[fourteen]

the emperor and the hanged man [part two]/the empress [part one]

There was a small, red-painted door at the end of a long alleyway; its colour was faded and chipped. The hinges creaked obscenely. Smooth stone steps led to a cool, airy bedroom in which Avdol rested, surrounded by a handful of Speedwagon doctors who hurriedly left so that I could speak alone with him and offer healing faster than even their machines could manage.

Jotaro waited outside, in the alleyway, smoking a cigarette.

Through the parted shutters of the bedroom window, I breathed its scent, wafting upward to reach us. Despite his injuries, Avdol was awake. I approached his bed, anxiously knotting my fingers. There was a bandage around his forehead for the scrape Jotaro had told me about; a Stand-user named Hol Horse shot at Avdol, and it would have killed him if he had not reeled at the same time, causing the bullet to skim over his skin rather than burst through his skull. He had also been stabbed; a little gift from the partner of Hol Horse, Centerfold.

He was long dead. Polnareff had made sure of that.

But Hol Horse had gotten away.

"Juno," Avdol greeted gently. "How are you?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Between the two of us, I would wager your experience was far worse," he teased. "Seeing Dio. Even an illusion."

"The Big Dream. Pretty unusual Stand," I replied. "Whole hours passed. To me it was only a few minutes."

I sat on the edge of the bed.

I asked, "Can I heal you?"

"I would like that."

His hand was warm and dry.

It took very little to heal his stab-wound and even less for the mark on his forehead. I was reluctant to release his hand. It seemed to me that he sensed it, and allowed me that small comfort by not pulling away.

"Jotaro told me something else," I said. "He told me we're supposed to pretend you're dead. That you'll leave us for a while. Do some research into where Dio might be hiding and the Stand-users he's already sent."

"Please. Do not think I am abandoning you. I will not be gone long. This is simply an opportunity we cannot allow to pass us by."

"Opportunity?"

"Dio's followers will believe they have bested us, and consider this a boost to morale. They may even lower their guard, ever so slightly. Besides, there is something I need to do, and if the world thinks I am dead, it will be even easier to achieve it." Avdol smiled. "You need not worry. You have already learned a great deal, Juno."

"Yeah. Because of you."

"I'm afraid that's not quite true. I may have guided you. But you were the one to apply that knowledge. And you will continue to grow and develop. Do you know why?"

I eyed him doubtfully. "Why?"

"Because I am not your only teacher," Avdol said. "Nor the only one who cares for your well-being. If I'm not mistaken, Jotaro has been showing you how to defend yourself, too. Even more often than I have."

I let out a snort. "Yeah, well, if you ask me, I think he just likes showing off how good he is at throwing a punch."

"It is much more than that. He is not the type to express himself in words."

"Probably why we work so well. He never talks and I talk all the time."

"Speech is not his method of expressing himself. No," he said, briefly closing his eyes. "Jotaro shows his attachment to you in his actions."

"Attachment?"

There was a fan turning overhead. It was rusted and old, so that it ticked on each turn. Its chain wobbled.

"That evening, when you asked if you could join us on this journey and Jotaro expressed his disapproval," Avdol said. "Do you remember?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"Jotaro came to me after you had left. We stood on the bridge, over the koi pond. He asked if I really believed you could learn to protect yourself."

"Doesn't think I have the brains?" I huffed. "Yeah. Said as much, once."

Avdol studied me quietly.

Then he murmured, "When I said that I believed you could, he took out a cigarette and began to smoke. Like he's doing right now. I never quite understood the habit. I told him that it was only fair that I ask him a question in return, to which he agreed."

Amused, I prompted, "And what did you ask?"

"I asked him if the reason he had wanted you to remain in Japan was the result of what he had seen in the room, when you first saw Dio."

Embarrassment washed away any amusement. I released his hand, looking at the wall, my cheeks hot and sizzling.

The fan ticked and ticked.

Yet the room was still stuffy.

"Because I froze up," I mumbled. "Because I was afraid."

"And he could do nothing about it."

Avdol unwrapped the bandage from his forehead.

