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Akemi's Bizarre Adventure

Chapter 19: The High Priestess, Part I

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The Red Sea. All divers agree: it is the most beautiful sea in the world. The east and west shores are both red deserts, which is why it's known as the Red Sea. There are no cities nearby to pollute it, nor rivers that flow into it. It is an unsullied sea.

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8:00 PM

"Hey, can you drive this thing, Mohammed?" Asked Polnareff. Mo waved his finger.

"Tsk, tsk. No problem, Jean Pierre." He replied confidently.

Akemi raised her eyebrow. It happened again. They're calling each other by their first names. Could it be because they're together, or because they simply got closer as friends? I know Mo is bisexual, like me, but Polnareff… He has to be straight, there's no way he likes men, just no way! There was just no way to explain the pink that dusted Polnareff's pale cheeks or the pink in both of their auras.

"I can drive it, too!" Said Joseph, leaning over Mo. Akemi snapped out of her thoughts very quickly.

"You're not driving this thing." Jotaro and Akemi chorused. They looked at each other, shocked. Polnareff and Joseph barked a laugh, and Jotaro tugged his hat down while Akemi leaned on her hands, her elbows on the table. "I- I'm not letting you crash us again." Jotaro finished his sentence, his jaw clenched. Joseph laughed again, stepping away from the controls.

"Alright, Romeo." Joseph teased. "So harsh..." He added, rubbing the back of his neck. Jotaro narrowed his eyes.

"Call me that and I'll take your pinkie finger off again, old man." He growled threateningly.

"Again..?" Polnareff asked, utterly confused. Akemi snorted loudly when she realized that Polnareff had zero context for that. "Monsieur Joestar, what did he mean, 'again'!?"

"Pardon?" Noriaki asked, equally concerned. Akemi and Mo burst out cackling. Joseph sighed.

"When this whole thing started... I flew from New York City with Avdol and Akemi to Japan. I'd gotten a call from Holly, saying that Jotaro was in jail, he was refusing to leave- and that she saw Jotaro's Stand, not knowing what it was, and that he'd scared the bloody hell out of her and the police officers. So, when we got there, Jotaro used Star Platinum to steal my artificial pinkie finger to prove that he shouldn't be messed with." Joseph's tone took on a teasing tone at the end, grinning at the teen who was gritting his teeth with embarrassment, his hat hiding his expression.

"Ooh! How did you get him out of jail? Why wasn't he leaving? What happened after?" Polnareff asked question after question. Joseph raised his hands.

"Okay, okay... Jotaro was in jail because he'd hospitalized a few thugs that ran into him, and then he kept himself in there because he believed himself a danger to others, what with his out-of-control Stand. Anyways, after that, I had Akemi get him out of the cell, since I couldn't convince him to get out. She tried reasoning, but he was really stubborn. So she threatened to dissolve him with sundew plant juice-"

"What!?" Noriaki cried, shocked, looking at Akemi with wide eyes.

"That's not what I did!" Akemi exclaimed, her jaw dropped.

"That is precisely what you did, Aki." Mo chuckled.

"For the record, I had no actual intention to use any 'sundew plant juice' on him." Akemi muttered, her arms crossed.

"-And he totally chickened out! He was terrified! It was hilarious! We got him out right after!" Joseph roared with laughter. Polnareff cackled, slinging an arm around Mo, and even Noriaki chuckled a bit.

"He looked like a cornered animal!" Mo added, laughing behind his hand.

"I did not!" Jotaro growled, a red flush covering his face. He slammed his fist on the table, intensely defending his honor. "I knew she was bluffing, and I knew I would've been able to go back to jail had their words been bullshit." He claimed petulantly, flopping back down on his seat, arms crossed, with a huff.

"Oh-ho-ho!" Joseph laughed. Akemi let out a cackle.

"You- you really-" She snorted, and Jotaro gave her a glare. "Kujo, if you think you would've been able to get back to jail after I got you out, you're dumber than I thought."

"Tch. There's no way I would've let you confine me twice." Jotaro scoffed. However, his eyes snapped open when he felt a slithering sensation around his neck, and his hand shot to the origin of the feeling. Immediately after, he was immobilized and disarmed, vines wrapped around his wrists, his ankles, and his arms and waist- all of which she'd gotten to him without detection. "Wh-" Everyone looked at her, shocked, as she stood, revealing Empress Gaea hiding in the floor below Jotaro, the vines that imprisoned him attached to her forearms.

"I think I'm a little more capable than you think, Kujo." Akemi smirked. He looked up at her, and she giggled when she saw pinks and reds entering his aura. She couldn't tell if it was anger or lust… Maybe she should talk to him about that later.

"Wow..." Noriaki breathed. "She got those vines around him completely undetected... I had no idea Empress Gaea possessed such stealth..." Akemi waved her hand, brushing off the compliment as well as removing the vines from Jotaro's body, causing him to take a deep breath.

"Eh, only in very specific situations."

"How in the hell..." Jotaro murmured, shocked. "...Didn't I notice that?" Akemi turned to him, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Maybe you were too busy being full of yourself, hm?" Akemi leaned forward and smiled sweetly at him, rewarding herself with a disgusted look from Jotaro- one that obviously didn't match his aura.

"Ugh, don't you need to go to sleep?" Jotaro scoffed, looking away with his arms crossed. Akemi let out a cackle as she stood up straighter, stretching her arms.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna take a power nap. Wake me up in an hour, yeah?" Akemi requested, earning herself a nod from the boys. With that, she exited the pilothouse and looked around for a cozy bedroom.

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9:00 PM

"A submarine, huh..." Noriaki mused, looking around. "This is my first time in one, but it's not as cramped as I expected." He said. Akemi leaned back into her chair, crossing her arms, done with her thirty-minute nap.

"That's because this one is massive, Noriaki. They're not usually this huge, unless you're absolutely loaded like Joseph." She told him. She shuddered. "Speak for yourself, though. I hate confined metal containers like this, and planes. I can't really grow much to defend myself, other than the vines." Joseph let out a huff of laughter, putting his hands on his hips.

"Yeah. This is a vessel the rich use to explore the seafloor for pleasure." He stuck a thumb out to his right. "As you see, it even has windows- woah!" Polnareff suddenly came running, pushing past Joseph to press himself against the window.

"Ooh! Nice!" He exclaimed excitedly. Akemi let out a chuckle, glad to see him happy again. "I've always kind of liked this sort of thing. I wish I could've ridden it with a cute girl..." Akemi raised an eyebrow. Was I just overthinking after all?

"Hey, is Mo not cute enough for you?" Akemi smirked. Polnareff's head swiveled around to look at her, a furious blush on his face. Mo made a strange noise, sounding halfway between a choke and a laugh. I wasn't overthinking…

"I see neither of you have changed." Mo noticed with an amused smile. "But we didn't come here to play." He added with a darker tone, looking down at the console.

"Oh, come on. We have to pass the time somehow, Mo. Serious as always." Akemi huffed. Polnareff joined the two, looking down at whatever Mo and Joseph were.

"What's that?" Polnareff asked.

