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Chapter Text

Without a second's warning, DIO's attack smashed through him, hurling him backwards into an unknown structure as Hierophant's tendrils, simultaneously slashed, fluttered like emerald ribbons out of view. Even as his vision blurred and his stand flitted across his line of sight, racing to brace for the impact, Kakyoin could see the smirk of his enemy, just as snide as their first meeting had been.

Hierophant reached their user too late, curling around him only a fraction of a second too late, as icy water gushed from the hole Kakyoin's body made in what they could now identify as a water tower. The clear liquid mixed with blood as the man gasped, shock setting into his bones as he spluttered for air. He dared not to look down; DIO had used his stand, and Kakyoin needed to discover the stand's ability; all he knew so far was that it was short-ranged and dangerous. But his eyes, still damaged from the desert, betrayed him as he squinted in the direction of the vampiric monster. It was no use; he'd have to analyse the facts he already had, rather than hoping for any new hints. And he'd have to be fast; he could feel the blood draining from his body, knowing he was moments from certain death. Think, Noriaki, think.

But his thoughts wandered to his family; to his parents, back in Morioh, who were hopefully asleep, not searching for their missing son still. To Ryoko, who he last saw only minutes before the fateful encounter with DIO, who was more a little sister than a cousin. Even to his aunts and uncles, horrid as they were, who'd be spending their time bitching about him in his absence. If he could turn back the clock, he'd never ditch his fellow crusaders, but he'd want to finally say goodbye.

Time was running out.

Time was running out.

Even with his blotchy vision, darkness setting in at the corners and tugging him to eternal rest, Kakyoin could make out the looming shape of the clock tower. He could hear the concerned whirring of his stand, but it had to be done; charging up a final attack, Kakyoin spluttered and spasmed, but Hierophant held steady as they could, firing off their final emerald splash, hitting straight into the target of the clock hands.

Bullseye.

His thoughts were of the crusaders as he faded from consciousness in the chilling embrace of his fading stand. He hoped to see Avdol and Iggy soon. But Jotaro, Polnareff and Mr Joestar? He could only hope he wouldn't be seeing them for a very long time; they were the last hope for the Joestar legacy.

He awoke to unfamiliar voices, a rhythmic mechanical beeping, and someone scribbling on a notepad. His eyelids were red thanks to some bright light overhead. Strange, that wasn't what he'd expected of an afterlife. He also didn't expect to hurt so much. Maybe, he thought, this is my punishment for all the lives we took along the way. 

The people were still talking, muffled as they were, and Kakyoin was sure one of them called his name. He tried his best to pry open his eyes, only to shut them again as he made direct contact with a fluorescent ceiling light. He certainly wasn't expecting so much technology in the afterlife. Maybe there'd even be an arcade.

'... awake, potentially responsive...' Kakyoin couldn't focus on the words, already feeling his consciousness dipping again. Such a strange afterlife, he mused as his mind slowed to sleep.

Chapter Text

It had been over a month since the surviving members of the group made their way back to Japan, and Polnareff had finally departed from the Kujo residence much to Jotaro and Joseph's dismay. Even Holly was sad to see the Frenchman leave for home, but she'd be glad to spend some quality time with just her boys for once.

Kakyoin had even returned home to Japan, albeit in critical condition. Joseph's connections to the Speedwagon Foundation meant he was in the best hospital in the country, and while his grandpa spoke specifics with one of the leading doctors in the Tokyo team, Jotaro had had the role of informing the guy's parents, which he thought was a terrible role for someone with less tact than a rock. Still, he'd do his damn best. It was the least he could do.

The Kakyoins had arrived while Polnareff was still in Japan, and Holly had been thrilled to have such a full house, even if it was more than awkward for the non-comatose of the Crusaders. For her, the Kakyoins were just more kindhearted strangers caught up in the strange happenings her father and son managed to find themselves in, and she was more than happy to do her best at supporting them, especially as the most 'normal' of the family, the least clued in. She tried her best to give the couple the most palatable version of the journey, reassure them their son was in good hands, and even ferry them to and from the hospital when his father was too distraught to drive.

Kakyoin had to wake up. The doctors said he had, before, a couple days before his 'final' surgery; the surgery in question was of course not the final one. But since then, the guy had been out cold, no matter what the doctors were doing or who was visiting. Jotaro was sure even Star was starting to freak out - he missed his stand playmate. As usual, Jotaro found himself skipping school nearly daily, but this time not for himself. Now, he spent most of his waking hours sitting at the bedside of the boy who'd risked everything for Jojo's mum, a woman he barely even knew. Jotaro had to at least say thank you to him.

In the meantime, Jotaro tried his best to be helpful around the house when he was home, hovering beside his mum as she cooked portions at least triple the usual size, and doing his best to make sure she wasn't overworking herself too much. After all, she'd been dying of her stand only weeks earlier, and though she was much better now, Jotaro would never want to see her ill again. Not that he'd ever tell her, of course.

The phone rang at 4 am on a Thursday, and fear dug deep into the hearts of everyone staying in the Kujo residence. Jotaro was the one who grabbed the receiver, faster than even Holly, who'd fallen asleep on the nearby sofa, thanks to his stand's insane speed. He may have stopped time to prepare himself.

'Is this Joseph Joestar?' Came the voice on the other side.

Jotaro swallowed and tried his best to stammer out, 'No, sir, I'm his grandson. I, uh, I can get him for you?'

'Please do. You can inform him I'm calling from the Speedwagon Foundation medical department in-' Jotaro shoved the phone at his grandpa as Joseph staggered in, leaning against his mum as Holly wrapped her arms around him. The Kakyoins were out seconds later, everyone crowded around the phone, staring at Joseph for even a hint at what might be being said.

'We'll be right there. Thank you.' Said Joseph eventually, clicking the receiver back into its slot on the wall as he turned to face the small crowd. 'Everyone in the car, I'll explain on the way.'

Chapter Text

The three in the back seat tumbled out like from a clown car; Joseph's 2-door was the wrong choice to take, but it was faster and more reliable than Holly's beat-up Mitsubishi. It was a mad rush to get into the hospital, dodging confused and weary night staff all the way up to the Speedwagon Foundation's private ward. On the tense drive over, Joseph had told them Kakyoin was finally, finally awake, incredibly disorientated, and in need of someone to calm him down. Each of the five knew they'd do whatever it took to make sure he was ok.

The lift was taking too long, why was it taking so long, and Jotaro opted to bolt up the stairs instead, stopping time more than once in a blatant abuse of his new powers just to get to his friend those few seconds quicker. He could tell he was in the right place when he heard a window shatter, accompanied by confused shrieking, the voices unfamiliar, likely staff. Good grief, he thought, Hierophant must be feeling better.

He didn't wait for permission, slamming his way through the door. 

And there he was.

For the first time in nearly 2 months, there he was, Kakyoin Noriaki, alive, conscious, and as feisty as the bastard had ever been. A glowing green tentacle lunged to slam the door, but Star Platinum, always faster, caught it in the air and held firm. The stand was smaller than it used to be.

'Kakyoin!' Jotaro tried not to shout, 'It's me, you idiot, you can call off the fuckin attack now!' His reassurances meant nothing. Kakyoin growled, something low and primal, still staring at the ceiling as Hierophant threw its whole tangled body at Jotaro, getting caught safely in Star's strong arms. They whirred angrily in his grasp, trying, and failing, to untangle the mass of their tentacles. Glancing over, Jotaro could see Kakyoin's eyes blown wide, pure, unadulterated terror unmistakable on his features. Thank fuck he could hear the old man bolting down the hall that very moment.

'Uh, DIO's dead, if, uh, that's why you're still fighting, I killed him, promise,' Jotaro mumbled, just before the door flung wide open again.

'Kakyoin!' Joseph belted upon entering, eyes flitting from the stand 'fight', to the bed, to Jotaro, and back again. In the time it took him to formulate his next sentence, the three less athletic adults arrived behind, Holly panting heavily.

'Noriaki, darling, you're awake!' Mrs Kakyoin was at her son's bedside in an instant, blissfully unaware of the ruckus his stand, who'd decided to loop their body around Star's wrists out of pure stubbornness, had been causing mere moments ago. More cautiously, Mr Kakyoin followed behind his wife, settling his hand over his son's. Given that the room was quieter and the final window in the room remained intact, one brave doctor ventured in to assess the damage and speak with the group. 

