walking through the city. She was an interesting girl, just under twenty years of age but already with a very adult body with a slight muscle build beneath her curves. She whistled at the tall buildings. "I came here to see the big city sights while my family was busy talking business, but now I'm feeling a mite overwhelmed." Jackie's family ran an orchard in Georgia, but had made plans to expand further north. With how prosperous New York was due to the immigration rush, it seemed the best place to start.

And Jackie loved apples. She loved apples to the point where she could get drunk off the juice if she ate too many. Because of that, everyone who knew her called her "Applejack", after the alcoholic drink of the same name. Feeling thirsty, she spotted a drink stand, where another, rather tall man was buying some cola. Just then, a black kid rushed in and swiped the man's wallet as he was paying. "Hey!," the vendor said, "That kid just nabbed your wallet! Aren't you gonna go after him!?"

"No hurry," the man said in a distinct British accent, "He won't be going more than a few blocks to count his spoils." "You might want to hurry more than you think," Applejack said, catching the man's attention, "The cops around here don't like folks that aren't of their race." The man titled the brim of his hat up. "Well, we can't have that, now can we?" Sure enough, they found the kid in a nearby alley getting harassed by two officers, who were demanding cash in exchange for his freedom.

"Excuse me, officers," the man said. The larger of the cops looked at him. "Oh, don't worry about a thing, buster. We've got this handled. But I'll have to hang onto your wallet for evidence." The man took off his hat and sighed. "You seem to be under a misconception. There was no crime here. That wallet was gift from me. Given that fact, I'd say you'd best let the boy go." The boy looked surprised at the man's offer. The cop didn't seem to buy the man's story. "And why would you give a stranger your wallet?" The man shrugged. "He happens to be a friend of mine, that's all."

The cop laughed. "A friend, huh? You happen to know your friend's name?" "It was Smokey, wasn't it?," Applejack pointed out. She and the man had heard the cops calling the boy that as they came over. The cop hesitated, but then decided to play it off. "Oh please, like you really know. Maybe you two lovebirds wanna go down to the big house as well." He dug through his nose and placed the booger on the man's cheek, causing Applejack to groan in disgust.

"Pardon me," the man said, clearly irritated, "But why would you go and do something like that? I'm a little confused." The cop chortled. "There is no reason! I just feel like doing that! I have the authority to do what I please!" Applejack growled. "You yanks should take your badges more serious like. To The Core!" No one could see it, but Applejack suddenly glowed orange. Behind her, unseen, emerged a humanoid figure with orange-yellow skin and eyes that matched Applejack's. The hair was also similar, and it was dressed more like a cowgirl than Applejack's casual dress.

Applejack felt power course through her body as her cells hardened together, and she punched the fat cop hard while his finger was still up his nose, causing it to go right through his nostril. "That's some strength," the man noted. The other cop quickly pulled a gun on the duo. "You were shot resisting arrest." "Try it if you want," the man said, "But before you pull that trigger, I'll snap your finger like a matchstick!" "Not from over there you won't!," the cop declared as he pulled back the safety.

Just then, the man pointed his cola bottle at the cop, and Applejack and the boy looked on in shock as golden energy crackled through it, causing the cap to pop off and shoot straight into the cop's finger like it was a bullet, easily breaking it from the velocity. The man downed the cola as the two cops screamed in pain from the attacks. The man then freaked out. "Oh crap, I lost control of my emotions again! My grandparents won't be happy about this!"

He led Applejack and the kid away from the scene and over to an overhead railway. "That was amazing you two," the kid said. "We never did catch your name," Applejack said to him, "I mean, assuming it wasn't actually Smokey." "Actually it is," Smokey said, "Smokey Brown. And... I appreciate you lying to those pigs for my sake." "I thought I'd take a page from my great-grandfather's book," the man explained, "Unfortunately the cops here are rude and corrupt compared to the boys at Scotland Yard, at least back in the 1880s."