"It's sonar." Joseph answered. "It uses reflected sound waves to detect things underwater, a bit like radar."

"Wow..." Breathed Polnareff, his eyes wide and his aura an orange-yellow with awe.

"All clear. Nothing is coming toward us." Mo reported.

"With this, we can detect anyone trying to attack us from any direction." Joseph explained. Polnareff made a noise of amazement.

"But if we were attacked in here, we'd have nowhere to run." Everyone turned to Jotaro as he spoke grimly. "We are sixty meters below sea level, after all." Akemi shuddered.

"Very reassuring thought, Kujo." Akemi quipped.

"Sorry." Jotaro said, his dark atmosphere lifted.

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10:00 PM

"Wow..." Said Noriaki as he looked around the room. "I guess this is to be expected of a pleasure cruiser for the wealthy. A refrigerator, coffee maker... not to mention the latest satellite phones."

"Wow! Get me a drink, Kakyoin." Polnareff exclaimed. "I'm parched."

"I'd like one too." Said Mo from the helm.

"Alright. Akemi, do you want one, too?" Noriaki asked. Akemi leaned against her seat to look at the red head.

"Sure! Thanks, Nori." She smiled. Noriaki looked taken aback.

"'Nori'?" He echoed, an eyebrow raised. Akemi's eyes widened.

"Oh, it's a nickname. You okay with that?" Akemi asked. Noriaki sent her a smile.

"Sure." He turned to the refrigerator. "Is cola okay?" He asked.

"Yeah!" Akemi said.

"Oi, old man." Jotaro said from behind her, stealing everyone's attention. "What's the matter? You're just standing there." Everyone turned to look at Joseph, who was standing in front of the satellite phone. He waved a hand.

"Everyone, be silent for a moment." Joseph requested. "I'm going to make a phone call."

"A phone call?" Polnareff echoed. "To where?"

"It must be very important, if you're calling from here." Noriaki pointed out.

"Couldn't we alert Dio's assassins like this?" Akemi asked cautiously.

"Yes, it's an important and delicate matter- and no, I don't believe this will alert Dio's assassins." Joseph answered, putting the phone up to his ear. "Everyone, please be quiet." It was dead silent as the phone rang. Only two or three rings later, the phone picked up.

"Hello?" Answered an old lady's voice. Akemi's eyes widened with realization.

Suzi Q! She thought. Why would Joseph call his wife right now?

"Suzi." Joseph answered stiffly, his aura a swirling, nervous orange.

"Oh, Joseph, it's you." Suzi Q answered joyfully. "It's been a while. By the way, where are you? It's a bit hard to hear you." The air in the room felt thick. It was incredibly intense, despite the happy, carefree voice on the other end.

"R- right... I'm at a hotel." Joseph lied not-so-smoothly. Akemi felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She didn't like the idea of lying to someone who unquestionably trusted them. She knew if she were Joseph's wife, she would be incredibly angry that he'd lied to her, or that he was even here on this kind of trip to save her own granddaughter with her. It didn't sit right with her. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be back anytime soon, because of work."

"Oh, goodness. That must be very difficult. Traveling on business to another country right after going to Japan..." Suzi Q breathed. At least her sympathy wasn't misplaced, though it may have been for a slightly different reason. "It's been nearly a month now, hasn't it?"

"Y- yes. I'm sorry." Joseph responded apologetically. "By the way, Suzi, have you spoken to Holly?" Akemi looked over at Jotaro, and it seemed he felt the same way. Akemi let out a sigh and hugged herself.

"Yes, I just spoke to her on the phone yesterday." Suzi responded. It seemed everyone in the room perked, listening intently for her next words. "She mentioned catching a cold that's developed into a bit of pneumonia. She says it's not serious, but I'm thinking about going to visit her."

"No, there's no need for that. I'm sure she'll recover quickly." Joseph assured her, his voice catching. "You're such a worrywart..." As Joseph and his wife's voices continued on in the background, Polnareff leaned into Jotaro, Akemi and Noriaki.

"This was the 'important conversation'?" The silver-haired man hissed. Mo joined them and leaned in to respond.

"Yes. Mrs. Joestar is full of vitality, so he needs to check in now and then to make sure she doesn't visit Mrs. Holly in Japan and discover the truth." He explained, his arms crossed.

"It doesn't sit right with me." Akemi sighed, the others' attention on her as she spoke, "But I see why he's doing it. I just know I wouldn't want to be lied to like that." Jotaro sent her a sympathetic look.

"You mean that she..." Noriaki trailed off, looking at the two with wide eyes.

"Of course, she hasn't been told anything." Mo said. "There's no need to worry her." Akemi raised her chin.

"In Suzi Q's situation, I do agree that it's the best way to handle it, she would worry her butt off. But if someone were to treat me like this, you best believe I'm knocking them the hell out." Akemi said darkly, narrowing her eyes.

"Honestly, I'm not sure your future boyfriend would be able to hide anything from you." Noriaki joked lightly. Akemi let out a small laugh, lifting her atmosphere. She saw Jotaro's aura perk.

"Yeah, you're probably right." She agreed. "I, however, am a woman of respect. If I can help it, I'm leaving alone whatever isn't my business. My boyfriend would be allowed to have his alone time- after all, he is his own person." She said nobly, putting a hand on her chest. From beside her, Jotaro soaked in all the information, content with her views. Polnareff let out a snigger.

"'Woman of respect'." He echoed under his breath. Akemi whirled around on him, her face contorted.

"Yeah, like you can talk, Mr. I-take-pictures-of-girls'-legs." She hissed back intensely. Polnareff's face grew pink, caught off guard. Their banter stopped, however, when the call perked their interest.

"So, how is Holly doing? Have you gotten hold of the doctors from the Speedwagon Foundation?" Joseph asked, obviously not talking to Suzi Q anymore. Akemi's light mood faded, tuning back into the conversation along with everyone else who fell silent.

"Well, actually..." A nervous male voice began. "Mrs. Holly says on the phone that she only has a cold. She is quite insistent... but her condition worsens by the day. ...Master Joseph! Perhaps we should tell Madam Joestar the truth." Akemi felt a dreadful pool in her stomach, and she bit her lip.

We don't have that much time... Akemi glanced at Jotaro, whose expression was blocked by the rim of his hat. But his aura swirled with worry and stress. Akemi wanted nothing more than to wrap him in a hug. She knew what it was like to miss her mother. She didn't want him to go through that pain.

"No. There's no need for that." Joseph answered, causing Akemi's head to swivel back around toward the old man. "We will end all of this very soon. It's best if she can just go back to her daily routine. Do not let Suzi know anything under any circumstances. I'll contact you again."

"As you wish. I pray for your safe return." Said the man shakily. Then, the click of a finished call. Joseph placed the cell phone back on the hook. His aura was swirling with dark, melancholy colors.

The air was thick with tension. Worry boiled within everyone's auras.

"You have my condolences, Joestar-san." Noriaki spoke.

"But don't worry. We're here with you." Polnareff said encouragingly. "Egypt's right in front of us."

"We must defeat Dio as soon as possible and save Mrs. Holly." Mo vowed. He placed a hand across his chest. "That is exactly why I have returned."