'Good morning,' She said, voice only shaking a little, 'On behalf of the medical team here, we'd like to thank you all for turning up on such short notice. Now, if the patient is calmer, I'd like to do a few tests and then explain his condition to you all,' Hierophant was still whirring like crazy, but Kakyoin himself seemed to be breathing a little easier now. Carefully, Star Platinum untangled his arms and wrapped the little stand in a hug, before releasing them to retreat under a thin blanket with their user.

Jotaro could hardly pay attention as the doctor did her tests and spoke in a graven voice. He just stared at Kakyoin, surrounded by his parents, realising just how fucked up the situation was. These poor parents had lost their only child, having him turn up 2 months later on the cusp of life and death. The first time he saw them again he was scared out of his mind, and they couldn't ever begin to understand why. The Kakyoins had been through more than enough shit already.

By the time he zoned back into the conversation, Kakyoin's father was crying again. He did that a lot, but Jotaro couldn't blame him. His mother was whispering something over and over to her son, ruffling her hands through his now shaggy hair. Kakyoin himself had closed his eyes again, though his brows furrowed in a way they never did as he slept; the bastard was already tired of socialising. The old man was outside talking things over with a nurse, and Jotaro's own mother was once again attached to his arm, shaking but keeping on her stubborn, hopeful smile. 

'Did you catch that, Jojo?' She asked as she looked worriedly up at him. He reached for a cap that wasn't there, opting to run his hand through his knotted waves as he shook his head and eventually decided to leave the room, to give the family a minute. Star stayed by the door, just in case, ever vigilant.

'Need me to fill you in sweetie?' His mum asked as Jotaro leaned against the wall. He nodded slightly. He missed his hat.

'Okay, well I'll be honest with you and say I didn't quite understand everything the doctor said, but I think I gathered most of it,' She began with a sigh, 'It seems whatever happened in Egypt was very intense, and they could only do so much to help that poor boy. We can't even remember how many surgeries he's had, but it's not going to be a fix-all. They don't know anything for certain yet, of course, but because of all the damage to his back, it looks like he might be paralysed. I know she said about some short-term damages too, but I didn't understand a word of that, I'll be real with you kid, maybe grandpa can explain it to us both. But hey, he's awake. Baby steps.' Through her own tears, Holly couldn't see her son crying too, anything but subtle as they dripped down onto his sleep shirt.

'DIO, that bastard,' He growled out, half wishing he'd kept a part of that crazy fucker around so he could pulverise him once again as vengeance. 

'I know, sweetie,' She whispered, 'I know,'

Joseph returned after a while, and tried his best to explain what the doctor had said in layman's terms - how the guy understood all this medical jargon was a mystery, but the Joestar was shrouded in so many that Jotaro didn't care to ask. It looked like Kakyoin would be stuck in the damn hospital for a solid few months as they monitored organ transplants and made him do a bunch of physical therapy, and the whole ordeal sounded like it'd suck ass. 

After stalling for family time long enough, the Joestar/Kujo trio returned to Kakyoin's room. Though he was still feigning sleep to his parents, Hierophant still flitted around the room jankily, proof he was awake. They headed towards Star as the trio entered, though, wrapping themself around him like a scarf. Jotaro couldn't help but wonder if his stand had gotten smaller because of Kakyoin's paralysis, or if they were just taking their time to regenerate after the injuries the pair had sustained.

Eventually, the doctor popped back in to inform them of the ward's visiting hours and hint that it was time to leave Kakyoin to actually rest - Kakyoin had dozed off as Hierophant had cuddled up to Star, but it was fair to assume some quiet would help him sleep easier. His parents spent a while hugging him, and Jotaro lingered behind, too awkward to say a proper goodbye, instead sending Star over to pat his shoulder and sweep his bangs from his face, tucking the sleeping stand in beside its master before awkwardly dipping out of the room.

Chapter Text

Kakyoin was, in fact, not in the afterlife, as he had so horribly discovered upon waking for the second time in the room with the fluorescent lighting, head throbbing every time he opened his eyes. He'd sent Hierophant on a tirade as people he didn't know, hopefully people who didn't work for DIO, tried to talk to him, and soon his parents were in the room sobbing onto him as Jotaro held his stand firm, stopping him from lashing out further until they eventually calmed in his embrace.

Hierophant watched as his father held his hand - Kakyoin couldn't feel it.

It seemed like Japan, at least, from the warning labels written on various machines surrounding him. It was nice, to be back close to home after travelling so far away. He wondered how much the crusaders would have told his parents; surely, explaining the DIO debacle to non-stand users would be difficult, to say the least. Mr Joestar was diplomatic, at least, and he was sure the man could think of some story to soothe his parents.

For now thinking too hard was hurting his head, an unsavoury addition to the mass of pain radiating throughout his body, or as much of it as he was aware of. He focused on keeping his half-lidded eyes trained to the faces of his parents, the least he could do to assure them he was alive still, that he was back.

He couldn't meet their eyes.

When his parents and the Joestar-Kujos left, Kakyoin was left to his own thoughts, though he didn't have many coherent ones. The person who'd entered and told everyone to leave had implied it was late, so he attributed the brain fog to tiredness rather than considering anything more serious, and with the aid of Hierophant nestled down a little better into the pillows to sleep.

Whenever the doctors would come in, he'd pretend to be asleep, and he was getting damn good at it. Some of them believed him, while others could always tell he was just refusing to talk to them. Either way, no one told him anything, other than Jotaro's promise he'd killed the fucker DIO. He hoped that was true.

They were taking him to surgery again, one of the nicer nurses told him. He wished they could space out all the medical treatments so he could have time to see his parents without them crying, or actually try to talk to Jotaro rather than just waving Hierophant at him as he stood stoically in a corner. Besides, he didn't know how much they'd already done to him, but Hierophant found his body littered with freshly stitched wounds all over, ones that weren't from DIO, and he was itching for answers about what specifically was going on. 

So once again, he was sedated through a needle he couldn't feel, and drifted off to dreamless sleep with his stand wrapped around his arm for comfort. 

It seemed like Jotaro had continued his lifelong habit of skipping school, as once the mass of surgeries had (hopefully) stopped, he'd show up with Miss Holly and his parents on most of their visits, still as stoic and wordless as he'd been throughout their adventures. Mr Joestar hadn't been over since the day he woke up, at least not when Kakyoin was awake, and no one had mentioned Polnareff. He knew Avdol and Iggy had perished in that final battle, but he hoped the Frenchman had survived. For all the guy was a fool and a flirt, he had a kind, righteous heart and was a great friend, when he wasn't knocking people out in the desert. If his throat didn't burn every time he tried to speak, he'd ask Jotaro, or maybe even one of the doctors, but as things stood he was too tired to send Hierophant out to steal stationery. He may as well wait and hope someone had the bright idea to bring supplies to him.

'Mornin'' Jotaro grumbled as he slid into the room, alone for possibly the first time since Kakyoin wound up in his hospital bed, 'Anything interesting happened since yesterday?' Kakyoin rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help a small smile as he slowly, painfully, shook his head. He was glad Jotaro was trying to be normal, unlike his parents, who mostly just sat and cried. He wasn't sure what they were upset about; he was alive, and they knew where he was now. Maybe they were mad at him for leaving, or maybe they were upset that their poor perfect child would, at the very best, be wheelchair-bound his whole life, and at worst he'd be stuck in this damn hospital for more than just the foreseeable future. He hoped they at least knew he never meant to hurt them; didn't even intend on ditching them for a full two months. He hoped Ryoko had been kept safe. Kakyoin mulled it over as he sat in comfortable silence with Jotaro for a while, till inevitably nurses interrupted.

After several visits of sitting mostly in silence, Jotaro and Star appeared one day with a notebook and pens in hand, and Kakyoin couldn't stop Hierophant from rushing forward to accept these offerings and practice their scribbled 'handwriting'. 

'Glad someone's happy about that,' Jotaro said with an amused huff, 'Mum said ya might wanna write stuff, since y'arent speaking yet. It's fine if ya don't, but it looks like Hierophant's amused at least.' Kakyoin smiled a little and focused his eyes, as best he could without his glasses, on his stand, curled up on the end of the bed and scribbling. It looked like Kakyoin would have to pick up the pace on getting his hands to work again, because Hierophant's attempts at kanji had always been less than legible. Star joined the other stand on the foot of the bed, and he was for the first time glad to have no feeling in his legs - otherwise, he could tell the weight of Jotaro's stand would be uncomfortable, to say the least.

