Age 737 Sunday December 18th 1988
Having managed to halt The Lovers' invasive attack, Jotaro and company avoided the political unrest in Iran and Iraq, instead crossing the Arabian Sea at Karachi to arrive at the United Arab Emirates. They found themselves in a dealership, ready to buy another vehicle.
"Now then, if you'd be so kind as to sign this document, everything will be squared away, sir. Right here, yes?" said the employee as Joseph signed his name on a check.
"You know, if a pretty girl like you asked me to, I might even be inclined to buy a car," said Polnareff, squatting nearby and talking softly to a blonde-haired woman.
"My, aren't you sweet," replied the young woman. "How'd you feel about the two of us getting dinner sometime?" said Polnareff but was interrupted by Joseph, who put his paperwork onto Polnareff's hair, messing it up.
"Polnareff, I hate to interrupt when you're obviously so busy, but…" said Joseph.
"Mister Joestar!" growled Polnareff, swiftly standing up and fixing his hair. "Come on, it's time to leave," said Joseph.
"Seriously! Try not to mess with the hair! Do you know how hard it is to look this good?" said Polnareff.
"As if anybody cares about your hairdo," said Joseph, walking toward the exit.
"You're driving." said Joseph tossing Polnareff the keys. "Righto. Bye, Mademoiselle." said Polnareff waving back. The blonde smiled and waved back.
"But Mister Joestar, I don't get why we're riding in a fancy, expensive car in this sandy death trap. Wouldn't an off-road vehicle be better?" questioned Polnareff.
"You'll find out soon enough," said Joseph, opening the doors as they walked outside. Outside was a Stretch Limo.
"Wow, this country's amazing! It's like every house is some kind of crazy mansion," said Polnareff, driving down the road.
"Indeed, in Tokyo, you'd need three to four billion yen to buy one of these. This is the standard of living in this country. It wasn't but twenty years ago that this place was a barren desert. Though, thanks to a thriving oil industry, it's grown into a playground for the rich," explained Joseph.
"Jotaro, why are the houses so big?" inquired Fasha.
"They are big to show how wealthy people want to show how much money they got and to hold all their possessions. Like a form of luxury, like how kings and rulers have castles," explained Jotaro.
"Kind of like Frieza," muttered Bardock out loud, and the other Saiyans agreed.
"That sun may be merciless, but it sure is nice and cool in here with the air-conditioning. Not too shabby," smirked Polnareff. Kakyoin caught his eye.
"Oh, what's wrong, Kakyoin?" asked Jotaro.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about how open the landscape is here. If anyone were after us, I'm sure we'd spot them. But I just can't shake the feeling that someone's watching us," said Kakyoin.
"Yeah, can't say that I blame you," said Polnareff.
Joseph opened the map. "Well, back to business. I've given a bit of thought to the route we should take. About a hundred kilometers northwest is a village called Yarpline. The desert and mountains make taking a direct route near impossible. It takes two days to reach by car, so the locals use a Cessna to get there. We should go to the village and buy a Cessna, then we can cross the vast Saudi Arabian desert. You know, I've been apprehensive about getting anywhere near a plane. If a Stand user attacked, and the plane went down, we'd be putting innocent lives at risk. With a Cessna, I could be the pilot. We'd be able to save some time for sure," said Joseph, smiling and pointing at himself, looking back.
"Flying in a Cessna with a man who's been in three plane crashes. Yeah, that sounds like a perfect idea to me," said Jotaro, looking back at Joseph. Bardock spoke up, "We could just use ki to fly." The tension was broken.
"We don't want Dio to know that we can do that," said Joseph.
"It's more that he knows everything about us," added Taro.
"Anyways, our priority should be crossing the desert and hightailing it to the village of Yarpline. It'll take one day on camel-back," said Joseph.
"Camel-back? A Cessna's one thing, but on camel-back? I've never ridden a camel in my life!" exclaimed Polnareff.
"Leave it to me. I know these creatures well. I'll show you the ropes. You guys sit back and watch the magic happen," said Joseph cockily.
As they reached their destination and got out, examining the camels, the salesman approached. "You want camels, you say? Sure, but they're gonna cost you, my friend. And they need a gentle touch."