Smokey nodded. "So, what are your names?" "I'm Jackie Applaine," Applejack replied, "But my friends call me Applejack." The man chuckled. "What an odd nickname." "It's because I have a habit of getting drunk from eating too many apples," Applejack explained. The man shrugged. "Well, it's not the first time I've heard such a nickname. My great-aunt Lydia Speedwagon, for example. Her maiden name is Twilight, and because of her natural hair color everyone calls her Twilight Sparkle. Oh, that reminds me. My name is Joseph Joestar."

"And what about those strange powers of yours?," Smokey asked, "Applejack, you punched that cop so hard, and yet your knuckles aren't even bloody." "Reminds me of Aunt Twilight's power," Joseph noted, "She called it a Stand." Applejack looked surprised. "She has one too? I've had my Stand ever since I was born. It's called To The Core, and it increases my body's tensile strength while also removing pain. Flesh, bone, even organs become nearly unbreakable, allowing me to pull off superhuman feats. I can still feel sensations while my Stand is active, it just doesn't hurt. So what about your powers? Smokey could see it too, so I doubt that was a Stand ability."

"That was Hamon power," Joseph explained, "I've been able to use it since I was a child. My grandfather, Jonathan Joestar, taught me how to harness it. Interestingly, my father was never able to use it. Guess it's not something that just runs in the family." He then looked sad. "What's up?," Applejack asked. "Ah... It's a bit painful," Joseph admitted, "But my father died during the Great War. My mother disappeared shortly after avenging him, since the one who killed him was a prominent officer in the RAF. Of course, his fellows didn't know he was a zombie. She went off the radar with the help of Uncle Speedwagon's organization. I never even got the chance to get to know her. I've been raised by my grandparents ever since."

Meanwhile back in Mexico, Speedwagon brought Straizo to the back of the tomb. "We believe somewhere in these ruins is the source of the civilization that first created the stone mask," he explained, "Only those who are part of our circle know its secret. It's something the world at large can never be made aware of." "You're looking terrified, Speedwagon," Straizo noted, "Not even Dio made you shiver like this." Speedwagon nodded. "What we're about to see, may be a monster that would literally eat Dio for breakfast. But hopefully, it will be just as vulnerable to Hamon."

"Then why isn't your wife, or Jonathan here?," Straizo asked. "For the worst case scenario," Speedwagon admitted, "Should something happen to us, my men have instructions to send word to New York, where the Joestars are expecting to meet me." He led the group down a secret corridor, which Straizo noted looked disturbingly like a human ribcage. Along the walls were pictures of horned humans being destroyed by the sun. "What is this place?" He then spotted a large column at the end of corridor and gasped. Embedded in the pillar was a large humanoid with horns. And something else dotted the pillar around him.

"More stone masks!," he realized, "Then the one Dio had wasn't the only one!" "So it would seem," Speedwagon said sadly, "As for the man, he's an enigma. Those horns growing out of his head, we've theorized that those are sensors." Straizo looked at Speedwagon, confused. Speedwagon simply closed his eyes. "That is no carving in the pillar, but a living being embedded in it. Our studies have determined that he has amino acids, cells, body temperature, a pulse. Straizo, that thing is alive! And from what we've determined, he's a threat that could put even Dio to shame should he ever wake up."

He turned to Straizo. "That's were you come in. The pictures along the walls suggest this creature is vulnerable to sunlight in the same way a vampire is. So I'm betting that Hamon will be just as effective." "That reminds me," Straizo said, "How is young Joseph doing? You mentioned he can also use Hamon." "It was a surprise when I first learned it," Speedwagon noted, "Hijackers had kidnapped me hoping to get a ransom from Twilight. Of course, they planned on killing me and making my company go under afterward. Seems I made a few enemies while becoming a tycoon."

"It happens to the best of men," Straizo admitted, "But that was when Joseph showed off his Hamon, correct?" Speedwagon nodded. "One of the hijackers harassed him, trying to get him in a position where they could keep an eye on both of us. Unfortunately, the hijacker made the mistake of hitting Joseph with the butt of his gun, giving Joseph a nosebleed that dripped onto his jacket. That jacket was a gift from Erina, whom Joseph cherishes as a mother figure. That's when he channeled Hamon into the pilot, causing the plane to crash, though obviously the two of us and the pilot survived thanks to some quick thinking on Joseph's part."