"I think we, as a team, are unstoppable." Akemi said, her determination showing in her voice. "It's like you said. We'll end this soon." Thankfully, their words reassured Joseph. The worry in his aura dispelled a bit, and he let out a sigh.

"Right. Thank you, everyone." Joseph said. Everyone seemed calmer now. Jotaro's aura, however, was still in turmoil. She looked up at Jotaro. She'd have to talk to him later.

"Hey, I'm going to take a walk around the submarine and see what I can find. I can't stand sitting in one place for too long. Jotaro, wanna come with?" Akemi said, standing up from her seat. He grunted, standing up.

"Sure." He replied.

"Hehe, don't have too-"

"Yakamashi!"

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"So, what did you wanna talk about?" Jotaro asked in Japanese, making Akemi's eyebrows rise

.

They were standing in front of a large glass window, the sea life swimming all around them. The light level was low, and it illuminated strange parts of each other's face, almost as if they were looking at a different version of each other.

"Eh?"

"You're not the only one who can read minds, Ake-chan." Jotaro teased. She blushed.

"I- I can't read minds- I mean, my Stand can read surface thoughts, I think, but the information isn't transferred to me." She rambled out of embarrassment. Jotaro chuckled.

"I guess that's how she was able to find the fly, right?"

"Yep."

"Figured as much. Anyways-"

"I wanted to have a moment alone with you. You know, we don't really get that often and in a place we can finally relax." Akemi said quietly, looking up at him with a smile. "That's all-"

Akemi cut herself off, shocked, when Jotaro suddenly wrapped his arms around her. His embrace was warm and tight, and Akemi couldn't fight melting into it. Moments passed, and that's all they did.

"I know it's all your hearing," Akemi murmured into his ear, rubbing his back. His muscles relaxed against her fingers. "but I wanted to let you know that I know what it's like to lose a mother- I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she comes out of this alive. I'll be there every step of the way. It's okay to be stressed about it, it's okay to let it get to you. Remember that it's okay to feel your emotions without letting them get in the way, okay, Jojo?"

He only grunted in response. His aura surrounded hers, melding with hers in the most pleasant way. She was truly content. She let out a sigh and released him, holding his face. To her surprise, tears were leaking from his eyes.

At her shocked expression, he immediately pulled away and turned from her, tugging his hat down. All the happy, content colors were gone from his aura, replaced by a swirling storm of blues and nervous oranges.

"Jojo-?"

"I- I'm sorry. I-..." Jotaro wiped his cheeks, remaining faced away from her. Akemi felt a pang in her chest. Maybe he was so stressed that the moment he felt truly comfortable, he…

"Jojo, don't be sorry. Please, talk to me, amore mio. I'm here for you." She whispered. Jotaro's arms fell.

"You..." He started, his voice gravelly. He sounded like a teenager, younger than he looked when he was facing an enemy or smoking a cigarette.

He cleared his throat, his arms hugging Akemi's.

"I'm... Uh… I'm not good at this. But… I'm scared." He croaked, almost inaudibly. A moment passed, and embarrassment and frustration slipped into his aura. "I don't know why, it's not like I'm scared of dying. I know I'm strong enough to beat anything in my way, but..." Worry soaked his aura.

"You're scared of... other people dying?" Akemi guessed. Jotaro nodded. Akemi squeezed his sides, letting her cheek relax on his back. "When you genuinely care about other people, the thought of them leaving somehow or getting hurt terrifies you. You either have to have faith in that person's ability to defend themselves or your own ability to protect them- or both. Right now, Jojo, we're doing everything we possibly can to save your mother's life- and I think we're doing damn good, don't you think?"

He turned to face her, his tear-streaked face and glimmering pools of blue staring into her.

The purest form of love formed in his aura, encapsulating her in it and moving her head forward, into Jotaro's lips. Hungrily, he met her and they kissed, the dim glow of the ocean floor causing his wet cheeks to shimmer. It was a much better kiss than what they shared in the dream world, a kiss Jotaro doesn't even remember. However, somehow, in a comforting way, Akemi's lips felt familiar to him.

Jotaro pulled away for a moment, staring deep into her eyes.

"Ake-chan, I..." He trailed off, his voice failing him. Embarrassed, he looked away. "...Thank you." Akemi took his chin gently in her hand and turned him to face her.

"Of course, amore mio. You mean so much to me. I want to make sure you're okay." She told him, before reuniting their lips. Once more, however, she broke off, suddenly remembering something. Jotaro raised an eyebrow.

"By the way, before I forget, we never discussed if we should tell the others." Akemi told him. Jotaro made an 'o' with his mouth, and paused, considering.

"Well… What do you think?" Jotaro asked her.

"I'm not sure… The teasing is our main concern, isn't it?" Akemi said. "I'm sure they already know by now… But basically, our options are either to wait until they figure it out or announce it to them."

"I think I like the former. Let's see how long it'll take them, yeah?" Jotaro grinned, causing Akemi's heart to melt into a little puddle.

"You know, you're incredibly attractive, especially when you smile." Akemi told him, her eyes half-lidded. Jotaro chuckled, and blushed. In a quick motion, he pinned her against the window, causing Akemi to barely suppress a yelp and fireworks exploded in her chest.

She looked up at him, eyes wide. "Wh- what are you-" Akemi was cut off when Jotaro leaned down, grinned, and dove back into her lips.

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11:00 PM

"This is actually pretty easy!" Said Polnareff, at the helm of the submarine. "I guess it's no wonder you can drive it, Mohammed." Just as he said that, the whole submarine rumbled. Akemi's head snapped upward, having been drifting off until that happened. Mo smacked his forehead.

"For crying out loud!" Avdol scolded. "Jean Pierre, don't get overconfident! There are many obstacles in the sea." Polnareff waved his hand.

"Yeah, I know." Polnareff brushed him off "Alright! Let's speed up just a little bit-" He was cut off when the submarine hit something again, causing a long, loud rumble to shake the submarine.

"Jean Pierre Polnareff!" Mo snarled, getting up close to him.

"Th- that wasn't me!" Polnareff protested.

"Mo, please take the helm back. Unlike him, I don't wanna die underwater." Akemi groaned, putting her head in her hands.

Mo let out a chuckle and replaced Polnareff at the helm, taking control of the submarine once again. Polnareff sat on a chair across from Jotaro and Akemi, leaning on his fists on the table with a huff. With that, Akemi laid her head down on her arms and started to drift off again. Across from her, Polnareff yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm so tired. Are we there yet?" Polnareff asked wearily. Akemi sighed.

"How long was this trip supposed to take again?" Akemi asked Mo.

"The trip should be just five hours and thirty minutes longer." He responded. Akemi let out a small hum.

That's not as bad as I thought it would be. Akemi thought. Noriaki got up from his seat beside her and walked to the coffee machine. He pulled out a drawer under the coffee machine.

"One, two, three, four, five, six... oh, there are exactly six cups." Noriaki noted, pulling a mug out.

"Hey! Hurry up and make some coffee! I want some now!" Polnareff called. Akemi raised an eyebrow.