"We're kind of in a life-or-death situation here, so we need them, whatever it takes. As for payment, how about a trade for that car?" said Joseph, pointing at the limo.
"What!" They all looked at the car, not believing what Joseph had just suggested.
"I couldn't possibly accept such an offer, sir," said the salesman humbly refusing.
"I knew we should have flown," muttered Bardock.
"Yeah, Mister Joestar! Besides, you literally just bought that car!" pleaded Polnareff.
"What other reason do you think I had to buy such a fancy, expensive car? It's true an off-road vehicle would perform better here. But we can't just write a check here. And cash isn't normally accepted. No, here, trading is far more effective. If you try to buy safety for cheap in a time of emergency, you'll find yourself even worse off in the end. Well, it just means we've suffered a lot already," said Joseph confidently, answering the question.
"Hey, Mister," said Joseph, grabbing the dazed salesman.
"Huh?" said the dazed salesman.
"I take it we have a deal? Oh, you know what? To even things out a bit, how 'bout you give me the water in those tanks there, too. It's the most important thing when you're in the desert," said Joseph, pointing to the two water tanks behind the tent.
"But the water isn't nearly as valuable as your car, sir. You are very strange indeed, sir," commented the salesman.
Joseph smiled, chuckling, then said, "All right, everyone. Let's get ready. Crossing the desert will be no easy task. Brace yourselves, men!" Once they got their camels out and ready to go, one of the camels breathed on Polnareff.
"That stinks! Hey, Mister Joestar. How the heck do you ride these things? It's, like, three meters tall," said Polnareff.
"So with camels… You make them sit first, and then get on," said Joseph. Meanwhile, the Saiyans and Jotaro were hovering up to the camels and getting on.
"Don't tell the old man," said Jotaro to Fasha, who giggled. They watched as Joseph explained to the others while trying to get on.
"You make them sit first, and then get on. You make them sit, then get on! Give me a minute. He'll sit, just you wait. Hey! Sit down, would you!" said Joseph, but the camel just stood there.
"This one's stubborn! You have ridden one of these before, right?" said Polnareff, confused.
"I will have you know I've watched Lawrence of Arabia three times, start to finish! I know all too well how to ride a camel! Through, two of those times, I slept through half of it…" said Joseph, struggling.
"You learned to ride from a movie? What? You've never actually ridden one?" yelled Polnareff. Just then, the camel stopped and spat into Joseph's face. They just watched as Joseph smiled, saying, "The saliva makes great sunscreen! The more you know!"
"These Earthlings and their camels. What a sight! Hey, Mister Joestar, struggling with the camel rodeo, huh? Don't worry, I've had my share of weird transportation. Ever tried flying in a Saiyan pod? Now that's an experience! Joseph, relying on Lawrence of Arabia for camel-riding skills? That's rich! But seriously, who needs sunscreen made from camel spit? I might use that one day, you know, for when I decide to hit the beach. Keep the laughs coming, Joestar, you're one strange Earthling," said Nappa. Fasha giggled. Joseph looked around and spotted them.
"See, they understood how to get on. My plan is working, but that's not all. When you're handling an animal, it's imperative to understand exactly how it feels. And I mean exactly! Here, doesn't this yummy apple look scrumptious? It's really good! Come on, come on. There's a good boy," said Joseph, holding up an apple and moving it around the camel, lowering it until the camel sat on the ground.
"You see? I made the camel sit down! If you take the time to get inside its head, it'll sit down for you! I did it! It's so high off the ground!" said Joseph as the camel stood. "And did you know camels can close their nostrils to keep sand out? And before I forget. You're forbidden from making dumb camel jokes! All right. Now for the finer points of riding a camel. Listen up. Camels don't walk anything like horses. The front and back legs on either side move forward together, so these things can sway a lot. Find a way to ride with the camel's rhythm, and you'll be just fine. For example!" said Joseph as he led around the camel.
"Hey, wait! You're going too fast! Listen to me, Oh NO! I didn't tell you to go that way!" said Joseph as the camel ran, making him fall off. Once everyone was saddled, Joseph spoke, "Okay, then! Now that everyone's gotten the hang of mounting and riding. We have a desert to get through! Onward toward the northwest!" declared Joseph, pointing northeast.