He chuckled. "He may have Jonathan's face, but he's far from being a gentleman. Still, when Jonathan found out he took it upon himself to train the young man, much in the same way Zeppeli trained him." "So he's become strong," Straizo noted, "That's good. It'll make my goal easier." Speedwagon looked confused, until he saw his men suddenly die as blood exploded from them. "What? Straizo, what's gotten into you!?" "If I may share a secret," Straizo explained, "I fear the thought of growing old. Hamon gave me a chance to hold it at bay, but it can only go so far."

He grabbed one of the stone masks, before kicking Speedwagon in the head, causing it to split open a little. "When I beheld Dio," Straizo said, "I saw the chance I needed, to remain forever young. We all feared him, but I also saw something more. I saw his beauty, his majesty. I understood that it was not in the world's best interest that his plans come to fruition, hence why I helped defeat him. But I also wanted the same power as him. Now I have that power, thanks to the blood I've spilled this day."

Back in New York, Applejack had been introduced to Joseph's grandmother, Erina Joestar. Despite having aged normally, she looked as beautiful as she did fifty years ago. She took a liking to Smokey and Applejack immediately, and showed no prejudice towards Smokey, which he found refreshing. The group was on their way to meet Erina's husband and sister-in-law, Jonathan and Twilight, as well as an old family friend named Dire. Along the way, Joseph nearly got run over by a taxi and started berating the driver for it, but calmed down when Erina caught up.

The group then got in the taxi, Applejack in the front, Smokey, Erina, and Joseph in the back. "So this granddad of yours," Smokey said, "You said he can also do that special power?" "Yeah," Joseph said, "He first learned how to use it to fight against an enemy of the family. Granny only got the full story after the fact." "It was for my own safety," Erina assured Joseph, "Jonathan didn't want me involved. Speedwagon could handle himself, despite not having special powers, so he was another story."

"That reminds me," Joseph said, "We should have met up with Uncle Speedwagon by now. Is he on holiday somewhere?" "You know how busy he and Twilight are with their oil industry," Erina reminded him, "It's fortunate we were able to meet up with Twilight alone." Applejack looked surprised. "Are you two really talking about the famous Robert EO Speedwagon? The Oil Baron from Britain as the papers call him?" "That's the man," Joseph said, "He's connected to our family through Aunt Twilight, who was adopted into the family after the death of her birth father. So Applejack, what brings you to New York?"

"My family came up here from Georgia to expand their orchard business," Applejack explained. Smokey looked surprised. "You're from Georgia too? My family moved up here to get away from all the prejudice toward African Americans. But as it turns out, we didn't get far enough away. That's why I had to resort to stealing off the streets." "I'm so sorry to hear that," Erina said, "Perhaps when we meet with our family, we can work on helping yours. I'm sure Jonathan won't say no to someone in need." Smokey smiled tentatively. "Maybe..."

At a local restaurant, a bit of trouble came as the Joestar's and their friends, both new and old, sat down for dinner. Twilight looked a little older, but only barely as a few wrinkle lines could be seen on her hands and near her eyes. Jonathan was only marginally older as well, his hair having gone gray with a few wrinkles near his eyes. "Hey waiter!," called out an obnoxious customer that was clearly connected to the Mafia, "What's this animal doing eating here? Who let it in?" Applejack looked around confused, and from the looks of her new friends she wasn't the only one. The only exception was Smokey, who looked downtrodden. Applejack quickly growled when she realized what the mobster was talking about.

"That pig's smell is making my food taste bad!," the mobster said, "Get him out of here!" "Hey!," Applejack called out, "I don't see any animals around here but the ones cooked on our plates! And if you are implying Smokey is an animal, I'll have you know we took the time to make sure he got a good shower before coming here!" The mobster growled as his boss chuckled. The waiter cleared his throat. "And may I say that the restaurant's owner operates under the policy that anyone is welcome here as long as they pay."