"Make it your own damn self, then!" Noriaki shot back, his aura annoyed.

"Oi, Polnareff. Don't be a brat." She scolded, an eyebrow raised.

"What?" He half-whined, raising his hands. "I'm tired, and I want some coffee."

"There's a better way to ask for that, you toddler." Akemi said disapprovingly, causing Polnareff to seethe.

"We still have a while before we arrive, Jean Pierre, so you can sleep instead of harassing Kakyoin." Mo deadpanned. Polnareff grumbled like a child that had just been chastised by his mother and leaned on his arms again.

This is going to be a long ride... Akemi thought. She glanced over to Jotaro, who'd already been looking at her.

When they made eye contact, Jotaro blushed and looked away. The memory of their lips being locked together only a half an hour ago stuck in her mind, and she blushed. Jeez, I can't believe we had our first real-life kiss in a fucking submarine.

She, however, maintained her sight. When his eyes slowly slid back to her, she cutely stuck out the tip of her tongue.

Jotaro pushed a smile away and turned back around, his aura swirling with shades of pink.

Noriaki, who was watching, raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Has it finally happened? He thought, wishing he had Akemi's ability to sense people's emotions through their auras. Honestly, I'm starting to feel like a fifth wheel.

4:30 AM

Akemi had drifted off long ago, getting the sleep her body desperately needed. Her arms laid on the table and her head nestled comfortably on them.

Polnareff had as well, his head laid upon his muscular arm. Mo was still at the helm, looking through a periscope. Joseph and Noriaki were talking about his future and the Speedwagon Foundation, along with giving him experienced advice for school and college. Jotaro leaned back on his chair, having gambled on his balance for the last hour or two. Whenever he lost, he had Star Platinum- who had been playing around with Empress for quite a while now- catch him so he wouldn't wake the others.

"Hey! I can see the coast of Africa!" Mo turned and announced suddenly, excitement in his voice.

Akemi jerked awake at the sudden noise, being a light sleeper. Polnareff grumbled as he awoke, but excitement filled everyone's aura eventually.

"We're about to arrive!"

Akemi stretched her arms and let a smile cross her face, sighing happily. "Finally."

Joseph pulled out a map and laid it across the table, and everyone gathered around it. Mo pointed to the shallow sea right outside the nearby coast.

"Along the coral reef," He began, "there is an underwater tunnel formed by erosion. The exit is two hundred meters inland. Shall we surface there?"

"Yeah..." Joseph agreed. "So, we've finally made it to Egypt." He sighed contentedly.

"Yeah, finally." Polnareff agreed, a subtle excitement about him.

"Ara ara... The hot, sandy land of Egypt. We really made it." Akemi breathed, letting it settle into her mind.

"Yes, finally." Mo added. Polnareff let out a small huff of air, a smile on his face.

"What's wrong?" Asked Mo. Polnareff looked up.

"Nah, I'm just really happy." Polnareff explained. "It's been a while since all six of us were last together." Akemi's smile widened. Polnareff was a sweetheart when he didn't act like an idiot. Akemi stood back, stretching her arms.

"Oi, Nori. Do you wanna help me make some coffee?" Akemi asked. Noriaki turned and smiled.

"Sure." He agreed.

"I like mine with two sugars!" Said Polnareff as the two teens made their way to the coffee machine. Akemi snorted.

"Like we'd make you a coffee. You know, they say little kids shouldn't have caffeine" Akemi scoffed. Polnareff gasped, offended.

"Why, you..." He hissed, his eyes narrowed.

"Kidding!" Akemi chirped playfully. Polnareff sat back down with a growl, though in his aura it was clear that he enjoyed the joke. From beside her, Noriaki let out a small laugh.

They filled all seven mugs up with water and let it brew in the coffee machine after they'd agreed all around on hazelnut. Well, Akemi recommended it, and the others didn't know what it tasted like, so they settled on it.

"Noriaki, have you ever tried using Hierophant's tentacles for more domestic uses? I never catch you with Hierophant outside of battle." Akemi said, leaning against the wall as they waited. Noriaki raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm used to being careful using Hierophant to do things around non-Stand users, I never wanted them to think I was weird or cursed or anything. So I guess it's just out of habit." He explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "I suppose I can do that more often now that I'm around people like me." Noriaki added, smiling lightly as he said the last part, looking at the other four that sat around the table, discussing.

The end of Akemi's lips quirked upward as she followed his gaze. She frowned, however, when she noticed Jotaro's side gaze. He didn't show it anywhere on him physically, but she could see jealousy in his aura, a forest green envy swirling in his aura. Her face went slack with surprise, and Jotaro quickly averted his gaze, slight embarrassment mixing with his green. Noriaki turned to Akemi.

"Well, it seems you're pretty used to using your Stand domestically." Noriaki said. Akemi looked back up at him.

"Oh, yeah. Sometimes I feel like I'm taking advantage of her." Akemi said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Like when I was in middle school, I'd often grow myself food or something when nobody was watching, and if they asked where I got it, I would say it was on me all along, and if they asked for one, I'd tell them it was my last one." Akemi said, looking back on the memory. "Then, I'd get in trouble for having food in class. School in Italy is strict." She added with a laugh. Noriaki let out a laugh at that as well.

The coffee machine dinged from beside them. They both jumped and looked beside them, letting out another laugh once they realized what caught them off guard. They both summoned their Stands' arms and made the coffee quickly, carrying the mugs over to the table. Setting them down on the table, they retracted their Stands and got ready to sit down.

"Oi, Ake, Kakyoin." Jotaro piped up. "Why did you bring seven cups? There are six of us." He noticed. Akemi and Noriaki frowned and exchanged glances.

"Did you make another cup?" Asked Noriaki. Akemi put a finger on her lip, confused.

"No... I thought there were always seven. I have an odd feeling about that mug, though." Akemi said, pointing to the one closest to her.

Joseph leaned over and picked it up, inspecting it closely.

Suddenly, it shapeshifted into a large knife before all their eyes. Before anyone could blink, Joseph's fake hand had been chopped off.

Chaos broke out. They all rose and panicked voices reverberated inside the control room, and blood leaked out of Joseph's exposed wrist. Again, all too quickly, the mug broke Joseph's artificial hand apart and shot three of his fingers at him, all piercing his throat.

"G- Grandpa!" Jotaro shouted.

"Joestar-san!" Noriaki exclaimed.

"Joseph, no!" Akemi cried.

Quickly, Empress Gaea appeared at her side. She shot out her healing vines, but the mug created another blade and cut the vines in half, causing them to retract. She gritted her teeth and shot forward, but she was prevented from moving any further when a strong hand gripped her arm, pulling her back. Jotaro pulled her to his side, nearly behind him.

"Don't, Ake. It'll slice you in half! Didn't you see what happened to your vines?" He asked angrily. Akemi's eyes were wide, but she realized she was being impulsive and let herself fall behind Jotaro, nervousness crowding her mind. Star Platinum appeared at Jotaro's side, hovering protectively by Akemi.