After hours they trudged onward, the temperature getting hotter and hotter. "Something's wrong. I still have the feeling someone's watching us," said Kakyoin.
"Kakyoin, don't you think you might be worrying a bit too much? The palm leaves are erasing our tracks. Plus, we can see for kilometers in all directions. If someone were here, we'd know," said Polnareff.
"No, I've been sensing someone's presence, too," said Jotaro.
"Well, someone's here. Check with your ki," said Borgos. The other Saiyans agreed.
"The enemy seems to be in front of us, miles away. Let's keep going,'' said Bardock.
"Yeah," said Polnareff. "Let's get as far away as we can. We'll travel till the sun goes down, then stop to pitch our tents. It's much too dangerous for us to travel at night," said Joseph.
"Yeah, but it's sweltering out here! Look, it's fifty degrees Celsius!" said Polnareff, wiping his forehead.
"Yeah, it is hot out here. Then again, right around this time is when it's hottest," said Joseph, checking his watch.
The watch read 8:00 pm. "Eight o'clock? Wha– Jotaro! Check your watch. What time does it say?" said Joseph, confused.
"It's ten past eight. Hey, Old Man!" said Jotaro.
"So, it is. I know we lost track of time, but what's going on? It's past eight o'clock at night! So why isn't the sun setting?" said Joseph.
"Impossible! The thermometer's jumping to sixty degrees Celsius!" said Polnareff.
"It's not going down," said Kakyoin. "It's actually rising in the west!" said Polnareff.
"Could the sun really be a Stand?" said Joseph. "Obviously," said Taro.
"Oh No! We're in the middle of the desert! Take cover behind those rocks! That sun is a Stand?" said Joseph as they left the camels behind, getting behind the nearby rocks.
"We're such fools! How did we miss this?" said Polnareff.
"I knew we were being watched, but never thought this is why we can't see our stalker! At this rate, that sun's gonna burn all day. No, all night long…That Stand's gonna roast us like a couple of rotisserie chickens!" said Kakyoin, peeking over the rock.
Joseph peeked over too, "We're screwed! I doubt it'll take that long. A sauna can dangerously raise the body's temperature in minutes," said Joseph.
"Then how do we fight it? What! It's seventy degrees Celsius now!" cried Polnareff.
"I can blow up the sun," said Nappa, lifting up a finger.
"Don't do it Nappa. What if it has the same characteristics as the original sun, that can cause the sun to explode killing everything?" said Zorn.
"How do you know that?" said Shugesh.
"I once witnessed it on a mission. Had to run for our lives. Lost a valuable planet, at least everyone was ok," said Zorn.
"You can't even tell if that Stand is close or far away! The distance is impossible to judge!" said Polnareff.
"The fastest way is to take care of the Stand user," said Jotaro.
"Indeed, the user, he has to be nearby. We have to find him. He must have a way of concealing himself to follow us this whole time," said Joseph.
"Wait a minute! What if he's like The Lovers? What if he can use his Stand from far away?" said Kakyoin, panting from the heat.
"That's impossible. A weak Stand can be controlled from a distance, but this sun is just too strong. The energy it's emitting is incredible. The Stand user has to be nearby," said Joseph. The heat wilted the plants. The nearby scorpion seems to crumble as the camels collapse to the ground.
"This is bad. The camels are starting to collapse from the heat," said Jotaro.
"This waiting isn't getting us anywhere! I'll have Hierophant survey the area," said Kakyoin as he summoned his stand.
"Kakyoin!" said Joseph.
"I'm only searching for the Stand's location. Once we know how far away it is, we might be able to locate the user," said Kakyoin as his stand went Twenty meters. Forty meters. Sixty meters. Eighty meters. One hundred meters away.
"Something's not right!" said Kakyoin.
Kakyoin fired water at the sun, and hot particles were sent back, killing the camels and hitting Hierophant Green. Kakyoin took damage. They ran as Jotaro's stand punched a hole into a nearby rock and the ground, making a cave. They took cover.
