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Akemi's Bizarre Adventure
Chapter 11: Emperor, Part II
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"That was really bad. Why did we pay the bill?" Jotaro complained as they were leaving. Joseph gave him an incredulous look.
"What do you mean? You always pay the bill!" He argued. Jotaro scoffed and tugged his hat down.
"Not when the food's shit." Jotaro shot back. Joseph looked shocked to the core.
"I need to teach you how to be a gentleman." He muttered. Jotaro scoffed again, looking away.
Akemi's heart was beating fast. It felt as if it were trying to break out of her chest and run away.
She felt anxiousness dance in her stomach. She was glad she hadn't eaten much. She was probably pale, and the golden light from the setting sun probably made it easier to see.
She tried to push it down, letting herself know that she could feel anxious about her father... after all, her father was…
Akemi gulped. Does he really deserve this?
Of course he does. He's a terrible person.
Think of what he's done to you, what he's said to you. And to mom. He deserves every shred of pain we're about to inflict on him.
And she was certain of it. One hundred percent…
"Akemi. Get ready in that building there. It's completely abandoned, I made sure of it. We'll get ready in the van." Joseph told Akemi, pointing at a small, nearby building.
"Okay." She grabbed her things from the van, and she rushed to the building and shut the broken door behind her. Finding what used to be the bathroom, she looked in the mirror. It was dirty, but it'd do.
She stripped down and changed quickly into her dress, having her Stand tie all the ties on her back as tight as she could. Once it was on, she started on her makeup. She used a shimmery gold and a red for her eyes and brushed on mascara. She dabbed concealer on her face, and after a few moments she was done.
Finally, she redid her braided crown, and with the braid that usually hung past her shoulder blades, she tied into a large low bun. She used her Stand to grow some baby's breath. Letting it curl up her arm was somewhat calming.
She let herself zone out while it grew, letting her emotions flow into the growth of the flower. She stopped it once it reached her shoulder and stepped back, taking her arm out of the growth. She plucked a few branches and tucked them into her hair.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she concluded that she was ready. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her clothes and makeup and made her way back.
"Hey, Ke- wow, look at you!" Called Polnareff, who was fitted in a nice black suit. Akemi responded with an energetic smile.
"Is the van empty? I wanna put my things in there."
"Nope, Jojo's still in there." Kakyoin said. He was wearing an intricately-designed dark green suit.
"Oh. Wow, you look really good in green, Kakyoin!" Akemi said brightly.
"Thank you! That's a beautiful dress, my friend." He said. Akemi relished in the feeling of the total platonic friendship she had with the man.
"Thank you, my friend." Akemi giggled with a slight curtsy. Joseph appeared in a nice black and white suit with vertical stripes. Straightening his tie, he looked at the three.
"You all look great! Ready to crash this party?" He asked.
"Wait, Joestar-san, you're coming?" Asked Kakyoin, an eyebrow raised.
"Yeah, we won't be here for much longer anyway." Joseph waved a hand. "We're leaving right after the party, for sure."
The car door beside Polnareff opened, revealing Jotaro in a stark white suit with intricate black designs. And of course, he was still wearing his hat.
Akemi looked at him, breathless.
When he closed the door, his eyes landed on hers. They widened, and she could see pink dusting his cheeks.
"Ah, y- you look good, Kujo." Akemi said, turning away, desperately trying to hide a blush. What is with me!? I shouldn't treat him any differently from Kakyoin! Akemi roughly scolded herself. Jotaro tugged his hat down.
"You too." He muttered.
Kakyoin and Polnareff exchanged glances. Akemi walked past him to the van, opened the door, and put her things in the van. As she closed it, she saw Joseph straightening his tie.
"Well, now that everyone's ready, are we good to go?" Joseph asked loudly. Akemi forgot her embarrassment in seconds.
"Yes." She said solemnly. She looked up at Joseph with determination. "I'm ready."
"Let's head out, then!"
"Akemi, do you have your military ID?" Inquired Kakyoin. Akemi nodded, feeling the card against her breast. She'd decided against taking a bag, since it could be inconveniencing to her. The next best thing she could use to hold her ID, since the dress had no pockets, was her bra.