After all, there was no wound, anymore.

"That," Avdol continued, "is what unsettled Jotaro. That is what made him reluctant to accept you on this trip. You might be in danger at some point on this journey, and Jotaro may not be able to do anything about it. So, he is worried."

"Jotaro? Worried? You've met the guy, right?"

"For all his outward apathy, Jotaro is a Joestar. It is their blood which runs through his veins. And Joestars do not like inaction. They do not like standing aside while those they care about are in danger. Even for illusions and visions."

I shrugged. I could offer nothing better.

"If," Avdol said, "you still do not believe me, then tell me why Jotaro separated from the group to search for you?"

"Because you were crazy enough to look for Polnareff, which meant you weren't going to do it. And Kakyoin and Mr. Joestar were chasing after you. That left Jotaro."

He chuckled. "Well, no matter what you believe, Jotaro left the group and spent four hours walking the streets in his search for you. He was very concerned. Even if he did not admit it in so many words."

I reached out and lightly prodded his forehead. "Are you sure that bullet did no permanent damage? Did I miss something while I was healing you?"

Another chuckle.

I smiled wanly. "I'm not saying he doesn't care at all. He's just - Jotaro. You know?"

"I trust that he will continue to watch out for you in my absence," Avdol said. "In fact, I am certain."

"And what about Polnareff? Seems a little cruel to keep him in the dark."

"If he knew the truth, he would blurt it out."

"And you think I won't? I talk a whole lot more than him, if you haven't noticed."

Avdol smiled. "I noticed. Ultimately, I left that decision to Jotaro. Clearly, he thinks you can hold your tongue."

"Must be the heat around here. Messing with his head."

"There is so much you can hide with humour."

The mattress shifted beneath me as I moved, looking away from him again.

He sighed. "Tell me about this illusion, Juno."

Anxiety tightened my stomach. With each word, I felt my cheeks flame. It was like recounting a dark nightmare which, in the stark light of day, appeared foolish and meaningless.

But Avdol listened intently, a furrow to his brow.

Once I had finished, he settled back against his pillows and hummed thoughtfully.

"I am glad Jotaro found you when he did. That is quite a difficult experience," he said. "You understand that Dio is merely telling you what he believes will make you most receptive to his manipulation, don't you? A life among his acolytes would be torturous."

"I know. Except -..."

"What is it, Juno?"

I forced myself to look at him.

"I hate that I listened to him," I admitted. "I know it was an illusion. He wouldn't have heard what I said. But I hate that I didn't say anything at all. I stood there. Jotaro says I never stop talking. But when I face Dio, even an image of him, I can't seem to find the right words. And I -... I feel ashamed. Like I failed somehow."

"Kakyoin and Polnareff also listened to him," Avdol replied. "They share your shame. When they meet Dio in Egypt, they will make themselves heard. As will you."

The tips of my right shoe scuffed the ground as I turned to face him fully, tucking my left leg underneath me on the bed. Through the windows I could only see rooftops of other buildings, the tiles colourful and glaring bright even beneath a dimming sun.

Jotaro was probably still waiting in the alleyway below. He could not hear me.

Yet I spoke in a whisper, afraid that he might.

"I don't think what I can do makes me like Dio. I don't - I don't want to be like him."

"And you are not. You are human. Your heart beats like mine. When I tell you that you are smart and bright, your cheeks burn with the blood running through your veins," Avdol said kindly. "Like it does now."

There was a blush on my face. I had always blushed easily. It used to mortify me. In that bedroom, though, after what Dio had implied, I was proud of it. I wanted to blush more.

Because Dio had been bloodless and cold. His heart was nothing more than a stone knocking around his chest, bumping against a pair of unnecessary lungs.

Mine was alive, pumping, full of life.

"I'll miss you, Avdol," I said.

"And I'll miss you. But you must continue. You must not let Dio win. He must not be allowed to conquer your mind any more than this world. Put up a good fight, Juno."

"I have to." I grinned at him. "The Joestars aren't the only ones who hate standing aside while the ones they love suffer."