"You okay, Kakyoin?" said Joseph.
"Yes. I was in the middle of initiating my Emerald Splash, so that protected me from any major damage. More concerning is this intense heat. I feel like it's going to drive me insane," said Kakyoin, grabbing his head.
"That attack was so accurate. The Stand user must be watching us from somewhere! But from where? Where is he?" said Polnareff.
"Keep your voice down. The enemy will find us! Just lay low. We'll sit tight for a while and see what happens," said Joseph, reaching for the canteen. He looked, and there was a hole in the cantina. "Oh No!" said Joseph.
Bardock tapped on Jotaro's shoulder, pointing. Jotaro scanned the area. Kakyoin started to laugh.
"Hey, Kakyoin! What are you laughing about? Are you all right, Kakyoin? Control yourself, man!" said Joseph.
Then Jotaro burst into laughter. "Jotaro? You too?" said Joseph.
Then Polnareff started to laugh. "Polnareff! Not you too? Oh No!" said Joseph.
Then the Saiyans burst into laughter. "They've finally gone mad from the heat! Am I the only one who's still sane? Hey! Jotaro, get a hold of yourself! You have to settle down! Sometimes things get rough, and when they do, you have to stay cool!" said Joseph.
Kakyoin placed a hand on Joseph's shoulder. "Don't get the wrong idea, Mister Joestar. Have a look at that rock over there. It's large enough for someone to hide behind, is it not?" said Kakyoin, pointing at a familiar rock in the distance.
"I'm not following," muttered Joseph.
"Now take a look at the rock on the opposite side," said Kakyoin, dragging a finger to the right where it looked like the same rock. "Opposite Side?" said Joseph. "Still don't see it? There's a rock that's shaped exactly the same on the opposite side. The shadow is also reversed. Which means..." Everyone stopped laughing, while Polnareff was the last one laughing.
"What a stupid trick!" he said, still laughing. The Saiyans looked at Jotaro, who looked back. They nodded. They started to move out of the hiding.
"Stay here, Old Man," said Jotaro.
"Jotaro! If you go out there now, you're all but asking the enemy to attack you! It's dangerous!" said Joseph desperately.
"Good grief," said Jotaro. "This heat is nothing. On some planets, this heat is ten times the amount. Plus our crew walked through an exploding volcano," said Bardock, cracking his knuckles. "You ready," said Fasha. They all nodded as they rushed toward the rock. The heat is getting hotter and hotter the closer they go.
Bardock smashed the rock, which resulted in a giant crack in the sky. "It made a hole in the sky?" said Joseph.
All of them started to punch the glass, The sky grew dark as the temperature went down.
"Since we defeated the enemy Stand, night's finally fallen." said Kakyoin "Or maybe I should say, it's back to being night. However you wanna slice it, we're safe!" said Polnareff.
"Just how long do you plan on hiding in that hole?" said Jotaro to the remaining people in the hole.
"Well, whaddya know, it's a mirror!" muttered Joseph, revealing a knocked-out man on a golf cart with a cooling system hooked up to a generator. But it looked like he was still sweating.
"Take a look. Check out the little car he has behind the mirror. It looks rather comfy. It even has air conditioning," said Kakyoin.
"Man, I had no idea he was reflecting the desert and tailing us from behind in this nifty little thing," said Polnareff.
"I see he has a tank of water, too. How 'bout we take it off his hands?" said Joseph, smirking.
"Oh, and here's a drink," said Polnareff, taking a cup with a straw from the makeshift table.
"Huh? You mean we've already beaten the Stand user? There's nothing else to do? We don't even know this guy's name, but somehow we've already made short work of his Stand?" said Joseph, disappointed.
"Yes, you've hit the nail on the head," said Bardock as the enemy lay unconscious with a goose egg on his forehead. THE SUN RETIRED.
"So this was the Sun card's Stand, huh?" inquired Jotaro.
"At first, he was pretty impressive, but once we figured him out, he actually kinda sucked," said Fasha.
"Well, onto our next destination. It's pretty chilly in the desert at night, isn't it?" said Kakyoin, opening his arms.
"Hold your horses! Traveling at night is dangerous! Why don't we camp out here for the night!" said Joseph.