The mug landed in the middle of the table, knocking all the coffee mugs and spilling the delicious brown liquid everywhere. The mug was now in the shape of a tribal gremlin-like creature. It let out a high-pitched wail, sending chills up Akemi's spine.

"Impossible!" Mo cried. "It's a Stand! At some point, a Stand got into the submarine!" Again, far too fast, it moved again, plastering itself to the ceiling. Without hesitation, Star Platinum swung at the enemy with a loud cry. However, it dodged quicker than the bullet-speed Stand, falling to the console ahead and out of sight. To everyone's horror, it slunk into the metal and disappeared. A dreadful silence screamed, broken only by hard breathing and pained groans from Joseph as he bled profusely.

"I- it disappeared!" Polnareff cried, his voice echoing. Akemi squinted, her eyes scanning the area in front of her, still able to sense an energy around her.

"No, that's not it!" Akemi said. "I can still sense it, but I can't pinpoint its location!"

"It transformed!" Jotaro said intensely.

"It turned into one of the gauges!" Mo shouted. "Just as it turned into a coffee cup!"

"Seriously?" Polnareff replied. "We're at the coral reef! We were only a few hundred meters from surfacing in Egypt!"

"The user must've been waiting for us on the shore!" Akemi shouted. "Damn it… We must've jinxed ourselves."

"That's impossible! This Stand is too powerful!" Polnareff cried.

Akemi looked back at Joseph, and decided it was safe to tend to his wounds now that they had a second. He would bleed out if they didn't hurry.

"Noriaki, help me." She said, rushing past Jotaro and kneeling by Joseph's side. Noriaki sat on his other side, lifting him up. Empress Gaea phased by Akemi, her healing vines spreading across Joseph's chest and up his neck. Before they could start healing, Noriaki took his detached fingers out of his neck, and blood spurted from them- he must've somehow retained the knowledge that his skin would've just grown over the metal had it stayed. Pursing her lips, she started healing him. Thankfully, it went by pretty quick. She had quite a bit of energy after waking up, after all.

"Joseph's fine, but he's unconscious. I'm gonna save my energy in case I need it, but if need be, I can wake him up." Akemi reported. Noriaki lifted Joseph over his shoulder, standing up. "Good thing it was only his prosthetic hand that was cut off." Suddenly, the phone started ringing, catching everyone off guard.

"T- the phone?! Who is it at a time like this?" Polnareff cried.

"Ignore it, Polnareff!" Noriaki shouted intensely. "Don't get distracted!"

"It's the High Priestess." Said Mo, drawing everyone's attention. "The enemy is using the Stand that suggests the High Priestess."

"You know of it?" Asked Jotaro.

"I've heard of it." Replied Mo. "The name of the Stand user is Midler. She can control her Stand from far away, so Akemi might be right."

"What exactly is its power?" Akemi asked warily.

"It can turn into anything that's metal or glass, as long as it's a mineral." Mo explained. "That includes plastic and vinyl, as well. Even if we touch or hit it, unless it attacks, we have no way of recognizing it. It spreads itself everywhere when in its full disguise, Akemi won't even be able to see its aura." Akemi gulped. Since when could Stand abilities hide from her aura sense?

"B- but how did she get inside the sub?" Polnareff asked worriedly. As if in response, a gauge behind him burst and water started pouring in. The lights turned red and alarms started blaring.

"I see... so that's how." Polnareff muttered. "Pure and simple... so it cut a hole and came in?"

"It broke the surfacing system." Mo announced, panicked. "We're sinking faster!"

"We're suddenly low on oxygen." Noriaki added. "Navigation is impossible!" Akemi dashed in front of the gauge, Empress Gaea shooting thick vines out from her arms in an attempt to stop the flow. It stopped, though it was leaking. Everything was calm for a moment.

"I'm not sure I can hold it long..." Akemi said breathlessly. Suddenly, the phone rang again.

"Damn it! Shut up! Who the hell is it at a time like this?" Polnareff snarled. Jotaro approached the stand, moving his hand to pick up the phone.

"Jotaro, what are you-?" Akemi asked, her eyes widened and her eyebrows furrowed.

"Hey! Don't touch things without thinki-" Mo cut himself off when Jotaro picked up the phone and placed it against his ear. No one made a sound.

"Hi, Joseph, it's me!" Came Suzi Q's voice. Akemi stared at him, her eyebrows raised and her jaw slack. "I wasn't done talking to you, so I made Rosas give me the number." While she listened, about a quart of water made it past her slackening vines and slapped the flooded ground. She frantically tightened her vines, keeping only an ear out for the words Suzi would speak.

"Why aren't you speaking?" Suzi asked. "Not to mention, what a rowdy hotel you're in. I hear something like... a siren? And the sound of water... is something leaking?"

"Sorry, but the old man can't come to the phone right now." Jotaro replied calmly. Over the phone, Suzi Q gasped.

"That voice... is that you, Jotaro?! Where's Joseph? You should be in Japan, with your mother. Why are you with your grandfather? …Is Akemi there? …Answer me, Jotaro!" Suzi Q asked, her voice raised. Jotaro sent Akemi a side glance. His aura was surprisingly calm. After a moment of silence, Jotaro spoke again.

"There's nothing to worry about, Grandma Suzi. The old man has me and Akemi. They went to fix what was causing the siren- it's no big deal. I need to go help. Once things calm down, we'll call you back. Later."

"Jotaro-!" He ended the call before Suzi Q could continue. As he put the phone down, he looked at a struggling Akemi, who had a tired smile on her face.

"That was… Actually alright, Jojo." She breathed. She thought she could see a ghost of a smile on his face- confirmed when she saw pink in his aura.

"Brace yourselves! We're going to hit the ocean floor!" Mo shouted raucously. Akemi let out a whimper of worry, unable to do much.

"Oh my god!" Exclaimed Polnareff. The submarine lurched when it hit the floor. Akemi yelped as she slipped and hit the ground, groaning and losing focus on her vines. The water spilled through- more than before, but Akemi was quick to cover it back up again. "I knew this would happen! Every vehicle we ride in gets destroyed!"

"I'm never getting in a submarine again." Jotaro muttered, his voice gravelly. Akemi was starting to feel light-headed- it was getting a lot harder to hold the water out. As Polnareff hefted Joseph over his shoulders, he started to notice too, it seemed.

"H- hey, the oxygen's getting thin in here." Polnareff said.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up." Akemi said weakly, her arms shaking as she held back the waterfall. Her biceps were burning. "Now that we've gotten deeper, the pressure is higher."

"Shit..." Noriaki cursed under his breath.

"Kakyoin. Did you see which gauge the Stand turned into?" Asked Jotaro. They both scanned the wall full of gauges. Noriaki raised an unsure finger to one of the gauges.

"It looked like it turned into this one." He said shakily, unable to keep the uncertainty out of his voice. Jotaro held up a hand, trusting his word regardless, and Noriaki backed off. Everybody watched intently as Jotaro summoned Star Platinum's fist and prepared to whack the gauge.

"No, Jotaro! It already moved!" Mo shouted suddenly, pointing to a wobbly red object right by Noriaki's head.