"Love? I believe that I said it was the ones they care for," Avdol said. "But if love is what you wish to evoke -..."

Now my entire face was beetroot, and I was forgetting what had made me like blushing so much. I quickly stood up from the bed.

"I gotta go," I mumbled. "Jotaro's waiting. And another thing about the Joestars is their impatience. So -..."

I hesitated.

Then I turned around and hugged him, tightly.

Avdol laughed heartily, scuffing up my hair like Polnareff often did.

I pulled away, smoothing it down again as I walked to the door, grumbling to myself.

"Stay safe, Juno," Avdol called to me.

"Right back at you, old man."

I had reached the door when next he spoke.

"Old man?"

I grabbed the handle and yanked open the door.

Even the tips of my ears burned.

"Like I said," I muttered. "Gotta go."

The loud thump of the fan turning overhead barely covered the sound of his laughter.

x

Jotaro had finished his second cigarette by the time I emerged from the house. He was pulling the third from his pocket when he saw me. He shoved it back down and headed for the mouth of the alleyway, where a swell of strangers passed. The noise of the street was muffled.

From one of the open windows overhead, the piercing wail of a baby echoed. A cat lounged on a balcony, tail flicking lazily between the railings. Jotaro glanced up at it. It returned his indifferent stare.

"We're taking a bus," he told me, turning away from the cat. "To Varanasi. We'll head out in a couple of hours."

"I hate buses. At least for long journeys. I always feel ill," I said. "Once I was on this bus that took four hours more than expected because of some detours. And the guy next to me was so rude, he kept -..."

Jotaro planted a hand on my shoulder and angled me toward the street. I was so absorbed in recounting this story to him, though, that I simply continued while he led us out of the alleyway, my hands waving, voice changing to take on the different characters involved; a low husky drawl for the bus-driver and a higher-pitched note for the elderly woman who had sat on the row opposite to mine.

I continued, "And I told her, 'listen, lady, my guess is as good as yours', to which she said -..."

"June," Jotaro interrupted me tiredly. "We're here."

I looked around to figure out where here was.

He had stopped us in front of a restaurant, its windows fringed in gaudy red curtains, its entrance dotted in golden statues. Inside, I spotted Mr. Joestar, Polnareff and Kakyoin; the older man was waving enthusiastically at us. I lost track of where I had been in the story, and scrapped it altogether.

A woman took the empty seat beside Kakyoin. She wore a sari; her features were delicate, lips full and pouting, pretty eyes ghosting over the other guests. She was incredibly beautiful.

Kakyoin politely handed her a menu.

"Who is that?" I asked.

"She tackled Polnareff to protect Hol Horse," Jotaro said. "The old man is too soft for his own good, so he agreed to let her come with us to Varanasi where her family live."

I studied her a few seconds more. "She looks sad."

"Can't blame her," Jotaro said, fixing his hat. "Looks like the old man has started telling her that story about the brawl he had in a bar in Brooklyn when he was seventeen. I'd be sad, too. That one never ends."

I snickered and knocked his shoulder with mine.

"Don't be an ass. That's your grandfather. Hey, do you want some dessert? We can share. What do you think? Ice-cream? Or some chocolate? It looks like they haven't even ordered, so we have plenty of time to think about it and -..."

For the first time ever, Jotaro clapped his hand over my mouth. I let out a muffled squeak in surprise, staring up at him. He stooped, leaning forward so our faces were close; my eyes were wide, my heart thumping at his proximity.

His hand was warm. His breath tickled my cheeks.

"There," Jotaro said. "That's better."

And that traitorous little part of me agreed.

x

Varanasi greeted us with its most beautiful sight: the Ganges, shimmering beneath rich sunlight. The buildings that bordered it were mostly an orange tone, but some had been painted bright, primary colours that stood out. The buildings also rose, as if stacked on top of one another, creating the most gorgeous cluster of contrasting colours and rooftops, adorned in tinkling lights.