Over the next few days, Kakyoin worked harder than before on moving his hands; he was stubbornly making progress before the arrival of writing supplies, but his determination was furthered by their presence, and soon the small twitches in his fingertips turned to full movement, with only minimal pain. He could speak a little, too, though he was hesitant to say more than hello and goodbye as people visited. The doctors said the difficulties with his voice and upper body weren't permanent, thanks to the damage to his spine being lower down, but it was still frustrating having to regain so many basic skills. With the support of his (overly emotional) parents, the Joestar-Kujos and Hierophant, he'd try his best to make his recovery swift.

Chapter Text

Before the more involved physical therapy had started, Kakyoin thought the most embarrassing part of his hospital stay was having to rely on strangers to bathe him, feed him, and do most of the things he'd taken for granted his whole life. At least there was the saving grace of how private everything was in the safety of his own room, so he could wallow in his shame in peace. But on the first day of seeing his new physical therapist, as his mother stared nervously at her hands not more than 2 feet away, he realised he was wrong. Moving his hands, moving around with a little help from Hierophant? That sucked. But doing these things on his own? As his mum fidgeted mindlessly with the hems of her cardigan, Kakyoin couldn't help the surge of jealousy he felt; how come he'd been robbed of such simple luxuries, it wasn't fair.

'Come on, Noriaki, you can do this! Nearly there,' reassured his PT. Her voice was distinctly American, but in a different way to Miss Holly's or Joseph's. He decided he hated it, but that might just be due to the way her voice signaled yet more patronising encouragements and pain. Still, every time he managed to complete her silly little tasks, Hierophant would writhe excitedly with the praise, even if their user wasn't as proud.

'Feeling up to a little more, or shall we pick things back up tomorrow?' She asked, voice sweetly saccharine. Kakyoin grit his teeth and nodded, ever as stubborn. That was one thing DIO hadn't been able to pry from his half-dead corpse, and he'd be damned if he started giving up now. 'Great, have a little rest while I grab an exercise band, I'll be back in a second.' She promised as she dipped out of the room. He leaned back against the wall, sighing in relief as his muscles screamed at him, then slowly tilted his head, despite the objections from his aching neck, to offer a smile to his mum. He hoped it reassured her.

'You get it?' His phsyio had explained the new exercise, and while he hadn't paid any attention Kakyoin nodded along; she'd correct him when he got it wrong, whatever he was doing. Despite his grip being notoriously shit as of late, he held the green band he was given with as much strength as he could muster, and followed along with her instructions. He was trying his best to ignore the way a fire moved through his shoulderblade, stabbing every time he moved. He was doing a damn good job of it too, keeping his face as neutral as he could to counterract the sheen of sweat dripping from his brow. But of course, luck being so endlessly against him as of late, the duality of gripping the band and pulling was too much for Kakyoin's tired body, and his hand chose at that moment to spasm, making him release the band and try desperately to hide the scream that rose from his chest.

He bit his lip too late; the yell of pain was out, into a room with an open door and nurses scurrying by. He couldn't bring his head up quick, his entire body begging him to please just rest already, but Hierophant saw the way they gave him such pitying looks. He hated it.

'Noriaki?' The PT was saying something, but shame rose red on his cheeks and Kakyoin refused to meet her or his mother's eyes. The therapist helped him push his glasses up, though he still stared under them at the floor. His eyes filled with tears of frustration as his mother offered to carry him to his wheelchair, and he kept his jaw clenched until he was safely settled back into his hospital bed, a fresh injection of painkillers coursing through his veins and his mother having awkwardly left. He hated the vulnerability of it all. He hated DIO for doing this to him. Making him so weak and pitiful again. Would he ever be free of that bastard and his curse?

Physical therapy, slow and torturous as it was, and with oh so many embarrasing moments, was beginning to show its benefits as Kakyoin could shift himself around in his bed without Hierophant's assistance, and had the strength to hold open a book for more than ten minutes at a time, saving him from yet more weeks of mind-numbing boredom. He was itching to draw again, but every sketch he made was loose and sloppy thanks to his lack of controlled grip; holding the pencil loosely was the best he could do. His PT promised with a lot of time and practice he'd be able to draw like he used to, that his muscles would take time to build up but it would happen. For now, Hierophant just enjoyed shredding up the shitty sketches.

'It's always 'it'll take time', I don't know why I bother asking,' He said to Jotaro, voice hoarse but no longer absent. The other boy looked up from his book and made a noise of confusion. 'I'll be able to draw in time, write neatly in time, bloody feed myself without dropping things in time. It's only a month until the new school year starts, and I'm sick of being stuck in here getting told to be patient,' He explained, nestling back into his sheets to sulk. Jotaro, king of repressed emotions, stared at him for a while, clearly trying to think of something to say. 'It's fine, I'm just grumpy, Jotaro. It'd be nice to get at least some sort of normality back in my life.'

Star and Jotaro left wordlessly, and Kakyoin was certain that he'd pissed them off with his pathetic lamenting of days well past until the duo reappeared only a few moments later with one of the hospital wheelchairs in tow. 

'We're goin' for a walk, change of scenery.' Jotaro said, blunt as ever. Kakyoin considered objecting, but as usual, his stand betrayed him, vibrating at the mere thought of being outside, already testing out the hard plastic chair. And so, Jotaro awkwardly dragged Kakyoin out of bed and into the wheelchair, trying his best to be gentle while he unintentionally twisted his shoulders at such an angle that Kakyoin would be surprised if he could move them properly for the next few days. He was more than glad his parents had brought in some of his clothes, difficult as it was to change in and out of them, because he didn't even want to imagine going outside in the awkwardly revealing hospital gown he'd originally worn, even with his thin blanket tucked snug around him.

The cool spring breeze was a blessing as it ruffled through his hair, the crisp air free of sterile chemicals a gift to his lungs. Hierophant twirled in ribbons chasing stray leaves and Star threw them about again as Jotaro and Kakyoin sat watching them, amused and assured by their stands' carefree attitudes. It was nice; Hierophant had never lost their mobility, so with their excited playing Kakyoin could feel a comforting stretch of their underused muscles, not particularly painful but there enough to notice.

'It's pretty out here,' Kakyoin said after a while, breaking the silence. Jotaro hummed in agreement, staring out into the distance with a faraway look in his eyes. Kakyoin couldn't help wondering if he was thinking about Egypt.

'You should draw it sometime, y'know, when your hands work better,' Jotaro declared, seemingly out of the blue, 'You never showed me any of your drawings 'n' stuff when we were travelling, but your dad keeps talking about your paintings,' He pulled his hat down a little, then mumbled, 'It's kinda sweet of him.' Kakyoin huffed amusedly at that, though he regretted it immediately as an all too familiar spike of pain shot through his ribcage. Still, he slowly, carefully, cocked his head to smile at Jotaro, who seemed to have combusted at the very thought of showing any emotion. What a dork, he couldn't help but think.

He doesn't pry into what his parents talk to Jotaro about, but he's glad they've found some odd friendship with the Kujos. Instead, he rambles about all the plants he could see, whether they'd have seen them on their journey and which ones were native to Japan. He focuses on the small cluster of sakura trees he can see just across the road, and demands Jotaro let him know as soon as they begin to blossom. He hopes his hands will have started working with him by the time the trees bloom.

Their short-lived adventure was pleasant, but ended far too soon - eventually, the cool spring air got the better of Kakyoin, too proud to accept the warmth of his friend's jacket, and Jotaro made the executive decision to head back inside, though not before promising they'd explore outside of that hospital room far more often from now on, especially during cherry blossom season.
Once safely back in their room, Jotaro and Star left Kakyoin and Hierophant not long after, and for the first time since waking from his coma, Kakyoin fell into a restful, peaceful sleep. He didn't dream of DIO, or Iggy and Avdol, or his parents' heartbroken faces. Instead, he dreamt of a cinematic swirl of cherry blossoms, of furiously sketching them and laughing as Hierophant beside him scribbled their own version. He couldn't see them, but he could feel the comforting presence of the Joestars and Polnareff around him, just like on their trip. He dreamt of brain-numbing happiness, of peace, not a hint of the despair he'd felt so often before in his slumber. It was nice.