"Okay," Kakyoin began as they were approaching the building where the party was taking place. "So I went and investigated the building earlier today. The only back entrance is pretty deep in the kitchen. You'd have to get in there without your dad or any of his lackeys seeing. I recommend you do that first thing, before he spots you." Akemi nodded dutifully. "Until then, you and Jotaro are completely on your own. Do you understand?" Akemi nodded again.
"Yes. I won't let any of you down."
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Akemi walked to the entrance of the building. Jotaro walked beside her, her arm looped in his.
There were two security guards in military attire standing at the door, each looking in different directions. As she neared, she saw their gazes converge on her. Already having taken out her military ID, she flashed it to the guards.
"What about him?" They asked. Akemi smiled and waved her hand, not thinking twice.
"Oh, this is my husband. His ID is being processed right now." She told them smoothly. They looked at each other and shrugged. They moved out of her way. Honestly, she was surprised that it worked. It had been years since she'd been at a military ball, she had no idea what the procedures were.
And this would likely be her last one.
They walked inside.
"That was easy." Jotaro murmured.
"Right? I was just thinking, I'm surprised that worked. This must be a more unofficial event; a morale boost for people deployed here." Akemi replied, a small smirk on her face. They stepped past the next entrance, and they noticed a few things immediately.
The second they stepped inside, dread hit her like a tidal wave.
She froze, staring up at the massive black figure that rested peacefully on the bridge that overlooked the whole party. It was her father's Stand, in its dragon form. Her father was nowhere to be found. She had to take a moment to try to get over her anxiety, but it was like trying to climb up a waterfall.
"Holy shit." Jotaro hissed. Akemi involuntarily squeezed his arm, taking deep breaths.
"We have to be careful." Akemi whispered. Jotaro hummed in agreement. As they looked around, observations clouded the intelligent minds of the teens.
"This is clearly only affecting us..." Jotaro murmured. The people were dancing, chatting, and overall their auras were on the lighter and/or warmer side, color-wise.
"Is it because he's only projecting to Stand users, or does he already know we're here..?" Akemi added under her breath, her tiny voice nearly overtaken by the music and the voices surrounding them if not for the trained ears of her partner.
Get to the kitchen, get to the kitchen, get to the kitchen…
"Excuse me! Miss?" Called a feminine voice nearby. Akemi whipped around to see a gorgeous Indian girl, probably a few years older than her. She wore an extravagant blue dress. She looked friendly, and had a rather familiar, comforting air to her. It made her feel a little more at ease, seeing her friendly face.
"H- hey, can I help you?" Akemi asked, trying to keep her nervousness out of her voice. From beside her, Jotaro narrowed his eyes.
"I made that dress." She stated, pointing at her outfit. She's quite straightforward. Akemi's mouth dropped open slightly. Could it be..?
"Are you Aahna's daughter?" Akemi asked, seeing the resemblance both physically and aura-wise.
"Yes, that's me! I'm Oishi, nice to meet you!" She said enthusiastically. Akemi smiled, feeling her worries get paler.
"I'm Akemi! Your mother sold me this dress, said she'd been looking for someone like me to wear it." Akemi explained with a smile. She really couldn't talk long, she had to let the boys in…
"And you look marvelous! She was totally right to sell it to you. That red suits you well! And the contrast against your white hair is..." She kissed her fingers. "Beautiful!" Akemi blushed.
"Thank you so much! I really love it. I'm totally gonna make this a family heirloom. If I have a daughter, I'll give it to her." Akemi said. She felt a lot better talking to her, to the point where she almost forgot her assignment. Oishi made a noise of excitement.
"Oh! You have no idea how happy that makes me!" She squealed, looking overjoyed. Akemi smiled, but Jotaro tugged her arm. She flushed, embarrassed.
"I'd really love to chat more, but I have people waiting for me. Mind if I go find them?" Akemi told her smoothly. Oishi's eyebrows raised.
"Oh, I'm sorry for keeping you for so long. My mom tells me I need to work on my chatterboxing." She admitted shyly. Akemi gave her a smile and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Don't! It's charming that you can keep a conversation going, it'll get you far, I promise!" Akemi told her. Oishi looked touched. "I'll find you later. Bye!" She removed her hand and waved. Oishi beamed at her.