Our limbs were tight and stiff from the bus-ride. We stretched on the sidewalk. I was excited by the sight of monkeys near the river, chewing nuts and chattering to one another excitedly. I hoped for a couple of photographs, and fiddled with the buttons of my camera.

Jotaro had been itching for another cigarette and sparked one as soon as he stepped off the bus. Polnareff, like a buzzard, followed the young woman who had joined us. Her name was Nena. She still appeared sad, and utterly disinterested in Polnareff.

He had not taken the hint. Knowing him, he never would.

"Juno?"

I glanced at Polnareff. He had sidled up to me, toying with one of his heart-shaped earrings.

"About what happened with Avdol," he said awkwardly. "Well, I know you were both close. I'm sorry."

I flashed a photograph of him. The sudden pop of light blinded him. He howled, clamping his hands over his eyes. He whined like a little child about his eyesight.

The Polaroid slipped cleanly out. I shook it.

"Forgiven," I said.

"Really?"

The photograph had made him appear paler than he was.

But it had also captured his remorse, shown in the anxious twist of his hand over his ear, his face slightly turned away from mine, shadowed only by shame.

"Yeah," I said, tucking it into my pocket. "I know Avdol would forgive you. So I do, too."

It helped that I was perfectly aware Avdol had forgiven him, and that I regretted lying to Polnareff. He startled me, wrapping me in a tight, bone-grinding hug. He hoisted me up, lifting me off my feet and swinging me lightly from side to side. I let out a choked sputter. My mouth was pressed into his shoulder; my words came out muffled.

"Down, Polnareff!"

"I think she would like you to let go of her," Kakyoin called.

Polnareff offered one last squeeze before he obliged. I looked at my camera first, checking he had not crushed it.

"Sorry," Polnareff said sheepishly. "I was sure you were going to give me the silent treatment."

Jotaro snorted. "I wish."

In an apparent rush, Mr. Joestar pushed between Jotaro and Polnareff, knocking them aside.

Jotaro steadied himself easily, glaring at his grandfather.

Polnareff rubbed his arm with another whine, asking, "What was that for?"

Mr. Joestar held his arm out to me.

"Can you heal this, Juno?"

An unpleasant, reddened lump marred his right arm.

I held his wrist. The lump steadily softened in colour, and melted in his skin like it had never appeared. There was a flash before my own eyes, as if someone had taken a photograph of me. But I saw only Nena in front of me.

Her eyes were narrowed. I shook my head, blinking quickly.

Now she stood a few feet away, turning her back.

"You did it! That thing has been bothering me for hours," Mr. Joestar cried out. "Thank you!"

And his arms wrapped around me, lifting me high. I choked for a second time. It turned out Mr. Joestar could hug even more tightly than Polnareff. I was swung from left to right.

"Can you put me down now, please, Mr. Joestar?"

"Huh? Oh! Of course!"

He dropped me. My ankles rattled.

"No more hugs," I said weakly. "Please."

Behind Mr. Joestar, Jotaro smirked and Kakyoin hid a smile behind his hand.

x

Varanasi had even more markets. I darted from one stall to another, excitedly bartering for bracelets and rings, just like Mr. Joestar had taught me. I wanted three bracelets, but there was no vendor around. I almost abandoned the stall when he suddenly appeared, and gladly lowered the price. He tipped some coins into my hand, sinking back into the shade of his stall.

Then I bought two glittery rings, and wore each on my left hand. Lastly, I picked up some postcards and a book about Morse code.

After all, Mr. Joestar had advised me to learn it, and it seemed like a lucky find.

As soon as I returned to Jotaro, who lingered at another stall selling books only a few feet away, I held out my wrist to show him the bracelets, offering a demonstration as I shook.

Jotaro muttered, "Like a cat with a bell around its neck."

I snorted, thinking of that cat we had seen hours ago on the balcony, its day dripping by while it lounged beneath the sun.

In the short time we had been in Varanasi, the team had split into smaller groups. Kakyoin, Jotaro and I had drifted off toward the stalls. Polnareff had intentionally led Nena in another direction, and Mr. Joestar had likely followed them even though Polnareff was hoping to charm Nena without interruptions.