Chapter Text

He woke from his peaceful dreams to doctors prodding him as usual; he was sure he didn't need to be awake for simple blood tests and the like, but for some ungodly reason, everyone who came into his room felt the need to disturb his slumber. As was routine by now, the doctors would do their tests and leave, and sometime shortly after a nurse would scurry in to give him the results of whatever the last blood tests had shown - while he didn't care to listen, Kakyoin wouldn't outright tell the poor workers they were wasting their breath; he hadn't lost his manners at the very least. They'd leave after asking if he had any questions or needed anything, and he'd try and fail to get back to sleep. Hierophant would get restless and stretch out to see if there was anything new in the ward to entertain them, and the constant second-hand stimulus would eventually drag Kakyoin from his half-asleep state. He'd read, maybe try frustratedly to sketch with his feeble grip, the PT would come and help cause several flare-ups in the name of recovery, and then someone, likely his parents or Jotaro, would sit and aimlessly chatter with him until visiting hours ended. He really needed little breaks from the routine like that trip outside, or he'd consciously start thinking of the past out of sheer boredom.

DIO had less control over his nightmares as of late, but that hadn't loosened his grip on Kakyoin's self-worth issues. It was that bastard's fault he was still stuck in a hospital bed, after all. Sure, Jotaro and Mr Joestar, who'd insisted he call him Joseph from now on, had assured him DIO would still be alive right now if not for Kakyoin's perceptiveness and Hierophant's stubborn strength, but were they really sure? Avdol would've been able to work out the secret of The World if he'd had the chance, he'd just been the unlucky one, sacrificing himself like Kakyoin should have done. Now he was just taking up time out of everyone's busy days; Jotaro was skipping out on important study time, Miss Holly was far too overworked for someone who'd nearly died such a short time ago, and his parents must be close to getting fired for taking so much time off of work. All because Kakyoin refused to die, yet failed to keep himself safe either. He was almost impressed with himself, how he could be so weak yet so stubborn. He'd probably scarred little Ryoko for life, and she hadn't visited which could only be bad news - of course, her parents would be mad, and would probably never let them hang out again. They probably thought it was his fault she was ever even in danger if she'd managed to tell them anything of that fateful night.

'You're thinking too hard again,' Jotaro was at the door, head ducked to fit through the low doorframe. Unconsciously, Kakyoin let go of the blanket he didn't know he was strangling and tried his best to put on his neutral face and clear away his racing thoughts. 

'You're here early,' He replied, glossing over what the other had said, 'I haven't even done my physio yet,'

'Tough shit, we're breakin' out again,' Jotaro said as Star appeared behind him with another of the hospital's wheelchairs, 'I gotta surprise for ya, but it's stupid and late, so c'mon.' Typical Jotaro, vaguely mysterious, slightly ominous, presumably trying to be nice but entirely unreadable as ever. Kakyoin gave him a look, and Jotaro sighed, 'Fine, nerd, I'll go tell em we're leaving for a bit, just hurry your ass up.' 

Hierophant trilled amusedly as Jotaro left to be responsible for possibly the first time ever, before the stand and their user began the delicate dance of shifting into the wheelchair. Luckily, physiotherapy had been paying off, and Kakyoin could shift himself to the edge of the bed before his stand looped around him and dropped him into the hard plastic seat. By the time Jotaro returned, Hierophant was arranging their tentacles on Kakyoin's lap as they perched on him like an odd octopus-cat hybrid.

'Well then,' Kakyoin said as he tucked his arms around his stand for security, 'Shall we?'

Jotaro had such a frustrating face, always somewhere between neutral and pissed, so despite the elevator mirrors giving him a clear view of his friend's face, Kakyoin couldn't tell how excited or nervous he should be to see this 'surprise'. He guessed they were a person, someone he knew, given that Jotaro had said they were running late, but still he couldn't figure who else would come to visit him, not including the six people who already gave him so much of their time.

'Kakyoin!' Yelled that stupid familliar voice, as French as ever, 'Mon cher ami, it's so good to see you again!' Before Kakyoin could register his form, Polnareff had flung himself against him in one of the tightest hugs the man had ever received, nearly knocking the air from his lungs. 'Oh, it's been too long, I'm so sorry I haven't come to visit, so many things to do back home, so many pretty women, you know the drill. But Kakyoin, my dear, how have you been?' And finally standing up, 'And Jotaro, you too, how on Earth are you still getting taller, mon dieu, what is your mother feeding you?' He clapped Jotaro on the back and turned back to Kakyoin, his buck-toothed grin shining across his features.

Kakyoin couldn't help the grin that spread across his face at the Frenchman's arrival, though he still rolled his eyes at his dramatic entrance. 'Good to see you too, dumbass,' he said fondly, watching the stand reunion going on from the corner of his eye, 'You don't look too beat up; did you seduce DIO into going easy on you?' Polnareff roared with laughter at the suggestion, whereas Jotaro rolled his eyes.

'Pol was pretty good bait, that's all,' He offered gruffly, and Polnareff gasped in mock offence at the suggestion.

'Such cruelty! And from the noble vampire slayer no less!' He declared, throwing a hand to his forehead dramatically, and Kakyoin held back a snicker. 'Moving swiftly on from such slander, I believe our dramatic reunion was supposed to occur watching these sakura trees in bloom?'

Kakyoin hadn't realised how much he'd missed Polnareff's company before, how he'd brought light to their darkest days and humour to their dull moments. But now as the three friends sat in front of newly blooming sakura trees talking about everything and nothing from their crazy two-month journey, Kakyoin finally felt more himself. He hadn't realised in his seventeen years of solitude how nice it could be to have friends, but he was glad he'd discovered it now, even if his friends were an emotionally repressed brick and a fool with his heart on his sleeve. A range of idiots he wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Not even for his life before DIO.

It seemed the trio were all artfully talented in the act of dodging the last few days of their 50-day journey. They reminisced on all the daft things they'd done, Kakyoin taking great joy in reminding Polnareff of every weird thing he'd done, from licking the toilets in the fight against Enyaba to flirting with at least four people trying to get info about DIO's whereabouts - all of them rejecting him and knowing nothing of the bastard in question, of course - and Jotaro even chimed in with some of the stupid things Pol had done while Kakyoin was in the hospital after Aswan; apparently, he'd been running around naked for a while trying to find his clothes after a crazy stand user's attack, and Jotaro, of course, had offered no assistance. Though his body ached with the movement, Kakyoin couldn't help the gleeful giggling spilling from his lips. It was just so normal, just three friends and their stands making mindless conversation. It was everything he'd ever dreamed of having.

Halfway through a long-winded story about Polnareff's sad attempts at cigarette party tricks, Jotaro's watch started beeping. 'Damn,' He mumbled under his breath, and if he hadn't been looking due to the noise Kakyoin might not have even noticed.

'What's the alarm for?' He asked, though from the slightest hint of sadness on his friend's face, Kakyoin could already tell; it was time for physio, or testing, or something, which meant saying farewell to not only Jotaro and Star, but now Polnareff and Chariot too. He hated being stuck to such a monotonous rigid schedule, cursed DIO for the millionth time. Hierophant picked up on their owner's feelings and started ripping up grass as it sulked.

'Doctors said we had to head back around now,' Jotaro confirmed, 'But Pol's sticking around for a while and so am I, so we'll be back,'

'So soon?' Asked Polnareff dejectedly, already pouting dramatically, 'But it's been so long since we've all seen each other, surely Joseph can pull a few strings with these doctors for us?'

'Nah,' Jotaro grumbled bluntly, tugging his cap down to cover his eyes as he rose to his feet, 'What the doctors say goes, it's for the best. We'll come back.' And with that, he was back behind Kakyoin's wheelchair, heading toward the sterile hospital building. Star scooped up Hierophant, covered in grass from their moment of destruction, and floated along behind. Polnareff scrambled to his feet too to catch up with the pair and their stands, Chariot slowly fizzling out as it was recalled.

Chapter Text

Jotaro had opted not to visit the day after their reunion with Polnareff. The frenchman himself had declared he wanted to explore the wonders of Japan, and they both knew Kakyoin would be exhausted from the outing, so they'd left him in peace. Instead, his mother came to visit.

Kakyoin had never been overly close with his parents; they never understood Hierophant, brushing his stand off as an imaginary friend filling the role real people should, and though he knew they cared about their son, Kakyoin had held a grudge over their disbelief for too many years to just let slide. Still, seeing the way his mother's face would light up as she entered his hospital room, Kakyoin could tell he was willing to forgive and forget. He'd built up enough grudges to last a lifetime already.

Unlike Jotaro or Miss Holly, Kakyoin's mum never touched him; not since the day he first woke up, where she'd clung to him like a lifeline in relief. Now, she looked at him like he was made of glass, which was beyond frustrating - he wasn't weak, and yet his own mother couldn't see that. Clearly, though, he'd have his work cut out to prove it to her, so with a little assistance from Hierophant, he pulled himself upright in his pile of pillows and patted the edge of his bed. His mother stared at him confusedly, until he finally verbalised his request, 'Sit here?'