"Bye!" She called as they disappeared from each other in the crowd. Akemi felt a lot better about herself after that talk. It was as if she were there specifically to reassure her. Now, to find that kitchen.
"Why were you talking to her for so long?" Asked Jotaro, clearly annoyed. Akemi sighed.
"I'm sorry, it put me at ease a little bit." She muttered. Jotaro suddenly felt bad, looking down at her expression.
"Good grief... It's no big deal. Let's find the rest of them already." Jotaro muttered. Akemi hummed.
There was a hallway leading to a few places, such as the bathroom, boiler room... and the kitchen.
Perfect. Jotaro opened the double doors, and immediately two large men made eye contact with them. One was darker-skinned, with curly black hair and dark eyes. The other was lighter-skinned, with spiky blonde hair and light blue eyes. They were both almost as big as Jotaro.
Oh boy.
"Hey, what are you doing in here, you?" Accused the darker-skinned one. Akemi was silent for a few seconds. She couldn't come up with a good lie.
"Um... I want food." Akemi said, the sentence rising at the end like a question. The two men exchanged glances.
"Yeah, right." The lighter-skinned one said. They both approached her. Akemi's eyes widened, and she felt anxiousness climb up her spine, amplified by her father's Stand. Her and Jotaro exchanged glances.
"I'll take the left one, you take the one on the right?"
"Done deal. Empress Gaea!" Akemi cried, feeling her Stand phase beside her.
They looked confused and stopped in their tracks, so she assumed they weren't Stand users- however, she would've been able to tell earlier on.
"Ora!"
"Ara!"
Despite how built these two were, Empress Gaea and Star Platinum dealt with them with a single blow, rendering them unconscious and leaning up against each other on the wall. Akemi tied them up with strangler figs, and the two teens nodded at each other.
When Jotaro opened the door, they saw not the outside, but another room. This time, with three men. They all stared at them, wide-eyed. With a sigh, Akemi summoned Empress Gaea to her side.
"What are you doing here?" Asked a short man accusingly. "The party's the other way!"
"Yeah, let's just get this over with." Akemi didn't even bother explaining. She wordlessly sent vines to three of the men, effectively tying them up. With a twist of her wrist, she choked them until they were unconscious.
She could feel Jotaro, behind her, shocked and impressed. He let out a whistle. He was suddenly glad that she wasn't an enemy. Why was his face so warm?
"Damn..." He said. Akemi let out a huff of laughter, bashful.
"Let's let them in." Akemi suggested.
"U- uh, right." Jotaro grunted.
They both walked toward what they hoped would be the last door. He yanked it open to reveal, thankfully, the outside and their friends.
"Finally!" Cried Polnareff joyfully.
"Jotaro, did you get hit in the face?" Noticed Kakyoin with an almost unnoticeable smirk. Jotaro's face burned, and he turned his back to them.
"Well, let's get inside. We don't have time to lose." Joseph said, rounding them up and walking inside, shutting the door behind them.
The three men glanced at the men wrapped in vines. Akemi and Jotaro moved briskly past them, leading them out of the kitchen, and Polnareff let out a low whistle
"Alright, what's the plan?" Asked Kakyoin, checking out his reflection in the oven window and fixing his hair.
"Find Tatsugami. Get rid of Tatsugami." Jotaro stated bluntly. Kakyoin opened his mouth, raising a finger.
"No. It won't be that easy." Joseph spoke, rubbing his beard.
"...From what we know about his Stand, it can create a powerful miasma, and it can turn into a dragon." Akemi murmured out loud. "We'll have to restrict the dragon somehow. I think I can solve that."
"Right... Let's stick with that for now." Polnareff agreed.
"Okay. Let's get outta here." Joseph said.
They exited the kitchen and appeared in the crowded room again. Akemi noticed them nearly double over as they entered.
"What..." Kakyoin muttered, clearly feeling the effect of her father's Stand.
"...Is that?" Polnareff finished, catching sight of the massive black dragon that sat on the balcony. She could feel Kakyoin, Polnareff and Joseph's dread as they finally caught sight of the Stand.