"Well, that idiot's finished, so it'll be sweet dreams tonight!" said Kakyoin. The others chuckled.
Age 737 Tuesday December 20th 1988
Kakyoin awoke, the feeble light of the sun casting eerie shadows across an unfamiliar landscape. Disoriented and clad in pajamas, he found himself atop a rusted ferris wheel, a desolate amusement park stretching out before him.
The disconcerting symphony of crying and carnival music echoed through the eerie silence, an unsettling soundtrack to the nightmarish scene. His surroundings defied reason—why was he here, isolated and stranded in this forsaken amusement park?
His memory faltered, fragments of a desert and camel-back ride through Saudi Arabia flashing in his mind. But the whereabouts of his companions remained a haunting mystery. The air thickened with an inexplicable dread as Kakyoin tried to make sense of the dissonance between the desolate amusement park and the arid desert.
Petting a dog that materialized beside him, Kakyoin sought comfort in its presence, a lone companion in this spectral realm. Yet, a disconcerting realization took hold—the park, though seemingly devoid of life, resonated with the phantom cries of a distant baby.
"There's not a soul anywhere in this amusement park, so why do I hear the cries of a baby? Where is it?" Kakyoin's voice trembled with a mixture of confusion and fear, the amusement park's eerie silence at odds with the haunting echoes.
Balloons, adorned with tarot cards, drifted through the air, each one tethered to the ominous atmosphere. As a green balloon approached him, Kakyoin seized the dangling card. "This card is… Death 13!" His revelation triggered a malevolent force, a sinister entity manifesting in the form of a clown that emerged from the tarot card.
"The card's moving!" he exclaimed in terror as the grotesque clown, wielding a scythe, lunged at him. Kakyoin, in a desperate attempt to escape the impending doom, evaded the ghastly swing. However, horror consumed him as the scythe found an unexpected target—the dog. Blood oozed from the wounded creature, a macabre spectacle that plunged Kakyoin into a nightmarish panic.
In a sudden jolt, Kakyoin sat up in bed, bathed in cold sweat, reality crashing back in. His scream reverberated through the room, a haunting echo of the horrors witnessed in the surreal amusement park, leaving him shaken and disoriented in the aftermath of a terrifying dream.
Polnareff came running and placed a hand on Kakyoin's back.
"Kakyoin! Hey, take it easy! Stop screaming and shaking the bed like that girl from The Exorcist. You're weirding me out," said Polnareff, patting Kakyoin's back before standing away from the bed.
"Where are we?" screamed Kakyoin.
"Don't ask stupid questions. Come on, get up already," said Polnareff, clapping and going over to the window, opening it up. As the bright sunlight blinded Kakyoin, he covered his eyes.
"After breakfast, we're gonna take to the skies. Looks like another scorcher," said Polnareff, wiping his forehead.
"I had a terrible nightmare. It was horrifying," said Kakyoin softly.
"Oh, lay on the details. I wanna hear all about it!" said Polnareff, giddy, hurrying to the bed.
"Thing is, I can't remember. I've forgotten it all," said Kakyoin.
"Huh?" said Polnareff, crouching down.
"Regardless, it was petrifying. You woke me up and pulled me out of it," said Kakyoin.
"Aw, wish we could talk more, but we gotta get a move on! Let's go. Hurry up and get ready!" said Polnareff, grabbing his knapsack and walking out the door.
Kakyoin sighed as he moved the blanket to get out, noticing that his left hand was bleeding.
"There's a cut on my hand. How'd it get there?" said Kakyoin.
After getting ready and having breakfast, Kakyoin and Polnareff walked out of the hotel.
"The others are already headed to the plane," said Polnareff, but he was interrupted by the cry of a boy.
"My dog! My poor dog is… dead!" exclaimed the boy. The dog had wounds all over its body, and it looked strangely familiar to Kakyoin.
"A dog? A dog. I could've sworn I saw a dead dog not too long ago," whispered Kakyoin, grabbing his head.
"Whoever did this is sick, but there's nothing we can do about it. Let's go," said Polnareff, leaving Kakyoin staring at the boy hugging his deceased dog.