His mother's eyes were wide, as she softly asked, 'Are you sure?' He nodded, trying to quell the frustration flooding through him - he knew she meant well, it was his own fault for leaving her and getting hurt anyway, she was right to be concerned. Hierophant helped ease his quiet rage by sitting in the waste bin and shredding paper scraps. 

'Are you sure you don't want me to move, Nori? I don't want to hurt you-' Kakyoin's hand over hers made his mother quiet, and he hated the way her eyes welled with tears. 

'I'm sorry,' He said, mostly to fill the awkward silence. There were a lot of things to apologise to his parents about, and he wasn't sure what exactly he was apologising for specifically, but he knew he meant it sincerely. 'Do you... hug?' His words failed him, seeing the pure emotion on her face, and his mother slowly, carefully wrapped her arms around her son, her face pressed awkwardly near the scars he never wanted her to see. His whole body froze as she sniffled, trying her best to hide her tears, failing as they'd already dampened his shirt. He'd never once in his 17 years of life seen his mother cry, and it broke his heart that her tears were his doing. 'Things will be ok,' He whispered, to himself just as much as her.

'Your father's going back to Morioh in two days, he'll come and say goodbye tomorrow,' She broke the silence after a while, having wiped away her tears with the hem of her cardigan, 'I might not go back as the new year starts, we'll wait and see how things turn out, whatever we have to do,' She assured. They'd be able to survive off of his father's paycheck alone in normal circumstances, but with the medical bills that were sure to follow Kakyoin for the foreseeable future, things would be a lot tougher. But his mother loved working with her students, and they loved her back - it wasn't fair to make her give that up, especially not for his sake. Recovery was even more important now.

'Have the doctors told you when you can come home?' She asked. She'd been speaking more about their home situation as Kakyoin lost himself in his thoughts, but her question snapped him back to the present. 

'I don't think so,' He replied; in all honesty, he'd taken to ignoring any medical professional, bar his PT, who started talking to him - they never had anything new to tell him, just 'you're recovering well' or 'everything looks normal'. They might have mentioned going home, but everything blended together in his memory as he tried to recall.

'Really?' She seemed confused, but not concerned, 'I've been asking the past few weeks, and the head of the department thinks you should be alright to come home in only a week or so! Dad's going to set up a futon downstairs as soon as he gets back, we'll make the living room all cosy, and the professionals from the Speedwagon Foundation are going to explain your care to your regular doctor. Things will finally start getting back to normal, Nori, isn't that good?'

'Is Ryoko in Morioh?' It wasn't what he'd meant to ask, especially when the topic of conversation was so far from discussing his little cousin, but Kakyoin hadn't heard anyone talk about her, and he needed to know if going back home was even worth it.

'She should be... why?' His mother responded. Thank fuck, she'd saved herself from that monster in Cairo. And now to avoid concerning his mother as he tried to explain the night he'd disappeared.

'She was with me in Cairo, mum,' he said. She needed at least a little bit of the truth, she deserved the watered-down explanation of DIO. 'We got a little lost when we were exploring, and we ended up in some back alleys. It was stupid, I know, but Ryo was sure she remembered the way back to the hotel and I was just following her. And then-' He didn't want to remember the day, the day he was stripped of every inch of his own self, but she deserved to hear it. 'There was a man, and he saw me, but not Ryoko, so I distracted him as she hid. And then... I don't remember what happened then, but I ended up at his place, and I had no idea what was happening. I didn't mean to leave you, or dad, or Ryo, I promise.' He was out of breath from talking, his chest tight with anxiety as he finished his half-assed story. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't remember much of his time with DIO, but he couldn't explain to his mum about flesh buds and stands without a lot of context she'd never understood.

'She... Ryoko said you protected her. From a strange white man with yellow hair. We should have believed her, oh, Nori,' She was biting her lip to keep her emotions at bay, but her eyes welled with tears for the second time today. Kakyoin squeezed her hand as best he could with his weakened grip, and prayed he hadn't fucked up even more. 'I'll talk to your Auntie Hiromi when we're back in Morioh, I'll explain it to her. I'm sure Ryoko's missed you just as much as we have.'

His mother chattered for a little while longer about what the doctors had said, about some new art shop he'd love opening up not far from their house, menial stuff. Kakyoin tried his best to stay focused, but emotions were draining, and sitting up for so long and chatting had wiped him out. By the time he woke up she'd left his bedside, a note left on the paper saying to sleep well and reminding him she loved him. 

Sure, his mum was clueless about stands. Even worse, she never seemed to fully understand her son no matter how hard he tried to help her. But nevertheless, her heart was in the right place, and Kakyoin could finally tell things would be ok between them. He drifted back into unconsciousness with a sleepy smile on his face.

Chapter Text

As he always did, Kakyoin had Hierophant set up a tripwire before he slept. Seeing the faint green shimmers helped ease his mind, and he'd be able to slip off to sleep easily, particularly thanks to his abundance of medications.

It was then that things went south.

He was in Egypt, up on the rooftops staring down at the city of Cairo lit up in darkness. The cool January air whipped his hair wildly around him. He could even smell the faint hint of petrol from the cars down below. And he could feel the hairs standing on end along his arms, he knew where he was, when he was, before his eyes even had the time to focus. Hierophant helpfully nudged up his glasses, and Kakyoin's still-intact insides lurched as he saw his opponent. 

DIO perched pointedly on a network tower, not shaking even with the strength of the wind around him. He grinned, wide and wicked, his fangs pointedly out, his hair flaring out as a threat. His stand hadn't revealed himself.

Kakyoin didn't want to move. He barely had it in him to breathe, breaths shaking and shallow. Still, his body moved against him on instinct; Hierophant had already begun unravelling into hair-like threads all around the bastard vampire. He remembered the day it really happened, remembered thinking about his parents, Ryoko, about his nameless classmates and various mindless neighbours. The attack was a metaphor, but Kakyoin hadn't thought it through; letting Hierophant go unseen had always left him hurt. This time it was just physical.

The trap was laid, and it was only seconds before DIO triggered a tripwire, before he would inevitably stop time, slash every inch of Hierophant's tendrils, and deliver the finishing blow that would have Kakyoin permanently out of commission. He could feel the nudge along his finger as the string was nudged, saw the flurry of emeralds head straight to hit the brain. The World emerged, and flicked the emeralds away like they were nothing. DIO roared, mocking, piercing; he knew. He knew. Kakyoin's body went cold, in anticipation. Time was about to freeze. He'd be hurtling toward a water tower in no time, his spine in splinters and his innards exposed. He could feel the time stop coming, why wasn't it coming, why was he still conscious?

'Time stop, The World!'

DIO cackled again, and with a swift cry set his stand to work, eyes following carefully as it slashed every last glistening string, saw them hovering in the air, no longer connected but still suspended in place. Kakyoin watched in pure terror at how easily his stand had been mutilated. He wanted to cry out, call Hierophant back, throw himself out of the way but he couldn't, stood paralysed, bait. He couldn't even close his eyes, forced to witness the inevitable. DIO leapt, full of a horrifying, mesmerising grace he didn't deserve to have, accompanied by his stand, shimmering a menacing yellow. He'd never see the colour the same.

'He'll never know what hit him,' DIO narrated, 'Finish him, The World!'

He could see the way The World swung its fist back, the way its face was perfectly neutral - somehow, that was worse than if it had the same smile as it's master. Kakyoin was still watching, waiting, eyes trained endlessly forward despite his desperation to look anywhere else, getting a front row seat to his own pulverising. The fist, wound up, swung suddenly forward. Kakyoin lost sight of the yellow hand just before it pierced through him. He felt nothing, but he could sense himself shift slightly backwards, curling ever so slightly in on himself. The World withdrew its hand, only slightly decorated with his blood, and DIO leapt back to his original place. What felt like an eternity was coming to an end. He begged the universe to please wake up.

'Time resume!'

Hierophant's destroyed threads fluttered down into the street. They looked almost pretty as they glistened, in a morbid way. Kakyoin couldn't appreciate the macabre beauty of the scene though, as he was suddenly aware of every single cut thread translated to his own body, and oh, he still couldn't see the gaping hole in his torso, but he could feel it, everything in him burning, it burned like he never thought it would. 