"It's an effect of my dad's Stand. And that... is the Stand itself." Akemi explained, feeling the miasma in her own chest.
"It's... so much bigger than I remember it being." Polnareff whimpered under his breath, his cerulean blue eyes widened.
"We... should make this quick, then." Joseph said. "Now that we're all here, we can look for Tatsugami."
"What do we do when we find him? It's so crowded, there's no way we can fight him here." Polnareff contradicted, looking around nervously at the population of people.
"We'll just have to make do, it seems. There's sure to be a way to defeat him without hurting anyone here. Akemi's idea of constricting him might work." Said Kakyoin. Akemi wanted to believe he was right... but she had a terrible feeling he wasn't.
"We'll just have to take him down as quickly as possible. It isn't smart to attack his Stand, especially in that form. We'll probably just have to find him and take the fight outside, unless we can find some way to make them all exit..." Said Joseph.
Akemi looked back up at the dragon. It slumbered peacefully, its only movements being its body rising and falling gently as it breathed. But her eyes widened when her vision drifted to the end of the Stand, and caught a certain someone walking to the middle of the balcony to overlook the party.
It was her father.
He wore his cammies and his hat at a perfect angle, just barely above his thick eyebrows. His narrow, dark brown eyes scanned the crowd, obviously searching for a familiar head of white hair. His big, gloved hands were gripping the rail tightly, the wood looking close to splintering under his strength.
Of course he was expecting them. He must've known they would follow his Stand to the two men that revealed the party and location of it.
"Guys." Akemi called. Luckily, she'd spotted him before they could separate too far.
"That's him?" Asked Polnareff. Akemi nodded.
"He looks the exact same as last time I saw him." Grumbled Joseph darkly. He was right... it was as if he hadn't aged.
"What do we do?" Asked Kakyoin. Akemi had an idea. She turned to them and explained, but their faces contorted in worry as she did. Then, they released their tension, liking the idea.
"Okay... are you sure? All by yourself?" Asked Kakyoin. Akemi nodded.
"I... I'll be fine. I'll have you guys, right?" She assured them nervously. Joseph and Kakyoin exchanged nervous glances.
"Okay. We'll be right down here." Joseph answered, putting a hand on her shoulder. Akemi looked up at him and nodded, then left them and went for the staircase. Stepping up the curving staircase, she couldn't help but feel dread pool in her stomach. Ten year old her never could've imagined that the next time she saw her father, he would be her enemy in combat.
His head was already turned to her when she reached the top of the staircase. Even if he'd been expecting her, his eyes were wide and glassy. The anxiety in the air let up for a moment.
"A... Akem-" Ian muttered, shocked.
"Listen." She cut him off coldly, hoping her voice wasn't as shaky as she felt. "I'll give you a chance to leave and not to interfere with me or my goals. If not... even if you're my father, I won't hesitate to attack you." Akemi hoped she sounded more confident than she was.
God... her father sounded the same, too. His expression didn't change.
"Are you..? Are you on the Joestar's side?" He let out a chuckle, and that's when his expression started to twist in a way that gave her a weird sense of uncanny valley. "Dear Umi, you're on the wrong side." Akemi forced down a flinch. She hadn't heard the name 'Umi' since he left for the last time.
"How about this?" He stuck out his hand. Akemi already knew what he was going to ask. "You come to the right side- the side where we win, then I'll spare you. I'm afraid I'll have to take the Joestars to Dio, but I'll leave the others alive, just for you, darling." Akemi gave him a dirty look.
"I think you already know the answer to that." She growled. He closed his fist, his expression hidden by his hat.
His Stand stood, shaking out its wings. He let out a low chuckle. Akemi's fear spiked. She summoned Empress Gaea to her side, readying her stance.
"Oh? It seems that Stand of yours has developed. I figured." Said Ian, looking at Empress Gaea. "It looks powerful. Let's put it to the test, shall we?" He said in an almost teasing voice. Akemi bit her lip, and started growing something from outside.
"Well?" He prompted, crossing his arms, a dark look in his chocolate brown eyes, "Aren't you going to do anything?" Akemi's frown deepened.
"I am doing something. You'll feel it in a moment." Akemi responded.