"Noriaki!" Akemi shouted, panicked, as she saw the High Priestess morph into its original form and reach out to the redhead. It clawed at him with a shriek, but Noriaki dodged right in time.

"Hierophant!" Noriaki cried out as he ducked. Hierophant attacked the High Priestess, but the Stand passed around him and clawed at him, blood spraying from the deep cut in his neck. He yelled in pain, crashing down and clutching his neck.

"Noriaki!" Akemi called again. Damn it, what is it with the neck wounds!? I need to hurry up and get his wound, it's a lot easier to bleed out from a wound from there, there's too many big veins… Star Platinum let out an angry 'ora!' and swung at High Priestess. It seemed that he'd finally made an impact, because High Priestess was thrown against a wall. It let out an ear-splitting shriek and morphed into the wall.

"Joeessssttaaarrr..." It hissed before it disappeared.

"Everyone, head toward the door! It's become part of the hull's surface and started moving!" Mo shouted. "Akemi, keep that hole plugged up as long as you can!" Akemi let out a grunt in response, feeling as if her arms would fall off. She couldn't sacrifice either of Empress's arms to heal Noriaki behind her, so she only hoped he was putting pressure on the wound.

"You say that, but..." Polnareff trailed off.

"If we stay in this room, we'll all get badly hurt." Mo interrupted him. "Are you alright, Kakyoin?" He asked, averting his gaze to the stressed redhead who held his neck.

"Y- yes..." He responded. "The scratch isn't that deep." He added, seeing Akemi's expression.

"Everyone, head to the next room!" Mo commanded, running to the closed door. Everyone followed, but Akemi stayed in place, planning to keep the hole plugged for as long as possible. "We'll seal this room and trap it inside! ...I- impossible! It already moved and transformed into the door wheel..." Akemi's head swiveled to Mo, whose grip on the door had slackened. His aura was filled with fear, and it seemed he was petrified. Her heart leapt with fear when she saw claws next to his arm. Before it could swing at him, Star Platinum yanked High Priestess off the wheel and held it in his clutches, just above his chest.

"Yes! We got it!" Polnareff cheered.

"Th- that was close..." Mo breathed shakily. Jotaro looked down at High Priestess as it squirmed in his hands.

"Apparently, it can't move faster than Star Platinum." Jotaro noted. "What should we do with it?"

"Jotaro, don't hesitate! Show no mercy! Hurry up and rip its head off!" Polnareff told him sadistically.

"Aye-aye, sir." Jotaro responded. But as he moved to do so, pain flared in his aura, and he grunted, blood dripping on the ground and mixing with the thin layer of saltwater on the ground. "B- bastard... it turned into a razor!" Akemi let out a gasp, feeling the flash of pain Jotaro emanated from his aura as the razor sliced through his skin. High Priestess let out a giggle and shot toward Polnareff, who dodged, causing him to drop Joseph and High Priestess to hit the ceiling. Still, though, when it materialized as its original form, a primal grin split its face and it giggled.

"I- impossible..." Akemi grunted, feeling preemptively tired from the wounds she knew she would have to heal.

"It's powerful..." Mo breathed. Joseph shot up with a shout, breathing hard.

"I can't believe it landed an attack on Jotaro." Noriaki said, shocked. "What an enemy..."

"W- what's going on?" Asked Joseph, looking around. "I'm not sure what's happening, but are we in a pinch?"

"Shut up, old man." Jotaro snapped, stressed.

"It's a Stand, Joseph!" Akemi managed.

"If we touch it, we'll get attacked." Said Mo, summoning his Stand. "So we just need to not touch it! Magician's Red!" The fiery red bird shot out from behind Mo, spitting fire from his massive beak. High Priestess leapt out of the way with ease.

"Silver Chariot!" Cried Polnareff, the knight-like Stand appearing above him. In a flash, Silver Chariot stabbed the High Priestess, but just in time, it hardened itself to the ceiling, effectively blocking Silver Chariot's thrusts. "It's hard." Polnareff noticed, annoyed.

"Chariot's rapier can't pierce it!" The High Priestess cackled maniacally.

"We should strike while it's visible." Joseph suggested.

"Everyone, stand back!" Called Mo. Polnareff opened the bulkhead, the small amount of water in the room spilling out as he did so.

"T- there's still oxygen over here!" Polnareff called. He dashed forward, abandoning the control room.

"But it's just a matter of time!" Noriaki said, following suit.

"Are you alright?" Asked Mo as he and Joseph followed Noriaki and Polnareff.

"Yeah," Joseph replied, "thanks to Akemi…" Mo turned around. Akemi groaned as her arms burned even worse, and Joseph watched, his aura wary.

"Akemi! Jotaro! Leave it, it'll transform again!" He shouted intensely. "We're sinking, so we need to trap that thing! We'll figure out how to fight it then! Akemi, you don't need to keep holding back the water!" Mo turned around and left.

The room was filled with evil cackles as High Priestess disappeared into the hull once again. Jotaro stared for a moment, his aura festering with anger. Akemi let out another grunt as she held the water back.

"I, Kujo Jotaro, will end you myself." Jotaro vowed. He turned to Akemi. "C'mon, Ake, we're leaving. You can let go, now." Jotaro said, his voice a touch softer when directed at her. When Jotaro noticed her uncertain look, he sighed, walking up to her. "You've done enough. You have to go or you'll die down here." Jotaro said, his voice intense, almost desperate. Akemi was about to protest, but saw the fear in his aura. She bit her lip and looked back at the hole, which was dripping with more saltwater than before.

"...Alright." Akemi finally caved in. She released the pressure on the breach, Empress Gaea's arms fading and detaching the vines from her arms, causing the vines to land in the water with a wet noise. The water gushed out, spraying both Jotaro and Akemi. Without another thought, Jotaro took Akemi's hand and they both ran out, following the rest. While they ran, Akemi started to heal Jotaro's scratches.

"Jotaro! You answered a phone call from Suzi?!" Joseph exclaimed as they ran. "Damn it... you shouldn't have done that. Well, whatever. We'll talk once we get out of this predicament. Leave it to me."

"Do you have a plan?" Asked Jotaro, disregarding Joseph's earlier statement.

"Yeah... a brilliant one." Joseph answered triumphantly. Jotaro and Akemi exchanged glances. "I, Joseph Joestar, have been in a number of situations like this."

"What is it?" Asked Noriaki. "I'm not sure if it's us or the Stand that's trapped. Sooner or later, it'll cut its way out of that room and get here."

"We're definitely at a disadvantage in this closed space filled with machines, particularly Akemi. This submarine is done for. We need to abandon it and escape!" Mo proclaimed. "We just need to surface in Egypt!" Akemi's heart jumped.

Well, she supposed she wouldn't mind a scuba dive in the world's prettiest sea. But…

"What a waste of money…" Akemi murmured.

"No kidding! But I'm willing to spend whatever amount of money I have in order to get us closer to that bastard, Dio, and save my daughter." Joseph said determinedly.

"But we're forty meters below sea level!" Polnareff exclaimed. "It's not that deep, but how are we going to get to the surface?" Just as he finished speaking, they arrived in a room- the room they'd entered the submarine in, in fact.