And then his body slammed heavily against the water tower, and everything was cold, paralysingly cold, and it bit at his insides, and he could see everything The World had done, his neck heavy, head propped up by his bloodied hollow chest. His blood, a startling crimson against his green gakuran, mixed sickeningly with the steady flow of water, gushing out through the hole in his body. The wind was still there, fierce and biting as ever, plastering his hair over his eyes, stuck to his forehead as he sweat feverishly. His glasses slipped down his face, resting precariously on the tip of his nose. He couldn't move, but he wasn't sure he'd want to if he could.

'Kakyoiiiiiiin!' He could hear Mr Joestar's scream somewhere distant, distorted by the wind. It hurt to hear, the pain in his voice, but Kakyoin couldn't even acknowledge him. He focused, but Hierophant barely just shimmered into existence, no longer its usual majestic self, reduced to a small bundle of slim translucent tentacles. He had to stay conscious, despite the gnawing cold slowing his thoughts to a trickle, the heaviness pulling on his eyelids. He knew how this was going to go - he had to summon Hierophant, had to clear his mind, had to send an emerald splash into the clock tower. He couldn't even see the tower, but he trusted his senses, tried his best to steady Hierophant's materialisation.

Hierophant, using the assistance of the blood-tainted water, charged up a weak emerald splash, the gemstones only half-formed. Kakyoin wheezed, spluttering blood over himself, and for a moment the emerald splash wavered, but Hierophant, stable as the rocks it fired, regained strength. They breathed in tandem, trying to build up strength. Only one shot.

Hierophant shot the emerald splash.

It missed.

Kakyoin's diluted blood ran cold. He was reliving the night he nearly died. He couldn't miss, nothing else had deviated from what he remembered. Hierophant shimmered out of existence, nothing more than a faint green glow at his side, and Kakyoin wanted to scream his lungs out. He couldn't, of course, and he could feel them filling with blood as he lay immobile in the hunk of metal that would surely become his watery grave. What now?

'What a pathetic attack,' He could hear the snide grin in DIO's voice, dripping with his malice, 'Oh well, it's just the attack of a dying hero begging to make his mark on the world. A shame really; how can a hero be so weak?'

Kakyoin's head hung heavy against his chest, even the soft shimmer of his stand now disappeared. He could hear Mr Joestar's valiant efforts to fight, but it was all over now. He'd failed.

His eyes closed for a brief moment, a second's rest, and when he opened them, he was met with a face he'd never dreamed he'd see again.

'You left me, Noriaki,' Her voice, usually filled with childish glee, was now cold, angry, 'You left me all on my own, and you went off with that strange man, and you never came back, Noriaki, you promised you'd be ok. I never realised my big cousin was so weak.' Her eyes shone with tears, but none spilt over. She was acting far too mature, more so than any regular nine-year-old should have to. Her hands were tight against her sides, balled in shaking fists, but she didn't lash out; she would never hurt her cousin, of course. She was always so much better than him.

She looked just like she did that damned day DIO brainwashed him, her hair still wavy from the curlers he'd helped her with that morning, with stray stands escaping the hairbands of her pigtails. Her dress was coated with sand from their adventures near the desert, her dress shoes scuffed up and her tights laddering in several places. Just like he remembered. It hurt more than the water tower to see her again.

She turned on her heels and left, wandering into an expansive void. Kakyoin found his words too late, felt his body still heavy, couldn't move to follow her as he cried out, 'Ryoko! Ryoko, kid please, I'm so sorry for Egypt, please, come back,' She was fading out of existence, just like Hierophant, turning into a cherry-red glow before disappearing entirely, deaf to his desperate pleas. No one else came, no one at all, and he kept screaming.

He was screaming when he awoke.

He woke up heaving in between his gasping yells, covered in something cold, quivering. He was wet, wet like that damned water tower, like the night he died, he'd died that night, surely, he'd seen how things really went down, this was hell and he was dead and-
Hierophant's shimmering green strands were still in place guarding the room, still all intact, none of them sliced to falling ribbons. They were present, not just a disembodied green glow, or nothing at all, but real, and there, in all their glory. Breathing shakily, Kakyoin tried to focus on his stand, how Hierophant was OK and so was he, this wasn't Egypt, he was safe. It was distinctly not a void either. He'd just woken up in a cold sweat from his nightmare. He wasn't thrown against the water tower. His vision wasn't fading. He wasn't visited by a vengeful cousin. He was alive, distinctly so.

Hierophant's tendrils slowly curled inwards from the corners of the room, forming a vaguely humanoid shape as they approached the foot of the bed to slink under the hospital blankets. As the last of the green glimmers disappeared under the sheets, Kakyoin could feel his stand curling around his torso to rest, finally stopping his now whispering of 'please, come back'. Thank goodness for Hierophant, always there when their master needed them. Kakyoin sighed with relief and sunk slowly back into the pillows, pushing his nightmare to the back of his mind and focusing on the snake-like skin of Hierophant as he absent-mindedly patted their head. As he did, anxious knocking filled the room.

'Mr Kakyoin? Please, we need entry.' He vaguely recognised the voice as one of the doctors, and let Hierophant extend a tentacle towards the doorknob, swinging it open and retreating under the blankets. He didn't have the energy for politeness or formalities, so Kakyoin hoped the opening door would be enough of a hint.

The doctor who entered had braided pink hair - she was the nicest, always checked in on Kakyoin and let him know what tests she was doing and why; he might not particularly care, but it was good that someone deemed him worthy of the knowledge. 'Mr Kakyoin? I heard screaming, were you having a nightmare?' She asked, genuine concern on her face. His cheeks blushed scarlet as he nodded. 'If you'd like to discuss it, we have trained therapists on hand, or I can contact the Joestars for you?' Her intentions were kind, but Kakyoin didn't want to dwell on his dream; instead, he softly shook his head, focused on the weight and texture of his stand, and thanked her for checking on him. She hovered briefly, before fetching a needle for yet another blood test. 'Things are looking really good,' She reassured him, 'If your white blood cell count is normal, this should be your last daily test. Sharp scratch coming, same as usual!'

The dream hovered uncomfortably at the corners of his mind, weak flooding his brain at random times, The World flashing through his mind at random intervals. 

He couldn't argue with that.

Chapter Text

It was almost bittersweet, saying goodbye to all the medical staff he'd grown acquainted with over the past few months; still, the excitement at finally, finally going home overrode his sadness. Kakyoin had a genuine smile on his face as he waved farewell to the people who'd kept him alive and (mostly) sane since Egypt. Polnareff, after flirting with Kakyoin's mother in front of him, had taken hold of his wheelchair, leading him out into the warm spring air, his now flustered mother trotting along behind them.  His father waved from their car out front, climbing out from the driver's seat to hug both Kakyoin and his mother, clapping Polnareff awkwardly on the back afterwards.

With only a subtle use of Hierophant to readjust himself in Polnareff's arms, Kakyoin was in the backseat of the car soon enough and beginning the two-hour-long trip back to Morioh, with his parents humming along to the fifties tunes on the radio like it was just an average car ride - well, if you could excuse the French addition who'd be staying with them for a few weeks. With Polnareff babbling on about the scenery even when they made it to the motorway, Kakyoin found himself hit with a wave of nostalgia for the long car rides through desert and mountains on the journey to Egypt; Joseph and Polnareff singing their hearts out with Advol smiling and humming along, Jotaro occasionally looking up from a book to tell Kakyoin a fun or weird fact about the ocean, and Kakyoin raving to any fool who'd listen to all the things he could reel off about the tiny towns and giant structures they'd pass by. Hierophant nestled up comfortably beside their user and trilled. It was a good surge of memories, the pair decided.

He woke up minutes from the old familiar backroads of home, Hierophant having repositioned themself at some point to curl up in his lap, catlike. Polnareff was sprawled out beside him, snoring louder than even Mr Joestar did, styled hair spilling out of place in the back from the journey. It happened on their journey to Egypt, too; Kakyoin couldn't help the wide grin that spread across his face. Recasting his gaze to Hierophant, he saw thick flat threads of the stand wrapped taught around his midsection. As he brushed his hand over them, he couldn't feel the corresponding sensation. It seemed that Hierophant had wrapped their otherwise dead weight around him in order to keep him safe. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about that, but he could feel the tension in his shoulders start to dissolve.

'Nori, darling, we're almost home,' His mother was beaming as she turned to face him, the heavy bags beneath her eyes almost hidden as her features scrunched with genuine joy. If he had a scrap of paper, Kakyoin would've sketched it.