The mobster snarled, then threw his wine glass at Smokey. He got a big surprise as the worst Smokey got was splashed with wine, while the mobster's hand wound up bruised. Jonathan spotted Twilight smirking and couldn't help but chuckle. Applejack, meanwhile, was in awe at the appearance of Twilight's Stand, Love is in Bloom. Joseph stood up to confront the mobster. "Jojo," Erina said, "I'll not stop you from teaching this ruffian a lesson, but please try not to disturb the other guests."

"Jojo?," Applejack asked. "A nickname Jonathan used to have," Twilight explained, "It's been passed down to his grandson." Applejack shrugged. "Well, if we're defending the honor of our friends, then let me in on that rodeo." The mobster cackled as he got up as well. "So you two wanna tussle, huh?" He reached into his suit pocket. Joseph smirked. "If you're looking for your brass knuckles, you won't find them in your suit pocket. Try your back pocket instead."

The mobster looked shocked when he realized Joseph was right, then quickly dug into his pants' pocket to find what he was looking for, which was indeed the brass knuckles he always carried. Joseph smiled. "Your next line is, 'You bastard, how did you know about my brass knuckles...?'" "You bastard, how did you know about my brass knuckles...?," the mobster parroted, word for word as Joseph predicted. This revelation caused him to gasp. "How did you know he carried brass knuckles?," Applejack asked.

"It's simple," Joseph explained, "There are deep abrasions on the knuckles of his right hand, indicating he does all his fighting with brass knuckles. I also noted that there's blood on his shirt, but he has no injuries, so that blood clearly belongs to someone else, someone he had been in a fight with. But there's no blood on his jacket, so he had to have taken it off when he fought. Then when he was done, he wound up slipping the brass knuckles into his back pocket, since he wasn't wearing the jacket when he finished."

Jonathan laughed. "Joseph is quite skilled at analyzing his opponent, and is adept at cold reading. That plus an auditory trick is how he accurately predicted the mobster's reaction." Joseph smirked as the mobster growled and slipped on the brass knuckles. "Your next line is, 'So what, you little shit!'" "So what, you little shit!," the mobster growled, moving to punch Joseph. Instead, Applejack moved in between them. "To The Core!" Twilight got a good look at Applejack's Stand as it appeared, letting Applejack easily take the blow to the face.

The brass knuckles worked against the mobster, giving him the sensation of punching a steel wall with spikes embedded in it. "All right," the capo said, "That's enough outta you, Mahoney. Jeez, why do I even keep you around?" He walked toward the group. "I apologize for my associate's behavior. I'm an acquaintance of Mister Speedwagon. You would be the Joestar family, correct? I've heard an unfortunate rumor from the underground that someone has just murdered Mister Speedwagon."

He suddenly found himself grabbed by the collar by Twilight, who looked to be on the verge of tears. "You had better be lying! That's my husband you speak of!" "I told you," the man said, "It's only a rumor. I don't know the full details. For all I know it could be a bunch of hogwash. But what I do know is... If it is true, then the man behind it is someone by the name of Straizo." This got the group, especially Jonathan and Dire, gasping in shock. "Straizo...," Dire muttered, "But why...?"

And now some notes on Applejack's Stand.

To The Core (Apples to the Core, from "Pinkie Apple Pie")
User: Jackie "Applejack" Applaine
Ability: To The Core hardens Applejack's cellular structure together, increasing her body's tensile strength. In addition, her body's natural pain trigger is removed. The result allows her to perform superhuman feats of strength and speed, on par with the more supernatural creatures of the world, such as vampires. She can keep this up as long as necessary. While she cannot feel pain in this state, she can feel the sensation of getting attacked, allowing her to recognize a dangerous attack on her person. It is difficult to believe anything could damage her in this state, though it can happen if her durability is pushed too far. Should that happen, all the pain she would normally feel from those injuries will hit her at once when she deactivates her Stand, though it would be relative to the damage she actually took, which would be lessened by her Stand's power. In addition, the Stand itself can attack as a separate entity, giving Applejack greater options if encountering multiple enemies.
Power: A
Speed: A
Range: B
Durability: A
Precision: C
Potential: D

As you can see, while Twilight was designed for support, Applejack is all about pure offense. And it's offense she'll need going forward. Read and review.