I asked, "Where did Kakyoin go?"

"Over there. Looking at some notebooks."

Kakyoin was so tall, and his hair such a bright shade, that it was easy to spot him in the crowd. He heard me call out to him and put aside a leather-bound notebook.

Together, the three of us wandered some more, becoming aimless and even a little bored. Jotaro disappeared into a bookstore, one more formal than the little stalls. He had spotted something that interested him, though when I asked what it was, he had ignored the question.

So Kakyoin and I lingered outside. I paced around restlessly.

Because I was not paying much attention, I stepped into a muddied puddle. It soaked through my shoe. With a yelp, I leapt back onto the sidewalk, intending to pull it off and shake out the water.

But a man on a bicycle passed through that same puddle, and splashed me, soaking my front in dirty water.

Kakyoin tried not to laugh. But I saw his lips twitch.

"Knock it off," I grumbled. "I'll need to change."

Turning around, I walked right into the wooden frame of a stall; my nose crunched, blood trickling instantly as I instinctively reached to clamp my hands over myself and stem its tide.

A couple of vases teetered on the edge of the stall, which wobbled dangerously back and forth, threatening to crash.

Kakyoin was quick. He rushed forward to catch them, skidding on his knees.

The vendor hurried out to thank him. His cheeks were flushed from the onslaught of praise. He was brushing it off in his usual gentle manner.

Pain resonated from my nose. I intended to turn around again, but my shoelace had come undone; my right foot became caught in it, and I tumbled forward.

Varanasi blurred around me.

I hit something hard, rolling and rolling until I was sure I had fallen off a ledge, never to reach its bottom. But I did land, eventually, on the hardened, uneven cobbles of a side-street.

A car screeched to a halt yards away.

I had been hit by that car. I had rolled right over its windscreen and roof.

For a few seconds, the world disappeared.

Once I came around again, I realised that I had simply blacked out for a moment, disoriented by the impact. Two fuzzed faces appeared above me. One wore a hat, and that alone told me it was Jotaro. The other was undoubtedly Kakyoin.

Behind them, another figure was madly waving its arms.

The ringing in my eardrums tapered off.

"Juno?" Kakyoin called. "Can you hear us?"

"Yeah," I groaned. "I can hear you."

In fact, I could hear that figure.

"Why is he screaming?" I mumbled confusedly. "Is he hurt?"

It was a man, middle-aged, shouting that his windscreen was cracked.

Jotaro heaved a sigh. "Not yet."

"Huh?"

Jotaro stood up.

"Hey, asshole," he barked at the man. "Know what else is cracked?"

He swung fast. I was sure that man hit the ground harder than I had, blood staining his lips. He was still mumbling to himself, but he was much quieter now.

Jotaro kneeled again. "Should've watched where he was driving."

Much more kindly, Kakyoin said, "Can you heal yourself?"

With my brain sliding around like it had been dislodged, it never even occurred to me to use my Stand. I focused on the ache in my ribs, where I must have taken most of the impact.

The pain worsened. I arched my back against the ground, letting out a sharp, muffled cry.

Jotaro showed no emotion. But his question had an edge of irritation to it: "Why aren't you healing?"

"I don't know," I bit out. "I don't know."

"Should we call an ambulance?" Kakyoin suggested.

"No," I said. "No, I can get up."

To prove it, I sat upright, even if my ribs protested. Kakyoin guided me from the ground, cupping my elbows in case I fell backward.

"Strange," he said. "First you stepped into that puddle. Then, you were splashed by the bicyclist. When you turned around, you walked right into the stall and damaged your nose, which disoriented you and caused you to step into the path of an oncoming car."

"Bad luck," I mumbled, holding my bleeding nose.

"More than that," Jotaro said. "Your Stand isn't working."

"It's like –..." Kakyoin trailed off, appearing troubled.

I looked up at him. "What?"

Jotaro finished for him: "It's like you're jinxed."

x

a/n: i don't love the empress episode but it does give time for kakyoin/jotaro/juno to have a little side story lol hope you enjoyed! :)