It was a struggle to get his new wheelchair over the bump of the doorway. Still, with Hierophant stabilising his back as Polnareff (and Chariot) hauled his chair gracelessly up and over the nook, Kakyoin was finally home. The old holiday photos still hung in the hallway, his winter coat still on its hook, the subtle scent of potpourri hidden out of sight. It was good to be back. 

Kakyoin's room, before that fated meeting with DIO, had been upstairs, and laden with piles of books and art supplies in such a way that navigating it now in his wheelchair would be impossible. As things stood, though, getting to his room was decidedly too much effort in itself; his parents had set the spare futon out on the floor and brought his bedding down to use on the sofa, and they were planning on moving his things into the downstairs office. He tried not to think about how the sheets hadn't been washed since he left, convinced himself it was a matter of his parents forgetting rather than purposefully preserving them. Kakyoin buried himself in his pile of green blankets and went back to a thankfully dreamless sleep.

Holly and Polnareff were chatting in the kitchen when he woke up, and Kakyoin almost considered pinching himself to make sure he was awake; the constant ache in his abdomen was enough proof he wasn't dreaming, he decided. Hierophant extended a curious tendril on their master's behalf, checking to see if it really was Holly there, in his house so far away from her big-city mansion. 

'Bonsoir, Kakyoin!' Polnareff spotted his stand the second Hierophant peeked its curious face around the door, 'You slept well, I hope?' From the living room, Kakyoin made a noise of agreement as he stretched his arms out, slow, as to not further aggravate the way his spine smarted at the slightest movement. Hierophant retreated to help their user shift back into his wheelchair, and Polnareff appeared in the doorway, followed by Holly, ready to help if needed. Kakyoin shoved down the rising feeling of shame in his chest when he noticed.

'Hi, sweetie!' Holly's endless positivity was refreshing, if not a little much, 'Your parents just popped out for a little while; they'll be back soon I'm sure. How're ya doing?' Kakyoin shrugged a little in response, glad for the way his shoulders crackled and popped, the stiffness from his nap already dissipating. 'I missed saying goodbye back in Tokyo, so I thought I'd stop by to drop off a pie I baked!' She casually continued, as though she hadn't just driven a whole 2 hours to get here. Her smile radiated warmth, and her joy was contagious. She settled on the armchair and began chatting about all the lovely scenery she'd seen on her drive, how she'd always wanted to visit Morioh, would he recommend the honey sesame mochi, where was the view of the sea, all mindless things that as a Morioh native he could answer with ease. Hierophant writhed about happily along the floor as Kakyoin rattled off endless trivia about his hometown. Polnareff chimed in on occasion, asking about all the food places that were good, then asking if any of the neighbours were attractive. 

By the time his parents made it back from S-City, Kakyoin's sides ached with laughter instead of just pain. It was the first time they'd heard him laugh in who knows so long, and the pair hovered extra long in the hallway before announcing their presence.

Chapter Text

Holly's visit and promise of keeping in touch had helped keep Kakyoin from sulking too much as he readjusted to life at home. The downstairs office had been converted into his new room with only a day's work (Hierophant helped out when no one was looking), and Polnareff had hogged the sofa for the next few days. Today was his final day in Japan, so after a long call with Holly and Jotaro, Kakyoin and his dad were accompanying the Frenchman to the airport.

'And you're more than welcome to stay here again any time, it's been lovely to meet you,' Kakyoin's mum reminded Polnareff for at least the tenth time today, accompanied by a tight hug, motherly in such a universal sense.

'Of course, of course, you have been so very kind to have me here so long,' Polnareff flashed his buck-toothed grin as he slung his strange bag over his shoulder. Kakyoin himself was already sat in the back of the car, tugging on his overgrown bangs and twirling his hair to keep entertained, but he was glad to see Pol and his father finally heading towards the vehicle. He tried his best to ignore the tears in his friend's eyes as he slung himself into the backseat, and let Hierophant wrap a stray tendril around his hand. The way to the airport was only a short drive away, but the melancholic silence made it drag on forever. Kakyoin wished for trashy American pop on the radio, but instead 50s music played on, barely audible over the whirring of the old engine. 

Kakyoin scribbled his address, and his home number, on the corner of a sketchbook page, accompanied by one of his better attempts at sketching Iggy; he hadn't known the dog long, but Jotaro had mentioned on one of their calls that Polnareff had a weird sort of kinship with their odd ally. Hierophant slipped the folded-up paper and tucked it into Polnareff's back pocket as the man stretched out of the car. Polnareff already had the address memorised, and a copy of their phone number in his suitcase, but Kakyoin couldn't help but worry, given how airheaded the man had proven himself to be one too many times. 

He didn't let Polnareff help him out of the car. He didn't need the help anymore; his arms were stronger than ever from hauling around his full body weight, and besides, his parents were getting old, he couldn't keep relying on them to carry him about now that Pol was going. Hierophant was more than enough as a mobility aid, and tendrils of green bridged the small gap between the open door and the wheelchair. His stand curled up on his lap as he settled in the chair, and then they were off to the crowded airport.

'You look like you're about to murder someone,' Pol ducked down to whisper. He wasn't wrong; Kakyoin hadn't been in such a crowded place since back when his legs worked, and he wasn't enjoying how ignorant people were. The number of fools he'd almost collided with was far more than he could tolerate, and Hierophant had decided they weren't going to act as a crashpad next time someone stopped right in front of his wheelchair and acted like they weren't a major obstacle. He didn't have the patience for a disability.

'I'm fine, people are just idiots,' He said back, trying not to be too loud lest someone take offence, 'You included.' He added with a grin. Polnareff flipped him off in mock offence, but then ruffled his hair with a fond smile.

'Nearly at the gate, and then you can get away from all these idiots, eh?'

'I'm going to grab a coffee for the road, I'll let you two say goodbye,' Kakyoin's dad slipped off into the crowd without another word, leaving the two crusaders alone. Polnareff slung his backpack onto a seat and sunk into it, then gestured to Kakyoin to join him. Hierophant writhed awkwardly from Kakyoin's lap over to Polnareff's, kneading the Frenchman's legs like a cat would. They sat in silence for a moment, neither sure how to break the silence.

Finally, Pol spoke up; 'I've missed France, but I sure will miss it here too. It's been like a dream... having a family again,' His eyes were wet with tears, but for once the man didn't let his emotions overwhelm him, 'It's been like when Sherry was alive,' A single tear spilled down his cheek as he said her name, and he didn't brush it away, 'You're real lucky to have your parents, and Miss Holly and Jojo... no more being lonely, eh?' Kakyoin wasn't sure how he was meant to respond, so he simply nodded. Thankfully, from his lap, Hierophant was twirling thin threads around Polnareff's fingers and palm, pulsating gently as if to mimic a hand squeezing his. Polnareff was right - he'd never have to be lonely anymore. Even ignoring the brilliant friendships he'd made in the journey to Egypt, his bond with Hierophant was stronger than ever, now he finally had that proof that he wasn't just imagining his best friend. He hoped Polnareff felt the same about Chariot; the French countryside seemed a lonely place without companionship.

The tannoy played its announcement; the direct flight to Normandy is now boarding. It was finally time to say goodbye to the last of his crusader friends, go back to being as 'normal' as one could be, after having been gutted by an immortal vampire while questing for the salvation of a relative stranger. Hierophant fizzled away into his skin rather than returning to his lap; clearly, they weren't looking forward to farewells either.

Polnareff threw out his arms, flung them awkwardly around Kakyoin. He returned the hug, buried his face in the strap of Pol's shirt and hoped it would collect the residue of fresh tears. Neither man seemed ready to let go, but a secondary announcement over the speakers calling all passengers for Pol's flight to head to boarding played, and Kakyoin, ever rational, pulled away.

'You can't delay heading home forever,' He said, teasing, 'Bye, Pol. Call us when you're back in France, ok?' 

'Forward the charge on to Mr Joestar too, eh?' Polnareff said, a grin spreading across his wet cheeks, 'Au revoir, Kakyoin. It's been a pleasure.' With that, the man slung his bag over his shoulder, the same way he had so many times on their journey, and turned to leave. Kakyoin rubbed his sleeves over his eyes before he waved, watched his friend disappear into the crowds of people milling about. Once even that ludicrous flat top of his was gone, lost to the sea of people, Kakyoin summoned Hierophant once more. The creature was melancholy, plain as day, but curled back up in their user's lap contentedly nonetheless, and the stand and master headed off to find their father. 