"We're going to go for a scuba dive." Joseph said with a wide smirk, holding the door open. They entered the room and started fitting their gear on.

"Oh, we're scuba diving now?" Polnareff asked as he held up a tube on his scuba gear, looking at it uncertainly. "I've never done this before..." Joseph jogged in place as he watched the group assemble their gear.

"Hurry up! Step on it!" Said Joseph, jogging in place. Akemi pulled the scuba gear over her jacket, hoping desperately that the water wouldn't ruin it. She could already feel the crispy texture her hair would take on once it dried.

"Good grief..." Jotaro muttered, fiddling with the air tank.

"It's a lot harder with only one hand now. Makes me think of the time before I got my prosthetic installed." Joseph added to his last comment, holding up his stump. Once Polnareff had finished helping Akemi tighten the scuba gear, she looked up at him.

"Do you need help, Joseph?" She asked. Joseph waved her off with his stump.

"No, no. It's fine, Jotaro can help me." He said, turning to his grandson, who merely held up his goggles.

"Do it yourself." He responded bluntly. Before Joseph could respond, the submarine creaked and jerked to the side, causing everyone to stumble, and fear to shoot up their auras. Akemi gulped when she saw the room begin to fill up with water.

"This isn't good!" Polnareff exclaimed nervously, looking around. Joseph shouldered on his scuba gear, doing his best to adjust it with one hand.

"Don't lose your cool. It's times like these when people of strength need to be prepared... it's hard to get this stuff on without my artificial hand." Joseph said, looking down at his stump. His expression returning to normal, he looked around. "Who here has scuba dived before?" He asked.

"No." Noriaki answered.

"Not me." Said Jotaro.

"I haven't." Akemi said nervously.

"Me neither." Polnareff added.

"The High Priestess is still attacking from the next room!" Mo called, his hand on the shut door. Joseph stood up at that. "Quickly, teach us how to dive!"

"Don't panic, Avdol." Said Joseph, turning around halfway. "Above all, never panic. That's the most important thing in scuba diving. When you're underwater, for every ten meters you go below the surface, the pressure increases by one atmosphere. At the surface, there's one atmosphere of pressure. We're forty meters below the surface right now, so we'll endure five atmospheres of pressure. If we try to surface immediately, our lungs and blood vessels will burst. We have to go up slowly, so our bodies can adjust. We're near the Egyptian coast, so we'll go up along the seafloor." Joseph motioned, walking to a large pipe with a bright red wheel on it.

"Now... I'm going to let the water in." He began, gripping it with his hand and turning it to the side. As he did so, water began to pour in, increasing the water level in the already flooded room. Realizing she had no more time to prepare, Akemi felt fear shoot up her chest. The water reached her waist in seconds. Joseph began explaining the scuba gear to them.

"This is a regulator. There's a valve inside that only lets in air from the tank when you breathe in. When you exhale, your breath comes out the left side." He said. Akemi looked down at her regulator, holding it up to her face.

"What about your spit? What happens if spit or phlegm comes out while you're underwater?" Asked Polnareff.

"That stuff comes out on the left, too." Joseph answered, pointing to the left side of the regulator. He raised a hand. "By the way, this should be obvious, but we can't talk underwater. We'll use hand signals instead. Let's keep things simple, and use two. When everything is fine, we'll use this to say 'okay'." He held up an 'okay' sign. Then he flattened his hand and raised his knuckles, sticking out his pinkie and thumb. "When things aren't good, use this."

"Maybe you'll need them, but have you forgotten that we can use our Stands to talk underwater?" Akemi asked, crossing her arms and tilting her head to the side. Joseph straightened, slightly embarrassed.

"That's a good point." He stated.

"Wait, Joestar-san won't be able to use his Stand," Noriaki pointed out. "vines don't have a mouth."

"That's true..." Mo muttered, his hand over his mouth thoughtfully. "Perhaps Mr. Joestar will be the only one that needs to use the hand signals, then."

"Aww, but I know a hand signal message, too." Polnareff said, raising a finger. Akemi raised an eyebrow. Polnareff clapped his hands, raised two fingers, then three, and bent over to the side a little, putting his hand over his eyes as if he were shielding his eyes from the sun. Noriaki appeared behind him.

"'Your underwear is showing'." Noriaki translated. Polnareff grinned and turned around to face the redhead.

"Yeah!" He hooted. They did some sort of handshake after... When did they make that up?

"I have a better hand signal." Akemi commented when they finished. Curious, they paused and looked at her. She stuck up her middle finger.

"'Fuck you'." Noriaki translated. Akemi, Noriaki and Polnareff burst out in laughter- she even got a small laugh out of Jotaro.

"Stop fucking around when the enemy is right behind us!" Joseph scolded, raising an arm. "Let's go!" Akemi blanched when she noticed the water was almost up to her chest. "This room will soon fill up with water. Put on your goggles and regulator." Akemi hastily did so, breathing out of her nose until the water overtook their heads.

When Joseph opened the hatch at the top of the submarine, the rest of the air was released. Akemi watched as the bubbles rose slowly to the surface. Joseph turned around and made an 'okay' sign with his hand. Everyone reciprocated- except Polnareff. He suddenly started screaming from beside them, and they turned, alarmed.

"P- Polnareff!" Cried Mo's Stand. A familiar giggle resonated through the liquidated room. Akemi felt anger within her when she saw the High Priestess's face instead of Polnareff's regulator, chewing on his lip. "W- when did-?!" Blood started to leak from the Frenchman's lips as it ripped off his goggles. At the sight of the red cloud, Akemi summoned her Stand, her jasmine healing vines already tangling around her wrists.

"No!" Empress Gaea shouted, her voice ethereal-sounding even through her panic.

"I- it had already transformed into a regulator!" Hierophant Green exclaimed.

"Th- that bastard..." Star Platinum growled. They watched as the High Priestess tried to climb into Polnareff's mouth. "It's going to climb into his mouth and tear him apart! This is bad... we've got to drain the room!"

"It's too late for that! She must've been waiting for this moment!" Magician's Red squawked. Star Platinum let out a loud 'ora!' and reached out to grab the High Priestess, but she climbed in just in time.

"S- shit!" Star Platinum cursed. All they could do was watch as Polnareff gurgled, his eyes rolling back, as the High Priestess disappeared down his throat completely from view.

"It's inside Polnareff now!" Magician's Red exclaimed. "I- it's going to tear him apart! W- what should we do?!"

"Noriaki! Use Hierophant's tentacles! My vines could break inside him!" Empress Gaea exclaimed, looking at Noriaki.

"Say no more!" Hierophant Green shouted, his arm unwrapping into a green-and-silver tentacle. Joseph also had an arm out, Hermit Purple extending from his arm not unlike Empress Gaea's own vines. Both tentacles went inside Polnareff's nose in an attempt to get the High Priestess. Polnareff let out a strangled 'hey!'.

No doubt he was running out of air. Empress Gaea nervously grabbed Star Platinum's hand, and the purple Stand squeezed her hand- without either of their users realizing, though they both felt oddly reassured.