What followed was the sound of shattering glass when her strangler fig finally smashed through, quickly coiling around his Stand, before he could react.
There was screaming resounding from the floor, and she noticed a few guests leaving, panicked. His Stand roared in retaliation, but it was unable to spread its wings.
Ian looked shocked for a moment, as if Akemi had actually caught him off guard. There were dents in his skin and the crinkles in his outfit from the branches. Fear struck her heart as a small smirk pulled his lips upward, seemingly unaffected.
"Very smart of you. I expected nothing less from my own daughter. A quick way to render the opponent useless. But you've overlooked a terribly important fact." Ian observed, giving Akemi a malicious look. Akemi backed away a few steps.
"Wh... what's that?" Akemi asked cautiously. Her father's smirk widened.
"Don't you know that plant matter is incredibly flammable?"
And with that, his Stand opened its jaw and spat fire at her strangler fig, causing them to go up in flames and shrivel. Akemi cried out in surprise. Her father was released, and he straightened out his outfit.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. If you had restrained Emperor Palpatine's snout, I would've been rendered defenseless... and you know better than to ruin my outfit. It took almost thirty years of service to get it this pretty." He mused, brushing off his shoulders and straightening all of his coat pins and decorations. Akemi took another step back, feeling cornered. Her eyes widened when she realized what he was about to do.
The dragon raised its wings and opened its jaws, the back of its throat glowing a brighter and brighter orange, but it was interrupted by a quick and hard fist.
Its jaw was knocked away, and a bit of fire escaped its throat, hitting the ceiling, creating a large burn mark. Ian spat blood.
From behind her, Akemi could feel Jotaro and Kakyoin's presence approaching quickly.
"Oh, so you didn't come alone. I figured you weren't idiotic enough to face me by yourself." Ian spat, wiping the blood from his lips. "It's too bad my Stand, Emperor Atlas, will be dismembering your friends. I hope you aren't too close with them." Akemi growled.
"Like hell I'll let that happen!" She roared. Suddenly, it seemed, an idea popped into his mind.
"Hm... maybe if you surrender..." Emperor, to Akemi, Jotaro and Kakyoin's horror, aimed its face toward the crowd below. "I'll spare them."
"Shit, I knew he'd do this." Akemi hissed angrily.
"He's got to be bluffing." Growled Jotaro. But from the look in Ian's eye, it was clear Jotaro was wrong.
"You misunderstand. He's one-hundred percent the type of person to attack a whole population to get to someone." Akemi whispered.
"Should we try to tell them to evacuate?" Asked Kakyoin. Akemi had an idea.
"I'll send my Stand to tell Joseph to pull the fire alarm. That'll get them out." Akemi told him.
"No. I haven't revealed my Stand yet. If I summon it below me, he won't know I've sent it." Disagreed Kakyoin. "Plus, Hierophant has more range." Akemi nodded.
"Okay, that makes sense." She agreed. She felt Kakyoin's Stand below her and felt it depart.
"What could you three be planning? It couldn't be to warn the crowd below us, would it? Or just Joestar?" Ian teased malevolently, spitting out the word 'Joestar' as if it were poison, narrowing his eyes as he did so. The three teens stiffened.
"Why would we do that? It's clear that you're bluffing." Said Kakyoin. Ian let out a dark chuckle.
"Would you like to test that?" He asked him.
Emperor Atlas moved to attack, when suddenly a loud, ear-piercing noise echoed through the whole building.
Screams joined the screeching, and everyone rushed for the exits. A rare display of emotion made itself obvious from the twisted expression of anger on Ian's face. Akemi felt as if a volcano had erupted around her when Emperor Atlas not only projected Ian's emotion but also whipped around and spread its wings, roaring as it released an inferno from between its jaws.
"No!" Akemi screamed, reaching over the bar. Most of the population had exited, thankfully- but an unlucky few were burned pretty badly. Akemi wasn't able to tell if everyone was alright, because Emperor Atlas's flames quickly made its way toward the three of them.