Chapter Text

Kakyoin had decided long ago that he hated his aunt and uncle, but ever since Cairo he'd hated them more. They'd left him to babysit Ryoko while they went out drinking that fateful night, and she'd wanted to go for a walk, to explore the streets of the city when they weren't bustling with bodies. He didn't know she wasn't allowed out at night, because her stupid parents hadn't told him, but they'd been more than happy to accuse him of being irresponsible when Ryoko turned up at a police station the next morning, alone. They'd held their grudge long enough, he thought, considering he'd more than paid the price for his supposed irresponsibility by now, but his aunt still refused to let him see Ryoko. Ryoko's opinion, of course, was irrelevant in the matter.

Life went on, though. He called Polnareff once a week - well, Polnareff called him nearly every day for some little thing or other, but they had a long call weekly. He went back to school, in his own school year now, rather than heading off to uni a year early as he'd planned. He helped his mum with cooking and asked Holly for her recipes. Jotaro never called of his own accord, but they sent letters back and forth filled with fun facts they'd picked up, Jotaro's aquatic sketches and Kakyoin's abstract doodlings. They seemed to get along better like that - Jotaro would actually talk, sometimes even let Kakyoin know what was going on in his life, and Kakyoin learned more about his friend through the letters than he'd been able to infer from those 50 days of travelling. He was off to university in America, but Holly promised they'd drop by again before Jotaro was off halfway across the globe. Even Mr Joestar sent him letters; he'd tried calling once - at 3 am - but he couldn't get the hang of the time zone differences so was sticking to letters. His wife drew a smiley face at the end of each letter too, which was sweet.

He wasn't lonely anymore, and his parents were thrilled. He cringed every time they told him that he 'lit up like he'd never done before' or that 'it's like you're a whole new person', but he was glad they weren't constantly worrying over his social life. Considering he'd given them enough stress for a lifetime with his disappearance all those months back in Egypt, coupled with the fact that they now had to completely revamp the house to account for his clunky wheelchair, he was relieved they wouldn't have any extra stressors to deal with. Every time there was post addressed to him, his father would bring it to him straight away, tell him to 'tell us if there's any gossip we should know about' as if that wasn't what the phone calls with Polnareff were for.

Kakyoin wanted to tell his parents about Hierophant - he knew they just weren't able to see his stand, but now that he knew for certain that he wasn't going crazy, he felt like it was betraying them to keep his soul secret. His heart hurt thinking about it, but he knew if Avdol had survived Egypt he'd know how to approach the matter; they'd lost so much stand-user information when he'd been killed.

'Hey, why don't you tell your folks stands are ghosts, something like that huh?' Polnareff suggested. They'd been on the phone for hours already, sat in silence most of it, so Kakyoin had been doing his homework while a stray tendril of Hierophant propped the phone to his ear. 'Aren't they super into spiritualist stuff after all?' Beside him, Hierophant pooled into a mass of tentacles on the floor, looking interested at Pol's suggestion, eyes aglow.

'They're not super into spiritualism, most people in Morioh visit the shrines now and then, you're just not used to it 'cause you're French,' Kakyoin corrected him, 'But, while I hate to admit it, I guess it might be a good idea to try and explain Hierophant in a different way to them. I'll think about it.' He went back to his work and tried his best to focus on chemistry rather than the excited trilling his stand was emitting.

'Hey mum, you remember Midori, right?' Kakyoin asked as he helped her prepping for dinner.

'You mean your imaginary friend?' She asked, glancing over confused, 'How could I forget? You never used to let us do anything without involving him!' Kakyoin supposed, looking back, he was pretty pushy with his parents for a while, trying his damn best to convince them his best friend was real. He couldn't blame his younger self, though.

'Would you believe me now if I said he was real?' He asked, focusing gaze on a carrot like it was the most interesting thing in the world, 'Now that I'm not a kid?' He could hear his mother's knife set down on the chopping board and feel her eyes on him, and suddenly he remembered why he'd stopped talking about his stand. He knew it wasn't her fault to be suspicious, but he hated it anyway.

'Nori?' She didn't answer for a moment, and he carried on chopping carrots like he wasn't being scrutinised where he sat. He wasn't even sure she'd give him a response by the time she spoke again, 'What do you mean by real?' She asked. It wasn't an answer, but it was more progress than he'd made as a child, so he let Hierophant hope for once. He raised his head a little, watching as her hands fidgeted.

'I mean I still see him,' He confessed, 'I always have mum, he's not leaving me. And... my friends can see him too, Polnareff, and the others. He's real to them.' His hands were shaking so he set his knife down. He still wouldn't meet her gaze, but thankfully she never expected him to.

'Well that's new,' She mumbled, maybe to herself rather than him. She turned back to her cutting board, and for a moment Kakyoin thought the conversation was over, before she spoke up again, 'That's why you're happier, then, right?' For a moment he was worried she'd assumed that the crusaders were humouring him, and maybe that was worse than not believing, 'I wonder what your little friend is, then. I hope he'll forgive us for not listening.'

And just like that, things were different. She just listened. Maybe it was because they were both older, or because of the crusaders, or maybe she'd just finally come around. Whatever the case, just like that, she'd accepted Hierophant, and they didn't have to be a secret anymore. He could finally connect with his parents, and, maybe, that was something he'd wanted for a long time.

Maybe one day, now his parents knew a little more about him, they'd stick up for him to Ryoko's parents. Maybe things were looking up. He put his thoughts in his letters to Jotaro and Joseph.

Chapter Text

Since Jotaro was leaving for America in a few days, the surviving Crusaders were all at the Kujo residence to see him off. Holly had cooked enough to feed a small village, so when Kakyoin had arrived with his mother, Holly had sent her off with a pile of filled Tupperware, and that had hardly made a dent in the dishes. Jotaro and Kakyoin claimed the sofa, Joseph sank into a couch, and Polnareff splayed himself inelegantly across the floor as Holly trotted about, an old episode of Columbo playing on the TV in the background. 

'You're making the right choice heading to Florida,' Joseph said, 'Brilliant state, I've got plenty of properties there too, once you're out of dorms you can take your pick of 'em!' Jotaro grumbled something at that, tipping the brim of his cap down, and if Kakyoin didn't know better he'd think the guy was expressing gratitude. 'All of you, if you ever find yourselves in the states, I'll sort you out a place to stay,' he said, and with a heart and fortune as large as the Joestars had, Kakyoin knew he meant it.

'It's crazy that you're only just heading off into the world,' Pol piped up, 'Especially after all we've been through, it's weird to think you're still just a kid. Both of you, you seem so grown up.' He was right, Kakyoin supposed; they were certainly more prepared for the world than their peers, but he was still in high school and Jotaro had only recently graduated. Stands seemed to be like that, made everything different.

Holly was bringing in food before they got too reflective, and with cooking as good as hers, it was hard to dwell on the depressing. Still, Kakyoin couldn't help having the thought ringing in his mind; he's still just a kid. He couldn't quite tell if it was a good thing or not. He didn't care much to ponder. Joseph was retelling old crazy stories from his youth, and Polnareff was on his fourth pair of chopsticks in ten minutes - staying in the moment, being with his friends, that was what tonight was about.

He was staring at the ceiling, barely able to make out the wooden panelling in the dark, even with his glasses. He could still hear Polnareff and Joseph in the garden, talking about who knows what. Holly must have gone to bed by now, given how late it was, and Jotaro had slunk away to his room even before Kakyoin had. The house was mostly quiet, save for the men outside, far enough away to be background noise. His meds were working as well as they could, and he'd learned to sleep through worse pain. But he was wide awake and thinking, Hierophant swirling and pacing around the room. He supposed it was jealousy - Jotaro certainly hadn't come out of his brush with DIO unscathed, but he'd been far more able to return to normality than anyone else in the team. Even Joseph had spent time in intensive care despite being magically revived through the sheer power of being a Joestar. Kakyoin wasn't the only one who'd suffered. But still, Jotaro and Kakyoin, closest in age, having spent so much time together during their crusade - he felt they were so far apart now. He didn't want Jotaro to have to understand, but he wished his friend could appreciate being able to go to Florida; that was just a dream for some. He didn't think about his future prospects, because he couldn't quite bear to accept the fact his dreams of studying in Cairo were trashed. At least money wasn't going to be the problem though, a small win for his parents.

He drifted off eventually, and dreamed of Cairo, of the campus he'd visited less than a year ago, with his parents, aunt, uncle, and of course Ryoko. He didn't dream of losing her this time, but he felt a looming presence just out of sight. He awoke just as tired as when he'd fallen asleep.