"I got it before it went down his throat, Joestar-san!" Hierophant Green said. "Let's force it out before it transforms!" Joseph turned to Noriaki and sent him an 'okay' sign with his hand. After a few moments, they saw the bulge in Polnareff's throat, and the High Priestess emerged from his nose, wrapped in both Hierophant Green and Hermit Purple.

"Alright, keep hold of it." Said Star Platinum, letting go of Empress Gaea's hand. Before Star could take action, however, the High Priestess began to morph into something else.

"It's transforming!" Empress Gaea called, Akemi pointing a finger. It twisted and morphed into a harpoon with a deadly sharp tip.

"A speargun! It turned into a speargun!" Magician's Red cried. Akemi, however, noticed Polnareff was struggling, and swam in his direction.

"Here, Polnareff. Take my regulator." Empress Gaea instructed while Akemi handed him her breathing instrument. He hungrily took it, breathing in the air inside.

"Emerald Splash!" Hierophant Green voiced, shining emeralds being flung in the direction of the speargun.

"Silver Chariot!" The knight called, appearing behind the Frenchman. He dueled the speargun, each slash being met with almost equal force. He was finally able to push it away, thrusting in its direction, meeting tip-to-tip with insane precision. It pulled itself back, loading itself into the gun. "It's reloading!" Silver Chariot warned.

"This isn't good!" Shouted Magician's Red.

"H- hurry!" Hierophant Green urged. They quickly made for the exit, and Polnareff gave Akemi her regulator back, though she had no problem holding her breath any longer. Jotaro was the first one out, waiting at the side of the exit and helping everyone out. First was Noriaki, then Polnareff, then Akemi, and Mo. Akemi lingered at Jotaro's side as they waited for Joseph.

"Hurry up, old man!" Star Platinum called. As Joseph exited, he waved his hand in a 'I know, I know' sort of fashion. As soon as he was out, the purple Stand slammed the door shut, and a weak 'tink!' was heard underneath the plate. After that, only the sound of bubbles was heard.

"Th- that was close..." Sighed Hierophant Green in a robotic-sounding voice. Joseph turned around, his green eyes intense. Mo seemed to get the message, and relayed it through his bird-headed Stand.

"Now is too soon to relax," Magician's Red said. "The High Priestess knows exactly how to hit us and with great precision." Both Mo and his Stand turned to Polnareff. "Are you alright, Jean Pierre?" Magician's Red asked, just as Akemi had finished using a sponge to drain the water from Polnareff's goggles, and Jotaro had just hooked up a spare regulator to his tank so Polnareff could breathe from it.

"I- I'm fine..." Said Silver Chariot. "You guys saved me. Merci beaucoup." He thanked them graciously.

With that, Joseph pointed in the direction they would be swimming and started their journey to the surface. It was mostly silent, but Akemi could hear the bubbling of brain coral and the movement of the sea life around them. It fascinated her.

Suddenly, she remembered Jotaro's interest in the sea. She looked in his direction, and was unable to stop a small smile from stretching her lips.

Though Jotaro seemed focused on the task ahead, Star Platinum was looking around with wide eyes, seemingly hooked on every little thing he saw. What surprised her, though, was how he immediately turned to her Stand and tried to show her certain things he'd noticed. She felt warmth climb up her chest.

"The sea floor is so beautiful." Silver Chariot commented, snapping Akemi out of her trance. "I wish I could've come here for a vacation."

"As much as I agree, this is no time to relax. We must focus on surfacing as quickly as possible." Magician's Red said. Noriaki turned to Mo.

"Will it come after us?" Asked Hierophant Green. Mo turned to face him.

"I can't see that happening." Magician's Red assured. "The High Priestess can turn into metal or glass, but she can't become fish, water or sea foam." Akemi sent him an uncertain look.

"Are you sure?" Asked Empress Gaea, uncertain. "If the High Priestess could shift through the whole submarine, I don't see why it couldn't leave after us and turn into the rock below us. You did say she could turn into any mineral, right?"

"Pfft. And what is it going to do?" Silver Chariot snorted, waving her worries off. "If it does attack us, we'll see it coming easily, and the water's gonna slow its movements." Akemi mentally pictured what High Priestess would look like trying to attack them from the seafloor as a rock or something, and let out a huff of her own.

"I suppose you're right..." Empress Gaea conceded.

"Akemi, you are right to worry. Watch your back while you swim. If she does pursue us, she'll probably turn into a screw in our gear to do it." Magician's Red told them. "Be careful of moving pebbles and stones, as well."

They swam along the floor, occasionally using the rock below them to push forward. Up ahead, they saw two caves. Mo pointed ahead.

"Look, it's a sea tunnel." Magician's Red squawked.

"Is it the right one? There are two..." Empress Gaea said uncertainly. Joseph raised a depth meter and showed it to the people around him.

"Our depth is seven meters..." Star Platinum observed.

"We're finally at the Egyptian shore!" Magician's Red exclaimed. "Swim along these rocks to the surface." He instructed.

Excitedly, the group picked up the pace and began swimming forward. However, Akemi's heart palpitated when she saw the rocks below her move. The auras of everyone around her grew fearful as hers did. The rocks below cracked open and revealed... teeth? She looked frantically around, quickly realizing the pattern the rocks around them formed. The teeth opened and the water began to pull them inward.

"Shit!" Cried Empress Gaea. "It's the High Priestess!"

"W- what?!" Star Platinum exclaimed.

"It was disguised as the sea bed!" Magician's Red squawked. "It's so big..."

"W- we're being sucked into its mouth!" Hierophant Green shouted.

Akemi found quickly, with a pang of panic, that no matter how strong she was, she couldn't escape its pull. They were dragged inside, and its teeth snapped shut, blocking any form of escape.

╚═══━━━─── • ───━━━═══╝

╔═══━━━─── • ───━━━═══╗

thats what she said

facts.

-akemi has only been to new york a few times, and most of those times, she was with joseph. regardless, suzi q is still sort of a grandmother figure to her. and she knows enough about what joseph and akemi do in italy to know that she's usually with him when he's away- which is why she assumed this in the first place.

-speaking of the suzi q call, that didn't actually happen in the manga... so weird

-jotaro shares the same mindset as joseph in that he would keep things from his spouse to protect them, but it was changed when he saw how uncomfortable akemi was with it. he thought about it and concluded that if they were married, he wouldn't have to keep anything from her because she can protect herself, and pretty damn well at that. then he proceeded to blush at the idea of them married.

anyways see y'all next chapter!

- caelesti

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REVIEWS

Goatjo: You came back faster than expected but a great chapter. I like how we see jotaro be vulnerable something we barely ever see. And it is great that we see them become a couple officially but I'm really excited for the next chapter.
THANK YOU GOATJO! im glad yall don't think that scene was cringe, i was a little worried about that since i haven't written original, lovey dovey scenes like that in a long time. i'll admit, it's a little harder writing now that i'm not as deeply obsessed with jotaro as i used to be, especially now that i have a very attractive boyfriend lol. but i'll d omy best to not disappoint and listen to any pointers/criticisms in the reviews!

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