"I'll burn you all to a crisp!" Ian snarled at the top of his lungs. Without another thought, the three quickly leapt over the edge, landing on the massive speaker, then falling to the ground. As the fire followed them, they scrambled underneath the deck- the only seemingly safe haven from the flames. To both Akemi's relief and horror, she only saw Polnareff and Joseph underneath the deck, safe from her father's rage, but panting. Joseph's artificial arm was visible, the flames seemingly having burnt off his sleeve.
"Well... that didn't exactly go according to plan." Polnareff said. Some of the ceiling fell before them. Emperor Atlas was still raging, it seemed.
"We need to come up with something, and fast." Said Kakyoin. "The fire department should be here soon, too."
"My plants are, as it seems, extremely flammable. If someone can keep Emperor Atlas from firing long enough, I can restrict him, and that's our ticket to victory." Akemi explained, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Right. Jotaro, you think you can beat the shit out of him?" Polnareff asked, a smirk on his face. Jotaro scoffed.
"Of course." He said, his gaze averted to Polnareff.
"When he stops, go at it." Akemi told him. Jotaro tugged his hat downward.
"Don't tell me what to do, half-pint." He said lowly, casually standing and stepping forward. He was forced to steady himself, however, when Emperor Atlas landed in front of the five.
"Found you." Ian's voice teased from behind Emperor Atlas. It opened its jaws, and Akemi could see the fire sprouting in its throat.
"Star Platinum!" Exclaimed Jotaro. The purple Stand appeared at his side and Emperor Atlas, knocking its jaw away a second time, causing another burst of fire to burn the ceiling, knocking a chandelier down. The glass shattered on impact, temporarily distracting both Emperor Atlas and his user.
"Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora!" Shouted Star Platinum as he sent aggressive, constant punches toward Emperor, all of them landing on their mark. Ian, from behind Emperor Atlas, vomited blood, doubling over. Polnareff summoned Silver Chariot.
"I'm helping. There's no way Jotaro can take a dragon on his own." Claimed Polnareff, rushing forward.
"Be careful!" Shouted Akemi. She looked at the other two men, and they ran out from under the deck, escaping to a better place.
Burnt and barely living bodies littered the floor.
Akemi couldn't help but search for Oishi, desperately hoping she'd made it out.
To her absolute dread, she was just a meter from the door, still. Her eyes looked glassy.
No... I can heal you, Oishi. Hang in there, okay? Akemi thought desperately. She started toward her, stumbling.
"Akemi!" Shouted Joseph, alarmed. Akemi looked back at the man before she knelt by Oishi. Almost half her body was burned, and the hair on that side of her body was singed off. Her dress was ruined. Her eyesight in her eye was also probably gone.
"Oishi?" Akemi whispered. Oishi shifted slightly, moving her head toward the teen.
"Ake... mi..?" She managed, a painful cough racking her body. Akemi took her healthy hand.
It's fatal... Akemi thought despairingly. The most she could do was be there for her.
"Yes, Oishi. It's me." Akemi assured her.
"That dress... it still looks beautiful on you." Oishi croaked. Akemi let out a small huff of laughter.
"Thank you." Akemi choked out.
"I... I can't go yet. I still have to finish college... I... I still have to..." Oishi rambled.
"It's okay, Oishi. You can rest now... I'll study biochemistry. I'll finish what you started." Akemi told her. Oishi looked up at her, the light in her eyes already fading.
"You... will..? ...Wait, I have so many things... to tell you..." She asked, tears gathering in her eyes. Akemi nodded. She put a gentle hand on her cheek.
"Yes, I promise. And my daughter will wear this dress, I can promise you that, too." Oishi smiled at that, a final tear leaking out of her healthy eye.
"Thank you..." and she was gone. Akemi finally let a sob escape her, and she let go of Oishi's hand.
"Oh no you don't!" Ian shouted raucously. Emperor Atlas used one of its wings to knock Silver Chariot and Star Platinum away without flaw. They both slammed against a wall, taking the damage on their physical bodies, blood flowing from their heads and mouths.
A new flame of rage lit up inside of Akemi as she stood up. Look at him, recklessly hurting my friends, killing random people… he's despicable. It doesn't matter how I feel about him. He must be taken down.
Immediately, however, she saw the dragon charge at her, its jaws already open for another barrage of flames. One of its massive feet knocked her down, and Akemi hit her head on the floor, hard. Groaning, she looked up at the brown-eyed beast.