"Hey! Hold on a dang second, Mister. What exactly do you mean, you 'can't sell us the plane now'? You had no problem taking my money last night!" said Joseph frantically.
"You'll get a full refund. But first, we need to see a baby with a fever." said the pilot.
A nun came out holding a baby in a basket. "Huh?" said Polnareff.
"We have no doctor here. We have no choice but to take the baby somewhere else," said the pilot. Jotaro and Fasha whispered. "Then how about the plane over there?" said Joseph.
"That one's broken," said the pilot. Kakyoin and Polnareff joined them. "What's up? Some kind of argument?" said Polnareff.
"Yeah," said Jotaro before giving Fasha a nod. "A baby. I remember hearing a baby's cries. But where?" whispered Kakyoin.
"The plane will be back tomorrow night. I can sell it to you after that," said the pilot.
"Tomorrow night?" said Joseph walking over to the pilot, picked him up by the collar, then looked down. They were face to face. "We've got someone's life on the line too! We can't spend two days pissing around this place!" said Joseph.
"So you'd rather let that baby die?" said the pilot.
Fasha walked closer to see the baby. With permission to feel his forehead, she placed a hand on the baby's forehead. She could feel heat emanating off his skin as she activated her Stand. A finger came out of Fasha's hand and touched the baby's skin. The baby opened its eyes, staring back as if it knew she was a Stand user. A paper appeared in Fasha's other hand as she moved away. The baby's skin went back to normal. She opened her hand and read the paper. "Crisis Averted. Effect: healed." Strange, thought Fasha as she showed Jotaro. There was a shriek from the nun. "The baby's fever is gone. It is a miracle," said the nun. This got the attention of Joseph and the pilot who stopped arguing.
Kakyoin looked closely as the baby grimaced in disappointment, showing its fangs. "I could've sworn I just saw it frown. The baby already has teeth?" whispered Kakyoin.
"Are you sure you want the plane? It's a 4-seater," said the pilot.
"I'm sure," said Joseph. He turned and nodded at Fasha, who dragged her bags. She got in before touching the interior with the name of the game. The interior began to expand as the four seats made room for 11 more, with an aisle way in between the seats. It looked like a common scene in the 1st class part of the plane. A paper appeared in his hand. "1st class upgrade. Effect: increase travel space." She got out of the plane and gave a thumbs up.
"Everyone into the plane!" yelled Joseph. Everyone nodded and got in. "Hey, Jotaro, come sit up with me so I can show you how to fly this," said Joseph. Jotaro grumbled as he stood up, waving Fasha goodbye before getting into the co-pilot seat.
Once everyone was settled, Joseph started up the plane as the sound of the propeller was heard. Then the plane flew off into the distance, leaving behind shocked looks on everyone there. "How did this happen?" said the nun.
"13 people in a 4-seater, impossible!" said the pilot.
Polnareff grew tired and dozed off. After a while, the plane started to shake violently. "Hey, old man, what's going on?" said Jotaro, looking over.
"I don't know," said Joseph as the plane dipped forward, as if the weight of everyone was too much for it. Fasha looked at the paper again and screamed, "This has a time limit, and it's going to end any minute now!" This got everyone's attention. The plane dipped down and crashed into a palm tree. "What is a palm tree doing all the way out here?" said Joseph. "Good grief," muttered Jotaro.
They began to fall backward as one of the extra chairs disappeared. "Everybody get out right now," said Bardock as all of them dove out with their things, resembling a group of skydivers. Each Saiyan fell and executed a somersault, landing back on their feet flawlessly, as if they did this all the time. Everyone hovered down to the ground.
"Why didn't you fly down to the ground safely? You could have died," yelled Joseph.
"But didn't?" said Bardock. Fasha was crying. Jotaro walked over toward Fasha, giving her a hug. "Don't cry, it's not your fault. The old man is just rusty at flying," whispered Jotaro into her hair, making Fasha laugh.
"Hey," said Joseph, angry. This made everyone laugh. The plane exploded as it fell. Night fell as they used scraps from the plane to start a fire. Joseph kept the fire stocked.
CAIRO ABU DHABI CRASH SITE.