"You're so pathetic." Said Ian's voice, gutturally from the dragon's throat. "Just like your mother."
"Don't talk about her like that! You have no right!" Akemi cried, anger forcing her to shout further. She slammed Empress Gaea's fists on the ground beside her and cacti popped out of the ground, breaking through the concrete. It launched thorns into Emperor Atlas's face, and Ian's face bled.
"Why shouldn't I? She died by my hand, anyway, even if it was indirect." Said Ian as he picked a thorn out of his cheek. Dread slapped Akemi in the face. She stumbled back.
"Wh... what?! N- no, an accident in the lab killed her! I was there! Don't lie to me, you bastard!" Akemi shouted angrily, feeling tears prick her eyes.
"No, I'm telling the truth, little Umi. I am many things, but I am no liar. I paid one of my workers to rig the experiment so it would kill her. You weren't supposed to be there. You should've been raised under Lord Dio's influence, you could've been powerful by my side!" Akemi choked a sob, looking up at the glow at the back of Emperor Atlas's throat.
Hierophant tied his tentacles around Emperor's legs, yanking it harshly to the right, the dragon falling hard on its left. Akemi was yanked away right before its weight crushed her. By who? She didn't know. Everything was a blur right now.
"You bastard!" One of the boys shouted.
The flames missed the three by a hair's breadth, hitting the wall behind them. While Emperor Atlas was downed, Star Platinum appeared by its wing, wrapping his fingers around the side and ripping it off. Ian let out a scream of pain, blood spurting from his back.
"Why!? Why would you kill her!? My mom, your wife!" Akemi screamed desperately, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.
"Because she was weak!" He shouted back, a crazed look on his face. Emperor struggled against Hierophant's bonds. Kakyoin was having a hard time holding the dragon. "I asked her to join Dio-sama, because her Ripple abilities and your Stand would've been invaluable to us! Yet, she left that day to get you away from me. Dio-sama and I decided to rid the world of such a useless creature, so I caused the explosion." Emperor let out a muffled roar, its neck scales glowing orange with repressed fire.
"You..." Akemi breathed. She didn't know how to feel. Her father killed her mother..?
"You're... you're bloody insane! What the hell kind of husband kills his wife?! You're worse of a monster than I thought you were!" Joseph cried angrily, rage burning in his chest.
Ian said nothing, his eyes hidden under his hat, and Emperor Atlas opened its jaws to launch fire at them again. Kakyoin was quick to wrap Hierophant's tentacles around Emperor Atlas's snout, however. The buildup of the fire caused Ian's throat to burn. He fell to his knees, clawing at his throat, a strangled scream escaped his throat.
This is my chance. Akemi thought, anger tunneling her vision.
With shaky hands, Empress Gaea started growing bark around her father. Ian didn't realize what was happening until the bark reached his line of sight, and by then, it was too late.
"No!" He screamed as the bark penetrated his body, using his nutrients to grow faster.
Despite his raw throat, he let out a bloodcurdling scream, filled to the brim with pain and panic as the branches grew taller and taller and continued both above his head and below him, blood-stained roots breaking the linoleum floor, growing into a massive, beautiful sakura tree. As the pink flowers sprouted, Emperor Atlas vanished for the last time.
Akemi walked closer as it slowly stopped growing, reaching its final length.
The hat fell to the ground.
A flesh bud wriggled in the middle of his forehead.
Akemi's world crashed around her.
No, no, there was no way…
"No... all this time, you were under influence?" She whimpered, her knees shaky. "I... never considered the possibility, how could I..?" Ian looked up at her with hopeless eyes.
Without needing to be asked, Star Platinum came ahead and took the flesh bud out. Joseph destroyed it without even looking away.
"I... I'm... I'm so sorry, Umi." Ian croaked, coughing blood. The name he addressed her with no longer held the maliciousness it did earlier.
"No..." Akemi's eyes were wide.
She felt void of all emotion but dread. Tears flooded down her cheeks.
"No, it's not your fault. Dad, I'm so sorry." She sobbed.
"No... thank you... these past ten years have been hell. Dio used me all those ten years, replacing my flesh bud whenever it started to take a toll on me, and I would never be able to answer for my crimes." Ian managed. Blood flowed out of his mouth. Akemi cried out with despair. "I love you, Umi. I won't be going to heaven, so say hi to Serena when you get there, okay?" Ian croaked, coughing more blood. "And please, tell her I'm so sorry..." Akemi was unable to respond, her lower lip shaking.
As the light left his deep brown eyes, Akemi collapsed, clawing at the bark. She wailed, despair overtaking her.
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Akemi stood on the deck facing the full moon, her mind filled with… thoughts.
The fire department had come and gone hours ago, and the boys were getting the car ready to leave.
She felt Jotaro's presence behind her, and at her side. The moonlight illuminated the tear streaks on her cheeks, and her glassy eyes and puffy eye bags were more visible.
Wordlessly, Jotaro took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it in his mouth, his gaze on the moon as well. He inhaled, and took his cigarette between his fingers. Akemi held out a hand, and Jotaro seemed to understand.
He handed her a lit cigarette, and she barely spared him a glance, taking the stick between her fingers. The burning tip made her fingers glow as she took a drag.
Her drag was surprisingly smooth- he'd expected her to cough, or even wrinkle her nose. That was another item on the list of things he needed to figure out about her.
They reveled in each other's presence for a few moments.
Jotaro didn't know why he cared when she was upset. Something inside him didn't allow him to walk away. Maybe it was the "Joestar Gentlemanly Instinct" his Gramps was rambling on about earlier that day. But something about the way she looked up at him when he approached sent him into a frenzy.
"Pretty night, isn't it?" Akemi's question sent him out of his thoughts. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew the air away.
"I guess so." He responded. "...If you don't mind me asking, what happened, y'know, with your mother?" Akemi looked at him, surprised.
Her gaze returned to the moon.
Why is he asking? Why did he care?
She didn't have the energy to think about it, not after… the events, and after healing everyone's wounds. Her own accelerated healing was drawing energy from her as they spoke.
The cigarette's buzz enveloped her, and she started to feel a bit calmer. The slight shake at the tip of the cigarette wouldn't go unnoticed, however.
"I'm sure... he already told you. But if you want to know from my thirteen-year-old perspective, I guess." She was silent for a moment. "...She told me it was 'bring your kid to work day', and that they were experimenting with nuclear energy, to show off for the kids. I never thought about it then, but my mom didn't work with nuclear energy, and we were the only people there. She was an aerospace engineer. I should've known something was off. According to my dad, her partner- his worker- rigged an explosion and it killed my mom. Some shrapnel cut my face. Almost took out my eye. And it turned my hair white, and now it grows that way." Akemi answered, playing with a strand of her messed-up hair that she hadn't bothered to fix.
She could feel conflicting emotions resonate within Jotaro.
And with that, she left Jotaro on the deck by himself, with only his thoughts to fill the silence.
"Jojo." Akemi's voice at the doorway caught his attention, and he turned his head slightly. She flicked the cigarette with her thumb, the ashes carried by the wind into the chilly night.
"You should wear white more often." A ghost of a smile appeared on her face before she disappeared entirely.
Jotaro wasn't sure what these feelings were that clouded his chest and his mind. He gazed down at the ring on his finger.
Maybe he should wear white more often.
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The group was together in the car, with Polnareff at the wheel. They were all changed back into their normal clothes, and the car was silent save for quiet music playing on the radio. Akemi was already asleep, so she couldn't sense the Stand energy they passed as they finally left Varanasi.
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ouch
facts.
-dio actually valued Ian quite a bit- though it definitely wasn't trust, he repeatedly replaced the flesh bud, giving Ian moments of clarity every three years, so that he would be able to keep him as a servant for as long as he wanted.
-if it wasn't obvious already, umi is a nickname that only her parents would call her. as stated before, akemi's name is made with the kanji for bright and sea. 'umi' is sea all on its own so… it kinda makes sense? it ended up being a word that would cause her to think of the past, of when she still lived with her parents and they were happy.
i hope y'all liked this one! i'm going to bed its 3am lol
- caelesti
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word count: 6,667